For September 30, 2012

Worship Next Sunday

September 30, 2012

Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee

Sermon text: Acts 16:1-5

Sermon title: The Growing Church of Jesus Christ

Music:

Opening Hymn 57 Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul

Preparation Hymn 141 God, in the Gospel of His Son

Response Hymn 165 Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim

Closing Hymn 164 O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

Confession of Faith: Apostles Creed

Old Testament Passage: Genesis 45:4-11, Exodus 1:5-12

Preparation Guide

Sunday: Genesis 41, Acts 15:30-41

Monday: 1 Samuel 16, Acts 16:1-5

Tuesday: 1 Samuel 17

Wednesday: 1 Samuel 18

Thursday: Genesis 42

Friday: Genesis 43

Saturday: Genesis 44, Acts 16

Suggested Bible Study and Prayers

(Passages that we will refer to in next Sunday's worship)

Genesis 45

Great Lover of our souls, You have sought us and have redeemed us. Your commitment to us is full and heart-warming. We know that though evil men have plans of wickedness against You and Your church, yet Your plans are above all other plans, and You are for us and not against us. The days ahead of us are difficult for us to know, but our times are in Your hands. You will certainly care for us in the day of trouble. We receive Your embrace today as an expression of Your full commitment toward Your people. Not only are Your intentions marvelous, You have all power and authority in order to work Your holy will. You care for us, both in body and soul. You give us food and clothing for our bodies, and the greatest provision for our spirits, feeding us regularly with Your Word and clothing us with the righteousness of Christ. It is enough for us to know that Your Son is alive and that we will see Him face to face.

Exodus 1

Glorious Redeemer, You rescued Israel out of Egypt. You gave them great fruitfulness even in the land of their captivity. Blessed be Your Name. You hear the cry of Your servants who pray to You in a time of bitter need. You know our poverty and trouble, and You care for us. The world may hate us, and exercise murderous plots against Your church. Yet You raise up men and women that fear You, and foil the plots of the wicked. Save us in our time of need today, O God. There is an enemy who seeks whom he may devour, but You are mighty, and will deliver us from all evil.

Acts 16

Our Father, we thank You for the progress of Your church throughout the centuries. You have been pleased to bring spiritual growth through challenging providences. Thank You for Your wisdom and Your mercy. Strengthen us by faith. Help us to hear the call of those who have been granted a true thirst for the Word. Open the hearts of Your elect to not only believe but also to willingly suffer for the Name of Christ. Release many from distraction and oppression so that Your people can serve You with the freedom that comes through faith in Your Son. Thank You for the way that You work through Your suffering church to give a true testimony to the hope that we have in Christ. We believe in You and we believe in Your glorious Son. We have been saved by the blood of the Lamb, and we rejoice in the blessings that have come to us by grace. Teach us to make good use of our sufferings, knowing that even these are a gift from Your powerful hand. 

For September 23, 2012

Worship Next Sunday

September 23, 2012

Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee

Sermon text: Acts 15:30-41

Sermon title: Strengthening the Churches

Music:

Opening Hymn 76 Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven

Preparation Hymn 376 Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty

Response Hymn 358 For All the Saints

Closing Hymn 345 Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken

Confession of Faith: Apostles Creed

Old Testament Passage: Genesis 37:11, 37:20, 39:1, 40:23, 41:1, 41:53-57

Preparation Guide

Sunday: Genesis 37, Acts 15:19-29

Monday: 1 Samuel 13, Acts 15:30-51

Tuesday: 1 Samuel 14

Wednesday: 1 Samuel 15

Thursday: Genesis 38

Friday: Genesis 39

Saturday: Genesis 40, Acts 15

Suggested Bible Study and Prayers

(Passages that we will refer to in next Sunday's worship)

Genesis 41

Father of Mercy, we are impatient in suffering. Please forgive us. We could so easily believe that You have forgotten us, but this is a lie. You kept Joseph in prison for at least two years after he should have been helped by the cupbearer of Pharaoh. At just the right time, Jacob’s son was brought from that prison-house in order to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Your ways are right. Your servants know that You give the interpretation of Your Word to Your prophets. All glory to You, O God. Who but You would have the wisdom and power to bring life and health out of the miseries of Joseph? Who could have known that You were working abundant salvation through the death of Your holy Servant Jesus? Bring us through times of famine and testing in the current age, and lead us into the age to come where we will have blessings beyond anything we have ever experienced or known. Fill us now with Your Holy Spirit, that we might rightly serve you in this day when we are strangers in a strange land. Though we may have the respect of men and great wealth and honor, we know that we are not yet home. We long for the resurrection, O Lord. Help us to be competent and useful now until the trumpet blows, and the dead in Christ are raised. Help us in our day of hardship, that we might be fruitful in the land of our affliction. May we have bread to share with the hungry, and storehouses full of grain when the severity of trouble comes upon Your people. In all our service, we will remember You, O Lord, for You give us our daily bread.

Acts 15

Great God, there was much dissension in the early church, and there are important disagreements in the church today. Help us to distinguish between those matters where love must cover a multitude of sins, and those matters that must be more fully discussed for Your good purposes. Give us the courage and discipline to call together eminent and godly servants of the truth in order to gain greater clarity by Your Word and Spirit. Make their deliberations a productive and worthwhile use of Your resources. Thank You for the wonderful truth that was displayed so powerfully in Your church in days of old when the age changed from the time of the Law to the new day of the gospel. Thank you for the way of life by grace through the faith that remained the same in both ages. Yet thank You once again for the clarity that the ceremonies of the Law have been fulfilled in Christ. It is now clear that we do not need to be Jewish before we can be Christians. The way of life for us in not through circumcision, Passover, and the regulations of clean and unclean. Nonetheless, we thank You for the record of these matters in the Law, for they show us the wonders of Christ. He has become our circumcision through His death on the cross. Through Him alone we have been rescued from sure destruction, for He is our Passover. By His blood sprinkled upon our hearts we have been cleansed by the Holy Spirit from the guilt and stain of sin.

