Sunday Review: 3/1/20
On Sunday, March 1, 2020, Kevin Khoffie led worship, Josh Fernandez prayed a Prayer of Confession, and Matthew Williams preached the message, “Who is Jesus?" as part of our new sermon series Life in the Son from John 1:1-5. To listen to this message again, click here.
Prayer of Confession:
Dear Lord,
We come before you to acknowledge our need for your infinite grace and the help of the Holy Spirit. We humbly ask for your mercy on our souls. We are so prone to wander from your presence into the conformity of the world and our own minds. We also are tempted in our hearts to not stay in obedience to You, leading us to walk away from you, as well as not being in communion with you or your church, as you have commanded of us.
We can isolate ourselves from Your body and then lose sight of the treasure that is the community You have built around us. Being focused on our depravity, we start to lose touch with the truth of your salvation and believe the lies that our sin is greater than your love, grace, and forgiveness. With this, we chose to rely on our own understanding, which causes us to forget that apart from you, we can do nothing.
We confess that we are often so blinded by pride, which keeps us from loving and serving others as you have called us to. We yield our lives to being fearful of others, falling under the reign of our emotions and failing to remember and focus on what saving grace means in our lives. How often do we walk our own paths, believing that we know the best plan for our lives, seeing only our own will and not yours? We confess our desire to be in the seat of ruling our lives, living a life outside of submission to your will for us.
In our pride we desire to bring ourselves glory and praise, being puffed up by our image and outwardly appearance. We find ourselves built up by a false sense of confidence, rather than being humbled before you, boasting in our own capability of false wisdom. Remind us that your foolishness is wiser than men, and your weakness is stronger than men. I pray that you will teach us to lean on you and not our own understanding, so that we may only boast in you.
Father, we pray that you will hold us closely and keep us trusting in your sovereignty, outside of you there is condemnation and doubt that infests our minds quickly. We see only our grief, our guilt, and our shame, neglecting you and your love, not desiring the work that it has in our lives.
Lord, we are sheep, so easily led astray to satisfy our own desires and indulgences. So, we pray that you, being our shepherd, would lead us back to yourself and know in our hearts that there is mercy in your arms. Just as the father was eager to run out to the prodigal son, you are eager to meet us in our struggles, faithfully loving us. Help us to remember that no matter how great the power of sin is, the power of the Cross is greater. Thank you for your redeeming work in our lives.
It is in your name that we pray,
Amen.
Discussion Questions:
Our lives are constantly answering the question: Who is Jesus? Thinking back on the past week, what has your life said about who Jesus is?
When have you recently been humbled by reading the Word of God?
Do you believe that Jesus truly understands your life and what you are dealing with?
Does it comfort and encourage you to know when Jesus speaks, acts, and weeps that it is God who speaks, acts, and weeps?
What does seeing Jesus as life look like?
John 1:4-5 declares Jesus to be the light of men that darkness cannot overcome. How does this truth help you battle sin and fight for faith?
Out of the six answers to who Jesus is, which one encouraged or convicted you the most?