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 Psalm 34 as we continue 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 Richard 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
We have so many reasons to praise God, our opening song reminds us of a few of them.
Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing:
Praise Him, praise Him! X2
Praise the everlasting King.
Praise Him for His grace and favour
To our fathers in distress;
Praise Him still the same forever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Praise Him, praise Him! X2
Glorious in His faithfulness.
Father like He tends and spares us,
Well our feeble frame He knows;
In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Praise Him, praise Him! X2
Widely as His mercy flows.
Angels, help us to adore Him,
You behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him;
Dwellers all in time and space,
Praise Him, praise Him! X2
Praise with us the God of grace.
BITESIZE
In our Bitesize this week Rich catches up with church member Rachel Koernich to find out what this time of Covid is like in a nursing home.
BIBLE READING
Psalm 34
In this psalm we are invited to praise God at all times.
Of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.
“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”
In our next song we encourage one another to praise God whether our situations are good or less good.
Come people of the risen king
who delight to bring him praise;
come all and tune your hearts to sing
to the Morning Star of grace.
From the shifting shadows of the earth
we will lift our eyes to him,
where steady arms of mercy reach
to gather children in.
Rejoice, rejoice!
Let every tongue rejoice!
One heart, one voice;
O church of Christ, rejoice!
Come, those whose joy is morning sun,
and those weeping through the night;
come, those who tell of battles won,
and those struggling in the fight.
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!
Come, young and old from every land –
men and women of the faith;
come, those with full or empty hands –
find the riches of his grace.
Over all the world, his people sing –
shore to shore we hear them call
the truth that cries through every age:
‘our God is all in all!’
Rejoice, rejoice!
Let every tongue rejoice!
One heart, one voice;
O church of Christ, rejoice!
PRAYERS
Jilly Tan leads us in our prayers this morning.
In our next song we praise God because Jesus has died for us.
To God be the glory,
great things He has done.
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
who yielded His life an atonement for sin
and opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear His voice.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice.
Come to the Father through Jesus the Son
Give Him the glory; great things He has done.
Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
to every believer the promise of God.
The vilest offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear His voice.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice.
Come to the Father through Jesus the Son
Give Him the glory; great things He has done.
Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son.
But purer and higher and greater will be
our wonder, our worship when Jesus we see.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear His voice.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice.
Come to the Father through Jesus the Son
Give Him the glory; great things He has done.
Turn on the bible talk video for the reading and bible talk.
BIBLE READING – Psalm 34:1-3
“34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!”
BIBLE TALK
Praise at all times
Talk outline:
Praise God in good times and bad
Praise God continually
In our closing 2 songs we commit ourselves to being those who praise God at all times.
The splendour of the King clothed in majesty;
let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice.
He wraps Himself in light and darkness tries to hide
and trembles at His voice, and trembles at His voice.
How great is our God!
Sing with me – how great is our God!
And all will see how great, how great is our God!
And age to age He stands and time is in His hands;
Beginning and the End, Beginning and the End.
The Godhead, three in one; Father, Spirit, Son.
The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb.
How great is our God!
Sing with me – how great is our God!
And all will see how great, how great is our God!
Name above all names! You are worthy of our praise!
My heart will sing: how great is our God!
How great is our God!
Sing with me – how great is our God!
And all will see how great, how great is our 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…
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your glorious name.
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 of the Lord,
blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your glorious name.
CLOSING PRAYER
To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever, Amen.
That’s the end of our service but do link up now with others from Emmanuel!
If you’re a student joining us for the first time today, please do come to our student Zoom meeting after the service at 12pm. The details for the Zoom meeting can be found on the service sheet at the top of the page.
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.