The Lenten Season | Thursday 21 Mar 2024: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Deuteronomy 16:1-8; Philippians 2:1-11 ~ An attitude check for believers.

The Lenten Season | Thursday 21 Mar 2024

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

Opening:

Almighty God,
you alone can bring into order
the unruly wills and affections of sinners:
Grant your people grace to love what you command
and desire what you promise; that,
among the swift and varied changes of this world,
our hearts may surely there be fixed
where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
(Philippians 2:5)

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From Psalms: Psalm 118 – Boyce Worship Collective // Southern Seminary

Verse 1
Christ, my only trust and refuge
True and sure as day and night
Other helpers will betray me,
But the Lord is on my side
Kings enchant and princes promise
These will charm and still are weak
But the Lord of Jacob’s children
Will fulfill His word indeed.

Verse 2
Christ, my only trust and refuge
Mighty Sovereign of the spheres
He who holds the starry masses
Holds my life and stills my fears
Should the terrors of the darkness
Overwhelm my anxious soul
Christ will keep me by His power
He will never let me go

Verse 3
Christ, my only trust and refuge
At the gates of righteousness
On what grounds shall I, a sinner
Enter doors of holiness
Swing them wide, yes, I shall enter
By the blood of Christ I come
He the Spotless, He the Righteous
Has become my Cornerstone

Tag
Swing them wide, yes, I shall enter
By the blood of Christ I come
He the Spotless, He the Righteous
Has become my Cornerstone

Ending
He the Spotless, He the Righteous
Has become my Cornerstone

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OT Reading: Deuteronomy 16:1-8 (GW)

Three Major Festivals

16:1 Honor the Lord your God by celebrating Passover in the month of Abib. In the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt at night. Slaughter an animal from your flock or herd as the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God. Do this at the place where the Lord will choose for his name to live. Never eat leavened bread with the meat from this sacrifice. Instead, for seven days you must eat unleavened bread at this festival. (It is the bread of misery because you left Egypt in a hurry.) Eat this bread so that, as long as you live, you will remember the day you left Egypt. There should be no yeast anywhere in your land for seven days. Never leave until morning any of the meat you slaughter on the evening of the first day.

You’re not allowed to slaughter the animals for Passover in any of the cities the Lord your God is giving you. Instead, slaughter your animals for Passover in the place where the Lord your God will choose for his name to live. Do this in the evening as the sun goes down. This is the same time you did it when you left Egypt. Cook the meat, and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. In the morning you may go back to your tents. For six days eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day hold a religious assembly dedicated to the Lord your God. Don’t do any work that day.

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𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑱𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅. 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒂𝒏 / 𝑯𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒘 𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒚 – Yᴏᴍ Lᴀʏᴀʙᴀsʜᴀ 𝒀𝒐𝒉𝒂𝒊 𝑪𝒐𝒉𝒆𝒏 & 𝑬𝒍𝒂𝒅 𝑳𝒆𝒗𝒊

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NT Reading: Philippians 2:1-11 (GW)

Have the Same Attitude as Christ

2:1 So then, as Christians, do you have any encouragement? Do you have any comfort from love? Do you have any spiritual relationships? Do you have any sympathy and compassion? Then fill me with joy by having the same attitude and the same love, living in harmony, and keeping one purpose in mind. Don’t act out of selfish ambition or be conceited. Instead, humbly think of others as being better than yourselves. Don’t be concerned only about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others. Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Although he was in the form of God and equal with God,
he did not take advantage of this equality.
Instead, he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant,
by becoming like other humans,
by having a human appearance.
He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
death on a cross.
This is why God has given him an exceptional honor—
the name honored above all other names—
so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth,
and in the world below will kneel
and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.

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At the name of Jesus – ILP music

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices; that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path we may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift justice and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Deliver the hostages from captivity and restore their souls. Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically – and especially to those who will restore Israel spiritually – through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who bore our sins on the cross,
set us free to serve him with joy.

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

The Lenten Season | Wednesday 20 Mar 2024: Psalm 119:9-16; Haggai 2:1-9, 20-23; John 12:34-50 ~ Believers walk in Jesus’ light.

The Lenten Season | Wednesday 20 Mar 2024

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

Opening:

“I am the light that has come into the world
so that everyone who believes in me
will not live in the dark.”
(John 12:46)

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From Psalms: Psalm 119:9-16 // Tamar Deburg

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OT Reading: Haggai 2:1-9, 20-23 (GW)

The New House Will Be Greater Than the Old One

2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord spoke his word through the prophet Haggai. He said, “Now, speak to Zerubbabel (who is the son of Shealtiel and is governor of Judah), the chief priest Joshua (who is the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon. Ask them, ‘Is there anyone among the faithful few who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?’