For September 16, 2012

Worship Next Sunday

September 16, 2012

Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee

Sermon text: Acts 15:19-29

Sermon title: The Word, the Holy Spirit, the Councils of the Church, and Love

Music:

Opening hymn 12 Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim

Preparation hymn 38 Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Response hymn 128 God Moves in a Mysterious Way

Closing hymn 353 I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord

Confession of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism

Old Testament Passage: Leviticus 19:17-18

Preparation Guide

Sunday: Review morning sermon (evening service @ 5pm)

Monday: Acts 15:19-29

Tuesday: 2 Kings 25:1-12

Wednesday: 2 Kings 25:13-30

Thursday: Leviticus 19:17-18

Friday: Exodus 20:17

Saturday: Acts 15

Suggested Bible Study and Prayers

(Passages that we will refer to in next Sunday's worship)

2 Kings 25

Father, we love You and cling to You. We have no one left but You. Our pride and our joy have been taken away. Yet through it all, You are God. We will trust You. You have the words of life. The cross is still the only atoning sacrifice for sin. The resurrection is still our only hope. Our words flee from us. What can we say in the depths of our grief? Where is Your glory, O God? Will we provoke You to wrath even now? How can there be more wrath when our sins have been atoned for? Surely our hope in Christ is still secure, and we will eat at Your table in glory forever.

Leviticus 19

Father God, we must be holy, for You are holy. Help us to turn away from all idolatry, and to love and serve You as a matter of first importance. Grant to us such an overflowing love for You that we will love our neighbors with generous hearts. Help us to love the weak and even our adversaries. Guard our hearts and our tongues. We should be honest in our communications and kind to others. Grant that we would be pure in all of our dealings with others. Help us to look to Christ moment by moment for the strength that we need to live disciplined and godly lives. Protect our families from a world full of depravity. We will turn away from all false religion and oppression. We will also pursue justice and truth in all our commerce with one another. Forgive our many sins through the mercy and love of Christ.

Acts 15

Great God, there was much dissension in the early church, and there are important disagreements in the church today. Help us to distinguish between those matters where love must cover a multitude of sins, and those matters that must be more fully discussed for Your good purposes. Give us the courage and discipline to call together eminent and godly servants of the truth in order to gain greater clarity by Your Word and Spirit. Make their deliberations a productive and worthwhile use of Your resources. Thank You for the wonderful truth that was displayed so powerfully in Your church in days of old when the age changed from the time of the Law to the new day of the gospel. Thank you for the way of life by grace through the faith that remained the same in both ages. Yet thank You once again for the clarity that the ceremonies of the Law have been fulfilled in Christ. It is now clear that we do not need to be Jewish before we can be Christians. The way of life for us in not through circumcision, Passover, and the regulations of clean and unclean. Nonetheless, we thank You for the record of these matters in the Law, for they show us the wonders of Christ. He has become our circumcision through His death on the cross. Through Him alone we have been rescued from sure destruction, for He is our Passover. By His blood sprinkled upon our hearts we have been cleansed by the Holy Spirit from the guilt and stain of sin. 

For September 9, 2012

Worship Next Sunday

September 9, 2012

Preaching: Pastor Steve Magee

Sermon text: Acts 15:12-18

Sermon title: "I Will Rebuild the Tent of David"

Music:

Opening hymn 1 All People That on Earth Do Dwell

Preparation hymn 75 O Father, You Are Sovereign

Response hymn 44 How Great Thou Art

Closing hymn 521 My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

Confession of Faith: The Nicene Creed

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 84

Preparation Guide

Sunday: Review morning sermon (evening service @ 5pm)

Monday: Acts 15:12-18

Tuesday: 2 Kings 24:1-9

Wednesday: 2 Kings 24:10-20

Thursday: Psalm 84

Friday: Exodus 20:16

Saturday: Acts 15

Suggested Bible Study and Prayers

(Passages that we will refer to in next Sunday's worship)

2 Kings 24

God in heaven, what can we do when good gifts are taken away from us? The godly way of a father may only be a memory. Sons and grandsons have lost all sense of Your truth. They are taken captive by enemies that are too strong for them. How will we find hope again? Surely You will send Your Son for us. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Psalm 84

Our Father, we long to be with You. We rejoice in the opportunity to be together in worship even in this age, but we especially look forward to the age to come. We long for a day in Your courts above. Help us, O Lord. You have blessed us, and we trust in You.

Acts 15

Great God, there was much dissension in the early church, and there are important disagreements in the church today. Help us to distinguish between those matters where love must cover a multitude of sins, and those matters that must be more fully discussed for Your good purposes. Give us the courage and discipline to call together eminent and godly servants of the truth in order to gain greater clarity by Your Word and Spirit. Make their deliberations a productive and worthwhile use of Your resources. Thank You for the wonderful truth that was displayed so powerfully in Your church in days of old when the age changed from the time of the Law to the new day of the gospel. Thank you for the way of life by grace through the faith that remained the same in both ages. Yet thank You once again for the clarity that the ceremonies of the Law have been fulfilled in Christ. It is now clear that we do not need to be Jewish before we can be Christians. The way of life for us in not through circumcision, Passover, and the regulations of clean and unclean. Nonetheless, we thank You for the record of these matters in the Law, for they show us the wonders of Christ. He has become our circumcision through His death on the cross. Through Him alone we have been rescued from sure destruction, for He is our Passover. By His blood sprinkled upon our hearts we have been cleansed by the Holy Spirit from the guilt and stain of sin.