PRE SERVICE SONG:  BY THE GRACE OF GOD

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: ‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.’ Col 3:1

All: Father God, be with us in our worship, in our prayers and in our reading of your word. Be with us in our fellowship one with another. Be with us in our agreement and disagreement. Be with us in our unity and diversity. Be with us as we grow together, born again and joined together into your heavenly family.

Leader: For God so loved the world

All: that he gave his one and only Son

Leader: that whoever believes in him shall not perish

All: but have eternal life.

OPENING HYMN: ONLY BY GRACE CAN WE ENTER

PRAYER OF CONFESSION 

Leader: ‘Set your minds on things above, and not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory’ (Col 3:3).

For those times when our eyes have been short-sighted, when we have failed to see your vision for our lives,

All:  forgive us Lord and help us focus on you.

Leader: For those times when we choose not to give, but to store up treasures for our own use,

All: forgive us Lord and help us focus on you.

Leader:  For those times when your sacrificial love has meant less than it should,

All:  forgive us Lord and help us focus on you.

Leader: For those times when our feet have stayed firmly in this world, rather than walking in your footsteps,

All: forgive us Lord and help us focus on you.

Leader: For all those times when we have failed to acknowledge in our own hearts that we are a new creation, raised to life with Christ,

All: Father, forgive.

TIME OF SILENT CONFESSION

Leader: ‘Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another, forgive as the Lord forgave you. And above all this put on love

All: which binds all these in perfect unity.’

STATEMENT OF FAITH

Leader: We say the Creed together:

All:  I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.  He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  He descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again.  He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  

Amen. 

NOTICES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

The WhatsApp Broadcast group will open up for a time of fellowship at 10:30 today. Please do join us.

PRAYER BEFORE READING

All:  Gracious God, we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from your mouth. Make us hungry for this heavenly food, that it may nourish us today in the ways of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, the bread of heaven. 

Amen.

READING

Ephesians 2:1-9 New International Version

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us,God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

⁸ First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. ⁹ Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

¹¹ Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. ¹⁴For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

SONG BEFORE SERMON: CORNERSTONE

SERMON: The God who is loving and merciful

HYMN: GREAT IS YOUR MERCY

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Leader: Father, we pray for the nations of the world, and for their leaders. We pray especially for our own country, Zimbabwe, for all who have authority or influence.

(open prayers)

Leader: Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Leader: Father, we pray for your church throughout the world. We pray especially for your church that meets here at Whitestone Chapel.

(open prayers) 

Leader: Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Leader: Father, we pray for all those who are in any kind of sickness, trouble or distress. We pray especially for those known to us.

(open prayers)

Leader: Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name: your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today 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 the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.

Amen.

BENEDICTION

Leader: Eternal God, Maker of all things and our gracious Father:

All:  We praise You for Your fatherly love which has cherished man throughout the centuries, suffered his follies, rebuked his failures and spared no sacrifice to save him from ignorance, sin and death of the soul.

We thank and praise You for caring for our souls, which placed us within the family of believers, sheltered us in the church,  nourished us on Your word and sacraments,  and gave us a perfect revelation of Yourself in Jesus Christ Your Son. To You, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be the glory now and forever. 

Amen.

CLOSING HYMN: I DO NOT KNOW WHY