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image :: Work, Henri Martin (1914, France)

Preparation for Worship and Communion  ::  As God

“Don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.”  (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the life of Christ… we shall love the Father as He does and the Holy Ghost will arise in us. He came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has — by what I call ‘good infection.’ Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.” (C.S. Lewis)

Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs for April 6

::  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Robert Robinson, 1758)  chart //  audio
::  Rock of Ages (Augustus Toplady, 1776)  chart //  audio
::  The Gospel Is Good News Indeed (William Gadsby. b.1773)  chart  //  audio
::  All I Owe (Robert Murray McCheyne, 1837)  chart  //  audio
::  Before the Throne of God (Charitie Lees Bancroft, 1863)  chart  //  audio
::  Jesus, Lover of My Soul (Charles Wesley, 1740)  chart  //  audio

Call to Worship  ::  Isaiah 44:21-23

Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I formed you; you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to Me, for I have redeemed you. Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, O depths of the earth;  break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel.

Declaration of Faith  ::  The Apostles’ Creed, 2^nd 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.

Old Testament Reading  :: Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.

Sermon  ::  Ephesians 4:29-5:2

^4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ^5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

We Confess Our Sin Together

Almighty and merciful Father, You live in Your people by Your Holy Spirit and have sealed us for the day of redemption. Yet we have not lived like we are one with You and Your people. Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice have gripped us. We have not loved one another as You have loved us. We have been slow to forgive as You have forgiven us.  We have not honored one another as those in whom Christ dwells. Forgive us for our offenses against You, and go on to subdue everything in us that is contrary to Your purposes. By the power of your Spirit make us a tenderhearted church, longing to be transformed into Your likeness, eager to live for Your glory. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Words of Encouragement  :: Titus 3:4-7

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Benediction

::  Download the 3.30.2014 Worship Study Guide & Sermon Notes

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image  ::  Farm Women at Work, Georges Seurat (1883, France)

Preparation for Worship  ::  Honest Work

“Our God has His hands in the dirt.  At every universal crisis point in human history, God gets dirty: Creation, Incarnation, and Resurrection.”  (Ray Bakke)

“For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”  (I Corinthians 3:9)

Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs for March 30

::  Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber,1826)  chart  // audio
::  We Are Not Overcome (Heiskell & Wardell, 2013)  chart  //  audio
::  By Thy Mercy (James Cummins, 1839)  chart  //  audio
::  Kyrie (Ancient Greek hymn, 4^th century)  chart  //  audio
::  It Is Well (Horatio Spafford, 1873)   chart  //  audio
::  On Jordan’s Stormy Banks (Samuel Stennett, 1787)  chart  //  audio

Call to Worship  ::  Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.

Old Testament Reading  ::  Jeremiah 51:10,15-19

The Lord has brought about our vindication; come, let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God… He made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses. Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, including the people of His inheritance— the Lord Almighty is His name.

Sermon  ::  Ephesians 4:25-29

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. ²⁶ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ²⁹ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

We Confess Our Sin Together  ::  based on Matthew 5:1-11

Jesus, You offered us Your grace and blessings when You announced, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” — But we have been self-satisfied in our pride;  “Blessed are those who mourn” — But we have rejoiced in our sin and the sorrows of others;  “Blessed are the meek” —But we have been a stubborn, unsubmissive people;  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” —But we have sought the way which is most entertaining and least demanding, and our souls have grown numb;  “Blessed are the merciful” —But we have been harsh and impatient;  “Blessed are the pure in heart” —But we have treasured dark thoughts, motives and moods;  “Blessed are the peacemakers” —But we have resisted reconciliation;  “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness” —But our lives have not challenged the world;  “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” —But we have barely made it known that we are Yours.

Kyrie Eleison  ::  Luke 18:13; Ancient Greek hymn (4^th century)

Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy
Upon us.

Words of Encouragement  ::  II Corinthians 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.

