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::  Download the 3.5.2017 Sermon Audio 

image :: Yes/No, Richard Artschwager (1974, American)

Preparation for Worship on March 5 2017 :: Yes and Amen

“Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” (John Newton)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for March 5 include ::

:: God, Be Merciful to Me (Psalm 51; 1912 Scottish Psalter) CHART [bandcamp track=4073696194 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Begone, Unbelief (John Newton, 1779) CHART [bandcamp track=1446643036 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Arise My Soul, Arise (Charles Wesley, 1742) CHART [bandcamp track=2410790195 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

:: Rejoice The Lord Is King (Charles Wesley, 1744) CHART

:: Kyrie (Greene, 2017) CHART 

Call to Worship :: Psalm 106:1, 47-48 

Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever!
Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations;
That we may give thanks to Your holy name
and glory in Your praise.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord!

Confession of Sin

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, You are faithful in all Your ways, not one word has failed of all Your promises. You are exceedingly jealous for Your Church, but we have not longed for You: We have cherished secret sins, we have sought comfort in created things, we have doubted and disdained Your sovereign choice. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us, and forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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.

Old Testament Reading :: Numbers 23:19

 God is not man, that He should lie,
or a son of man, that He should change His mind.
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?

Sermon :: II Corinthians 1:12-22

¹² For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. ¹³ For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— ¹⁴ just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you.

¹⁵ Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. ¹⁶ I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸ As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. ¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. ²⁰ For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. ²¹ And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, ²² and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

::  Download the 2.26.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Flock at Dawn, Gaetano Previati (1910, Italian)

Preparation for Worship on February 26 2017 :: Rely

“I shall rise from the dead…I shall see the Son of God, the Sun of Glory, and shine myself as that sun shines. I shall be united to the Ancient of Days, to God Himself, who had no morning, never began…No man ever saw God and lived. And yet I shall not live till I see God; and when I have seen him, I shall never die.” (John Donne)

“This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for February 26 include ::

:: Be Thou My Vision (8th Century Irish Hymn) CHART [bandcamp track=1801427840 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: We Are Not Overcome (Heiskell & Wardell, 2013) CHART [bandcamp track=3830598251 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: By Thy Mercy (James Cummins, 1839) CHART [bandcamp track=3255248990 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: In Christ Alone (Getty & Townend, 2002) CHART [bandcamp track=676321818 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Jesus Lives and So Shall I (Christian F. Gellert, 1757) CHART

Call to Worship :: Psalm 18:1-3

I love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer,
my God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge,
my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

Confession of Sin :: Jeremiah 2:11-13 & Psalm 79:5,8-9

Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But My people have changed their glory
for that which does not profit.
Be appalled, O heavens, at this;
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,
for My people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken Me,
the Fountain of Living Waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.

How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
let Your compassion come speedily to meet us,
for we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of Your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for Your name’s sake!

Words of Encouragement :: Colossians 1:12-13

Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Old Testament Reading :: Isaiah 50:7-10

The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
Let him come near to me.
Behold, the Lord God helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.

Sermon :: II Corinthians 1:8-11

⁸ For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. ¹¹ You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

::  Download the 2.19.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: After A Rain, Arkhip Kuindzhi (19th century, Ukrainian)

Preparation for Worship on February 19 2017 :: Share in Our Comfort

“I remember a professor saying that his brother had just died in his late twenties, leaving a wife and several children. My professor asked, ‘How can I look at that and say that God is good?…I can’t. But that is not all that God has given me to look at.’ He went on to say that he looked not to his own limited evaluation of the fairness of history for his assurance of God’s character, but to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Everything else is seen in that light.” (Richard Keyes)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for February 19 include ::

:: King of Saints (Joseph Hart, d.1768) CHART [bandcamp track=3854459982 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: All Ye Refugees (Scott, Haddock & Paris, 2015) CHART [bandcamp track=281721869 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Come Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart, 1759) CHART [bandcamp track=3508703207 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923) CHART [bandcamp track=3717975761 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Oh To Be Loved (Thad Cockcrell, 2008) CHART >>> AUDIO

Call to Worship :: Isaiah 51:9,11-12

Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the Lord;
awake, as in days of old,
the generations of long ago…
The ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
“I, I am He who comforts you.”

