:: Download the 11.8.2015 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
:: Download the 11.8.2015 Bulletin
:: Download the 11.8.2015 Sermon Audio
image :: Woman with Baby, Gerard Sekoto (1946, South African)
Preparation for Worship :: Good
“Jesus is a fountain containing all good, and flowing with streams of richest, choicest blessings. Nothing can be needed — but Jesus has it… Why then should we live smarting under the wounds of sin, or groaning beneath its load?…Let us go to Jesus. His immortal fullness contains all we can need, and he bids us come and take freely.” (James Smith)
“God wills our good, and our good is to love Him…and to love Him we must know Him: and if we know Him, we shall in fact fall on our faces.” (C.S. Lewis, “Divine Goodness”)
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Sunday November 8 include ::
:: All Hail the Power of Jesus Name (Edward Perronet, 1780) CHART [bandcamp track=1047855256 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Give Me Jesus (African-American Spiritual) CHART [bandcamp track=893825801 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Every Ditch, Every Valley (Peter LaGrand, 2008) CHART [bandcamp track=3354859726 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (Samuel Trevor Francis, c.1890) CHART [bandcamp track=828526162 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: What A Friend We Have In Jesus (Joseph Medlicott Scriven, 1855) CHART
Call to Worship :: Psalm 34:1-3,8-10
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together! Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Old Testament Reading :: Deuteronomy 8:1-3
“The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Prayer of Confession
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.
Sermon :: I Peter 2:1-3
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.