Palm Sunday: Worship from Home

These are extraordinary times. Though we are unable to gather together for worship this morning due to the precautions surrounding COVID-19, we still have an opportunity to worship at home, and as we each do so, we do so together, united in spirit as we seek God together. Follow through this post, pausing to think about each reading, listening to each song, praying at the appropriate times, and listening to the recorded message, for a personal or family worship time at home.

It’s Palm Sunday. The beginning of Holy Week, the week that we remember Jesus’ last week before His death on the cross. Today, we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry, how He rode into Jerusalem to the praises of the crowds, riding in on a donkey. It’s called Palm Sunday because of the palm branches the crowds waved as He passed by them, a sign of praise and respect for the King.

Opening Prayer

Mighty God,

We thank You that You saw us in our need, helpless and dying on our own, and did not stand by passively. You became actively involved in our lives and brought us a Saviour. We thank You that You are still actively involved in our lives and this world, that You see us in our need and come to be among us. We pray that as we come to this time of worship - in our homes, but together in Spirit, united in Christ - we would see You, see Your might and power, and rest in that. Help us as we worship to see You more clearly, to cherish Christ more deeply, to be more aware of the Holy Spirit in us, to be strengthened today.

We pray this in Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Call to Worship

Psalm 24:1-2, 7-10

The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah

Amid everything we face, the challenges and threats of the day, we have a mighty and marvelous King, the Lord to whom the whole earth belongs, strong and mighty. He is our good King, our good Father. So we look to Him.

Worship with the hymn, “Jesus Shall Reign” -

To our King be highest praise
Rising through eternal days
Just and faithful, He shall reign
Jesus shall reign

He shall reign each moment, over everything. Praise Him indeed!

Psalm 118:1, 14-17, 23-26

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

The Lord is my strength and my song;
    he has become my salvation.
 Glad songs of salvation
    are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
  the right hand of the Lord exalts,
    the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

I shall not die, but I shall live,
    and recount the deeds of the Lord.

This is the Lord's doing;
    it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

 Save us, we pray, O Lord!
    O Lord, we pray, give us success!
 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
    We bless you from the house of the Lord.

We remember what God has done for us and we thank him! In every time, He is our strength, He is our help, He is our salvation, and so we praise Him.

Consider God’s mighty salvation as we listen to Mighty to Save -
”Savior - He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever - Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave”

Though we may be facing strange and changing times, we have a God who does not change, who remains faithful and good and continues to be good to us. As we consider what is not good in the situation around COVID-19, let us pause to consider how God has been incredibly good to us as we listen to and sing the Doxology.

Prayer Time

As we begin Holy Week, and we see our Saviour King entering into Jerusalem on his way to the cross, we consider our sin, the high price He paid to atone for it and bring us forgiveness for and freedom from it. With that, we pray…

O King of Glory,
we confess that our praise of your majesty has often been faint,
our performance as citizens of your kingdom treasonous.
For we have surrendered to the enemy by our secret and our known sins.
For our treason you died, Lord Jesus.

For our restoration, you rose again.
Draw us closer to you in this Holy Week,
that our eyes may catch the vision of your tears,
and our hearts, the wonder of your grace.
By the Holy Spirit’s continuing discipline,
let us be loyal and loving servants of the King.
Praise be to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

(In bulletin from Rochester Christian Reformed Church, Rochester, New York)

O King of Glory,

We still wrestle with all that is wrong in this world.
We see COVID-19 and its effects, and we cry out,
”Lord, save! Lord, help!”
We see all the ways we are weary and worn out, and we cry out,
”Lord, save! Lord, help!”
We see our lack of wisdom and wonder where to go from here, and we cry out,
”Lord, save! Lord, help!”
We see our loved ones and find it all the more difficult to help and be by their side, and we cry out,
”Lord, save! Lord, help!”
We see our own sin, though we are saved and love You, we still wrestle with it, grieve it, repent of it day after day, but still find ourselves so weak, and we cry out,
”Lord, save! Lord, help!”
In every need, we cry out,
”Lord, save! Lord, help!”

At this time, take a moment to pray for specific needs on your heart.

