After Pentecost | Sunday 22 Sep 2024: Jeremiah 11:18-20; Psalm 54; James 3:13 – 4:3, 7-8; Mark 9:30-37 ~ Kingdom-centered ambition.

After Pentecost | Sunday 22 Sep 2024

+ In the name the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

O God,
because without you we are not able to please you,
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Whoever wants to be the most important person
must take the last place
and be a servant to everyone else.”
(Mark 9:35)

__________

“O God Our Help From Ages Past” | Brian Doerksen

__________

OT Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20 (GW)

Jeremiah’s Life Is Threatened

11:18 The Lord revealed their plot to me so that I would understand. He showed me what they were doing. I was like a trusting lamb brought to the slaughter. I didn’t know that they were plotting against me. They were saying, “Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit. Let’s cut Jeremiah off from this world of the living so that we won’t be reminded of him anymore.”

O Lord of Armies, you judge fairly
and test motives and thoughts.
I want to see you take revenge on them,
because I’ve brought my case to you.

__________

From the Psalms: Psalm 54 / Poor Bishop Hooper

__________

NT Reading: James 3:13 – 4:3, 7-8 (GW)

Live Wisely

3:13 Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition, don’t brag. Don’t say that you are wise when it isn’t true. That kind of wisdom doesn’t come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic. Wherever there is jealousy and rivalry, there is disorder and every kind of evil.

However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere. A harvest that has God’s approval comes from the peace planted by peacemakers.

Stop Fighting with Each Other

4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Aren’t they caused by the selfish desires that fight to control you? You want what you don’t have, so you commit murder. You’re determined to have things, but you can’t get what you want. You quarrel and fight. You don’t have the things you want, because you don’t pray for them. When you pray for things, you don’t get them because you want them for the wrong reason—for your own pleasure….

4:7 So place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners, and clear your minds, you doubters.

__________

“Walk With Me” – Richard Wills

__________

Gospel Reading: Mark 9:30-37 (GW)

Jesus Again Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life

9:30 They left that place and were passing through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was because he was teaching his disciples. He taught them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to people. They will kill him, but on the third day he will come back to life.”

The disciples didn’t understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him.

Greatness in the Kingdom

9:33 Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?” They were silent. On the road they had argued about who was the greatest.

He sat down and called the twelve apostles. He told them, “Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else.” Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He put his arms around the child and said to them, “Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

__________

The Servant Song | Sunday 7pm Choir

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

For Purity of Heart:

+ 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.

For the Church and the world:

- We pray for the peace of the whole world;
- and for the well-being and unity of the people of God.
- 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;
- and for all those supporting them.
- We pray for our nation, and for those in positions of authority;
- and for a spirit of repentance and revival throughout the land.
- We pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
- and for the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
- We pray for all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity;
- and especially for those in the Middle East.
- We pray for all those who have departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection;
- and for those who mourn their loss.
- In Jesus’ name we pray.

For Answered Prayer:

+ Heavenly Father, grant these our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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.

After Pentecost | Sunday 15 Sep 2024: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 19; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38 ~ What do you say about Jesus?

After Pentecost | Sunday 15 Sep 2024

+ In the name the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

O Lord,
you have taught us that without love,
all our deeds are worth nothing:
Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts
that most excellent gift of charity,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you;
grant this for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus asked them,
“But who do you say I am?”
(Mark 8:29)

__________

His Name Is Higher – Randy Agyemang

__________

OT Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a (GW)

The Lord’s Servant Trusts in the Lord’s Help

50:4 The Almighty Lord will teach me what to say,
so I will know how to encourage weary people.
Morning after morning he will wake me
to listen like a student.
The Almighty Lord will open my ears.
I will not rebel, nor will I turn away ⌞from him⌟.
I will offer my back to those who whip me
and my cheeks to those who pluck hairs out of my beard.
I will not turn my face away from those who humiliate me
and spit on me.

