For the week of January 29 – February 4 – 4th Sunday after the Epiphany
Morning prayer: Blessed Lord, You have caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant us to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which You have given to us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
Hymn #92 For the Beauty of the Earth
- For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. - For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. - For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and mind's delight,
for the mystic harmony, linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. - For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. - For Thy church, that evermore lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. - For Thyself, best Gift Divine, to the world so freely given,
for that great, great love of Thine, peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
Psalm 148:1-6
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His host!
Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars!
Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created.
He established them forever and ever; He fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
Children’s message Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Children’s Message
If I were to ask you to tell me what makes you happy, what would your answer be? Would it be something like "happiness is scoring the winning goal in a soccer game" or "happiness is being the most popular person in my class?"
We all want to be happy, don't we? Does it surprise you to know that God wants you to be happy? Well, He does, but you might be surprised to find out that what Jesus said about happiness is quite different from what you and I might expect. Most of us think that to be happy means having a lot of money, having plenty to eat, having someone to take care of us, or being well-liked by everyone. That isn't what Jesus said.
One day Jesus went up onto the side of a mountain. He sat down, gathered His disciples around Him, and began to teach them about happiness. Even though these are not the exact words Jesus used, I think they will help us to understand what He taught.
He said things like:
Be happy when you are poor in spirit, because then you will find that your riches are in the kingdom of heaven.
Be happy when you feel you have lost what is most dear to you, because it is then that you will feel the love of the One who is the most dear to you.
Be happy with what you have, because then you will find that your heavenly Father provides everything that you need.
Be happy when you are hungry for the things of God, because then you will find that only He can satisfy.
Be happy when you are caring for others, because it is in caring for others that you will find that you have a heavenly Father who cares for you.
Be happy when your heart is right with God, because it is then that you will see that God is at work in the world around you.
Be happy when you help others to get along peacefully with one another, because it is then that you will know the peace that comes from being a part of the family of God.
Be happy when others treat you badly because you follow Me, because your reward will be great in heaven.
You see, happiness is not a feeling that is brought about by the things that happen to us. It is an attitude that we have because of what we have in our heart. We need to be like the bee, buzzing happily through life because of what God has done for us. (www.sermons4kids.com)
Dear Father, help us to have the happiness that You want for us. Happiness that comes, not from what happens to us, but from what happens inside of us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Prayers of Intercession: Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayers for those dear to our hearts. We now pray as You have taught us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us, not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Offering spotlight: The Gideons International is dedicated to winning others to the Lord Jesus Christ. Gideons members strengthen their walk with Christ, maintain a strong personal testimony and share the Word of God with the world. Today’s bulletin includes information and an opportunity to financially support The Gideons.
Offering prayer: Generous and giving God, we offer gifts this day as those who have received so much more. You gave Yourself to us and asked only for devotion, yet we got distracted by the world. You offered all of creation to meet our needs for food and shelter, yet we decided we wanted more. You offered Your love to all, yet we decided some were more worthy and valuable than others. So, You gave us “the repentance that leads to life,” and all our giving pales by comparison. Dedicate us, we pray, in Christ’s holy name. Amen. (Discipleship Ministries)
Hymn #600 Wonderful Words of Life
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life. Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.
Refrain: Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.
- Christ, the blessed one, give to all, wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life. All so freely giving, wooing us to heaven. Refrain:
- Sweetly echo the gospel call, wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life; Jesus, only Savior sanctify forever. Refrain:
This Sunday there was a special speaker from The Gideons
The Gideons International is an association of Christian business and professional men dedicated to winning others to the Lord Jesus Christ. Begun in 1899, the Association now operates with over 240,000 Gideons and Auxiliary (wives of Gideons), serving in some 200 countries, territories, and possessions. Partnering with Protestant and evangelical churches, we have placed and distributed more than 2.4 billion copies of God’s Word in 109 languages.
Gideons are called to use their God-given gifts and talents developed in their business and professional careers to reach lost souls for Christ. Through the ministry of the Gideons, members strengthen their walk with Christ, maintain a strong personal testimony, and share the Word of God with the world. To learn more, visit Gideons.org/invite
There are Gideons greeting cards at the rear of the church sanctuary to purchase Bibles in honor or memory of a person for various occasions.
Closing Hymn: #569 We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations
- We've a story to tell to the nations, that shall turn their hearts to the right,
a story of truth and mercy, a story of peace and light, a story of peace and light.
Refrain: For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday bright;
and Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth, the kingdom of love and light.
- We've a song to be sung to the nations, that shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
a song that shall conquer evil and shatter the spear and sword,
and shatter the spear and sword.
(Refrain) - We've a message to give to the nations, that the Lord who reigneth above
hath sent us His Son to save us, and show us that God is love,
and show us that God is love.
(Refrain) - We've a Savior to show to the nations, who the path of sorrow hath trod,
that all of the world's great peoples might come to the truth of God,
might come to the truth of God.
(Refrain)
Go into your week with the blessings of The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit.
