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Dover Assembly of God

12.24.2017 | Hope

Locations & Times

4790 Carlisle Rd, Dover, PA 17315, USA

Sunday 10:30 AM

Welcome!

Welcome to Dover Assembly of God! We're glad that you've joined us this morning. If you're on Facebook, we encourage you to take a moment to check in at Dover Assembly.

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Weekly Bulletin

December 24, 2017 WELCOME TO DOVER ASSEMBLY! We are so glad you have chosen to attend Dover Assembly this morning. It is not by accident that you are here. We believe that God has allowed you to be here so that you might receive all that He has for you. We pray you are blessed as you allow the Lord to work in your life. THIS WEEK TODAY 10:30 am ~ Worship Service 10:30 am ~ R.O.C.K. Children’s Ministries 1:00 pm ~ Spanish Service 6:00 pm ~ Candlelight Service MONDAY ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS! WEDNESDAY ~ NO WEDNESDAY SERVICES UPCOMING EVENTS WEEK OF PRAYER We are going to start the new year off with prayer. The Assemblies of God week of prayer begins on Sun., Jan 7 thru Sat. Jan 13. Mark your calendars. There will be evening prayer services Sun. thru Tues., 6:30 to 7:00; Wed. services as usual and the church will be open for prayer Thurs.-Sat. (8:00 am – 4:00 pm). Sun., Jan. 7 ~ Worship and Prayer (6;30-7:00) Mon., Jan. 8 ~ Worship and Prayer (6:30-7:00) Tues., Jan. 9 ~ Worship and Prayer (6:30-7:00) Wed., Jan. 10 ~ Departmental Meetings as Usual Thurs., Jan. 11 ~ Church Open for Prayer (8:00am – 4:00pm) Fri., Jan. 12 ~ Church Open for Prayer (8:00am – 4:00pm) Sat., Jan. 13 ~ Church Open for Prayer (8:00am – 4:00pm) ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING Our annual meeting will be held Sunday, January 21 following the morning service. We will review this year’s activities, give an update on the building project and the parking lot pledge offerings. We will vote for one candidate to fill the vacancy on our deacon board. Please be in prayer as to whom God will choose. WOMEN OF PURPOSE Mark your calendars now for the Spring Tour. It will be held at Christian Life A/G on April 21. BODY NEWS THANK YOU! I would like to thank the Women of Purpose for the generous Christmas gift! – Love Anna Thank you to Naomi for planning the women’s dinner over the years. Naomi will be taking a break from planning beginning in January. God Bless you Naomi! YEAR-END GIVING Please remember to faithful in the giving of your tithes and offerings during this time of year. As the economy continues to shift and change, our God does not. He is our provider and will always be faithful in providing our needs if we are faithful in our obedience to Him. Also, to be sure that your giving is recorded in 2017, it needs to be received by Dec 31. Thank you for your faithfulness!! SNOW CANCELLATIONS Should we have the need to cancel any of our services due to inclement weather, we will put that information on our FaceBook page, our website, and the local TV stations [WGAL-CH 8, CBS 21, ABC 27, FOX 43, CW 15] If you would like to sign up for a TEXT on your cell phone that will indicate the status of our services, please fill out the blue & white card with your name and cell phone number. Please be sure to hand them into our Information Center and we will add you to our list. NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS Beginning Sun. Jan. 14, Anna will be teaching a “First Steps” class if there is sufficient interest. This class is designed to teach the basics of the faith and also serves as an introduction to our church. If you would like to learn the simple basics of what you believe or to meet others who are also new to our church, please sign up in the lower foyer. This class will repeat approximately every 13 weeks. Please sign up in the lower foyer if you are interested so we know how much material to order. PRAYER NEEDS Please take time to review and pray for those on this list. Drop them a card or call to set up a time to visit. They will be blessed! Shut-In ~ Helen Stough Prayer Needs ~ Rick Crone ~ Robin Housseal ~ Les Kauffman ~ Marian Tunney MAILBOXES Please remember to check your mailboxes as you leave today. Many boxes have cards and gifts that are just waiting to be claimed! CHRISTMAS CALENDAR OF EVENTS Dec 25 ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~ Happy BD Jesus ~ OFFICES CLOSED Dec 27 ~ NO Family Night Services Dec 31 ~ NO Sunday School ~ Morning Worship Service as usual Jan 1 ~ HAPPY NEW YEAR / OFFICES CLOSED JANUARY BIRTHDAYS Jan 1 ~ Hudson Ellicott Jan 3 ~ Marlin Flinchbaugh Jan 9 ~ Gene Knaub Jan 13 ~ Jeff Stough Jan 18 ~ Jed Looker Jan 19 ~ Murina Stough Jan 19 ~ Ryland Sheely Jan 29 ~ Erma Oyler Jan 30 ~ Elliot Blanchard

Last week...

