Welcome to the recap of the Veritas worship gathering on May 13, 2012. Below are the songs and liturgy from our gathering. You can also find a link to this set and the sets of many other churches at www.theworshipcommunity.com.

Song: Refuge by Adapted from “Psalm 31, Part I” by Isaac Watts Written by Neil Robins

Reading: Call to Worship:

It is a good thing when we gather like this to remember God’s promises to us! When our lives seem chaotic and out of control, we need to hear God say “I am in control.” When we are feeling alone and depressed, we need to hear of God’s unending love and faithfulness to us! We can boldly worship God knowing that He loves us with an unending love, knowing has a plan for us that will glorify Him, and that He has firmly established his people’s salvation in Jesus. Hear God’s Word, as he calls us to trust in him and worship him!

L: Let all that we are wait quietly before God, for our hope is in him. He alone is our rock and our salvation, our fortress where we will not be shaken. Our victory and honor come from God alone.
C: He is our refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach us.
L: People of God, trust in him at all times.
C: We pour out our hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
- Based on Psalm 62:5-8

Song: I Sing The Mighty Power Of God by Isaac Watts

Song: To God Be The Glory by Fanny Jane Crosby

Reading: Confession/Assurance:

L: God of salvation, in Christ You have done great things—our hearts are filled with joy. By Your power You lifted us out of the wasteland of sin and brought us with joy and peace into Your kingdom. Salvation is Your gift to us. But we confess that often we try to replace Your gift with our own efforts. We try to complete what is already perfect; we try to add to what is already full; we try to earn what we already have.
C: Forgive us for our foolishness. May Your Spirit convict us of our sin and cause us to rest in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, through whom we have been given new life. Amen.

Lets sing this song as a prayer – confessing our need for Jesus.

Song: I Need Thee Every Hour by Annie Sherwood Hawks and Robert Lowry

Passing of the Peace:

The blessing that God has given us is that Christ has taken the penalty for our sin, paid the debt we owed of death and separation from God, and God has drawn us close to him, as his sons and daughters and blessed us with peace and salvation! Lets take a moment or so to greet each other and demonstrate the peace we have with God and each other!

Our Sermon this week was from Nahum 3. We sometimes try to see Scripture as simply a handbook for life. If that’s so and the Bible just gives us to-do lists and advice columns, why would Jonah and Nahum end in questions? The story of Nineveh is about more than Nineveh. This is about us. This is about God’s will for us. But what do these seemingly opposite books tell us about God’s will? In Jonah, He displays radical grace to Nineveh through a disobedient prophet, but in Nahum God completely wipes the city off of the face of the earth. What’s the common factor? What is God’s revealed will? Listen to the sermon online here.

Communion:

L: Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.
C: We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

L: With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.
C: We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: Alas And Did My Savior Bleed by Isaac Watts

Song: Hallelujah What A Savior by Philip Paul Bliss

Reading: Commitment:

L: While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person— though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.
C: But God proves His love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
L: Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by His blood, will we be saved through Him from the wrath of God.
C: For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life.
—Romans 5:6-10

Song: How He Loves by John Mark McMillan

We wanted to make sure that we recognized all of the amazing mothers at Veritas- so the men gave them a standing ovation to let them know how much they appreciate all of their dedication and hard work!

Benediction:

Because of Christ’s resurrection, we have the hope and promise of eternal life. As we go, may that truth sink deep into our hearts and may we live in worship of our Risen Savior, to the glory of God the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

L: Peace be with you. C: And also with you.

Welcome to the recap of the Veritas worship gathering on May 6, 2012. Below are the songs and liturgy from our gathering. You can also find a link to this set and the sets of many other churches atwww.theworshipcommunity.com.

Song: Awake My Soul by Sandra McCracken

Reading: Call to Worship

Lets read Psalm 63 together and join with the Psalmist in declaring our need for God, together proclaiming God’s great glory and responding to God’s call for us to seek him and respond to him in worship! Read the underlined parts with me!

L: O God, you are our God; We eagerly search for you.
C: Our souls thirst for you; in this parched and weary land where there is no life-giving water.
L: I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
C: We will praise you as long as we live, lifting up our hands in prayer and worship.
L: You satisfy more than the richest feast. Because you are our helper and sustainer,
C: We sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. We cling to you; your strong right hand holds us securely.
-Based on Psalm 63:1-8

Lets sing out together as we worship our great God!

Song: How Great Thou Art by Stuart Wesley Keene Hine

Reading: Confession/Assurance

We desperately need God’s continual mercy in our lives! We so quickly turn from his grace and turn to our own evil desires. Lets together pray this prayer of confession, reading the underlined parts with me, and ask God’s Spirit to cause our hearts to turn back to him in repentance!

