Welcome to our Online Worship. Our theme for today is "encourage one another." If there s one thing we need in this day and time is encouragement. This past year has held a lot of discouragement. Barnabas, the "son of encouragement" is a model of someone who had the gift of encouragement and exercised it. He is a good model for us. May we be encouraged today by his example. May God encourage our hearts and minds as we worship him.
Be Still My Soul
(In You I Rest)
Opening Prayer
O God, as we enter into worship, help us to be still and rest in your presence. Grant that we may be able to lay down all the things that are on hearts and minds and focus on you and you alone. Silence all the voices in our heads that are crowding out your still small voice. May your Spirit invade our thoughts and our attitudes and bring us before your holy throne of grace. Accept our worship for we offer it in the name of Jesus, the One and Only. Amen.
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Message
Encourage One Another
Encourage One Another
Prayer of Encouragement
O God, this is the day you have made. We will rejoice and be glad in it! We thank You that You are ever so close to us. You are the source of our strength. As you encourage us, let us be an encouragement to those around us.
Remind us when we falter and fail that You uphold us. Your merciful hand has purposed our lives, and we cannot outrun your love. You number our days and surround us with Your love. When we are down, you send Your Holy Spirit to remind us of Your loving kindness.
There is much to fear and be frustrated about in this life on earth. There is grave injustice, oppression, and unfairness everywhere we look. Disastrous weather events and horrific acts of violence. We fear losing our lives and our loved ones, disease and disaster. You are our comforter through it all.
In Your Word we are upheld and in Your arms we throw our anxieties and find safety and protection. When the world seems to press into our lives harder than we can bear, we know we are never alone. You remind us to be strong and courageous, to rely on You for strength, and not to fear. You promise to strengthen us and uphold us.
Through every heartache and conflict, continue to broadcast the truth of Your word into our hearts. Encourage us and help us to navigate the tricky waters of relationships and the stumbling blocks of this life.
We know in this world we will have trouble, but we do not want to let it steal our joy! For You have overcome this world! Though it can be hard and discouraging, let us take heart in Your truth. Squash every distorted thought and lie with the encouraging words of Christ. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!”
Help us to keep getting up, keep following You, keep hoping, and holding onto the joy and peace Jesus died to give us. For He is our ultimate source of encouragement and it is in His Name, we pray. Amen.
We Need Each Other
Benediction
May the Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father (who has loved us and given us unending encouragement and unfailing hope by his grace) inspire you with courage and confidence in every good thing you say or do. Amen and Amen.
![Kari Jobe - Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest) [Lyrics]](https://web-extract.constantcontact.com/v1/thumbnail?url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mq59iE3MhXM/hqdefault.jpg)
![EHSS, Jessy Dixon, NFYYAC - We Need Each Other/Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) [Medley] [Live]](https://web-extract.constantcontact.com/v1/thumbnail?url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uKDjiYeZB6s/hqdefault.jpg)
