+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Prayer
Lord God, Heavenly Father, you are not far away from me, for in you I live and move and exist and you live in me through your Holy Spirit. Be indeed with me, Lord, send me your Holy Spirit of truth and through him deepen my understanding of the life and teaching of your Son, that I may accept the full truth and live by it consistently. I ask this through Christ my Lord.
Reading: John 16:12-15 (NLT)
“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
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Reflection & Prayer:
Heavenly Father: Thank you for your kindness and gentleness to me; you give me what I need when I need it, but you don’t overwhelm me with more than I can handle at the time. You have been a good Father to me.
Continue the work of transformation in me that Jesus began through his Word and Spirit. The more I learn about you, the more I realize I have so much more to learn – it’s a life-long process as the ages and stages of my life unfold and I encounter challenges and opportunities that I’ve never dealt with before.
Speak to me again today; apply your Word to my life experience; show me what you would have me say and do; and give me the courage and strength to put my faith to work. Through Jesus my Lord – the Way, the Truth, and the Life – who lives with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Good Good Father” – Darlene Zschech and Bethel Music
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 148:13-14 (NLT)
Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven! He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones—the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!
__________
+ 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 Prayer
Lord God, if I really believe in you and in your Son, I cannot be but your witness. Send me your Spirit of strength, that I may give no flimsy excuses for not standing up for you and for not loving my neighbors. Make me only afraid of betraying you and of being afraid to bear witness to you. I ask you this through Christ my Lord.
Reading: John 16:5-11 (NLT)
“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
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Reflection & Prayer:
Lord Jesus:
+ Sometimes I think, “if only I could have experienced your presence physically – to have walked and talked with you in the flesh – then I would be more confident in my faith.” But you tell me just the opposite; by leaving this earth – your death and resurrection – your resurrected presence now lives within me through the Spirit of Truth.
+ Thank you for sending me, and continually filling me, with your Spirit. Attune my heart and mind to hear him and obey him as he applies your teaching to the daily reality of my life.
Holy Spirit:
+ Convict me of my sin of unbelief: show me when I fail or falter because of weak faith, because of fear, because of an insufficient grasp of the enormity of your love for me.
+ Convict me of Jesus’ righteousness in all he said and did, and especially through his death and resurrection. And clothe me in his righteousness by grace through faith.
+ Convict me of the reality that Truth and Justice will ultimately prevail, no matter what it looks like now from my perspective. Fill me with confident hope that all will be made clear when Jesus returns in glory.
Heavenly Father:
+ You are the Sovereign over all of creation. You rule and reign over all of human history, and you have positioned me in this particular time and place to love and serve you, and to bear witness to the life-changing power of Jesus, my Lord.
+ Keep me faithful to you, in season and out of season, that Truth and Justice may prevail now and forever – to the honor and glory of your name.
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“Holy Spirit, Living Breath Of God” – Keith & Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 138:1-2 (NLT)
I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods. I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.
__________
+ 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 Prayer
Lord God, if I really believe in you and in your Son, I cannot be but your witness. Send me your Spirit of strength, that I may give no flimsy excuses for not standing up for you and for loving my neighbors. Make me only afraid of betraying you and of being afraid to bear witness to you. I ask you this through Christ my Lord.
Reading: John 15:26-16:4 (NLT)
“But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.
“I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or me. Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.
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Reflection & Prayer:
Come Spirit of Truth:
+ Remind me of all that Jesus has said and done.
+ Apply these truths to my real life circumstances.
+ Give me the courage and strength to live them out day-by-day.
Come Holy Comforter:
+ Walk with me through the ordinary trials and troubles of life; be my comforter and friend.
+ Stand steadfast within me if and when I face extraordinary challenges and persecution because of my faith.
+ Give me the courage of my convictions that I might not shirk my responsibility to speak the truth in love.
The World’s Most Persecuted Minority: Christians
Lord Jesus:
Truth be told, I have no idea of what it means to truly suffer for my faith. The inconveniences and resistance that I have encountered are as nothing in comparison to the suffering, torture and death of my brothers and sisters in the persecuted church around the world.
