+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
This day is Your gift to me;
I take it, Lord, from Your hand
and thank You for the wonder of it.
__________
Reading: Psalm 126:5-6 (NLT)
Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.
__________
Reading: Hosea 10:12 (NLT)
I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’
__________
Reading: John 12:24-26 (NLT)
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
__________
Prayer:
Faithful God: Restore our fortunes as streams renew the desert.
+ Replace our tears with songs of joy
+ Sow in our hearts the seeds of righteousness
+ Break up any hardness within us
+ Reap in us a harvest of love
Lord Jesus: Empower us, by your Spirit, to die to our self-service – that we may live to serve you. Amen.
__________
“Lose Your Life to Find It” – YWAM Lausanne
__________
Blessing
On the path that is before you, may you have companions on the journey, may you find Christ in the stranger, and may you know the love and blessing of God.
+ 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 Sentence
O come, let us adore him!
The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death a light has dawned.
__________
Reading:1 John 3:22-4:6 (NLT)
And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
__________
Reading: Psalm 2:7-8,10-11 (NLT)
The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession….'”
_____
Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.
__________
Reading: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 (NLT)
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:
“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
__________
Prayer:
Glory to you, Christ the Lord! Through you God’s salvation reaches to the boundaries of the earth.
+ Christ, our Redeemer, you have drawn all men to yourself; break down the walls of prejudice that separate man from man.
+ Word, made flesh, you came to live among us: help us to recognize your presence in the Church and in the lives of the people around us.
+ Jesus, God’s righteousness revealed: conform our faith and our works to your teaching.
+ Immanuel, God with us, renew our lives completely; make us a people you can call your own.
Lord God, may the radiance of your glory light up our hearts and bring us through the shadows of this world until we reach our homeland of everlasting light. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
__________
“Light of the World” – Eden’s Bridge
__________
Blessing
You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory… because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
+ 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 Sentence
O come, let us adore him!
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.
__________
Reading: 1 John 5:5-13 (NLT)
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses—the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.
And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.
__________
Reading: Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20 (NLT)
Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates and blessed your children within your walls. He sends peace across your nation and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat. He sends his orders to the world—how swiftly his word flies!
_____
He has revealed his words to Jacob, his decrees and regulations to Israel. He has not done this for any other nation; they do not know his regulations.
Praise the Lord!
__________
Reading: Mark 1:7-11 (NLT)
John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
__________
Prayer:
Christ our Redeemer: you humbled yourself to receive baptism at the hands of John, have mercy on us.
+ Lord, you taught us how to live; open our eyes to the light which is ever ready to enlighten us.
+ Lord, you humbled yourself to receive baptism from your servant: help us to give ourselves for others.
+ Lord, your baptism has made us children of the Father: grant the Spirit of adoption to all who seek you.
+ Lord, with baptism you have opened the door of repentance: make us living ministers of your gospel of new life.
+ Lord, your baptism has revealed to us the persons of the Trinity: renew your Spirit in all baptized believers.
Almighty, ever-living God, when Christ was baptized in the river Jordan the Holy Spirit came upon him and your voice proclaimed from heaven, ‘This is my beloved Son.’ Grant that we, who by water and the Holy Spirit are your adopted children, may continue steadfast in your love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
__________
“It’s All About You Jesus” – Passion
__________
Blessing
This is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
+ 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 Sentence
O come, let us adore him!
A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. Today a great light has come upon the earth.
__________
Reading: 1 John 3:11-21 (NLT)
This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.
__________
Reading: Psalm 100:1-5 (NLT)
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
__________
Reading: John 1:43-51 (NLT)
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.
Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”
“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”
Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”
Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”
__________
Prayer:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, sent by God to be for us the One who is Wise, Just and Holy – our Redeemer.
+ Lord of the universe, the shepherds found you in a manger: save us from a selfish, self-serving lifestyle.
+ You so loved us in all our weakness that you came to be our Savior; help us to respect the dignity of every man and woman.
+ You took our nature but you did not sin; help us to use your gifts in the service of others.
+ You made the Church your bride without defect or blemish: grant that all your people may persevere to the end.
God, our Father, since through the human birth of your only Son you began in us the work of redemption, keep us firm in faith, and with Christ as the Shepherd of our souls bring us the glory you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
__________
“Good Shepherd of My Soul” – Keith & Kristyn Getty
Good Shepherd of my soul come dwell within me. Take all I am and mold your likeness in me. Before the cross of Christ, this is my sacrifice: a life laid down and ready to follow.
The troubled find their peace in true surrender. The prisoners their release from chains of anger. In springs of living grace, I find a resting place to rise refreshed, determined to follow.
I’ll walk this narrow road with Christ before me, where thorns and thistles grow and cords ensnare me. Though doubted and denied, He never leaves my side. But lifts my head and calls me to follow.
And when my days are gone, my strength is failing, He’ll carry me along through death’s unveiling. Earth’s struggles overcome, heav’n’s journey just begun, to search Christ’s depths and ever to follow.
__________
Blessing
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
+ 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 Sentence
O come, let us adore him!
His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!
__________
Reading: 1 John 3:7-10 (NLT)
Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
__________
Reading: Psalm 98:1, 7-9 (NLT)
Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!
_____
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in. Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.
__________
Reading: John 1:35-42 (NLT)
The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.
Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.
They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”.
Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).
__________
Prayer:
The Word of God was manifested in the flesh, seen by angels and preached among the nations. Let us praise him: Only Son of God, we adore you.
+ Redeemer of all men, you made us children of God; may we never know a day apart from you.
+ You manifested to us the faithfulness of God: may you always be the light of our lives.
+ You let us see the Father’s love for us: may we show others your loving care.
+ You came to live among us: make us worthy to be your friends.
Almighty God, the light of a new star in heaven heralded your saving love. Let the light of your salvation dawn in our hearts and keep them always open to your life-giving grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
__________
” Lamb of God” – Vertical Church Band
You came from heaven’s throne | Acquainted with our sorrow | To trade the debt we owed | Your suffering for our freedom
The Lamb of God in my place | Your blood poured out, my sin erased | It was my death You died | I am raised to life | Hallelujah, the Lamb of God
My name upon Your heart | My shame upon Your shoulders | The power of sin undone | the cross for my salvation
My God, there is no greater love | There is no greater love | The Savior lifted up | There is no greater love
__________
Blessing
Put on the righteousness of Christ; demonstrate that you are a child of God.
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
The Peanut Gallery 