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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 Psalm 23.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Sermon
John Menear will now preach the sermon titled Who are you Following?
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 Martin Kemp 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!
