Elkhorn First United Methodist Church
Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 7, 2025
PRELUDE
*Entrance hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing UMH #400
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SCRIPTURE Psalm 103:8–12
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
SILENT PREPARATION
There is a Fountain Filled with Blood UMH #622
* Lord, I Need You
CALL TO WORSHIP
We come today with hearts that have been shaped by life—some wounded, some waiting, some longing for renewal.
Yet God meets us with mercy greater than our mistakes and grace deeper than our sins.
The Lord who has forgiven us again and again invites us into His presence—not with shame, but with welcome.
We come to remember that we are loved, redeemed, and restored by God’s steadfast kindness.
And the One who forgives us calls us to walk in forgiveness toward others, releasing the burdens we were never meant to carry.
Lord, soften our hearts, heal our wounds, and teach us to forgive as we have been forgiven.
Come, let us worship the God whose grace sets captives free and whose compassion makes all things new.
ALL: With gratitude and hope, we gather to worship the God of mercy.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 18:21–35
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Sermon series - The Lord’s Prayer (Forgive us our Trespasses)
Message: Grace and Forgiveness Pastor Mike
Offering Living Hope
APOSTLES' CREED page 7
COMMUNION/THE GREAT THANKSGIVING page 7-11
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER
*DOXOLOGY
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
BENEDICTION
As we depart, please share a sign of peace and join us in the narthex for refreshments.
Go in peace and serve the Lord.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please pray for these church members, family, and friends: Colleen Papenfus, Ken Aldrich, Arla Green, Helen Hall, Betty Rader, Gayle Ostrander, Rod Paulsen, DeMarcos, Jeff Debbink, Jon Sperandeo, Ginny Matelski, Livingston, family of Dave Steiner, Christmas is for Kids program, Spirit of Hope homeless shelter, families affected by cold weather and winter storms
Continued prayer for the people of Philippines and Vietnam after typhoon damage and for Jamaica and Cuba in recovery from Hurricane Melissa.
Your prayer requests can be updated by calling the church office at 262-723-2629 or sending an email to [email protected]
Prayers for all who are in sorrow from family loss/tragedy
Prayers for generous tithes and offerings to sustain our work
Pray for our denomination and our congregation:
Pray for Elkhorn and surrounding communities for health, economic stability, and the joy of community.
Pray for pastors and church workers worldwide.
Please remember your friends who are alone; pray for them and call or visit them whenever possible.
Please utilize the church’s prayer lists. Let us know how we can pray for you.
THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF ELKHORN
111 North Broad Street, Elkhorn WI 53121
Church Office 262-723-2629
[email protected]
Pastor Mike Payne
Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 7, 2025
PRELUDE
*Entrance hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing UMH #400
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SCRIPTURE Psalm 103:8–12
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
SILENT PREPARATION
There is a Fountain Filled with Blood UMH #622
* Lord, I Need You
CALL TO WORSHIP
We come today with hearts that have been shaped by life—some wounded, some waiting, some longing for renewal.
Yet God meets us with mercy greater than our mistakes and grace deeper than our sins.
The Lord who has forgiven us again and again invites us into His presence—not with shame, but with welcome.
We come to remember that we are loved, redeemed, and restored by God’s steadfast kindness.
And the One who forgives us calls us to walk in forgiveness toward others, releasing the burdens we were never meant to carry.
Lord, soften our hearts, heal our wounds, and teach us to forgive as we have been forgiven.
Come, let us worship the God whose grace sets captives free and whose compassion makes all things new.
ALL: With gratitude and hope, we gather to worship the God of mercy.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 18:21–35
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Sermon series - The Lord’s Prayer (Forgive us our Trespasses)
Message: Grace and Forgiveness Pastor Mike
Offering Living Hope
APOSTLES' CREED page 7
COMMUNION/THE GREAT THANKSGIVING page 7-11
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER
*DOXOLOGY
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
BENEDICTION
As we depart, please share a sign of peace and join us in the narthex for refreshments.
Go in peace and serve the Lord.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please pray for these church members, family, and friends: Colleen Papenfus, Ken Aldrich, Arla Green, Helen Hall, Betty Rader, Gayle Ostrander, Rod Paulsen, DeMarcos, Jeff Debbink, Jon Sperandeo, Ginny Matelski, Livingston, family of Dave Steiner, Christmas is for Kids program, Spirit of Hope homeless shelter, families affected by cold weather and winter storms
Continued prayer for the people of Philippines and Vietnam after typhoon damage and for Jamaica and Cuba in recovery from Hurricane Melissa.
Your prayer requests can be updated by calling the church office at 262-723-2629 or sending an email to [email protected]
Prayers for all who are in sorrow from family loss/tragedy
Prayers for generous tithes and offerings to sustain our work
Pray for our denomination and our congregation:
Pray for Elkhorn and surrounding communities for health, economic stability, and the joy of community.
Pray for pastors and church workers worldwide.
Please remember your friends who are alone; pray for them and call or visit them whenever possible.
Please utilize the church’s prayer lists. Let us know how we can pray for you.
THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF ELKHORN
111 North Broad Street, Elkhorn WI 53121
Church Office 262-723-2629
[email protected]
Pastor Mike Payne