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[2:00] Thank you.
[2:30] Thank you.
[3:00] Thank you.
[3:30] This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
[3:46] This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
[3:57] This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us pray.
[4:07] Let us pray. Let us pray.
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[5:44] All the ways that God would lead us to that blessed promised land. But he guides us with his eye and we'll follow till we die.
[5:56] For we'll understand it better by and by. By and by, oh and the morning comes.
[6:07] When the saints of God are gathered home, we'll tell the story how we've overcome.
[6:18] For we'll understand it better by and by. Please be seated. Good morning church.
[6:46] The Lord be with you. It is indeed a joy to be in the Lord's house and to be connected with all of you online as we come together to worship and praise our God. Especially in this season of Thanksgiving, we all know that even in the midst of so many challenges in our world, there is much for which we must give thanks.
[7:06] Amen. And so with that, we are just thrilled to be gathered together here at Pendleton Center United Methodist Church, as well as Niagara Falls First United Methodist Churches.
[7:17] It is a joy to be in connection with you. And as we get to our time of giving, we have some announcements before we begin. And Carla is going to start with some announcements about fish fries. Good morning everyone.
[7:32] Good morning. Good morning. All fish fries are over. We did 189 on the last Friday. 650 for the three days, which is the most we've ever done for a fall fish fry during COVID.
[7:45] I thank everyone for the last minute. I just want to thank everyone for that helped out.
[7:59] I want to say everyone that wanted to help out. Usually do, you know,ápriters so much space for the people to help out today. We have fish left over.
[8:14] There's a photo text. There's two fish. You can call the office. And I'll get this door. I'm laying out.
[8:26] I'm aiming after the conference. I'm going to get our full spot. Please don't be shy. Thank you very much. Again, we certainly echo all our thanks for those who are part of that great ministry and that great initiative on part of the church.
[8:43] It has indeed touched so many, and we are thrilled for the ways it has been moving in it. We also want to be mindful of different ways we can connect as we grow in faith over the week. We have Bible study on Tuesday nights, which is still moving forward, continuing our conversation, which we call deeper dive into the scriptures that we talk about on Sunday.
[9:04] We have Bible study on Wednesday night. Which is currently a study book of Acts. We also have two new Bible studies getting underway soon. One is an in-person Bible study on Sundays immediately after Sunday service, led by Scott James.
[9:17] They're going into the book of James. That requires pre-registration, though. So if you have not registered for that and are interested in pursuing it, please do so online. Also, we will be starting another disciple class primarily aimed at an audience of men.
[9:33] And that's going to be starting in a couple weeks, led by Louis. If you want more information, call the office or contact Louis directly. As we come to our time of giving today, we want to make sure that everyone takes time online, especially if we haven't done this already, to fill out their friendship card.
[9:49] Make sure we have the basic contact information from you. There's also the children's activity sheet if you would like to help those who are younger worshiping with you next to have some activities for them to do to follow along.
[10:01] During our time of giving today, we want to be mindful of all the ways in which we serve God through our gifts, throughout our connection. There are so many different ways that the gifts we give go into that larger pool, and we can touch so many lives.
[10:15] Not only do we bless the folk here through our various ministries, but we touch so many throughout the entire world through our connectional system. Not only our church, but all the other systems that bear the cross and flame.
[10:27] So be mindful of that as we come to our giving time. You can give directly through electronic transfer online, going to the giving page. You can also leave your offerings here in person in the boxes at the church, as well as you can still send your offerings in through the traditional mail.
[10:43] As we come to our time of giving, let's enter into a prayerful state as we hear some special music. As we come to our giving way, we will proclaim $2,000 всей of our velocidad.
[11:07] Here is opening the closure of theangle of the một số 3 dot com, in just theenkoze church, which will see when our leadership in the viennent of 엄마, at the heart of the yani water, which will see when our village automatically點. And here's a thing called the village between three quarters in the palace or two months, where the area of the village is located next.
[11:18] Here is part of myimage, for you to know how much women in the village are sitting there. Thank you.
[11:52] Thank you.
[12:22] Thank you.
[12:52] Thank you.
[13:22] Thank you. And as you have given so freely to us, Lord, we give back to you as a sign of our love. Please accept these gifts as they go to the honor and glory of your name.
[13:34] Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen. Let's take our seats. As we come to our time of prayer today, there are many concerns, of course, that weigh still on our hearts.
[13:50] We know that we are continuing in many of the struggles that we have seen with the ongoing pandemic, which still seems to be rising out of control, our continuing conversation nationally, the ongoing work for social justice.
[14:04] But in the midst of that season, we still know that all day, every day, God continues to bless us. We know that all day, every day, there are reasons for which we must give thanks.
[14:15] And even if this Thanksgiving is going to feel a bit different to you because of the season we are in, make sure that giving thanks remains our priority, which we will do now as church together.
[14:28] Because it is important that we will be doing now as we pray today because it is important that we pause and remember to actually give thanks. Thanksgiving is a practice, not just a day. Amen. So let's come together in prayer as we give thanks and continue to pray to our God.
[14:46] Loving and eternal God, you give so much. those of us who have loved you, those of us who have followed you sometimes forget how much you continue to freely give.
[15:01] You've given us the gift of each day. You've given us the gift of one another. You've given us the gift of simple joys, the ability to laugh throughout the day with friends, the ability to see welcoming faces even if they are just peering over masks, the ability to do those things that bless the lives of others, simple gifts we can share, the ability to work together as teams, to do different things, whether it's to make meals that we give away, whether it's to paint a room, whether it's to help remove some snow from someone's path, the joy of working together as the body of Christ, as a gift.
[15:54] But in this day where we think about the ongoing reign of Christ, we celebrate the gift that is your Son, the gift of the one who taught us, the one who led us, the one who shepherds us, the one who saved us by his own sacrifice, the one who conquered death by his resurrection, the one who continues to counsel, lead, and love us still.
[16:22] So much given. And we, your people, as we are gathered here today, we are indeed grateful, thankful, and overwhelmed by the grace that you continue to show.
[16:37] So Lord, as we come giving thanks for all your good and perfect gifts, we are mindful of the ways in which we would hope we might see you move, because there is much among us that causes us struggle and stress.
[16:52] as together we continue to battle this virus, as together we continue to do those things that help us love our neighbors, as together we continue to show kindness because we know that there are those who are struggling and going without, those in need of food, those in need of other help.
[17:16] Help us to be indeed your hand when you desire, to work through us, to provide. Lord, we continue to work, to find connection among all our brothers and sisters in our nation, ways in which we continue to be at odds, ways in which we continue to struggle against one another.
[17:40] Lord, please show us the way, please touch our hearts, that we may indeed be the voice of truth, hearts of love, those who show the way is kindness.
[17:54] Let us indeed be those lights on the side of the hill that cannot be hidden, radiate through us to remind the world. To remind the world there is indeed a more excellent way.
[18:07] And Lord, as we come through these troublesome days, through these days of challenge, for all those who need your healing, whether that healing is for this virus, whether that healing is for another physical condition, whether that healing is for mental health, or whether that healing is for those who have broken relationships, whether that healing is for those spirits that are twisted and tied and caught up in the lies of the enemy in the world, please heal as only you can, because all healing comes from you.
[18:46] And for all the healing we have received, for all the gifts we have received, for all the joy that you have put into our lives, for all the ways in which you have helped us persist, for all the ways in which you have helped us overcome, we gather and we give you our thanks.
[19:07] In the name of Jesus. Amen. Good morning.
[19:49] The reading this morning is from the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 1 through 3, 22, 24 through 27, and also Hebrews 12, 1 through 3.
[20:05] Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
[20:20] By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
[20:43] By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
[21:02] He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
[21:12] By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
[21:24] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
[21:46] For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
[22:05] This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Thank you, Kevin.
[22:27] Get all the paraphernalia off here. So, how many of us, when we were a kid, I was really, really, really excited to someday become an adult?
[22:45] Do you remember this? Do you remember thinking as a kid, wow, someday I'm going to be big, and I'm going to be an adult, and it's going to be great? You remember?
[22:57] And then how many of us got to being an adult and realized, you know, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Right? Am I the only one who feels this way? Okay?
[23:08] Right? I mean, being an adult is hard. It wasn't what I imagined it would be. It wasn't what I was expecting it would be. It's certainly not what I ever dreamed it would be.
[23:20] I mean, I found out really quickly, actually, that adulting, the process of living as an adult, adulting, is hard. It's really hard. It's way harder than I thought it would be.
[23:31] And I just sometimes just get overwhelmed with the difficulty of it all. I mean, jobs and deadlines and budgets and bills and taxes and responsibilities and obligations and expectations and errands and chores and dishes that never end and laundry that never ends and garbage that never ends and dust.
[23:50] Anybody else feel that? Adulting is hard. Adulting is really hard. And sometimes, when we get into the midst of all this adulting, we say, you know, I just don't want to do it anymore.
[24:04] Take me back. I don't want to be an adult anymore. Now, granted, I would not go back unless I could go back knowing what I know now. I don't know that I'd want to do it all over again because it's hard.
[24:15] And not knowing what I know now would make it still hard. And it's still hard. And sometimes we just say, I'm just done with being an adult. I just want to give up on this adulting thing and maybe just be a kid for a little while instead.
[24:30] It's not really an option, but we feel that way sometimes, don't we? The passage today is from the book of Hebrews. And it was written to a community of Christ followers who became faced with really strong difficulties.
[24:43] A faith life faced with shame and persecution and trials. And it was hard. It was hard. It was hard. It was not what they wanted.
[24:54] It was not what they expected. It was certainly not what they dreamed of. And it had them too thinking, I just want to quit. I want to give up. I don't want to be a Christ follower anymore.
[25:05] If it's like this, I don't want to do it. And the author of Hebrews addresses their concern, addresses their fears, addresses their weariness, and urges them to keep going. Continue.
[25:17] And that's a message for all of us. A message that still speaks strongly today. I mean, in today's world, especially in the United States, we're not experiencing the same things that the Hebrews did.
[25:29] You know, we're not having that kind of persecution. But we too need to endure in our faith. And we too need to keep our eye on what's really important. We too need to be mindful of what's holding us back from living into the fullness of faith that God wants for us.
[25:46] Into the race that God has set before us. that God has a plan for us and says, keep on going. And this passage says, start off with, throw off, or get rid of all the things that prevent us from continuing.
[26:02] And I think one of the things that prevents us from continuing and stumbling up in the process is just a lack of understanding. I mean, a life of faith is not a short-term sprint.
[26:15] They're using the term race. But this is not a, I'm done. There is no done. There is no done. It is a marathon. Instead, it is a full life, whole life, continuous life, journey.
[26:30] We start this race the moment we accept Christ. We're on the starting block. And then we keep going. And we don't ever get to the point where we've arrived and we just call it done.
[26:42] Really? I mean, we wonder sometimes, well, what is the goal? Why am I continuing this? Why, what is going on with this? And the goal, the end point, is entire sanctification.
[26:54] And that's a theology term that means Christian perfection, Christ-likeness, holiness, becoming more and more and more and more and more and more and more like Christ.
[27:05] And we keep going closer to Christ, becoming more and more like Christ, until we get the final goal, which is eternal life. That takes our whole life.
[27:19] And we need that in our life. But so many times, we just are not really understanding that this is for the long term. And we need to make sure that on that path we're taking Christ as not only our Savior, but as our Lord.
[27:34] That's how we become more like Christ. Christ comes in and informs everything we do when we follow God's will. And the more we go closer to Christ, the more we are able to do that.
[27:47] But too often, people will enter faith with all this excitement and then over time, they're like, eh, and they lose their zeal. They lose their excitement.
[27:59] They lose their fervor. And they're just like, eh, I just want to quit. I don't want to do that. I mean, you can insert any kind of adulting in here that people will use as their reason.
[28:10] Well, it's my job. Oh, it's the busyness. Oh, it's the kids. Oh, it's whatever adulting we can use as an excuse. But the reality is a complacency sets in if we don't understand where we're going.
[28:23] And we need to make sure we're going. But when that happens and we're not understanding, people will step back. I've met many people like this.
[28:35] They step back. They step off. They drift away because they're saying, eh. Not understanding that they didn't arrive because God has so much more in store for all of us.
[28:51] So much more to strive for. So much more. Keep going. There's even more. But it is a choice to prioritize as we recognize the importance of having a healthy and strong faith life that will endure no matter what.
[29:08] There's so many choices. So many choices in the world. So many choices that we need to just make in life. I mean, I remember as a teenager especially, the thought of becoming an adult was like, yes!
[29:25] I'm going to be 18 and I'll be an adult and it'll be like, freedom! Anybody else think that way? Yeah, I'll get to do what I want. I'll get to choose what I want.
[29:36] Yeah, yeah. I don't know. I mean, sometimes I think life was a lot easier when I didn't have as many choices. But there are lots and lots of choices we have to make all the time.
[29:51] The choices in life. I mean, first world problems, okay? So you want to eat. Do I go home to eat? Do I go out to eat? If we're going to choose to go out to eat, which one of the thousands of restaurants will we go to?
[30:05] Once you figure out which one of the restaurants you want to go to, then you are handed a 15-page menu at which point you've got to make some kind of decisions. And once you finally narrow it down to that one thing, they're like, and what kind of potato and what kind of vegetable and what kind of salad dressing and what kind of drink?
[30:22] And you're just like, I just want a burger. Just make it easy. I don't want to make any more decisions. I don't want to make any more decisions. I was trying to order something online the other day and I typed it in, you know, going around.
[30:35] They said, you have over 45,000 options. It's like, what? How on earth do you even just start to make decisions in this way? And these are just, you know, not really important decisions.
[30:49] But then I've, DJ and I have been trying to wrestle with insurance lately. Oh my goodness. Because these kind of decisions actually have consequences that are huge. You know, health insurance and dental insurance and eye insurance and disability insurance and life insurance and all these kinds of insurances and everything is many pages long with terminology that I'm not understanding and I've got to do all this research and I've got to figure it out.
[31:10] And this is like really, really important. Can you feel the stress? Can you feel the anxiety? Can you feel the frustration?
[31:21] There's so many choices, so many choices to make. And the reality is, you know, I don't think that God really cares if we choose, you know, one ply over two ply toilet paper.
[31:32] I don't think God really cares if the toilet paper's on the roll going this way or that way. Now, I care, but God doesn't really care about these things. I don't think God really cares about, you know, what kind of salad dressing we get and yet there are still choices that we need to make.
[31:50] God doesn't really care about those kinds of choices, but God does really, really care about all the choices we make that will have an impact on our spiritual life.
[32:02] There are so many choices and we have the ability to choose. God has given us free will and that's a good thing, but it's also a difficult thing.
[32:14] And when we're faced with all of these choices in our life, we have to say, how am I making this choice? What is the criteria in this? Because if we're going in the wrong direction, we're making choices with the wrong criteria, making choices with the wrong criteria will take us off path, off the race, and we will get really in a heap of trouble.
[32:41] What's the criteria for choices, for the things that actually do matter? Is our focus on Jesus or is our focus on ourselves? And really, it just generally comes down to those two things.
[32:54] You can say, oh, well, no, I was thinking about such and such instead or this and this. It's not. When you really start digging down deeper and deeper, it ultimately comes down to, is my focus on Jesus and what Jesus wants or is my focus on myself and what I want?
[33:15] When we sin, we're putting ourselves in place of God. We become an idol of ourself and we start asking questions like, yeah, well, what's in it for me?
[33:27] What's in it for me now? And we start asking questions like whether or not it's worth it. Worth it. You know, there's things that we do in our faith, the practices of our faith that bring us closer to Christ.
[33:41] You know, going to, being in worship and reading scripture and being in prayer and studying and being in community. All these things that we do. You know, we give money because we love God and we love our church and we want to support it.
[33:55] But you know, if your focus is instead on yourself, you'll start saying, yeah, but I could use that money on something for me. Yeah, but that time that I'm supposed to be spending doing these things with worship and prayer and Bible study, all these things, you know, I could do that.
[34:13] But you know, I really could use that, spend that time for me. That effort that I'm supposed to be putting in, you know, God wants me to do something and help people and stuff.
[34:24] Yeah, I could do that. But you know, I could also put that effort into me. And so, we need to shift it around.
[34:39] You know, a lot of the times this focus on ourself instead of God, I believe, stems from fear. Ultimately, fear.
[34:50] Fear of missing out. Fear of not being accepted. Fear of not being loved. Fear of not having enough. Fear of not being enough. Fear of not being in control.
[35:01] Fear of being misled. I mean, think of Eve in the garden. It was a trust issue. Did God really say that? I don't know. Yeah. The fear and how do we overcome fear?
[35:15] Perfect love. The perfect love of Christ overcomes fear. This passage says that we need to throw off the sin that so easily entangles.
[35:26] Because sin trips us up. It causes us to fall. It knocks us off track. And we instead need to get our eyes off of ourself and onto Jesus.
[35:37] And that's how we overcome sin. And every step we take toward Jesus, every step we take gives us more clarity, more strength, more wisdom, more confidence confidence to throw off that sin and become more and more and more like Christ.
[35:55] And so we throw off sin. So we can stay on that path and we can endure. But this passage also says throw off the hindrances. I said, what are the hindrances?
[36:09] And I think one of the biggest hindrances that I have experienced and I have witnessed a lot of is that we are in a very, very broken world.
[36:21] A messed up world. Sin is rampant in the world and it causes brokenness. And when we experience that, when we experience pain and suffering and discouragement, we become weary and we start losing heart.
[36:41] And it causes us to start doubting. It sparks a seed of doubt. I mean, just think about it. You know, the politics and the coronavirus and schools and families and finances and health and that even just seems superficial compared to if we really look closely at just the experience of loss.
[37:05] Loss. Whether it's a loss of a job, a loss of a dream, a loss of a relationship, or the loss of somebody you love. It's painful.
[37:20] And in those times when we're experiencing that, we start saying, where are you, God? Where are you? I need you. I am feeling lost. I'm feeling vulnerable.
[37:31] I'm feeling hurt. I need you. Where are you, God? I'm feeling so alone. We start wondering where God is in all this mess, in all this pain.
[37:46] God, where are you? Where are you? There's a song, if you listen to Christian music at all, it's a newer song and it's become one of my favorites.
[38:02] It's called Waymaker. There's some lyrics in the song that says, even when I don't see it, you're working. Even when I can't feel it, you're working.
[38:18] You never stop. You never stop working. Never stop. Never stop working. Because in those moments, we may not see it, we may not be able to feel it, but God is there.
[38:36] I believe that. I have experienced that. And God has promised that. Promised that.
[38:47] And I trust in who God is. God said, I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. Jesus is right there with us the whole time, right before us, urging us on, come on, you can do this.
[39:04] And how many of us have been in those times where we're feeling lost and we're feeling alone and we're feeling afraid and we're feeling pain and we're saying, I don't know where God is in this moment. And later on, we look back and we say, I see where God was.
[39:21] I see where God was. God was right there with me. God was lifting me up. God was walking beside me. God was holding me. God was wrapping me in loving arms and God was carrying me through.
[39:36] God was there the whole time, loving me in spite of my doubt, loving me in spite of whatever I'm going through, loving me.
[39:50] It reminds me of Psalm 23. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me.
[40:06] You know, we come to a valley where we even find ourselves already in one and we think, I can't do it. I can't do it. And the truth is, honestly, we can't.
[40:19] We can't. We can't do it alone. For our strength and endurance to get through those valleys, our faith gets us through.
[40:30] We consider Jesus. We fix our eyes on Jesus. And it's like you see in the movies, you know, Jesus there saying, don't look to the sides, don't look down, just keep coming, keep coming.
[40:41] You got this, you got this, I'm here with you. Keep your eyes on me, come on, you can do this. And we're led through those dark times. Through those dark times as we fix our eyes on Jesus.
[40:54] Jesus who endured the cross, scorning its shame for the joy set before him. And you know what that joy set before him was? You.
[41:06] And me. Us. The joy set before Jesus that allowed him, caused him, had him choose the cross was his love for us.
[41:17] Because he not only loved us, but he wanted us to have victory. Victory in this world. The race is not a short sprint, it's a marathon that Jesus has going before us.
[41:30] And we are going from victory to victory to victory and it's wonderful. But the reality is if you have a victory, that means there was a battle going up to it. There was something that you went through in order to get that victory and that's what life is like.
[41:47] I'm having a victory and then there's a battle and then there's a victory and then there's a battle and then there's a victory and then there's a battle. There's a battle. Victory to victory, glory to glory, battle for battle for battle.
[42:00] A battle fought, a battle won. A battle fought, a battle won. Overcoming sin, overcoming darkness, overcoming fear, overcoming doubt, overcoming whatever it is that is keeping us from living our faith in fullness.
[42:15] Not only loving God, but trusting God with a willingness to follow, keeping the faith. The Hebrews are in a valley.
[42:28] It was hard, and it was scary, and they weren't sure they wanted to keep the faith. And the author approaches it beautifully in order to get them going through, saying, keep your eyes on Jesus, fixed on Jesus.
[42:43] And he sends encouragement. Encouragement by telling the stories. Telling the stories of the people of faith who have endured.
[42:56] The people that ran the race of faith and kept going no matter what. And now none of the people that are listed were perfect. None of the people led a pain-free life.
[43:09] None of them. But they all stayed with it. None of them did it on their own. Not by their own will. Not by their own strength.
[43:21] The author repeats over and over again. It was by faith that Abraham, by faith that Isaac, by faith that Jacob, by faith that Joseph, by faith that Moses, by faith that you, by faith that me.
[43:33] By faith. Faith. Faith. Faith. Faith is the confidence in what we hope for. Assurance about what we do not see. And that faith is fueled by Jesus, who is the pioneer who goes before of our faith.
[43:47] The author of our faith. The perfecter of our faith. And we hear about that great cloud of witnesses. And we, too, are witnesses.
[44:00] Witnesses. All of us here, as people of faith, have God stories to tell. Some of us have many, many God stories to tell.
[44:11] Many encouraging, faith-building stories to tell. And I want to encourage you to tell those stories. Because those stories build faith.
[44:23] Lift up. Encourage. Keep people seeing Jesus on the move. It would be such an encouragement for people to hear. Hear. Romans 10, 17 says, faith comes from hearing.
[44:37] Hearing the message. And the message is heard about the words, through the word, about Christ. And we all, as people of faith, are witnesses.
[44:48] Boldly proclaiming our faith in God. Because I am thankful that God can help us overcome sin. I am thankful that God has saved us by grace. I am thankful that God is with us.
[45:01] Not only in victories, but in the valleys. And so we continue with belief. And we proclaim it. And I invite you to proclaim it this day. As we stand together for the Apostles' Creed.
[45:15] Won't you stand with me? Do you believe in God the Father? I believe in the power of Yahweh.
[45:28] Do you give us what I am at first? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father. For His seed by the Holy Spirit.
[45:40] For the virgin heritage. For the home of his young Savior.υχai. What has crucified died as their baby. He is ascended to the dead. For the LORD of our day he grows again.
[45:53] He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
[46:05] I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sinners, the resurrection of God, and the life everlasting.
[46:18] Amen. Do you believe it? Yes. If you believe it, shout amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. We believe it, and so we're going to live it.
