August 9, 2020
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place,
I can feel His mighty power and his grace.
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings, I see glory on each face.
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
I can feel His mighty power and his grace.
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings, I see glory on each face.
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
This is a call to worship. What does it mean to worship? To worship means simply taking the time to recognize and acknowledge God for who He is. It is He who is over us and over all creation. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is our own Lord and our own Authority.
We gather to worship today. We understand that despite all the voices today who claim to be able determine what will happen in this world, it is God who is sovereign over all. This we recognize, and it is because of this that we wish to be under the leadership of God. We bow our hearts before Him today.
Invocation Prayer
Sovereign Lord, there are many factors that seem to control events of the world, and even many factors that seem to control our own lives. We know that these things may have some temporary influence on what happens to us, but in the long view, they are relatively unimportant.
We understand and believe that all things are under your control and that you will bring all things to the conclusion and the purpose that you intend. What is ultimately important to us is the love that you have for us. It is your love that will give us confidence as we face a future that in this world is unknown to us.
Selected Reading – 1 John 4:7-14
Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not
that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning
sacrificed for our sins.
Beloved, if God so
loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if
we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us. By
this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His
Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the
Savior of the world.
Prayer
of Confession
Heavenly
Father, so much is determined in the world by using only the standards and
judgments of the world and without regard to your perspectives.
Today
we are taking time and making the effort to learn of your perspective. In our
hearts, we know that all present difficulties will pass, and only what you
intend to endure will remain. Help us to see what you intend to teach us today.
Amen
Words
of Assurance
We all are on a path
that leads us to growth of faith in God. We may not be walking exactly the same
path, since God leads each of us in different ways. However, although the paths
may differ in design, they all have exactly the same in direction and
objective. Each of us who are led by Jesus Christ will come to know God. Jesus
told us that “No one comes to the Father but by me.”
Understand this
about your life today, and God will give you direction for each step. Do not
stray from where Jesus is leading you. Listen for His leading in every moment
of your lives.
The
Lord’s Prayer
Song
of Faith – #9 – I Love You Lord
Teach me Your way, O
LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may
fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will
glorify Your name forever. For great is Your loving devotion to me.
NT –
1 John 4:15-21
If anyone confesses
that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have
come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever
abides in love abides in God, and God in him. In this way, love has been
perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for
in this world we are just like Him.
There is no fear in
love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The
one who fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us.
If anyone says, “I
love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love
his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And we
have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as
well.
Responsorial
Reading : Selections from Zephaniah 3
I
will restore pure lips to the peoples, that all may call upon the name of the
LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
On that day you will not be put to shame for any of the deeds by
which you have transgressed against Me.
For
then I will remove from among you those who rejoice in their pride.
But I will leave within you a meek and humble people, and they
will trust in the name of the LORD.
The
LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save.
He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with
His love
He
will rejoice over you with singing.
Song
of Unity #8 – I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever
Offering
A basket has
been placed on the table at the entrance of the church. Thank you for placing
your offering in the basket as you leave. God bless you!
Prayer
of Intercession
Dear
Lord, as your little congregation meeting in this small building made of logs,
we come to you as our only hope. Although we understand that you may use many
methods to answer our prayers, our faith lies not in the methods, but only in
you.
We place ourselves and the difficulties we experience into your
hands.
As
your body of believers, we also support one another. Your word tells us that
when one member suffers, we all suffer. When one member rejoices, we all
rejoice.
We pray for those among us who are suffering at this moment.
While we may or may not be aware of what others are going through, you know. We
ask you to give comfort where needed and give healing.
We pray also for the people of our community who have no hope
and are without Christ in this hostile world. Lead them to the truth, and help
them to see that life itself is futile without You.
We
pray for the children and workers of the Log Church orphanage in Kenya. Please
provide for them and sustain them. We also pray for the church there, and ask
that you provide the means for them to pay for the sheets of tin for the roof
of their building.
Thank you for your gracious answer to all of our prayers.
Thank
you Father, for listening to the voices of all of your servants. Amen
Closing
Song #28
– Highly Exalted
Benediction
and prayer
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