Tomorrow is the Lord’s day — Sunday, and I’m excited!
A lot of people just think of Sunday as the first day of the week, but for those who Jesus has saved, it reminds us of that Sunday millennia ago when Jesus rose from the dead. That day secured our salvation and gave us an unshakeable hope. As we gather to worship Jesus tomorrow, that unshakeable hope in Jesus alone is what we are going to sing about!
One of the passages we will be reading in worship, Psalm 62:5-8, reminds us of that hope:
5For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. 6He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
David’s words here from Psalm 62 are a powerful reminder to us that, no matter what uncertainties we face, God is our refuge and firm foundation. In a world that is as changing as shifting sand, Jesus alone us unmovable and unshakeable. Our salvation, security, peace, and hope rest in Him. We can trust Him and pour out our hearts to Him always and at all times.
Tomorrow, as we gather at Christ Community, we will lift our voices in songs that proclaim this beautiful truth. We will sing of the steadfast hope we have in Jesus — hope that is not fragile, not fleeting — but firm and eternal. We will raise our voices and encourage one another to trust in Jesus alone. As always, John will open God’s Word and point us to Jesus.
Won’t you gather with us?
Here are our Scripture and songs:
- Scripture | Psalm 103:8-14 —
8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. 10He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; 12as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. 13As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him. 14For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
- Song | Grace Wins —
Scripture Inspiration: Romans 3:23, Romans 5:6-8, Romans 5:16-18, Romans 8:1, 1 Timothy 1:13-14, Ephesians 1:6-7, 2 Corinthians 9:8, John 1:16, Ephesians 2:7, Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, Luke 15:11-32, John 4, Matthew 9:27-31, John 9, Luke 16:19-31
- Song | His Mercy is More —
Scripture Inspiration: Lamentations 3:22-23, James 2:13, Romans 5:20, Hebrews 8:12, Isaiah 40:28, Hebrews 4:13, 1 John 3:20, Micah 7:18-19, Exodus 34:6, Psalm 145:8-9, 1 Timothy 1:15, Luke 14:21, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Colossians 2:13-14, Psalm 107:9, Ephesians 3:20, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Galatians 2:20-21
- Scripture | Psalm 62:5-8 —
5For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. 6He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
- Song | In Christ Alone —
Scripture Inspiration: John 14:6, Ephesians 5:8, Psalm 28:7-8, Psalm 40:3, Ephesians 2:19-22, Matthew 7:24-27, Romans 5:1-8, Joshua 1:9, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Corinthians 5:15, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, 1 Corinthians 15:28, Philippians 2:16, John 19:38-42, John 8:12, John 3:19-20, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Romans 6:15-23, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, Galatians 3:13, Revelation 21:3, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Romans 8:1-2, Romans 1:16, Deuteronomy 4:39, Psalm 115:3, Isaiah 43:13, Daniel 4:35, Ephesians 1:11, Matthew 16:17-19, Romans 8:35-39, John 10:28-30, Psalm 115:18, Revelation 5:9-13, Luke 9:23-26, Philippians 2:5-11
- Song | All My Hope —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 5:1-8, Romans 8:24-39, 1 Peter 1:3-6, Acts 2:38, Romans 4:7, 1 John 2:1-2, Ephesians 1:7, Romans 6:6
- Invitation | Come Ye Sinners —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 11:28-30, Luke 5:27-32, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Timothy 1:15, James 4:6-10, Luke 15:11-32, Romans 8:18-30, Luke 9:51, Luke 22:39-46, Galatians 4:4-5, Isaiah 53, 1 Peter 1:3-9, 1 Peter 1:17-21
- Offertory | The Truth* —
Scripture Inspiration: John 8:44, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, James 1:23-24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:16-17, Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 147:11, Genesis 1:27, Colossians 3:10, 1 Timothy 1:17, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-7, Romans 8:38-39, Ephesians 3:18-19, Romans 5:7, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 3:31-32, John 10:27-28, Psalm 119:160, Ephesians 6:14, Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 26:3, 1 Kings 19:11-12, Philippians 4:8
*Sometimes we see the need to changing the wording of a song for doctrinal reasons (meaning the lyrics contain theological inaccuracies or fail to align with clear biblical teaching).
In the case of “The Truth”, look at the original lyrics for the chorus:
The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I was made in the image of a perfect King
He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing
The truth is I am truly loved
By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough
I don’t belong to the lies
I belong to You — that’s the truth
Here are the lyrics as we have changed them:
The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I am made in the image of a perfect King
He saved me and changed everything
The truth is I am truly loved
By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough
I don’t belong to the lies
I belong to You — that’s the truth
While the sentiment of the original lyrics is that we come to God just as we are, it is inaccurate to say that He wouldn’t change anything about us. He takes us just as we are, but if He saves us, He transforms us (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 12:2) from His enemies to His friends (Romans 5:10, John 15:15), from far off from Him to brought near (Ephesians 2:12-13), from dead in our trespasses and sins to alive in Christ by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:1-8). He takes sinners and gives them new life in Him (Colossians 2:13-14), and — as the lyrics just before it say, “I am made in the image of a perfect King”, we recognize that if God has saved us — again, transforming us from lost in sin to saved by and through Him — He takes the image of God married by sin (Genesis 1:27, Romans 3:23) and makes us new, creating us “after the likeness of God” (Ephesians 4:24) by conforming us “to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29)!
If we don’t want to “belong to the lies” and know what it is to belong to Christ, we need to realize that we need Him to change us — that the beauty of Him being willing to accept us in our sin is that He loves us enough not to leave us in it. That’s the truth, and that’s good news!
Just Keith Harris 