Red Letter Advent - Hope
Welcome!
Red Letter Advent is a 25-day experience of unboxing the four gifts Jesus wants you to receive and give away: hope, peace, joy, and love. Through this journey, you'll slow down during the holiday season, savor every precious moment, and finally open the presents you have always longed for!
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Greeting & Announcements
Hope
Pastor: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Pastor: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
All: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised it is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
Pastor: Those without Christ are… without hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12)
All: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:11)
Here Comes Heaven
Children weep no more
Hope is on the horizon
Weary world behold
Your promised Messiah
Angels let your song begin
Here comes heaven
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Here comes heaven
Sinner wait no more
Love has broken the silence
Come let us adore
The Savior is with us
Angels let your song begin
Here comes heaven
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Here comes heaven
Here comes heaven
Now behold His glory
Glory in the highest
All the earth rejoice for Christ is born
Over all who mourn
Breaks the dawn of salvation
Darkness reigns no more
For Jesus is greater
He is greater
Angels let your song begin
Here comes heaven
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Here comes heaven
Angels let your song begin
Here comes heaven
All creation worship Him
Here comes heaven
Here comes heaven
Scripture Reading
Titus 2:11-14 (NIV) - For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
STP KIDS Dismissal
STP KIDS is the Children’s Ministry at St. Peter’s Edina, designed for all children from 6 months to 10 years old (Grade 5). Older children are welcome to participate as helpers. Our vision is to partner with parents in raising up a generation of children that will seek their God-given Kingdom mission and impact their world for Jesus!
Message: Hope
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Hope = expectation, trust, and confidence
God will fulfill His promises, but He will do it in His perfect timing.
Matthew 1:18-23 - This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
You can trust in every promise of God.
If God said it, it will happen.
You can trust that God is in control today.
Psalm 110:1 - The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
You can trust in a secure future with God.
Jesus is Hope embodied.
Prayer
If you are in need of prayer, we would love the opportunity to pray with you! You can post a prayer on our online prayer wall, or submit a private prayer to our prayer team.
The Lord’s Prayer
All: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Blessing
Matthew 12:21 (NIV) “In his name the nations will put their hope.”
Living Hope
How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness Your loving-kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished the end is written
Jesus Christ my living hope
Who could imagine so great a mercy
What heart could fathom such boundless grace
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ my living hope
Hallelujah
Praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah
Death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ my living hope
Hallelujah
Praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah
Death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ my living hope
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Jesus Yours is the victory
Hallelujah
Praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah
Death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ my living hope
Hallelujah
Praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah
Death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ my living hope
Jesus Christ my living hope
Oh God You are my living hope
Here Comes Heaven
CCLI Song # 7051506
Chris Brown | Mack Brock | Matthews Ntlele | Steven Furtick | Wade Joye
© 2015 Music by Elevation Worship Publishing
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 277265
Living Hope
CCLI Song # 7106807
Brian Johnson | Phil Wickham
© 2017 Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])
Simply Global Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])
Sing My Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])
Bethel Music Publishing
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 277265
*All Bible translations are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise specified