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image :: The Mirror, William Merritt Chase (c.1883, American)

Preparation for Worship on August 6 2017 :: Examine Yourselves

“I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by Thyself, that at my death Thy Son
Shall shine as He shines now, and heretofore;
And, having done that, Thou hast done;
I fear no more.”

 John Donne, from “A Hymn to God the Father”

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for August 6 include ::

:: And Can It Be (Charles Wesley, 1738) CHART [bandcamp track=648892035 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: God, Be Merciful to Me (Psalm 51; 1912 Scottish Psalter) CHART [bandcamp track=4073696194 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: I Need Thee Every Hour (Annie Hawks, 1872) CHART [bandcamp track=110765075 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Give Me Jesus (African-American Spiritual) CHART [bandcamp track=893825801 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Be Still My Soul (Kathrina von Schlegel, 1855) CHART [bandcamp track=1833020652 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

Call to Worship :: Revelation 15:3-4; 1:5-7

Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the ages.  Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed. To Him Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom of priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.

Confession of Sin :: Psalm 139:1-2,7,23-24

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Words of Encouragement :: Heidelberg Catechism 1 (1563)

Christian, what is your only comfort in life and in death?  That I am not my own, but belong –  body and soul, in life and in death –  to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to Him, Christ, by His Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me whole-heartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him.

Old Testament Reading :: Lamentations 3:22-27,40-41

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in Him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
to the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth…
Let us test and examine our ways,
and return to the Lord!
Let us lift up our hearts and hands
to God in heaven.

Sermon :: II Corinthians 13:5-10

⁵ Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! ⁶ I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. ⁷ But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. ⁸ For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. ¹⁰ For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

::  Download the 7.30.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Farm Garden with Crucifix, Gustav Klimt (1912, Austrian)

Preparation for Worship on July 30 2017 :: The Weakness of Christ

“Through the Cross the faithful receive strength from weakness, glory from dishonor, life from death. The power of His death once confronted our death. In the words of Hosea the prophet: “Death, I shall be your death; grave, I shall swallow you up”.  By dying He submitted to the laws of the underworld; by rising again He destroyed them.” (Leo the Great , 5^th century)

“When really weak in ourselves, and conscious of that weakness, we are in the state suited to the manifestation of the power of God.” (Charles Hodge)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for July 30 include ::

:: Come, Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart, 1759) CHART [bandcamp track=1143385813 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Gloria Patri (2nd Century Hymn) CHART [bandcamp track=1717027862 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Grace Greater Than Our Sin (Julia H, Johnston, 1910) CHART [bandcamp track=3603744187 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Draw My Soul To Thee (J. Adams, 1838) CHART [bandcamp track=1601547953 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: O Sacred Head Now Wounded (Bernard of Clairvaux, 11^th century) CHART [bandcamp track=2451291419 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Crown Him With Many Crowns (Matthew Bridges, 1851) CHART [bandcamp track=92738205 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

Call to Worship :: Philippians 3:20-21

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.

Confession of Sin :: from The Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone what we ought to have done, and we have done what we ought not to have done, and there is no health in us. Yet, good Lord, have mercy on us: restore those who repent, according to Your promises declared to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. And grant, merciful Father, for His sake, That we may live godly, righteous, and obedient lives, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: Luke 24:44,46-47

Jesus said…“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

Old Testament Reading :: Psalm 138. Of David

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.
All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Sermon :: II Corinthians 13:1-4

¹ This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ² I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— ³ since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. ⁴ For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

::  Download the 7.23.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Closed Eyes, Odilon Redon (c.1894, French)

Preparation for Worship on July 23 2017 :: In the Sight of God

“The conscience, spurred by the devil, the flesh, and the fallen world, says, ‘God is your enemy. Give up in despair.’ God, in His own Fatherly love and through His Son’s grace and through His Word and through the witness of His Spirit and His people, says, ‘I have no wrath. You are accepted in the Beloved. I am not angry with you. We are reconciled!’” (Martin Luther)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for July 23 include ::

:: Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (Robert Robinson, 1758) CHART [bandcamp track=4140303885 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Psalm 126 (Bifrost Arts, 2013) CHART [bandcamp track=4075095065 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: The Church’s One Foundation (Samuel Stone, 1866) CHART [bandcamp track=718372627 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: All Ye Refugees (Scott, Haddock & Paris, 2015) CHART [bandcamp track=281721869 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Before There Was Time (Caedmon’s Call, 2001) CHART

