Grace Church

October 25, 2024

Friday, October 25, 2024

Grace Church

October 25, 2024

Read

Psalm 141, Proverbs 4:1-17, Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)

Psalm 141
A psalm of David.

O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
Listen when I cry to you for help!
Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

Take control of what I say, O Lord,
    and guard my lips.
Don’t let me drift toward evil
    or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
    of those who do wrong.

Let the godly strike me!
It will be a kindness!
If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.
Don’t let me refuse it.

But I pray constantly
    against the wicked and their deeds.
When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff,
    the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.
Like rocks brought up by a plow,
    the bones of the wicked will lie scattered without burial.

I look to you for help, O Sovereign Lord.
    You are my refuge; don’t let them kill me.
Keep me from the traps they have set for me,
    from the snares of those who do wrong.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
    but let me escape.

Proverbs 4:1-17
My children, listen when your father corrects you.
    Pay attention and learn good judgment,
for I am giving you good guidance.
    Don’t turn away from my instructions.
For I, too, was once my father’s son,
    tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.

My father taught me,
“Take my words to heart.
    Follow my commands, and you will live.
Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
    Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
    Love her, and she will guard you.
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
    And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
    Embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
    she will present you with a beautiful crown.”

My child, listen to me and do as I say,
    and you will have a long, good life.
I will teach you wisdom’s ways
    and lead you in straight paths.
When you walk, you won’t be held back;
    when you run, you won’t stumble.
Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
    Guard them, for they are the key to life.

Don’t do as the wicked do,
    and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
    Turn away and keep moving.
For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.
    They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
They eat the food of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence!

Hebrews 4:14-16
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Jesus Storybook Bible:
A New Beginning (p.38)

Meditate

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

Pray

Gracious Lord, we praise you for revealing Christ to us. Though we rebelled against You in our sin, You looked on us with compassion and mercy. Thank you for humbling us, hearing our cries for rescue, and providing Jesus as our perfect sacrifice. He is the Righteous One and our perfect High Priest. Enable us by Your Spirit to live as those set apart by your grace. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

How Can We Pray for You?

Sing

Before the Throne of God Above

New City Catechism

Question 43: What Are the Sacraments or Ordinances?

Answer: The sacraments or ordinances given by God and instituted by Christ, namely baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are visible signs and seals that we are bound together as a community of faith by his death and resurrection. By our use of them the Holy Spirit more fully declares and seals the promises of the gospel to us.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Grace Church

October 11, 2024

Friday, October 11, 2024

Grace Church

October 11, 2024

Read

Psalm 127, Deuteronomy 6:4-12, John 15:1-8 (NLT)

Psalm 127
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.

Unless the Lord builds a house,
    the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
    guarding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard
    from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
    for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Children are a gift from the Lord;
    they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man
    are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
    He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-12
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

“The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.”

Scripture Reference
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

Jesus Storybook Bible:
A Giant Staircase to Heaven (p.48)

Meditate

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Pray

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are the source of life. Every good thing I have has come from You. Forgive me for finding my joy more in Your gifts than in You, the Giver. Lord Jesus, you have united yourself to me and given me eternal life. Thank you for revealing to me the paths of life. Help me, Holy Spirit, to abide in your Word and to live the way of Christ’s Kingdom. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

How Can We Pray for You?

Sing

Christ Be All

New City Catechism

Question 41: What is the Lord’s Prayer?

Answer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Grace Church

October 5, 2024

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Grace Church

October 5, 2024

Read

Psalm 121, Isaiah 49:8-12, Jude 24-25 (NLT)

Psalm 121
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

Isaiah 49:8-12
This is what the Lord says:

“At just the right time, I will respond to you.
    On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you and give you to the people
    as my covenant with them.
Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel
    and assign it to its own people again.
I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’
    and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’
They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures
    and on hills that were previously bare.
They will neither hunger nor thirst.
    The searing sun will not reach them anymore.
For the Lord in his mercy will lead them;
    he will lead them beside cool waters.
And I will make my mountains into level paths for them.
    The highways will be raised above the valleys.
See, my people will return from far away,
    from lands to the north and west,
    and from as far south as Egypt.”

