Here is the worship guide for Sunday, October 8, 2023.
PDF version of the worship guide to download or print.
The livestream will begin at 10:30 a.m. on our Facebook page or YouTube page.
Welcome and Announcements
Opening Prayer
Song: “The Gospel”
As performed by Ghost Ship.
This is the word, the gospel truth in which we stand;
the perfect life, the saving death of just one man.
Oh, oh, look what God has done,
Oh, oh, through His Son.
Christ died for our sins, met death in His grave,
then rose to life again; by this we are saved,
by this we are saved.
So Jesus’ death has conquered death and killed our sin;
and Jesus’ life has brought us life, we live in Him.
Oh, oh, look what God has done,
Oh, oh, through His Son.
Christ died for our sins, met death in His grave,
then rose to life again; by this we are saved,
by this we are saved.
This is good news: the Father shows us grace.
This is the truth: the Spirit gives us faith.
Jesus is King, and by this we are saved,
by this we are saved, by this we are saved.
Christ died for our sins, met death in His grave,
then rose to life again; by this we are saved …
Christ died for our sins, met death in His grave,
then rose to life again; by this we are saved,
by this we are saved, by this we are saved.
Hymn: “Never Cease to Praise”
Words and music: Jeff Bourque.
May we run this race, may we keep the faith,
may our eyes be fixed on Jesus,
that we’ll not lose heart in our struggle with sin,
and through suffering know endurance.
May we arm ourselves with the mind of Christ
to rejoice in trials and be not surprised.
May our hearts be so consumed by You
that we never cease to praise.
May our company be the saints You’ve called,
may we all stand firm in one spirit,
that the gospel’s truth may resound on earth,
that all living things may hear it.
May the fruits of faith mark the path we trod
through the life of Christ to the glory of God.
May our hearts be so consumed by You
that we never cease to praise.
May the words we share be Your grace and peace.
May our tongues speak Your proclamations
that the many parts of the body of Christ
be affirmed in their right relation.
As we long and wait for the groom to come,
may we learn to love, and spur each other on.
May our hearts be so consumed by You
that we never cease to praise.
When that day arrives, and our race is won,
when our griefs give way to deliverance,
we will fully know, as we’re fully known,
all our groans will end as new songs begin.
And a multitude from every tribe and tongue,
wearing robes of white, will stand before Your throne,
And our hearts will be so consumed by You
that we’ll never cease to praise!
May our hearts be so consumed by You
that we never cease to praise.
Hymn: “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”
Words: Elizabeth C. Clephane. Music: Frederick C. Maker.
Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.
There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.
Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears, two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.
I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.
Time of Prayer
Sermon: “To Live Is Christ”
Philippians 1:27–30 (ESV)
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Hymn: “O Church, Arise”
Words and music: Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.
O church, arise, and put your armor on;
hear the call of Christ our captain;
for now the weak can say that they are strong
in the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
we’ll stand against the devil’s lies;
an army bold, whose battle cry is “Love!”
reaching out to those in darkness.
Our call to war, to love the captive soul,
but to rage against the captor;
and with the sword that makes the wounded whole,
we will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on every side,
we know the outcome is secure.
and Christ will have the prize for which He died:
an inheritance of nations.
Come, see the cross, where love and mercy meet,
as the Son of God is stricken;
then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
for the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
and Christ emerges from the grave,
this victory march continues till the day
ev’ry eye and heart shall see Him.
So Spirit, come, put strength in every stride,
give grace for every hurdle,
that we may run with faith to win the prize
of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
retelling triumphs of His grace,
we hear their calls, and hunger for the day
when, with Christ, we stand in glory.
Benediction
Philippians 4:23 (ESV)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.