Lent | Friday 01 April 2022
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
O Lord our God,
grant us grace to desire you with our whole heart:
that desiring you, we may seek you;
and that seeking you, we may find you;
and that finding you, we may love you;
and that loving you, we may hate those sins
from which you have delivered us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters,
rejoice in the Lord.
I never get tired of telling you these things,
and I do it to safeguard your faith.
(Philippians 3:1)
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Psalms: Psalm 126 – Sojourn Music
Scott Bacher
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OT Reading: Isaiah 43:8-15 (NLT)
43:8 Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
Gather the nations together!
Assemble the peoples of the world!
Which of their idols has ever foretold such things?
Which can predict what will happen tomorrow?
Where are the witnesses of such predictions?
Who can verify that they spoke the truth?
“But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord.
“You are my servant.
You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,
and understand that I alone am God.
There is no other God—
there never has been, and there never will be.
I, yes I, am the Lord,
and there is no other Savior.
First I predicted your rescue,
then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world.
No foreign god has ever done this.
You are witnesses that I am the only God,”
says the Lord.
“From eternity to eternity I am God.
No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
No one can undo what I have done.”
The Lord’s Promise of Victory
43:14 This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sakes I will send an army against Babylon,
forcing the Babylonians to flee in those ships they are so proud of.
I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator and King.
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You Are God Alone – Phillips, Craig & Dean
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NT Reading: Philippians 2:25-3:1 (NLT)
Paul Commends Epaphroditus
2:25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.
The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ
3:1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
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Rejoice in the Lord –Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute Singers
SE Samonte
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A Prayer 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.
For Joy at the End of Life – Miles Coverdale
+ Lord Jesus, be mindful of your promise. Think of us, your servants, and when we shall depart, speak to our spirits these loving words: “Today you shall be with me in joy.” O Lord Jesus Christ, remember us, your servants who trust in you, when our tongues cannot speak, when the sight of our eyes fails, and when our ears are stopped. Let our spirits always rejoice in you and be joyful about our salvation, which you, through your death, have purchased for us. Amen.
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Closing: faith and worship | 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.
The Peanut Gallery 