Jude 24-25
Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Jesus Storybook Bible:
The Warrior Leader (p.108)

Meditate

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. (Psalm 121:5)

Pray

God of all grace, You are Lord over the flood. I will not trust in my own strength but put my confidence in You. I know that You will not abandon me because You gave up Your only Son for my sake. In the midst of my struggles remind me that nothing, not even death, can separate me from Your love. Strengthen me with the truth that through trials you are making me more like Christ and that through him I will endure. Deepen my trust in Your will and help me to lift my eyes to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

How Can We Pray for You?

Sing

Psalm 121 (I Lift My Eyes)

New City Catechism

Question 40: What Should We Pray?

Answer: The whole Word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray, including the prayer Jesus himself taught us.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Grace Church

October 4, 2024

Friday, October 4, 2024

Grace Church

October 4, 2024

Read

Psalm 120, Isaiah 30:23-29, 1 Peter 2:9-12 (NLT)

Psalm 120
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

I took my troubles to the Lord;
    I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
Rescue me, O Lord, from liars
    and from all deceitful people.
O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
    How will he increase your punishment?
You will be pierced with sharp arrows
    and burned with glowing coals.

How I suffer in far-off Meshech.
    It pains me to live in distant Kedar.
I am tired of living
    among people who hate peace.
I search for peace;
    but when I speak of peace, they want war!

Isaiah 30:23-29
Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.

Look! The Lord is coming from far away,
    burning with anger,
    surrounded by thick, rising smoke.
His lips are filled with fury;
    his words consume like fire.
His hot breath pours out like a flood
    up to the neck of his enemies.
He will sift out the proud nations for destruction.
    He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin.

But the people of God will sing a song of joy,
    like the songs at the holy festivals.
You will be filled with joy,
    as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims
to Jerusalem, the mountain of the Lord—
    to the Rock of Israel.

1 Peter 2:9-12
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

“Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

Jesus Storybook Bible:
Get Ready! (p.170)

Meditate

You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. (1 Peter 2:9)

Pray

Heavenly Father, You are my Rock and my Defender. Forgive me for placing my hope in my own strength and not in Your grace. I am surrounded by the world, harassed by the Enemy, and tempted by my flesh. Raise up the banner of Christ before my eyes and remind me of Your promises. In him, I will be victorious. Yet, as I await the day of final victory, enable me by Your Spirit to carry out the good works you have for me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

How Can We Pray for You?

Sing

On Jordan’s Stormy Banks

New City Catechism

Question 40: What Should We Pray?

Answer: The whole Word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray, including the prayer Jesus himself taught us.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Grace Church

September 4, 2024

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Grace Church

September 4, 2024

Read

Psalm 94, Lamentations 3:19-32, 1 Peter 2:19-25 (NLT)

Psalm 94
O Lord, the God of vengeance,
    O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth!
Arise, O Judge of the earth.
    Give the proud what they deserve.
How long, O Lord?
    How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?
How long will they speak with arrogance?
    How long will these evil people boast?
They crush your people, Lord,
    hurting those you claim as your own.
They kill widows and foreigners
    and murder orphans.
“The Lord isn’t looking,” they say,
    “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.”

Think again, you fools!
    When will you finally catch on?
Is he deaf—the one who made your ears?
    Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes?
He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you?
    He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?
The Lord knows people’s thoughts;
    he knows they are worthless!

Joyful are those you discipline, Lord,
    those you teach with your instructions.
You give them relief from troubled times
    until a pit is dug to capture the wicked.
The Lord will not reject his people;
    he will not abandon his special possession.
Judgment will again be founded on justice,
    and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.

