Verse of the Day~

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

  from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—

  the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

  the Spirit of counsel and of might,

  the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:1-3)

Prayer~

Jesus, You show up in the most unexpected places–a manger in Bethlehem, a wedding at Cana, a garden at Gethsemane. You show up in our lives too–in the car with our kids, in the nursing home by ourselves, at the moment we most need You. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

Meeting Jesus ~ Our 4th Sunday in Advent celebrates the Promise of Justice. Join us at 10 for the lighting of the Advent candle by the Donayre-Cruz family and special music from Lacy Book singing, “Mary, Did You Know?”

Meeting Friends ~ Thank you to everyone who came to support the kids’ Christmas pageant, “Unfrozen,” on Sunday night. This is how we live out our commitment to these kids, by simply showing up and showing them you care. We hosted lots of families from outside the church, so let’s pray that some return to share the faith journey with us. Go to our Facebook page to see photos: https://www.facebook.com/firstchurchlajunta/. 

Sharing Hope ~ We’re sending our annual Christmas Offering to the Outreach Foundation to support the ongoing construction of water cisterns in and around Xpujil in the state of Campeche in southern Mexico. Please continue to pray about your participation in our summer 2025 mission trip to Xpujil, July 22-29. 

And a special invitation~

Celebrate with us that “A King Is Born” in worship on Christmas Eve at 5:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. Our praise band will lead a modern Lessons and Carols service, while Dean will lead us in traditional hymns. Our special music will include "How Do You Welcome a King?" sung by Kate Pruyn, Kaydence Salazar, and Rebecca Grantham and Jessica Bay on violin for “The First Noel.” Some of our young adults will share the readings, and Pastor MJ will bring a special message before we share communion and light our candles for the singing of “Silent Night.” Bring friends and family to share the joy!

Find us!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@firstchurchoflajunta

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstchurchlajunta 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstchurch_lajunta/?hl=en

Website: https://firstchurchlajunta.org/