Easter | Thursday 30 Apr 2026
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening prayer:
O God, whose Son Jesus Christ
is the Good Shepherd of your people:
Grant that, when we hear his voice,
we may know him who calls us each by name,
and follow where he leads;
who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“All the families on earth
will be blessed through you.“
(Genesis 12:3)
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Psalms: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 – “The Book of Psalms” from Matt Lemmler “Psalm Sundays”
31:1 O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
don’t let me be disgraced.
Save me, for you do what is right.
+ Turn your ear to listen to me;
rescue me quickly.
Be my rock of protection,
a fortress where I will be safe.
+ You are my rock and my fortress.
For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger.
+ Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,
for I find protection in you alone.
+ I entrust my spirit into your hand.
Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.
31:15 My future is in your hands.
Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
+ Let your favor shine on your servant.
In your unfailing love, rescue me.
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OT Reading: Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT)
The Call of Abram
12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
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הברכה (ברכת כהנים) הילה בן דוד | Ha Bracha (The Blessing in HEBREW + Subtitles) Hila Ben David
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NT Reading: Acts 6:8-15 (NLT)
Stephen Is Arrested
6:8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
6:11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.
6:13 The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
6:15 At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.
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Rescue – Bethel Music – Lauren Daigle | Peace, Vol II
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O God, almighty and merciful, you heal the broken-hearted, and turn the sadness of the sorrowful to joy, Let your fatherly goodness be upon all whom you have made.
+ Remember in pity all those who are this day destitute, homeless, elderly, infirm, or forgotten. Bless the multitude of your poor. Lift up those who are cast down. Mightily befriend innocent sufferers, and sanctify to them the endurance of their wrongs.
+ Cheer with hope all who are discouraged and downcast, and by your heavenly grace preserve from falling those whose poverty tempts them to sin. Though they be troubled on every side, suffer them not to be distressed; though they are perplexed, save them from despair.
+ Grant this, O Lord, for the love of him who for our sakes became poor, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
O God, our heavenly Father, you manifested your love by sending your only-begotten Son into the world, that all might live through him: Pour out your Spirit on your Church, that we may fulfill his command to preach the Gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
May the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
5:1 And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.
+ So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
The Peanut Gallery 