ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
GOD IS CREATOR The whole of creation came into existence through the will and power of God.
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Psalm 139:14 “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Praise God the Creator
Praise God for his creative power. Praise Him for creating your mind and body. Praise Him for creating the world we live in. Take time and praise him for different aspects of creation.
CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100
SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.
- Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
- Pray for Christian Challenge as they meet tonight at River. Ask God to grow the student’s faith and grow their community. Pray for students far from God. Pray that they would turn to Him.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Hebrews 13:15-25 – The Message
13-15 So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This “insider world” is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let’s take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus’ name.
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16 Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.
17 Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?
18-21 Pray for us. We have no doubts about what we’re doing or why, but it’s hard going and we need your prayers. All we care about is living well before God. Pray that we may be together soon.
May God, who puts all things together,
makes all things whole,
Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus,
the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant,
Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd,
up and alive from the dead,
Now put you together, provide you
with everything you need to please him,
Make us into what gives him most pleasure,
by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah.
All glory to Jesus forever and always!
Oh, yes, yes, yes.
22-23 Friends, please take what I’ve written most seriously. I’ve kept this as brief as possible; I haven’t piled on a lot of extras. You’ll be glad to know that Timothy has been let out of prison. If he leaves soon, I’ll come with him and get to see you myself.
24 Say hello to your pastoral leaders and all the congregations. Everyone here in Italy wants to be remembered to you.
25 Grace be with you, every one.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
God, through Christ, stands ready to equip you with all you need to do his will. He stands ready to work “in you” what he wants you to “work out” in your life. This is not mere word play, this is an important reality for your life. There is a balance and “tension” that you must embrace to thrive as a follower of Christ. You must completely trust God for all you need for a life of faithfulness. At the same time, you must completely make the choices he requires of you in order to live a life of faithfulness. This is not a math problem, because if it were it would be something like this: 100% is on God and 100% is on you. Neither is it a contradiction; it is a sort of paradox or mystery. God is completely sovereign and we are completely responsible. Now, leave the math behind and plug into the power. The power of God is available as we say “yes” to him day after day. “Yes, God, I am yours…fill me with your power again.” Then go and live a faithful, obedient life. Some say the Christian life is not about “doing” but rather about “being.” Of course, the truth is that there is no consistent “doing” apart from “being.” And what we are “doing” is the key to who we are “becoming.” So, as the old song says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.” Simple lyrics, profound truth. Trust completely, obey completely, thrive in Jesus.