Who will protect me from the wicked?
    Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Unless the Lord had helped me,
    I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.
I cried out, “I am slipping!”
    but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind,
    your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side—
    leaders whose decrees permit injustice?
They gang up against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent to death.
But the Lord is my fortress;
    my God is the mighty rock where I hide.
God will turn the sins of evil people back on them.
    He will destroy them for their sins.
    The Lord our God will destroy them.

Lamentations 3:19-32
The thought of my suffering and homelessness
    is bitter beyond words.
I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!”

The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
    to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
    for salvation from the Lord.
And it is good for people to submit at an early age
    to the yoke of his discipline:

Let them sit alone in silence
    beneath the Lord’s demands.
Let them lie face down in the dust,
    for there may be hope at last.
Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them
    and accept the insults of their enemies.

For no one is abandoned
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
because of the greatness of his unfailing love.

1 Peter 2:19-25
For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

He never sinned,
    nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
    nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
    who always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins
    in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
    and live for what is right.
By his wounds
    you are healed.
Once you were like sheep
    who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
    the Guardian of your souls.

Jesus Storybook Bible:
The Sun Stops Shining (p.302)

Meditate

No one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. (Lamentations 3:31-32)

Pray

God Almighty, You love righteousness and justice. No evil is hidden from Your sight and vengeance always is Yours. Forgive us for the corruption in our own hearts and the evils we commit. Lord Jesus, only You have lived for God as we ought. Thank you for taking our sin upon yourself and delivering us from God’s holy wrath. Empower us by Your Spirit to crucify the flesh and to love mercy, seek justice, and walk humbly with our God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

How Can We Pray for You?

Sing

Oh Christ, I Kneel Before Your Cross

New City Catechism

Question 36: What Do We Believe About the Holy Spirit?

Answer: That he is God, coeternal with the Father and the Son, and that God grants him irrevocably to all who believe.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Grace Church

August 9, 2024

Friday, August 9, 2024

Grace Church

August 9, 2024

Read

Psalm 68, Isaiah 61:1-2, Ephesians 4:4-13 (NLT)

Psalm 68
For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.

Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
    Let those who hate God run for their lives.
Blow them away like smoke.
    Melt them like wax in a fire.
    Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
But let the godly rejoice.
    Let them be glad in God’s presence.
    Let them be filled with joy.
Sing praises to God and to his name!
    Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
His name is the Lord—
    rejoice in his presence!

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
    when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude
the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
    before you, the God of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
You sent abundant rain, O God,
    to refresh the weary land.
There your people finally settled,
    and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
    you provided for your needy people.

The Lord gives the word,
    and a great army brings the good news.
Enemy kings and their armies flee,
    while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—
    doves with wings of silver
    and feathers of gold.
The Almighty scattered the enemy kings
    like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

The mountains of Bashan are majestic,
    with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,
    at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,
    where the Lord himself will live forever?

Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,
    the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
When you ascended to the heights,
    you led a crowd of captives.
You received gifts from the people,
    even from those who rebelled against you.
    Now the Lord God will live among us there.

Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude
Our God is a God who saves!
The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.

But God will smash the heads of his enemies,
    crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
The Lord says, “I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;
    I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.
You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood,
    and even your dogs will get their share!”

Your procession has come into view, O God—
    the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary.
Singers are in front, musicians behind;
    between them are young women playing tambourines.
Praise God, all you people of Israel;
    praise the Lord, the source of Israel’s life.
Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.
    Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah
    and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.

Summon your might, O God.
    Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.
The kings of the earth are bringing tribute
    to your Temple in Jerusalem.
Rebuke these enemy nations—
    these wild animals lurking in the reeds,
    this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.
Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute.
    Scatter the nations that delight in war.
Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals;
    let Ethiopia bring tribute to God.
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.
    Sing praises to the Lord. Interlude
Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,
    his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
Tell everyone about God’s power.
    His majesty shines down on Israel;
    his strength is mighty in the heavens.
God is awesome in his sanctuary.
    The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

Isaiah 61:1-2
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

Ephesians 4:4-13
For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.

