FALL-WINTER-SPRING SCHEDULE

SUNDAY SERVICES 8:30 AM Worship Service 9:00 AM Sunday School 10:00 AM Sunday School 10:10 AM Worship Service 6:30 PM Men’s & Women’s Small Groups 6:30 PM Nexus: Youth Service 6:30 PM Kids on a Mission

WEDNESDAY ACTIVITIES Morning Prayer Time .............................. 11:00 AM AWANA Clubs .......................................... 6:30 PM

Cherry Tree Alliance Church

640 Cherry Tree Lane Uniontown, PA 15401

(724) 437-6850

email: ctallch@verizon.net website: www.cherrytreealliance.org

Please turn off all pagers, cell phones and other electronic devices, or switch to silent alert.

Cherry Tree Alliance Church

Exalting Jesus Christ!

December 16, 2012 8:30 AM 10:10 AM

GIVING

Operating Fund Giving for December: $9,585 (Amount needed monthly: $26,293)

Last Weeks’s Great Commission Giving: $715

LAST WEEK’S ATTENDANCE 8:30 AM Worship Service: 79

8:30 AM Children’s Classes: 15 9:00 AM & 10:00 AM Sunday School: 72

10:10 AM Worship Service: 54

Today’s Message:

“Christmas Is For Real” Series

The Savior Who Is Christ the Lord

Those Who Understand Who They Worship At Christmas Will Be Filled With God’s Glorious Joy

A Message from Luke 2:1-20

Speaker: Rev. Jack Herman

Sunday & Wednesday Evenings

Thank you for joining us today to seek and worship the Lord!

We are delighted that you are here at our church and hope that you truly encounter the Risen Christ while you are here! If you are a visitor, we hope you will let us know that you have been with us by writing out your

address on the pad that is passed down the pew. We want to send you information about our church, and we hope to get to know you better! If you have any questions about our church, please ask! We want to

serve you and see the Lord Jesus Christ bless your life.

Today’s Worship Service

Exalting Christ

Call to Worship Song of Praise

Enjoying Christ Friendship Greeting

Announcements / Songs of Praise

Extending Christ’s Kingdom Offering and Offertory

Prayer Time

Experiencing Christ

Message:

The Savior Who Is Christ the Lord

Encountering Christ

Closing Song Benediction

Jesus Christ is our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King.

Prayer of the Day

Pray for many visitors to come to our church in this Christmas season and be sure to warmly welcome them

when they come in answer to our prayers! If we do, many may even come back!

THIS WEEK

Tonight 4:00 PM Youth Steelers Party at the Herman’s 6:30 PM Men’s & Women’s Small Groups Kids on a Mission Tues. 7:30 AM Men’s Breakfast at Eat’n Park 6:15 PM Quiz Practice Wed. 11:00 AM Morning Prayer Time No AWANA Clubs

Youth, please join us at the Herman’s home for a Steelers Party at 4:00 PM (more details inside). Please join us this evening at 6:30 PM

for our Men’s and Women’s Small Groups and Kids on a Mission. Please note that there will be no AWANA Clubs this week.

COMING EVENTS

Dec. 23 No evening activities Dec. 24 6:30 PM Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Dec. 25 Christmas-Church Office Closed Dec. 26 No Morning Prayer Time or AWANA Clubs

Enjoy the Christmas holiday with your family!

The Failure of Earthly Jerusalem at the

First Advent of Christ “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,

Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has

been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to

worship him.’ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all

Jerusalem with him.”Matt. 2:1-3

In the ancient world the Magi were stargazers and wise men. They

exercised great influence in the Middle East from the time of the Babylonian

Empire and were often even “kingmakers” in the kingdoms in which they worked.

Daniel, the prophet, was made the chief of the Magi in Daniel 2:48 after he

revealed the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar that none of the other magicians,

enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers of Babylon had been able to reveal. Our

English translations say he was made “chief of the governors of all the wise

men” (KJV) or some similar translation of Dan. 2:48, but the Hebrew word used is

that he was made the “Rab-Mag”, which is more literally “the chief of the Magi”.

Daniel had saved the lives of all the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and

astrologers of Babylon by having the wisdom to pray and ask God for the

impossible in the face of Nebuchnezzar’s threat to kill them all if his dream

wasn’t revealed (read all of Daniel 2). Daniel’s influence became great among the

Magi in his day and that influence even continued until over 500 years later when

the Messiah was born, which is why Magi came to Bethlehem.

Magi is the root word from which we get our English word magic,

but the Magi were far more than mere magicians. After Babylon fell to

Medo-Persia, the Magian class continued to wield significant influence in the

coming empires. At the birth of Messiah (Greek, Christos; English, Christ or

Anointed One) the Magi were influential in the Parthian Empire, one of the few

empires that had not yet fallen to Roman conquest. Their arrival in Jerusalem, no

doubt, raised quite a stir. Notice that the Biblical text gives no number to the ones who have traditionally become known as the “three kings” from the Orient (the

East). They may have been many more in number and they quite likely had a

military contingent with them from Parthia. In any case, we are told that King

Herod was “disturbed” and all Jerusalem along with him.

The Magi saw Christ’s star while they were in the east. It was not an

“Eastern Star” as some mistaken groups have sometimes misinterpreted the text.

It was a star in the Western sky for them because they were in the East looking

westward toward Bethlehem. The chief priests and the teachers of the law in

Jerusalem knew of the prophecy of Micah that foretold that Messiah would be

born in Bethlehem and they told the inquiring Magi that is where they should look.

