How great is our God;
Sing with me, how great is our God;
And all will see how great, how great
Is our God (sing all 2x)
Our God is greater, our God is stronger;
God you are higher than any other;
Our God is Healer, awesome in power;
Our God, Our God (sing all 2x)
…Our God
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
…Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!
Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your holy Word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory.
Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us—
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we'll stand on Your promises,
And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory.
I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard My people cry.
All who dwell in deepest sin My hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear My light to them? Whom shall I send?
Chorus. Here I am, Lord, Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne My people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them. They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone, Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak My word to them, Whom shall I send? Chorus.
I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them. My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give My life to them. Whom shall I send? Chorus.
O Lord, in prayer you spent the night.
Then sent the twelve at morning’s light.
Our hearts at your request are stirred
To ask for heralds of your Word
Send preachers forth and each one bless,
With courage, zeal, and holiness.
Keep pastors faithful, strong, and true,
Not working for themselves but you.
Endow them with the grace they need.
The lambs to serve, the sheep to feed,
The precious flock to lead and guide
The Shepherd thus is glorified.
So may we, when our work is done,
Together meet before your throne
And joyful hearts and voices raise
In one united song of praise,
With all the bright, celestial host,
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
We worship the God who was. We worship the God who is,
We worship the God who evermore will be.
He opened the prison doors. He parted the raging sea.
Our God. He holds the victory.
CHORUS: There’s joy in the house of the Lord.
There’s joy in the house of the Lord today.
And we won’t be quiet. We shout out Your praise!
There’s joy in the house of the Lord.
Our God is surely in this place.
And we won’t be quiet. We shout out your praise.
We sing to the God who heals, We sing to the God who saves,
We sing to the God who always makes a way
‘Cause He hung upon that cross, And He rose up from that grave.
My God’s still rolling stones away! CHORUS:
BRIDGE: We were the beggars, now we’re royalty.
We were the prisoners, now we’re running free.
We are forgiven, accepted, redeemed by His grace.
Let house of the Lord sing praise. (Sing Twice)
CHORUS:
We shout out your praise!
As God calls Joshua into ministry, he promises that he will be with Joshua always. He encourages Joshua to be strong and courageous multiple times. He ends by reminding Joshua that the source of his strength is the fact that the Lord will be with Joshua wherever he goes.
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Jesus reminds us that there is a great need for workers in the harvest field.
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
INVOCATION
Pastor: We worship today in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES & PRAYERS
P: Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
C: Whose hope is in the Lord their God.
P: He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—
C: He remains faithful forever.
P: Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
C: You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
P: Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
C: Your faithfulness to the skies.
P: We pray together:
C: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to us, and for Your enduring love that spans generations. Forgive us for the times we fail to trust You, and help us to remember that even when we are faithless, You remain faithful. Give us strength to walk in Your ways, and to see Your goodness at work in our lives. Amen.
NOTE: After each reading…
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
PSALM 91 (select verses)
In Psalm 91, God reminds us that while he does not promise a life free from danger or struggle, he does promise to deliver his servants whenever we face danger or struggles.
P: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
C: Will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
P: I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
C: My God, in whom I trust.”
P: Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
C: And from the deadly pestilence.
P: He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will
find refuge;
C: His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
P: You will not fear the terror of night,
C: Nor the arrow that flies by day,
P: Nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
C: Nor the plague that destroys at midday.
P: If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High
your dwelling,
C: No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
P: For he will command his angels concerning you
C: To guard you in all your ways;
P: They will lift you up in their hands,
C: So that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
P: “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
C: I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
P: He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble,
C: I will deliver him and honor him.
P: With long life I will satisfy him
C: And show him my salvation.”
ALL: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forever and ever. Amen.
CHOIR – Always
This song is based on Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. It reminds us that throughout history God has been faithful to his promises and that He will always be faithful to his promises. It is that faithfulness that allows us to serve him every day.
Prayer:
P: Eternal Father, ever-living and everlasting Lord, in Christ Jesus you call us your children and invite us to bring our prayers to you with the steady trust that you will answer them.
C: O Lord, hear our prayer.
P: We praise you and give you our thanks for calling Josh into the public ministry of the gospel despite his own frailties and weaknesses, and for sustaining him with your faithfulness for so many years.
C: To you we give thanks.
P: You gave him a heart of faith through Baptism and strengthened him with your Word and Holy Communion, you empowered him to rely on your grace and guidance, instilled in him a deep love for your scriptures, and endowed him with a compassion for the lost and a commitment to his labor. And with these gifts you granted victories for your gospel and blessings to your Church.
C: To you be the praise.
P: Now we pray that you would continue to use your servant according to your will. Protect him from trouble, keep his family under the shadow of your wings, and give him joy as he pursues the labor of each day. When the task is hard and the warfare long, let him hear the distant triumph song. May that be the song to which he walks on the path to heaven.
C: O Lord, hear our prayer.
P: Raise up, O Lord, from the ranks of your Church, another generation of servants who are willing and eager to carry the torch of your gospel into the world. With the proclamation of that message of grace, bring into your fold many more souls.
C: O Lord, hear our prayer.
P: Lord, we pray as your Son taught us:
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. 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
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
GREETING, ANNOUNCEMENTS, and PRESENTATION