2 April: Liturgy + Set List

• BE THOU MY VISION

  Good morning Life Church and welcome to this first Sunday in Holy Week - Palm Sunday. A day when we remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and how He was met with shouts of praise and worship. But we know that the events of Holy Week escalate and praise quickly turns to protest. It can be easy to stand on this side of the cross and wonder how people got it wrong. But truthfully, we can do the same. Happy to praise and worship the Lord when we feel like our lives are going to plan - but how quickly we move to protest, anger, and bitterness when we feel that God has done us wrong. But it is precisely because Jesus laid aside what was rightfully his that you and I never receive what is rightfully ours - death and hell. This is the wondrous mystery of Holy Week - let’s be reminded of who Jesus is and what He has done as God calls us to worship from His Word, this is from Philippians 2:

  Call to Worship: Philippians 2:5-11

• COME BEHOLD THE WONDROUS MYSTERY

• ALL HAIL KING JESUS

Corporate Confession:

Merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against You
in thought, word, and deed,
By what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved You with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

In Your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us amend what we are,
And direct what we shall be,
So that we may delight in your will and walk in Your ways, To the glory of Your holy name.

Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. [From the Book of Common Prayer]

Sermon: Mark 6:14-29

• GOODNESS OF GOD

• ABIDE

Benediction

Palm Sunday: John 12:1-13

"Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”" - John 12:1-13

Judging The Service

It is very difficult to assess week to week if you are making progress. Because week-to-week evaluations can largely become asking the question ‘Did people respond the way we hoped or anticipated?’ If the primary purpose of the corporate gathering is for the spiritual formation of God’s people than we can only tell as we look back over months and years if we are making progress in the work that we feel called to do as worship leaders.

So how do we judge the service? Honestly, we can’t. I encourage a service evaluation. But ultimately, we aim for intentionality and consistency. We labor to build trust in and among our people so that as we stand in front of them and lead them in sung worship, that they feel safe, and trust that we will lead them to a good place.

Ultimately, as followers of Jesus, our main job is making disciples. And part of making disciples is realizing that discipleship is a lifelong work. It is slow, ongoing, and never ends. So rather than judging a result, we have to become comfortable with tension. We have to be comfortable in allowing the Spirit to guide us into using the best of what we can offer to do what only He can do - lead people to Jesus, and transform their lives.

Go slow. Be consistent. Formation takes eternity.

Request: Matthew 26:36-46

“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”  - Matthew 26:36-46

Fully God, fully man. Jesus, who does only what the Father asks, asks the Father for something - to let this cup pass. Knowing all that was ahead, knowing all that it would accomplish, knowing the joy set before Him still asked God to let the cup of suffering and separation pass. And still here in this pleading request, there is a second request - perhaps, a stronger request - nevertheless, not what I will, but yours. Jesus' second request was not a cover for small faith in the way we so often ask - but a genuine surrender to the will and glory of the Father.

What places of your heart does your request need to become ‘nevertheless, not what I will but what You will…’?

Request: Luke 18:1-8

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”” - Luke 18:1-8

To make a request requires humility - it is an admission that I am unable to meet my every need. We have a Heavenly Father who knows our needs, and delights to give us good gifts - why would we not ask Him to meet our needs? Often when we ask and request God in prayer what we find is that our greatest need, our greater need is for God Himself. And this is a need that He meets generously, and extravagantly with Himself in and through the person and work of Christ.

How might the Lord be inviting you toward humility through prayer?

How might He be revealing Himself through your request?

26 March: Liturgy + Set List

• BEFORE THE THRONE

  Call to Worship: Psalm 16:7-11

Welcome to worship on this fifth Sunday in Lent. I learned this week that Eastern Orthodox Christians call Lent the Season of Bright Sadness. It is bright because we know that the tomb is empty. It is sad because we know that it is our sin that Christ took upon Himself at the cross. The majority of the American Church is really good at the brightness - really good at the celebration. The majority of the American Church is not as good at sadness. We don’t like to sit in the loss, grief, lament, and mourning. But I think that is one of the gifts of the season of Lent to us - that we are forced not to rush the Resurrection. We spend these forty days considering our sins, confessing our sins, and repenting of our sins - looking ahead to the hope of the life of Christ. But truthfully, bright sadness is not just true of how we live during the season of Lent, but it is how we live every moment of our lives. Because we know that Jesus has defeated satan, sin, and death - but we still live in a fallen and broken world. We still feel the effects of sin in our lives. But we sit in this sadness knowing that there is a day coming when Christ will fully banish all darkness and sadness, and it will always, only, and forever be bright - because the Lord Himself will be our light. And this morning we’re going to teach you a new song that I think will help us acknowledge the bright sadness of this life, but also how we will respond on that day, and today. This is All Hail King Jesus - we’ll teach you the chorus first:

• ALL HAIL KING JESUS

• GREAT ARE YOU LORD

  Sermon: Mark 6:1-13

  Corporate Confession:

Merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against You
in thought, word, and deed,
By what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved You with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

In Your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us amend what we are,
And direct what we shall be,
So that we may delight in your will and walk in Your ways, To the glory of Your holy name.

Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. [From the Book of Common Prayer]

Communion

• IS HE WORTHY

Benediction

Request: Psalm 27

“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!

You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

    Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!

For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.

Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!

Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!”  - Psalm 27

In a world overrun by marketing, advertising, and social media, how easily our hearts believe ‘If I just had…’

King David desired one thing, asked for one thing, and sought one thing. To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

What one thing do you believe will satisfy you?

What request do you need to lay down before the Lord?

What request do you need to persist and pursue before the Lord?

Head and Heart

When it comes to life, I tend to lean heart. When it comes to song choice, I tend to lean head. Something I learned from worship leader, Charlie Hall, is that our congregations will always be best served when we can balance head and heart in our worship songs.

Our congregation must have their minds informed, and filled with the truths of Scripture, and the weight of God’s character, but if all we do is give them knowledge, we so easily become brains on sticks. If all we do is sing rich theology, every corporate gathering will feel more like an intellectual exercise, heavy and dense, rather than an opportunity to respond to God’s revelation of Himself through those truths. Likewise, our congregations must have their affections stirred for the person and work of Christ. We must give people the opportunity, space, and language to express the full scope of their lives and response to God. Simple songs of devotion, honest prayers of confession, joyful celebration, and raw lament have to find their place within the life of our congregations.

Ideally, these two things would live to together - songs that are deep and true, while yet simple and emotive. Maybe you have a few of those songs in your rotation now. What I have often seen is that songs - like me - tend to lean one way or the other. So as you are building your master song list, taking an inventory of your songs, and building set lists that reflect the Gospel story, one of the rhythms you can incorporate is building set lists where songs that lean head, are next to songs that lean heart. And songs that lean heart, are next to songs that lean head.

Repent: James 5:16

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”  - James 5:16

All sin is first and foremost against God. But we sin against others and we are sinned against. Although sin may be done in isolation, the consequences are communal. Part of the gift of the body of Believers is that we are not left to bear and carry the weight and consequences of our sin alone. Those who sin against us, and we sin against carry with us - shoulder to shoulder. In confession and repentance, the load is lighter. In confession and repentance, we open a door of humility and an opportunity for comfort. In confession and repentance, we become living ebenezeers of our own humanity, and simultaneously ebenezeers of the wonder and weight of the person and work of Christ.

Are there places where you have sought to be self-reliant rather than pressing your life into the community of faith?

Who needs to hear your prayers today?

Who needs to hear your confession today?

Repent: Mark 1:14-15

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel.” - Mark 1:14-15

The call to repentance and belief is not a one-time invitation. But a call toward every moment of every day for the rest of your life. From the garden, we are quick to hide and blame. To the grave, we are quick to forget and seek our own salvation. Repent and believe. Turn from your sin and toward Christ.

Pause to take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit if there are specific areas of your life where you are failing to repent and believe the gospel.

How might you cultivate a rhythm of repentance and belief in your daily life?

19 March: Liturgy + Set List

• GRACE ALONE

  Good morning and welcome to worship with us, welcome to this fourth week of Lent. If you know anything about Lent you probably know that one of the rhythms of this season is fasting, fasting from sugar, alcohol, social media, or spending money. And as we fast we are reminded of our need for rescue because we often give up things that we use to comfort or reward ourselves, numb or distract ourselves. But we don’t just fast from, we feast on. We run to the Savior and feast on the goodness, beauty and truth of the person and work of Christ. And in some small way, that is what we do together - a micro fast from all the things that we could be filling our time with this morning, but instead gathering with the people of God and feasting on the goodness, beauty, and truth of the Gospel. Don’t just go through the external motions of fasting, feast on the beauty of Jesus this morning. Let’s hear God call us to worship from His Word…

  Call to Worship: Psalm 34:1-8

• WE ARE SAVED

• JESUS PAID IT ALL

  Sermon: Mark 5:21-43

  Corporate Confession:

Merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against You
in thought, word, and deed,
By what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved You with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

In Your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us amend what we are,
And direct what we shall be,
So that we may delight in your will and walk in Your ways, To the glory of Your holy name.

Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. [From the Book of Common Prayer]

• ONLY A HOLY GOD

• IN CHRIST ALONE

  Benediction: Ephesians 3:20-21

Repent: Psalm 51

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

“Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will return to you.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
    build up the walls of Jerusalem;

then will you delight in right sacrifices,
    in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.” - Psalm 51

Repentance begins with confession: acknowledging and owning our sin. What a gift that one of the most well-known prayers of confession has been recorded, used for public worship, preserved, and passed down through the ages for the people of God. What a gift that confession is an indication - not a disqualification - of a man after God’s own heart. True confession moves us past worldly sorrow - pain, shame, and embarrassment for being caught and into godly grief - where we recognize that our sin is always first and foremost against a holy God. Confession and repentance reveal our heart, but it also reveals the heart of God the One who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6).

It is the kindness of the Lord that leads to repentance, 

how may He be leading you with His kindness today?

What has gone unconfessed and therefore unrepentant from today?