Welcome to Church!
We know that this is a strange time, and it is certainly different to be gathering apart and not in our building at Blue Mountain. But we also believe that God has great things in store in this season!
So we hope and trust that this will help you worship Jesus on your own or with your family at home, and we look forward to gathering all together again in the future.
So here is guide to our church service this morning.
A Guide for your Worship Time
May 3rd, 2020
Opening & Welcome
Aloud Reading - Read aloud, slowly, the text of Psalm 51, either from your own copy of the Scriptures or from the text below.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.?
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.” (ESV)
Musical worship - we encourage you to sing and worship along with us and use these videos if helpful.
Scripture - Before listening to the sermon, read the text for this morning, Luke 7:34-50.
Sermon
Musical Worship Response
Close in Prayer
Discussion Questions for Home or Small Group
1. What, if anything, resonated and stuck with you during this past week from the message last Sunday? Reflect on your week relative to the conversation around hurry and the easy yoke of Jesus.
2. Do you sense loneliness and lack of community to be a growing issue in our cultural context? Why or why not? If so, what do you think may have led to that? Is it different in the Church?
3. Why do you think Jesus spent so much time around meals? Is there a reason for it, or is it just a coincidence?
4. Do you think it is possible to be the host in someone else’s home? What is the difference between playing the role of host and showing hospitality?
5. Place yourself in Simon the Pharisee’s shoes in this story in Luke 7. How do you feel about such a scene as this taking place in your home? What is your heart response?
6. What would you say is typically your immediate response to someone, even in your church, who enters into your world and is extremely different to you? Do you tend to gravitate your energy toward people more like yourself?
7. Have you ever thought of hospitality as a heart posture toward people? How might this perspective change your practice of hospitality in this season of pandemic and beyond? Be specific.
8. C.S. Lewis spoke of pain as God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world. Have you had any examples in your life (that you would be willing to share) of God teaching a lesson and giving opportunity for amendment through a season of pain? How do you see God working in this way in this season of pandemic?
9. We have established in this series the idea of “streams of living water;” ways that God may be working to bring growth and formation in His Church through this season. But we looked at only three. Brainstorm what might be some other streams of living water that may come from this season; reasons for defiant hope in our moment.
10. What are one or two creative methods you could use to show love to people in your community in this season?