L: Merciful God, you pardon all who truly repent and turn to you. We humbly confess our sins and ask your mercy. We have not loved you with a pure heart, nor have we loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have not done justice, loved kindness, or walked humbly with you, our God. Have mercy on us, O God, in your loving-kindness. In your great compassion, cleanse us from our sin.
C: Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. Do not cast us from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from us.
L: Restore to us the joy of your salvation and sustain us with your bountiful Spirit through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
-based on Psalm 51:10-12

God calls us to come to Him, to turn to Him, to seek him, to confess and experience new life in him! As we sing this next song, lets reflect on what our hearts are seeking after, and in repentance, turn back to our Savior Jesus Christ, and rest in the restoring grace that God offers us!

Song: Come Ye Sinners by Joseph Hart and Jean Jacques Rousseau

Passing of the Peace:

God’s amazing love is demonstrated in this – that He accepts with open arms sinners like you and me, not because we have done good things, but because Christ is perfectly good and has paid our debt! Lets take a moment to celebrate this and demonstrate the peace we have with God and each other by taking a few moments to greet each other!

Our Sermon this week was from Nahum 2. Assyria had tormented Israel and Judah for generations, mocking God as they went. God opposes the proud and the arrogant, those who try to lift themselves to God’s level and God details their impending destruction. God is against Nineveh. Judah had been abused and humbled for over 200 years. God speaks a word of comfort into their affliction. God promises salvation now over their Assyrian oppressors and salvation to the rest of the world today as over sin and all other oppressions and torments. The question you must ask yourself, though, is “Which message is for me?” Is God comforting you in your brokenness and humility with the knowledge that He is Justice or is God telling you that He knows your pride and stands against you?
Listen to the sermon online here.

Communion:

L: Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.
C: We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

L: With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.
C: We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: Nothing But The Blood by Robert Lowry

Song: Here Is Love by William Edwards, Robert S. Lowry, and William Rees

Song: Only Your Blood by Neil Robins, Adapted from Issac Watts

Reading: Commitment

Hear this truth about Christ our Savior!

L: Christ, our divine Redeemer, Your goodness is plainly seen in our redemption, How you became sin for us, and conquered all of our enemies. Your strength is seen in how you endured the extremes of God’s wrath, and erased our failure to live up to God’s standards.
C: Your love is seen in your resurrection, in your sacred wounds, erasing every fear and every doubt.
L: Now, our King and Conqueror, you’ve ascended to heaven, crowned and enthroned, praying for us, protecting us and providing for us by the power of your Spirit until the time comes for you to receive us there.
C: May we live in repentance, join you in conquering Satan, and finding victory in life in the Gospel. Amen.
- theopensourcebook.org

Song: The Solid Rock by William Batchelder Bradbury and Edward Mote

Benediction:

May the resurrection of Jesus Christ bring you all joy and peace in believing so that you may abound in hope. Go in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

L: Peace be with you. C: And also with you.

Welcome to the recap of the Veritas worship gathering on April 29, 2012. Below are the songs and liturgy from our gathering. You can also find a link to this set and the sets of many other churches at www.theworshipcommunity.com.

Song: Gifted Response by Matt Redman

Reading: Call to Worship

This morning, we have the amazing privilege of gathering together to worship God and respond to his scripture. Let us not take this lightly!! If we open our hearts to the Spirit of God, and respond to the revelation of the greatness of God, his holiness, and his glory then we quickly will fall on our knees in worship! We are desperate people who are desperately in need of a renewed view of God’s glory and desperately in need of his mercy! But too often we glaze over this reality with a false sense of security found in our own comfort and accomplishments! This morning is an opportunity to be honest with ourselves, to be open before the Lord, to remember, to celebrate and see His glory, to be repulsed by the depth of our sin in light of God’s holiness, and instead of despair and judgment, we are given the GOSPEL of JESUS! Hear the word of the LORD and then join me in singing as we respond to God’s glory in song!

L: Blessed be the Lord! For He has heard the voice of our pleas for mercy.

C: The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped.

L: Our hearts exult the Lord, and with our song we give thanks to Him.

