Music and Worship: Sunday, February 21st, 2016

Good afternoon! 

Below is a recap of some of the songs that we used to worship God this past Sunday, and some notes from one of our worship leaders, John McCall, on preparing our hearts to truly worship God. Also included below are some of the scriptures that inform the songs sung on Sunday.

We hope you are encouraged and uplifted as you listen to these truth-filled songs and read John's notes and the scriptures below!

 

Preparing Our Hearts For Worship

Sermon Title: In Step With The Gospel!
Scripture From Sermon: Galatians 2: 11- 21

Main Prayer Focus

[Galatians 2:15 – 3:14 – “we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone, and the righteous shall live by faith”] Jesus, remind us of who you are and what you’ve done. Help us to see that we are free from bondage, free from condemnation, and free from fear. We are no longer subject to the weight of carrying out the law perfectly, nor must we fear pleasing others in hopes that their judgment on our lives could hold a candle to how you have justified us. It is this grace that we have in you that has paid our debt, set us free, and empowered us to do your will for your kingdom here and now.
Thank you for allowing us to reap what you have sown, to be adopted by a Father who loves us and calls us by name.

Things To Consider As Band Members And As Worshipers

As a band, we have the opportunity to point to person of Jesus Christ not only as worthy of our praise because he is who he is, but also for what we have received freely from him in order to bring us near to him. We get to “lead the charge” in singing songs of freedom that declare our liberation from Fear – fear of man, fear of right standing before a Holy God, fear of Loss, fear of the Unknown, fear of dependence, or even the fears of the past. Let us call upon the Name of the Lord who hears our cry and is near, and give Him praise for this gift of Grace that sets us free to give Him Glory with confidence as Children of God.

How do the Songs Support the Message

This morning we devote time to consider how since before the foundation of the world God the father intended to rescue us. That this Grace we receive through faith in Jesus was not by accident, it was intentional. We begin by recognizing this Grace and seeing how we are justified by it alone and how it changes who we are now, in comparison to who we were without Christ. We go on to recognize the cost at which we were given this grace, that we would benefit from the person of Jesus both in his death and resurrection – and that the Glory and Grace of God would be revealed in the gospel of His Son. Then simply praise Him for his finished work on the Cross, and acknowledge who we are now as Children of God, and so we are.


Scriptures Behind The Songs

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7: 24–27)

“...so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7)

Grace Alone

“...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” (Ephesians 1:4)

Man Of Sorrows

"He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:3-6) 

Completely Done

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:16 -17)

No Longer Slaves

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1)

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)