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Praising God
Psalm 147:1 says
Praise the Lord! How good is it to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
Our musicians will lead us in our first song of praise
Bible Reading
As we turn to this weeks Bible reading, let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, give us faith to receive your word, understanding to know what it means, and the will to put it into practice, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Bible reading this week is Revelation 2:8-11
Revelation 2:8-11
To the Church in Smyrna
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Sermon
Ben Carpentier will now preach the sermon titled Lessons from the Church in Smyrna.
Confession of Sin
In telling the story of the Lost Son, Jesus describes how the son “came to his senses, saying ‘I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father” (Luke 15:17-20).
We are called to be like this lost Son, returning to God our Father with repentance and faith. Let us confess our sins, praying together
Heavenly Father, You have loved us with an everlasting love, But we have often gone our own way, and rejected your will for our lives. We are sorry for our sins and turn away from them. For the sake of your son who died for us, forgive us, cleanse us, and change us. By your Holy Spirit, enable us to live for you, and to please you in every way, for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen
Jesus tells us of the Father’s response, explaining that “while the son was still a far way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). This is how our Heavenly Father will respond to each of us as we return to him in the same way.
Allow Penny Carpentier to lead you in prayer!
Let’s finish our time of prayer with the Lord’s Prayer together:
Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the Kingdom, the power and glory are yours, now and forever,
Amen
Final Song
Our musicians will lead us again as we close our time together.
Benediction
Hear these words from Numbers 6:24-26.
The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ, Amen!
Thanks for joining us! See you next week!
