Home Church How-To:

If possible, we encourage you to please gather with those in your home community to read, pray, and sing aloud to one another, following the exhortation of Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

• Before 10:15am, please prepare the elements for communion to eat and drink.
• At 10:15am, begin by reading the Call To Worship, followed by a prayer of thanksgiving.
• Sing songs / hymns. You can click on the LINK to sing along with our suggested playlist.
• Read the readings below. Feel free to take turns reading if you're gathered with multiple people.
• Although we are not all under one roof, your financial support towards gospel-work is critical. Please consider giving online. You may do so by clicking HERE.
• Listen to Israel's message prior to listening to the sermon.
• Listen to Pastor Steve's sermon.
• Feel free to discuss and pray together.
• If you have not done so, please sign up for Branch Groups (virtual Branch Groups for now) by clicking HERE.
• For Twigs curriculum (children), you can click HERE for a step-by-step lesson plan along with the materials to download. 
• Now begin your time of worship of Christ Jesus with all of us.

Call To Worship

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD ; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. 

Psalm 95:1-2

Singing

The following YouTube playlist has three songs with lyrics to which you can sing along.

Lenten Reading

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

Luke 18:9-14

Prayer Reading

Read “Humiliation” - Prayer by Valley of Vision

Confession

O God, you have shown us the way of life through your Son, Jesus Christ. We confess with shame our slowness to learn of Him, our failure to follow Him, and our reluctance to bear the cross. Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. We confess the poverty of our worship, our neglect of fellowship and of the means of grace, our hesitating witness for Christ, our evasion of responsibilities in our service, our imperfect stewardship of your gifts. Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. 

Amen

Assurance

The LORD is faithful in all His words, and gracious in all His deeds. The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. 

Psalm 145:13-14

Communion

Brothers and sisters, this table is for you who have been forgiven of your sins through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus gave this sacred tradition to us, his church. Do not think that you can only come forward if you are perfect. You cannot come perfect. Jesus alone is your perfection. So you are invited to come broken, but hopeful, believing and repenting.

If you are not a Christian, the bread and the cup is not something you should receive. Only those who have received Jesus should receive communion. We encourage you to use this as a time to consider the offer of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus holds out to all who are willing to receive Him. Place your hope in Him. You might not come forward for communion today, but you can come to Jesus today and find eternal life, which is what all of this is about.

“23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 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

Online Giving

During this time we worship with our tithes and offerings to the Lord. We give regularly. We give sacrificially. We give cheerfully. We give and it reminds us that The Lord has given us all that we have. He gives us our very breath today. We look forward and trust that The Lord will do good things for His people and through His people to His Glory. We give and it supports our local mission and the missions we support through our church networks. Click Here to give now. 

Sermon

Questions

If you are gathered with family or housemates, we ask that you discuss these questions among each. Otherwise, we ask you to journal, pray, and reflect on this.

• What do you believe the Lord is doing in your heart today?
• How does this passage move you to know Jesus?
• How does this passage stir you towards maturity?
• How does this passage impact your life on mission?