AUDIO: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Second Mid-Week Service in Advent
View the Bulletin for Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. with communion
Worship Service: 7:00 p.m. with communion
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

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First Reading – Isaiah 9:1–2, 6–7 
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 

The people who walked in darkness 
have seen a great light; 
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, 
on them has light shined. . . . 
For to us a child is born, 
to us a son is given; 
and the government shall be upon His shoulder, 
and His name shall be called 
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
Of the increase of His government and of peace 
there will be no end, 
on the throne of David and over His kingdom, 
to establish it and to uphold it 
with justice and with righteousness 
from this time forth and forevermore. 
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. 

Second Reading – 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

Third Reading -- John 1:1-9 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 

Food Bank Sunday: Sunday, December 14, 2025

The December collection for the Bridgeville Area Food Bank is Sunday, December 14th
The “items of the month” are HOT DRINKS. Items may be placed in the wicker bin in the narthex near the coat rack. During the November Thanksgiving distribution, 122 families were assisted. Thank you for supporting this vital community service! 

REMINDER:
Please Return your unwrapped Angel Tree gift with the gift tag attached no later than Sunday, December 14. 
Thank you for sharing God’s love with local families in need during this holy season! 

Zion is a church partner of the Bridgeville Area Food Bank, which is operated out of Bethany Presbyterian Church on Washington Rd. in Bridgeville. The food bank distributes non-perishable food and hygiene products to needy families within the Chartiers Valley and South Fayette communities. Our congregation collects food monthly for the Food Bank. 

Barb Oechslein is Zion's volunteer Food Bank coordinator. Additional volunteers are always needed! If you're looking for a way to serve others and get involved in the community, reach out to Barb at barb@zlcb.org to learn more! 

Bulletin: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Second Mid-Week Service in Advent
View the Bulletin for Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. with communion
Worship Service: 7:00 p.m. with communion
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
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LIGHTS 
“Prepare!” is often the watchword of the season as the world gets ready for another celebration of Christmas. An integral part of any preparation is decoration. We see decorations everywhere this time of year. The world may not comprehend the real meaning of Christmas, but even secular preparations use many of the same decorations beloved by Christians—an appropriation we shouldn’t mind at all, because these decorations point us to Christ. This year, as we look forward again to the coming of the Messiah, we take a fresh look at how the adornments of the season draw our eyes to Jesus, that we may more richly behold the love, peace, joy, and hope He comes to bring as this beauty is set before us. 

Tonight, we focus on lights. You see them everywhere this time of year. Some neighborhoods even compete, and tourist destinations spend millions on attractive light displays. Like evergreens, this is something nonreligious people do this time of year without appreciating their true significance. Yet we know that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). He came to restore righteousness to the world. This restoration continues to unfold through the ministry He has entrusted to His church. As Zechariah sang, “In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (LSB, Benedictus, Morning Prayer). We gather this evening to bask in the light of Jesus that His Word would have its way with us and so reflect His saving light into the darkness that remains in our world. 

Sunday School Video … Coming Soon!

SAVE THE DATE!
Sunday December 21st following both services
It’s the “Zion Christmas Video”
ALSO: Don’t miss the Sunday School students singing during the 10:30 a.m. service.
AND THERE’S MORE: Join us for a cake reception between service at 9:15 a.m. Sunday December 21st.

Sunday School News

*Enduring Faith Unit 3, "Jesus Teaches His Church" 

Sunday, December 7th
Lesson 6 - A Living Truth: Jesus Rises 

Sunday, December 14th
Lesson 7 - A Revealing Truth: The Emmaus Road 

Sunday, December 21st
CHRISTMAS PARTY 

Sunday, December 28th
Lesson 8 - An Ascending Truth: Jesus Ascends 

Sunday, January 4th
Lesson 9 - A Telling Truth: Pentecost 

Sunday, January 11th
Lesson 10 - A Servant Speaks: Stephen 

Sunday, January 18th
Lesson 11 - A Deacon Delivers: Philip and an Ethiopian 

Sunday, January 25th
Lesson 12 - An Enemy Converts: Saul 

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Sunday School Mission
Please don’t forget our mission fundraising project, "Praise Him Africa" sponsored by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. We are raising money to produce Lutheran song books ($5.00/book) for African children, printed in Swahili Remember your M&M (“mission money”) tubes that we handed out earlier in the year -- a good place to collect loose change! 

Sunday, December 13th at 1:30 pm 
Zion Sunday School and Youth Groups are coming together to sing carols to residents of Concordia senior care in Bridgeville (see announcement on opposite page!) Members of all ages are encouraged to join us! 

Sunday, December 21st … A BIG day for our Sunday School! 
Tess Carter has completed the children’s Christmas video, which will be shown after BOTH worship services. Mark Killinger has been working with the children for their Christmas song performance during the late service. During the Sunday school hour on the 21st, we will be starting off in the Fellowship Hall at 9:15 singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus while enjoying some birthday cake. After cake we’ll practice our Christmas song in the Sanctuary prior to singing it during worship, then we finish in Room 205 in the school wing for some more activities. 

We all look forward to the video and the song performance, so please make sure your children are in Sunday School throughout December to practice! 

Pastor’s Corner

God is With Us 
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 
- Matthew 1:23 

Forget the presents. Ignore all the food. Enjoy friends and family, but don’t let your joy stop there. During this time of year, there is only one reason to have true, lasting joy – God has taken on human flesh, forever. 

God has taken on “flesh” in many ways throughout time. God walked in Eden (Gen. 3:8). He came to Moses in a burning bush (Exodus 3:6). He led the people of Israel out of Egypt as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). He literally sat on top of the ark of the covenant between the two cherubim (1 Sam. 4:4). God has been taking on different forms of “flesh” ever since Eden, but they all pale in comparison to what Christ has done for you at Christmas. He took on OUR flesh. 

He took on our flesh with all its weaknesses, our flesh with all its temptations, our flesh with its many limitations, our flesh that is subject to pain, and hunger, and tiredness. God took on all these limitations willingly. But it was not enough for Jesus to just take on human flesh. He did this for a very good reason. Jesus took on human flesh so He could suffer, die, and rise from the dead. In Christ’s incarnation, we have truly been given the greatest gift of all time. His death and His resurrection have now become our death to sin and our resurrection to eternal life. 

You truly have so much to be thankful for at Christmas, but make sure you look past the lights, the trees, the gifts, and the food. Take joy in what Christ has done for you by coming in your flesh to save you from all sins and even save you from death itself. 

- Pastor Grimenstein 

VIDEO: Sunday, December 7, 2025 - Complete Service

View the bulletin for Sunday, December 7, 2025
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