VIDEO: 3-29-20 Sermon "RADICAL HOPE: Perseverance Produces Character"

Welcome,

This morning we are expanding our worship experience online.  There are a few videos of worship songs for you to sing to the glory to God.  There are  some words I sent out earlier this week about communion.  There is a suggestion for prayer.   Finally, there is a video sermon about moving from suffering to hope and how perseverance plays a role in this process.

God bless.  We may be separated by miles, but we can still be together in spirit.  Have a great Lord's Day.

His servant,

Todd

WORSHIP

COMMUNION

We want to encourage you to take the Lord’s Supper in your home at 10:00am on Sundays.  In this way, we can take communion together even though we are apart.  We ask you to use grape juice and crackers as is appropriate.  Feel free to take communion at another time if you cannot join us on Sunday morning at 10:00am.  

Read 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17 with a time of silent reflection followed by a prayer.  1 Corinthians 10:16,17 NIV says, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf."  Here is a possible communion prayer to say before you take the bread and the juice.  “Our Father, we join with Your church in observing this supper which has been preserved for two thousand years.  We rejoice that we are in the succession of those who, in every generation, have kept the name of Jesus alive.  Accept our thanks, O God, as we celebrate His supper today.  Amen.” – adapted from S. S. Lappin.  Take the Lord's Supper.

PRAYER

As prayer has always been an important part of our worship, let us pray for those with COVID-19.  We are hearing of more cases in our area.  In fact, Audrey Cassabon, Mike Wrobleski's mom, was recently positively diagnosed with this coronavirus.   Pray for God's help as doctors and researchers work to find therapies and vaccines.  Pray for nurses, techs, and aids as they treat those who are infected.

SERMON

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:1-11‬ ‭NIV

CHALLENGE

Memorize and/or meditate upon James 1:2 & 3. Write down 3 times when you gave up (did not persevere). Write 3 better strategies you could have utilized in those situations. On a scale from 1-5 (1 little chance and 5 overwhelmingly likely) how close are you to quitting on God, on your spouse, your job, your kids, right now? You cannot make it to hope without going through perseverance. To get there you must get there.  You must keep on keeping on.

Pray for one another often. Encourage one another with texts, emails, calls, IM’s, and any other means necessary.