The Almighty Lord helps me.
That is why I will not be ashamed.
I have set my face like a flint.
I know that I will not be put to shame.
The one who pronounces me innocent is near.
Who will bring a case against me?
Let us confront each other!
Who accuses me?
Let him confront me!
The Almighty Lord helps me.

__________

From the Psalms: Psalm 19 / Jess Ray

__________

NT Reading: James 3:1-12 (GW)

Speak Wisely

3:1 Brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers. You know that we who teach will be judged more severely.

All of us make a lot of mistakes. If someone doesn’t make any mistakes when he speaks, he would be perfect. He would be able to control everything he does. We put bits in the mouths of horses to make them obey us, and we have control over everything they do. The same thing is true for ships. They are very big and are driven by strong winds. Yet, by using small rudders, pilots steer ships wherever they want them to go. In the same way the tongue is a small part of the body, but it can brag about doing important things.

large forest can be set on fire by a little flame. The tongue is that kind of flame. It is a world of evil among the parts of our bodies, and it completely contaminates our bodies. The tongue sets our lives on fire, and is itself set on fire from hell. People have tamed all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures. Yet, no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison.

With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. Yet, with the same tongues we curse people, who were created in God’s likeness. Praise and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen! Do clean and polluted water flow out of the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? In the same way, a pool of salt water can’t produce fresh water.

__________

THE BLESSING ♥ World Edition ♥ Brothers & sisters from 154 nations sing in 257 languages ♥

__________

Gospel Reading: Mark 8:27-38 (GW)

Peter Declares His Belief about Jesus

8:27 Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?”

They answered him, “Some say you are John the Baptizer, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.”

He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah!”

He ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life

8:31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer a lot. He taught them that he would be rejected by the leaders, the chief priests, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. He would be killed, but after three days he would come back to life. He told them very clearly what he meant.

Peter took him aside and objected to this. Jesus turned, looked at his disciples, and objected to what Peter said. Jesus said, “Get out of my way, Satan! You aren’t thinking the way God thinks but the way humans think.”

What It Means to Follow Jesus

8:34 Then Jesus called the crowd to himself along with his disciples. He said to them, “Those who want to follow me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me. Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me and for the Good News will save them. What good does it do for people to win the whole world yet lose their lives? Or what should a person give in exchange for life? If people are ashamed of me and what I say in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of those people when he comes with the holy angels in his Father’s glory.”

__________

His Name Is Jesus – The Maranatha! Singers // Jesus Christ is my Lord

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

For The Human Family

+ O God, you made us in your own image, and you have redeemed us through your Son Jesus Christ: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord hear our prayers for the Church and the world:

- We pray for the peace of the whole world;
- and for the well-being and unity of the people of God.
- 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;
- and for all those supporting them.
- We pray for our nation, and for those in positions of authority;
- and for a spirit of repentance and revival throughout the land.
- We pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
- and for the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
- We pray for all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity;
- and especially for those in the Middle East.
- We pray for all those who have departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection;
- and for those who mourn their loss.

+ All this we pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen

To Please God Rather Than Men

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

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.

After Pentecost | Sunday 08 Sep 2024: Isaiah 35:4-7a; Psalm 146; James 2:1-10, 14-17; Mark 7:24-37 ~ Jesus does amazing things.

After Pentecost | Sunday 08 Sep 2024

+ In the name the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

O Lord God, grant your people grace
to withstand the temptations of
the world, the flesh, and the devil,
and with pure hearts and minds to follow you,
the only God;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Jesus completely amazed the people.
(Mark 7:37a)

__________

“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” – [The New Irish Choir and Orchestra.] // Chet Valley Churches

__________

OT Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7a (GW)

35:4 Tell those who are terrified,
“Be brave; don’t be afraid.
Your God will come with vengeance, with divine revenge.
He will come and rescue you.”

