We’re entering into the final weeks of the 1 Peter series. Many Christians live today as if the world were our final destination. We pour our life resources and energy into things that will barely last 50 years, let alone eternity. We frequently cave in to the old sinful desires. We struggle to remain faithful in the midst of great suffering. We’ve lost sight of the glorious inheritance waiting for us.
God calls us to live as “strangers” in this world, spiritual sojourners that are just passing through. As children of the living God, our focus should be on eternity as we point people to the living Christ who paid it all for us. Our priorities and lifestyle should undergo a radical transformation.
In 1 Peter, Peter unpacks what this transformed life looks like and how it should interact with this world. In 1 Peter 5:1-4, because of the intense suffering and struggle the church found itself in and needing solid leadership, Peter exhorts his fellow elders to set an example worth following as they cared for God’s flock.
Service flow: (Song links go to AmazonMp3 where songs are $0.99 and DRM free.)
Blessed Be Your Name (Redman)
Greeting – How can you bless the name of the Lord with thanksgiving today?
Announcements
Receive New Members
Youth Ministry Highlight
Call to Worship (1 Peter 1:3)
Mighty to Save (Morgan/Fielding)
Corporate Reading from Zeph 3:1, Psa 89:1-2, Psa 89:5-8, Psa 25:4-7, Psa 25:16-21
Lord, You Have My Heart (Smith)
Be Unto Your Name (DeShazo/Sadler)
Offering w/ piano special by college student
Message
The Servant Song (Gillard)
Prayer together
Benediction
This was another great Sunday. We’ve been experiencing such a great atmosphere and response to our times of celebration together. People are engaging together in singing and responding to the truth of God’s Word with a refreshing enthusiasm. I’m not sure what’s causing it (beyond the obvious answer of the Holy Spirit), but we are praying that it continues.
We mixed things up a little bit today by starting with a song right away. We don’t do this often, but it seems to work well when we do. People are drawn in, and engage right from the get go.
We had a number of special things to work in as we received 8 people into membership, and then our youth pastor spent time talking about the upcoming summer youth trip to Seattle for missions work and Creation and the upcoming simulcast we are hosting, The Big Dig.
We then moved into the main time of singing. We started that with Mighty to Save, and it had been a little bit since we did it last. But people really starting singing right away. It was exciting. We then moved into a time of corporate Scripture reading and a song/confession time. This was actually led by one of the college students that I get to work with. Alex did an awesome job in leading the people in the reading, and leading the people in the moment. I really think God has some great things in store for him. It would be great if you would pray for him.
We finished out the front part of the service, and moved into the message time. This was a little bit of a challenging passage to preach in the sense that it has a very direct focus. But our senior pastor did a great job of broadening the application in helping people to see that as Christ-followers, we all have people we are called to serve and lead.
We ended the service by coming back to an older song, “The Servant Song,” which really captured the thrust and message of the day. We did it very simply with piano and a couple of voices. We also gave the words to people printed on paper so they could take them home and remember them. We then had people turn to a neighbor and pray together that they would grow and develop in their ability to be a servant leader to others. It was a great time.
If you were there, I’d love to hear a comment of what you thought or learned.
For more service orders from churches all over, check out Sunday Setlists at fredmckinnon.com.
Thanks!
