Reading of the Law of God
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let
your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus. Philippians 4.4-7
Confession of Sin
Our Father, we confess to You that instead of rejoicing
always in the Lord Jesus and in what He is doing in us, we all too frequently
complain about difficult aspects of our lives. Instead of making our requests
known to You by prayer, we try to work it all out by ourselves. And so, instead
of enjoying Your peace, we become anxious. We have scorned Your promises. Forgive
us, Father, for our unbelief. Teach our hearts how to enjoy Your Gospel. Amen.
Declaration of Pardon
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died
for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though
perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love
for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5.6-8