November 30th Bulletin, 2025 – Grace Lutheran Church

Grace Lutheran Church
Proclaiming the grace of Christ in Word and Sacrament

First Sunday of Advent
& Feast of Saint Andrew
✠ November 30th, 2025 ✠

3410 Community Church Road
Pfafftown, NC 27040

First Sunday of Advent
& Feast of Saint Andrew
November 30th, 2025

Our service begins with the ringing of bells. Please stand, as you are able, as indicated by *

Confession & Forgiveness

P: In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit
C: Amen. Matthew 28:19

P: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no
secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy
Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify Your holy name, through
Jesus Christ, our Lord:
C: Amen
P: Beloved in the Lord: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is
not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
P: Most merciful God,
C: We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have
sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by
what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart, we have
not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have
mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Amen.
P: Almighty God, in His mercy, has given His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, and for
His sake, He forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church
of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all

your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
C: Amen John 20:22

Introit
P: To You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You. Let me not be
ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Yes, let none that wait on You be put to
shame.
C: Show me Your ways, O Lord, and teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:1-4
Hymn: “The Advent of Our God” LBW #22
Kyrie (chanted)
P: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy Mark 10:47
P: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the
Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy
P: For the peace of the whole world, for the well being of the church of
God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy
P: For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and
praise, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy
P: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.

Collects of the Day
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you. Ruth 2:4; 2 Timothy 4:22

P: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come. Protect us by Your strength, that we may be
rescued from the threatening perils of our sins, and saved by Your mighty deliverance,
for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever,
Amen. Daniel 11:25; Psalm 34:17
P: Almighty God, as the apostle Andrew readily obeyed the call of Christ and followed
Him without delay, grant that we, called by Your Holy Word, may in glad obedience
offer ourselves to Your service; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, Amen.

John 1:35-42

The First Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 It
shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall
be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let
us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may
teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth
the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the
nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us
walk in the light of the Lord.
L: This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God

The Second Reading: Romans 13:8-14

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has
fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall
not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment,
are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does

no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 Besides this you
know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is
nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at
hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in
sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
L: This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
Please stand as you are able for the Holy Gospel

Gospel Acclamation
All: Alleluia, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia John 6:68
A: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Saint Matthew.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
The Holy Gospel: Matthew 24:36-44

36 {Jesus said,} “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels
of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah
entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all
away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field;
one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be
taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your
Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what
part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not
have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of
Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
A: This is the Gospel of our Lord
C: Praise to You, O Christ

You may be seated
Naomi’s Heart Mission Collection
Naomi’s Heart Mission is a mission in the Philippines that seeks to provide food and education to
children in need. Children are welcome to participate by taking a collection bucket from the back of the
worship space. To learn more about Naomi’s Heart, go to naomisheartmission.org/
Children’s Message
The Sermon Rev. Matt Knuppel

The Votum
P: May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus
C: Amen Philippians 4:7
Hymn: “Wash O God Our Sons and Daughters” WOV #697

HolyBaptism ofMattJohnson

& EvelynJohnson

Please remain standing, if able.
P: In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: In Holy Baptism, our gracious heavenly Father liberates us from sin and death,
joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are born children
of a fallen humanity; in the waters of Baptism we are reborn children of God and
inheritors of eternal life. By water and the Holy Spirit we are made members of the

church which is the body of Christ. As we live with him and with his people, we grow
in faith, love, and obedience to the will of God.
Sponsor: I present Matt and Evelyn Johnson to receive the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.
P: In Christian love, you have presented Matt and Evelyn for Holy Baptism. You
should therefore faithfully care for them and help them in every way as God gives you
opportunity, that they may bear witness to the faith we profess, and that, living in the
covenant of their Baptism and in communion with the Church, they may lead a godly
live until the day of Jesus Christ. Do you promise to fulfill these obligations?
Sponsor & Congregation: I do.
The Prayers of the Church begin.
A: Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer
After the Prayers:
P: The Lord be with you
C: And also with you
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise
P: Almighty and eternal God, according to Your strict judgment, You condemned the
unbelieving world through the flood, yet according to Your great mercy, You preserved
believing Noah and his family, eight souls in all. You drowned hard-hearted Pharaoh
and all his host in the Red Sea, yet led Your people Israel through the water on dry
land, a foreshadow of this washing in Holy Baptism. Through the Baptism in the
Jordan of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified and instituted all
waters to be a blessed flood, and a lavish washing away of sin. We pray that You would
behold Matt and Evelyn according to Your boundless mercy, and bless them with true
faith by the Holy Spirit that, through this saving flood, all sin in them would be
drowned and die. Grant that they be kept safe and secure in the holy ark of the Church,
being separated from the multitude of unbelievers and serving Your name at all times

with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope, so that, with all believers in Your promise, they
would be declared worthy of eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen. 1 Peter 3:20-22; 1 Corinth. 10:1-3; Mark 1:9-11
P: I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the
church, the faith in which we baptize. Do you renounce all the forces of evil?
Matt & Sponsor: Yes, I renounce them.
P: Do you renounce the devil?
Matt & Sponsor: Yes, I renounce him.
P: Do you renounce all his empty promises?
Matt & Sponsor: Yes, I renounce them.
P: Hear the word of our Lord Jesus Christ when he says:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
And again:
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be
condemned.” Mark 16:16
The Apostles Creed
Do you believe in God the Father?
All: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
P: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
All: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate

Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
P: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
All: I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy, catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Baptism
P: Matt/Evelyn, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.
P: The Lord be with you
All: And also with you.
P: God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we give You thanks for freeing Your sons
and daughters from the power of sin and for raising them up to new life through this
Holy Sacrament. Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon Matt and Evelyn; the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the
fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in Your presence. Titus 3:5-6; Isaiah 11:2
The Anointing with Oil
P: Matt/Evelyn, child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked
with the cross of Christ forever. Amen. Ephesians 1:13-14

The Taste of Milk & Honey
P: Matt, through the waters of Baptism, God has delivered you into the Promised Land,
the land flowing with milk and honey. May God continue to nourish you through His
Word, that you may always find sweetness in His mercy. Amen. Deuteronomy 27:3
The Lighting of the Baptismal Candle
P: Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father in heaven. Amen Matthew 5:16
P: O God, the giver of all life, look with kindness upon Hannah, the mother and wife of
these new saints. Let her ever rejoice in the gift of life that you have given them. Make
her and Matt teachers and examples of righteousness for Evelyn. Strengthen her in her
own Baptism so she may share eternally with them in your salvation, through Jesus
Christ our Lord, Amen.
A: Through Baptism, God has made this new brother and this new sister members of
the priesthood we all share in Christ Jesus, that we may proclaim the praise of God and
bear his creative and redeeming Word to all the world. 1 Peter 2:9
C: We welcome you, Matt and Evelyn, into the Lord’s family. We receive you as
fellow members of the body of Christ, children of the same heavenly Father, and
workers with us in the kingdom of God.
The Peace concludes the Service of Holy Baptism

The Peace
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you. John 20:19
Members of the gathered assembly are invited to greet one another, saying: “Peace be with you.”

Offertory
After the gifts have been collected from the assembly, please stand.
All: Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord, Isaiah 27:2
And fill to the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather the harvest from the seeds that were sown,
That we may be fed with the bread of life. John 6:35
Gather the hopes and dreams of all,
Unite them with our prayers we of er.
Grace our table with your presence,
And give us a foretaste of the feast to come. Revelation 19:9

Eucharistic Liturgy
P: Let us pray: Merciful Father…
C: We offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us – ourselves,
our time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the
sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving

P: The Lord be with you
C: And also with you
P: Lift up your hearts
C: We lift them to the Lord
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise
P: It is indeed right and salutary…we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
All: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
Lord God of power and might:
Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Isaiah 6:3
Hosanna in the highest

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest. Matthew 21:9

*The Words of Institution

P: Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father…For as often as we eat of this bread and
drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Matthew 26:26-28
P: Therefore, gracious Father, with this bread and cup, we remember the life our Lord
offered for us. And believing the witness of his resurrection, we await his coming in
power to share with us the great and promised feast. Revelation 19:9
C: Amen. Come, Lord, Jesus.
P: Send now, we pray, Your Holy Spirit, the spirit of our Lord and of his resurrection,
that we who receive the Lord’s body and blood may live to the praise of your glory and
receive our inheritance with all your saints in light. Colossians 1:19
C: Amen. Come, Holy Spirit
P: Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and every place, and unite
them with the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest until he comes as victorious
Lord of all. Hebrews 4:14

Doxology

P: Through Him, with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and
glory is Yours, Almighty Father, now and forever,
C: Amen. John 14:6

The Lord’s Prayer
C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13

Agnus Dei

C: Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
Grant us peace, grant us peace. John 1:29
All who are baptized and share in our confession that we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ in Holy
Communion are invited to the altar with us. After receiving the bread, those who wish to dip the bread into the
wine may proceed to the right chalice; those who wish to drink from the common cup may proceed to the left
chalice.
Anyone is welcome to come forward with their arms folded to receive a blessing from the minister.
After the celebration of Holy Communion, the minister will ask the assembly to stand
P: May the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in
his grace.
C: Amen

*Post-Communion Canticle

C: Thank the Lord and sing His praise
Tell everyone what He has done
Let everyone who seeks the Lord
Rejoice and proudly bear His name
He recalls His promises
And leads His people forth in joy
With shouts of thanksgiving
Alleluia, Alleluia

P: Let us pray…through Jesus Christ our Lord:
C: Amen

The Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be
gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: Amen Numbers 6:24-26
Exit Hymn: “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers” LBW #25
Dismissal
A: Go in peace, serve the Lord
C: Thanks be to God

Altar flowers are given in honor of the Baptisms of Matt & Evelyn Johnson

Welcome to our Visitors!
Grace Lutheran Church welcomes you this morning! We value families with children
and encourage you to worship together; if you would like assistance during the
sermon, we have volunteers who will be happy to take your child to a Nursery Area
following the Children’s Message, they will return your child to you in the sanctuary
just before Holy Communion. Please fill out a Visitor Connect card, these are found
either on the entrance table or in the pew rack in front of you. Completed cards
should be placed in the offering plate and will be collected with the offering today.
Sunday School
All are welcome to attend the adult Sunday School class before worship beginning at
8:45. We are currently studying Early Church History.
Holy Communion
Those who are baptized and believe that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is truly
present in the forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation,
are welcome to the Lord’s Table with their baptized children, regardless of age.
Please let the Pastor know that you wish to receive this gift of life by holding out
your open hands. If you desire to drink the wine from the common cup, please
proceed to the left chalice after receiving the wafer. If you prefer to dip the wafer into
the wine, please proceed to the right chalice after receiving the wafer. All are
welcome to come forward for a blessing. The sign for a blessing is folded hands.

Disciples in Service today, November 30th
Ushers: Thierry Amar, Ashley Hurst
Organist: John Trotta Lay Reader: Malcolm Boyd
Deacon: James Clapper Crucifer: Ruby Hurst
Acolyte: Roman Hurst
Servers: Dena Anderson, Nicole Hurst
Altar Guild: Debbie Barrett