Fellowship Service Recap - 07/09 - 07/10/16

This weekend we wrapped up our series on the life of David, Rise or Fall. The message this weekend from our family pastor, Brian Tryhus, was about the legacy of David as a man after God's own heart. Despite many moments of serious failure with heavy consequences, David always responded to his sin with confession and repentance and turned back to the Lord in faith and obedience. Brian challenged us to respond in the same way to our sin so that we might all be people after God's own heart like David.

A highlight of the message for me was a story Brian shared about G.K. Chesterton. He told us how a London newspaper had asked authors to answer the question, "What is wrong with the world today?" G.K. Chesterton's response was simply,

Dear Sirs,

I am.

Yours, 
G.K. Chesteron

In light of the tragic events in our country and around the world over these past few weeks, that answer is simple but profound. We all need to recognize that we, because of sin, are are each part of the problem with the world. The solution is to pursue a life of humility, confession, repentance, and love–like David.

Here's what we sang together this weekend:

Pre-service: "How Can It Be" [Lauren Daigle]
"In Tenderness" [Citizens & Saints]
"God With Us" [All Sons & Daughters]
"I Stand Amazed" [Charles Hutchison Gabriel]
"Grace Flows Down" [Christy Nockels, Passion Worship Band]
"O Come To The Altar" [Elevation Worship]

It felt like a heavy weekend as we gathered together, but one in which I felt a great deal of hope because of Jesus and His gospel. We had planned for a few weeks to emphasize how Christ had worked redemption and forgiveness for our sin through the cross, and I can see how God was at work in the planning because it felt very fitting to sing these songs together this weekend. Our team led well, and the church sang out together as we celebrated the light and hope of the gospel message, even in the face of great darkness, both within each of us and in our world.

in the Son,

Bill

FBC Weekend Recap - 12/26 - 12/27/15

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration with your families and friends!

This weekend, Brian Tryhus taught from Psalm 23 about how the Lord is our Great Shepherd. He shared how God's people recognize the Shepherd's voice and follow Him, and in doing so, they experience provision and rest.

Here are our songs from this weekend:

In Tenderness [W. Spencer Walton, Adoniram J. Gordon, Nate Garvey / Citizens & Saints]
Made Alive [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger /Citizens & Saints]
You Never Let Go [Matt Redman, Beth Redman]
One Thing Remains [Brian Johnson, Jeremy Riddle, Christa Black ]
Rejoice [Dustin Kensrue, Stuart Townend]

We returned to my preferred service order this weekend, with two songs up front and then three songs in response to the Word. While there are several excellent orders for worship services, I prefer this one because it reflects the concept of "revelation and response" in worship. God has revealed Himself in His Word, and that is how we know Him. When we know Him, we can then respond in worship. We have been away from this order for a couple of months, so it was nice to return to it.

In all, it was a great weekend of celebration and worship, thanking God for being our faithful Good Shepherd!

in the Son,

Bill

Songs We Sing - 08/08 - 08/09/15 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend we continued our "Family of Tomorrow" series, with our Family Pastor, Brian Tryhus, sharing about relationships within our families. He led our congregation in answering the question, "What does my family need from me?"

Here are our songs from this weekend:

"In Tenderness" [W. Spencer Walton, Adoniram J. Gordon, Nate Garvey, arr. by Citizens & Saints]
"It is Finished" [Dustin Kensrue]
"Be Thou My Vision" [Ancient Irish Hymn]
"Great Are You Lord" [Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan, David Leonard]
"Because of Your Love" [Phil Wickham]

We had a great weekend of worship together. We sang songs that primarily looked at how God loved us first and sought us out. We also looked at the reality that He made us and saved us (remade us), and adopted us as His own sons and daughters, which all gives us a picture of how we ought to love one another in our families and beyond. We introduced Dustin Kensrue's "It is Finished," which is a song about the finished work of Christ for us. The chorus is the biggest section of the song, and it sings,

"It is finished, He has done it/ Let your weary heart rejoice/ Our redemption is accomplished/ Raise a shout with ragged voice/ And go bravely into battle/ Knowing He has won the war/ It is finished, lift your head/ And weep no more!"