Benediction

::  Download the 3.23.2014 Worship Study Guide & Sermon Notes

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image  ::  The Ninth Wave,  Ivan Aivazovsky (1850; Crimea, Ukraine)

Preparation for Worship  ::  Be Angry & Do Not Sin

“The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20)

“I find nothing that promotes work better than angry fervor. For when I wish to compose, write, pray and preach well, I must be angry. It refreshes my entire system, my mind is sharpened, and all unpleasant thoughts and depression fade away.” (Martin Luther)

“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 & Spiritual Songs for March 23

::  Rock of Ages (Augustus Toplady 1776)  chart  //  audio

::  How Deep the Father’s Love for Us (Stuart Townend, 1995)   chart  // audio

::  The Church’s One Foundation  (Samuel Stone, 1866)  audio  //  chart 

::  Jesus Lover of My Soul (Charles Wesley, 1740)    audio  //  chart

::  O Love That Will Not Let Me Go (George Matheson, 1882)  audio  // chart

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.

Old Testament Reading  :: Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?
But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.

There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Sermon  ::  Ephesians 4:25-29

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. ²⁶ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ²⁹ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

We Confess Our Sin Together

Our gracious Father, You sent your Son to die and rise to new life in order that Your just wrath might be satisfied and that we, too, might live a new life. Yet foolishly, we have chosen death over life, and our passion over Yours. In our thoughts, words and deeds we have rebelled against You and Your intentions for us. In so doing, we have broken our fellowship with You whose love is better than life and Whom to know is Life itself. In so doing, we have nursed anger and hurt others sometimes unintentionally and sometimes deliberately, and have diminished their lives. In so doing, we have damaged ourselves who have been created to reflect Your beauty. Father, forgive us our sin for Jesus’ sake. And grant that we might walk in Your ways to the glory of Your name. 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.

Benediction

::  Download the 3.16.2014 Worship Study Guide & Sermon Notes 

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image  ::  Building a Schooner, Provincetown, Childe Hassam (1900, American)

Preparation for Worship  :: Falsehood and Truth

“Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace.” (Zechariah 8:16)

“If they are truly persuaded that God is the common Father of them all, and Christ their common Head, they cannot but be united together in brotherly love, and mutually impart their blessings to each other.”  (John Calvin)

Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs for March 16

::  In Tenderness (W. Spencer Walton, 1894)  chart  //  audio

::  Hosanna (Brooke Fraser, 2010)  chart  //  audio

::  Jesus I Come (William T. Sleeper, 1887)  chart  //  audio

::  My Heart is Steadfast (Ellie Holcomb, 2011)  chart  //  audio

::  How He Loves Us (John Mark McMillan, 2005)  chart //  audio

Call to Worship  ::  Psalm 63:1-4, 7

O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory. Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands. You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.

Gospel Reading  ::  John 7:14-18

About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

Sermon  ::  Ephesians 4:25-29

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. ²⁶ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ²⁹ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

We Confess Our Sin Together

Gracious Lord, we confess that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, words and deeds. Depending on our own strength, we stumble. Glorying in our own righteousness, we mock You. Turning our faces from You, we desire the things of this world to satisfy us. We repent of our self-pity and pride, our cowardice and sloth, our anger and envy. We pray now, Lord, for You to forgive us; Let us hear Your voice saying: “His blood is your peace, His death is your freedom, His Spirit is your power.” We pray these things in the name of Your most precious Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Words of Encouragement  ::  I Peter 2:22-24

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.

