worship Videos
Happy New Year!! Yes, you read that correctly. Happy New Year! The arrival of the Advent season marks the new year of the Christian church. It marks a new season to celebrate and anticipate new Joy from God! It is an invitation to let be what has been. It is an invitation to look forward to a future with a hope – a future filled with the Joy of the Lord!
Advent is a season of preparation for and the anticipation of the coming of Christ. Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming” or “visit.” The season of Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year for Christians. As Christians, during Advent, we strive to resist the temptation to rush, hurry, and give up Advent for Christmas. Advent is the season when we lean into “WAIT FOR IT!” We live into the opportunity to anticipate Joy!
The Advent wreath, four candles and a wreath of evergreen, is shaped in a perfect circle to symbolize the eternity of God. Three purple candles and one rose candle mark each passing week in Advent. During each Sunday of the Advent season, as we look to the birth of Christ, we focus one of the four virtues that Jesus brings: Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. The large white candle is lit on Christmas Eve, reminding us that Jesus is the Light of the World.
The Christmas season begins at sundown on December 24 (Christmas Eve) through Epiphany of the Lord (January 6). This period is popularly referred to as “the twelve days of Christmas.” You are invited – and encouraged – to join in all the Advent celebration. Each Sunday, we’ll worship together at 10 a.m. and move together as a community through the holy time of anticipation. As we wait for the birth of baby Jesus, we wait for you to experience the Joy of Advent together!
Anxiety, division, and different interpretations of what the Lord requires of us are flying around everywhere. The All Saints Remembrance, the election, and Thanksgiving threaten our sense of gratitude and unity in Christ. As we prepare to come together around the Lord’s Table and around tables with family and friends, God gives us a chance to celebrate the gifts of unity and gratitude that God gives us through Jesus Christ! All are invited to worship this November as we explore the ways we can live with a communal spirit of unity and gratitude in our new series, United at the Table: Gratitude Beyond Differences. Invite a friend and let us all sit at the Lord’s table together!
October is a not-to-miss season at Atlanta First! If you’re a local primarily online worshiper, please consider worshiping in-person at least one Sunday in October.
Every week, we will focus on one part of our vision: worship God, serve People, grow Together, and engage the City of Atlanta and Beyond through our theme, An Invitation to Generosity! Bring someone with you!
Clichés, platitudes, and trite phrases – oh my! We’ve picked up phrases like “Everything Happens for a Reason” and “God Helps Those Who Help Themselves” over the years as a way to help us navigate our faith through lived experience in the world. However, these platitudes often fall short or, at worst, are simply untrue commonplace phrases that we repeat to remind ourselves and others what we believe about God. Cringe! The truth of the matter is that faith, theology (what we believe about God), and God are more complex than these phrases. In worship during the month of September, we will encounter some of the most popular sayings that we repeat, but That’s Not in the Bible!?!
It’s time to go back to school! Not just for our children and adults enrolled in schools, colleges, and universities- but also for those who seek to follow God! During the month of August, we’ll study the New Testament Letter to the Ephesians and learn what it has to teach us about how to follow God! Grab your textbook (The Bible), gather your school supplies (a notebook and pen or pencil), and don’t miss class!
It’s time once again for our our annual Summer in the City worship! During the summer months we like to take a less formal and more relaxed approach to worship, and see what spiritual lessons we can learn from fun movies and tv-shows that the whole family can enjoy together. During the month of July we are taking a look at the lessons we can learn from the 2017 Disney-Pixar movie Coco and chapters 10-12 of the Book of Hebrews.
It’s time once again for our our annual Summer in the City worship! During the summer months we like to take a less formal and more relaxed approach to worship, and see what spiritual lessons we can learn from fun movies and tv-shows that the whole family can enjoy together. During the month of June we are taking a look at the lessons we can learn from the 2023 Disney-Pixar movie Elemental.
We always say “Love God, Love People.” But what does God’s greatest commandment actually mean? What does it look and feel like? How we can embody that love in our daily lives? In our worship series for the season of Easter, Love Unleashed, we will take a deep dive into the Epistle of 1 John and look at what God’s Love truly is. We will learn God’s definition of love, and how it is not an emotion, but rather it is an outward expression through action.
Throughout our lives we will face much uncertainty and come to forks in the road where we cannot see where they lead. How do we move beyond the fear of this darkness to live the life abundant that God intended for us? In our new worship series for Lent, Darkness – Moving Through Difficult Times, we will examine the darkness that God created, and intended, within our lives. We can learn and grow through our experiences in darkness, all the while gaining a greater appreciation for God’s light.
Based on the book Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor. For a deeper dive into the themes of the book and Pastor Jasmine’s sermons, consider joining either our Sunday grow Group, Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., and our Wednesday Evening grow Group, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. during the season of Lent. Click here for details.
Baby Jesus is born! Now what???
The most wonderful time of the year is giving way to reality. The bills are rolling in. Rent and interest rates are high. War and natural disasters are wreaking havoc. Pain and fear dominate life. Does God care any more? Does God care about me? About us? Where is this abundant life that Jesus promises? But what if we are asking the wrong questions? Is there a more excellent way?
In January, we will explore what it takes to live the life Jesus promises. Guided by scripture, we will explore Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Beloved Community. We will lean into the “building blocks” of a love-filled life!
Don’t miss this life-changing worship series! Consider joining the Sunday morning grow group at 9 a.m. on Sundays, online and in-person, to dive deeper into the building blocks and practical ways to #BeLove in the days ahead.
Click Here to view our videos from 2023.