Welcome to Family Church!
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."
Hebrews 13:8
Opening Song
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness"
Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness,
Lord unto me.
2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. [Refrain]
Scripture Reading (Kelyse or Curtis)
Psalm 131
1 Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters too great
or too awesome for me to grasp.
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.
Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—
now and always.
Worship Song
"It is Well with My Soul"
1. When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."
Chorus
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.
3. My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul.
New Testament Reading (Sally)
Hebrews 13 (select verses)
1Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.
2Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
6So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
7Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.
8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.
14For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
15Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.
16And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
20Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
21may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.
22I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to pay attention to what I have written in this brief exhortation.
Devotional (Clif)
Hebrews 13
1. Love one another — because Jesus first loved us.
Keep loving each other as family, and welcome the stranger. vv. 1–2
2. Trust His promise — “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
So be content, be faithful in marriage, and live without fear. The Lord is our helper. vv. 4–6
3. Anchor to the unchanging Christ.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Follow the example of the faithful who came before us, and stay rooted in His grace. vv. 7–9
4. Look homeward.
This world is not our permanent home — we look forward to a home yet to come, secured by the Great Shepherd who shed His blood for us. vv. 14, 20
5. Respond with praise and good works.
Offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise, and don’t forget to do good and share. These sacrifices please God. vv. 15–16
Prayer (Caleb)
“A Prayer for Generational Faithfulness”
Heavenly Father,
You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—
the God of our fathers and mothers,
the One who has shown steadfast love through every generation.
We thank You for Your mighty works and Your faithfulness to Your people.
Help us not only to remember but to proclaim,
not only to receive but to pass on.
Give us courage to speak Your truth,
wisdom to live it out,
and love to teach it well.
May our children, and their children,
know You, love You, and walk in Your ways.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Response Song
In Christ Alone
[Verse 1]
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here, in the love of Christ, I stand
[Verse 2]
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross, as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin, on Him, was laid
Here, in the death of Christ, I live
[Verse 3]
There in the ground, His body lay
Light of the world, by darkness, slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave, He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
[Verse 4]
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of Hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here, in the power of Christ, I'll stand
Benediction (Cita)
Now may the God of peace—
who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead,
the great Shepherd of the sheep—
equip our family with everything good for doing His will.
May He keep us loving one another,
content in His promise that He will never fail us,
never abandon us.
And may He produce in us,
through the power of Jesus Christ—
the same yesterday, today, and forever—
every good thing that pleases Him,
until He brings us all the way home.
All glory to Him forever and ever. Amen.