Lord, we thank You that You hear our prayer, that you are with us, that You help, that You save.
We thank You in Jesus’ mighty, saving name,
Amen.

As we consider our need and God’s mighty power on this Palm Sunday, listen to this song, "Hosanna,” and consider prayer and praise it contains - make it your prayer.

Message

Read together with me Mark 11:1-11.

Go in Confidence

As we go, consider the assurance that we who are in Christ, saved by Him, belong to God, and that through uncertain days and turbulent times, He will hold us fast and bring us safely home.

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blessed
Watching and waiting, looking above
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love

As We Go…

Our Lord,

As we enter this Holy Week, may we see Christ more clearly, on the road to the cross, lifted up there, for us. May we take to heart the depth of our need, the depth of our sin and helplessness because of it, but how much greater Your salvation is, Your work to bring us from death to life. Make us more aware of Your saving work in our lives, and the eternity You are bringing us to. Help us to love You ever more.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Giving

You can give by e-transfer at kingsborobaptist [at] gmail.com. As well, you can mail or drop off offerings at Kingsboro Baptist Church, 3055 East Point Road, Kingsboro, PE, C0A 2B0.

Worship from Home, March 29, 2020

These are extraordinary times. Though we are unable to gather together for worship this morning due to the precautions surrounding COVID-19, we still have an opportunity to worship at home, and as we each do so, we do so together, united in spirit as we seek God together. Follow through this post, pausing to think about each reading, listening to each song, praying at the appropriate times, and listening to the recorded message, for a personal or family worship time at home.

Call to Worship

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean form an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.“ (Hebrews 10:19-23)

Think about that phrase: he who promised is faithful. How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life? How will you trust Him to be faithful today, and in the future?

We have a sure and strong hope. Not in our own ability to “do,” but in what Christ has done. Not in what we can do to protect ourselves, but secure in Christ’s care. Not in being able to save ourselves from catastrophe or COVID-19, but saved from sin and to eternal life by Christ.

We have confidence to draw near to the God of all power
For our hope in this world and in this day and in this week.
We confess Christ as our hope, and He is faithful.

Opening Prayer

Father God,

You are the faithful one.
You never leave or forsake us,
And Your mercies are new every morning.
If You have given Christ to die for us,
We can be sure You will provide for our every need,
And we trust You to bring us safely home.

Help us to keep our eyes on You
The unchanging, wholly trustworthy One,
In these changing, unknown days.

You are worthy of all our praise.

In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.

Worship in Song

As we see all that is going on around us, we fix our eyes on Christ, the foundation of our hope:

Turn your eyes to the morning
And see Christ the Lion awake
What a glorious dawn, fear of death is gone
For we carry His life in our veins

Listen to “Turn Your Eyes”

Psalm 42:1-5:

I waited patiently for the Lord; 
he inclined to me and heard my cry. 
He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, 
and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. 
Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. 

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, 
who does not turn to the proud, 
to those who go astray after a lie! 
You have multiplied, O Lord my God, 
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; 
none can compare with you!

May we wait patiently for the Lord,
Seeing Him as our great and only hope,
Trusting Him to make us secure each day,
And trust in Him.

Listen to “The Solid Rock” as we remember that:

When darkness veils His lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

Pray

Take your Bible and read Psalm 102. Click here to read Psalm 102

Many of the Psalms are laments, with the Psalmist bringing before God his plight, his plea for help, his need, and asking God to help, trusting and resting in God’s faithful love. Psalm 102 is one such Psalm. Lament is important for us, because it directs our need to the faithfully loving God who can do something about it.

Following the structure of Psalm 102, write and pray your own lament:

Calling for God to hear

“Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you!
Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily fin the day when I call!” (v. 1-2)

Begin by praying, “Lord, hear! I need you!”

Laying out your complaint

"My heart is struck down…
My days are like an evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.” (v. 3, 11)

Where do you see need? What struggle do you face? What do you struggle to understand? What is not right in your world or the world at large that is not right?

Seeing God and His character

“But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
you are remembered throughout all generations.” (v. 12)

Who is God? What does Scripture say His is?

