Tag Archives: Missional Community Groups

Who Can Forgive?

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image: Red House, Kazimir Malevich (1932)

Preparation for Worship

“How can your sins be remitted unless the very One against whom one has sinned grants the pardon?” —Irenaeus, 2nd century

“You have been a paralytic inwardly.  You did not take charge of your bed.  Your bed took charge of you.”  —Augustine, 4th century

Call to WorshipZephaniah 3:14,17

Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel!  Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!  The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.

God Is Love Let Heaven Adore Him (Timothy Rees, 1922)

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Covenant Baptisms

Mission UpdateOrphan Care Ministry

O Church, Arise (Getty & Townend, 2005)

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Old Testament ReadingDeuteronomy 32:39

“See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god beside Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of My hand.”

We Confess Our Sin TogetherPsalm 32. Of David. A maskil.

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And You forgave the guilt of my sin.  Therefore let all the faithful pray to You while You may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.  You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you.  Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.  Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.  Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

 God Declares Our ForgivenessIsaiah 43:14,25

This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel…”I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake,  and remembers your sins no more.”

Streams Of Living Water Flow (Thomas Kelly, 1768-1855)

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SermonMark 2:1-12

1And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

My Song Is Love Unknown (Samuel Crossman, 1664)

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Come Boldly To The Throne Of Grace (D. Herbert, 1838)

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Arise! My Soul Arise! (Charles Wesley, 1742)

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Benediction

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Jesus’ Miracles and Message

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image : Thatched Cottages in the Sunshine Reminiscence of the North, Vincent Van Gogh (1890)

Preparation for Worship

“We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order… His miracles are not just proofs that He has power but also wonderful foretastes of what He is going to do with that power. Jesus’ miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.”  –Tim Keller

“Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.”  –C.S. Lewis

Call to Worship — I Chronicles 16:8-13

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name;
make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
tell of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
seek His presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that He has done,
His miracles and the judgments He uttered,
O offspring of Israel His servant,
children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

King of Saints (Joseph Hart, 1712-1768)

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You Will Find Me (Andrew Ripp, 2010)

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Old Testament Reading — Isaiah 61:1-4

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.  They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

It Well With My Soul (Horatio Spafford, )

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Come Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart, 1759)

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Confession of Sin

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28

Lord, forgive our distant, doubting hearts.  At times we seek Your blessing, but have no love for You.  We are like those who witnessed Jesus’ miracles of healing and heard His proclamation, yet somehow spurned belief.  We too have seen and enjoyed wonders, yet have hardened our hearts.  We confess that our dull unbelief tempts others and offends You.  Heavenly Father, forgive us our sin.  Renew us in Your Spirit that with open hearts we may turn to Jesus for rest, and long for Your Kingdom’s coming.  Amen.

Words of Encouragement — Micah 7:18-19

Who is a God like our God, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love.  He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot.  He will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Beautiful Things (Michael & Lisa Gungor, 2009)

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Sermon — Mark 1:21-45

21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

It Is Well With My Soul (Horatio Spafford, 1873)

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Come Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart, 1873)

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Love’s Redeeming Work Is Done (Charles Wesley, 1759)

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Benediction

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Repent, Believe, Follow

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image: Sphere Surface with Fishes, Colour, M.C. Escher (1958)

Preparation for Worship and Communion

“Men are reluctant to pass over from the notion of an abstract and negative deity to the living God.  I do not wonder. God does nothing. [Popular religion’s] God demands nothing. He is there if you wish for Him, like a book on a shelf.  He will not pursue you… An impersonal God, well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness, inside our own heads– better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap, best of all.  But God himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching at infinite speed, the hunter, king, husband– that is quite another matter. There comes a moment when the children who have been playing at burglars hush suddenly: was that a real footstep in the hall?  There comes a moment when people who have been dabbling in religion (“Man’s search for God”!) suddenly draw back.  Supposing we really found Him?  We never meant it to come to that!  So it is a sort of Rubicon. One goes across; or not.  But if one does, there is no manner of security against miracles. One may be in for anything.”   —C.S. Lewis

Call to Worship — Isaiah 51:1-3

Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
you who seek the Lord:
look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you were dug.

Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
that I might bless him and multiply him.

For the Lord comforts Zion;
he comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.

Declaration of Faith — The Apostles’ Creed (orig. 2nd century)

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.  I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell.  The third day He rose again from the dead.  He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.  From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.

Come and Welcome (Thomas Haweis, 1792)

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The Lord’s Prayer — Luke 11:2-4

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Old Testament Reading — Jeremiah 16:15-19

“I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers. But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.  My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from Me, nor is their sin concealed from My eyes. I will repay them double for their wickedness and their sin.”  O Lord, my Strength and my Fortress, my Refuge in time of distress, to You the nations will come.