Incredibly, none of them nor anyone else in Jerusalem dared to follow to join the

Magi in their worship of the one “born king of the Jews”.

Do you allow yourself to be influenced by the trends of the day or the

current opinion as the people of Jerusalem did? They were only about 5 miles

from Bethlehem, which is only about two hours walking time, so why do you

think that no one from Jerusalem followed the Magi? Would you have sought the

one born “king of the Jews” had you been there?

Friends, be sure that you don’t fail as the people of Jerusalem did

because they just followed cultural trends and the popular thinking of their

times. Learn to think carefully and to search and examine the Scriptures to see

what is really true as the noble Bereans did in Acts 17:11. Be sure to allow the

Spirit to lead you into all the truth as Jesus promised He would (John 16:13). Following the King of kings until He comes, Pastor Jack

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Christmas Poinsettias 2012

In Memory Of Given By Joseph & Pearl Bala Sylvia J. Goodwin Mr. and Mrs. BC Bell Ted & Sharon Genovese Kevin Perkins & Glenda Davis Jeff & Patty Perkins and Family Thelma & Thomas Dils Ronald & Rita Dils Eric Floyd The McGettigan & Karpeal Families Charles Forcheck Jr. (husband) Harriet C. Forcheck Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Genovese, Sr. Ted & Sharon Genovese Edger & Francis Goodwin Sylvia J. Goodwin Lisa Herman The Herman Family Pete & Marget Karpeal The McGettigan & Karpeal Families Ron Koziel Jeff & Patty Perkins and Family Mr. and Mrs. RJ Lance Ted & Sharon Genovese Gary E. Lowe, Sr. & James Nicklow Sr. Tessa Miller Gary & Leona McGettigan The McGettigan & Karpeal Families Josie & Michael Miller Ted & Sharon Genovese Nancy Porada (sister) Bob & Karen Novak Kraig Douglas Sholtz Andrew Sholtz Family Frank & Mary Shushok Ronald & Rita Dils James Simon George & Nellie Smalley Jackie Smalley George & Nellie Smalley Alma Spring Cindy & Doug Trimmer Cathy Steele George & Nellie Smalley Burton E. and Betty Tarr Jill King Chad Thorpe Cindy & Doug Trimmer Ethel Thorpe Cindy & Doug Trimmer Ken Trimble The Trimble, Coffman, & Rockwell Family Chuck Wolfe, Jr. Chuck, Christy & Eli Wolfe

In Honor Of Given By Kim Coffman Barb Rockwell, Dorothy Trimble, & Karen Trimble Alex & Jen Genovese Ted & Sharon Genovese Brenna Genovese Ted & Sharon Genovese Ethan Genovese Ted & Sharon Genovese Vinny & Lisa Genovese Ted & Sharon Genovese Bill Rockwell Barb Rockwell, Dorothy Trimble, & Karen Trimble Gayle Trimble Barb Rockwell, Dorothy Trimble, & Karen Trimble

Please pick up your poinsettia(s) following the Christmas Eve service or anytime after that, including Sunday, December 30th.

Please note: We originally asked for $6.00 for each poinsettia because that is what we were told would be the charge. Upon receiving them, we were only charged

$4.98 per plant. If you would like to receive a refund for the $1.02 difference, please contact Andrea in the church office. The overage will be put into the

Operating Fund. Thank you!

Christmas Card Exchange

Please be sure to check the Christmas card boxes in the foyer to see if there are any cards waiting for you!

Announcement for Youth Praise Band

Youth, please note that practice for the praise band has been canceled for tonight,

December 16th. Thank you!

SUNDAY MORNING FELLOWSHIP Below is the upcoming schedule of those providing the

refreshments for our Sunday morning fellowship time. If you would like to volunteer on the open dates, please sign up next to the church office. Please also sign up if you are willing to help with

set up and clean up. We appreciate everyone’s help! December 23—ABF Led by Sharon Genovese December 30—Volunteers Needed January 6—Volunteers Needed January 13—ABF led by Bryan and Dan

Are you missing any items? Please be sure to look in the Lost & Found bin and the

coat rack above it if you think any of the items there may belong to you. We plan to donate any unclaimed items

to Goodwill, so please be sure to check it out by next Sunday, December 23rd. Thank you!

New Offering Envelopes

Offering Envelopes for 2013 are now available on the table in the foyer. Please pick yours up this

morning. If you do not see a set prepared for you and you would like one, please contact Andrea in

the church office. Thank you!

Christmas Offering

Please note that all monies collected in this year’s Christmas offering will be given to The

Salvation Army. All money received through the offering in your colored “Christmas” envelopes

along with those clearly labeled “Christmas” will go to support this cause. Thank you!

Please Note!

Our secretary, Andrea, will be using vacation time this week and will be out of the office on Monday,

December 17th.

AWANA Holiday Break

AWANA Members: please note that there will be no AWANA club meetings this Wednesday, December 19th, or next

Wednesday, December 26th. Have a very Merry Christmas, and we will resume our club meetings in the new year!

We will be holding our Christmas Eve

Candlelight Service on Monday,

December 24th at 6:30 PM

Join us for a time of worship to celebrate our Savior’s birth!

Youth Steelers Party-TONIGHT! Youth, you’re invited to a Steelers Party tonight at Pastor Jack & Joy Herman’s home at 4:00 PM to watch the game together! Please bring $2 to help pay for pizza and pop. If needed, rides back to the

church following the game can be provided. Hope to see you there!