City of Light Church Aurora

Luke 1:26-38 Isaiah 7:13-16 Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

¡Feliz Navidad! ¿Estás en busca de la sanidad y paz de Dios esta Navidad? La historia navideña significa que Dios te a escuchado, se ofrece en relación, y te invita a una vida eterna y bella! City of Light es una iglesia en Aurora y ¡nos encantaría conocerte! Tenemos servicios bilingües y estudios bíblicos en español cada semana, y estamos aquí por cualquier necesidad que tengas.

John 1:19-28 Isaiah 65:17-25 Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Mark 1:1-8; Isaiah 40:1-5 Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Mark 13:24-27, 32-37 Isaiah 64:1-8 Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives a...

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Psalm 100 Luke 19:1-10 Christian gratitude is not simply positive thinking or a happier perspective. It's a connection to God’s goodness that transforms us, replacing isolation with relationship and bitterness with joy. We can pray, "God, where did I see your goodness today?"

HEBREWS 13:1-8, 14–16 Psalm 67 Luke 20:45 - 21:4 A person who gives thanks is a person who gives. Gratitude connects us to God’s goodness and invites us into his generosity. When we experience the good gifts of God given to us, we begin to more deeply trust his generosity. When we experience his generosity, we can participate in his generosity. But generosity is not only the response to God’s good...

Colossians 3:12–17 Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 Luke 17:11-19 "Gratitude is a gateway to the goodness of God. In the midst of our day to day lives, the practice of giving thanks shapes us to see and receive the goodness of God our loving father."

11/22 WK10: A Spirit-filled Kingdom SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 5:16-28 SUMMARY: Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks in the midst of suffering fills us with the Spirit and transform us into people of heaven. DISCUSSION: In the midst of the many challenges of 2020, what can you thank the Lord for? What are the gifts large and small that he has given you this year? How can you continue to pray throug...

11/15 WK9: A Kingdom Built Up SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 5:11-22 SUMMARY: The culture of the kingdom is built up through love, encouragement, care, and patience. DISCUSSION: Who are the faint-hearted in your life and how could you encourage them in their life in God? Are there ways that you have been idle in your spiritual life or the life of the church? How is the Lord admonishing you to re-engage?...

Bishop Stewart and Mama Katherine's opening teaching from Revive 2020 about who we are as a church during the challenges of the pandemic. Find all the Revive teaching audios here: https://soundcloud.com/midwestanglican/sets/2020-revive-a-house-on-the-move And full video of the services here: http://revive.midwestanglican.org/live

11/8 WK8: A Kingdom That Is Here SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 5:1-11 SUMMARY: The church today is called to live the culture of heaven in the midst of the cultures of earth. We are children of the day, staying awake to the day when Jesus will return to bring heaven to earth and living in that future day today. DISCUSSION: Are you eagerly awaiting the coming of Jesus? Why or why not? Paul encourages us...

11/1 WK7(All Saints Sunday): A Kingdom That Is Coming SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 4:13-18 SUMMARY: King Jesus will return and all those who follow him will live in his kingdom forever. DISCUSSION: There are many details about Jesus’ return that we do not know and that Jesus tells us in Acts 1:7-8 that we do not need to know. What are the main things that Paul wants the Thessalonians and us to know? A...

This is a demo version of the "Sanctus" (a piece of liturgical music sung during the celebration of the Eucharist)sung in Spanish. Written and performed by Mark Meyers, Bonnie McMaken, and Eduardo Dávila. Find the lead sheet, lyrics, and chart here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t8noemij9xmdfp1/AAC1O3KbXyt-cyoKA8HHWTXTa?dl=0 Copyright © 2019 City of Light Church Aurora

Note: Due to technical difficulties, the audio quality for the first three minutes is poor, but improves shortly thereafter. Anuncio: Por causa de dificultades técnicas, la calidad del audio al comienzo es mala, pero mejora después de tres minutos. THE MESTIZO CHURCH | LA IGLESIA MESTIZA Lucas | Luke 10:25-37 Hechos | Acts 2:1-12 In such divisive times, the church can look to mestizos, those whose...

10/25 WK6: A Culture of Sexual Holiness SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 4:1-8 SUMMARY: Following King Jesus teaches us what is truly loving and empowers us to live in holiness. DISCUSSION: Find all of the mentions of the word “holy” or “holiness” in this section. What is holiness? In v. 3, Paul says that Jesus instructs us to avoid all sexual immorality. Have you seen how sexual sin has hurt you or hurt...

10/18 WK5:A Hard-working Kingdom SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 4:9-12 SUMMARY: In the culture of the church, we work hard at being generous. DISCUSSION: In the ancient world and in many cultures today, large extended families share their home, their resources, their food, their work, their lives. How do we normally think about the church as a the family of God in our culture? How is the Spirit inviting...

Matthew 22:15-22 How should Christians vote? What are our Kingdom politics? Not only does Jesus avoid the trap set for him in this malicious public debate, he gives us a diagnostic question for where we have placed our own allegiance.

10/11 WK4: A Culture of Closeness SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 3:1-12 SUMMARY: In the kingdom, we grow closer together when we suffer together. DISCUSSION: How would you feel if someone at church use words as affectionate as Paul does for the Thessalonians? Why? How can we intentionally show our affection to one another during this pandemic? In Acts 16:19-26 Paul and Silas are beaten, thrown into pris...

10/4 WK3: A Kingdom Leader SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 2:5-12 SUMMARY: Kingdom leaders lead like a loving mother and father. DISCUSSION: Have you followed trustworthy leaders? Have you been hurt by untrustworthy leaders? Are there ways that your relationship with earthly parents has impacted your relationship with God? With the church? In your own life, how might the Lord be inviting you into leaders...

9/27 WK2: A Kingdom Culture SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 1:8 - 2:4 SUMMARY: Following King Jesus means turning from following other kingdoms. DISCUSSION: What are idols in our culture that are also in your life? That are also in the life of the church? How is the culture of the Kingdom of God different in that area? What would turning from those idols look like in your life in God? In our church? Are...

9/20 WK1: A Resilient Kingdom SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 1:1-7 SUMMARY: Followers of King Jesus persevere through hardship like Jesus did. DISCUSSION: Where have you needed endurance over the last 6 months? How could the hope of Jesus strengthen you in your labor of love? (v. 3 ) How did the message of the Gospel come to you? Have you received it? When? (v. 5) PRACTICE: Review your Rule of Life for...

Hebrews 10:19-25 ​We meet the Lord as we set aside Sunday for him, hear his Word read and preached with ears to obey, receive from his body and blood at the table, and give and receive to one another as the body of Jesus. No digital media can substitute for the embodied presence of God in his Word, at his Table, and in his Body gathered. ​ http://www.cityoflightanglican.org/events/dios-esta-aqui-1

The Spirit is the participant in every conversation. You’re never talking with just another person—God is with us! How do we invite him into our every conversation? Ask the Lord, "What do you want to do here?" The Spirit is working. We listen, obey, join the conversation, ask questions, speak the Gospel, and baptize. Would you ask the Spirit, "Lord, would you send me someone I can lead to the Lord...

Mark 1:35-39 ​Many times God feels absent in our lives because all of the other things present​ in our lives crowd him out. We can practice the absence of other things so we can practice the presence of Jesus in silence and sabbath.