| Scripture Readings |
Pre-Service Text: Acts 16:25-26 ESV
25 About midnight Paul and Silas (in prison) were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.
Call To Worship: Isaiah 61:1a, 52:7, 61:10a ESV
LEADER: 1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,
ALL: 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
Reading: Jonah 2:7-10 ESV
ALL: 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
LEADER: 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.
ALL: “Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
Central Text: Acts 16:25-31; 17:1-8 ESV
25 About midnight Paul and Silas (in prison) were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.
Prayer: Refuge
ALL: O Lord, Let me dwell in thy most secret place under Your shadow; where is safe impenetrable protection.
LEADER: I am entirely dependent upon You for support, counsel, and consolation. Uphold me by Your Spirit.
ALL: Strengthen me inward for every purpose in life. Anew each day in the finished work of Christ.
LEADER: Take my body, soul, talents, character, success, family, friends, work, and future. My very end.
ALL: Take them. They are Yours. I am Yours. Now and forever.
Benediction: Jude 1:24-25 ESV
LEADER: 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
ALL: 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Post-Service Text: Isaiah 61:1a ESV
1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
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Quotes
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“There are two ways in which a practical moralist may attempt to displace from the human heart its love of the world - either by a demonstration of the world’s vanity, so as that the heart shall be prevailed upon simply to withdraw its regards from an object that is not worthy of it; or, by setting forth another object, even God, as more worthy of its attachment, so as that the heart shall be prevailed upon not to resign an old affection, which shall have nothing to succeed it, but to exchange an old affection for a new one.” - Thomas Chalmers (Expulsive Power of a New Affection)
“If you read the bible you’ll see that nobody who ever met Jesus Christ ever had a moderate reaction to him. There are only three reactions to Jesus: they either hated him and wanted to kill him, they were afraid of him and wanted to run away, or they were absolutely smitten with him and they tried to give their whole lives to him”. ----John Stott
“If we were left to ourselves with the task of taking the gospel to the world, we would immediately begin planning innovative strategies and plotting elaborate schemes. We would organize conventions, develop programs, and create foundations… But Jesus is so different from us. With the task of taking the gospel to the world, he wandered through the streets and byways…All He wanted was a few men who would think as He did, love as He did, see as He did, teach as He did and serve as He did. All He needed was to revolutionize the hearts of a few, and they would impact the world.” ― David Platt
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