December 14th, 2025
third Sunday of Advent
“Hidden Nativity: Herod” - Matthew 2:1-18
Matthew Grim, Elder
This Week @ Sojourn:
Advent Kids’ Activities: Next week is the finale! Bring the kids at 9am (in a nativity costume if they’d like) to wrap up our activities and prepare for worship.
Christmas Eve Worship: Plan now to be present with your friends and family for our candlelight service at 6pm on this most special night of the year.
If you are a GUEST with us today, we are glad you are here! Please click the WORSHIP CONNECTION link below, and let us know how we can pray for or serve you. Thank you!
Helpful links:
Welcome Song: Amazing Grace
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come;
’Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
Welcome to Sojourn
Morgan & Rochelle Grim, Hosts
Call to Worship
Advent Reading: Tyler, Angela, Benjamin, Reagan, and Harper Bradley
Prayer: Kerry Spencer, Elder
“1 The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;
the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.
2 It will blossom abundantly
and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
steady the shaking knees!
4 Say to the cowardly:
“Be strong; do not fear!
Here is your God; vengeance is coming.
God’s retribution is coming; he will save you.”
5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy,
for water will gush in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7 the parched ground will become a pool,
and the thirsty land, springs.
In the haunt of jackals, in their lairs,
there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
8 A road will be there and a way;
it will be called the Holy Way.
The unclean will not travel on it,
but it will be for the one who walks the path.
Fools will not wander on it.
9 There will be no lion there,
and no vicious beast will go up on it;
they will not be found there.
But the redeemed will walk on it,
10 and the ransomed of the LORD will return
and come to Zion with singing,
crowned with unending joy.
Joy and gladness will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee. ”
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary and gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wond’ring love
O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth
How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is giv’n
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav’n
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord, Emmanuel.
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on earth, good will to men, from heav'ns all gracious King”
The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come, with peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary world:
Above its sad and lowly plains, they bend on hovering wing:
And ever o'er its Babel sounds, the blessed angels sing.
And ye, beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way, with painful steps and slow,
Look now! For glad and golden hours, Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing.
For lo, the days are hastening on, By prophet seen of old,
When, with the evercircling years, Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heavens and earth shall own The Prince of Peace their King,
And the whole world send back the song Which now the angels sing.
Pastoral Point
Preschoolers dismissed to children’s lesson.
We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are;
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
Born a King on Bethlehem's plain,
gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I;
incense owns a Deity nigh;
prayer and praising, voices raising,
worshiping God on high.
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
Glorious now behold him arise;
King and God and sacrifice:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Peals through the earth and skies.
Message
Scripture
“1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah:
Because out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.”
9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was— the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.
16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
18 A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she refused to be consoled,
because they are no more. ”
Discussion Questions:
What does it mean to live a life that is righteous, devout, and looking forward to God’s consolation? When have you seen these traits in another believer? Where do you have room to grow—and how can you stay faithful for a lifetime?
What is the evidence that Simeon trusted the Holy Spirit? How might that be harder to do the longer you live? What is the evidence that you are trusting the Holy Spirit in your own life?
What makes the truth of the Gospel—the truth of Jesus for us—amazing? Why does the way we believe, hold, and proclaim it matter? How does your own testimony of Christ reflect His “amazingness” in the world?
Communion
Doxology
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
O Come All Ye Faithful
O come all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him, Born the King of angels
O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord
Sing choirs of angels, Sing in exultation,
O sing all citizens of heaven above
Glory to God, All glory in the highest
Yea Lord we greet Thee, Born this happy morning,
Jesus to Thee be all glory given
Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing