Category: Life in Christ

Day of Pentecost : 05 June 2022 – Acts 2:1-12; Ps 104:24-35; 1 Cor 12:4-13; John 14:8-17 ~ The Holy Spirit will never leave you!

Day of Pentecost : 05 June 2022

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

Opening:

Almighty God, on this day, through the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit, you revealed the way of eternal life to every race
and nation: Pour out this gift anew, that by the preaching of
the Gospel your salvation may reach to the ends of the earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in
the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“If you love me, obey my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate,
who will never leave you.
He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.”
(John 14:15-17)

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Holy Spirit Living Breath of God – Keith & Kristyn Getty

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NT Reading: Acts 2:1-12 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit Comes

2:1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.

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Pentecost Hymn – Edvard Grieg

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Psalm: Ps 104:30 (NLT)  

When you give them your breath, life is created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

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Renew the Face of the Earth – Couples for Christ

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NT Reading: 1 Cor 12:4-13 (NLT)

12:4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

One Body with Many Parts

12:12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

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One Spirit, One Church
The Orchard Enterprises

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Gospel Reading: John 14:8-17 (NLT)

14:8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

14:15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

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Prayer:

Veni Sancte Spiritus – Taizé

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Closing: faithandworship | John Birch

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people
and kindle in us the fire of your love.

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

Easter | The Resurrection of the Lord 17 April 2022: Colossians 3:1-4, Luke 24:1-12 ~ He is risen from the dead!

Easter | The Resurrection of the Lord 17 April 2022

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

Opening Prayer:

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus
Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting
life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s
resurrection, may, by your life-giving Spirit, be delivered from
sin and raised from death; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and for ever. Amen.

“Why are you looking among the dead
for someone who is alive?
He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!”
(Luke 24:5-6)

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“Arise, My Love” with Larry Pearce, Leona Rupert, Kathy Gilliland | Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021
First Baptist Dallas

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A Reading from the Letters: Colossians 3:1-4 (NLT)

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
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“Endless Alleluia” – Bethel Music | VICTORY

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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 24:1-12 (NLT)

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

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“Easter Song” – Glad – Acappella

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Intercessions:

O God our Savior and Redeemer: Your love for us never ends.
As we celebrate your power to make all that is dead come to life, hear our prayers….

+ For all who have been newly baptized around the world, that they may always walk in the light of Christ…
Lord, guide them.

+ For all believers around the world in every circumstance, that we may live in hope and love….
Lord, empower us.

+ For all believers who are suffering the effects of war, especially in the Ukraine, that they may live in security and peace….
Lord protect them.

+ For all who are in need of support and love, especially the sick and dying, that believers everywhere may care for them….
Lord comfort them.

+ For all who are deprived of the basic necessities of life – food, clothing, and shelter, that believers everywhere may help them….
Lord provide for them.

+ For all who are estranged from families, friends and loved ones, that they may be reconciled….
Lord unite them.

O God our Savior and Redeemer: You lead your people from defeat to triumph, from death to life; hear our prayers and grant us your peace, through Christ our risen Lord. Amen.

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Easter Medley : Living Hope / Because He Lives / O Praise the Name / Forever
The Movement Worship

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Closing:

May Almighty God, who is making all things new through Jesus Christ our Lord – resurrect everything that is dead in our lives through the power of his Spirit that is at work within us; until at last we enter into the peace and joy of everlasting life.

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

Epiphany Season | 1st Sunday 09 Jan 2022 – Isa 42:1-9; Ps 89:20-29; Acts 10:34-38; Luke 3:15-22 ~ God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power.

Epiphany Season | 1st Sunday 09 Jan 2022 | The Baptism of the Lord

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

Opening:

Eternal Father, at the baptism of Jesus you revealed him to be
your Son, and your Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove:
Grant that we, who are born again by water and the Spirit, may
be faithful as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and for ever. Amen.

One day when the crowds were being baptized,
Jesus himself was baptized.
As he was praying,
the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form,
descended on him like a dove.
And a voice from heaven said,
“You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
(Luke 3:21-22)

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“God Came Down To Us” | Jonathan and Emily Martin

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OT Reading: Isa 42:1-9 (NLT)

The Lord’s Chosen Servant

42:1 “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
He will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout
or raise his voice in public.
He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
He will not falter or lose heart
until justice prevails throughout the earth.
Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”

 God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.
He created the earth and everything in it.
He gives breath to everyone,
life to everyone who walks the earth.
And it is he who says,
“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.
You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison,
releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.

 “I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to anyone else,
nor share my praise with carved idols.
Everything I prophesied has come true,
and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.”

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Psalms: Ps 89 – Via Christus Choir

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NT Reading: Acts 10:34-38 (NLT)

The Gentiles Hear the Good News

10:34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

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I Speak Jesus | Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Shalom Music

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Gospel Reading: Luke 3:15-22 (NLT)

3:15 Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.

 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. 20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.

The Baptism of Jesus

3:21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

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 Baptized – Zach Williams

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Prayer: ACNA / BCP2019

Renewal o f B a p t i s m a l V o w s (adapted)

In the presence of God and His people, I renew the solemn promises and vows I made at my Baptism and commit to keep them.

+ I renounce the devil and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God!

+ I renounce the empty promises and deadly deceits of this world that corrupt and destroy the creatures of God!

+ I renounce the sinful desires of the flesh that draw me from the love of God!

+ I turn again to Jesus Christ and confess him as my Lord and Savior!

+ I joyfully receive the Christian Faith, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments!

With God’s help I will obediently keep God’s holy will and commandments and walk in them all the days of my life!

And now may the Holy Spirit, who has begun a good work in us, direct and empower us by his grace, that we may continue in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ all the days of our life.

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

Epiphany Season | Saturday 08 Jan 2022: Psalm 72; Daniel 2:24-49; Ephesians 5:15-20 ~ Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Epiphany Season | Saturday 08 Jan 2022:

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

Opening:

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to
the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith,
to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Be careful how you live.
Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
(Ephesians 5:15-16)

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Psalms: Psalm 72 – Heather Clark
The Higher Power

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OT Reading: Daniel 2:24-49 (NLT)

Daniel Interprets the Dream

2:24 Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.”

 Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, “I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!”

 The king said to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar), “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?”

 Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.

 “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.

 “In your vision, Your Majesty, you saw standing before you a huge, shining statue of a man. It was a frightening sight. The head of the statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.

 “That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor.  He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold.

 “But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix.

 “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”

Nebuchadnezzar Rewards Daniel

2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar threw himself down before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him. The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.”

 Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men.  At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.

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King of Kings – Hillsong Worship

 

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NT Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20 (NLT)

Living by the Spirit’s Power

5:15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Soli Deo Gloria – – Darlene Zschech & Mitch Wong
Integrity Music

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Prayer:

Love Life-Giving Water

Dear Abba, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

I recognize that I am in need of more of Your power in my life. Your Word promises that when we ask, we receive.

Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. I am asking this to you by faith right now…

I believe that you have filled me and I receive the infilling of Your Holy Spirit in my heart right now!

Thank you Holy Spirit for being the power at work in my heart and in my life!

I give you all the praise and all the glory, in Jesus’ name,

Amen!

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Closing:

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

Epiphany Season | Friday 07 Jan 2022: Psalm 72; Daniel 2:1-19; Ephesians 4:17-5:1 ~ Let the Spirit renew your mind.

Epiphany Season | Friday 07 Jan 2022:

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

Opening:

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to
the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith,
to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Since you have heard about Jesus
and have learned the truth that comes from him,
throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life,
which is corrupted by lust and deception.
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”
(Ephesians 4:21-23)

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Psalms: Psalm 72 – Luke Brodine

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OT Reading: Daniel 2:1-19 (NLT)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2:1 One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep. He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king, he said, “I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.”

 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”

 But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble! But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!”

 They said again, “Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”

 The king replied, “I know what you are doing! You’re stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say, ‘If you don’t tell me the dream, you are doomed.’ So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.”

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Children of Light (Kristian Stanfill)
Pastor Madeline / First United Methodist Church – Luling, TX

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NT Reading: Ephesians 4:17-5:1 (NLT)

Living as Children of Light

4:17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Living in the Light

5:1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

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Renew My Life – Church Lyrics

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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.

Faith & Worship

+ We pray for confidence to share your Word with others and for the opportunity to proclaim it.
Forgive our reluctance, our timidity.

+ We pray for wisdom to know what should be said and the moment in which to say it.
Forgive our reticence, our anxiety.

+ We pray for knowledge of the fullness of your Grace and the willingness to live it.
Forgive our ignorance, our self-reliance.

Be the center of all we are
The Light by which we walk
The blessing we bring to others
Through Jesus Christ alone we ask. Amen

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Closing:

May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.

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