Dec. 7 Virtual Worship
2nd Sunday in Advent (Love)
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Worship Team: Sarah Haas, Marc Hayden
Music Ministry Team: Kristin Petty
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Key Notes from the reading & sermon:
Scripture Lesson
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 11:1-9
Sermon: Love for the Poor and Oppressed
Isaiah 11:1-9
1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist Key Idea of the Sermon and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 6 The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the lion will feed together, and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea
Key Idea of the Sermon
There are some interesting parallels between the texts for the first and second Sundays of Advent. Both are from Isaiah, and both lift-up Divine promises of reconciliation and restoration in the days to come (Isaiah 2:1). What is different is the introduction of a figure to bring these promises to fulfillment. This Deliverer is a descendant of Jesse, the father of King David. This Liberator is empowered by the Spirit of God with a commitment to the righteous fulfillment of God’s promises, as well as judgment and justice on behalf of the poor and oppressed. As we celebrate Christ’s gift of love, we renew our devotion to righteousness and justice..
Questions for Reflection
• On the first Sunday of Advent, we celebrated Christ’s gift of hope. How did you experience hope this past week?
• Write down the characteristics of God’s Spirit revealed in the Deliverer and Liberator, listed in verse two. Which of these characteristics do you need to embrace and live God’s righteousness and justice?
A Spiritual Practice to Try
Be a person of love this week in your circle of influence by choosing tangible ways every day to be kind, just, and humble. Pay attention to the difference God can make through you and be thankful.
If you need some guidance or support, you may reach me at pastormarc.friedensucc@outlook.com
