Month: February 2022

Epiphany Season | 6th Sunday 13 Feb 2022 – Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26 ~ Blessings await you when you are persecuted for following Jesus.

Epiphany Season | 6th Sunday 13 Feb 2022

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Almighty God, look mercifully upon your people,
that by your great goodness they may be
governed and preserved evermore;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

What blessings await you
when people hate you and exclude you
and mock you and curse you as evil
because you follow the Son of Man.
When that happens, be happy!
Yes, leap for joy!
For a great reward awaits you in heaven.
(Luke 6:22-23)

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Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise / performed by Steve Green
Abounding Joy

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OT Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10 (NLT)

Wisdom from the Lord

17:5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
who rely on human strength
and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
in an uninhabited salty land.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
But I, the Lord, search all hearts
and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve.”

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Prayer for Purity

+ Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Psalms: Psalm 1 – Blessed Are They Who Hope in the Lord – Francesca LaRosa

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NT Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (NLT)

The Resurrection of the Dead

15:12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

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Christ Is Risen ~ Phil Wickham

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Gospel Reading: Luke 6:17-26 (NLT)

Crowds Follow Jesus

6:17 When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed. Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.

The Beatitudes

6:20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,

“God blesses you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
God blesses you who are hungry now,
for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now,
for in due time you will laugh.

What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Sorrows Foretold

6:24 “What sorrow awaits you who are rich,
for you have your only happiness now.
What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,
for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,
for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

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What Joy Is Found – Charlie Hines & Tanya Bishop

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Almighty God, you gave your prophets and apostles boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ We pray for all those who proclaim the Gospel at home and abroad; and for all who teach and disciple others.

+ We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted for their faith.

Thomas à Kempis
Our God, in whom we trust: Strengthen us not to regard overmuch who is for us or who is against us, but to see to it that we be with you in everything we do. Amen.

Closing: faithandworship.com  / John Birch

If God sends you down a stony path,
may he give you strong shoes.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Epiphany Season | Saturday 12 February: Psalm 1; Jeremiah 17:1-4; Luke 11:24-28 ~ Hear and practice God’s Word.

Epiphany Season | Saturday 12 February 2022

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

O Lord, our heavenly Father,
keep watch over your household the Church,
that we who trust in the hope of your heavenly grace
may always be defended by your mighty power;
through, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

“Blessed are all who hear the word of God
and put it into practice.”
(Luke 11:28)

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Psalms: Psalm 1 – The Corner Room

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OT Reading: Jeremiah 17:1-4 (NLT)

Judah’s Sin and Punishment

17:1 “The sin of Judah
is inscribed with an iron chisel—
engraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts
and on the corners of their altars.
Even their children go to worship
at their pagan altars and Asherah poles,
beneath every green tree
and on every high hill.
So I will hand over my holy mountain—
along with all your wealth and treasures
and your pagan shrines—
as plunder to your enemies,
for sin runs rampant in your land.
The wonderful possession I have reserved for you
will slip from your hands.
I will tell your enemies to take you
as captives to a foreign land.
For my anger blazes like a fire
that will burn forever.”

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Are you ready for His coming? – Mary Pedersen / Nancy Helgesen
[The author of this song, Mary Pedersen, wrote this appeal from her heart to all those who long to be with Jesus and want to be ready to meet Him when that day comes.]

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NT Reading: Luke 11:24-28 (NLT)

11:24 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”

As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”

Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

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Teach Me To Obey (Upper Room Sessions)

You have always been a faithful Father, love has drawn me in as Your child
So I’m trusting You with all of my desires, all of my desires

I’m bowing to Your sovereignty, I’m trusting You are guiding me
And when my failing flesh is tempting me to stray, oh teach me, teach me to obey

You will not forget a single promise, all Your plans are meant for my good
And I will lay my life completely in Your hands, completely in Your hands

I’m bowing to Your sovereignty, I’m trusting You are guiding me
And when my failing flesh is tempting me to stray, oh teach me, teach me to obey

Place in me a heart that sees, all you have is good for me
Even when each step is by faith
When the time of testing comes, not my will but Yours be done, even when it calls
for me, to give myself away

I’m bowing to Your sovereignty, I’m trusting You are guiding me
I’m bowing to Your sovereignty, I’m trusting You are guiding me
And when my failing flesh is tempting me to stray, oh teach me, teach me to obey

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

For Inner Renewal through the Word

+ Gracious God and most merciful Father, you have granted us the rich and precious jewel of your holy Word: Assist us with your Spirit, that the same Word may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according to your own image, to build us up and edify us into the perfect dwelling place of your Christ, sanctifying and increasing in us all heavenly virtues; grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Of Self-dedication – William Temple

+ Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Closing: faithandworship.com  / John Birch

In your time, Lord, in your time
Take the imperfect that is me
and create
the person that I could be
In your time, Lord, in your time

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Epiphany Season | Friday 11 February: Psalm 1; Jeremiah 13:20-27; 1 Peter 1:17-2:1 ~ Get rid of all evil behavior.

Epiphany Season | Friday 11 February 2022

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

O Lord, our heavenly Father,
keep watch over your household the Church,
that we who trust in the hope of your heavenly grace
may always be defended by your mighty power;
through, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

“The word of the Lord remains forever.”
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
So get rid of all evil behavior.
Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy,
and all unkind speech.
(1 Peter 1:25-2:1)

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Psalms: Psalm 1 – (Everything He Does Shall Prosper) (feat. Lance Edward) – The Psalms Project

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OT Reading: Jeremiah 13:20-27 (NLT)

13:20 Open up your eyes and see
the armies marching down from the north!
Where is your flock—
your beautiful flock—
that he gave you to care for?
What will you say when the Lord takes the allies you have cultivated
and appoints them as your rulers?
Pangs of anguish will grip you,
like those of a woman in labor!
You may ask yourself,
“Why is all this happening to me?”
It is because of your many sins!
That is why you have been stripped
and raped by invading armies.
Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin?
Can a leopard take away its spots?
Neither can you start doing good,
for you have always done evil.

