God has graciously given us the victory In Jesus Christ, Eph. 2.1-10
The Father’s love for us led him to give his Son to redeem us, who defeated death, hell, the grave, and the devil. God has made us alive in Christ despite our sins and saved us by his undeserved favor and grace. As a result of our identification with Christ in his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, God may kindly reveal his incomparable grace to us in the coming ages.
Invocation
Thank you, heavenly Father, that although we once walked in trespasses and sins without you in this world, you still offered Jesus up for us on the Cross. Through his death we now have victory over the devil’s accusation, freedom from the judgment of death, and live with the hope of eternal life through him. Thank you for our victory in Christ! Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures texts allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Sunday: Mark 1.1; Luke 1.1-38; 3.23b-38; John 1.1-18; Matt. 1.1-17
Lectionary Readings for Today
Our readings from the Psalms, the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Epistles are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Lord’s Day.
Psalm: Psalm 138
Old Testament (or Acts [during Eastertide]): Exodus 1.8-2.10
Gospel: Matthew 16.13-20
New Testament: Romans 12.1-8
Click here for all of this week’s Scripture Readings
Because of the Father’s love for us, we have received the victory in Christ. Eph. 2.1-10
Reflection
The Father loves us and gave his Son to redeem us, the One who defeated death, hell, the grave, and the devil. We are alive because of God’s undeserved favor and grace through Christ despite our sins. In the coming ages, God will kindly reveal his incomparable grace to us because of our identification with Christ in his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
*In the Apostles and Nicene Creeds, the term catholic refers to the Church’s universality, through all ages and times, of all languages and peoples. It refers to no particular tradition or denominational expression (e.g., as in Roman Catholic).
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
To the one who granted us the victory through Jesus Christ be honor, glory, and praise, the same one who reigns as one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever, Amen.
Scripture Memory
Psalm 145.1-7 (ESV)
A SONG OF PRAISE. OF DAVID. 1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
Book Reading and Reflection
“While I’m only scratching the surface in offering proofs of Jesus’ messiahship, here are just a few of the prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ: The Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:1). Jesus was. He was to come from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10). He did. He would reveal His kingship from atop a donkey’s back (Zech. 9:9), then be arrested, tried, tortured, killed, and buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isa. 52–53; Ps. 22)—only to rise from the dead, the best evidence of all! And all of these prophecies were fulfilled to the letter in Jesus the Christ. But who was this Jesus? He was an agent of change. From the time of His birth from a virgin’s womb, He was worshipped as equal with God. Why? He was God, in the flesh. And while He walked on our very planet, He forever changed the way worship was done. Our worship today is no longer under the rigorous, unflinching law of Moses. Jesus ushered in a new dispensation: grace. Neither is worship confined to the tabernacle. Christ Himself became the tabernacle.”
~ Vernon Whaley, Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2009, page 231.
Let God Arise! Focus
The LORD God is the one, true, and triune God of the universe, Ps. 145.1-13
Visit our Church App for more information: Scan the QR Code below (if you have difficulty loading the app, click here for instructions how to get the app on your iPhone or Android)
