WORSHIP NOTES
All songs used by permission. CCLI license #120927.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV).
CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalm 103:1-14
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven
His Mercy Is More
READING OF GOD'S WORD
Proverbs 5
1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol;
6 she does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7 And now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated always in her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
21 For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord,
and he ponders all his paths.
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
23 He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is led astray.
PASTORAL PRAYER
God, we confess that we are unrighteous sinners who have sinned against a holy God. We acknowledge that if You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, we could not stand. But with You there is forgiveness through the gospel. And so we take refuge in the cross of Christ, through which You’ve not only removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west, but also have given us the perfect righteousness of Your Son. God we praise You for the mercy and steadfast love You’ve shown to us in Christ. And so on the basis of His merits we make known to You our requests.
Lord we continue to pray with regards to the pandemic going on. We pray that You would protect our church from sickness. God we pray for those in our church who are going to work in the midst of the pandemic, that Your protective hand would be upon them. We pray for extra grace for the parents of our church – that fathers and mothers would continue to be faithful in this season of being at home in bringing up their sons and daughters in Your discipline and instruction. We pray for those in our congregation who live alone – that You would especially give them much joy and contentment in Christ in this time that we cannot gather together as a body.
We pray for all of the members of our church, that this would be a season of spiritual flourishing. We pray that Your people would be continuing in faithfulness and consistency in Your word and in private prayer. Our hearts’ greatest desire is to know You more, and so we pray that You would allow us to use the means that You’ve given us to richly experience communion with You.
We continue to pray for our leaders. We pray that You would grant them wisdom to make good decisions and to lead well. We pray that You would save their souls. We know that nothing is impossible for You, and that the king’s heart is a stream of water in Your hand. And so we pray for a revival among the leaders of our country and our state.
Father as we continue to worship You this morning, we pray that we would do so in spirit and in truth. We pray that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our heart would be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Not In Me
The Solid Rock
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
TIME OF INDIVIDUAL PRAYER
Please take a few moments to pray to prepare your heart to receive the word of God.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Speak, O Lord
WORSHIP THROUGH GIVING
If you are someone who normally gives by check or cash, please consider beginning to give online through https://www.firstnyc.org/giving. You can give directly through your bank account or through a debit card. Or you may still mail checks to the church.
Holy, Holy, Holy
CHILDREN’S CHURCH
- Last week we read about how God provided water for His people and defeated their enemies
- Read Exodus 19:1-20:21
- Comprehension questions:
- Where did God give the Israelites these laws? [Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:2)]
- Why should the people obey these rules? [To be God’s treasured possession (Exodus 19:5) and because God had rescued them (Exodus 20:2)]
- Which of the Ten Commandments comes with a promise? [The fifth (Exodus 20:12)]
- Discussion
- Did the Israelites perfectly keep the Ten Commandments?
- Can any person perfectly keep God’s commandments?
- How can we be saved?
- Download worksheet here
- Review our memory verse - Philippians 4:4-8
From TnT Ministries Mustard Seeds Curriculum