VIDEO: Tuesday December 31, 2024 - Complete Service

View the Bulletin for New Year’s Eve, Tuesday December 31, 2024
New Year’s Eve Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

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Rose Parade: January 1, 2025 - Lutheran Hour Float

2025 Rose Parade title, “Best Day Ever”. Join us for this fun-filled week of unique activities, events and help to support and make possible the only Christian float in the Rose Parade! This years float titled, “Behold! Jesus the Savior is Born.”

Enjoy a full day of float decorating and learning how the many beautiful and meaningful floats are designed, constructed and decorated.

2025 marks Lutheran Hour Ministries 74th anniversary of presenting a float and witnessing the gospel message at the Rose Parade on January 1, 2025.

While on tour learn more about the fascinating historical and cultural side of Southern California- from the early 1800's Mission San Juan Capistrano to the 1900's nostalgia of the golden era of Hollywood, to 2000 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Museum. Experience the legacy of Ronald Reagan, board his Air Force One, visit the Oval Office and learn more about the life of a president. Our group will spend a full day preparing and decorating the many meaningful floats including the only Christian-themed float in the parade, we will ring in the New Year with a champagne toast and a festive New Year's Eve dinner celebration and then on January 1st share an unforgettable day as we cheer from our reserved grandstand seats and watch the Lutheran Hour Ministries float titled, “Behold! Jesus the Savior is Born” in the 2025 Rose Parade. Following the Rose Parade, we will view the floats again up close at 2025 Float Fest; where you will walk within feet of the floral and animated masterpieces parked along 2 miles of city streets.

AUDIO: Readings & Sermon for New Year’s Eve - Tuesday December 31, 2024

View the Bulletin for New Year’s Eve, Tuesday December 31, 2024
New Year’s Eve Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of BULLETINS

First Reading -- Numbers 6:22–27 
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 

The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 

“So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” 

Second Reading – Romans 8:31–39 
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Third Reading – Luke 12:35–40 
[Jesus said:] “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 

What About ... Angels

What About … Angels
It seems as though angels have captured the imagination of people everywhere. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about angels, along with superstitions and unscriptural understanding. This pamphlet will provide a Biblical perspective on angels.

Do angels exist?
The Word of God—not popular television shows or magazine articles—is our only reliable source for knowing what angels are, and what they do. The Bible teaches us that angels were made by God during the six days of creation. Before creation there was only God (John 1:1-3), and after creation, we are told that on the seventh day God “rested from all the work of creating he had done” (Gen. 2:3b). The Bible does not indicate on which day of creation God made angels. But angels are very real. The word “angel” comes from a Greek word that means “messenger”. Angels are God’s messengers. Elsewhere in the Bible, angels are described as spirits (cf. Acts 23:9; Heb.1:14). The word “angel” is actually a description of what they do.

What are angels?
Angels are spirits. They are beings who do not have a physical body. Jesus Himself said, “a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). Evil angels too are described as not having “flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12). In the Scriptures, when angels do appear in human form, this is only a momentary appearance for those who need to see them. Angels are not gods. They are God’s creation and serve His holy and perfect will. The good angels are said to be “ministering spirits” (Heb. 1:14), sent by God to serve us, His people.

Are angels human?
Human beings are the crown of God’s creation. Only of human beings, and no other creature, did God say, “Let us make man in our own image” (Gen. 1:26). Furthermore, the Scriptures reveal that only into human beings did God breathe the breath of life (Gen. 2:7). Also, God did not give angels rule over His creation. This privilege He gave only to mankind (Gen. 1:26-28). Angels are not human beings. They exist as spirits who serve God and His people.

Do human beings become angels when they die?
No, human beings do not become angels when they die. The Scriptures are clear on this point. Until the last day, the souls of the dead are before the Lord, enjoying peace and rest in His presence, awaiting the final day when they will receive glorified bodies for all eternity (see Cor. 15; 1 Thess.5:17; Rev.7)

Are angels intelligent beings?
The Bible describes angels as having both intelligence and a will. The good angels know and follow the wisdom of God, which He has revealed through Christ to His church (Eph.3:10). They gladly serve us, who are the heirs of the salvation Christ has won for us (Heb.1:14). However, angels do not know all things. For instance, they do not know the thoughts of our hearts (1 Kings 8:39).

