Sunday: Review morning sermon (evening service @ 5pm)
Monday: John 20:24-31
Tuesday: 1 Samuel 2:1-21
Wednesday: 1 Samuel 2:22-36
Thursday: Exodus 19
Friday: Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Saturday: John 20
Next Sunday: October 3, 2010
Preaching: Pastor Steve Magee
Sermon text: John 20:24-31
Sermon title: “Life in His Name”
Music: Opening – Psalm 147 (Psalter)
Preparation – “Arise, My Soul, Arise” (#305)
Response – “The Head That Once Was Crowned...” (#298)
Closing – “Rejoice, the Lord Is King” (#309)
Confession of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism
OT Reading: Exodus 19
Suggested Bible Study and Prayers
(Passages that we will refer to in next Sunday's worship)
1 Samuel 2
Sovereign God, we praise Your Name in the presence of Your great congregation. There is no one like You. You are full of knowledge, power, and wisdom. In You the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. You give life, and You bring men down to the grave. You bring the rich to poverty, and You allow the destitute to sit with princes. You accomplish a salvation that we could never attain with our limited wisdom and strength. You bring new hope to a home of sin and sadness. Father, we mourn the foolishness and evil within our own families. You must bring us strong help from on high, or we will die in our sins. Grant to us hope and fruitfulness. We trust in You. Have mercy on us. Give us the wisdom to see things rightly, and the courage to bless and to discipline with Your love. What can we do if people will not listen to Your Word? Surely those who will not repent are headed toward trouble. Grant us hope again beyond the grave, and beyond the depth of the sin in our midst. Those who despise You are in great danger, but You will raise up for Yourself faithful priests who will believe in You and will humbly serve You forever.
Exodus 19
Lord God, You are near us. We have a Mediator who is forever in Your presence. You have brought us along on eagles’ wings as a kingdom of priests. We hear Your Law, and commit ourselves to obey Your commandments. Why would we ever sin against You? Forgive us, O Lord. Though we know that our Mediator has accomplished our redemption, it is still very frightening to think that we as sinners might somehow face Your wrath. We are assured that our Rock, Jesus Christ, has faced the fullness of Your justice that we deserved. Surely a mountain of punishment has been broken into nothing through the holy blood of Jesus Christ, who died for us. Your Son has come down to us through the preaching of the truth, and has spoken to us of good news. We believe Him, and believing, we find life in His Name.
John 20
Lord God, we marvel at the empty tomb. We consider the placement of the linen cloths lying there, cloths that once covered the dead body of Your Son. We think of the other cloth that once covered a lifeless face, now folded in a place by itself. We believe. Then we consider the familiar voice of Jesus calling His friend by her own name, the voice of a risen Man who walks in the presence of angels. Yes, we believe. He is risen. He is the firstborn of many brethren. As He is, so shall we be. Though we die, there is no point in anyone clinging to our flesh, for our spirits shall ascend on high, and when the Son of Man calls us out from the grave, we shall rise again, not with mortal flesh, but with immortal bodies. We long for Your coming, O Lord! Your Father is our Father. Your God is our God, and we have peace. Father God, fill Your church with Your Holy Spirit. As You sent Your Son, not to be served, but to serve, send us forward in Your love. Use Your church to declare the forgiveness of sins. Grant us a very secure faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and in our coming resurrection. Though we have not yet seen, we do sincerely believe.
