Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for October 31
Reflection
Never Once
Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Your faithful to the end
Your faithful when I’m not
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Writer(s): Jason David Ingram, Matthew James Redman, Tim Wanstall
Lyrics by Matt Redman
Shane and Shane version (https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/shaneshane/neveronce.html)
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Revelation 7:9-10 (CSB)
After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!
Today we join our voices
with all the saints who have come before
and all the saints who are now on earth
to worship the Living God!
In Jesus’ name, let us worship our God.
Our Sung Call to Worship
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
Chorus
Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul,
Worship His holy name.
Sing like never before, O my soul,
I’ll worship Your holy name.
Verse 1
The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning;
It’s time to sing Your song again.
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me,
Let me be singing when the evening comes. (Chorus)
Verse 2
You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger,
Your name is great and Your heart is kind;
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing,
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.
(Chorus)
Verse 3
And on that day when my strength is failing,
The end draws near and my time has come;
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending,
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.
(Chorus 2X’s)
Ending
Worship your holy name,
Lord, I’ll worship Your holy name.
Words and Music by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin
©2011 Atlas Mountain Songs, sixsteps Music, Thankyou Music, worshiptogether.com songs
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Christ calls us to share the heavenly banquet of his love
with all the saints in earth and heaven.
Knowing our unworthiness and sin,
let us ask from him both mercy and forgiveness.
Eternal God, in every age
you have raised up men and women to live and die in faith.
Forgive our indifference to your will.
You have commanded us to speak,
but we have been silent.
You have called us to do what is just,
but we have been fearful.
Have mercy on us, your faithless servants.
Keep before us faithful people for us to follow
so that, by the power of your Holy Spirit,
we may grow in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
to the praise of your holy name.
Amen.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
Lead Me to the Cross
Verse 1
Saviour, I come, quiet my soul,
Remember redemption’s hill
where Your blood
was spilled for my ransom.
Pre-Chorus
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as loss.
Chorus
Lead me to the cross where Your love poured out.
Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down.
Rid me of myself, I belong to You.
Oh lead me, lead me to the cross
Verse 2
You were as I, tempted and tried human.
The Word became flesh, bore my sin in death
now You’re risen.
(Pre-Chorus, Chorus)
Bridge
To Your heart, to Your heart.
Lead me to Your heart,
Lead me to Your heart.
(Chorus 2 X’s)
Tag
Lead me to the cross.
Words and Music by Brooke Ligertwood
©2006 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel & The Lord’s Supper
Hear the Good News!
You are saved by grace through faith,
and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift —
not from works, so that no one can boast.
For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
You are no longer foreigners and strangers,
but fellow citizens with the saints,
and members of God’s household,
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
In him the whole building, being put together,
grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
Now to him who is able to do
above and beyond all that we ask or think
according to the power that works in us —
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Elements distributed. Singing of “I Hear the Words of Love”
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Singing of “O Christ My Life”
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
I Hear the Words of Love
Verse 1
I hear the words of love;
I gaze upon the blood;
I see the mighty sacrifice,
And I have peace with God.
Verse 2
‘Tis everlasting peace,
Sure as Jehovah’s name;
‘Tis stable as His steadfast throne,
Forevermore the same.
Verse 3
The clouds may go and come,
And storms may sweep the sky,
This blood-sealed friendship changes not;
The cross is ever nigh.
Verse 4
My love is oft-times low;
My joy still ebbs and flows;
But peace with Him remains the same;
No change Jehovah knows.
Verse 5
I change—He changes not;
The Christ can never die;
His love, not mine, the resting place;
His truth, not mine, the tie.
Words by Horatius Bonar, Music by Louis Bourgeois
Public Domain
O Christ My Life
Verse 1
My treasure lies in heaven,
Beyond this mortal veil,
Where death can never ruin,
Where foes cannot assail;
Secured through all the ages
By a covenant of love,
A fount of endless riches
Awaiting me above.
Verse 2
My peace and consolation
Will carry through the night;
It rests on the foundation
Of a gracious sacrifice.
My once-forsaken savior
Has tasted every grief;
The One who knows my weakness
Now runs to my relief. (Chorus)
Chorus
O Christ, my life,
My joy, my prize,
My soul will hide
In you, O Christ, my life.
Verse 3
My shield and my defender
From all that haunts my soul
Has faced my condemnation
And paid my debt in full.
Though death and hell assailed him
They could not overcome
So when my strength shall fail me
The vict’ry will be won. (Chorus)
Verse 4
My pardon, my salvation,
My righteousness, my life,
My hope of resurrection,
Is found alone in Christ.
No power can condemn me
For he was crucified;
Since I have died with Jesus
With him, I shall arise! (Chorus)
Music and Words by Jonathan Jackson, Eric Schumacher, & David Ward
©Hymnicity
Thanksgiving and Petition
We Give Thanks in Prayer and Offer Petitions to God
We express our gratitude to God our Father for Christ’s work on the cross for us and bring our requests before him. In bringing our requests, we confess that we believe God truly is a good father, who cares about our needs and gives us what he knows is best.
We Give Thanks by Giving
We give financial offerings to support the work of the church because of our gratitude to God. By giving we confess we are trusting in God’s provision for us as well.
On the first Sunday of each month we have two offerings—one for the general fund and a second one for the benevolence ministry of our church.
You may give electronically at gabcames.org/giving/ or place your offering in the boxes at the back of the sanctuary or send a check in the mail.
Scripture Reading
Psalm 116:1-19 (ESV)
1I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6 The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;
9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I believed, even when I spoke: “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my alarm, “All mankind are liars.”
12 What shall I render to the LORD
for all his benefits to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Psalm 116:1-19 – Costly To The Lord – Pastor Michael Felkins
Sermon Discipleship Questions
1. What encouraged you?
2. What convicted you?
3. Is there anything in your life that needs to change?
Sending
Having heard and confessed the Gospel, we are sent into the world on mission in Christ, which we express in spoken word.
Blessing
Ephesians 6:24 (CSB)
Grace be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.