Amazing Grace
Worship
Bright Intervals
40 Brief Worship Services and Meditations for Any Occasion
Object:
Greeting and Call To Worship
For God so loved the world that God sent the only begotten Son, that all who believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!
Opening Prayer
God of love, we praise you for sending your Son into this world to rescue us from our brokenness and our sin. We praise you that your love is so great, you remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. O God, grant to our hearts in these moments of worship the gift of your amazing grace. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Special Hymn
"Amazing Grace"
This is a hymn where the hymn writer, John Newton, is writing out of his own experience of God's gracious love. Newton was born in 1725. His mother was a pious woman who taught her son the scriptures. His father was a sea captain and young John longed to join his father at sea. But he soon clashed with his father, found fault with his employers, and ended up in jail. Released, he continued a life of wild and immoral living, and for some years served as the captain of a slave ship. It took a terrifying storm at sea and his deliverance from a malignant fever to make John Newton willing to accept the gift of God's grace.
Scripture Reading
Joshua 2:1-15
Meditation
In God's eyes, what constitutes true greatness? The Bible's answer may surprise you! Take, for example, the story of Rahab, the great, great, great, great, great grandmother of Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, you heard correctly! Rahab was a woman of the night, a madam who operated an establishment of prostitution in ancient Jericho, and an ancestor of Jesus Christ!
The people of Israel were poised to enter the Promised Land, so Joshua sent some undercover men into the city to gather intelligence, and somehow these spies ended up at Rahab's establishment. When the King of Jericho discovered strangers asking too many questions, he sent his troops to Rahab's to arrest them. But Rahab, knowing these strangers were here on God's business, sent the soldiers away and then helped the spies make their escape. So grateful were the spies that they promised Rahab that nothing would happen to harm her or her family in the coming attack.
Rahab is very typical of the heroes of the Bible, for all of God's heroes seem to have a dark side to their lives. Recall the story of how Abraham lied to the ruler of Egypt about Sarah's being his wife just to save his own skin. Jacob, his nephew, was the modern equivalent of a junk bond salesman! Moses spent a year of his life hiding in the wilderness after committing murder in a fit of anger. Samson for most of his life was a playboy; and David, Israel's greatest King, was willing to commit murder to cover his own adulterous relationship with Bathsheba.
You see, God is not looking for perfect people. God, in fact, seems to choose people with feet of clay, so that when they follow God's purpose, the glory belongs not to them but to the Living God. I recall reading an incident in the life of Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest of all of our presidents. Yet even Lincoln must have had his moments. It is recorded one night that Mr. Lincoln forcibly ejected Mrs. Lincoln from their home, muttering, "Madam, you make this house intolerable!"
But you see, God never allows that dark side in human nature to diminish our worth in the service of Christ. We make judgments about other people, but with God, you cannot count anyone out! God can use the tightwad, the egotist, the alcoholic, the hypocrite, and in John Newton's case, even a slave trader in his purpose. Newton did not become a minister until he was 39 years old. He spent the rest of his life in Christ's service, and on his tombstone he had these words written:
John Newton, clerk, once an Infidel and Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich Mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.
Whenever you doubt your worth and value as a person, remember that the God who worked through Rahab, the prostitute, and Moses, the murderer, and Paul, the persecutor, can work in your life through the power of amazing grace!
Closing Prayer
God of grace, we accept the gift of your unmerited favor and love. Fill us with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that we may serve you and your Kingdom through every day of our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Benediction
May God bless you and keep you. May God's face shine on you and be gracious to you. May God look upon you with favor and give you peace. Amen.
For God so loved the world that God sent the only begotten Son, that all who believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!
Opening Prayer
God of love, we praise you for sending your Son into this world to rescue us from our brokenness and our sin. We praise you that your love is so great, you remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. O God, grant to our hearts in these moments of worship the gift of your amazing grace. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Special Hymn
"Amazing Grace"
This is a hymn where the hymn writer, John Newton, is writing out of his own experience of God's gracious love. Newton was born in 1725. His mother was a pious woman who taught her son the scriptures. His father was a sea captain and young John longed to join his father at sea. But he soon clashed with his father, found fault with his employers, and ended up in jail. Released, he continued a life of wild and immoral living, and for some years served as the captain of a slave ship. It took a terrifying storm at sea and his deliverance from a malignant fever to make John Newton willing to accept the gift of God's grace.
Scripture Reading
Joshua 2:1-15
Meditation
In God's eyes, what constitutes true greatness? The Bible's answer may surprise you! Take, for example, the story of Rahab, the great, great, great, great, great grandmother of Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, you heard correctly! Rahab was a woman of the night, a madam who operated an establishment of prostitution in ancient Jericho, and an ancestor of Jesus Christ!
The people of Israel were poised to enter the Promised Land, so Joshua sent some undercover men into the city to gather intelligence, and somehow these spies ended up at Rahab's establishment. When the King of Jericho discovered strangers asking too many questions, he sent his troops to Rahab's to arrest them. But Rahab, knowing these strangers were here on God's business, sent the soldiers away and then helped the spies make their escape. So grateful were the spies that they promised Rahab that nothing would happen to harm her or her family in the coming attack.
Rahab is very typical of the heroes of the Bible, for all of God's heroes seem to have a dark side to their lives. Recall the story of how Abraham lied to the ruler of Egypt about Sarah's being his wife just to save his own skin. Jacob, his nephew, was the modern equivalent of a junk bond salesman! Moses spent a year of his life hiding in the wilderness after committing murder in a fit of anger. Samson for most of his life was a playboy; and David, Israel's greatest King, was willing to commit murder to cover his own adulterous relationship with Bathsheba.
You see, God is not looking for perfect people. God, in fact, seems to choose people with feet of clay, so that when they follow God's purpose, the glory belongs not to them but to the Living God. I recall reading an incident in the life of Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest of all of our presidents. Yet even Lincoln must have had his moments. It is recorded one night that Mr. Lincoln forcibly ejected Mrs. Lincoln from their home, muttering, "Madam, you make this house intolerable!"
But you see, God never allows that dark side in human nature to diminish our worth in the service of Christ. We make judgments about other people, but with God, you cannot count anyone out! God can use the tightwad, the egotist, the alcoholic, the hypocrite, and in John Newton's case, even a slave trader in his purpose. Newton did not become a minister until he was 39 years old. He spent the rest of his life in Christ's service, and on his tombstone he had these words written:
John Newton, clerk, once an Infidel and Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich Mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.
Whenever you doubt your worth and value as a person, remember that the God who worked through Rahab, the prostitute, and Moses, the murderer, and Paul, the persecutor, can work in your life through the power of amazing grace!
Closing Prayer
God of grace, we accept the gift of your unmerited favor and love. Fill us with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that we may serve you and your Kingdom through every day of our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Benediction
May God bless you and keep you. May God's face shine on you and be gracious to you. May God look upon you with favor and give you peace. Amen.