Send them your Spirit as Surety of your presence with them in their suffering. Comfort them in their distress, lighten their burdens, strengthen them in faith and endurance, and deliver them from all evil.
Bless them now in the midst of their hardship that they may bless others in whatever circumstances they find themselves that they might truly become a light to the nations to the glory of the Father – who lives with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“You Make Me Brave” – Bethel Music
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 149:1-2 (NLT)
Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
__________
+ 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 Prayer
Faithful God, who loves me in Christ Jesus, send your Spirit of truth to dwell within me, that I may always reject what is false, live by the commands of Christ, and be true to the love you have shown me. Grant this through Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen
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“Spirit of God” – Phil Wickham
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Reading: John 14:15-21 (NLT)
“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. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
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Reflection & Prayer:
Heavenly Father:
You are the point of reference for all that Jesus says or does; in you, I find my meaning and purpose. You made me, loved me, and claimed me as your own, even before I was born. Thank you for receiving me into your presence.
Jesus Messiah, Son of the Living God:
Thank you for interceding for me before the Father. You have promised not to abandon me, not to leave me an orphan; you have promised that you will return for me and take me home – I wait for your return with confident hope.
You are the living One, the conqueror of death; you are in the Father and in me. You love me, as the Father loves me; and you have allowed me to experience your presence and life-changing power.
Holy Spirit:
You unite the Father and the Son; you create an indissoluble union of love, of being. You bring the Father and the Son into my heart and unite me with God’s love. Thank you for living within me.
You are the Spirit of truth; in you there is no deceit or falsehood, only the certain light of Christ. Stay with me as Counselor and Friend, as I wait for the Son’s return. Be my strength, my guide, my joy in this “already, not yet” time between times.
Merciful God:
Thank you for receiving me into your presence; thank you for your gracious help when I need it most. Strengthen me to do the work you have given me to do, to love and serve you as a faithful witness of Christ my Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
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“Come Holy Spirit” – Painted Christ in Norway UL 2014 Youth Camp
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 22 (NLT)
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.
Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.
But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”
Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born.
Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.
O Lord, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid! Save me from the sword; spare my precious life from these dogs. Snatch me from the lion’s jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen.
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people. Praise the Lord, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.
I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. For royal power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations.
Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before him, all who are mortal, whose lives will end as dust. Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done.
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+ 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 Prayer
Lord God; it is good to live in the friendship of your Son Jesus Christ. Remind me again that as his friend I am committed to him and share life with him – for better and for worse, in misunderstanding and contradiction, as well as in joy and intimacy. Help me to rejoice even when treated with indifference or ridicule on account of him, for it means that he is still with me who is my Lord for ever.
Reading: John 15:18-21 (NLT)
“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.”
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Reflection & Prayer: John 15:18-21 (NLT)
vs 18 – “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.
Lord Jesus: You lived and radiated the love of God in a world driven by money, sex, and power. Your very presence precipitated a violent response from the entrenched forces of darkness. You brought real love into the world, and the world responded with hatred. Why should I expect less?
vs 19 – “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.
Lord Jesus: You chose me to live a separated life – in the world, but not of the world. I confess that the distinction has often been blurred for me. But, the older I get, the more I realize – this earth is not my home. Every day I feel more like an alien in a strange land.
vs 20 – “Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.
Lord Jesus: Give me ears to hear and a willing spirit to respond to your leading in my life. Make me a servant after your example that I may love others as you have loved me – regardless of how they respond.
vs 21 – “They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.
Lord Jesus: I confess that I’m afraid to take up my cross and follow you. The principalities and powers of this world killed you in three years after you revealed yourself as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. It’s true that you had the last word as the risen Christ; but I’m afraid of Good Friday.
Remind me again that nothing can separate me from your love and, come what may, you will never leave me or forsake me. Come Holy Spirit and fill my life with your presence and power that I may love and serve my Master to the glory of the Father.
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“Not of this world” – Petra
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 100:5 (NLT)
The Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
The Peanut Gallery 