Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see!
The Lord has promised good to me; His Word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.
Chorus: My chains are gone; I’ve been set free.
My God, My Savior, has ransomed me.
And like a flood, His mercy reigns.
Unending Love, Amazing Grace.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we’d first begun.
Chorus: My chains are gone; I’ve been set free.
My God, My Savior, has ransomed me.
And like a flood, His mercy reigns.
Unending Love, Amazing Grace.
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine.
Now hear me while I pray; Take all my guilt away;
Oh, let me from this day, be wholly Thine!
May Thy rich grace impart,
Strength to my fainting heart; My zeal inspire!
As Thou has died for me, Oh, may my love to Thee,
Pure, warm, and changeless be, A living fire!
When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold sullen stream, Shall o’er me roll,
Blest Savior, then, in love, Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above, A ransomed soul!
How great the chasm that lay between us,
How high the mountain I could not climb.
In desperation I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night.
Then through the darkness Your loving kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul.
The work is finished, the end is written.
Jesus Christ, my Living Hope.
CHORUS: Hallelujah! Praise the One who set me free!
Hallelujah! Death has lost its grip on me.
You have broken ev’ry chain,
There’s salvation in Your name.
Jesus Christ, my Living Hope.
Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame.
The cross has spoken. I am forgiven.
The King of Kings calls me His own.
Beautiful Savior, I’m yours forever.
Jesus Christ, my Living Hope. CHORUS
Then came the morning that sealed the promise.
Your buried body began to breathe.
Out of the silence the roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me.
Jesus, Yours is the victory.
CHORUS 2X
Jesus Christ, my Living Hope.
God, You are my Living Hope!
By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation’s grand design,
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness,
Who walk by faith and not by sight.
By faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the pow’r of His promise in their hearts,
Of a holy city built by God’s own hand,
A place where peace and justice reign.
Chorus: We will stand as children of the promise;
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s reward.
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed-for Messiah would appear,
With the pow’r to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave.
By faith the church was called to go
In the pow’r of the Spirit to the lost,
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In ev’ry corner of the earth. Chorus.
By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the pow’r of the gospel shall prevail,
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name. Chorus.
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Chorus Oh! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know - Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my pardon this I see, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing, this my plea - Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Chorus
Nothing can for sin atone - Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done – Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Chorus
This is all my hope and peace – Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness – Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Chorus
Thank you Jesus, for finding me.
Like a good shepherd your mercy leads
Back to your arms where I’m meant to be.
I thank you Jesus for finding me.
Thank you Jesus, for saving me.
You took my place on that cursed tree.
Died for sinners but rose as a King.
I thank you Jesus for saving me.
CHORUS: It’s only because of all you’ve done
That I can be called a friend of God
Oh beautiful Savior what else can I do
But lift up my voice and say, Thank you.
Thank you Jesus for loving me.
Shame lost its hold when you set me free.
Ev’ry fear has to bow at your feet.
I thank you Jesus for loving me. CHORUS
BRIDGE I enter the gates of the Lord with thanksgiving
I enter the courts of the Lord with praise!
I enter the gates of the Lord with thanksgiving
I enter the courts of the Lord with praise!
CHORUS x2
These events most likely take place the Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week. Jesus knows full well what is about to happen to Him. He recognizes the anointing with perfume as preparation for His burial. We also know that Jesus is fully aware of Judas’ plotting.
6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
j jPaul writes to the Galatian Christians to encourage them and to clarify some teachings. A group known as Judaizers were saying that Christians needed to also abide by certain Old Testament regulations such as circumcision in order to be saved. Paul defends salvation by grace through faith. In other words, what Jesus did on the cross is all sufficient for our salvation.
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
INVOCATION
P: We worship this morning in the name of the Father.
C: Who gave us our life through His almighty power.
P: And in the name of the Son.
C: Who redeemed our life with His precious blood.
P: And in the name of the Holy Spirit.
C: Who gave us eternal life through faith in Christ.
CALL TO WORSHIP
P: Come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross in spite of the shame.
Alas, and did my Savior bleed
And did my sovereign die
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a one as I.
P: But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him and by His wounds we are healed.
Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree.
Amazing pity, grace unknown
And love beyond degree.
P: About the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple tore in two. Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” When He had said this, He breathed His last.
Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut its glories in
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For His own creatures sin.
P: Praise the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all His benefits – Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.
Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness
And melt my eyes to tears.
P: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.
But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe
Dear Lord, I give myself away
‘Tis all that I can do.
LENTEN CONFESSION
C: Dear Savior, I have come to the foot of the cross many times in the past year with my load of sins. Once more I come, admitting that I am a sinner since birth, even from the time I was conceived. Once more I bring my load of transgression against God’s holy law and place it on You. Help me, dear Jesus, during this season of Lent, to understand what great love You have shown to me in carrying all my burdens to the cross. Give me the will and the desire to turn from my sin. Give me the faith and courage to take up whatever cross You give me, and follow You, day by day, to life eternal. Amen.
P: Christ Himself carried our sins in His body to the cross. It is by His wounds that you have been healed.
NICENE CREED
C: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen
THANK OFFERING
PANS OF HOPE – Everything is Possible
PRAYERS
(Our prayer team is always ready to go to the throne of the Father for you.
For prayer chain requests, email prayer@livinghopereunion.church.)
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. 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.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
M: Our Lord Jesus Christ on the night He was betrayed took bread, gave thanks and gave it to His disciples saying, “Take and eat. This is my body given into death for your sins.”
In the same way, He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, “Drink from it all of you. This is My blood of the new covenant poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of Me.”
M: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
(The Scriptures teach that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper connects us intimately with Christ and with one another as Christians. To understand more about the Lord’s Supper, please visit with our pastor. He would love to talk with you about the blessings of the Lord’s Supper.)
DISTRIBUTION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
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
PANS OF HOPE - Hymn of Heaven