Katelyn Aguayo 11/21/21 Katelyn Aguayo 11/21/21

Gathering Preview | Genesis 50:22-26 | The Last Days of Joseph

CALL TO WORSHIP -

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

Ephesians 1:3-6

Prayer

SONG | Every Praise

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.

Ephesians 1:7-10

SONG | Since Your Love

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE

In him we have also received an inheritance because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.

In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:11-14

Prayer

SONG | King of Kings

SCRIPTURE READING - Genesis 50:22-26

Joseph and his father’s family remained in Egypt. Joseph lived 110 years. He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation; the sons of Manasseh’s son Machir were recognized by Joseph.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.”

Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.

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 | When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

SONG | Do It Again

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GIVING

BENEDICTION

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send you greetings.

2 Corinthians 13:11-12

PEACE BE WITH YOU. And also with you

New Circle Church 11/17/21 New Circle Church 11/17/21

Genesis 46:1-7: Jacob Comes to Egypt (Shane Mosby)

At this stage in Jacob’s life, he likely felt that he had settled into his final days on the path God put him on. He was dwelling in the land that God had promised and was surrounded by his family. But, when famine comes, God calls upon him to go to Egypt, where his son, Joseph, had risen to power. God spoke to him in a vision,
urging him to overcome his fear and go to Egypt, here Joseph would lay him to rest. He promptly packs up his possessions and all of his family and takes a caravan to Egypt.

When Jacob is first told that Joseph was alive, he didn’t believe it. He was in a state of denial until he saw the caravan of goods and resources that Joseph sent, and at once he knew. But even with this knowledge, he was still scared to make that journey, and what it might mean for his lineage. But, when God comes to him in a
vision, he tells him not to be afraid. He reminds Joseph of his promise as a means of tamping down the fear that was welling up. Fear is a normal response to the unknown and change generally. Even Jesus wrestled with fear when he faced the cross. It is a part of the human experience but shouldn’t leave us paralyzed, unable to act.

The location that God spoke to Jacob in the vision was significant as well and served as a reminder of God’s grace. This is the place where he received the blessing from his father, Isaac, and came to understand the role he would play in carrying out God’s promises. God also came to Isaac in a vision at this place, which led him to worship and set up an altar to God. Abraham also had a significant experience with God here when he was given favor with the locals and had planted a tree as a reminder and testament to God’s provision. These physical reminders served an important purpose to Jacob as he wrestled with fear.

God’s power should be a source of confidence when confronted with fear also. When God speaks to Jacob he makes multiple statements using “I” to tell Jacob what he would do. The use of this “I” was a very personal one that meant more than simply overshadowing. He was promising to Jacob to take an active role in accomplishing his purposed through Jacob. God speaks in a very transparent and raw way to the core of Jacob’s fears to help give him the confidence he needed to act.

There are 6 P’s we see here that we should draw from this example to help us confront fear and the unknown. First, God made his Presence known to Jacob, through a vision. Though we may not experience visions, we have the good grace of being indwelt with the Holy Spirit if we know Christ, so we are never without God’s presence in all circumstances. God reminds Jacob of his Protection. We are God’s children, and he will protect us from our ultimate demise if we trust and follow him. God reminds Jacob of his Provision. Not only does he provide for him materially through Joseph, but he assures him that he will provide a path to carry out his mission and continue the lineage through his time spent in Egypt. We see that God had a Plan. This may seem obvious, but to Jacob, he may have lost faith that God had a plan. When we get an idea that we are on the path God has for us, we may put the blinders on and not consider that God has a larger plan when he calls us to something unknown. Jacob is reminded of God’s promises. In Beer Sheba where so much had been promised to his ancestors, he was surely reminded of those promises, and if that wasn’t enough, God speaks to him directly and promises that he will complete his work. Today we are able to look at the entirety of Scripture to see the many promises God has made for us. Lastly, God’s Power was displayed. God reminds Jacob of who he truly is, and that nothing is impossible for him. We seldom will have a clear vision of the path God has us on, or even what tomorrow may bring, but when we walk with God in all circumstances, we will be reminded that he provides all that we need to overcome the unknown.

Katelyn Aguayo 11/9/21 Katelyn Aguayo 11/9/21

Gathering Preview | Genesis 41:1-14 | Joseph Interprets Dreams

CALL TO WORSHIP -

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.

Ephesians 1:1-10

Prayer

SONG | Blessed Be Your Name

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.
Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.

Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God—
God of my salvation—
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

Psalms 51:11-15

SONG | Tis’ So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together.
He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have
first place in everything.
For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him,
and through him to reconcile
everything to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

Prayer

SONG | Beautiful Things

SCRIPTURE READING - Genesis 41:1-14

At the end of two years Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile. The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and good, came up on one stalk. After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, full ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.

When morning came, he was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my faults. Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guards. He and I had dreams on the same night; each dream had its own meaning. No w a young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, he interpreted our dreams for us, and each had its own interpretation. It turned out just the way he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”

Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD.