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf will be unplugged.
Then those who are lame will leap like deer,
and those who cannot speak will shout for joy.
Water will gush out into the desert,
and streams will gush out into the wilderness.
Then the hot sand will become a pool,
and dry ground will have springs.

__________

From the Psalms: Psalm 146 / Praise the Lord, My Soul! (Or Alleluia) – Francesca LaRosa

__________

NT Reading: James 2:1-10, 14-17 (GW)

Don’t Favor Rich People over Poor People

2:1 My brothers and sisters, practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by not favoring one person over another. For example, two men come to your worship service. One man is wearing gold rings and fine clothes; the other man, who is poor, is wearing shabby clothes. Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, “Please have a seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor at my feet.” Aren’t you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Didn’t God choose poor people in the world to become rich in faith and to receive the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? Yet, you show no respect to poor people. Don’t rich people oppress you and drag you into court? Don’t they curse the good name ⌞of Jesus⌟, the name that was used to bless you?

You are doing right if you obey this law from the highest authority: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” If you favor one person over another, you’re sinning, and this law convicts you of being disobedient. If someone obeys all of God’s laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them….

We Show Our Faith by What We Do

2:14 My brothers and sisters, what good does it do if someone claims to have faith but doesn’t do any good things? Can this kind of faith save him? Suppose a believer, whether a man or a woman, needs clothes or food and one of you tells that person, “God be with you! Stay warm, and make sure you eat enough.” If you don’t provide for that person’s physical needs, what good does it do? In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it doesn’t cause you to do any good things.

__________

Faith without works is dead // Andrea Ungson

__________

Gospel Reading: Mark 7:24-37 (GW)

The Faith of a Greek Woman

7:24 Jesus left that place and went to the territory of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know that he was staying in a house there. However, it couldn’t be kept a secret.

A woman whose little daughter had an evil spirit heard about Jesus. She went to him and bowed down. The woman happened to be Greek, born in Phoenicia in Syria. She asked him to force the demon out of her daughter.

Jesus said to her, “First, let the children eat all they want. It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

She answered him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat some of the children’s scraps.”

Jesus said to her, “Because you have said this, go! The demon has left your daughter.”

The woman went home and found the little child lying on her bed, and the demon was gone.

Jesus Cures a Deaf Man

7:31 Jesus then left the neighborhood of Tyre. He went through Sidon and the territory of the Ten Cities to the Sea of Galilee.

Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and who also had a speech defect. They begged Jesus to lay his hand on him. Jesus took him away from the crowd to be alone with him. He put his fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, he touched the man’s tongue. Then he looked up to heaven, sighed, and said to the man, “Ephphatha!” which means, “Be opened!” At once the man could hear and talk normally.

Jesus ordered the people not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them, the more they spread the news. Jesus completely amazed the people. They said, “He has done everything well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute talk.”

__________

I Stand Amazed | Celtic Worship ft. Steph Macleod

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how He could love me A sinner, condemned, unclean

How marvellous, how wonderful And my song shall ever be
How marvellous, how wonderful Is my Saviour’s love for me

For me it was in the garden
He prayed, not my will, but Thine
He had no tears for His own griefs But sweat drops of blood for mine

He took my sins and my sorrows
He made them His very own
He bore the burden of Calvary And suffered and died alone

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see
‘Twill be my joy through the ages To sing of His love for me

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

Collect for Purity

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.

Lord hear our prayers for the Church and the world:

- We pray for the peace of the whole world;
- and for the well-being and unity of the people of God.
- 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;
- and for all those supporting them.
- We pray for our nation, and for those in positions of authority;
- and for a spirit of repentance and revival throughout the land.
- We pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
- and for the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
- We pray for all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity;
- and especially for those in the Middle East.
- We pray for all those who have departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection;
- and for those who mourn their loss.

+ All this we pray in Jesus’ Name, 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

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.

After Pentecost | Sunday 01 Sep 2024: Deut 4:1-2,6-9; Ps 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 ~ Honor God with a clean heart.

