Sunday Morning Worship | April 19, 2020
Good morning! We're glad you've planned to worship with the Catawba Valley Baptist Church family!
Worship Guide Instructions: The Sunday Morning Worship Guide is simply that . . . a guide. We pray that you will use this resource to personally encounter God today by worshipping and communing with Him. To achieve the most out of our virtual Sunday Worship Service, we encourage you to work through the guide as a family and make it your own. Take your time, seek the Lord, and press into the truth He has for you today!
Use this time to reflect upon your personal relationship before Him and express your thankfulness for who He is. Just think about this, right now where you are sitting, you have the ability to worship God in spirit and in truth. Consider the truth of Scripture regarding who God is and what He has done for you. Use these Scripture truths to guide your heart into an attitude of thanksgiving and praise.
Worship Guide Instructions: The Sunday Morning Worship Guide is simply that . . . a guide. We pray that you will use this resource to personally encounter God today by worshipping and communing with Him. To achieve the most out of our virtual Sunday Worship Service, we encourage you to work through the guide as a family and make it your own. Take your time, seek the Lord, and press into the truth He has for you today!
Use this time to reflect upon your personal relationship before Him and express your thankfulness for who He is. Just think about this, right now where you are sitting, you have the ability to worship God in spirit and in truth. Consider the truth of Scripture regarding who God is and what He has done for you. Use these Scripture truths to guide your heart into an attitude of thanksgiving and praise.
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 (ESV)
Worship through
scripture reading & personal meditation
Take a deep breath as you begin to spend time with God and focus your thoughts upon Him.
Before we enter into a time of Scripture reading and personal reflection, begin by listening and singing along to this song.
Before we enter into a time of Scripture reading and personal reflection, begin by listening and singing along to this song.
Scripture Reading
Please read the following Scripture passage and reflect upon the following questions.
Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV) | By Grace Through Faith
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved-- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved-- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Questions for Reflection
1. Read through the passage and identify how it describes our status before Christ, then compare it to who we are in Christ.
2. What is the purpose of good works, since we are saved by Jesus through faith alone? (See v. 8-9)
3. Are you completing the good works God prepared for you? Ask the Lord to reveal His purposes for your life. (See v. 10)
2. What is the purpose of good works, since we are saved by Jesus through faith alone? (See v. 8-9)
3. Are you completing the good works God prepared for you? Ask the Lord to reveal His purposes for your life. (See v. 10)
Worship through giving
Let's worship the Lord together through giving
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 9:8-9 (ESV)
Why We Give? Catawba Valley is committed to modeling the spirit of giving, demonstrated by God himself. The Scriptures teach, that "every good and perfect gift" comes to us from God's sovereign hands (James 1:17). Because of His great love for us, He gave the ultimate gift of eternal life through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. So ultimately, we give in response to all Jesus has given to us (2 Corinthians 8:9).
In Scripture, we discover the principle of first fruits, which involves giving back to the Lord a portion of all He has given to us. We are stewards, not owners, of what God has entrusted to us. Therefore, the principle of first fruits involves giving back to God what is His and faithfully stewarding the remainder appropriately. When we give our first and best back to God, He promises to bless the rest. We believe that the experience of giving our resources back to the Lord is an act of worship. Faithful giving is a tangible reflection of a heart that celebrates what God is doing in your family, in our congregation, in our community, and around the world.
So as we give unto the Lord, we express our partnership in the gospel to advance His kingdom "both here and around the world"
Continue to remain faithful in your giving unto the LORD by supporting the ongoing ministry of CVBC and our Missions Staff serving around the globe. Giving options include: online giving, text-to-give, or mailing in contributions.
In Scripture, we discover the principle of first fruits, which involves giving back to the Lord a portion of all He has given to us. We are stewards, not owners, of what God has entrusted to us. Therefore, the principle of first fruits involves giving back to God what is His and faithfully stewarding the remainder appropriately. When we give our first and best back to God, He promises to bless the rest. We believe that the experience of giving our resources back to the Lord is an act of worship. Faithful giving is a tangible reflection of a heart that celebrates what God is doing in your family, in our congregation, in our community, and around the world.
So as we give unto the Lord, we express our partnership in the gospel to advance His kingdom "both here and around the world"
Continue to remain faithful in your giving unto the LORD by supporting the ongoing ministry of CVBC and our Missions Staff serving around the globe. Giving options include: online giving, text-to-give, or mailing in contributions.
Please take a moment to worship the LORD though giving by clicking the link below.
Worship through praying
Commune with the Lord in prayer
Read the prayer below and reflect upon some specific things in your life that you may . . .
confess to God, adore God for, thank God for, and ask God for.
confess to God, adore God for, thank God for, and ask God for.