How powerful are angels?
Angels are extremely powerful beings. They are described as “mighty ones” (Ps.103:20;2 Thess.1:7). The good angels guard and protect God’s children (Ps.91:11-13). The power of the angels is never unlimited, but is always subject to the will and authority of God. Evil angels too are powerful beings. The Bible tell us that they hold captive all unbelievers (Luke 11:21-22; Eph.2:2). Believers in Christ are able to withstand the temptation of evil angels through the power of God (Eph.6:10-17).

Where are angels?
Angels, like God, do not inhabit the same physical dimension that human beings inhabit. From time to time, they are ordered by God to appear in our physical dimension. Thus, while there are times when angels will make an appearance at a distinct place (cf.Acts 12:7), they remain beings that inhabit no physical space.

How many angels are there?
The Bible does not give us an exact number, but does clearly teach that there are incredibly large numbers of angels who serve God. Scripture speaks of “ten thousand times ten thou-sand angels” (Dan.7:10). Elsewhere Scriptures speaks of “a great company of the heavenly host” (Luke 2:13).

From every indication in the Bible, there are an unimaginably large number of angels, of whom we are totally unaware most of the time. There is a fixed and limited number of angels, nev-er increasing or decreasing. Unlike human beings, angels do not marry and have children (Mark 12:25). They are immoral.

Are all angels the same?
Within the large numbers of angels there are apparently certain orders or classes of angels. Scripture speaks of “cherubim” (Gen.3:24; Ps 80:1), “seraphim” (Is.6:2), “thrones or powers or rulers or authorities” (Col.1:16), “archangel” (1 Thess.4:16).

Also among the evil angels there are ranks and classes of angels (Matt.25:41). Stan is described as the “Prince of the devils” (Luke 11:15). It is pointless, however, to try to invent complicated divisions and ranks of angels, since Scripture itself does not provide us with this information.

What are evil angels, and what do they do?
Originally, all angels God created were good and did His will perfectly. At some point after God created them, some angels chose to rebel against Him. They fell away from God and into great sin and evil. At that point, they were confirmed in their evil condition. There is no hope for them. In Matt.8:29, they recognize that there will be a time when they must suffer eternal torment and punishment for their rebellion against God.

Satan is the chief evil angel, the “prince of demons” (Luke 11:15). Here is how our Lord Jesus Christ describes Satan: “He was a mur-dered from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth to him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

When precisely the evil angels rebelled and fell away form God we cannot say for sure, but we do know it was some time at the very be-ginning of the world. Most Christian church fathers believe that the evil angels’ original sin was pride, based on the fact that Satan’s temp-tation of Adam and Eve was an appeal to their pride. Also, 1 Tim.3:6 indicated that pride was the cause of the devil’s condemnation.

The devil is our great enemy, who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet.5:8). The Bible tells us that the devil is the cause of unbelief in the world (Eph.2:1-2). Every person who does not believe the good news of Christ Jesus is thinking and doing what he devil wants. Unbelievers are described in the Bible as being in the devil’s kingdom and under his power (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13). The very fact that people do not realize this, and even deny it, is the devil’s greatest deception. The devil is so deceptive, at times he will even disguise himself as an “angel of light” (2 Cor.11:14). In fact, the Old Testament once refers to Stan as “Lucifer,” which means, “light bearer” (Isa.14:12;KJV).

We need to keep in mind that all the Bible says about evil angels, and their eternal punishment, is for the purpose of making us recog-nize the need to repent and believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who has ransomed mankind by His death, and saved us for eternal life, not in hell, but in heaven.

What do good angels do?
Good angels enjoy the blessing of being able to see God. They are in the immediate presence of God, always beholding His great glory, majesty and power (Matt.18:10). This is called the “beatific vision,” which all Christians will enjoy one day when they are in heaven.

God’s Word reveals the following things about the activity of good angels: They praise God (Is.6:3; Luke 2:13), and they are the Lord’s servants in the world and in the Church (Ps.103:20-21; Heb.1:14).

God sends angels to serve and to protect Christian believers in their work and their callings in life (Ps.91:11-12). They attend to the dying (Luke 16:22). They care for children (Matt.18:10). Angels are deeply interested in all that occurs in the Church. They adore and take great joy in the work of Jesus Christ for the salvation for the world (Luke 2:13;Eph.3:10) They rejoice over every sinner who repents (Luke 15:10) .