COMMUNION

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 | Wonderful Merciful Savior

SONG | Great Are You, Lord

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GIVING

BENEDICTION

Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25

PEACE BE WITH YOU. And also with you

Katelyn Aguayo 10/31/21 Katelyn Aguayo 10/31/21

Gathering Preview | Genesis 46:1-7 | Jacob Comes to Egypt

CALL TO WORSHIP -

As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God— you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:4-5, 9

Prayer

SONG | Friend of God

SONG | We Sing as One

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:19

Prayer

SONG | Worthy of it All

SCRIPTURE READING - Genesis 46:1-7

Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” he said.

And Jacob replied, “Here I am.”

God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.”

Jacob left Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their dependents and their wives. They also took their cattle and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Then Jacob and all his offspring with him came to Egypt. His sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters, indeed all his offspring, he brought with him to Egypt.

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD.

COMMUNION

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 | Forever

SONG | Jesus We Love You

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GIVING

BENEDICTION

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

PEACE BE WITH YOU. And also with you

Katelyn Aguayo 10/16/21 Katelyn Aguayo 10/16/21

Gathering Preview | Genesis 38:1-11 | Judah and Tamar

CALL TO WORSHIP -

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:19-25

Prayer

SONG | Our God

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:5-8

SONG | I Surrender All

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE

You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:9-11

Prayer

SONG | Holy Spirit

SCRIPTURE READING - Genesis 38:1-11

At that time Judah left his brothers and settled near an Adullamite named Hirah. There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua; he took her as a wife and slept with her. She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er. She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and named him Onan. She gave birth to another son and named him Shelah. It was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, and the Lord put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and produce offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he released his semen on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so he put him to death also.

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He might die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD.

COMMUNION

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

SONG | What A Beautiful Name

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GIVING

BENEDICTION

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:11

PEACE BE WITH YOU. And also with you

Katelyn Aguayo 10/9/21 Katelyn Aguayo 10/9/21

Gathering Preview | Genesis 32:22-32 | Jacob Wrestles with God

CALL TO WORSHIP -

My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.
I will sing; I will sing praises.
Wake up, my soul!
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
God, be exalted above the heavens;
let your glory be over the whole earth.

Psalm 57:7-11

Prayer

SONG | Hosanna

SONG | Jesus Paid It All

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE

Though the mountains move
and the hills shake,
my love will not be removed from you
and my covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
says your compassionate Lord.

Isaiah 54:10

Prayer

SONG | Give Thanks to God

SCRIPTURE READING - Genesis 32:22-32

During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two slave women, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions.

Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob’s hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip. Then he said to Jacob, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

“What is your name?” the man asked.

“Jacob,” he replied.

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”

Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”

But he answered, “Why do you ask my name?” And he blessed him there.

Jacob then named the place Peniel, “For I have seen God face to face,” he said, “yet my life has been spared.” The sun shone on him as he passed by Penuel—limping because of his hip. That is why, still today, the Israelites don’t eat the thigh muscle that is at the hip socket: because he struck Jacob’s hip socket at the thigh muscle.

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD.

COMMUNION

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 | What A Friend We Have In Jesus

SONG | Living Hope

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GIVING

BENEDICTION

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:22

PEACE BE WITH YOU. And also with you

Katelyn Aguayo 10/2/21 Katelyn Aguayo 10/2/21

Gathering Preview | Genesis 28:10-22 | Jacob's Ladder

CALL TO WORSHIP -

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s

Psalm 103:1-5

Prayer

SONG | This Is Amazing Grace

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

James 5:16

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent, for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk-in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Prayer

SONG | Be Thou My Vision

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands— we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commands and ordinances.

Daniel 9:4-5

Prayer

SONG | Worthy Of It All

SCRIPTURE READING - Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place, put it there at his head, and lay down in that place. And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching the sky, and God’s angels were going up and down on it. The Lord was standing there beside him, saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying. Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.”

Early in the morning Jacob took the stone that was near his head and set it up as a marker. He poured oil on top of it and named the place Bethel, though previously the city was named Luz. Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and watch over me during this journey I’m making, if he provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safely to my father’s family, then the Lord will be my God. This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to you a tenth of all that you give me.”

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD.

COMMUNION

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 | In Christ Alone

SONG | O Come To The Altar

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GIVING

BENEDICTION

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:11

PEACE BE WITH YOU. And also with you

Katelyn Aguayo 9/18/21 Katelyn Aguayo 9/18/21

Gathering Preview | Philippians 1:21-30 | Renewed Focus (Our Strategy)

CALL TO WORSHIP -

Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we are his—
his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever;
his faithfulness, through all generations.

Psalm 100:1-5

Prayer

SONG | Indescribable

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!
How joyful is a person whom
the Lord does not charge with iniquity
and in whose spirit is no deceit!

When I kept silent, my bones became brittle
from my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was drained
as in the summer’s heat.Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not conceal my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.Selah

Psalm 32:1-5

Prayer

SONG | Give Me Faith

PRAYER OF ASSURANCE

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets: And they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God. He has seen the Father.

“Truly I tell you, anyone who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

John 6:44-51

Prayer

SONG | Establish The Work Of Our Hands

SCRIPTURE READING - Philippians 1:21-30

For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better— but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that, because of my coming to you again, your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound.
Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God. For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD.

COMMUNION

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 | Wood and Nails

SONG | Holy Holy Holy

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GIVING

BENEDICTION

Jude 1:24-25

PEACE BE WITH YOU. And also with you