After Pentecost | Thursday 10 Aug 2023
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Almighty and merciful God,
it is only by your grace that your faithful people
offer you true and laudable service:
Grant that we may run without stumbling
to obtain your heavenly promises;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The [people of Berea] searched the Scriptures
day after day to see if Paul and Silas
were teaching the truth.
(Acts 17:11b)
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From Psalms: Psalm 105 (Give Thanks) – Sean Dayton
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OT Reading: Genesis 35:22b-29 (NLT)
35:22b These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:
The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram.
So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners. Isaac lived for 180 years. Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.
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Almost Home – Matt Papa & Matt Boswell
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NT Reading: Acts 17:10-15 (NLT)
Paul and Silas in Berea
17:10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.
But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.
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Ancient Words (Robin Mark) | Angie Jermyn
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+ Gracious and holy Father, please give me intellect to understand you, reason to discern you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you, a heart to meditate upon you, ears to hear you, eyes to see you, a tongue to proclaim you, a way of life pleasing to you, patience to wait for you, and perseverance to look for you. Grant me a perfect end, your holy presence, a blessed resurrection, and life everlasting. Amen.
+ Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your Holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
Your Word is the light we see,
a guide for our footsteps
to where you are found.
Your Word is the strength we find
when darkness threatens
to overwhelm.
Your Word is the power we need
to become servants
of a Heavenly King.
Your Word is the reason we live
in the sure knowledge
you are everything.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Peanut Gallery 