General Service Format

OPENING STATEMENT

This is the day the Lord has made and let us rejoice and be glad in it. Now we’re going to sing “Only Believe.”

SONG – ONLY BELIEVE (ALL)

PRAYER

Father, this is the start of another week for us and we don’t know what it may bring forth.  If we are to stand up, let us stand bravely.  If we are going to sit still let us sit quietly.  If we are going to lay low let us do it patiently.  If we are going to do nothing let us do it gallantly and make these words more than words and give us the Spirit of Jesus.  Open wide the eyes of our souls that we see good in all things.  Grant us some new vision of thy truth.  Preserve us from minding little stings or giving them and help us to keep us our hearts clean to live honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure will dishearten us to take away the joy of conscious integrity.  Inspire us with the Spirit of joy and goodness granting us the vision that we may see good in all things to make us cups of strength to suffering souls in the name of our strong deliverer and Savior Jesus Christ.

SONG – IN THE GARDEN (ALL)

AFFIRMATION OF CHRIST

I invite you to join me in this affirmation making Jesus the Lord and Savior or your life, repeat after me, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins, I ask you to come into my heart, I make you my Lord and Savior.  Father, we ask you strengthen our minds, humble our Spirits, and open our hearts to accept your love that once became flesh.  Let us pray!

NOVENA OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, and lighten with celestial fire; thou the anointing Spirit art, who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart.

Thy blessed unction from above is comfort, life, and fire of love; enable with perpetual light the dullness of our blinded sight.

Anoint and cheer our soiled faces with the abundance of thy grace.  Keep far our foes; give peace at home.  Where thou art guide, no ill can come.

Teach us to know that the Father, Son, and thee, of both, to be but One.  That through the ages all along, this may be our endless song; praise to thy eternal merit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

DOXOLOGY (ALL)

DEVOTIONAL BY BILLY GRAHAM – HOPE FOR EACH DAY

DEVOTIONAL BY CHARLES STANLEY – ON HOLY GROUND

DEVOTIONAL FROM POSTCARDS FROM HEAVEN

WEEKLY GOSPEL AND PSALM READING

SONG – AMAZING GRACE (ALL)

DEVOTIONAL BY OSWALD CHAMBERS – MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST

GOSPEL REMARKS

This the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting live.  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself.  That where I am ye may be also and whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.  I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

God didn’t send Jesus in the world to condemn us but to save us and nothing can separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord.  God’s message through the ages is repent of your sins, accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, be baptized, and turn away from sin. This is the way of salvation; salvation is being delivered from eternal death to eternal life by you putting your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ; believing that your sin debt was paid in full by his death at Calvary.

Jesus Christ died for the propitiation or our sins and is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.  I tell you this every week and will continue to tell you as I long as I’m able to come and be here with you.

I promise you this:  if you put your trust in the Lord Jesus you will get more than you ever hoped for, expected, or deserved out of your life and you can look forward to the time when you are going to be in paradise with all of your loved ones who have gone on before you.  You will be in the very presence of the Lord and be told “well done good and faithful servant!”

PSALM 23 (ALL)

PRAYER

Let us pray – Lord Jesus, who did stretch out thine arms of love on the hard wood of the Cross that everyone might come within reach of thy loving embrace.  We ask you to clothe us with thy spirit that we may reach out our arms of love to bring those who do not know thee to the knowledge and love of thee for the honor of thy name.

COMMENTS

We can rejoice today in knowing that we have a Father in heaven that hears us, love behind us, and the Holy Spirit in us.  We are going to close singing  “Just As I Am.”

SONG – JUST AS I AM (ALL)

PRAYER

Brothers and Sisters, in the goodness of God we were born into the world.  By the grace of God we have been kept even until this hour.  And by the love of God, fully revealed in the face of Jesus, we are being redeemed.  Sacred heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, inflame our hearts with pure love for thee!

Father we thank you for the opportunity of being here at (name of nursing home or assisted living facility) and ask that bless all of the management and caregivers here.  We ask that you bless all of the residents here and their families and answer any special prayers of petition anyone may have today.  We ask you to strengthen everyone as they stand, comfort anyone that my become disheartened, discouraged, or sorrowful and raise anyone up if they were to fall.  We also give thanks for your love and knowing that nothing can separate us from your love found in your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

And now, as our Savior taught us, we are bold to say:

LORD’S PRAYER (ALL)

PRAYER AND REMARKS

May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts always be acceptable to thee, our Strength and Redeemer.  May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever.  Amen

I would like to leave you with this thought.  Christ has no body on earth but ours, no hands but ours, and no feet but ours.  Ours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on the world.  Ours, the feet with which we are to go about doing good, and ours, the hands with which He is to bless us now.

Again, this is something that I tell you every week, but I want you to know that:  God loves you and will never forsake you.  In spite of what you see with your eyes, He is working his will for you in every situation.  He is nearer than your troubles, nearer than your tears, and even nearer than your heartbeat.  So, trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understandings and he shall direct your path.  And last but not least:  Never, never give up and strive each day to have love in your heart and Jesus Christ be your rule and guide in life.

Point someone out in the crowd and ask them if they know what we are going to do now and then tell everyone we are going to accentuate the positive – twice:

“Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and don’t mess with Mr. in-between.”

SONG – HOW GREAT THOU ART (ALL)

CLOSING REMARKS

My prayer for you today and continual prayer will be is that you have:  Peace in your minds, strength in your bodies, and rest in your souls.  Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all situations as this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  God loves you and so I and I will be back next Sunday.  I do love you dearly and hope you enjoyed the service.  Bye, Bye!