[46:28] Amen. Encouraging one another to keep on this race. Please be seated. Amen.
[46:50] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[47:02] Amen. As we have had the blessing of affirming our belief in all God has done, the way God is known to us, not only is God our creator, God the Son, and God the Spirit.
[47:14] We have the joy of coming to the Lord's table, joy of coming and being able to partake in that blessed sacrament that Jesus has left for us.
[47:26] So as we come to the Lord's table, we want to come at our very best. And so as we pause for a moment to make sure that we have gotten ourselves as right as we can possibly be, let's offer ourselves a moment of silent prayer when we can lay our sins before God.
[47:44] Let's pray together now. Let's pray together now.
[48:18] In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen. The Lord be with you.
[48:30] Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and a good and joyful thing.
[48:41] Always and everywhere to give thanks to you, almighty God, creator of heaven and earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.
[48:53] When we turned away and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets, who look for that day when justice shall roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
[49:19] When nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn.
[49:36] Holy, holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
[49:48] Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.
[50:24] queremos and may, again, Jesus three beats.
[50:34] Hosanna in the highest. on the night in which he gave himself up for us he took bread gave thanks to you he broke the bread gave it to his disciples and said take and eat for this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me when the supper was over he took the cup and gave thanks to you gave it to his disciples and he said drink from this all of you this is my blood the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for the forgiveness of sins do this and not as often as you drink it in remembrance of me and so in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith Christ has died Christ is risen Christ that will come again pour out your holy spirit on us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and cup make them be for us the body and blood of Christ that we may be for the world the body of Christ redeemed by his blood by your spirit make us one with Christ one with each other and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet through your son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in your holy church all honor and glory is yours always and me when I pray of redeemed children of God, let us pray together the prayer that Christ taught us to pray.
[52:36] 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from you. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
[53:08] So now if you would take your elements, which each of you should have been given on your way in, just remember to remove your mask quickly at the time at which we will receive them. Okay, so now I'd invite you to open up the side with the wafer.
[53:20] Remember this is the body of Christ, which is given for you. Take now and...
[53:32] And this is the blood of Christ, shed for you. Take now and receive.
[53:47] And let us pray. Almighty God, we thank you for this holy mystery in which you reveal yourself to us.
[54:01] Let it be for us what you need it to be. This we ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, who makes all things possible. Amen. Please hold on to your cups until we leave.
[54:12] And now we will continue with our sermon. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[55:10] Amen. You've crossed the enemy underneath my feet.
[55:21] You are my sword and shield, no troubles in your sin. Whom shall I fear?
[55:34] I know who goes before me. I know who stands behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side.
[55:48] The one who reigns forever is a friend of mine. The God of angel armies is always by my side.
[56:01] My strength is in your name. For you alone can save.
[56:13] You will deliver me. Yours is the victory. Whom shall I fear? Whom shall I fear?
[56:32] I know who goes before me. I know who stands behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side.
[56:45] The one who reigns forever. He is a friend of mine. The God of angel armies is always by my side.
[56:58] And nothing more against me shall stand. You hold the whole world in your hands.
[57:12] I hold it up. Your promises. You are faithful. You are faithful.
[57:23] You are faithful.
[57:53] I know who goes before me. I know who stands behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side.
[58:10] The one who reigns forever. He is a friend of mine. The God of angel armies is always by my side.
[58:22] I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side.
[58:35] The one who reigns forever, he is a friend of mine. The God of angel armies is always by my side.
[58:57] So how do we run this race? Moment by moment, choice by choice, step by step, fixing our eyes on Jesus.
[59:13] And when we look back at the valleys we've gone through, we see Jesus there right with us, right beside us. And sometimes the presence of Jesus has been experienced through you.
[59:30] Through you with me, through you with one another, through you. And so I invite you to tell your stories. I invite you to be an encourager. I invite you to run this race together with me. Amen. Amen. Please be seated.
[59:51] God bless you. Amen. Amen.
[60:30] Amen. Amen.
[61:30] Amen. Amen.