Benediction

::  Download the 3.9.2014 Worship Study Guide & Sermon Notes

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Note: We are experiencing technical difficulties with the audio on our website.  The sermon audio will play on Apple devices (e.g. iPads, iPhones), but it isn’t playing properly on PCs.  We appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this issue.

image :: Waterscape, Emil Nolde (20th century, German)

Preparation for Worship  ::  Be Renewed

Our lusts for security, of course, are tutored as well as spontaneous. Powerful and persuasive people woo and intimidate us that we might trust or fear them. In convincing us of our false trusts and acknowledging the potency of the pressures on us, the Scriptures again offer us the liberating alternative of knowing the Lord. (David Powlison)

There dwells upon this earth a mysterious Being, whose office is to renew the fallen and restore the wandering. We cannot see Him or hear Him, yet He dwells in some of us as Lord of our nature. His chosen residence is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. (Charles Spurgeon)

Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs for March 9

::  Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners! (John Wilbur Chapman, 1910)  chart  //  audio

::  O Come and Mourn With Me Awhile (Frederick William Faber, 1849) chart  //  audio

::  Give Me Jesus (African-American Spiritual)  chart  //  audio

::  Grace Upon Grace (Sandra McCracken, 2005)  chart 

::  Grace Greater Than Our Sin (Julia H. Johnston, 1911)  chart  //  audio

Call to Worship  ::  Psalm 103:1-5, 22

Bless the Lord, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name!  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, Who forgives all your iniquity, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Old Testament Reading  ::  I Samuel 8:1-9

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

Sermon  ::  Ephesians 4:17-24

¹⁷ Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰ But that is not the way you learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

We Confess Our Sin Together  ::  Psalm 51:1-12

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Words of Encouragement  ::  Titus 3:4-6

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Benediction

::  Download the 3.9.2014 Worship Study Guide & Sermon Notes

::  Download the 3.9.2014 Bulletin

::  Download the 3.9.2014 Parent Bulletin

::  Download the 3.9.2014 Sermon Audio 

Note: We are experiencing technical difficulties with the audio on our website.  The sermon audio will play on Apple devices (e.g. iPads, iPhones), but it isn’t playing properly on PCs.  We appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this issue.

image :: Les Terrassiers / The Stone Breakers, Georges Seurat (1883, French)

Preparation for Worship and Communion  ::  Hardness of Heart

“Do you not yet perceive or understand?  Are your hearts hardened?”  (Mark 8:17)

“Self-love so blinds us that we make the smallest faults in the world to be akin to heinous and unpardonable sins. We have this evil so deeply rooted in our hearts that if we are told of our duty, it only half moves us…. What, then, can break down all hardness in us, what can mortify all our excessive passions, what can correct all our cruelty, bring low all our pride and loftiness and sweeten all our bitterness? What God has done towards us.  He has so loved the world that He has given up His only Son to death for us.”  (John Calvin)

Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs for March 2

::  Be Thou My Vision (8th Century Irish Hymn)  chart  //  audio

::  Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1674 / Tallis Canon)  chart //  audio

::  Kindness  (Giglio, Reeves, Tomlin, 2000)  chart  //  audio

::  Thy Mercy, My God, Is the Theme of my Song (John Stocker, 1776)  chart //  audio

::  Give Me Jesus (African-American Spiritual)  chart  //  audio

::  O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (Samuel Trevor Francis, c.1890)  chart  //  audio

Call to Worship  ::  Isaiah 55:2-3

Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to Me;
hear, that your soul may live.

Declaration of Faith  ::  The Apostles’ Creed, 2^nd 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.

Old Testament Reading  ::  Ezekiel 36:22-28

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Sermon  ::  Ephesians 4:17-24

¹⁷ Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰ But that is not the way you learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

We Confess Our Sin Together

Almighty God, to know You is the fulfillment of our deepest longings and the satisfaction of our most ardent desires. To live in the light of Your salvation is our highest call and purpose. Yet foolishly we have sought our life and pleasures elsewhere. We have put the seeking of idols above seeking You, and they have left us empty and ashamed. We have failed to love You with our whole heart, soul, and mind. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have forsaken Your Kingdom for our own. Forgive us our sins for the sake of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. And grant that we might serve You in newness of life. Amen.

Words of Encouragement  ::  I Peter 2:24

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By His wounds you have been healed.

Benediction