Prayer for Help

“You will arise and have compassion on Zion…“ (v. 13)

How do you need God’s help? Where do we need His compassion?

Confidence in God

“He regards the prayer of the destitute
and does not despise their prayer.
you are the same, and your years have no end.
The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you. (v. 17, 27-28)

Because of who God is, what He has done, what He does, what He has promised, thank Him for the hope and confidence we have in Him.

Pray:

Lord, You hear our prayer, and you do not despise it. You are the eternal God, King on Your throne, reigning over this whole universe, and you are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We thank You for our salvation through Christ and that we are held fast in Your strong and sure care. In this ever-changing world, we trust that we do dwell secure because we belong to You.

We bring to you the concerns of our day and on our hearts
(Take this time now to pray silently or together as a family for any need and concern you may have.)

Thank You for all the promises in Your word that You are with us, You care for us, You love us so. Help us hold fast to the hope we have in You.

In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.

As we look to Him, we rest assured that He will watch over us, keep us, love us faithfully, and hold us fast. With this hope, we have great peace. Listen to “He Will Hold Me Fast” as you remember that.

When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold - He must hold me fast

Message

Open your Bible to Psalm 103 and read it slowly, thinking about what it says.

Click here to read Psalm 103

Questions for Thought

-How has God been good to you?
-Which of the “Benefits” that David lists especially resonates with you?
-Because God is still King and in control, how does that give you peace?

Listen to “10,000 Reasons” and reflect on God’s goodness and love, even in hard circumstances.

Benediction

Jude 24-25

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. 

Giving

You can give by e-transfer at kingsborobaptist [at] gmail.com. As well, you can mail or drop off offerings at Kingsboro Baptist Church, 3055 East Point Road, Kingsboro, PE, C0A 2B0.

Worship from Home, March 22, 2020

These are extraordinary times. Though we are unable to gather together for worship this morning due to the precautions surrounding COVID-19, we still have an opportunity to worship at home, and as we each do so, we do so together, united in spirit as we seek God together. Follow through this post, pausing to think about each reading, listening to each song, praying at the appropriate times, and listening to the recorded message, for a personal or family worship time at home.

Call to Worship

“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Psalm 46:1-3)

Psalm 46 puts steel in our spines and calm in our hearts as we watch our world tearing itself apart and, try as we do, we can’t stop the foolish self-destruction all around — right, left and center. But God reigns, God is present, God is with us. No need to freak out.

Ray Ortlund, Jr.

How does Psalm 46 give you peace in these troubled times?

Prayer

Our Lord God,
You are the mighty God, the sovereign God, the ever-present God.
You are our ever present help.
Even though we are gathered in different places,
We still seek You, worship You, love You together as Your people here,
United in Christ, His Spirit at work in each of us.

As we seek You,
Strengthen our spirits and calm our hearts,
So that though the world be in uncertain and chaotic,
As we see You,
We know the peace, hope, and joy You bring.
We look to You and love You.

In Jesus’ holy name we pray,
Amen.

Worship in Song

Though this is a time that may threaten to cause anxiety or fear, not knowing what even the next hour or day holds, we have an even stronger hope, an even mightier God, an even greater Saviour, and an even more sure hope in eternity.

So in the face of fear and anxiety, we have every cause to rejoice:

For His perfect love will never change,
And His mercies never cease,
But follow us through all our days
With the certain hope of peace.

Rejoice, rejoice, let every tongue rejoice!
One heart, one voice, O church of Christ, rejoice!

(Keith & Kristyn Getty)

Listen to Come People of the Risen King

“Safe,” by Paul Tripp, shared on his facebook page on Thursday, March 19

“We who have fled for refuge [in Christ] might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone…“ (Hebrews 6:18-20)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness… let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Reminded that Christ is our safe place, our very-present help, our steady anchor through our days, listen to “Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor”

Pray

Leader: O God our Rock,
All: hold us in this chaos.

O Christ our King,
calm us in this storm.

O Holy Spirit,
Intercede for us.

Be merciful, most merciful God!

O God our Rock,
hold us in the chaos
of this hard hour

O Christ our King,
calm us in the storm
of our distress.

