Prepare (November 10, 2019)

This blog gives you a glimpse into the upcoming Sunday Gathering. It's an opportunity to read through the passage we'll be studying together, pray through some of the liturgy we'll be using, and listen to a selection of the songs we’ll be singing

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ROMANS - God & Israel: The Remnant

SERMON

This Sunday we are continuing in our Romans sermon series and Gary Aston will be preaching to us from Romans 11:1-10.

LITURGY

COMMITMENT READING

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying: 

“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” 

(Revelation 7:9-12)

 MUSIC

• Made Alive (Citizens): A song that celebrates the new identity we have in Christ. Once we were dead in our sin but now we have been made alive in Jesus.

• This I Believe (Hillsong): A song based on the Apostle’s creed that celebrates all that we believe as Christians.

Reflect (November 3, 2019)

Welcome to the Sunday Gathering recap (songs, hymns, liturgy and sermon). This blog gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you heard in the gathering or catch up if you weren’t able to be with us.

*The indented sections are responses read aloud by the congregation during the Gathering

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ROMANS - God’s Sovereignty & Our Response

CALL TO WORSHIP

Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting it is to praise him!

He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

Great is our LORD and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

Sing to the LORD and make music to our God with grateful praise!

(Based on Psalm 147:1-7)

Song: Rejoice

Song: Come Praise and Glorify

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

When we encounter the mighty power of God and his holy character, we are confronted with our sin. It's such a stark contrast to our Lord, the creator of all things who is always perfectly loving and giving. God tells us in his word that without him, none of us our righteous, none of us seek him and all of us have turned away from him. But we needn't stay that way. Hear this truth from God's word:

"If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." (James 5:15-16)

Let's take a few moments now, in the quietness of our own hearts, to respond to God's invitation to experience healing in Christ as we confess our sins. Through His death and resurrection Christ has made us right with God; he makes us pure and holy and frees us from the power of sin. Let's sing out together now, with thanksgiving, praising God for all he has done for us in Jesus.

Song: Lead us back

PASSING OF THE PEACE

PREACHING OF THE WORD

Gary Aston preached to us from Romans 9:30-10:21 this Sunday as we thought about God’s Sovereignty and our response . Click here to listen to that sermon.

COMMUNION

Every week we want to respond to what God has done for us in Jesus. One of the great ways he has provided for us to remember the truth of the gospel is giving us communion. As we take the bread and wine we remember what Jesus has done for us.

POST COMMUNION READING

Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.

We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.

We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: Nothing but the Blood

Song: Lamb of God

COMMITMENT READING

Father God, keep us from looking to the world for fulfilment. Instead, give us strength to continually look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.

By your Spirit’s work in our hearts, give us the faith and courage to hold onto the gospel above all else.

Remind us of your love and of your kingdom that we have been brought into.

May we go from this gathering and boldly live out our mission to proclaim Jesus as saviour, redeemer and king. Amen.

Song: Be Thou My Vision

BENEDICTION

Go and celebrate the Father’s Love, Christ’s victory, and the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts as we share our hope with the rest of the world.

Peace be with you.

And also with you.

Prepare (November 3, 2019)

This blog gives you a glimpse into the upcoming Sunday Gathering. It's an opportunity to read through the passage we'll be studying together, pray through some of the liturgy we'll be using, and listen to a selection of the songs we’ll be singing

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ROMANS - God’s Sovereignty & Our Responsibility

SERMON

Gary Aston will be preaching to us this Sunday from Romans 9:30-10:21 looking at God’s sovereignty and our responsibility.

LITURGY

COMMITMENT READING

Father God, keep us from looking to the world for fulfilment. Instead, give us strength to continually look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. 

By your Spirit’s work in our hearts, give us the faith and courage to hold onto the gospel above all else. 

Remind us of your love and of your kingdom that we have been brought into. 

May we go from this gathering and boldly live out our mission to proclaim Jesus as saviour, redeemer and king. Amen.

 MUSIC

• Be Thou My Vision (Ascend the Hill): A song that asks for God to be central to our lives, that we would treasure Jesus and his gospel above all else.

• Nothing but the Blood: A hymn that reflects on the blood of Jesus that saves us from our sin and cleanses us from our impurity.

Reflect (October 27, 2019)

Welcome to the Sunday Gathering recap (songs, hymns, liturgy and sermon). This blog gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you heard in the gathering or catch up if you weren’t able to be with us.

*The indented sections are responses read aloud by the congregation during the Gathering

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ROMANS - Certainty

CALL TO WORSHIP

Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name; worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness.

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King for ever. The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

(based on Psalm 29)

Song: O God of Our Salvation

Song: A God Who Saves

Father God, as we hear of your faithfulness to us and sing of the redemption we have known in Jesus, we confess that so often we forget this. We confess that so often we forget grace is a gift from you. Forgive us for believing it is our actions that make us right with you. Forgive us being self-righteous, believing our performance has earned our salvation. Remind us that our salvation rests on what Jesus has already done for us, not what we have done. Amen. As Christians we need to be reminded that grace is a gift from God to us, it's not something our works have earned for us. Let's remind one another of this truth as we sing this next song together now.

Song: Grace Alone

PASSING OF THE PEACE

PREACHING OF THE WORD

Tom Thrower preached from God’s word to us this Sunday as we thought about certainty of salvation from Romans 9:6-29 . Click here to listen to that sermon.

COMMUNION

Every week we want to respond to what God has done for us in Jesus. One of the great ways he has provided for us to remember the truth of the gospel is giving us communion. As we take the bread and wine we remember what Jesus has done for us.

POST COMMUNION READING

Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.

We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.

We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: The Power of the Cross

Song: I Stand Amazed

COMMITMENT READING

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8:38-39)

Song: Nothing in All the Earth

BENEDICTION

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Peace be with you.

And also with you.