ADVENT ... Be Ready! (CC)

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY! [GOOD MORNING PASTOR] HOW IS EVERYBODY TODAY? [GOOD] HAPPY NEW YEAR! [HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GIGGLING] THANK YOU, VIV, YES. TODAY'S THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW CHURCH YEAR. SO WE COULD SAY 'HAPPY NEW YEAR' TODAY. BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF THE CHURCH YEAR. AND IN THE FIRST SEASON OF THE CHURCH YEAR, IT'S CALLED ADVENT. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE AN ADVENT WREATH UP. NOTICE THAT THERE ARE CHANGES IN THE WAY THE ALTAR LOOKS THIS MORNING. WE HAVE BLUE ON THE ALTAR REMINDING US THAT WE ARE TO LOOK TO THE SKY FOR CHRIST'S RETURN BECAUSE ADVENT MEANS "COMING". SO WE HAVE TWO THOUGHTS GOING ON THIS SEASON OF THE CHURCH YEAR. WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT JESUS CAME TO THIS EARTH? ARIEL. WHEN HE WAS BORN. WHEN HE WAS BORN OF MARY. AND WHEN WE CELEBRATE THAT AT CHRISTMAS. WE'RE THANKFUL THAT GOD SENT A SAVIOR, WHO TOOK ALL OF OUR SINS AWAY. AND HAS CALLED US TO BE HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS. WHAT IS THE SECOND TIME THAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN GOD ... WHEN JESUS IS GOING TO RETURN? BRENDON? [AT THE LAST DAY] THE LAST DAY. THAT'S RIGHT. JUDGMENT DAY. THE DAY WHEN HE COMES BACK IN ALL OF HIS GLORY AND ALL OF HIS POWER AND ALL OF HIS SPLENDOR. WITH ALL OF THE ANGELS WITH HIM. TO TAKE ALL OF THE BELIEVERS TO BE WITH HIM IN HEAVEN. SO, IN THIS SEASON OF THE CHURCH YEAR, WE WANT TO REMIND OURSELVES TO BE READY. TO BE READY AT ANY TIME WHEN CHRIST COMES SO THAT WE WILL BE TAKEN WITH HIM TO BE WITH THE CHURCH IN HEAVEN. THERE'S SOMETHING IN OUR PURPLE BAG THIS MORNING THAT'S GONNA HELP US REMEMBER THAT. WHO WOULD LIKE TO LOOK IN THE PURPLE BAG THIS MORNING? LET'S LET GENEVIEVE. [PASTOR HANDS THE PURPLE BAG TO GENEVIEVE] MONEY? REALLY? I DON'T REMEMBER PUTTING ANY MONEY IN THERE. WHAT IS IT? IT'S COINS THOUGH, ISN'T IT? YES! YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE SOME KIND OF WEIRD MONEY FROM SOME FOREIGN COUNTRY. BUT IT ISN'T. IT'S JUST A COIN. IT'S A COIN THAT REMINDS US THAT WE ARE IN THE SEASON OF ADVENT, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COIN IT SHOWS AN ADVENT WREATH AND THERE ARE FOUR CANDLES ON IT. THERE ARE FOUR CANDLES ON OUR ADVENT WREATH, BECAUSE FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON JESUS' COMING AND HOW WE'RE GONNA BE READY AND PREPARED FOR HIM. YOU CAN TAKE THIS WITH YOU FOR THE NEXT 4 WEEKS WHEREVER YOU GO AND REMIND YOU TO ALWAYS BE READY. OKAY? ALL RIGHT. NOW YOU GUYS CAN GO BACK TO YOUR MOMS DADS AND WE'LL JOIN TOGETHER IN HYMN-OF-THE-DAY, HYMN 19.