I love the powerful declaration of Christ's victory in this song, and it moves me as I am reminded of the freedom and salvation that He has won for me. He has done it all! I look forward to this song taking a deeper root in our congregation and giving us courage to live out our faith because it is finished!

Despite some instrument challenges, I walked away from this weekend very encouraged. I was encouraged by our times of singing together as we remembered, celebrated, and proclaimed the goodness of God in the gospel. And I was also encouraged by what I heard from our congregation, and how they are being impacted by our worship arts ministry. God is faithful, and I am humbled to be a part of His work here.

I hope you had a great weekend of worship!

In the Son,

Bill

Worship Gatherings, 10/25 - 10/26/14 - Fellowship Bible Church

This was our second week going through Paul's letter to the Colossians together as a church. Our family pastor, Brian Tryhus, shared from Colossians 1:15-29 (one of my favorite passages) about being set on the authentic gospel, in the person and work of Jesus. It was a great weekend all together.

Pre-Service - "Death In His Grave" (D) [John Mark McMillan]
"Jesus!" (A) [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger]
"Before The Throne" (E) [Charitie Lees Bancroft]
"Center" (D) [Charlie Hall, Matt Redman]
"Man of Sorrows" (D) [Matt Crocker, Brooke Ligertwood]
"Son of God" (G) [Tim Neufeld, Jon Neufeld, Ed Cash, Gordon Cochran]

We had a small team this weekend, and they did a fantastic job. We sang a few newer songs that we had introduced previously in different environments, like our worship night. "Death In His Grave" is a powerful, poetic look at what Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection. "Jesus" was a great fit for this weekend, as it draws from the same passage from which Brian taught. "Center" was another one that was really tied in. "Man of Sorrows" is a song that I took a while to incorporate, but it is really resonating with me right now. I love the proclamation of the gospel contained in this one, and I look forward to continuing to sing it together.

All together, I think the service was well-connected, and we were able to respond to God in singing about the very thing we studied - who Jesus is and what He has done.

I really enjoyed this weekend, even if it had a slightly different feel than some other weekends. Jesus was exalted, and I think we were humbled before Him because of who He is and what He has done for us. He is so good to us.

Songs We Sing, 06/28 - 06/29/2014 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend was the fifth weekend of our "Hope" series, and Brian Tryhus preached about our hope of redemption through Jesus, the Suffering Servant, coming from Isaiah 53 (one of my favorite passages of Scripture). It was a beautiful reminder of the amazing grace that Jesus has shown us through the cross, and the incredible hope we have through Him alone!

For our services, we had a great pair of brass players (Ronnie and Haley Murphy) on our team, and they were a fantastic addition. It made for an incredibly challenging and fun weekend for the whole team.

Here are our songs from this weekend:

"Felix Culpa" (Am) [Kings Kaleidoscope] - Our team has been trying to get me to incorporate this song for a few months now (it started before Easter!). It's not really a great congregational song, but it was a great fit thematically and it is just an incredible song overall. It's not an easy one, though.

"In Tenderness" (G) [Nate Garvey, Adoniram Judson Gordon, W. Spencer Walton, arr. by Citizens/Kings Kaleidoscope] - This weekend, we took a stab at the Kings Kaleidoscope arrangement of the Citizens arrangement of this song (got all of that?), which incorporates a great brass part that complements it all very well.

"Made Alive" (C) [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger] - This song is one of our staples now. I am trying not to wear it out around here, though, but it's tricky. It is a great celebration and thanksgiving song from Ephesians 2.

"Suffering Servant" (G-A) [Dustin Kensrue] - This song was a perfect fit for the message from Isaiah 53. This song captures the essence of that passage better than any other song I have heard. It is incredibly powerful and beautiful. While it is quite wordy, I think it is one of those songs that breaks the rules and the congregation wants to sing anyway.

