Dear Friends,
We have an audio devotional uploaded to our church website. You can find it here. https://www.sunrisebiblechurch.org/sermons/?sermon_id=279
* Here are some worship notes for you individually or for you and your family. These are intended to go along with the audio devotional though you don’t need to use the notes to make sense of the the audio devotional. If they help you, use them to guide you in your worship of our Lord!
* If you have children who can read, you may want to have them read some of the Scripture passages themselves.
- Read Psalm 91:1-2
- Sing together or meditate on the hymn – “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.” If you need help with music, you can find the tune played here.
- Prayer – I am encouraging you to pray for contentment this week! What a needed grace in our world and community right now! Here is a model prayer for contentment. It is adapted from the puritan prayer “Contentment” in the book “Valley of Vision.”
Heavenly Father, If we suffer need, have loss, be in poverty, or are afflicted with sorrows, make our hearts treasure Your love. Make our hearts know Your love and be constrained by it even though some temporary blessings are denied.
Your mercy gives us trials that sometimes take away our wants and wishes. It is merciful for in what you have taken away we see our sins and our fallen state. We desire to be rid of both!
Let us willingly accept misery, sorrow, and temptations. May we be delivered from our own selfish wishes and find gratitude and thanksgiving in You!
When Your Son, Jesus, came into our souls in place of sin, He has become more dear to us than our sinful lusts. His kind grace has replaced the tyranny of our sinful wishes.
Teach us to believe that if we would have any sin restrained we must not only resist sin but must invite Christ Jesus to live in the place of it. For he must become to us more than any desire had ever been so that His sweetness, power, and life may be there instead.
Whenever we are afraid of evils about, comfort us by showing us that we in ourselves are dying and condemned but in Christ we are reconciled to You and live! Comfort us by showing that in ourselves we find no sufficiency and no rest but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace! Comfort us by showing us that we are feeble and unable to do good in ourselves but in Christ we have strength to do all things!
Though right now we face a time of pain and loss and have only Jesus’ graces in part, we know that we shall shortly have them perfect in glory. There You will show Yourself in Jesus fully reconciled, sufficient in Yourself, and as a lover of us completely with all our sins abolished. Lord, bring that day soon!
In Jesus name, Amen
- Scripture Reading – James 1:1-12
- Devotional – Pastor David
Let me conclude by giving you the lyrics to a hymn that I love and especially love in times like these:
God be with you till we meet again,
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you,
God be with you till we meet again.
Refrain
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again,
’Neath His wings protecting hide you,
Daily manna still divide you,
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again,
When life’s perils thick confound you,
Put His arms unfailing round you,
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again,
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
Smite death’s threatening wave before you,
God be with you till we meet again.