We’re not able to meet together as church family today and for the coming weeks. Although, by necessity, we have to stay apart physically, we’re standing together to love, support and encourage one another. So, in around 90 different homes, we’ll sing the same songs, pray the same prayers and look together at God’s word to us, as we look to Revelation 4 as we start a new sermon series called The Priority of Praise. There are some activities for those aged 14 or under to do and a bible talk from Rich for us to listen to.
For each person in your home, you’ll need a copy of this service sheet, a bible, print outs of the children’s sheets (if needed) and your computer or tablet to click on the links below. Please note that the songs are being played from YouTube, if one of the annoying adverts pop up, click on the ‘skip ad’ button.
Today’s service sheet can be downloaded here
Today’s resources for E Kids can be found here
The thinking behind the song choices is explained in italics
WELCOME AND OPENING PRAYER
The bible tells us that whether life is going well or going badly, we should always praise God.
Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful.
Where your streams of abundance flow,
blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name
when I’m found in the desert place.
Though I walk through the wilderness,
blessed be your name.
Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say…
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your glorious name.
Blessed be your name
when the sun’s shining down on me.
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’,
blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name
on the road marked with suffering.
Though there’s pain in the offering,
blessed be your name.
Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say…
You give and take away,
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say:
‘Lord blessed be your name.’
Blessed be the name…
BITESIZE
We hear from the Watts family about what’s been different for them recently, what they’ve missed and what they’re praising God for.
BIBLE READING
Psalm 150
Psalm 150 encourages us to praise God enthusiastically! Read it aloud together.
Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
In our next song we encourage ourselves to praise God for all his goodness.
Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul,
Worship his holy name.
Sing like never before, O my soul.
I’ll worship your holy name.
The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning,
It’s time to sing your song again.
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me,
Let me be singing when the evening comes.
You’re rich in love and you’re slow to anger,
Your name is great and your heart is kind.
For all your goodness I will keep on singing,
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.
BITESIZE 2
At Emmanuel we are seeking to glorify God as we reach out, build up and send out. Last year we helped to send out Josh & Helen Chard and in this video we hear how God has used them to bless many churches in Kenya.
PRAYERS
Ruth Bryant leads us in our prayers this morning.
Before we turn to the bible we praise God for his enduring faithfulness.
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father.
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not.
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow;
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Turn on the bible talk video for the reading and bible talk.
BIBLE READING – Revelation 4:1-11
4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Round the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
BIBLE TALK
The glory of forgiveness
Talk outline:
Praise our Creator
1) Praise our holy God
2) Praise our creator God
Let’s apply what we’ve heard and praise our great God with these next two songs!
From the highest of heights
to the depths of the sea,
creation’s revealing Your majesty.
From the colours of fall
to the fragrance of spring,
every creature unique
in the song that it sings. All exclaiming:
Indescribable, uncontainable,
you placed the stars in the sky
and you know them by name:
you are amazing, God.
All powerful, untameable;
awestruck, we fall to our knees
as we humbly proclaim:
you are amazing, God.
Who has told every lightning bolt
where it should go,
or seen heavenly storehouses
laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun
and gives source to its light,
yet conceals it to bring us
the coolness of night?
None can fathom:
Indescribable, uncontainable,
you placed the stars in the sky
and you know them by name:
you are amazing, God.
Incomparable, unchangeable,
you see the depths of my heart
and you love me the same.
You are amazing, God.
You have called us out of darkest night
Into Your glorious light
That we may sing the wonders of
The risen Christ
May our every breath retell the grace
That broke into our strife
With boundless love and deepest joy,
With endless life
May the peoples praise You, let the nations be glad!
All Your blessing comes that we may praise,
May praise the Name of Jesus.
All the earth is Yours and all within
Each harvest is Your own
And from Your hand we give to You
To make Christ known
May the seeds of mercy grow in us
For those who have not heard
May songs of praise build lives of grace
To spread Your Word
May the peoples praise You, let the nations be glad!
All Your blessing comes that we may praise,
May praise the Name of Jesus.
This our holy privilege to declare
Your praises and Your name
To every nation, tribe and tongue,
Your church proclaims
May the peoples praise You, let the nations be glad!
All Your blessing comes that we may praise,
May praise the Name of Jesus.
Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty
Worthy, worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty
All creation praise Your glorious Name
May the peoples praise You, let the nations be glad!
All Your blessing comes that we may praise,
May praise the Name of Jesus.
CLOSING PRAYER
That’s the end of our service but do link up now with others from Emmanuel!
Some material in this service is © Used by permission CCL Licence # 1102690. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.