GRACEMOUNT COMMUNITY CHURCH | 151120

[1] Opening Reading | PSALM 118:1 | Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures for ever.

[2] Song ONE | CHRIST OUR GLORY

[3] Prayer | Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, by whom all desires are known, and from whom no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[4] Reading | ACTS 22:25 – 23:35

[5] Sermon

[6] Song TWO | CHRIST OUR HOPE IN LIFE AND DEATH

[7] Reading | PSALM 118

[8] Affirming our Faith | Having seen in Acts 23 what can help Christians remain resolute, let’s remind ourselves of the hope, courage, and promise we have in Jesus from the Heidelberg Catechism [a ‘catechism’ is a way of teaching the bible in an orderly way by asking questions and giving answers].

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own, but belong — body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

[9] Prayer | As well as taking time to respond to God’s Word, take time to pray for the work of Open Doors and for Christians in Columbia [video on YouTube playlist].

[10] Song THREE | HE WILL HOLD ME FAST

[11] Commission | PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14 & PSALM 118:6 | And now forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus, that we may exclaim with the psalm-writer: ‘The Lord is with us; we will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to us?’