However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Jesus Storybook Bible:
The Warrior Leader (p.108)

Meditate

God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. (Psalm 68:35)

Pray

Our great God, You are full of strength and majesty. It is only by Your grace that we have been delivered into Your Kingdom. Lord Jesus, thank you for rescuing us by your sacrifice and making us holy in God’s sight. Help us, Holy Spirit, to live as the royal priesthood and holy Temple you have made us. We pray for our church family. Enable us to take opportunities to encourage one another and build each other up so that the Gospel might be declared and demonstrated through our life together. Come Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

How Can We Pray for You?

Sing

O Church Arise

New City Catechism

Question 32: What Do Justification and Sanctification Mean?

Answer: Justification means our declared righteousness before God, made possible by Christ’s death and resurrection for us. Sanctification means our gradual, growing righteousness, made possible by the Spirit’s work in us.

New to Daily Worship?

Here are some helpful guides to get you started:

Grace Church

August 5, 2024

Monday, August 5, 2024

Grace Church

August 5, 2024

Read

Psalm 64, Deuteronomy 32:31-39, 1 Peter 2 2:19-25 (NLT)

Psalm 64
For the choir director: A psalm of David.

O God, listen to my complaint.
    Protect my life from my enemies’ threats.
Hide me from the plots of this evil mob,
    from this gang of wrongdoers.
They sharpen their tongues like swords
    and aim their bitter words like arrows.
They shoot from ambush at the innocent,
    attacking suddenly and fearlessly.
They encourage each other to do evil
    and plan how to set their traps in secret.
    “Who will ever notice?” they ask.
As they plot their crimes, they say,
    “We have devised the perfect plan!”
    Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.

But God himself will shoot them with his arrows,
    suddenly striking them down.
Their own tongues will ruin them,
    and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
Then everyone will be afraid;
    they will proclaim the mighty acts of God
    and realize all the amazing things he does.
The godly will rejoice in the Lord
    and find shelter in him.
And those who do what is right
    will praise him.

Deuteronomy 32:31-39
But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock,
    as even they recognize.
Their vine grows from the vine of Sodom,
    from the vineyards of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are poison,
    and their clusters are bitter.
Their wine is the venom of serpents,
    the deadly poison of cobras.

“The Lord says, ‘Am I not storing up these things,
    sealing them away in my treasury?
I will take revenge; I will pay them back.
    In due time their feet will slip.
Their day of disaster will arrive,
    and their destiny will overtake them.’

“Indeed, the Lord will give justice to his people,
    and he will change his mind about his servants,
when he sees their strength is gone
    and no one is left, slave or free.
Then he will ask, ‘Where are their gods,
    the rocks they fled to for refuge?
Where now are those gods,
    who ate the fat of their sacrifices
    and drank the wine of their offerings?
Let those gods arise and help you!
    Let them provide you with shelter!
Look now; I myself am he!
    There is no other god but me!
I am the one who kills and gives life;
    I am the one who wounds and heals;
    no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!

1 Peter 2:19-25
For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

He never sinned,
    nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
    nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
    who always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins
    in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
    and live for what is right.
By his wounds
    you are healed.
Once you were like sheep
    who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
    the Guardian of your souls.

Jesus Storybook Bible:
The Servant King (p.286)

Meditate

God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. (1 Peter 2:21)

Pray

Heavenly Father, vengeance is Yours alone. I will not trust in my own strength but put my confidence in You. I know that You will not abandon me because You gave up Your only Son for my sake. In the midst of my heartache, remind me that nothing can separate me from Your love in Christ and that through Christ I will overcome. Enable me by Your Spirit to follow Christ by loving my enemies mercifully and sacrificially. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

How Can We Pray for You?

Sing

Jesus I My Cross Have Taken

New City Catechism

Question 32: What Do Justification and Sanctification Mean?

Answer: Justification means our declared righteousness before God, made possible by Christ’s death and resurrection for us. Sanctification means our gradual, growing righteousness, made possible by the Spirit’s work in us.

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Grace Church

May 24, 2024

Friday, May 24, 2024