"Jesus Messiah" (G) [Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash] - We hadn't sung this in a while, but it is still one of our church's favorites, and it helps us look to the cross of Jesus for our hope and redemption.

"In Christ Alone" (G) [Stuart Townend, Keith Getty, arr. by Kings Kaleidoscope] - Again, we used the Kings Kaleidoscope arrangement on this one (they are one of the only modern worship bands I know of that have brass players). This was a fantastic way to end our services, because the statement, "In Christ alone my hope is found" sums it all up very well. That is what we needed to walk away with (maybe what need to walk away with every week...). Jesus is everything we need, and our hope is in Him and Him alone.

This weekend was simply incredible–definitely one of the best yet! I love our beautiful church and our amazing team of leaders!

Songs We Sing, 06/07 - 06/08/14 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend was another great weekend with our church. Our team was really solid throughout the weekend. Our family pastor Brian Tryhus preached a powerful and challenging message about hope from the book of Hosea. It was also a communion weekend, which is always a particularly meaningful weekend for our congregation.

Here's our order from this weekend:

"Hail The King" (G) [Zach Bolen, Brian Eichelberger]
Message
Communion - "How Deep The Father's Love For Us" (D) [Stuart Townend]
"One Thing Remains" (Bb) [Christa Black, Brian Johnson, Jeremy Riddle] 
"This Is Amazing Grace" (Bb) [Phil Wickham, Josh Farro, Jeremy Riddle]

It was a solid and meaningful weekend for our congregation, and I believe Jesus was lifted high by our church. Above all, I feel that many of us were wrestling with conviction from the message from the prophet Hosea, and were keenly aware of the incredible, unfailing love of God.

Songs We Sing, 03/22 - 03/23/14 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend, our family pastor, Brian Tryhus, continued our series on worship with his message about adoration. He surveyed several Psalms that we read this week in our church's reading plan, from Psalm 139 through 145. He challenged us turn our hearts to adoration because the Lord knows us and still loves, because God is faithful in every circumstance, and because He is worthy. It was a valuable reminder for all of us to direct our worship to the One who is worthy. You can listen to or watch the message and service here.

Here's the order from this weekend:

Call to Worship - Corporate Reading - Psalm 105:1-3 ESV
"Before The Throne" (A) [Charitie Lees Bancroft]
"Holy Is The Lord" (E) [Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio]
Greeting Time/Announcements
Message - "Worship: Adoration" [Brian Tryhus]
"Wonderful, Merciful Savior" (Bb) [Dawn Rogers, Eric Wyse]
"How Great Is Our God" (Bb) [Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash]
"Lord Of All" (Bb) [Kristian Stanfill]

This was another solid weekend with our church. Our team did a fantastic job leading, and the congregation was engaged in singing together throughout. Our team continues to get better and better. I am so thankful for their continued commitment and growth as musicians and leaders!

For the songs this weekend, we focused on how worthy the Lord is of our worship because of who He is and what He has done. We began with "Before The Throne," which sings of how Christ is our divine Substitute, our Advocate, and our atonement. He is our righteousness, and we are no longer condemned because of Him. We continued with "Holy Is The Lord" as a song about God's transcendence and glory. After Brian's message, we responded with "Wonderful, Merciful Savior," a song that we have sung for various events here at FBC, but which I don't think we have sung on a weekend since I've been here. I love this song because the lyric speaks clearly of the atonement, the Trinity, and God's immanence–all with a beautiful melody. We continued from there with "How Great Is Our God" and "Lord Of All." We paired the two songs together because they share a similar theme, in that God is sovereign over all, and that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. At the end of "Lord Of All," we sang the choruses of both songs simultaneously, since they share the same chord progression. It made me imagine what worship around the throne might be like, with the redeemed singing different songs to the Lord for all He is and all He has done for us. It will be beautiful when we don't have to imagine that moment anymore...

Hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were!

