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NCCKids Daily Devotionals | September 21-25

September 21:

Don’t do anything only to get ahead. Don’t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. None of you should look out just for your own good. Each of you should also look out for the good of others.  Philippians 2:3-4 (NIRV)

Discussion prompt for younger children:

Have you ever walked up to a buffet and seen lots of pieces of cake laid out in a big row?  Did you look for the littlest piece or the biggest piece of cake? Which piece of cake do you think most people look for: the biggest or the littlest?

Our Scripture verse for today says that we shouldn’t just look for what will be best for us.  We should also look out for those around us.  Humility is a big word for knowing that other people have the same value and deserve just as much as you.   

That doesn’t mean that you should never get the biggest piece of cake (I hope you get the biggest on your birthday!) but it does mean that you shouldn’t always think you deserve the biggest piece.   

Today, find a way to give the best or the biggest to someone else.  You could open the door for someone.  Give your brother or sister the first turn.  You could play a game you don’t really like but your mom enjoys.  

 Let’s pray and ask God to give us the strength to serve someone today.

Discussion prompt for older children and teens:

Today we have two drawings to look at before we discuss our scripture verse:

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What is the difference between the first drawing and the second?

How do the drawings relate to our scripture passage for today?  (You may need to read the passage again.)  

When has there been a time in your life when you needed someone else to feed you with their spoon (when have you needed help from others)?

Let’s pray and ask God to help us to be humble and look out for the needs of others!

(Drawings are by Stuart McMillen)

September 22: 

Nebuchadnezzar was very angry. He sent for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  The king said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is what I heard about you true? Don’t you serve my gods? Don’t you worship the gold statue I set up?  You will hear the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, pipes and other musical instruments. When you do, fall down and worship the statue I made. If you will, that’s very good. But if you won’t, you will be thrown at once into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to save you from my power?”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him. They said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to talk about this anymore.  We might be thrown into the blazing furnace. But the God we serve is able to bring us out of it alive. He will save us from your power.  But we want you to know this, Your Majesty. Even if we knew that our God wouldn’t save us, we still wouldn’t serve your gods. We wouldn’t worship the gold statue you set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was very angry with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The look on his face changed. And he ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.  He also gave some of the strongest soldiers in his army a command. He ordered them to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Then he told his men to throw them into the blazing furnace.  So they were tied up. Then they were thrown into the furnace. They were wearing their robes, pants, turbans and other clothes.  The king’s command was carried out quickly… the three men were firmly tied up. And they fell into the blazing furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet. He was so amazed he asked his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men? Didn’t we throw three men into the fire?”
They replied, “Yes, we did, Your Majesty.”

The king said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire. They aren’t tied up. And the fire hasn’t even harmed them. The fourth man looks like a son of the gods.”

Then the king approached the opening of the blazing furnace. He shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, come out! You who serve the Most High God, come here!”

So they came out of the fire.  The royal rulers, high officials, governors and advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire hadn’t harmed their bodies. Not one hair on their heads was burned. Their robes weren’t burned either. And they didn’t even smell like smoke.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “May the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be praised! He has sent his angel and saved his servants. They trusted in him. They refused to obey my command. They were willing to give up their lives. They would rather die than serve or worship any god except their own God.  No other god can save people this way.  (Daniel 3:13-29 NIRV)

Discussion Prompt for all ages:

Do you think it was easy for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey God instead of King Nebuchadnezzar?

How do you think Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the courage to obey God?

How did Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego’s obedience to God change Nebuchadnezzar?

Additional Prompt for older children and teens:

Can you think of a time when following God caused you to do things differently than the people around you?

Let’s pray and ask God to give us the courage to do what’s right in His eyes today.  

September 23:

God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us.  Ephesians 3:20 (NIRV)

Discussion Prompt for all ages:

Close your eyes for a minute and try to imagine the things I’m about to read:

(Parents, take your time reading these.)

 Imagine what it would have been like:

  • to see Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego come out of the furnace alive

  • to see Jesus walk on water

  • to be healed by Jesus

  • to spend the night with Daniel and the lions in the den

  • to see David defeat Goliath

  • to see God speak from a burning bush

What’s something you would like to imagine God doing?  

Ephesians 3:20 says God is able to do more than what we can ever imagine!  If you can think it, God is even more powerful than that!  