O Holy Spirit,
Intervene and intercede

We need you now, most merciful God!

(A prayer from Every Moment Holy, by Doug McKelvey).

Lord Jesus, you are the faithful God, the faithfully loving God, who are so good to us in so many ways we can’t even count. We pray that as we face these uncertain days, with the spread of COVID-19, You would remind us of Your presence with us, to help us, sustain us, and bring us peace. Help us as we self-isolate, that we may have contentment in moments of struggling to do so. Help those of us who may have weaker immune systems or other health problems, to remain healthy. Heal those who have contracted COVID-19. Help the health-care workers on the front lines of battling COVID-19, that they may remain strong and rested, both physically and mentally.

We bring to you the concerns of our day and on our hearts
(Take this time now to pray silently or together as a family for any need and concern you may have.)

Lord, we are glad that we are able to come to you with our every need,
That you hear our every plea,
That you are able and willing to answer,
That you faithfully know our good, even better than we do.

With this in mind, we pray all these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reminded of Jesus’ great faithfulness to us, no matter what our situation, listen to Great is thy Faithfulness.

Message

Discussion Questions

-What about our present situation troubles or worries you? How do the promises of Jesus meet that fear or worry?
-What about eternity do you look forward to?
-How willing are we to see what God might do - even if we have no control? How excited are we? How do we trust Him more in things we feel no control over? How do we give over what we might want to control?
-How do you sense God’s hope, peace, and love today?

Hymn of Assurance

Benediction

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory

Giving

You can give by e-transfer at kingsborobaptist [at] gmail.com. As well, you can mail or drop off offerings at 3055 East Point Road, Kingsboro, PE, C0A 2B0.

Mark: I Believe, Help My Unbelief (Mark 9:14-29)

Click here to read Mark 9:14-29

Mark: The King & The Cross (Mark 8:27-38)

Click here to read Mark 8:27-38

Mark: Cultivating Our Hearts (Mark 4:1-20)

Click here to read Mark 4:1-20

Mark: God's Good Gift of Sabbath

Click here to read Mark 2:23-3:6

Mark: Impossible Authority (Mark 2:1-12)

Click here to read Mark 2:1-12

Mark: Contagious Holiness to Heal (Mark 1:38-45)

Click here to read Mark 1:38-45.

Mark: Baptism & Belonging (Mark 1:1-11)

Read Mark 1:1-11 here; Romans 6:4

A Martyr's Faith (Acts 7:54-8:3)

Click here to read Acts 7:54-8:3

Acts: Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)

Click here to read Acts 5:1-11

Acts: The Man, The Miracle, & The Mighty Name (Acts 4:1-14)

Click here to read Acts 4:1-14

Acts: In The Company of Believers (Acts 2.42-47)

Click here to read Acts 2.42-47

Other Scriptures: Matthew 28:19-20 ; John 13:34-35

Acts: Power From On High (Acts 2:1-13)

Click here to read Acts 2:1-13

Other Scriptures: Acts 1

Abraham: Humbly Bold Faith

Click here to read Genesis 18:16-33

Abraham: The Wait & The Walk (Genesis 16)

Click here to read Genesis 16

Abraham: Taking God At His Word (Genesis 15)

Click here to read Genesis 15

“Faith means believing in the word and promise of God despite what your eyes might see.” (Paul Carter)

Abraham: An Unexpected Journey (Genesis 12:1-9)

Click here to read Genesis 12:1-9.

The Beginning of Wisdom (Proverbs 3:1-12)

Click here to read Proverbs 9:10; Click here to read Proverbs 3:1-12

Other Scriptures: Romans 8:1-4; Psalm 33:8 ; Proverbs 2:6; Proverbs 14:12; Romans 11:33-36; Proverbs 3:19-20

Tim Keller: “Submit your whole mind to the Scripture. Don't think you know better than God's word. Bring it to bear on every area of life. Become a person under authority…

Be humble and teachable toward others. Be forgiving and understanding when you want to be critical of them; be ready to learn from others when they come to be critical of you.”

(Tim Keller quotes from “Proverbs: A Mini-Guide to Life”)