:: Download the 6.26.2016 Bulletin
:: Download the 7.3.2016 Sermon Audio
image :: Cherry Tree, Hiroshige (19th century, Japan)
Preparation for Worship :: Blessed
“In the Book of Psalms there is profit for all….a complete gymnasium for the soul.” (Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Psalm 1, 4th century)
“We might not want to pray a particular Psalm because it doesn’t feel like we are feeling right now. But somebody has prayed this way before. And somebody might be praying this way right now. And that somebody might be sitting right next to you. Honesty doesn’t live in a vacuum.” (Brian Moss)
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Sunday June 26 include ::
:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Streams of Living Water Flow (Thomas Kelly, 1768-1855) CHART [bandcamp track=2488897534 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: How High and How Wide (Mark Altrogge, 1990) CHART [bandcamp track=1890280234 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber,1826) CHART [bandcamp track=3071271614 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]
:: Psalm 1 (Isaac Watts, 1806)
:: Rejoice The Lord Is King (Charles Wesley, 1744) CHART
Call to Worship :: Ephesians 1:3-6
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will— to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.
New Testament Reading :: I John 2:1-6
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Confession of Sin
O Lord, Your Law is holy and Your blessings are abundant, but we receive them with ingratitude and neglect them both. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. Jesus, You alone are our Hope. You are rich, yet You became poor for our sakes. You are Lord, yet You were meek among us. You deserve all honor, yet You grant us all mercy. You are without sin, yet You bore God’s wrath for our rebellion. We can only trust Your intercession for our forgiveness and Your merit for our righteousness. In Your name, we pray. Amen.
Words of Encouragement :: Romans 7:22-25
I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Sermon :: Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.