After Pentecost | Sunday 01 Sep 2024

+ In the name the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

O Lord, we pray that your grace
may always precede and follow after us,
that we may continually be given to good works;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.”
(Mark 7:6)

__________

I Sing the Mighty Power of God | Bethel Church

__________

OT Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-9 (GW)

Moses Reminds Israel to Be Loyal to the Lord

4:1 Israel, listen to the laws and rules I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you will live and be able to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord God of your ancestors is giving you. Never add anything to what I command you, or take anything away from it. Then you will be able to obey the commands of the Lord your God that I give you….

4:6 Faithfully obey these laws. This will show the people of the world your wisdom and insight. When they hear about all these laws, they will say, “What wise and insightful people there are in this great nation!”

What great nation ever had their gods as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we pray to him? Or what other great nation has such fair laws and rules as all these teachings I am giving you today?

However, be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you don’t forget the things which you have seen with your own eyes. Don’t let them fade from your memory as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.

_______

From the Psalms: Psalm 15 // Your Holy Hill (Psalm 15) | : My Soul Among Lions (Living Room)

NT Reading: James 1:17-27 (GW)

1:17 Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.

God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us his most important creatures.

Remember this, my dear brothers and sisters: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and should not get angry easily. An angry person doesn’t do what God approves of. So get rid of all immoral behavior and all the wicked things you do. Humbly accept the word that God has placed in you. This word can save you.

Do what God’s word says. Don’t merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves. If someone listens to God’s word but doesn’t do what it says, he is like a person who looks at his face in a mirror, studies his features, goes away, and immediately forgets what he looks like. However, the person who continues to study God’s perfect laws that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed. People like that don’t merely listen and forget; they actually do what God’s laws say.

If a person thinks that he is religious but can’t control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person’s religion is worthless. Pure, unstained religion, according to God our Father, is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer and to remain uncorrupted by this world.

__________

Word of God Speak | MercyMe (Christ In Hymn)

__________

Gospel Reading: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (GW)

Jesus Challenges the Pharisees’ Traditions

7:1 The Pharisees and some experts in Moses’ Teachings who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. They saw that some of his disciples were unclean because they ate without washing their hands.

(The Pharisees, like all other Jewish people, don’t eat unless they have properly washed their hands. They follow the traditions of their ancestors. When they come from the marketplace, they don’t eat unless they have washed first. They have been taught to follow many other rules. For example, they must also wash their cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.)

The Pharisees and the experts in Moses’ Teachings asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples follow the traditions taught by our ancestors? They are unclean because they don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

Jesus told them, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites in Scripture:

‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is pointless,
because their teachings are rules made by humans.’

“You abandon the commandments of God to follow human traditions….”

7:14 Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand! Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean. It’s what comes out of a person that makes him unclean….

7:21 Evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, cursing, arrogance, and foolishness come from within a person. All these evils come from within and make a person unclean.”

__________

Listen To Our Hearts (ft. Steven Curtis Chapman and Geoff Moore) | Casting Crowns – We Are 4 CHRIST

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

Collect for Purity

Prayer of Confession

+ 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.

Prayer of Absolution

+ Almighty God, our heavenly Father: 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.

Lord hear our prayers for the Church and the world:

- We pray for the peace of the whole world;
- and for the well-being and unity of the people of God.
- 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;
- and for all those supporting them.
- We pray for our nation, and for those in positions of authority;
- and for a spirit of repentance and revival throughout the land.
- We pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
- and for the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
- We pray for all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity;
- and especially for those in the Middle East.
- We pray for all those who have departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection;
- and for those who mourn their loss.

+ All this we pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen

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.

After Pentecost | Sunday 25 Aug 2024: Joshua 24:1-2a,14-18; Psalm 16; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69 ~ Jesus’ words give eternal life.

