Easter Season | Thursday 04 May 2023: Psalm 31:1-5, 5-16; Genesis 12:1-3; Acts 6:8-15 ~ To Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you”

Easter Season | Thursday 04 May 2023

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

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.

 “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.”
(Genesis 12:3)

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From Psalm 31:1-5, 5-16 – Psalm – Refuge || Be Still – Jason Silver Sings Scripture

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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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The Blessing / HA BRACHA LIVE at the Garden Tomb, Jerusalem || Joshua Aaron

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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.

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.

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.”

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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God Is Our Refuge and Strength ~ Brooklyn Tabernacle

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Benedict of Nursia

+ 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.

+ O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, into your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Give us grace, O Lord,
not only to hear your Word with our ears,
but also to receive it into our hearts
and to show it forth in our lives;
for the glory of your great name.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Easter Season | Wednesday 03 May 2023: Psalm 100; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Matthew 20:17-28 ~ shepherds must serve their flocks

Easter Season | Wednesday 03 May 2023

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

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.

Whoever wants to be a leader among you
must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first among you
must become your slave.
(Matthew 20:26b-27)

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From Psalm 100 – (Enter In) feat Joshua Sherman, Charity Gayle, Steven Musso

The Psalms

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OT Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-8 (NLT)

The Righteous Descendant

23:1 “What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.

Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: “Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their own sheepfold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number. Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord, have spoken!

“For the time is coming,”
says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
And this will be his name:
‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved,
and Israel will live in safety.

“In that day,” says the Lord, “when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”

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As We Seek Your Face / Jesus Draw Me Close || Maranatha! Promise Band
TheCatLadyJ

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NT Reading: Matthew 20:17-28 (NLT)

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

Jesus Teaches about Serving Others

20:20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

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.”

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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Make Me A Servant || The Maranatha! Singers

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who cares for his flock: We ask you to bestow upon your Church the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance, and to raise up from among us faithful and able persons called to care for your people. Inspire them to spend and be spent for the sake of the Gospel, and make them holy and loving servants and shepherds of the flock for  whom you shed your most precious blood. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.

+ O Lord our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served, but to serve: We ask you to bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; endue  them with wisdom, patience, and courage, that they may strengthen the weak and raise up those who fall, and, being inspired by your love, may worthily minister to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the sake of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

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.

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Almighty and ever-living God,
give us new strength
from the courage of Christ our shepherd,
and lead us to join the saints in heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Easter Season | Tuesday 02 May 2023: Psalm 100; Ezekiel 34:23-31; Hebrews 13:20-21 ~ shepherds must protect their flocks

Easter Season | Tuesday 02 May 2023

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

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.

“I will make a covenant of peace with my people
and drive away the dangerous animals from the land.
Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places
and sleep in the woods without fear.”
(Ezekiel 34:25)

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From Psalm 100 || Philippine Madrigal Singers

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OT Reading: Ezekiel 34:23-31 (NLT)

34:23 And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!

The Lord’s Covenant of Peace

34:25 “I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the Lord. They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will frighten them.

“And I will make their land famous for its crops, so my people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations. In this way, they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign Lord. You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

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You Will Be Our GodNorth Central University Worship Live

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NT Reading: Hebrews 13:20-21 (NLT)

13:20 Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
may he equip you with all you need
for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

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May the Peace of God (Benediction Hymn)
Nates Puruganan

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who cares for his flock: We ask you to bestow upon your Church the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance, and to raise up from among us faithful and able persons called to care for your people. Inspire them to spend and be spent for the sake of the Gospel, and make them holy and loving servants and  shepherds of the flock for whom you shed your most precious blood. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.

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.

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Almighty and ever-living God,
give us new strength
from the courage of Christ our shepherd,
and lead us to join the saints in heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Easter Season | Monday 01 May 2023: Psalm 100; Ezekiel 34:17-23; 1 Peter 5:1-5 ~ shepherds must lead by example

Easter Season | Monday 01 May 2023

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

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.

“Don’t lord it over
the people assigned to your care,
but lead them by your own good example.”
(1 Peter 5:3)

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From Psalm 100 Shout For JoyNorth Central University Worship Live

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OT Reading: Ezekiel 34:17-23 (NLT)

34:17 “And as for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to his people: I will judge between one animal of the flock and another, separating the sheep from the goats. Isn’t it enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Isn’t it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Why must my flock eat what you have trampled down and drink water you have fouled?

“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep. For you fat sheep pushed and butted and crowded my sick and hungry flock until you scattered them to distant lands. So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused. I will judge between one animal of the flock and another. And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them.

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Christ Is EnoughHillsong Live (2013 Album)
ILoveJesus227

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NT Reading: 1 Peter 5:1-5 (NLT)

Advice for Elders and Young Men

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.

In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

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Let Them See Christ in Me ~ Faith In God

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ O God, the light of the minds that know you, the life of the souls that love you, and the strength of the wills that serve you: Help us so to know you that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may fully serve you, whom to serve is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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.

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Almighty and ever-living God,
give us new strength
from the courage of Christ our shepherd,
and lead us to join the saints in heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Easter Season | Fourth Sunday – 30 Apr 2023: Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10 ~ Jesus: The Good Shepherd

Easter Season | Fourth Sunday – 30 Apr 2023

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

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.

Yes, I am the gate.
Those who come in through me
will be saved.
(John 10:9)

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King Of Love || (I AM THEY)
Musikanna

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From Acts of the Apostles: Acts 2:42-47 (NLT)

The Believers Form a Community

2:42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

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From Psalms: Psalm 23 The Lord’s My ShepherdJoanne Hogg
The Flute Fellow

From the Epistles: 1 Peter 2:19-25 (NLT)

2:19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

He never sinned,
nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds
you are healed.
Once you were like sheep
who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
the Guardian of your souls.

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Guardian of My Soul (Darren Shaw, arr. Karl Westwood)
GNY Music And Creative Arts

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Gospel Reading: John 10:1-10 (NLT)

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10:1 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

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Abundant Life || Christ Our Life

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ 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.

Benedict of Nursia

+ 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.

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Almighty and ever-living God,
give us new strength
from the courage of Christ our shepherd,
and lead us to join the saints in heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.