+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, give me a humble, teachable, and obedient heart, that I may receive what you have revealed, and do what you have commanded. Through Jesus Christ my Lord – Amen.
Reading: Acts 5:12-16 (NLT)
The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
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Reflection and Prayer:
Come Holy Spirit – Fill me with your presence and give me confidence in the powerful name of Jesus, that I may follow in the footsteps of the apostles, showing and telling others of the mighty works of God.
+ Create in me an urgency to tell my children and grandchildren the lessons I have learned about the Lord’s power and mighty wonders.
+ Manifest your presence and power in my life that my children and grandchildren might see as well as hear of your wonder-working power.
+ Fill them with transformative faith that they may teach these wonderful truths even to children not yet born – and they in turn will teach their own children.
Lord Jesus: make me a doer of your word that my children and grandchildren may see and believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, remembering your glorious miracles, obeying your commands, and giving their hearts unreservedly to God.
Soli Deo gloria!
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“Healer” – Bethel Music Live
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 75:1 (NLT)
We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, give me a humble, teachable, and obedient heart, that I may receive what you have revealed, and do what you have commanded. Amen.
Reading: Acts 5:1-11 (NLT)
But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.
Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”
“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”
Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.
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Reflection and Prayer:
Lord God: nothing in all creation is hidden from your sight; you made me and know everything about me, from the inside and out – and still you love me.
+ Create in me a pure heart, that I may not sin against you.
+ Protect me from the lies of the evil one, that I may obey your word of truth.
+ Rescue me from my self-deception, that I may live honestly before you.
+ Lead me along the path of righteousness, that I may live joyfully for ever.
Lord God: you alone are just; forgive my sins and deliver me from evil through Jesus Christ my Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
__________
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, give me a humble, teachable, and obedient heart, that I may receive what you have revealed, and do what you have commanded. Amen.
Reading: Acts 4:32-37 (NLT)
All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.
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Reflection and Prayer:
Holy Spirit: fill us with your presence, that we may be united in heart and mind with our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father: all that we have comes from you; make us wise and gracious managers accountable, in the end, only to you.
Lord Jesus: give us the courage to let go of our worldly security, that we may freely follow you.
Gracious God: give us hearts full of mercy and compassion, that we may give freely and generously to those in need. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Provider” – Urban Rescue
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 68:19 (NLT)
Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.
__________
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, give me a humble, teachable, and obedient heart, that I may receive what you have revealed, and do what you have commanded. Amen.
Reading: Acts 4:23-31 (NLT)
As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them — you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’
“In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
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Prayer for Boldness:
“And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” – Acts 4:29-30
Merciful God: you have chosen me to be your child; you have adopted me into your family. Once I had no identity; now I am a child of God – “called out of darkness into his wonderful light” – that I may show your goodness to others.
Give me great boldness – that is gentle and kind, that flows from the heart of Jesus:
+ To tell others how I have personally experienced the love and saving power of Jesus Christ.
+ To candidly tell others how my sins have been forgiven through Jesus’ death on the cross.
+ To clearly explain to others that Jesus died for the forgiveness of their sins as well, because he loves them.
+ To speak about what I have seen and heard with personal conviction; how Jesus Christ changed my life.
Holy God: stretch out your hand with healing power; fill me with great boldness in the Holy Spirit. And may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Soli Deo gloria!
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“Be Bold, Be Strong” – Maranatha! Promise Band
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 62:8, 11-12 (NLT)
O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
_____
God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
__________
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity. Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Holy, Holy, Holy” – Audrey Assad
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Reading: John 3:16-18 (NLT)
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
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On this Trinity Sunday we have come before you, Lord, to offer our praise and adoration:
You are God the creator, giving us richly all things to enjoy.
You are Christ the Savior of the world, made flesh to set us free.
You are the Spirit of truth and love, willing to dwell in us.
You are holy and blessed. One god, eternal Trinity, be near to us the people formed in your image, and close to the world your love brings to life.
+ Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, we pray for your church throughout the world, for those that are thriving and those which have lost a sense of direction. We give thanks for our church and its people, and gladly acknowledge all the gifts you have given us through its life:
We ask you to open wide our hearts that we may welcome the stranger and share our faith with others,
Open wide our minds that we may receive new truth and understand your will,
Open wide our doors, that as we have come into worship so we may go out with you to the service of the world,
Open wide our lives that through discipline and prayer we may experience your power in daily living.
Lord you have chosen men and women to serve you in the ministry of your church and given them a perfect example in the person of your son: pour your blessings on your servants today that by word and deed they may proclaim your saving love and so enable us all to grow in your image.
+ Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the universe we praise you for your creation, you have provided mankind with everything it needs for life and health. Grant that the resources of the earth may neither be hoarded by the selfish nor squandered by the foolish but that all may share your gifts.
We remember all who bear the responsibility of leadership, for heads of state, ambassadors and political advisers, we think today particularly of the leaders of the different factions in the United States; let your will for our world be accomplished through the decisions they make and give them a vision of peace and reconciliation for you, Lord, can find a way when men and women are lost.
Lord we pray for peace in the world, create in us a love for peace, not peace that is absent from struggle, nor peace that is blind to injustice but peace that makes whole what now is broken.
We remember those who struggle against injustice, for men and women who have to establish love’s supremacy in violent and oppressive societies, and for those whom war and famine have robbed of homes, families and friends, may they be filled with your strength and wisdom and grant that where the love of man has failed your divine compassion may heal.
+ Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We remember this morning those who are sick, sad or lonely and those who are brave and patient when things are going wrong.
We pray that they may be aware of your comforting presence and know that in your hands they are safe and loved.
We pray for all whose life is saddened by the death of a loved one, be with them in their loneliness and let them know that Jesus Christ is the light of the world a light which no darkness can quench.
We remember those who have died; you, Lord, turn our darkness into light; in your light shall we see light.
+ Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord we ask you to lead us into the coming week, Help us to believe that you are close by us, keep us from making mistakes and help us never to disappoint you. When we face hard decisions or difficult work, when we enjoy ourselves and have fun with others may we know that you share these times with us.
+ Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“This I Believe” (The Creed) – Hillsong Worship
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 150 (NLT)
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
The Peanut Gallery 