Last week, Pastor Jeff talked about how the first Christmas was the fulfillment of prophecy and the introduction of Jesus to the world. Now, Christmas is a yearly reminder of our mission to introduce Jesus to our world.

https://doverassembly.com/sermons/december-17th-2017

What is our church's vision?

Connecting to God. Building People. Offering Hope.

That is what we want our church to be, a place where all that happens.

Christmas has always been a time of hope.

Many, not all, are able to put aside for the time being some of the normal cares of the day.

Maybe because of that last phrase...“Offering Hope”

Hope that things will be better...hope that the new year brings about the changes you are hoping for...hope that this Christmas will be better than last year...hope that this is the year and this is the season that changes OUR attitude.

Hope that our celebration of Jesus’ birth changes something in us.

Because we are looking for change.

Hebrews 11:1

Romans 8:24-25

Hope is believing for something that you can’t see right away.

Christmas should bring out that hope in all of us.

Hope: “to desire with expectation of fulfillment. A person or thing about which one can be hopeful.”

1925 Version: “desire with expectation of getting what is desired for. To confide, or trust usually in something or someone”

The word hope is used in one form or another in the Bible 276 times.

In the Bible, every time the word “hope” or “trust” is used, it always preceded by one of three prepositions.

All of which denote that hope is always directed to and to center in a person, not a thing or an occurrence. The prepositions show us that hope is directed to a person.

Christmas is a time is full of hope. More than any holiday, it is the one that promotes the word hope to the world.

We exercise hope in a person, not things or events.

We can hope for things, but if that is all we focus on, all we put our trust in, we will always be disappointed.

But more importantly, we will truly miss the meaning of Christmas. The birth of Christ was an event that was foretold many thousands of years before it happened.

Micah 5:2

Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah 9:6

God had not told them to hope for an event, but to hope for a person.

The people of that time were hoping for an event-the overthrow of Rome.

And when that didn’t happen, what did they do? They rejected Him because he didn’t do what they thought he should do.

True believers in the New Testament looked for the person. Their hope was not in an event (the birth) or the conquering of Rome, but they simply hoped or trusted in the person of Christ, the Messiah.

Luke 2:25-32, Luke 2:36-38

Person, event, aren’t they same?
No. If our hope is in an event, then we are subject to what happens that day. If our expectations of the event aren’t met, we will leave feeling cheated, or depressed or discouraged.

We could say that events [Christmas and what we think it should be] are “works-based."

However, if we have our hope in a person, then that is “faith-based”. It is based on what God has done, in the person of Christ, not on any “event” that can happen to me.

Christmas is about the person of Jesus. Nothing more and nothing less. If we are able to have our hope in Jesus making our lives better, not in the perfect Christmas making our lives better, then we will never be let down.

We are no longer responsible to have the perfect house, decorations, life, family. The pressure is off. We can actually Christmas for what it is, the birthday of the person who saved me and died for me. And loves me!

Psalms 37:4

Let’s jump ahead a few years, and we are getting ready to leave this earth.

This is another time that we have to focus on what type of “hope” we have.

Is our hope for eternity based on an event or events (what we have done in order to make our departure all we think it should be?)

Or do we have hope in a person rather than an event (what we have done).

Did we try to make it like our imaginary Christmas?

That if we do all these good things, then we will have the heaven that we anticipated or hoped for.

If we can’t enjoy Christmas for what it is, then how can we enjoy life for what it is?

Every life has it’s ups and downs and if we focus on the events, we’ll never enjoy what we have.

We have hope in Jesus.

However, if at the end, we hope in a person instead of our works, and take delight in Jesus and hope in the person and not the things I have done in this life, then we will have the heaven that we desire.

There is one thing that we hope for at Christmas. We all look for the peace that is talked about at this time of the year, but that peace, like hope is found in a person, not an event or gifts.

Christmas was God’s gift to bring peace on earth, good will to men.

He gave us what we needed, not necessarily what we wanted.

Gifts and events are temporary a relationship with Jesus is eternal.

The reason that we can offer peace to you is because each of us has experienced that peace at one time or another.

In the midst of turmoil, we can have peace, not because of the events, but because we have what or who we hope for. . . Jesus.

Thank you for joining us!

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our website and follow us on social media @doverassembly! Have a great week!

https://doverassembly.com