Our God Our Hope In Ages Past (Isaac Watts, 1719)

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Sermon — Mark 1:14-20

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Preparation for the Lord’s Supper — Mark 14:16-25

The disciples prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, Jesus came with the twelve. And they were reclining at the table and as they were eating, he took bread.  And after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Confession of Sin

Merciful God, we have sinned in what we have thought and said, in the wrong we have done, and in the good we have not done.  You proclaimed the Gospel of God, but we have been slow to repent; forgive our cold hearts.  You said the Kingdom was at hand, but we have been slow to trust; forgive our unbelief.  You called us to follow You, but we are given to our own way; forgive our rebel lusts.  Forgive us, for our Savior Christ’s sake, and renew our lives to the glory of Your name.  Amen.

Words of Encouragement — II Corinthians 5:21

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

 The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

May God Keep You/Psalm 150 (Peter La Grand, 2008)

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Jesus I Come (William T. Sleeper, 1887)

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How Great Is Our God (Tomlin, Reeves & Cash, 2004)

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Benediction

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Looking Ahead to Worship on Sunday October 7 2012

Question  > > >  Why is Jesus so compelling for these first disciples?  Are you compelled?

Gospel  > > > Mark 1:14-20

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

audio  :  Not With Haste, Mumford & Sons (2012)
image  :  Ring Net Fishers, Gertrude Hermes (1955)

Prepare

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image: Untitled, Hengki Lee (Indonesia, 2012)

Preparation for Worship

“He is the mediator of both creation and re-creation.”  –Herman Bavinck

“His baptism was followed by an immediate conflict. He went from the waters of Jordan to the wilderness of Judea to battle face to face with Satan himself. This event, perhaps even more clearly, set the parameters of His kingdom, because in it Jesus proved to be everything that both Adam and Israel had failed to be.”  –Sinclair Ferguson

Call to Worship — Psalm 91:1-2

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

There Is A Redeemer — (Melody & Keith Green, 1982)

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Commissioning

Jesus I Am Resting — ( Jean Sophia Pigott, 1876)

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Old Testament Reading — Isaiah 40:1-5

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.  A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.  And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

We Confess Our Sin Together

Almighty Lord, it is Your will that we should love You with all of our heart, soul, mind, strength, and our neighbor as ourselves.  But we are not sufficient for this.  We confess that our affections continually turn away from You:  from freedom to slavery, from compassion to indifference, from fullness to emptiness.  Have mercy on us

Silent Confession

Order our lives by Your Holy Spirit and Word.  Make Your commandments the joy of our hearts.  Conform us to the image of Your loving Son, Jesus, to the glory of Your name.  Amen.

Jesus Messiah (Reeves, Carson, Cash & Tomlin, 2008)

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God Declares Our Forgiveness — Romans 5:8-9

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Sermon — Mark 1:1-13

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,'”

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

All Things New — (Horatius Bonar, 1846)

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Made Me Glad (MiriamWebster, 2001)

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All Hail the Power of Jesus Name (Edward Perronet, 1780)

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Benediction

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Gospel

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image : Orange and Yellow, Mark Rothko (1956)

Preparation for Worship

“I must hearken to the Gospel, which teaches me, not what I ought to do, (for that is the proper office of the Law), but what Jesus Christ the Son of God has done for me: Specifically, that He suffered and died to deliver me from sin and death.  The Gospel wills me to receive this, and to believe it.” -Martin Luther

Call to Worship — Psalm 86:8-10

There is none like You among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like Yours.  All the nations You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.  For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God.

Father, Long Before Creation — (Chinese Hymn, c.1952 )

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Covenant Baptism

Mission Update — WEPC Men’s Ministry

Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder — (John Newton, 1774) 

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Old Testament Reading — Isaiah 40:9-11

You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him.  See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.  He tends his flock like a shepherd:  He gathers the lambs in his arm and carries them close to his heart.

We Confess Our Sin Together

Almighty God, gracious Father, I confess that I have sinned against You. The Gospel proclaims that all of Your lovingkindness is in Your Son,
I hear the Good News and trust that He died for me.
His blood to pay for my debts of wrong,
His worthiness for my unworthiness,
His sinlessness for my transgression,
His purity for my uncleanness,
His sincerity for my guile,
His truth for my deceits,
His meekness for my pride,
His constancy for my backslidings,
His love for my enmity,
His fullness for my emptiness,
His faithfulness for my treachery,
His obedience for my lawlessness,
His glory for my shame,
His devotedness for my waywardness,
His righteousness for my dead works,
His death for my life. Amen.

Silent Confession

God Be Merciful To Me  (The Psalter, Psalm 51, 1912)

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God Declares Our Forgiveness — II Corinthians 4:6-7

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Children’s Sermon

Sermon — Mark 1:1

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Begone Unbelief (John Newton, 1779) 

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:::  Jesus’ Precious Blood — (William Irons, 1812-1833) 

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Awake My Soul — (Sandra McCracken, 2002) 

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Blessed Be Your Name — (Matt Redman, 2005) 

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Benediction

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