Confession of Sin

Father of mercies and God of all comfort, We confess that we are often weary with doing good. We have been slow to love, weak in faith, hard of heart. We have become rebellious in our affliction instead of waiting for You. We have attempted to flee from You, seeking a comfort of our own design. Forgive our fear and sin born of unbelief. Lead our wandering hearts back to You, Strengthen us by the power of Your Holy Spirit: to draw our consolation and courage from the love of Jesus Christ, to share in Christ’s sufferings, to comfort the afflicted and to walk joyfully in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: Romans 8:31-32, 38-39

If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?… For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Old Testament Reading :: Isaiah 66:12-14

For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
and bounced upon her knees.
As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bones shall flourish like the grass;
and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants,
and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

Sermon :: II Corinthians 1:1-7

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. ⁶ If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. ⁷ Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

::  Download the 2.12.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
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image :: Job’s Comforters, William Blake (1805, British)

Preparation for Worship on February 12, 2017 :: Comfort

“Who will comfort you?” (Isaiah 51:19)

“Jesus was one that wept with those that wept. And indeed it was mere pity that brought Him into the world, and induced Him not only to shed tears but to shed His blood. He poured out His blood as water on the earth, out of compassion to the poor, miserable children of men. And when do we ever read of any one person coming to Him when on earth, with a heavy heart, or under any kind of sorrow or distress for pity or help, but what met with a kind and compassionate reception? And He has the same compassion now.” (Jonathan Edwards)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for February 12 include ::

:: Thy Mercy, My God, Is the Theme of my Song (John Stocker, 1776) CHART [bandcamp track=2834013035 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Be Still My Soul (Kathrina von Schlegel, 1855) CHART [bandcamp track=1833020652 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: May the Mind of Christ My Savior (Kate B. Wilkinson, 1925) CHART [bandcamp track=383595627 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]::  Jesus, Lover of My Soul (Charles Wesley, 1740) CHART [bandcamp track=1085610574 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]::  Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman, 2002) CHART [bandcamp track=1903757000 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

Call to Worship :: Matthew 11:25,28-29

Jesus declared…“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

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 :: Psalm 23. A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Amen.

Sermon :: II Corinthians 1:1-7

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. ⁶ If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. ⁷ Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

::  Download the 2.5.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
::  Download the 2.5.2017 Bulletin
::  Download the 2.5.2017 Sermon Audio

image :: Sistine Chapel Fresco, Salmon-Boaz-Obed Detail, Michelangelo (1511, Italian)

Preparation for Worship on February 5, 2017 :: Generations

“Take care for God is here.” (Emily Dickinson)

“Seek thy Lord, for He is near; Embrace Him, for He is thy Brother. Hold Him fast, for He is thine Husband; and press Him to thine heart, for He is of thine own flesh.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for February 5 include ::

:: Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (Robert Robinson, 1758) CHART [bandcamp track=4015998502 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Magnificat (Luke 1:46-49) CHART [bandcamp track=3475501751 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: All Ye Refugees (Scott, Haddock & Paris, 2015) CHART [bandcamp track=281721869 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Dearly We’re Bought (Joseph Hart, 1712-68) CHART [bandcamp track=1762495860 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: God Who Saves (Aaron Senseman, 2001) CHART

Call to Worship :: Psalm 89:1,52

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations. Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.

Confession of Sin :: The Book of Common Prayer

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us.

Words of Encouragement :: Hebrews 2:14-15

Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

New Testament Reading :: Romans 15:12-13

Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even He who arises to rule the Gentiles; in Him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Sermon :: Ruth 4:18-22

¹⁸ Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron,¹⁹ Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, ²⁰ Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, ²¹ Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, ²² Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.