The Church Of Jesus Christ
Living Hope Restoration Branch
Independence, Missouri

“The Labor of Love”
Worship Service – December 15th, 2019
48 minutes 12 seconds

Special Music
“Come To The Child”
– Rhonda Schmidt, Becky Stayton, Jean Schmidt, Mary Jo Stayton
“Come and Behold Him”
– Jim Stayton, Rhonda Schmidt, Becky Stayton, Jean Schmidt, Mary Jo Stayton

Scripture References:
1 Nephi 3.50-62, Isaiah 7.14, Isaiah 9.6-7, Isaiah 11.1-6, 2 Nephi 11.48, Isaiah 42.1-8, Isaiah 53.1-12, Isaiah 61.1-3, Isaiah 65.1, Isaiah 55.1-3

Shortcuts:
00:10 Special Music – “Come To The Child”
– Rhonda Schmidt, Becky Stayton, Jean Schmidt, Mary Jo Stayton
03:51 Welcome and Scripture Reading – Seventy Richard Neill
09:14 Scripture Reading – Elder Tom Mitchell
13:20 Special Music – “Come and Behold Him”
– Jim Stayton, Rhonda Schmidt, Becky Stayton, Jean Schmidt, Mary Jo Stayton
16:19 Christmas Video
This Christmas video is an inspirational video about Mary’s journey through the Nativity Story. The video was created and produced by Madison Killen,
and features clips and scenes from the movie “The Nativity Story”,
and the song “Be Born in Me” by Francesca Battilstelli from
the album “Music Inspired by The Story”.
21:07 Sermon Elder Tom Mitchell

Sermon Focus Points
►Imagine the struggles that Joseph dealt with after learning that Mary was with child, even though they had not been intimate.
►Imagine the struggles that Mary dealt with, including have to travel to Bethlehem by donkey, late in her pregnancy, in order to pay taxes.
►The birth place of Jesus was likely smelly, cold and dark.There was no one to help Joseph and Mary during the birth of Jesus. They were on their own, in The Labor of Love.
►Arthur Oakman once wrote: “The reward for sacrifice, is sacrifice.” The Labor of Love, is not a reward based opportunity.
►Jesus had to go through the trials he did, to give life to us all.
►To have Jesus “born” within us, we must bring forth a change in our lives, removing those things in our lives that we cannot bring into The Kingdom of God.
►When we don’t invest the time in our own lives to know Jesus, our children, as well as those around us, will be more likely to leave the church.
►We must make ourselves a place where Christ can dwell, that we may be a living servant and living witness that Jesus lives and is real.
►We must act as a living church, in this time, testifying through our “Labor of Love”.