“But now, Zerubbabel, be strong,” declares the Lord. “Chief Priest Joshua (son of Jehozadak), be strong. Everyone in the land, be strong,” declares the Lord. “Work, because I am with you,” declares the Lord of Armies. “This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains with you. Don’t be afraid.

“This is what the Lord of Armies says: Once again, in a little while, I am going to shake the sky and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the one whom all the nations desire will come. Then I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of Armies. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of Armies. This new house will be more glorious than the former, declares the Lord of Armies. And in this place I will give ⌞them⌟ peace, declares the Lord of Armies….”

A Promise to Zerubbabel

2:20 The Lord spoke his word to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month. He said, “Say to Zerubbabel (governor of Judah), ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of nations. I will overthrow chariots and their riders, and the horses will fall along with their riders. They will kill one another with swords. On that day, declares the Lord of Armies, I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel), declares the Lord. I will make you like a signet ring, because I have chosen you, declares the Lord of Armies.’ ”

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Fill This House With Your Glory // InSalvation (Integrity Music)

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NT Reading: John 12:34-50 (GW)

12:34 The crowd responded to him, “We have heard from the Scriptures that the Messiah will remain here forever. So how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up from the earth’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

Jesus answered the crowd, “The light will still be with you for a little while. Walk while you have light so that darkness won’t defeat you. Those who walk in the dark don’t know where they’re going. While you have the light, believe in the light so that you will become people whose lives show the light.”

After Jesus had said this, he was concealed as he left. Although they had seen Jesus perform so many miracles, they wouldn’t believe in him. In this way the words of the prophet Isaiah came true:

“Lord, who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord’s power been revealed?”

So the people couldn’t believe because, as Isaiah also said,

“God blinded them
and made them close-minded
so that their eyes don’t see
and their minds don’t understand.
And they never turn to me for healing!”

Isaiah said this because he had seen Jesus’ glory and had spoken about him.

Many rulers believed in Jesus. However, they wouldn’t admit it publicly because the Pharisees would have thrown them out of the synagogue. They were more concerned about what people thought of them than about what God thought of them.

Then Jesus said loudly, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me. Whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I am the light that has come into the world so that everyone who believes in me will not live in the dark. If anyone hears my words and doesn’t follow them, I don’t condemn them. I didn’t come to condemn the world but to save the world. Those who reject me by not accepting what I say have a judge appointed for them. The words that I have spoken will judge them on the last day. I have not spoken on my own. Instead, the Father who sent me told me what I should say and how I should say it. I know that what he commands is eternal life. Whatever I say is what the Father told me to say.”

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Fairest Lord Jesus – He is the Light [Live] // HEBREW WORSHIP from Israel

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Almighty God our Savior, you desire that none should perish, and you have taught us through your Son that there is great joy in heaven over every sinner who repents: Grant that our hearts may ache for a lost and broken world. May your Holy Spirit work through our words, deeds, and prayers, that the lost may be found and the dead made alive, and that all your redeemed may rejoice around your throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who bore our sins on the cross,
set us free to serve him with joy.

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

The Lenten Season | Tuesday 19 Mar 2024: Psalm 119:9-16; Isaiah 44:1-8; Acts 2:14-24 ~ Death had no power over Jesus.

The Lenten Season | Tuesday 19 Mar 2024

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

Opening:

“God brought [Jesus] from death back to life
and destroyed the pains of death,
because death had no power to hold him.”
(Acts 2:24)

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From Psalms: Psalm 119:9-16 // Poor Bishop Hooper

how can a young man keep his way pure
by guarding it according to your word
with my whole heart I seek you that i won’t sin against you
your word is hidden in my heart and stored
blessed are you blessed are you lord

more than riches
i will fix my eyes
i’ll delight i’ll delight in your word

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OT Reading: Isaiah 44:1-8 (GW)

44:1 But now listen, my servant Jacob, Israel, whom I have chosen.
The Lord made you, formed you in the womb, and will help you.

This is what the Lord says:

Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
I will pour water on thirsty ground and rain on dry land.
I will pour my Spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your descendants.
They will spring up with the grass
as poplars spring up by streams.
One person will say, “I belong to the Lord.”
Another will call on the name of Jacob.
Another will write on his hand, “The Lord’s,”
and he will adopt the name of Israel.

The Nations Form Idols, but the Lord Formed Israel

44:6 The Lord is Israel’s king and defender.
He is the Lord of Armies.

