Preparing for Sunday, 9/29/13 (Communion)

by Josh Starkey on September 28, 2013

Happy Autumn, folks.

Hope you're planning on being with us tomorrow morning at Grace. We have a good setup of songs ready to sing together, and we'll be taking communion together in service too, so you don't want to miss. Taking communion together is a command from Christ to be obedient to, and it's commanded for our good, to refresh and remind ourselves of who we are in Christ, rooted in Him in the Gospel.

Tomorrow, Jordan will preach on the last section of 1 Corinthians 15, verses 50-58. It's been a great few weeks spent in this section, and refreshing (or hearing for the first time), why Christ's resurrection and risen life are so important for us. We have hope that we too will rise, and we have assurance that death is defeated for good because Jesus rose from the dead, and lives now. He is our living advocate before the Father, our Substitutionary Sacrifice for sin, and the first fruits of who will rise from the dead in Him. Glorious stuff - don't miss the conclusion to this section of the book.

We'll sing the following songs tomorrow:

1. Forever

This is our call to worship for tomorrow, and our song of adoration to God for His faithfulness to His people. God will not abandon His children; He is faithful forever to those that have come to Him through Jesus.

2. Nothing But The Blood

This is our song to lead into communion. I can't think of a better, more simple song to get us into the frame of mind to take the bread and cup - "This is all my hope and peace: nothing but the blood of Jesus/This is all my righteousness: nothing but the blood of Jesus."

3. Jesus Paid It All/Never Once

This reworked hymn assures us of the pardon for sin that Jesus completed on the cross. He paid it ALL - the whole price, the full storm of God's wrath, was all poured onto Christ in our place.

4. AFTER PREACHING: The Power Of The Cross/Christ Is Risen

"Christ Is Risen," as our response to the preaching tomorrow morning, will enable us to sing the words from the passage that Jordan will preach: "O death, where is your sting?/O hell, where is your victory?"

See you tomorrow!

About the Author

Josh Starkey

Josh Starkey serves as the Worship Director at Grace Church of Simi Valley. He started attending Grace Church in 2000, became a member in 2005, and joined the pastoral staff in 2010. Before joining the church staff full-time, Josh taught English at Grace Brethren High School for ten years. Josh and his wife Jenny have three kids, and love being a part of the life of their local church!

As the director of corporate worship, Josh plans and leads the majority of our Sunday worship gatherings, and works to develop and broaden our worship team. He desires to see the team and our whole church family continue to deepen our Christ-centered theology and philosophy of worship, that results in both a passionate outpouring of worship on Sunday and a life of worship to God in our daily lives.