Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for April 7, 2024
Pre-service Song
Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor
Christ, the sure and steady anchor
In the fury of the storm;
When the winds of doubt blow through me
And my sails have all been torn.
In the suffering, in the sorrow,
When my sinking hopes are few,
I will hold fast to the anchor;
It shall never be removed.
Christ, the sure and steady anchor
While the tempest rages on;
When temptation claims the battle
And it seems the night has won.
Deeper still then goes the anchor,
Though I justly stand accused;
I will hold fast to the anchor;
It shall never be removed.
Christ, the sure and steady anchor
Through the floods of unbelief;
Hopeless, somehow, O my soul now
Lift your eyes to Cavalry.
This my ballast of assurance,
See His love forever proved;
I will hold fast to the anchor;
It shall never be removed.
Christ the sure and steady anchor,
As we face the wave of death;
When these trials give way to glory
As we draw our final breath.
We will cross that great horizon,
Clouds behind and life secured;
And the calm will be the better
For the storms that we endured.
Christ, the shore of our salvation,
Ever faithful, ever true;
We will hold fast to the anchor,
It shall never be removed.
By Matt Boswell and Matt Papa
© 2015 Getty Music Hymns and Songs; Getty Music Publishing; Love Your Enemies Publishing; Messenger Hymns
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Revelation 7:10, 12; 15:3-4 (CSB)
Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever.
Great and awe-inspiring are your works,
Lord God, the Almighty;
just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
Lord, who will not fear
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you
because your righteous acts
have been revealed.
Our Sung Call to Worship
Day By Day
Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best–
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Ev’ry day the Lord himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He gladly bears and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself he laid:
“As your days, your strength shall be in measure”
This the pledge to me he made.
Help me then in ev’ry tribulation
So to trust your promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when, toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
Words by Caroline W. Sandell Berg , Music by Oscar Ahnfelt
©Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Psalms 80:1-3; 79:8-9 (CSB)
Listen, Shepherd of Israel,
who leads Joseph like a flock;
you who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine on your people.
Rally your power and come to save us.
Restore us, God;
make your face shine on us,
so that we may be saved.
Do not hold past iniquities against us;
let your compassion come to us quickly,
for we have become very weak.
God of our salvation, help us,
for the glory of your name.
Rescue us and atone for our sins,
for your name’s sake.
Time of silent confession.
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Philippians 2:6-11 (ESV)
Remember the Gospel!
God, who is rich in mercy,
because of his great love that he had for us,
made us alive with Christ
even though we were dead in trespasses.
You are saved by grace!
He also raised us up with him and seated us with him
in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
so that in the coming ages he might display
the immeasurable riches of his grace
through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For 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.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Be Still My Soul (Distribution Song)
Be still, my soul! the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul! thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul! The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul! when dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears.
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul! thy Jesus can repay;
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul! the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul! when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Words by Katharina von Schlegel, Music by Jean Sibelius
©Public Domain
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Jesus What A Friend For Sinners
Jesus! What a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.
Chorus
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Hallelujah! What a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.
Jesus! What a strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my strength, my vic-t’ry wins. (Chorus)
Jesus! What a help in sorrow!
While the billows o’er me roll.
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my comfort, helps my soul. (Chorus)
Jesus, what a guide and keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night o’er takes me,
He, my pilot, hears my cry. (Chorus)
Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness
I am His, and He is mine. (Chorus)
Words by John Wilbur Chapman, Music by Rowland Hugh Pritchard
©Public Domain
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 a Mission Moment to highlight the different missions giving
opportunities we have at Grand. Members are encouraged to give to GABC Missions to support these missions.
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
Matthew 14:22-36 (ESV)
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself
to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came
to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said,
“Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers and the flower falls
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Matthew 14:22-36 – Take Heart–I AM – 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 both song and spoken word.
Sending Song
Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor
Christ, the sure and steady anchor
In the fury of the storm;
When the winds of doubt blow through me
And my sails have all been torn.
In the suffering, in the sorrow,
When my sinking hopes are few,
I will hold fast to the anchor;
It shall never be removed.
Christ, the sure and steady anchor
While the tempest rages on;
When temptation claims the battle
And it seems the night has won.
Deeper still then goes the anchor,
Though I justly stand accused;
I will hold fast to the anchor;
It shall never be removed.
Christ, the sure and steady anchor
Through the floods of unbelief;
Hopeless, somehow, O my soul now
Lift your eyes to Cavalry.
This my ballast of assurance,
See His love forever proved;
I will hold fast to the anchor;
It shall never be removed.
Christ the sure and steady anchor,
As we face the wave of death;
When these trials give way to glory
As we draw our final breath.
We will cross that great horizon,
Clouds behind and life secured;
And the calm will be the better
For the storms that we endured.
Christ, the shore of our salvation,
Ever faithful, ever true;
We will hold fast to the anchor,
It shall never be removed.
By Matt Boswell and Matt Papa
© 2015 Getty Music Hymns and Songs; Getty Music Publishing; Love Your Enemies Publishing; Messenger Hymns
Blessing
Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
Now to him who is able to do far more
abundantly than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.
Scripture text for next Sunday: Matthew 15:1-20