This is what the Lord says:

I am the first and the last,
and there is no God except me.
If there is anyone like me, let him say so.
Let him tell me what happened
when I established my people long ago.
Then let him predict what will happen to them.
Don’t be terrified or afraid.
Didn’t I make this known to you long ago?
You are my witnesses.
Is there any God except me?
There is no ⌞other⌟ rock; I know of none.

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Victorious // Heartcry of David (Israel + United Kingdom Collaboration)

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NT Reading: Acts 2:14-24 (GW)

Peter Talks to the Crowd

2:14 Then Peter stood up with the eleven apostles. In a loud voice he said to them, “Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand this, so pay attention to what I say. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning. Rather, this is what the prophet Joel spoke about:

‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and daughters will speak what God has revealed.
Your young men will see visions.
Your old men will dream dreams.

In those days
I will pour my Spirit on my servants, on both men and women.
They will speak what God has revealed.
I will work miracles in the sky and give signs on the earth:
blood, fire, and clouds of smoke.
The sun will become dark,
and the moon will become as red as blood
before the terrifying day of the Lord comes.

Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

“Men of Israel, listen to what I say: Jesus from Nazareth was a man whom God brought to your attention. You know that through this man God worked miracles, did amazing things, and gave signs. By using men who don’t acknowledge Moses’ Teachings, you crucified Jesus, who was given over ⌞to death⌟ by a plan that God had determined in advance. But God brought him from death back to life and destroyed the pains of death, because death had no power to hold him.

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Ain’t No Grave (LIVE) – Bethel Music & Molly Skaggs | VICTORY

Verse 1
Shame is a prison as cruel as a grave
Shame is a robber and he’s come to take my name
Love is my redeemer lifting me up from the ground
Love is the power where my freedom song is found

There ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down
There ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down
When I hear that trumpet sound, I’m gonna rise up out of the ground
There ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down

Verse 2
Fear is a liar with a smooth and velvet tongue
Fear is a tyrant, he’s always telling me to run
Love is resurrection and love is a trumpet sound
Love is my weapon, I’m gonna take my giants down

Verse 3
There was a battle, a war between death and life
There on a tree the Lamb of God was crucified
He went on down to hell, He took back every key
He rose up as a lion and He’s setting all the captives free

Chorus 2
There ain’t no grave could hold His body down
There ain’t no grave could hold His body down
When He heard the trumpet sound, He rose up out of the ground
There ain’t no grave could hold His body down
There ain’t no grave could hold His body down

There ain’t no grave could hold my body down
There ain’t no grave could hold my body down

Bridge
If You walked out of the grave, I’m walkin’ too

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who bore our sins on the cross,
set us free to serve him with joy.

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

The Lenten Season | Monday 18 Mar 2024: Psalm 119:9-16; Isaiah 43:8-13; 2 Corinthians 3:4-11 ~ You are God’s minister of a new promise.

The Lenten Season | Monday 18 Mar 2024

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

Opening:

[God] has also qualified us
to be ministers of a new promise,
a spiritual promise, not a written one.
(2 Corinthians 3:4-11)

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From Psalms: Psalm 119:9-16 // I Delight | Rob & Beth [The Upper Room Session]

Blessed are you, O Lord;
Teach me your statutes.
With my lips I declare
All the rules of your mouth.
In the way of Your testimonies
I delight as much as in riches;
I delight as much as in riches.

Chorus
I will meditate on Your precepts,
I will fix my eyes on Your ways.
I will delight in Your statutes,
I will not forget Your word.
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it with Your word.

With my heart I seek you.
Let me not wander.
I have stored up your word in my heart.
In the way of Your testimonies
I delight As much as in riches
I delight As much as in riches

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OT Reading: Isaiah 43:8-13 (GW)

43:8 Bring the people who are blind but still have eyes,
the people who are deaf but still have ears.
All nations have gathered together, and people have assembled.
Who among them could have revealed this?
Who among them could have foretold this to us?
They should bring their witnesses to prove that they were right.
Let the people hear them. Then they will say that it is true.

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord.
“I have chosen you as my servant
so that you can know and believe in me
and understand that I am the one ⌞who did this⌟.
No god was formed before me,
and there will be none after me.
I alone am the Lord,
and there is no savior except me.
I have revealed it to you, I have saved you,
and I have announced it to you.
There was no foreign ⌞god⌟ among you.
You are my witnesses that I am God,” declares the Lord.
“From the ⌞first⌟ day I was the one ⌞who did this⌟.
No one can rescue people from my power.
When I do something, who can undo it?”