 Let’s pray and thank God for his incredible power!

September 24:

Samuel served the Lord under the direction of Eli. One night Eli was lying down in his usual place. His eyes were becoming so weak he couldn’t see very well. Samuel was lying down in the Lord’s house. That’s where the ark of God was kept. The lamp of God was still burning. 

The Lord called out to Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”  He ran over to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called out to me.”

But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

Again the Lord called out, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, “Here I am. You called out to me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.”  

The Lord called out for the third time. He said, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, “Here I am. You called out to me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If someone calls out to you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I’m listening.’ ” 

So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there. He called out, just as he had done the other times. He said, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel replied, “Speak. I’m listening.” 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (NIRV) (some sections omitted)

Discussion Prompt for all ages:

Samuel was a child when God chose to speak to him and deliver a special message.  You are never too young for God to talk to you!  

Sometimes God speaks to us out loud, like he did to Samuel.  Can you think of other ways God speaks to people?  (Some possible answers: through other people, through the Bible, through the still small voice in our hearts, etc.)

God spoke to Samuel in the middle of the night when he was still and quiet.  While that’s not always the case, it’s a good idea for us to set aside time in each day to be quiet and listen for God.  Silence and stillness is difficult for most people.  What amount of time do you think you could spend being quiet, still, and listening for God?  (Parents, you know your child’s age and propensity for stillness.  Help them identify a realistic, achievable goal.)

Let’s all try to hit our ‘stillness’ goal for the day!  

(End in prayer, asking God for the grace to be able to sit still in His presence.)

September 25:

(Parents, we’re going to change things up a bit today!  To keep things fresh and your children from becoming bored with the status quo, we’re going to put them in charge today.  If you’re a type A personality please don’t stress over this.  Let it go where it goes.  It’ll be fun and remember: “Lots are cast but everything they decide comes from the Lord.’ :)

KIDS CHOOSE DEVOTION!  

Discussion Prompt:

It’s Friday, which is a great day for changing things up and celebrating a week of hard work!  Today, the kids get to pick what the devotional is about!  

You can pick your favorite Bible story for me to read, or a topic you want us to find in the Bible, like: love, wisdom, hope, God’s goodness, etc.  (If there are multiple children you may want to keep your scripture selection short so that each can get a turn to choose.)

(Parents, you can go to https://www.biblegateway.com/ and type into the search bar anything your kiddo suggests.  The website will bring up applicable Bible passages.)

Let’s pray and thank God that every word of His Bible is good and that we can learn from it all!

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Gathering Liturgy | September 20

Call to Worship

Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. (From Psalm 139)

Song | You Reign

Prayer of Confession

Lord God, we have sinned against you; we have done evil in your sight. We are sorry and repent. Have mercy on us according to your love. Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin. Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (cf Psalm 51)

May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Psalm 28:7)

I prayed, “God, you’re my God! Listen, God! Mercy! God, my Lord, Strong Savior, I know that you, God, are on the side of victims, that you care for the rights of the poor. And I know that the righteous personally thank you, that good people are secure in your presence. (from Psalm 140 The Message)

Song | Come Thou Fount

Prayer of Assurance

I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth; On the day I called, You answered me; you made me bold with strength in my soul. For great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, Your right hand will save me. (From Psalm 138 NASB)

Song | Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

Scripture Reading | Genesis 2:15

The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!

Sermon Notes

A snapshot of work:

  • 82% work 40+ hours each week.

  • The average person will spend 90,000 hours or 13 years and 2 months at work.

  • 80% of employees suffer from work-related stress.

  • 79% of employees say they are burned out.

  • 53% of Americans are unhappy in their jobs.

  • 52% of people admit to being disengaged in their work.

  •  69% of people say that they would work harder if they were appreciated.

  • Sexism: women with the same positions and same qualifications make 21% less per year than men.

  • Racism: women of color make 26% less than their male counterparts.

  • Americans forfeited nearly 50% of their paid vacation in 2017.

  • Almost 10% of workers took no vacation at all.

(Work) was created by God.

  • Genesis 1:31; Genesis 2:15

God was the (original worker).

  • Genesis 2:1-3; Psalm 145:14-17

God created (us) to be (workers).