Songs We Sing, 02/22 - 02/23/2014 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend, our family pastor Brian Tryhus concluded our series on Obedience with a message about sacrifice and the providence of God. He urged our congregation to obey the call of God despite the fear that naturally arises, because we can trust Him. You can listen to the message or the entire service here.

Here's our order from this weekend:

Pre-Service - "Suffering Servant" (A–B) [Dustin Kensrue]
Call to Worship - Congregational Reading - Romans 12:1 ESV
"I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)" (E) [Charles Hutchison Gabriel]
Greeting Time
Special Guest - Pastor Reynixon Rosales
Announcements
Message - "Obedience: Sacrifice" [Brian Tryhus] 
"The Stand" (A) [Joel Houston]
"You Are God Alone (Not a god)" (A) [Billy Foote, Cindy Foote]
"You Have Overcome" (A) [Bill Horn, Erik Oldberg]
Dismissal

Thoughts: This was a powerful weekend. For one, we had a special guest, pastor Reynixon Rosales (he usually goes by Pastor Nixon) from the Smokey Mountain landfill community in Manila, Philippines. He is one of the amazing leaders I had the privilege of meeting a few weeks ago on my trip to Manila with Trash Mountain Project. In our services this weekend, he shared how he grew up in Smokey Mountain, ended up getting out of the community and finishing his education, and then how God called him and his wife back to that community. Smokey Mountain has the worst living conditions I have ever witnessed, and Nixon and his wife, Cora, answered God's call on their lives to head back in these conditions to feed the children and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus. They are heroes of the faith for me, and for everyone else who has met them.

The timing of his visit with our church was perfect, as it aligned perfectly with what our family pastor, Brian Tryhus, preached on: obedience and sacrifice. His example was Esther, and how her initial reaction to the call of God on her life was fear, but ultimately she willingly laid down her own life for those of her people, and she became a critical part of God's story. 

The service as a whole was a powerful time of worship. The team led very well, with everyone doing their part to serve the congregation with excellence. We opened in the pre-service again with "Suffering Servant," and after this we read Romans 12:1 together as a congregation. This verse was key to tie everything in the service together–our offering ourselves as living sacrifices is a response to the "mercies of God" (ESV). Kelsey Thomsen then led us on "I Stand Amazed." We responded to the message with "The Stand," and then Kelsey led us again in "You Are God Alone," which we sang for the fourth time now in our services and is our church is learning it and singing it together. I love this song, as it is entirely a song about who God is–His sovereignty, His immutability, and His power. The character of God is crucial to understanding why we should follow and obey Him as He calls us and directs our lives. He is ultimately worthy of all that we are. We closed our services with "You Have Overcome" to bring full circle the connection between Christ's sacrifice for us and putting our obedience in the proper place of being a response to what Christ has already accomplished for us. This truth is critical for us to understand as believers; our obedience, our worship, or any "good work" are all responses to how Christ has accomplished our salvation for us. These deeds do not move us toward salvation. They are a means of following the example of our Savior. They are a means of demonstrating our thanks and love for Him. They are a means of being selfless for others, just as Christ was selfless for us.

It was a beautiful weekend of both celebrating the sacrifice that Christ made for us and contemplating His call on our lives to make disciples. Between Brian's message, Pastor Nixon's testimony, and our time of singing together, it was an incredibly moving and challenging weekend of worship.

Your turn: what were your experiences, observations, or take-aways from this weekend?

- Bill

Songs We Sing, 08/03 - 08/04/13 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend, our family pastor, Brian Tryhus, shared the the second message in our series, "Positive Identity," where he taught how we are forgiven in Christ. His big idea was that when we understand how God has forgiven us in Christ, we will then be able to forgive others. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:

Welcome "Unchanging" (G) [Chris Tomlin] Greeting Time/Announcements Message - "Positive Identity: Forgiven" [Brian Tryhus] Communion "Nothing But The Blood" (G) [Robert Lowry, arr. by Bill Horn] "This Is Amazing Grace" (G) [Phil Wickham, Josh Farro, Jeremy Riddle, recorded by Phil Wickham and Bethel Live] "Son of God" (G) [Jon Neufeld, Tim Neufeld, Ed Cash, Gordon Cochran, recorded by Starfield] Dismissal

Thoughts: This was a great weekend. Communion was a special moment with the congregation, as always, and everything fit for there well. I felt that the congregation engaged with God through the word and through our times of singing. Brian's message was a great reminder of God's amazing grace and the forgiveness we have because of Christ.

