Sunday Worship
December 13, 2025
11:00 AM
God Invites Us and Calls Us to Worship
Greeting - Romans 1.7
7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Call to Worship - Matthew 2.10-11
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Invocation - Presider
Song of Praise 1
Man of Sorrows
Verse 1
Man of sorrows, Lamb of God
By His own betrayed
The sin of man and wrath of God
Has been on Jesus laid
Verse 2
Silent as He stood accused
Beaten, mocked, and scorned
Bowing to the Father’s will
He took a crown of thorns
Chorus
Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation
Where Your love poured out over me
Now my soul cries out hallelujah
Praise and honor unto Thee
Verse 3
Sent from heaven, God’s own Son
To purchase and redeem
And reconcile the very ones
Who nailed Him to that tree
Bridge
Now my debt is paid, it is paid in full
By the precious blood that my Jesus spilled
Now the curse of sin has no hold on me
Whom the Son sets free, oh is free indeed
Verse 4
See the stone is rolled away
Behold the empty tomb
Hallelujah, God be praised
He’s risen from the grave
Words and Music by Brooke Ligertwood, Matt Crocker. ©2012 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia. Used by Permission. CCLI License #11375060.
Song of Praise 2
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Verse 1
Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow
Of turning with Thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been
Thou forever wilt be
Chorus
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning
New mercies I see
All I have needed
Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me
Verse 2
Summer and winter
And springtime and harvest
Sun, moon, and stars
In their courses above
Join with all nature
In manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness
Mercy, and love
Verse 3
Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence
To cheer and to guide
Strength for today
And bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine
With ten thousand beside
Words by Thomas Obediah Chisholm. Music by William Marion Runyan. Public Domain.
God Purifies Us
Call to Confession - 1 Corinthians 4.5
5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
Individual Prayer
Representative Prayer - Presider
Assurance of Pardon - Matthew 1.20-23
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
Song of Thanksgiving
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me
Verse 1
What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
Chorus 1
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh how strange and divine
I can sing, “All is mine”
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Verse 2
The night is dark, but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Savior, He will stay
I labor on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
Chorus 2
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley, He will lead
Oh the night has been won
And I shall overcome
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Verse 3
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future’s sure, the price, it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave
Chorus 3
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus, now and ever is my plea
Oh, the chains are released
I can sing, “I am free”
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Verse 4
With every breath, I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day, I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
Chorus 4
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete
Still my lips shall repeat
“Yet not I, but through Christ in me”
Outro
When the race is complete
Still my lips shall repeat
“Yet not I, but through Christ in me” (x2)
“Yet not I, but through Christ in me”
Words by Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren, and Rich Thompson. © 2018 CityAlight Music; Farren Love And War Publishing; Integrity's Alleluia! Music. Used by Permission. CCLI License #11375060.
Confession of Faith - The Apostle’s Creed
The Apostles’ Creed has been recited by Christians since the 5th century and is a succinct explanation of what we believe about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
God Speaks Through His Word
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading
Luke 2.22-38
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Sermon - Come, Thou Long expected Jesus
Rev. Jonny Chung
Song of Response
You Alone Can Rescue
Verse 1
Who, oh Lord, could save themselves; their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea; Your grace is deeper still
Chorus
And you alone can rescue, You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise
Verse 2
You, oh Lord, have made a way; the great divide You healed
For when our hearts were far a-way, Your love went further still
Yes, Your love goes further still
Bridge
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes. You're the Giver of Life
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes. You're the Giver of Life
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes. You're the Giver of Life
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes. You're the Giver of Life
Words and music by Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman. ©2008 Atlas Mountain Songs, sixsteps Music, Thankyou Music, worshiptogether.com songs. Used by Permission. CCLI License #11375060.
Thanksgiving Prayer
Deacon Tim Tsu
Benediction
Rev. Jonny Chung
Announcements
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to Michael Luo (12/15)!
Website Volunteer
If you are interested in helping out with the church website, please let Jonny know.
Joint Services
We will have joint services on 12/25 (which will replace our monthly praise night) and 12/28.
Church Calendars
We have ordered our 2026 church calendars! Each family can take one full length calendar and there are also desktop calendars.
Lunch Cleanup
December is our month to cleanup after lunch and possibly prepare food for praise night. Please do stick around after service to help with cleanup and more details will come regarding praise night food.
Joint Commission Meeting
There is a joint commission meeting after lunch to go over our finances for the coming year.
Membership
If you are interested in becoming a member of Highland, please let Jonny know and we will go through the process together.
Sermons
The weekly sermon will be posted on the “Sermons” tab on our website. If you’d like to watch the previous week’s livestream, it will be posted on the church’s YouTube site.
Connect With Our Pastor
Pastor Jonny would like to start meeting with our church members to get to know you and to see how he can support you in prayer and in your walk with the Lord. Don’t be surprised if you get a text or email to try and set up a time to meet for lunch or for a coffee.
Digital Giving
Give contributions to church with Zelle through your mobile banking app or through the Zelle app. Our email for Zelle is highland.giving@gmail.com.
Welcome
We are glad to be with you today! Do stick around after our worship service for lunch and fellowship!
Prayer Requests
Please pray for Josiah. Josiah has a rare genetic neurodevelopmental condition caused by a variation in the TNPO2 gene. His condition is extremely rare; only a few dozen individuals in the entire world have it. Please keep Josiah and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Pray that God would work miracles in Josiah’s life and use Josiah to show the grace and faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please pray for Seungha and Michael as they had a healthy baby boy on 8/7!
Please pray for Dean as he transitions to Arizona.
Connect With Our Deacons
Are you or another church member in need of help? Want to get more involved with sympathy and service in our church fellowship? Notice something in our building that needs attention? Or do you have any questions or concerns about our church overall? If so, then please don’t hesitate to connect with our deacons! Our EM deacons are Aaron, Brian, Joey, and Tim, and they are here to serve you and minister God’s compassion and care in our church. Feel free to connect with them via phone, text, or email (highlandemdeacons@gmail.com). Let’s grow together with our deacons for the glory of Christ Jesus!
Signup For Sunday Lunches
Consider supporting lunches for our church on Sundays! Every lunch we enjoy on Sundays are provided by the generous support of our church members. For 2024, members can either provide/cook/buy food on their own or give $100 to our church and have a dedicated cooking team buy/prepare/cook food on their behalf. Check out the signup sheet next to the kitchen window!