16 July: Tuesday Refocus

"Ever-loving God, who having loved us loves us still, help us to hear again your word, 'By this shall they know you are my disciples; that you love one another." Turn our hostility into hospitality and our callousness into care. Through Christ, we pray. Amen.” - A Guide to Prayer for All God’s People

Forgiveness and love go hand in hand (Luke 7:47). If enemies of God can be welcomed as friends, and called family - what a small thing it is for us to love one another (Colossians 1:21, John 15:15, 1 Peter 2:9-10)?

Father, may we as your children show how much you have loved and forgiven us by loving and forgiving one another. In Christ’s name, and the Spirit’s power, amen.

Amen,

AB

11 February: Liturgy & Set List

• HOLY HOLY HOLY

  Call to Worship: Psalm 96

  We ascribe to the Lord his value and worth, not because our recognition makes it any more or less true - not because God needs to be reminded of His own character, but because we forget these things are true. Let’s sing about the heart, character, and worth of our God:

• PSALM 134 (BLESS THE LORD)

• LAMB OF GOD

  Sermon: Mark 15:1-39

  Before sin was in the world, salvation was already present. God had sewn redemption and rescue into the story of humanity before the foundation of the world. And even into eternity - if you are a follower of Jesus - we will spend celebrating and worshiping in response to Christ’s completed work on the cross. Let’s put language to that reality as we sing together now. Would you stand if you’re able:

• THANK YOU JESUS FOR THE BLOOD

• ALL HAIL KING JESUS

  Benediction

17 September: Liturgy + Set List

• GRAVES INTO GARDENS

  Call to Worship: Romans 11:33-12:2

  All we do is give back to God what always has been His. We live in response to the mercy and grace of God by offering our lives as an act of worship. Part of what we do as we gather is reorient our lives around responding to the mercy and grace of God. Let’s do that together as we sing:

• ALL I HAVE IS CHRIST

• HOLY IS OUR GOD

  Sermon: Mark 10:1-12

  Scripture says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Some of us have sin that is loud and obvious, all of us have sin that is subtle and subversive and deep in our hearts. As we continue in worship, we’re going to confess our sins to God and one another:

  Book of Common Prayer Corporate Confession

  Now that we have confessed our sins to God and one another, I want to give you a few moments of silence to consider and confess your own sins.

Brothers and sisters hear the good news: The Lord who loves you says in His word: Go and sin no more.

• HOLY FOREVER

• LAMB OF GOD

  Benediction

Tuesday Refocus: February 14

“If reconciliation is God’s chief business, it is ours.” - E. Stanley Jones

It is easy to confuse love with a feeling. Certainly, love causes our hearts to feel in extremes - affection and affliction. But love is too large to be contained in our emotions - it moves out in our actions. Could there be a greater representation of love in action than reconciliation?

Webster defines reconciliation as ‘the action of reconciling: the state of being reconciled.’

This is what God has done for us in Christ: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18

The love of God moves toward us in the reconciling work of Christ. And we respond by becoming people who are given the ministry of reconciliation. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We are to be reconcilers because we have first been reconciled to God.

Perhaps the most loving thing this Valentine’s Day is not romantic gestures, but acts of reconciliation. Terminating a debt. Choosing again in this moment to forgive a wrong. Repairing what has been broken.

God, we confess that all sin is first against You. Thank You for Your great forgiveness. Help us to be people of forgiveness and reconciliation in our world. Amen.

Reconciling,

AB

November 1: Tuesday Refocus

"Christ comes with a blessing in each hand; forgiveness in one, holiness in the other" - A.W. Pink

When we see, know, and believe that we have been forgiven, holiness should be the growing response. As the Apostle Paul reminds us:

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:1-4

We do not presume on the riches of God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience, but we desire to be holy as God is holy (Romans 2:4, 1 Peter 1:16). 

Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness. Help us grow in holiness. Amen.

Growing,

AB

September 20: Tuesday Refocus

“May I seek after an increase of divine love to thee, after unreserved resignation to thy will.” - Puritan Prayer

Love and surrender walk hand-in-hand. Because sacrifice is an indication of the depth of love: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

If we truly understood the depths of God’s mercy, we would have no hesitation in offering ourselves as a spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). If we saw how deeply Christ had served us, we would wholeheartedly serve others (Matthew 20:28). If we knew that God first loved us, how constant we would love in response (1 John 4:19).

“Take my will and make it Thine; 

it shall be no longer mine. 

Take my heart, it is Thine own; 

it shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only all for Thee.”

Frances R. Havergal (1836-1879)

May it be so, Lord. Surrender and love are the obvious outward of Your generous love towards us as Your people. In Christ’s name, amen.

Ever, only, all for Thee,

AB

March 1: Tuesday Refocus

‘…never spare a little sin.’ - J.C. Ryle

We are prone to overlook, avoid, and justify.

It is easy to shrug in the direction of quiet, little sins.  It takes both humility and courage to pray with the Psalmist: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!’ (Psalm 139:23-24).

The Apostle Paul was no stranger to his own sin - both great and small - he called himself the chief of sinners (1 Tim 1:15), confessing that he does not do what he wants to do, but does the very thing he hates (Rom 7:15).  And yet, it is this former persecutor of the Church who says that it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance (Phil 3:6, Rom 2:4).  Repentance requires that we must acknowledge our sins - small and great, the wrong things we have done, the right things we have failed to do, sins of omission and commission, those things are known to us, and those things that are still hidden.  Even here, maybe even especially here, we experience the kindness of God that leads us toward repentance - turning away from our sin and turning toward Christ.

Lord, as we enter this season of Lent, would you give us the courage and humility of the Psalmist, so that we might experience your kindness toward us as we see our sin, and experience Your grace?  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Praying,

AB 

February 15: Tuesday Refocus

“Confession and forgiveness are the concrete forms in which we sinful people love one another.” - Henri J.M. Nouwen

Grand, romantic gestures, gifts, and extravagance are often the visible markers of love the culture recognizes - particularly on Valentine’s Day.  But Scripture tells us, greater love has no one than this than they lay their life down for their friend (John 15:13).  But when Christ laid down His life for us, we were not friends of God.  In fact, we were His enemies, hostile toward Him (Rom 5:10).

Maybe there will come a day when you will be called upon to literally lay down your life on behalf of someone you love.  More likely, you will be called upon to lay down your life by dying to self, taking up your cross, and in humility thinking more highly of others as you confess your sins, and give and receive forgiveness (Gal 2:20, Col 3, Rom 12:3, Luke 9:23, James 5:16).  There are few things more vulnerable.  There are few things that display the kind of Christ-like love that is ours in and through His life and death.

Jesus, You have loved us with an everlasting, steadfast, immovable love.  May our love not just live in our hearts, but move our actions as we confess and forgive.  This is love too deep, and too difficult for us to accomplish in our own strength.  Help us to love with the power of Your Spirit.  Amen.

Love,

AB