LIVERMORE — At the North Livermore Baptist Church Dec. 12 service, the congregation was welcomed by Pastor Bonnie Higgins at 9:30 a.m. to begin the service. Pastor Bonnie began telling the congregation that we are in the Advent season. The Call to Worship was read and the Invocation/Lord’s Prayer was recited. The hymns that were sung were “Angels from the Realms of Glory”, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. The service was concluded with “Go Now in Peace”. Linda Lyman is the organist each week. Lew Lyman leads the music for the congregation each week.
Pastor Bonnie explain about the Advent wreath and lit the first candle of hope, the second candle of peace, and the third candle of joy.
The sermon, titled “Salvation is Joy” and reading the scripture from Isaiah 12:2-6. Pastor Bonnie began by saying that we need to take our hearts, minds, and eyes away from the secular parts of Christmas and focus on the genuine reason for Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. This week was all about being joyful in our lives the way God intended us to be. Sometimes, our lives don’t feel like being joyful, but if we look, we can find joy in all circumstances. As you read the Bible, you will see that the Bible talks a lot about joy instead of happiness. Happiness is an outward expression and joy is an inner feeling. Even in the midst of the darkness in this world, we find hope through the promise of the second coming of Jesus which should be a personal joy. We need to find the true joy that Jesus gives His people in their lives.

There are ways to find the joy that Jesus gives His people. We find joy in the salvation that is given freely to us when he died and rose on the third day to overcome death. We find joy that we will spend eternity with Jesus because of His resurrection. We find joy in the hope we find in Jesus. No matter what our life is, there is hope in a better tomorrow. There is joy in the Word of God. God gave us His Word, so we can understand why He did everything for His people and give us instructions on how we should live for Him.

We find joy in God’s Church. Gathering together with other believers praising and worshipping the living God. There is joy in our lives when we meet our Savior as we pass from this world into His world as we finish our lives on earth. We find joy in what we have in Jesus, our Savior. Knowing all that He did for us, we can be joyful knowing He did it because He loved us.

We should be living our lives to show others that no matter what this world gives us, we find joy in it as we know that Jesus will get us through it. We see and hear things that nonbelievers can’t. Joy is there in all things through Jesus Christ, our Savior. As we worship, praise, pray, and sing to Jesus, there is an experience of joy through it. Scripture tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, “Be joyful always!” As a baby, Jesus came to change the world, how could we not be joyful!
Announcements listed in the bulletin was that the congregation will be collecting Cereal for the Food Pantry in the month of December. Bible Study begins at 1:00 p.m. every Tuesday. The church is collecting for the Retired Minister/Missionary Offering. There will be a Nominating Committee meeting on December 13 at 3 p.m. There will be a Christmas program during the morning worship service on December 19th. The Christmas Eve service will begin 6 p.m. on December 24. The AA meetings are held on Friday nights at the church.
For information, check out our website at northlivermorebaptistchurch.org. You can email the church at nlbcmaine@gmail.com. Pastor Bonnie’s office hours are Monday and Tuesday’s from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Comments are not available on this story.