1,After Pentecost | Sunday 25 Aug 2024

+ In the name the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

Let your continual mercy, O Lord,
cleanse and defend your Church; and,
because it cannot continue in safety without your help,
protect and govern it always by your goodness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Lord, to what person could we go?
Your words give eternal life.”
(John 6:68)

__________

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty | NYCYPCD

__________

OT Reading: Joshua 24:1-2, 14-18 (GW)

Joshua Adds an Agreement to the Book of God’s Teachings

24:1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem. He called together Israel’s leaders, chiefs, judges, and officers, and they presented themselves to God.

Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Long ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and served other gods….

24:14 “Fear the Lord, and serve him with integrity and faithfulness. Get rid of the gods your ancestors served on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve only the Lord. But if you don’t want to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Even if you choose the gods your ancestors served on the other side of the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live, my family and I will still serve the Lord.”

The people responded, “It would be unthinkable for us to abandon the Lord to serve other gods. The Lord our God brought us and our ancestors out of slavery in Egypt. He did these spectacular signs right before our eyes. He guarded us wherever we went, especially as we passed through other nations. The Lord forced out all the people ahead of us, including the Amorites who lived in this land. We, too, will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”

_______

From the Psalms: Psalm 16: “Keep Me Safe” | Sons of Korah – Ed Sullivan

__________

NT Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20 (GW)

Put On All the Armor That God Supplies

6:10 Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength. Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil’s strategies. This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground.

So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God’s approval as your breastplate. Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace. In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Also take salvation as your helmet and God’s word as the sword that the Spirit supplies.

Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert. Use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God’s people. Also pray that God will give me the right words to say. Then I will speak boldly when I reveal the mystery of the Good News. Because I have already been doing this as Christ’s representative, I am in prison. So pray that I speak about this Good News as boldly as I have to.

__________

Just As I Am – Ps Fred Evans

__________

Gospel Reading: John 6:56-69 (GW)

6:56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them. The Father who has life sent me, and I live because of the Father. So those who feed on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came from heaven. It is not like the bread your ancestors ate. They eventually died. Those who eat this bread will live forever.”

Jesus said this while he was teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum. When many of Jesus’ disciples heard him, they said, “What he says is hard to accept. Who wants to listen to him anymore?”

Jesus was aware that his disciples were criticizing his message. So Jesus asked them, “Did what I say make you lose faith? What if you see the Son of Man go where he was before? Life is spiritual. Your physical existence doesn’t contribute to that life. The words that I have spoken to you are spiritual. They are life. But some of you don’t believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning those who wouldn’t believe and the one who would betray him. So he added, “That is why I told you that people cannot come to me unless the Father provides the way.”

Jesus’ speech made many of his disciples go back to the lives they had led before they followed Jesus. So Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you want to leave me too?”

Simon Peter answered Jesus, “Lord, to what person could we go? Your words give eternal life. Besides, we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

__________

I Believe In Jesus ~ Chris Tomlin Power Of The Cross ~ Easy Worship Resources

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

Declaration of Faith: The Nicene Creed

I Believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

I Believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

+ Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

+ For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

+ He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

I believe in one holy catholic Church.

+ I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

+ I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen

Lord hear our prayers for the Church and the world:

- We pray for the peace of the whole world;
- and for the well-being and unity of the people of God.
- 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;
- and for all those supporting them.
- We pray for our nation, and for those in positions of authority;
- and for a spirit of repentance and revival throughout the land.
- We pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
- and for the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
- We pray for all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity;
- and especially for those in the Middle East.
- We pray for all those who have departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection;
- and for those who mourn their loss.

+ All this we pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen

O God, you desire that all people be saved and come to knowledge of the truth: Prosper all those who live, preach, and teach the Gospel at home and in distant lands [especially in the Middle East]; protect them in all perils, support them in their loneliness, sustain them in the hour of trial; give them your abundant grace to bear faithful witness; and endue them with burning zeal and love, that they may turn many to righteousness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: