Katelyn Aguayo Katelyn Aguayo

Gathering Preview | John 20: 19-31

GATHERING | 11/15

Call to Worship

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate On earth is not his equal. - Martin Luther

God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Psalm 46.1-3

SONG | You Reign

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

From depths of woe I cry to Thee, In trial and tribulation; Bend down Thy gracious ear to me, Lord, hear my supplication. If Thou rememb’rest ev’ry sin, Who then could heaven ever win Or stand before Thy presence? -Martin Luther

Out of the depths I call to you, Lord! Lord, listen to my voice; let your ears be attentive to my cry for help. Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you, there is forgiveness, so that you may be revered. Psalm 130.1-4

SONG | Holy Holy Holy

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE

Therefore my hope is in the Lord And not in mine own merit; It rests upon His faithful Word To them of contrite spirit That He is merciful and just; This is my comfort and my trust. His help I wait with patience. Though great our sins, yet greater still Is God’s abundant favor; His hand of mercy never will Abandon us, nor waver. Our shepherd good and true is He, Who will at last His Israel free From all their sin and sorrow. -Martin Luther I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word. Psalm 130.5

SONG | Wood and Nails

SCRIPTURE READING -The Resurrection Life

Commission from Christ and Crisis (Young People) — John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD.

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 | Sweetly Broken

ANNOUNCEMENTS & GIVING

Framework is coming up on November 15 and 22. This is a time for Builders to focus on spiritual awareness and discover giftedness. If you are interested you can sign up on our website or by emailing Christopher.

We will be decorating the Sanctuary and Midway Building for Christmas after the Gathering on November 22. Please make plans to hang out a little while with us. If you have questions, email Whitney.

NCC Women's Christmas Gathering will take place Sunday, December 6th from 2-4 pm. This year, we will be making a craft as part of our time together. If you plan to attend, we ask that you pitch in $12 to help cover the cost of the craft materials. Please turn in your portion by Sunday, November 22nd (make checks payable to New Circle Church). We can't wait to see you there!

SONG| Alpha and Omega

BENEDICTION

“Be still, be calm, see, and understand I am the True God. I am honored among all the nations. I am honored over all the earth.” You know the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies surrounds us and protects us; the True God of Jacob is our shelter, close to His heart Psalm 46:10-11

PEACE BE WITH YOU. And Also with you

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Katelyn Aguayo Katelyn Aguayo

Gathering Preview | November 8th, 2020

Call to Worship
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices, the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. (From Isaiah 6)

SONG | The Lion and the Lamb

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (From Isaiah 6)

SONG | Come Ye Sinners

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it, he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (From Isaiah 6)

SONG | In Christ Alone

SCRIPTURE READING | John 20:1-18

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!” At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying. But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?”Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.”Jesus said to her, “Mary.” Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” —which means “Teacher.” “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what he had said to her.

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD. Thanks be to God.

SERMON NOTES

The ultimate source of goodness, truth, beauty, and love came in flesh into our world.

Introduction: The Drama

  • “We are thrown into existence” (Martin Heidegger)

  • “All our desires—both good and bad—signify our fundamental need to be in a living, loving relationship with the greatest Good there is, in dependence, worship, communion, and gratitude, and to desire him above all else.” (Eric Johnson)

Point One: Pausing at the Window

  • Mary took the first step, and as we can see—that is (enough to meet Christ).

  • Matthew 11.28; John 1.5; Mark 8.31-32a; John 20.31

Point Two: Opening the Window

  • He can’t come to Christ (except on his knees), he can’t simply come standing.

  • Their seeing only goes so far. They need Christ to (reveal himself greater).

Point Three: Weeping at the Window

  • Christ left the linen in order to move into a (new form of existence).

  • The Lord removes the (veil draped over the hearts) of unbelievers so that they might (see the glory of God in the face of Christ).

  • 2 Corinthians 3.18

  • Christ always elevates those on the outside, on the fringe of society to experience him (face-to-face).

  • “When there is a genuine encounter with Jesus — there is a genuine undoing.”

Conclusion: Sunlight at the Window

  • “She turned around…” In the one or two seconds this turn took, I imagine the world shifting ever so slightly on its axis, and at about this turn’s one-second midpoint trajectory, history too moved almost imperceptibly from B.C. to A.D. A second before this turn there is a woman in the deepest human despair in the agonizing presence of incurable death; a second after the beginning of this turn there is a woman in the deepest possible human elation—in the presence of the death-conquering Central Figure of history…She is the first person, ever, to experience the personal presence of the Risen Lord.” (Dale Bruner)

  • When we hear the voice of our Lord and bring those thoughts and feelings to him, we can understand and accept our place in this drama.

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 | So Will I (100 Billion X)

ANNOUNCEMENTS & GIVING

  • Thank you for joining us today! Newcomers Coffee invite.

  • New Circle’s Youth Ministry will be launching tonight at 6:00 pm with a Virtual Youth Gathering. We want to invite all students in grades 6-12 to be a part. If you have questions or want to be involved talk with Matthew. The link is in the Weekly and on our website.

  • Our next 24 Hours of Prayer opportunity is coming up this Saturday, November 14. Sign up on the Weekly email, Sunday Gathering email, or website. **Please take a prayer guide in the back by the communion table for the day!**

  • Framework is coming up on November 15 and 22. This is a time for Builders to focus on spiritual awareness and discover giftedness. If you are interested you can sign up on our website or by emailing Christopher.

  • We will be decorating the Sanctuary and Midway Building for Christmas after the Gathering on November 22. Please make plans to hang out a little while with us. If you have questions, email Whitney.

  • NCC Women's Christmas Gathering will take place Sunday, December 6th from 2-4 pm. This year, we will be making a craft as part of our time together. If you plan to attend, we ask that you pitch in $12 to help cover the cost of the craft materials. Please turn in your portion by Sunday, November 22nd (make checks payable to New Circle Church). We can't wait to see you there!

SONG | Living Hope

BENEDICTION

Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise him all creatures here below Praise him above ye heavenly hosts Praise father, son, and holy ghost

PEACE BE WITH YOU. And Also with you

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Katelyn Aguayo Katelyn Aguayo

Gathering Preview | November 1st, 2020

CALL TO WORSHIP

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. (Psalm 27.1 )

SONG | Every Praise

PRAYER ON CONFESSION

Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me. My heart says this about you: “Seek his face.” Lord, I will seek your face. Do not hide your face from me; do not turn your servant away in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or abandon me, God of my salvation. (Psalm 27.7-9)

SONG | As the Deer

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE

I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple. For he will conceal me in his shelter in the day of adversity; he will hide me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. (Psalm 27.4-5;14)

SONG | Promises

SCRIPTURE READING | John 19:31-37

Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special day). They requested that Pilate have the men’s legs broken and that their bodies be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with him. When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth. For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of his bones will be broken. Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the one they pierced.

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD. Thanks be to God

SERMON NOTES

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)The crucifixion was a (portrait) of (love).

How is this the case?

1. (Love) was displayed as the (fulfillment of prophecy).

  • Psalm 22:15, 18; Psalm 69:21; John 19:28-29; Zechariah 12:10

2. (Love) was displayed showing Jesus as the (new Adam).

  • John 19:35; Genesis 2:21-23; Zechariah 13:1; Romans 5:8

  • “Adam foreshadowed Christ, and as Adam was a type of Christ so too was the creation of Eve from the sleeping Adam a prefiguration of the creation of the church from the side of the Lord as he slept…As Eve came from the side of the sleeping Adam, so the church was birthed from the side of the suffering Christ.” (Augustine)

3. (Love) was displayed with Jesus as the (new temple).

  • John 2:19

  • “His death on the cross…is love in its most radical form. By contemplating the pierced side of Christ, we can understand the starting-point…“God is love” (1 John 4:8). It is there that this truth can be contemplated. It is from there that our definition of love must begin.” (Pope Benedict XVI)

“This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.” (Acts 2:22-24)

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 | Nothing But the Blood

ANNOUNCEMENTS & GIVING

Thank you for joining us today! Newcomers Coffee invite.

If you ordered a New Circle long-sleeve shirt, hoodie, or sweat-shirt, those are available at the office. Please pay for them by check or through the app and then you can pick yours up today after the Gathering.

