Brothers and Sisters,

On Sunday we will be hearing from Paul Carrington in the morning service, focusing on Hebrews 11:30-12:2.  We will be following along two basic lines of thought: 1. :30-35a – How faith in God enables believers to DO what they could otherwise never have done by themselves 2. 35b-40 – How faith in God enables believers to ENDURE what they never could otherwise endure by themselves. Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians who had already gone through so much difficulty and persecution in following Christ. Sadly, these Hebrew Christians had started well, but now they were being tempted to draw back. For this reason, the pastor (the writer of Hebrews) seeks to refocus them on Christ, remind them of their calling, and prescribes the greatest remedy against calamity, uncertainty and discouragement: “faith”. He defines it (:1), then loads them up with an astounding biblical theology of faith (:2-40). Faith is a gift from God, and we will consider it afresh. But never put faith in your faith. Instead, look to the trustworthiness of our covenant-keeping, promise-fulfilling God. “Looking unto Jesus…”

Scott Brown will be bringing the afternoon teaching.

Women’s mentoring is today, at 10:00. Scott Brown will be taking the children through Psalm 19.

Prayer will be held at the Noah’s.

Here are the Wonderful songs for Sunday,

O Church, Arise

Am I a Soldier of the Cross?

My Faith Looks Up to Thee

I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow

Be Thou My Vision

O Church, Arise

O church, arise and put your armor on

Hear the call of Christ our Captain

For now the weak can say that they are strong

In the strength that God has given 

With shield of faith and belt of truth 

We’ll stand against the devil’s lies 

An army bold whose battle cry is Love

Reaching out to those in darkness

Our call to war to love the captive soul 

But to rage against the captor

And with the sword that makes the wounded whole 

We will fight with faith and valor

When faced with trials on every side 

We know the outcome is secure 

And Christ will have the prize for which He died

An inheritance of nations

Come see the cross where love and mercy meet 

As the Son of God is stricken 

Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet

For the Conqueror has risen 

And as the stone is rolled away 

And Christ emerges from the grave

This victory march continues till the day 

Every eye and heart shall see Him

So Spirit come put strength in every stride

Give grace for every hurdle

That we may run with faith to win the prize

Of a servant good and faithful 

As saints of old still line the way 

Retelling triumphs of His grace

We hear their calls and hunger for the day

When with Christ we stand in Glory

My Faith Looks Up to Thee

My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Saviour Divine;

Now hear me while I pray,

Take all my guilt away,

O let me from this day

Be wholly Thine.

May Thy rich grace impart

Strength to my fainting heart,

My zeal inspire;

As Thou hast died for me,

O may my love to Thee

Pure, warm and changeless be,

A living fire.

While life’s dark maze I tread,

And griefs around me spread,

Be Thou my guide;

Bid darkness turn to day,

Wipe sorrow’s tears away,

Nor let me ever stray

From Thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,

When death’s cold, sullen stream

Shall o’er me roll,

Blest Saviour, then, in love,

Fear and distrust remove;

O bear me safe above,

A ransomed soul.

Am I a Soldier of the Cross?

Am I a soldier of the cross,

  A foll’wer of the Lamb?

And shall I fear to own His cause

  Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies

  On flow’ry beds of ease

While others fought to win the prize

  And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?

  Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace

  To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;

  Increase my courage Lord!

I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,

  Supported by Thy Word.

I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow

I asked the Lord that I might grow

In faith and love and ev’ry grace,

Might more of His salvation know,

And seek more earnestly His face.

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,

And He, I trust, has answered prayer,

But it has been in such a way

As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour

At once He’d answer my request

And, by His love’s constraining pow’r,

Subdue my sins and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel

The hidden evils of my heart

And let the angry pow’rs of hell

Assault my soul in ev’ry part.

Yea, more with His own hand He seemed

Intent to aggravate my woe,

Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,

Humbled my heart and laid me low.

“Lord, why is this,” I trembling cried;

“Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?”

“‘Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,

“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”

“These inward tri-als I employ

From self and pride to set thee free

And break thy schemes of earthly joy

That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me save that Thou art

Thou my best thought by day or by night

Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light

Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word

I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son

Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise

Thou mine inheritance now and always

Thou and Thou only first in my heart

High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art

High King of heaven, my victory won

May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all