Call to Worship :: Hebrews 10:19-23

Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God: Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

Confession of Sin

Most merciful Father, we have sinned against and are guilty before You. Forgive us the sins of our tongues: For deception and untruthfulness in our dealings with others; for resentment, coldness, impatience, and tempers out of control. Forgive us for the sins of our eyes: For impurity in our glances and imagination; for pining after more beauty, comfort, status, and wealth than You have given us. Forgive us the sins of our hearts: For hard-heartedness toward You and our neighbors; for pride, self-absorption, self-pity; and above all for rebelling against Your Lordship and doubting Your love. Now, Holy Father, kill our envy, remove our pride, melt our hearts. Give us grace to be holy, kind, gentle, pure, to labor for You and not for ourselves, to be transformed into Your likeness, to live wholly for Your glory. Take away our mourning and give us music; remove our sackcloth and give us Your beauty. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: Micah 7:18-19

Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance? 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. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Old Testament Reading :: Isaiah 29:13-14

And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

Sermon :: II Corinthians 12:11-21

¹¹ I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. ¹² The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. ¹³ For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

¹⁴ Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵ I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. ²⁰ For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. ²¹ I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

::  Download the 7.16.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Tiananmen Square, Charlie Cole (1989, American)

Preparation for Worship on July 16 2017 :: When Weak, Then Strong

“Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too.  We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness– the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord…. It is only when you see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness that you are on the verge of becoming a Christian indeed.  When you realize that the antidote to being bad is not just being good, you are on the brink. If you follow through, it will change everything—how you relate to God, self, others, the world, your work, your sins, your virtue.” (Tim Keller)

“Learn to praise Him and, despair­ing of your­self, say, ‘Lord Jesus, You are my righteous­ness, just as I am Your sin.  You have taken upon Your­self what is mine and have given to me what is Yours.  You have taken upon Your­self what You were not and have given to me what I was not.’  Beware of aspir­ing to such purity that you will not wish to be looked upon as a sin­ner, or to be one.  For Christ dwells only in sinners.” (Martin Luther)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for July 16 include ::

:: Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber,1826) CHART [bandcamp track=3071271614 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]:: I’d Rather have Jesus (Rhea F. Miller, 1922) CHART [bandcamp track=4284207955 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman, 2005) CHART [bandcamp track=1903757000 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: In Need of Grace (Ross King, 1996) CHART

Call to Worship :: Isaiah 33:2,5-6

O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for You. Be our Arm every morning, our Salvation in the time of trouble. The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high. He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.

Confession of Sin :: adapted from “The Valley of Vision”

Our Father, enlarge our hearts, warm our affections, open our lips to proclaim the glory of the Cross of Jesus Christ. There grace removes our burdens and heaps them on Your Son, made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for us; There the sword of Your justice struck the God-man; There Your infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made; There infinite punishment was due, and infinite punishment was endured.

Christ was all anguish that we might be all joy, cast off that we might be brought in, trodden down as an enemy that we might be welcomed as a friend, surrendered to hell’s worst that we might attain heaven’s best, stripped that we might be clothed, wounded that we might be healed, thirsty that we might drink, tormented that we might be comforted,
made a shame that we might inherit glory. Our Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from our eyes, groaned that that we might have endless song, endured all pain that we might have unfading health, bore thorns that we might have a crown of glory. Bowed His head that we might uplift ours, experienced reproach that we might receive welcome,
closed His eyes in death that we might gaze on unclouded brightness, expired that we might forever live.

O Father, You did not spare Your only Son that You might spare us, All this action Your love designed and accomplished: Help us to adore You as we see our enemies crushed, Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed, sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood, Hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open. Go forth, O conquering God, and show us the Cross, mighty to subdue, comfort and save.

Words of Encouragement :: Romans 5:6,8

At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Gospel Reading :: John 12:24-26

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.