C: The Lord is the strength of his people; He is our saving refuge! Praise be to God!
- Based on Ps 28:6-8

Song: Doxology by Louis Bourgeois and Thomas Ken

Reading: Confession/Assurance

Lets join together in this time and prayer of Confession. We come to this time each week, not as a way of earning forgiveness, but to remind ourselves of our constant need for the grace of God that’s been given to us through the work of Jesus, who paid the debt we should have paid. Our response to this is to repent and turn to Jesus! Hear this prayer:

L: Lord, we know that Jesus, who knew no sin and whose hands were clean, became sin for us, that we might be called righteous, clothed in white and called your children. But at our best, we are still wretched sinners. We still feel as though we’re in rags. Our best prayers are stained with sin, Even our tears of repentance are full of impurity, and our spiritual life is full of pride and selfishness. Help us to repent of our repentance, Wash our tears, and cover us in your righteousness. Like the prodigal son, we run to a far country, and return home, crying, “Father forgive.” In your mercy, you call us your children, and you bring us clean garments. May we live in your righteousness, work in it, share our homes in it, be found in death in it, and stand covered by it when we come before your throne.

C: May we never lose sight of the sinfulness of our sin, the righteousness of salvation, the glory of Christ, the beauty of your holiness, and the wonder of your grace. We ask this in the name of the One who makes it possible, Jesus Christ, Amen.
- based on a puritan prayer

Song: Christ, Or Else I Die by Words: William Hammond Arr.: Drew Holcomb

Song: Be Thou My Vision by Mary Elizabeth Byrne and Eleanor Henrietta Hull

Passing of the Peace:

Our souls are only truly satisfied in Christ! In spite of our sin and brokenness, we are given the righteousness of Christ and through that have peace with God and with each other! So lets take a moment to demonstrate that now by greeting those around you.

Our Sermon this week was from Nahum 1. Nobody likes to talk about God’s wrath. It’s uncomfortable to think that there is some being out in the universe that can cause seas to dry up and hills to melt. It seems evil of God to wipe out people groups or to send people to Hell today. But is the alternative better? Is it better that God be indifferent to the affronts of sin against Himself and against us? Would we think that God is good if He turns a blind eye to all of the things that we do to harm each other and tear apart relationships as if there wasn’t anything wrong? God takes sin, justice, and righteousness seriously in His good wrath. But who can stand against His wrath? Who wouldn’t be destroyed by it? The only one who can stand God’s wrath and save us from it is God Himself. Listen to the sermon online here.

Communion:

L: Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.
C: We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

L: With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.
C: We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: Rock Of Ages by Thomas Hastings and Augustus Montague Toplady

Song: I Have To Believe by Rita Springer

Reading: Commitment

Romans 8 tells us of the security that we have been given by Christ!

L: What can we say in response to God’s generous grace? If God is for us, who can be against us?
C: He did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all. Won’t he also graciously give us all things?
L: Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
C: It is God who justifies.
L: Who is he that condemns?
C: Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is pleading with God on our behalf.
L: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
C: Nothing – not death or life, angels or demons, the present or future, not any powers, not height or depth, or anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from
the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- based on Romans 8:31-39

Song: Our God by Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves, and Chris Tomlin

Benediction:

Hear and take to heart this benediction based on Hebrews 13. As you go, may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, may He equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Peace be with You

- based on Hebrews 13:20-21

L: Peace be with you. C: And also with you.

Welcome to the recap of the Veritas worship gathering on April 22, 2012. Below are the songs and liturgy from our gathering. You can also find a link to this set and the sets of many other churches atwww.theworshipcommunity.com.

Song: With Every Breath by Christine Byrd and Marc Byrd

Reading: Call to Worship:

Song: Come Thou Fount by Robert Robinson and John Wyeth

Song: Holy, Holy, Holy by Reginald Heber

Reading: Confession/Assurance:

God’s word tells us this about our sin:

L: This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- 1 John 1:5-9

Hear this prayer:

L: Gracious God, We are guilty of rejecting you, our Maker. We have loved the works of our hands and despised the One from whose hands we were made. Show us the fullness of our sin and lift up our wandering eyes to Jesus. By your mercy, cleanse us from our filth and restore us as Your redeemed children. Its in the name of Jesus that we pray.

Song: Approach My Soul The Mercy Seat by Jamie Barnes

Passing of the Peace:

L: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- 1 John 1:9

Its says “he is faithful and just to forgive us”… what that means is that God is “faithful and just” in that Jesus has paid for our sins, and by our confession, we are placed with Christ! And in that, God can’t hold our sins against us! We are FORGIVEN! That is the glorious truth of the Gospel that we celebrate! Lets take a moment to demonstrate the peace we have with God by greeting those around us!

