The Captive Liberator | Week 3
Why am I in this situation? Why is our world so broken? As humans, we broke the world by our sin, and now even the brightest of seasons can be marked with pain. We live in a prison cell of our own creation. So, how do we get out of the cell? We need a Liberator. In the form of a human baby, Jesus entered our prison cell and freed us from the inside. The Christmas Story is that the door has already been unlocked and we have a Captive Liberator.
Will you walk out of your cell and into freedom this Christmas?
See you Sunday.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES @ CENTER CHURCH
Join us for Christmas EVE at Center Church!
3 Identical service options:
FRI: 6pm SAT: 2pm or 4pm
Share a digital invite here!
WEEKLY GIVING STATISTICS
(Fiscal Year Began June 1, 2021)
Last Week Weekly Need Year To Date Budget
$3,198 $3,942 -$8,504
Ready to serve on a team? We need YOU!
No matter what your passions or gifts are, or where you are on your faith journey, we have plenty of
opportunities to connect you with others through our serving teams.
Check out centergr.com/serve for more info.
‘WOMEN’S FITNESS CLASS AT THE CENTER’
Ladies, have you been thinking about trying a fitness class? Look no further-
Lori’s got you covered!
Get connected by emailing office@centergr.com
Looking forward to see you!
‘CENTER GROUNDS- Coffee & Community’
Made you look? Join us for coffee and a chat at the church!
When: Thursday mornings 8:30am-10am
Where: The Center Church foyer
Please check for updates on The Center Church’s Online Calendar.
Small Groups:
Looking to get connected?
Additional groups have been forming!
Please check out our online resources and visit centergr.com/discipleship for updates.
Looking for resources to ‘dig deeper’?
Interested in leading a Bible study but not sure where to start, what to study?
We can help! Just contact office@centergr.com and we can introduce and connect you to RightNow Media.
Check it out- it’s well worth your time.
MINISTRIES:
CENTER STUDENTS MINISTRY
Join us for YOUTH GROUP on Wednesday evenings, 7-8:30pm!
Contact john@centergr.com for more details.
Interested in serving in our Center Students ministry?
John would love to hear from you!
CENTER KIDS MINISTRY
CENTER MOMS is a ministry focusing on BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH LOCAL MOMS. Email Jen to get connected!
Look for other important updates in your inbox, Jen loves to keep everyone up to date on what’s happening in our Center Kids Ministry :)
Questions for Jen? Ready to serve? She’d love to connect with you at jen@centergr.com .
John Gorveatte | Lead Pastor | THE Center Church
Key Passages: Luke 1:5-17, Romans 5:15
Luke 1:5-17 NIV
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Romans 5:15 NIV
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!