Growing in Christ and Sharing God's Love

City Road Chapel

Growing in Christ and Sharing God's Love

Category: Worship

Worship services at City Road Chapel

Prime Worship for 6/7/2020

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Pastor’s Note:

This week we are back in 1 Peter, considering his description of the new birth. A lot of people like to talk about being “born again,” but what does that mean and as importantly what does that look like. Today we will be looking at the signs of new birth.

Act of Praise:

Psalm 51:1-17
Click on the link above to read this week’s Bible reading

The Story of Faith:
1 Peter 1: 22 – 2:3
Click on the link above to read this week’s Bible reading

Questions for Reflection:

  • Does being set apart for God’s purpose generate love for others in you?

  • How have you experienced new birth in your life?

  • Are you desiring the “milk of God’s word?”

 

Prime Worship for 5/31/2020 — Pentecost Sunday

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Pastor’s Note:

After recording the sermon I had some additional thoughts about 1 Corinthians 12:38 and I encourage you to check them out at https://cityroadchapel.org/2020/05/31/thinking-more-about-1-corinthians-1213-and-galatians-328/

This week we celebrate Pentecost, remembering the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church. Given the focus on the Holy Spirit, we will be taking a break from our study on 1 Peter to consider Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12 on the gifts of the Spirit.

Act of Praise:

Psalm 104:24-34
Click on the link above to read this week’s Psalm

The Story of Faith:
1 Corinthians 12:3-13
Click on the link above to read this week’s Bible reading

Questions for Reflection:

  • How often do you think about the presence of the Holy Spirit in your day-to-day life?
  • Paul suggests that all are given gifts from the Spirit for the common good. What are the gifts that you have been given and how do they make our church and the world a better place?
  • How do our gifts connect us to one another?

 

Prime Worship for May 24, 2020

by City Road Chapel 1 Comment

Pastor’s Note:

This week we consider how our status in God’s kingdom leads us to be set apart for God’s purposes. Peter says that we have been liberated by the blood of Christ for a new purpose. Take some time to think about what that purpose might be.

Act of Praise:

An Affirmation from Romans 8
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ!
Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution or famine,
or nakedness or peril or storm!

No!

In all things we are more than conquerors
through the one who loved us.
We are sure that neither death nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Amen.

The Story of Faith:
1 Peter 1: 10-21
Click on the link above to read this week’s Bible reading

Questions for Reflection:

  • Peter says that the Old Testament prophets wondered about the nature of Christ. What do you ask yourself about who Christ was and is?
  • Do you place your hope in Jesus or in some other source of security and significance?
  • What does it mean to you to be holy?00;”>

 

Prime Worship for May 17, 2020

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Pastor’s Note:

St. Peter

Starting this Sunday, we will be working our way through the New Testament letter we call 1st Peter. This letter, traditionally attributed to Simon Peter, the Bishop of Rome (but more likely written by one of Peter’s disciples) is written to a faith community undergoing trials and tribulations for their faith.

The letter is addressed to “God’s chosen strangers in the world of the diaspora…” (Vs. 1:1). While the Christians that Peter is writing to were undergoing real persecution unlike anything seen in our practice of faith, I think we can relate these days to being dispersed, spread out, not gathered together. Thus, we will be seeing what Peter might reveal to us about faith in a world in which we are physically distant from one another. 1 Peter helps us to think about living out our faith in troubling times and our identity as a people called by God to reveal God’s love into the world.

Psalm of the Week:
Psalm 66:8-20
Click on the link above to read this week’s Psalm

The Story of Faith:
1 Peter 1: 1-9
Click on the link above to read this week’s Bible reading

Questions for Reflection:

  • In our current context, what does it mean to live as one of “God’s chosen strangers” dispersed throughout the land?
  • How do you personally experience the “living hope” that was given through the resurrection of Jesus?
  • Do you believe that your faith is tested or proven through experiencing trials and difficulty?

 

Prime Worship for May 10, 2020 — Making a Joyful Noise

by City Road Chapel 1 Comment

This week’s service is a special musical celebration in honor of Mother’s Day. Special thanks to special guests Jonell Mosser, Stuart Duncan, and Mark Robinson.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.

Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Prime Worship for May 3, 2020 — What does it mean to be church today?

by City Road Chapel 1 Comment

Opening Prayer:

Let us pray:
God of the ages,
we come into your presence with praise,
singing of your love which is never-ending.
Speak to our hearts today,
filling us with your peace and hope
and the knowledge that the light has come,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Psalm of the Day:

Psalm 23
Click on the link to read today’s psalm at Bible Gateway

The Story of Our Faith:

Acts 2:42-47
Click on the link to read today’s scripture lesson at Bible Gateway

Questions for Reflection:

This passage represents the first description of Christ’s church and has been an inspiration for many reformers throughout the years.

  • How do you think your church experience conforms to this description?
  • Why do you think this form of church was so attractive to others?
  • What would need to change in our church today to be able to be described in this way?

Prayers of the Community:

Click here to see the latest updates to the City Road Chapel Prayer List

Prime Worship for April 26, 2020

by City Road Chapel 2 Comments

Opening Prayer:

Let us pray:
Ever loving God,
your Son illumines our days,
warms our hearts, and draws us to you.
Accept our praise today;
give us hearts of joy,
that we might always sing your praise.
We ask this through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Amen.

Psalm of the Day:

Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
Click on the link to read today’s scripture at Bible Gateway

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be
world without end.
Amen.

Focus Scripture:

John 15: 9-17
Click on the link to read today’s scripture at Bible Gateway

Reflection Questions:

  • How willing are YOU to love another in the same way that Jesus loved us?
  • What are you willing to give up for another in God’s call of love?

Leave a comment or question below about these questions or what you are hearing in today’s scripture texts.

 

Prime Worship for April 19, 2020

by City Road Chapel 4 Comments

Opening Prayer:

Let us pray:
O God,
who through the resurrection of your son Jesus destroyed death
and brought forth light and immortality,
grant that we, your children,
may abide in your light and love
knowing that we are people of hope.
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit
be dominion and praise forever.
Amen.

Psalm of the Day:

Psalm 16
Click on the link to read today’s scripture at Bible Gateway

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be
world without end.
Amen.

Focus Scripture:

John 20:19-31
Click on the link to read today’s scripture at Bible Gateway

Reflection Questions:

  • The disciples were gathered in fear when Jesus came to them, offered peace, and breathed into them God’s Spirit. How are you hiding in fear today, and how would God’s holy breath make difference in your life?
  • Jesus gives praise to those who are able to believe in him without seeing. What does faith in Jesus Christ mean to you, and how are you able to believe without seeing?
  • John says that his gospel was written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah. How do you understand Jesus and what difference does this gospel story mean to you?

Leave a comment or question below about these questions or what you are hearing in today’s scripture texts.