  • Psalm 127:1

"Work was part of paradise." - Ben Witherington

God's design for work:

(1) Purpose: (Fulfillment)

  • Ecclesiastes 3:22

  • "In his vocation, man does works which affect the well-being of others; for so God has made all offices. Through this work in man's offices, God's creative work goes forward, and that creative work is love, a profusion of good gifts. With persons as his "hands" or "coworkers," God gives his gifts through the earthly vocations, toward man's life on earth (food through farmers, fishermen, and hunters; external peace through princes, judges, and orderly powers; knowledge and education through teachers and parents, etc., etc.). Through the preacher's vocation, God gives the forgiveness of sins. Thus love comes from God, flowing down to human beings on earth through all vocations, through both spiritual and earthly governments.” - Martin Luther

(2) Worship: (Sanctification)

  • Proverbs 16:3; Romans 12:1

  • “…work is…the medium in which he offers himself to God.” - Dorthy Sayers

(3) Grace: (Rest)

  • Exodus 20:8-10; Ecclesiastes 5:12

Many of us have (failed) in this area of work...(but there is a Savior!)

For further study:
Scripture: Psalm 104:10-23; Ecclesiastes 5:8-20; Galatians 6:2-10
Resources: “Work: A Kingdom Perspective” by Ben Witherington

To prepare for next week: Genesis 2:15; God’s Plan for Work (edited) 

Communion

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

(For the bread) “This is the body of Christ, broken for you.”

(For the juice) “This is the blood of Christ, shed for you.”

The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

Song | Revelation Song

Announcements and Giving

Song | God of This City

Benediction

So, my brothers and sisters, you owe the flesh nothing! You do not need to live according to its ways, so abandon its oppressive regime. If you have invited the Spirit to destroy these selfish desires, you will experience life. If the Spirit of God is leading you, then take comfort in knowing you are His children. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy.

Through that prayer, God’s Spirit confirms in our spirits that we are His children. If we are God’s children, that means we are His heirs along with the Anointed, set to inherit everything that is His. If we share His sufferings, we know that we will ultimately share in His glory.(Romans 8:12, 14, & 16-17)

Peace be with you. And also with you!

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Midweek Meditation | Genesis 2:15

Pastor Christopher leads through our Midweek Meditation on Genesis 2:15. The purpose of the Midweek Meditation is to give you an opportunity to rest, meditate on Scripture, and prepare yourself for the upcoming Gathering.

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Learning about Spiritual Disciplines

Our desire to see Indianapolis made new is rooted in our individual renewal that comes through our own relationships with Jesus Christ. As we talked about in our last sermon, Jesus is with us at all times - his presence, his voice, and his power - all abound. We are invited to grow in our awareness of this reality.

The way we have led you all in this is through learning about spiritual disciplines. If you want to learn about spiritual disciplines for the first time or grow in your understanding, check out the links below.

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NCCKids Daily Devotionals | September 14-18

September 14:

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich.  Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.  Luke 19:1-4 (NIRV) 

Discussion Prompt for younger children:

Zacchaeus was a small man who had a big problem!  He wanted to see Jesus but couldn’t because everyone around him was blocking his view.  Have you ever been too short to see something?  

When was the last time you saw a grown up climb a tree?  (Parents, it may be helpful for you to explain to your children why adults are typically leery of climbing trees :) Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so badly that he was willing to climb that sycamore tree!   

We should be like Zacchaeus and do whatever it takes to spend time with and get to know Jesus.  Some of the ways that people in the Bible spent time with Jesus was going off to a room by themselves so that they could pray without being interrupted.  You could get creative, like Zacchaeus when he climbed a tree, and draw a picture for Jesus- talking to God while you draw.  You can tell God about what you are drawing and you can ask Him to help you know more about His Son.  You can sing songs about Jesus and to Jesus.  What are some other ways you can come to know Jesus better?

Let’s pray and ask God to help us want to know Jesus so much that we would be willing to do strange or even hard things to do so.

Discussion Prompt for older children and teens:

Zacchaeus was a grown man with an important job and lots of money.  The Bible warns us that often people who are rich and powerful have a hard time humbling themselves in order to get to know God.  Luckily for Zacchaeus, he was not afraid to embarrass himself a bit!  

Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus.  When was the last time you saw an adult climb a tree?  Do you think it would look a little silly?  Now, what do you think Zacchaeus was wearing at the time that he climbed that sycamore tree?  In Israel when Jesus was alive men wore robes, not pants.  Climbing the tree to see Jesus was a bit risky for Zacchaeus.  But Zacchaeus understood something that we should as well: Jesus is worth whatever it takes to get to know Him.

Life is busy and lots of things compete for our attention but a relationship with Jesus is worth carving time out for.  And, like Zacchaeus, you may have to get creative in finding ways to spend time with Him.  You may have to find a quiet corner in your house where you won’t get distracted, or go outside and sit under a quiet tree (or climb it with your parents permission!).  There are many ways to spend time getting to know Jesus.  Most people know that you can get to know Jesus by reading the Bible and praying- but there are a million ways to do that!  The key is to make an effort to turn your attention to Jesus and truly try to spend time getting to know him.

Can you think of a creative way to spend time in Jesus’ presence?  (Examples include: singing songs about Jesus or singing to Jesus; talking to an adult about how they have experienced God in their lives, making a list of the characteristic/accomplishments/life-events of Jesus, etc)

End in prayer, asking God to give your child/teen more and more experientially knowledge of His Son.

September 15:

Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today.” So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, “Jesus has gone to be the guest of a sinner. ”  Luke 19:5-7 

Discussion Prompt for children of all ages:

Do you know anyone who has a reputation for being great at sports?  What about someone who has a reputation for being really brave?  Do you know anyone who has a reputation for being greedy and a cheater?  Zacchaeus was known for using his job to take more money from people than he should. If someone owed one dollar, Zacchaeus would say to give him two. 

Jesus saw Zacchaeus up in that sycamore tree and could tell that Zacchaeus really, really wanted to get to know him.  Jesus didn’t ignore Zacchaeus because he was greedy and a cheater.  Jesus didn’t have a short talk with Zacchaeus and then move on to nicer people.  Jesus said that he just had to stay over at Zacchaeus’ house.  Can you imagine how Zacchaeus felt?!  I bet he was thrilled!

But then, the people all around him started saying things like ‘What?!  Why is Jesus going to hang out with that cheater?!’ And ‘But Zacchaeus is a sinner!’

I bet that made Zacchaeus nervous.  I wonder if he thought Jesus would change his mind about going to his house after he heard what the people were saying.  Zacchaeus said to Jesus: ‘I’ll make it right!  I’ll give back all the money I have taken from people unfairly and give it back!  I’ll actually give back more than I’ve taken!’  Wow!  Zacchaeus truly understood how amazing and worthy Jesus was and is. 

We don’t have to be afraid of Jesus thinking we are too bad to get to know him.  Jesus wants to be in a relationship with you.  He wants you to get close to him and see just how amazing he is.  If you ever find yourself thinking you can’t talk to Jesus because you’ve done something wrong just remember that Jesus chose to hang out with Zacchaeus, a man with a reputation of being a cheater.  Even when you mess up Jesus is always ready to welcome you! 

Spend some time in prayer thanking God for his love for sinners.

September 16:

Zacchaeus stood up. He said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took.” Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham’s family line. The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.” Luke 19:8-10

Discussion Prompt for all ages:

Would you say that someone who steals money loves money a lot?  Just a few minutes with Jesus and Zacchaeus was ready to give away his money to be sure Jesus would come to his house.  Zacchaeus realized Jesus was ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ and gave him the highest position in his heart. His money and power weren’t worth anything compared to Jesus.  

Jesus said Zacchaeus’ heart and life change meant that Zacchaeus was now apart of his family!  He said Zacchaeus had been saved!  

Can you name some things Zacchaeus was saved from when he gave the highest position in his heart to Jesus?  (Some examples are: a life without knowing Jesus, a life spent pursuing things that wouldn’t make him truly happy, separation from God in eternity, etc.)

Let’s pray and ask God to help everyone in our family see that Jesus deserves the highest position in our hearts!

September 17:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 

Discussion Prompt for all ages:

(Parents, today I am going to attempt to make the story of the creation, fall, and redemption of humanity concise, relatable, and understandable for children. The illustration I use is not perfect.  I believe the overall illustration is worthy of looking over the smaller details.  Young children will not pick up on the discrepancies- for example, small ones won’t wonder if the Godhead created humans out of boredom.  If you do have an older child that picks up on an imperfection in the illustration feel free to explore it with them!  That’s marvelous critical thinking!)