For our singing this weekend, we opened our services with "Unchanging" by Chris Tomlin to establish our foundation for trusting and comprehending how God loves and forgives us: His faithfulness. He does not go back on His Word, and His promises are true; therefore, we can depend on what He has said about us because of the cross--that our sins are erased and forgiven, and that we are in right standing with Him because of the cross. After the message for our communion song, we sang the great hymn, "Nothing But The Blood." The blood of Jesus is the means of our forgiveness, and this was a great fit for both communion and the message this weekend. We continued from there by continuing to teach the newer song "This Is Amazing Grace," which is a great co-write between Phil Wickham, Josh Farro, and Jeremy Riddle. This week, we dropped it from the key of C down to G, and just kept the melody up throughout. I thought this would be easier for our congregation to sing, and it was definitely easier for me to sing for four services! We then finished our services with one of our church's favorite songs, "Son of God." The chorus of this song is where I wanted to land our services: "Jesus, O Holy One/ I sing to You, forgiven/ Savior, I'm overcome/ With Your great love for me."

It was yet another great weekend of worship together with Fellowship Bible Church!

- Bill

What were your thoughts or experiences from your worship gathering this weekend?

Songs We Sing, 07/13 - 07/14/13 - Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend, we had a stand-alone message about walking in faith. Our family pastor Brian Tryhus taught this weekend. In his message, Brian shared about how we gain the conviction to walk in faith because of the assurance of future hope in Christ, looking at the examples of the heroes of the faith from Hebrews 11. It was a powerful challenged to trust Jesus, no matter what. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. Here's our service plan from this weekend:

Welcome "Those Who Trust" (Em) [Don Chaffer] "Blessed Be Your Name" (G) [Matt Redman, Beth Redman] Greeting Time/Announcements Video - Super Kids Super Kamp promo Message - "Faith: Hebrews 11" [Brian Tryhus] "Your Great Name" (Bb) [Michael Neale, Krissy Nordhoff] "You Never Let Go" (Bb) [Matt Redman, Beth Redman] "It Is Well" (Bb) [Horatio G. Spafford, Philip Paul Bliss, Todd Fields] Dismissal

Thoughts: This was a very emotional weekend for me, as we sang primarily about trusting God and about God's amazing faithfulness. As we sang "You Never Let Go," I was overwhelmed at how God has provided for me and my family, and how He has seen us through so many different situations to where we are today. He is so good to us!

Our team did a great job throughout the weekend. Becky Tindell and Heidi Carlson helped co-lead, and we had our Discipleship Pastor, David Hinkle, as a guest on trumpet. It was a lot of fun, and I love each of the songs that we sang together, helping us to trust in Jesus like Brian challenged us in the message. Jesus is worth following, and He will never fail. He is all we need, and He will see us through.

May we each walk in faith, knowing that Jesus is coming again, and that He will see us through.

- Bill

What were your thoughts or experiences from your worship gathering this weekend?

Set List, 06/30 - 07/01/12 - Fellowship Bible Church

This was our fifth weekend walking through 1 John together in our "Love In Christ" series. Brian Tryhus preached about forgiveness from 1 John, focusing on the futility of wallowing in shame and guilt when we sin. Our forgiveness has been promised and secured by the sacrifice of Christ. It was a powerful reminder and challenge to walk in forgiveness with confidence, faith, and hope. You can listen to or watch the entire message and service here. For our singing this week, we focused primarily on songs that emphasized what Christ has accomplished for us, and the standing we have with God because of it. We been declared righteous (justified) in Jesus Christ. When the Father sees us, He sees us through Christ.