Oh merciful God, thank you for sparing our lives and choosing to love us in spite of our sin, even while we were still your enemies. We adore you Lord, our true, living hope. Thank you for giving us life when we were dead, and freedom when we were slaves. In this time of uncertainty, suffering, and darkness that is overtaking our nation, we ask for your help to keep our eyes fixed on you. You are sovereign, and you are still in control. You are the only source of joy and you are the source of all good and perfect gifts. Embolden us to share the greatest gift of all, which is salvation through Jesus your Son. Grant us opportunities to put your love and your grace on display. Enable us to be your ambassadors, and keep us from carrying your name in vain. We love you Father. It is in the name of Jesus we pray and believe. Amen.
Now spend time before the Lord, praying to Him and praying with one another.
Pray for Our Missions Staff
THE FRIENDSHIP HOUSE
Our missionaries around the globe are facing the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak, and their ministry plans have been greatly affected by lockdowns, quarantines, and health precautions. Ministry at Friendship House Roanoke changed overnight. Read updates about their adaptive solutions to COVID-19 and prayer requests below:
"One month ago, at the beginning of March, things were a lot different to say the least. Spring was in the air! Our After-School Program was flourishing and we were making plans for mission groups from various churches to serve with us throughout the summer. Then, COVID-19 spread rapidly through our nation and our federal, state, and local authorities began requesting that citizens quarantine themselves if at all possible.
In an instant, the After-School Program was suspended for the year. We decided to keep the Food Pantry open as we anticipated families in our community would still need assistance. We also began making alterations to the Food Pantry in order to minimize exposure for our staff, volunteers, and neighbors. We had a cadre of volunteers step forward to deliver food to the homes of those who were sick, elderly, or disabled. And for those who were able to come to our office, we began operating a "drive thru/walk thru" service in two locations on opposite ends of our property to avoid exposing our neighbors to groups of people waiting in lines for food.
As all this came together, we saw that the need within our community was very real and continued to grow. The amount of requests for food quickly tripled from a normal week at the Food Pantry. During the last week of March, we handed out 123 boxes of food to families that represented a little over 300 people.
As we move forward we do not know what the future holds. We don't know when our our ministry to the neighborhood children will start back up. But we do know that our community is under duress and in need of food, toiletries, an encouraging word, and prayer.
How You Can Help While Practicing Social Distancing
"One month ago, at the beginning of March, things were a lot different to say the least. Spring was in the air! Our After-School Program was flourishing and we were making plans for mission groups from various churches to serve with us throughout the summer. Then, COVID-19 spread rapidly through our nation and our federal, state, and local authorities began requesting that citizens quarantine themselves if at all possible.
In an instant, the After-School Program was suspended for the year. We decided to keep the Food Pantry open as we anticipated families in our community would still need assistance. We also began making alterations to the Food Pantry in order to minimize exposure for our staff, volunteers, and neighbors. We had a cadre of volunteers step forward to deliver food to the homes of those who were sick, elderly, or disabled. And for those who were able to come to our office, we began operating a "drive thru/walk thru" service in two locations on opposite ends of our property to avoid exposing our neighbors to groups of people waiting in lines for food.
As all this came together, we saw that the need within our community was very real and continued to grow. The amount of requests for food quickly tripled from a normal week at the Food Pantry. During the last week of March, we handed out 123 boxes of food to families that represented a little over 300 people.
As we move forward we do not know what the future holds. We don't know when our our ministry to the neighborhood children will start back up. But we do know that our community is under duress and in need of food, toiletries, an encouraging word, and prayer.
How You Can Help While Practicing Social Distancing
- Pray for the staff and volunteers as they continue to serve and love our neighbors
- Pray for our many neighbors. Pray that God would have mercy on them. Pray that he would be glorified in all this. We have heard many stories of suffering lately. Pray for relief.
- Offer to help deliver food once/week to someone on our list of shut-ins.
- Donate canned goods, soap, and toilet paper for our food pantry.
- Donate financially to help keep our shelves stocked and our doors open for the community.
SHARE YOUR PRAYER REQUEST OR PRAISE WITH US
We'd love to pray with you or rejoice with you!
Please submit a prayer card, so that our pastors and church family might pray more specifically for you.
We'd love to pray with you or rejoice with you!
Please submit a prayer card, so that our pastors and church family might pray more specifically for you.
Worship through music
Let's worship the Lord together through music
Use the Youtube links below to enter into a time of praising our great God. Pay attention to the words of the songs, and let them become the meditation of your heart today. Feel free to spend as much time in worship as God's Spirit leads you and your family.
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:3-4 (ESV)
Worship through
listening to the proclamation of God's Word
Let's worship the Lord together by listening to the proclamation of God's Word
Please open your Bible to Romans 6, and listen to Pastor Stephen Vaughan as we consider: "Up From the Grave We Arose."
Let's conclude our time of worship together by listening and meditating to the truths of this song, we are no longer slaves to sin!
Share His joy with others!
Thank you for worshipping with us this morning!
Jesus's resurrection bought for us a life of victory, joy, love, truth, and light. Live in this new life that Jesus bought for you, and tell others how they can come to know it too!
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV)
Connect with us more this week!
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