Members, make plans to join us October 30 at 7:30 PM as we prayerfully consider the business of the church. Agenda is available in the secured document library. For assistance, please contact Krista Horne.
Read the Bible: Psalm 139
LORD, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
you understand my thoughts from far away.
3 You observe my travels and my rest;
you are aware of all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue,
you know all about it, LORD.
5 You have encircled me;
you have placed your hand on me.
6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I fly on the wings of the dawn
and settle down on the western horizon,
10 even there your hand will lead me;
your right hand will hold on to me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night” —
12 even the darkness is not dark to you.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to you.
13 For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began.
17 God, how precious your thoughts are to me;
how vast their sum is!
18 If I counted them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand;
when I wake up, I am still with you.
19 God, if only you would kill the wicked —
you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me —
20 who invoke you deceitfully.
Your enemies swear by you falsely.
21 LORD, don’t I hate those who hate you,
and detest those who rebel against you?
22 I hate them with extreme hatred;
I consider them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.
Psalms 139:1-24 (CSB)
TONIGHT: Ladies' Auxiliary & Brotherhood Meet
There is a place for you to serve among the women’s and men’s ministries at Springfield PFWB Church. Join us at 7 PM.
TONIGHT: Communion Service
“Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).
Join us at 6:00 PM as we celebrate Holy Communion.
Read the Bible: Psalm 138
I will give you thanks with all my heart;
I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name
for your constant love and truth.
You have exalted your name
and your promise above everything else.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
you increased strength within me.
4 All the kings on earth will give you thanks, LORD,
when they hear what you have promised.
5 They will sing of the LORD’s ways,
for the Lord’s glory is great.
6 Though the Lord is exalted,
he takes note of the humble;
but he knows the haughty from a distance.
7 If I walk into the thick of danger,
you will preserve my life
from the anger of my enemies.
You will extend your hand;
your right hand will save me.
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me.
LORD, your faithful love endures forever;
do not abandon the work of your hands.
Psalms 138:1-8 (CSB)
Read the Bible: Psalm 137
By the rivers of Babylon —
there we sat down and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 There we hung up our lyres
on the poplar trees,
3 for our captors there asked us for songs,
and our tormentors, for rejoicing:
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
4 How can we sing the LORD’s song
on foreign soil?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!
7 Remember, LORD, what the Edomites said
that day at Jerusalem:
“Destroy it! Destroy it
down to its foundations! ”
8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is the one who pays you back
what you have done to us.
9 Happy is he who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rocks.
Psalms 137:1-9 (CSB)
Read the Bible: Psalm 136
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
4 He alone does great wonders.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
5 He made the heavens skillfully.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
6 He spread the land on the waters.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
7 He made the great lights:
'His faithful love endures forever'.
8 the sun to rule by day,
'His faithful love endures forever'.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians
'His faithful love endures forever'.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
'His faithful love endures forever'.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
13 He divided the Red Sea
'His faithful love endures forever'.
14 and led Israel through,
'His faithful love endures forever'.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
16 He led his people in the wilderness.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
17 He struck down great kings
'His faithful love endures forever'.
18 and slaughtered famous kings —
'His faithful love endures forever'.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
'His faithful love endures forever'.
20 and Og king of Bashan —
'His faithful love endures forever'.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
'His faithful love endures forever'.
22 an inheritance to Israel his servant.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation
'His faithful love endures forever'.
24 and rescued us from our foes.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
25 He gives food to every creature.
'His faithful love endures forever'.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven!
'His faithful love endures forever'.
Psalms 136:1-26 (CSB)
TONIGHT: Quarterly Business Meeting
Members, make plans to join us at 7:30 PM as we prayerfully consider the business of the church. Agenda & meeting materials are available in the secured document library. For assistance, please contact Krista Horne.
Read the Bible: Psalm 135
Hallelujah!
Praise the name of the LORD.
Give praise, you servants of the LORD
2 who stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praise to his name, for it is delightful.
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his treasured possession.
5 For I know that the LORD is great;
our Lord is greater than all gods.
6 The LORD does whatever he pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.
7 He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from his storehouses.
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both people and animals.
9 He sent signs and wonders against you, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his officials.
10 He struck down many nations
and slaughtered mighty kings:
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to his people Israel.
13 LORD, your name endures forever,
your reputation, LORD,
through all generations.
14 For the LORD will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are of silver and gold,
made by human hands.
16 They have mouths but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears but cannot hear;
indeed, there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.
19 House of Israel, bless the LORD!
House of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20 House of Levi, bless the LORD!
You who revere the Lord, bless the LORD!
21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion;
he dwells in Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!
Psalms 135:1-21 (CSB)
Sunday School is for All Ages!
About seven weeks after celebrating the first Passover and leaving Egypt, Israel receives a message from the LORD at Mount Sinai through Moses.
Moses went up the mountain to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain: “This is what you must say to the house of Jacob and explain to the Israelites: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you will carefully listen to Me and keep My covenant, you will be My own [treasured] possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites” (Exodus 19:3-6).
In obedience, Moses descends, summons together the elders of Israel, and relays for them the message from the LORD. And we read:
Then all the people responded together, “We will do all that the LORD has spoken” (Exodus 19:8).
It seems like a sweet, simple story. But will Israel do all that the LORD has spoken? Nope. They won’t even finish receiving the instructions for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25-31) before they turn to serious and abhorrent idolatry (Exodus 32). In other words, they won’t even make it from the foot of this same mountain before they’ve failed to do all that the LORD has spoken.
Doesn’t the omniscient God know how it will go? Is He unable to see that Israel would not even come close to honoring their commitment to do all that the LORD has spoken? Is He an irresponsible covenant-maker, allowing Israel to make a commitment they could not keep?
The LORD certainly knew that Israel would not keep their end of the bargain. Yet He still cut covenant there at Mount Sinai. He still proceeded to provide the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17), the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 20:22-23:33), and instructions for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25-31). In His mercy, He continued the work of making a kingdom of priests and a holy nation of a people who would never merit those titles by their own behavior.
In His mercy, God was pleased to honor Israel’s willingness to serve Him, despite their inability to do so. He was pleased to honor their godly intent, in spite of their worldly temptations. And so it remains with us, who can so closely identify with the prayer recorded by Thomas Merton in Thoughts in Solitude:
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Sunday School for all ages begins weekly at 9:45 AM. All are warmly welcome.