Sermon :: II Corinthians 12:1-10

¹ I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. ³ And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴ and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. ⁵ On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— ⁶ though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. ⁷ So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

::  Download the 7.9.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Overturned Basket of Fruit, Paul Cézanne (c.1877, French)

Preparation for Worship on July 9 2017 :: As A Fool

“What is scary about self-deception is that it can insulate us against Jesus Christ. When we are larded over with lies about our self-sufficiency and denial and pride—when these things defend us and rescue us, and pump up our self-image whenever it loses pressure, then the thought that we need Jesus our Savior becomes impertinent. It is unnecessary. It is entirely uninteresting.” (Cornelius Plantinga)

“Of ourselves we had no power to live, nor did He of Himself have the power to die. Accordingly, He effected a wonderful exchange with us: we gave Him the power to die, He will give us the power to live. In taking upon Himself the death that He found in us, He has most faithfully promised to give us life in Him, such as we cannot have of ourselves.” (Augustine)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for July 9 include ::

:: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us (Stuart Townend, 1995) CHART [bandcamp track=4169581556 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Gloria Patri (2nd Century Hymn) CHART [bandcamp track=3887420126 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Rock of Ages (Augustus Toplady, 1776) CHART [bandcamp track=1565825434 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: I Need Thee Every Hour (Annie Hawks, 1872) CHART [bandcamp track=110765075 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: It Is Well (Horatio Spafford, 1873) CHART [bandcamp track=1579571203 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Jesus Savior Pilot Me (Edward Hopper, 1871) CHART 

Call to Worship :: from Isaiah 35

Be strong, and do not fear! Your God will come to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf be unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Then will the wilderness rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice and shout for joy. And we, the ransomed of the Lord, will enter with singing. Everlasting joy will crown our heads. Open your eyes and see now the glory of the Lord, and the splendor of our God.

Confession of Sin

Father in Heaven, forgive us for attempting to avoid You. We have fixed our eyes and our hope on ourselves instead of worshiping You. We indulge in our striving instead of trusting You. We indulge in our shame instead of resting in You. We indulge in grumbling and complaining instead of crying out to You. We have been given over to anxious isolation instead of following Jesus in His mission. Yet Your compassions yearn over us, You  hasten to our rescue. In the Cross of Christ, we see that Your Love endured our curse, Your Mercy bore our justice. Forgive us all of our sin and renew our hearts. Turn us back to You. Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: Hebrews 4:15-16

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Gospel Reading :: Luke 18:9-14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance.  He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Sermon :: II Corinthians 11:16-33

¹⁶ I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. ¹⁸ Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. ¹⁹ For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. ²¹ To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. ²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. ³² At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, ³³ but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

::  Download the 7.2.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: MPF, General Mills (1962, American)

Preparation for Worship on July 2 2017 :: Jesus or Another Gospel

“Christ alone makes all other [false teachings] suddenly vanish. There is nothing that Satan so much endeavors to accomplish as to bring on mists with the view of obscuring Christ, because he knows, that by this means the way is opened up for every kind of falsehood. This, therefore, is the only means of retaining, as well as restoring pure doctrine: to place Christ before the view such as He is with all His blessings, that His excellence may be truly perceived.” (John Calvin)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for July 2 include ::

:: My Hope is Built on Nothing Less (Edward Mote, 1834) CHART [bandcamp track=1565832897 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Heal Us, Emmanuel (William Cowper, 1799) CHART [bandcamp track=1545458693 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: In the Name of the Father (Henry Allon, c.1850) CHART [bandcamp track=1335283037 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: We Will Feast In the House of Zion (Sandra McCracken, 2015) CHART [bandcamp track=3987551429 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: How Great Thou Art (Carl Boberg, 1885) CHART [bandcamp track=4153898077 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

Call to Worship :: Psalm 86:9-12

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. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Your name forever.

Confession of Sin :: based on Exodus 20:1-17

O LORD, our God who brought His people out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery and by Christ delivered us from sin, You have been faithful to keep all the promises of Your covenant. But we, O LORD, have been a stiff-necked people who love unfaithfulness.
We have loved other gods before You and become their servants.
We have not worshipped You in spirit and in truth, and so we have mocked Your glory in heaven.
We have used Your name in vain and profaned Your reputation on earth.
We have desecrated Your Sabbath because we have not trusted You to give us rest.
We have not honored our fathers and mothers, and so we have proved ourselves rebels.
We have hated our neighbors and murdered them in our hearts.
We have made adulterers of ourselves in the lust of our eyes or in the deeds of our flesh.
We have stolen honor and wealth and privileges that are not ours.
We have lied and falsely accused for we love gossip more than truth.
We have coveted blessings You wisely and righteously gave to others.
O LORD, have mercy on us for we have not kept Your law.

Words of Encouragement :: I Timothy 1:18a

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Gospel Reading :: Matthew 7:15-23

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Sermon :: II Corinthians 11:1-15

¹ I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! ² For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. ³ But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. ⁵ Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. ⁶ Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

⁷ Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. ¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

¹² And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. ¹³ For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.