 “I will scatter you like chaff
that is blown away by the desert winds.
This is your allotment,
the portion I have assigned to you,”
says the Lord,
“for you have forgotten me,
putting your trust in false gods.
I myself will strip you
and expose you to shame.
I have seen your adultery and lust,
and your disgusting idol worship out in the fields and on the hills.
What sorrow awaits you, Jerusalem!
How long before you are pure?”

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 Remember ~ Lauren Daigle
music meets heaven

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NT Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-2:1 (NLT)

1:17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.

You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say,

“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.

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Born Again – Third Day
brotherearl1944

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Gracious God and most merciful Father, you have granted us the rich and precious jewel of your holy Word: Assist us with your Spirit, that the same Word may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according to your own image, to build us up and edify us into the perfect dwelling place of your Christ, sanctifying and increasing in us all heavenly virtues; grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

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Closing: faithandworship.com  / John Birch

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Epiphany Season | Thursday 10 February: Psalm 1; Jeremiah 15:12-19; Acts 13:26-34 ~ God has fulfilled His promises.

Epiphany Season | Thursday 10 February 2022

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Almighty God, look mercifully upon your people, that by your
great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

“When they had done all that the prophecies said about him,
they took [Jesus] down from the cross and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead!
(Acts 13:29-30)

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Psalms: Psalm 1 – Blessed Is The Man – Joel Limpic
Scott Bacher

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OT Reading: Jeremiah 13:15-19 (NLT)

A Warning against Pride

13:15 Listen and pay attention!
Do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.
Give glory to the Lord your God
before it is too late.
Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you,
causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains.
For then, when you look for light,
you will find only terrible darkness and gloom.
And if you still refuse to listen,
I will weep alone because of your pride.
My eyes will overflow with tears,
because the Lord’s flock will be led away into exile.

Say to the king and his mother,
“Come down from your thrones
and sit in the dust,
for your glorious crowns
will soon be snatched from your heads.”
The towns of the Negev will close their gates,
and no one will be able to open them.
The people of Judah will be taken away as captives.
All will be carried into exile.

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I Surrender – Hillsong Worship
Light of the World

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NT Reading: Acts 13:26-34 (NLT)

13:26 “Brothers—you sons of Abraham, and also you God-fearing Gentiles—this message of salvation has been sent to us! The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath. They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.

“When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead! And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel.

“And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus:

‘You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.’

For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, ‘I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.’

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Evidence – Josh Baldwin
Gary McDuffee

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Benedictus –The Song of Zechariah (luke 1:68-79)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness

and in the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

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Closing: faithandworship.com  / John Birch

May the riches of God’s blessing
never become a thing of pride
but an overflowing well of giving
daily shared both far and wide

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Epiphany Season | Wednesday 09 February: Psalm 115; Isaiah 8:1-15; Luke 5:27-32 ~ Jesus befriends sinners needing repentance.

Epiphany Season | Wednesday 09 February 2022

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

O Lord, our heavenly Father,
keep watch over your household the Church,
that we who trust in the hope of your heavenly grace
may always be defended by your mighty power;
through, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

“Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.
I have come to call not those who think they are righteous,
but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
(Luke 5:31-32)

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Psalms: Psalm 115 – “Heavenly Father”
Ken Kalambay

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OT Reading: Isaiah 8:1-15 (NLT)

The Coming Assyrian Invasion

8:1 Then the Lord said to me, “Make a large signboard and clearly write this name on it: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.” I asked Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah, both known as honest men, to witness my doing this.

Then I slept with my wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said, “Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. For before this child is old enough to say ‘Papa’ or ‘Mama,’ the king of Assyria will carry away both the abundance of Damascus and the riches of Samaria.”

Then the Lord spoke to me again and said, “My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, but they have rejected it. They are rejoicing over what will happen to King Rezin and King Pekah. Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel.

“Huddle together, you nations, and be terrified.
Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare for battle, but you will be crushed!
Yes, prepare for battle, but you will be crushed!
Call your councils of war, but they will be worthless.
Develop your strategies, but they will not succeed.
For God is with us!”

A Call to Trust the Lord

8:11 The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said,

“Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do,
and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.
Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life.
He is the one you should fear.
He is the one who should make you tremble.
He will keep you safe.
But to Israel and Judah
he will be a stone that makes people stumble,
a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem
he will be a trap and a snare.
Many will stumble and fall,
never to rise again.
They will be snared and captured.”

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The Fear of the Lord – First Baptist Dallas Choir & Orchestra
First Baptist Dallas

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NT Reading: Luke 5:27-32 (NLT)

Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)

5:27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”

Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

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This Blood by Chosen | Kim Norton
[Easter Sunday worship of “This Blood” by Chosen with the First Redeemer Church Choir and Orchestra]

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ 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; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

+ Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
in your great mercy you have promised forgiveness of sins to all those who sincerely repent and with true faith turn to you, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. (1 timothy 1:15)

If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 john 2:1-2)

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Closing: faithandworship.com  / John Birch

May we look at others
as if through your eyes,
less judging, more loving,
and seeing them, like us,
as not perfect or finished
but as a work in progress
that will be completed
in due time by your hands.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.