This page is updated on Thursdays and is intended to help you prepare your heart for our Sunday Gathering.
Use prayer to help guide you through these areas of preparation, and then use the drop-down boxes below to find the sermon text, songs and more!
Confess sin to God and others.
Come with a believing heart ready to receive and believe God’s Word.
Come ready to engage in fellowship with others.
Pastor Rickey recorded a recap of the first 11 chapters of Revelation as we hit the halfway point of the book; watch it here!
“The Beast from the Sea”
Revelation 13:1-10
June 4th
Pastor Rickey Primrose
As you read through the text to prepare for Sunday, pray for the Holy Spirit to open your heart and keep these questions in mind:
• What does this text say about God?
• What does this text say about people?
• How can I apply this text in context?
• How is the Spirit leading me to respond?
• Did these verses raise any questions as I read?
Click on the following songs to open lyric videos:
Praise The King
Corey Voss, Dustin Smith, Michael Bryce Jr. & Michael Farren
More Than Conquerors
Gareth Gilkeson and Chris Llewellyn
Look to the Lamb
Bryan Torwalt, Lindy Cofer, Mitch Wong & Tommy Iceland
NEW FOR JUNE
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
Psalm 1:1-2
“Praise the King”
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says, “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…”.
Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection is essential to our faith. This song reminds us of the implications of the resurrection. Last week, Pastor Rickey reminded us of the power of the cross. Our enemy cannot defeat us by accusations in heaven or afflictions on earth. He reminded us that our victory from the cross produces courage to follow Jesus. He has secured our victory and now we have confidence to live and follow Him without fear. That is something as believers we can easily affirm intellectually but is not always our story experientially. So many of us live our lives in fear. Fear of what the world will come to, fear of man, fear of sickness and death. But what happens when we live our lives in light of the victory we have in Christ? We become less concerned about how the world sees us and become more satisfied in how God sees us. We become more courageous in our witness. We become less consumed with the comforts and concerns of the world and more consumed with the kingdom of God. And we are able to endure this world with peace and joy even in the most trying of times. As we sing this song and as we live our lives, let us do so in light of the victory that Christ has won for us. Let us boldly follow Him wherever He leads.
Is prayer a regular rhythm of worship for you? When we look at the earthly life of Jesus, we see that going away to spend extended, uninterrupted time in prayer was a regular practice for Him. “But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed” (Luke 5:15-16). He understood that seeking the Father through prayer was essential. As disciples of Christ, how much more should it be essential for us to seek and encounter the presence of God through prayer? Prayer is a vehicle that God uses to turn our hearts and affections back to Him. It reminds us of our dependence on Him. It is also a means by which God gives us supernatural help. So, a prayerless disciple is powerless on his own.
If prayer is something that seems hard or awkward for you, I encourage you to begin by setting aside a time each day to pray. If you don’t know where to start, start by praying the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13 in your own words. Another way to engage in prayer is during the Prayer Gathering. Every Wednesday at 6:30pm we have a gathering of people that meet in the Student Assembly Room to seek the Lord together. That is a great venue to learn to pray with the people of God. May we be a people who rely not on ourselves but on our God through prayer.
Next date: June 11th
Here are some ways that you can prepare your hearts to sit at the Lord’s Table, which we partake in twice a month together:
Reflect – Reflect on the person and work of Christ.
Meditate on who He is and what He has done.
Examine your heart – Examine your heart and confess any sin or areas of misplaced hope.
Examine your love – Examine your relationships. Is there anyone that you need to reconcile with before taking the Lord’s Supper.
Rejoice – Come with gladness and thanksgiving that God has made you worthy to enter His presence.