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Woe to my Country | Hebrew music video // One For Israel Ministry

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NT Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:4-11 (GW)

3:4 Christ gives us confidence about you in God’s presence. By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified. He has also qualified us to be ministers of a new promise, a spiritual promise, not a written one. Clearly, what was written brings death, but the Spirit brings life.

The ministry that brought death was inscribed on stone. Yet, it came with such glory that the people of Israel couldn’t look at Moses’ face. His face was shining with glory, even though that glory was fading. Won’t the ministry that brings the Spirit have even more glory? If the ministry that brings punishment has glory, then the ministry that brings God’s approval has an overwhelming glory. In fact, the ministry that brings punishment lost its glory because of the superior glory of the other ministry. If that former ministry faded away despite its glory, how much more does that ministry which remains continue to be glorious?

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In Christ Alone | Celtic Worship ft. Steph Macleod

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who bore our sins on the cross,
set us free to serve him with joy.

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

The Lenten Season | 5th Sunday 17 Mar 2024: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:10-12; Hebrews 5:1-10; John 12:20-33 ~ Jesus’ sacrifice of suffering.

The Lenten Season | 5th Sunday 17 Mar 2024

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

Opening:

“Should I say, ‘Father,
save me from this time ⌞of suffering⌟’?
No! I came for this time of suffering.”
(John 12:27b)

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Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken // 200 Voice Mass Choir – St Andrew’s Church The Kirk Chennai India Classic Hymns Album “Sweet Hour of Prayer”)

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From the Old Testament: Jeremiah 31:31-34) (GW)

The New Promise

31:31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new promise to Israel and Judah. It will not be like the promise that I made to their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They rejected that promise, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “But this is the promise that I will make to Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put my teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his relatives by saying, ‘Know the Lord.’ All of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” declares the Lord, “because I will forgive their wickedness and I will no longer hold their sins against them.”

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From the Psalms: Psalm 51:10-12 – “Create in me a clean heart” // Stephanie Rachel Ministry

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From the Epistles: Hebrews 5:1-10 (GW)

5:1 Every chief priest is chosen from humans to represent them in front of God, that is, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. The chief priest can be gentle with people who are ignorant and easily deceived, because he also has weaknesses. Because he has weaknesses, he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins in the same way that he does for the sins of his people.

No one takes this honor for himself. Instead, God calls him as he called Aaron. So Christ did not take the glory of being a chief priest for himself. Instead, the glory was given to him by God, who said,

“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”

In another place in Scripture, God said,

“You are a priest forever,
in the way Melchizedek was a priest.”

During his life on earth, Jesus prayed to God, who could save him from death. He prayed and pleaded with loud crying and tears, and he was heard because of his devotion to God. Although Jesus was the Son ⌞of God⌟, he learned to be obedient through his sufferings. After he had finished his work, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him. God appointed him chief priest in the way Melchizedek was a priest.

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Man of Sorrows! What a Name — Celtic Worship / TBN UK Music

Man of sorrows what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned he stood,
sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guilty, helpless, lost were we;
blameless Lamb of God was he,
sacrificed to set us free:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

He was lifted up to die;
“It is finished” was his cry;
now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

When he comes, our glorious King,
all his ransomed home to bring,
then anew this song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
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Gospel Reading: John 12:20-33 (GW)

Some Greeks Ask to See Jesus

12:20 Some Greeks were among those who came to worship during the Passover festival. They went to Philip (who was from Bethsaida in Galilee) and told him, “Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew, and they told Jesus.

Jesus replied to them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn’t produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain. Those who love their lives will destroy them, and those who hate their lives in this world will guard them for everlasting life. Those who serve me must follow me. My servants will be with me wherever I will be. If people serve me, the Father will honor them.

“I am too deeply troubled now to know how to express my feelings. Should I say, ‘Father, save me from this time ⌞of suffering⌟’? No! I came for this time of suffering. Father, give glory to your name.”

A voice from heaven said, “I have given it glory, and I will give it glory again.”

The crowd standing there heard the voice and said that it had thundered. Others in the crowd said that an angel had talked to him. Jesus replied, “That voice wasn’t for my benefit but for yours.

“This world is being judged now. The ruler of this world will be thrown out now. When I have been lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people toward me.” By saying this, he indicated how he was going to die.

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The Jesus Way // Phil Wickham

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Deliver the hostages from evil and restore their souls. Release from bondage every person connected to the death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically – and especially to those who will restore Israel spiritually – through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christ Be All Around Me // All Sons & Daughters