Here's our service plan from this weekend:

(pre-service) "In The Light" (E) [Charlie Peacock, as performed by DC Talk] "All Because of Jesus" (Bb) [Steve Fee] Welcome/Greeting Time Call to Worship - thoughts from Isaiah 53 "Jesus Messiah" (G) [Daniel Carson, Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash] "He Has Done It All" (G) [Andy Cherry, Jason Ingram] "Son of God" (G) [Tim Neufeld, Jon Neufeld, Ed Cash, Gordon Cochran] Message - "Love In Christ: Forgiveness" [Brian Tryhus] Video - "Forget What You Know (Caedmon's Call)" "Nothing But The Blood" (G) [Robert Lowry] Offering/Announcements/Dismissal

"In the Light" - (Yes, it is the one performed by DC Talk in the 90's). We sang this one for our pre-service countdown because it is a great fit with the book of 1 John, as it focuses on walking in the light as He is in the light. It is a ton of fun to play, and I could see people in our congregation who remembered it singing along. I think it was a great way for our congregation to enter into the worship center this weekend.

"All Because of Jesus" - We opened our services with this song, which is a staple for our congregation. It set the tone for the entire service, as declaring with joy and confidence that we are alive in Jesus.

"Jesus Messiah" - After reciting a few verses from Isaiah 53, we sang this song together. I love the lyric of this song, and I think one of the most powerful moments of it is the bridge, where we sing, "All our hope is in You/ All our hope is in You/ All the glory to You, God/ The Light of the World." We need to put all of our hope in Christ alone. He is the only way for us to be saved. He is the only way for us to be redeemed. He is our life. This is one of the most significant reasons that He is worthy of all glory and honor and praise.

"He Has Done It All" - We began teaching this song a few weeks ago, and this was the second time we have sung it together. I absolutely love this song. I think it reminds us of the truth of the gospel, and inspires our confidence in what Christ has declared: "It is finished."

"Son of God" - This is one of our church's favorite songs, and it was a great way to finish our main set of songs. It is a simple and beautiful expression of worship to our risen King, Jesus. The chorus and bridge sing: "Jesus, O Holy One/ I sing to You, forgiven/ Savior, I'm overcome/ With Your great love for me/ You are worthy/ You are worthy/ You are worthy of all my praise/ You are beautiful/ You are beautiful/ I will lift up my hands and sing."  I love this song, and our congregation sings it so well!

"Nothing But The Blood" - We responded to the message with this great hymn, which is one of my all-time favorites. I cannot think of a song that more clearly declares the truth of the gospel, and the fact that salvation comes through no other but Jesus. He is the only way of salvation, and He has accomplished it through His blood, which He shed for us at the cross when He died in our place. His sacrifice equals our rescue. My favorite verses are the third and fourth: "Nothing can for sin atone/ Nothing but the blood of Jesus/ Naught of good that I have done/ Nothing but the blood of Jesus" and "This is all my hope and peace/ Nothing but the blood of Jesus/ This is all my righteousness/ Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Amen!

This weekend was an intense weekend of worship. There is nothing I love more than focusing on the cross of Jesus Christ and remembering what He accomplished for us. It always moves me and overwhelms me to think of His grace and love for me. Our team did a great job, and I think we all will walk away from this weekend reminded of the forgiveness and redemption we have in Jesus Christ. When the Father looks at us, He sees us through Christ-- as forgiven, justified, and righteous. Praise the Lord for what He has done for us!

I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were!

In the Son, Bill

p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!

