God of steadfast love, abundant mercy, and loving kindness, we come to you this morning with thankful hearts. Thank you for your grace to us in Jesus Christ. Thank you for the indwelling Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin and changes us, degree by degree in holiness. Thank you for the Bible, for the gift of music, for the fellowship of the saints. Thank you for the sun, clear blue skies, for rain, for snow, for the changing colors of leaves, for different seasons. Thank you for children and for laughter. Thank you for food and clothing. Thank you for the hope of heaven and the promise of world restored back to perfection.

We praise you this morning. We praise you that you are God and we are not. We praise you for your glory and grace, for your majesty and mercy. We praise you for you are worthy of all adoration – all dominion, authority, and power are yours before all time and now and forever.

We gather as your people this morning to remember and rehearse the good news of Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the hope of our salvation – that you have saved us not because of our good works and religious deeds, but through the perfect life, sin-paying death, and Satan-crushing resurrection of Jesus.

We confess our sin. We confess that we have rebelled against you in word, thought, and deed; in what we have done and what we have left undone. We confess using our words not to build up but tear down. We repent. Forgive us, O Lord. We confess the greed in our hearts that longs to receive more than to give. We confess our immorality – by looking at screens and physically engaging in acts dishonoring to you. We repent. Forgive us, O Lord. We confess disobeying our parents and being mean to our siblings. We confess discipling our children out of anger and using harsh words. We repent. Forgive us, O Lord. We confess holding grudges and bitterness toward fellow church members. We confess loving our prideful personal preferences more than the clarity and proclamation of the gospel. We repent. Forgive us, O Lord. We confess our own prejudices that causes us to think we are better than others because of our ethnicity or race. We confess our dullness toward evil not hating what you hate and loving what you love. We repent, O Lord. Forgive us, we pray.

And we rejoice, that none of this defines us. We rest in the truth of who we are in Jesus Christ. Redeemed. Declared righteous. Pure. Holy. Blameless. Adopted sons and daughters. Father, in heaven, “Abba, Father” we come to you resting assured that in Christ Jesus we are loved and cherished and nothing – not the stain of sin, not the power of Satan, not the circumstances of life – nothing can separate us from your love.

We pray for those of us who are struggling. For those who are weary and want to give up on following Jesus. For those who feel alone and isolated. Father, grant us tangible reminders of your grace. Encourage us with timely words from a fellow church member. Bring to mind a specific Scripture that warms our soul. We pray for those of us struggling from the shame and guilt and feelings of unworthiness because of how we have been violated and taken advantage of. Heal us, O Lord. Holy Spirit, minister to our souls and remind us that we are washed clean in Christ – that he bore our shame on the cross that we might be pure and holy. Give us tender words to speak to one another that we might bring the healing hope of the gospel to each other in times of vulnerability. Use our church, O Lord, as a place of hope and healing for the marginalized and hurting. We pray for those of us secretly struggling with chronic patterns of sin – substance abuse, habitual lying, financial deceit, pursuing immoral relationships, physically or virtually – bring us people who will lovingly and patiently walk alongside of us as we battle the desires of the flesh with the truth of the gospel.

We pray that you would use us to bring the gospel to our neighbors and the nations. Give us opportunities to share the hope of the gospel with our friends, co-workers and classmates. Lord, for the glory of your name, use us to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit use Campus Outreach, FCA, our ministries at Friendship Terrace, Iglesia Biblica Sublime Gracia to make disciples that delight in the supremacy of Jesus. We pray for the spread of the gospel in the Middle East. Grant R, E, J, J, K and L faithfulness and perseverance as they seek to advance the gospel among the unreached. Magnify your name in us and through us, O Lord. Give us holy boldness that proclaims the gospel and radical generosity that supports the spread of the gospel. Make us jealous for the glory of your name.

Do this while reminding us this world, as it is, is not our home. Give us the grace to journey alongside one another as we sojourn toward heaven together, where we’ll enjoy you together with all your people, forever and ever. Amen.