New Circle’s Youth Ministry will be launching on Sunday, November 8 at 6:00 pm with a Virtual Youth Gathering. We want to invite all students in grades 6-12 to be a part. If you have questions or want to be involved talk with Matthew. The link to the meetings will be in the Weekly and on our website.

Framework is coming up on November 15 and 22. This is a time for Builders to focus on spiritual awareness and discover giftedness. If you are interested you can sign up on our website or by emailing Christopher.

Our next 24 Hours of Prayer opportunity is coming up on November 14. Sign up on the Weekly email, Sunday Gathering email, or website.

We will be decorating the Sanctuary and Midway Building for Christmas after the Gathering on November 22. Please make plans to hang out a little while with us. If you have questions, email Whitney.

SONG | Forever

BENEDICTION

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13.20-21)

PEACE BE WITH YOU. Also with you

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New Circle Church New Circle Church

Gathering Preview | October 25

Call to Worship

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:6-11)

Song | Oh! Great is Our God

Prayer of Confession

Lord God, eternal and almighty Father: We acknowledge before your holy majesty that we are poor sinners, conceived and born in guilt and in corruption, prone to do evil, unable of our own power to do good. Because of our sin, we endlessly violate your holy commandments. But, O Lord, with heartfelt sorrow we repent and turn away from all our offenses. We condemn ourselves and our evil ways, with true sorrow asking that your grace will relieve our distress. Have compassion on us, most gracious God, Father of mercies, for the sake of your son Jesus Christ our Lord. And in removing our guilt, also grant us daily increase of the grace of your Holy Spirit, and produce in us the fruits of holiness and of righteousness pleasing in your sight: Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (John Calvin)

Song | Lord I Need You

Prayer of Assurance

Hear the good news! Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone; a new life has begun. Believe the good news of the gospel: In Jesus Christ you are forgiven. Thanks be to God! Through his power and forgiveness, we are now called to live a life of love. Our Lord Jesus said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (from Rom. 8:34; 2 Cor. 5:17; Matt. 22:37-40)

Song | All Creatures of Our God and King

Scripture Reading | John 18:28-40

Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.” Pilate told them, “You take him and judge him according to your law.” “It’s not legal for us to put anyone to death,” the Jews declared. They said this so that Jesus’s words might be fulfilled indicating what kind of death he was going to die. Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?” “I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” “You are a king then?” Pilate asked. “You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” “What is truth?” said Pilate. After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no grounds for charging him. You have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

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

Sermon Notes

“He isn't far from any of us.” (Acts 17:27)

(See) Jesus.

The Pharisees did not see Jesus because of their focus on (rules).

  • John 18:28; Philippians 3:19

  • “Religion cannot achieve redemption; ceremonies cannot save.” (Bruce Milne)

Pilate did not see Jesus because of his focus on (people).

  • John 18:38

(All) of us are cursed with (spiritual blindness).

  • Luke 4:18

To break the curse, we needed (a Savior) who would (bear) the cure for us.

  • Galatians 3:13

Do you see Jesus?

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

  • Thank you to everyone who was part of our neighborhood projects yesterday.

  • Our desire is to relaunch NCCKids in November but we still have a large lack of volunteers. If you would be willing to volunteer, please sign up on Planning Center or contact Amy. We will make a call on NCC kids for November by this Wednesday.

  • New Circle’s Youth Ministry will be launching on Sunday, November 8 at 6:00 pm with a Virtual Youth Gathering. We want to invite all students in grades 6-12 to be a part. If you have questions or want to be involved talk with Matthew. The link to the meetings will be in the Weekly and on our website.

  • Several people have asked about giving financially during the pandemic. While we are not passing the plate it is available in the entryway for you to drop a gift in. The easiest and safest way is to give through our app or website. All of the money given goes directly to the ministry of New Circle!

  • Introduce and welcome Josh McKissic (Building and Grounds) and Whitney Rodriguez (Administrator). Spend time praying for them and their new roles on the Staff Team.

Song | O Come to the Altar

Benediction

We cannot wrap our minds around God’s wisdom and knowledge! Its depths can never be measured! We cannot understand His judgments or explain the mysterious ways that He works! For, all that exists originates in Him, comes through Him, and is moving toward Him; so give Him the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11.33, 36)

Peace be with you. And also with you!

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