Scripture mentions the presence of angels at every great event in the Kingdom of God. Angels were present when God gave His law on Mt.Sinai (Deut.33:2; Gal.3:19). Angels were present at the concep-tion, birth, resurrection and ascension of our Lord (Luke 1:26; 2:11; Mark 1:13; 24:5; Acts 1:10). Angels will come with Jesus when He returns on the last day (Matt.13:41; 24:31).

The Bible tells us that angels are present in the public worship of Christians (1 Cor. 11:10). God also uses angels to help the family and to preserve law and order (Gen.24:7; Matt.18:10; Dan.10:13).

How are we to treat angels?
We need to praise and thank God for good angels. We are told that we are to take care not to offend them through sin and unbelief (1 Cor.11:10; 1 Tim.5:21). But the Scriptures are also clear that we must not pray to angels, nor offer them our worship. The angels them-selves protest any worship given to them (Rev.22:8-9).

As believers, we have the privilege of having angels surrounding us and protecting us and working to do God’s good and perfect will in our lives. Our hope and trust is always in God, whom we now sends His angels to watch over us and to see us through whatever difficulty in life may come our way.

Because of our Lord Jesus Christ’s perfect life and sacrificial death, we have the assurance of the forgivness of all our sins. We know that God loves and cares for us as His dear children. Furthermore, we know that the Lord sends His angels to care for us so that someday we may join them, and all the company of heaven, in singing His praises for all eternity.

Dr. A. L. Barry
President (1992-2001)
The Lutheran Church –Missouri Synod

New Year’s Eve Bulletin: Tuesday December 31, 2024

View the Bulletin for New Year’s Eve, Tuesday December 31, 2024
New Year’s Eve Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of BULLETINS

The Saints Triumphant ... The Members Zion Lost in 2024

We Mourn the loss of Joyce D. (Black) Wood

Obituary from Warchol Funeral Home Inc.
Age 76, of South Fayette, on January 1, 2024. Beloved wife of the late Thomas J. Wood, Jr; loving mother of Thomas (Mandie) Wood III and Timothy (Kelley) Wood; cherished grandmother of Kaley Kendzlic, Tommy Wood, Emma Wood, and Lily Wood; preceded in death by her parents Robert and Lois Black; sister of Robert (Nancy) Black and Guy (Pat) Black. Joyce was a lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church. She worked for 25 years with the United States Postal Service and was a member of the Red Hat Society. Family and friends received on Friday from 3-7 PM at the Warchol Funeral Home Inc., 3060 Washington Pike, Bridgeville (412.221.3333), where a funeral service will be held on Saturday at 11 AM. Memorials may be made to The Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh.

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We Mourn the Loss of Mitchell Fitzgerald
from the Warchol Funeral Home Website

Age 27, of Peters Township, on February 7, 2024. Beloved and cherished son of Timothy A. and Jodi L. (Herschaft) Fitzgerald; loving brother of Timothy E. (Kami L.) Fitzgerald, Jared M. Fitzgerald, and Jennifer J. Fitzgerald; proud uncle of Timothy E. Fitzgerald; adored grandson of Alice J. and the late Lawrence J. Fitzgerald, and the late Victor and Jacqueline Herschaft; great nephew of the late Albert Hatala and Etta and John Meehan; also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Mitchell was a lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church; he loved the Lord and sought to bring others to faith. He was a graduate of Peters Township high school, where he excelled as a wrestler and football player. He went on to study at the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, where he continued to wrestle. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the California University of PA, with a 4.0 GPA. Mitchell served as a combat engineer in the U.S Army Reserve with the 420th Engineer Company in Indiana, PA. He was a counselor, a coach, and a soldier. Mitchell was a talented musician, he enjoyed playing the keyboard and singing. He was a lover of all sports including but not limited to football, wrestling, skateboarding, snowboarding, hockey, boxing, MMA, riding and racing dirt bikes, and more. Mitchell was a protector, a guardian, and a warrior. He was the guy who would stick up for anyone and give you the shirt off his back. He was a little stubborn, but he was also kind, smart, dependable, and had a great work ethic. He loved to make people laugh. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Family and friends received on Tuesday from 3-8 PM at the Warchol Funeral Home Inc., 3060 Washington Pike, Bridgeville (412.221.3333). A funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 10 AM at Zion Lutheran Church, Bridgeville. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations to the Gary Sinise Foundation.

January 2025: Service Participants/Birthdays/Calendar of Events (Updated)

Corrected version
Download the January 2025: Service Participants/Birthdays/Calendar of Events
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