Our Sermon this week was from Jonah 4. Finally, at the end of the book we see Jonah’s real heart in the matter. God meets him in the desert and strips away all of his anger to reveal the real reason why Jonah is upset about Nineveh being spared. Jonah couldn’t accept that the wicked people of Nineveh could be on the same level before God as a religious man like himself. Jonah couldn’t bear to admit that, just like Nineveh, he didn’t deserve God’s grace either. He couldn’t live in God’s free grace. Can we? Can we honestly ask ourselves how God could ever extend grace to evenus?
Listen to the sermon online here.

Communion:

L: Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.
C: We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

L: With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.
C: We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: Jesus’ Blood by Martin Smith

Song: 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) by Jonas Myrin and Matt Redman

Reading: Commitment:

We can sing out for joy, we can live with boldness and peace, we can worship God with out fear of his wrath because of what Christ has done for us! Lets read together from Romans chapter 8:

C: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
—Romans 8:1-2

Lets sing and celebrate this together!!

Song: I Am Set Free by Leslie Jordan

Benediction:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in repentance and hope. Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to the Gospel, to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ. Peace be with you.

L: Peace be with you. C: And also with you.

Welcome to the recap of the Veritas worship gathering on April 15, 2012. Below are the songs and liturgy from our gathering. You can also find a link to this set and the sets of many other churches at www.theworshipcommunity.com.

Song: The Love Of God by Frederick M. Lehman and Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai

Reading: Call to Worship:

One of the main reasons that we gather together like this is to remember God, his works, his promises, and his glory, and to respond  to God’s call to worship him with our lives! We do this through singing, reading scripture together, hearing the preaching of Gods word and by allowing God’s spirit to change our hearts! Hear the word of the Lord this morning and respond to his call by allowing your heart, mind and affections to worship God!

L: There is none like You among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like Yours. All the nations You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.
C: For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God.
L: Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.
C: I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Your name forever. For great is Your steadfast love toward me; You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
—Psalm 86:8-13

Song: Our Great God by Fernando Ortega and Mac Powell

Reading: Confession/Assurance:

When we see God’s glory, our sin becomes so evident and is brought to light- But rather then fearing God and running, we can boldly approach God because Jesus Christ has died to pay our penalty and has risen from the grave, giving us new life and eternal life with him!! Knowing that grace that has been given to us, lets pray this prayer of confession together:

L: Father, we confess that often our hearts run after the things of this world and we seek our own glory above yours. We belittle you by worrying about our lives instead of glorifying you by trusting the promises you’ve made to us in scripture.
C: Help us to remember the intense sacrifice made for us by Jesus Christ though his crucifixion and death. We plead the blood of Christ that covers our sins and makes us righteous. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us glorify you by making us more like Christ and more satisfied in you. Its in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Song: Were You There by Frederick J. Work and John Wesley Work

Song: All The Poor And Powerless by Leslie Jordan and David Leonard

Passing of the Peace:

The brokenness that sin brings into our lives is healed by the work of Jesus! Sin separates us from God, but Jesus has brought us peace with God! Lets demonstrate this by greeting those around us!

Our Sermon this week was from Jonah 3. Last week’s text ended with Jonah exclaiming that salvation belongs to the Lord. We thought that he had repented and was able to move on to be the hero of the story that a man who has a book of the Bible named after him; not so much. Jonah grudgingly goes to Nineveh to preach and the entire city repents! Jonah barely exerted himself and God brings all of Nineveh to Himself. So why was Jonah there? God clearly did all the legwork for him, so was going to Nineveh more about the Ninevites repentance, or Jonah’s? Was God so adamant about Jonah going to Nineveh because only Jonah could save the city or because it was only in Nineveh that Jonah would see his sin truly and fully and be able to repent of it truly and fully?

Listen to the sermon online here.

Communion:

L: Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.
C: We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

L: With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.
C: We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: Before The Throne Of God Above by Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vikki Cook

As we sang this song I couldn’t help but be reminded, by the lyrics, of the beautiful truth that Nick preached on in the sermon. There are multiple ways that we can run from God but only one way to live and that is through the redemptive grace of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  Part of verse two sums this up beautifully when the authors penned the following lyrics:

“Because the sinless Savior died my sinful soul is counted free for God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me to look on Him and pardon me.” This was an awesome thought to have as we continued on with worship and the time of commitment.

Song: Your Great Name by Michael Neale and Krissy Nordhoff

Reading: Commitment:

Song: There Is Power In The Blood by Lewis E. Jones

Benediction:

Go and remember that God has blessed us through Jesus Christ and has given us the Holy Spirit to stir our hearts towards loving God more everyday. Peace be with you!

L: Peace be with you. C: And also with you.