Set List, 01/07 - 01/08/12 Fellowship Bible Church

This weekend, we began our Romans series, "Grow In Christ." Our family pastor, Brian Tryhus, taught about the background information surrounding Paul's letter to the Romans, as well as calling us as a church to committing ourselves to a diligent study of the book, both individually and in community. I think it was a great challenge to all of us for the new year. I am excited about what the Lord is going to do in our church as we delve into Romans together. I pray that the gospel becomes ever more clear and sure for each of us. You can listen to the entire message here. This was an interesting and unexpected weekend. I was not originally scheduled to lead, but another leader's sickness necessitated it. About 3 hours before we started rehearsal, I adjusted our song set, communicated the change with the team, and we went for it. I was once again impressed by the flexibility and ability of our team. They all did a fantastic job, and it was a great weekend of worship, as we focused heavily on the gospel. Each song reflects that focus in some way.

Here's our service plan from this weekend:

Time of Preparation/Prayer "The Love Of God" (D) [Frederick M. Lehman, Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai] Welcome/Greeting Time "All Because Of Jesus" (Bb) [Steve Fee] "Glorious One" (C) [Steve Fee] "Glorious Day" (C) [Michael Bleecker, J. Wilbur Chapman] Message - "Romans: Grow In Christ - Introduction" [Brian Tryhus] Communion Communion Song - "Sing To Jesus" (Eb) [Richard Nibbe, Fernando Ortega] Offering/Announcements "In Christ Alone" (D) [Keith Getty, Stuart Townend] Dismissal

"The Love Of God" - We sang this song as our preparation song this weekend. I especially love the third verse, which makes a beautiful analogy to speak of the greatness of God's love:

Could we with ink the oceans fill And were the skies of parchment made Were every stalk on earth a quill And every man a scribe by trade To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry Nor could the scroll contain the whole Though stretched from sky to sky

"All Because Of Jesus" - This was our opener this week. We sang it because Jesus's sacrifice for us is the reason we have life and hope. As we focus on Romans, this was a fitting song.

"Glorious One" - This song is a favorite of mine, but I have not sung it with Fellowship before this weekend. Fortunately, it was one that they had sung previously, and it was good to bring it back and sing it together.

"Glorious Day" - This song is new to our congregation, and it is one that I have wanted to introduce ever since I heard it. It is from Michael Bleecker and the Village Church, and it first appears on their album, "God Of Victory."  (Yes, Casting Crowns did a cover of it, taking some liberties of their own, but I definitely prefer the first rendition by the Village). I love the lyric (written in 1909 by J. Wilbur Chapman), and how it communicates Christ's incarnation, death, resurrection, and return. It moves me every time I hear it or sing it, because the truth of it resonates deeply in me. Here's the lyric of the song:

Verse 1 One day when heaven was filled with His praises One day when sin was as black as could be Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin Dwelt among men, my Example is He

Chorus Living He loved me, dying He saved me Buried He carried my sins far away Rising He justified freely forever One day He's coming O glorious day

Verse 2 One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain One day they nailed Him to die on the tree Suffering anguish, despised and rejected Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He

Verse 3 One day the grave could conceal Him no longer One day the stone rolled away from the door Then He arose, o'er death He had conquered Now is ascended, my Lord evermore

Verse 4 One day the trumpet will sound for His coming One day the skies with His glories will shine Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine

"Glorious Day" J. Wilbur Chapman | Michael BleeckerCCLI Song No. 5181287 © 2008 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)

"Sing To Jesus" - This song was brand new to me this week. Sarah Oldberg had picked it out as a communion song this week, so I wanted to leave it in if I could learn it. It is such a beautiful lyric and melody. We did the song with just piano (Cory Zipperle did a great job making it happen!) and vocal. This song was also my introduction to Fernando Ortega. I had heard the name, but never heard any of his music before this week. I am now a fan. I am looking forward to discovering more of his music as a result of this song!

"In Christ Alone" - This was our response song this weekend. I love this modern hymn. It's interesting to play on guitar, because the traditional arrangement probably wasn't written with guitar in mind... But it works, and the power of the song takes care of it. It declares the gospel clearly and beautifully, and it is a song that just sounds like I knew it, even when it was the first hearing. It is truly in Christ alone that we have salvation, life, and hope.

I hope you had a great weekend of worship wherever you were!

In the Son, Bill

p.s. don't forget to check out The Worship Community!