Imagine you have just designed and built a brand new type of computer.  That would be pretty cool, huh?!  You figured out what it should do, how it should work, and what buttons would need to be pushed to make it work correctly.  You worked on it and worked on it until it ran perfectly.  

After a while it got a little boring to play with the computer by yourself and you decided to invite a friend to play with the computer too.  Can you imagine how excited you would be to watch someone else enjoy the computer you designed?  But your friend won’t listen to you tell them how to use it!  They think they know the best way to play on your computer even though they keep hitting all the wrong keys and are not having much fun doing it their way.  If your friend would use your computer the way you designed it, they would have a much better time, right?  

God created the world we live in and he created all the people in it.  He designed every part of our world and made it to work a certain way.  Did you know that when God made our world he and Jesus worked together to do it?  John chapter one says that life was in Jesus and life came from Jesus. 

Since God made the world through Jesus, life is meant to be lived with and through Him.  That’s how God designed it.   

When Zacchaeus decided to stop living his own way and to give Jesus the highest position in his heart he began to live the way God designed him to live. 

In our Scripture verse for today Jesus says ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’ Jesus’ way is the real way to live.  Jesus’ way is the truth for this world and for us.  Loving and listening to Jesus gives us true life, the way it is meant to be.

Close by praying for your child to always look to God for the way to live. 

September 18:

Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. Philippians 4:8 (NIRV)

Discussion Prompt for children of all ages:

Sometimes we can get hung up in thinking about negative things.  While there is a time for thinking about what is going wrong so that we can make it right, we should also take time to celebrate what is lovely and excellent.

Today, let’s try to keep our minds focused on good, right, and lovely things! When something nice comes to mind, share it with someone!  Let’s see if it makes a difference in our day.

Spend some time praying that God would bring worthy and excellent things to mind today.

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Gathering Liturgy | September 13

Call to Worship

Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.” Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot— come, let us rejoice in him. He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations—let not the rebellious rise up against him. (from Psalm 66)

Song | This is Amazing Grace

Prayer of Confession

Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been;
 my sins are staring me down. You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life. Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. (from Psalm 51, MSG)

Song | No Longer Slaves

Prayer of Assurance

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
 says the LORD.
 “Though your sins are like scarlet,
 they shall be as white as snow;
 though they are red as crimson,
 they shall be like wool.” LORD—thank you that you take my scarlet sins - the wrong actions I’ve done and the right actions I’ve left undone - and you have made them clean through the blood that you shed on the Cross. Thank you for the powerful promise of forgiveness of sins. Thank you that you are faithful when we are faithless; that you are gracious when we are graceless; that you are present when we are absent; that you are God, and we are not. Thank you for causing us to stand – not through our own power or righteousness, but because of what you, and you alone, have done. We celebrate your wonderful gift this day! In Christ’s name, Amen. (from Isaiah 1)

Song | Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Scripture Reading

After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin” ), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together. “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them. “We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. “Friends,” Jesus called to them,“you don’t have any fish, do you?” “No,” they answered. “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them,“and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish ​— ​153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. “Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21.1-14)

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!

Sermon Notes

Communion

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11.23-26)

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

(For the bread) “This is the body of Christ, broken for you.”

(For the juice) “This is the blood of Christ, shed for you.”

The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.


Song | Jesus Paid it All

Announcements and Giving

  • Join us on the lawn for Coffee and Cupcakes on the lawn.

  • We want to encourage all of you to join us for the next four weeks as we begin a new sermon series and faith and work. We will examine God’s Plan for Work, Our Problem with Work, The Gospel and Work, and Integrating Faith and Work. We hope it will be beneficial to you all!

  • Parents, please be on the lookout for the NCC Kids Devotional.

  • 1 Peter Bible Study begins in October-Saturdays 8am in the Sanctuary. Talk to Christopher if you are interested.

Song | I Give Myself Away

Benediction

For we are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6. 16;18 & Lv 26.12)

Peace be with you. And also with you!

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Midweek Meditation | John 21:1-7

Pastor Christopher leads through our Midweek Meditation on John 21:1-7. The purpose of the Midweek Meditation is to give you an opportunity to rest, meditate on Scripture, and prepare yourself for the upcoming Gathering.

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