FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
Worship
Lectionary Worship Aids -- Series C
First Lesson: Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Theme: Remembering God's deliverance
Call to Worship
Pastor: In deep humility, we call to mind the aeliverance God gives to his children.
People: We remember the exodus from Egypt, when God called Moses to lead his children out of bondage.
Pastor: Yes, but the greatest deliverance is from our bondage to sin. God grants that deliverance through his Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, and rose again.
People: May this season of self-denial and humility be a journey of deliverance to a new life with our risen Lord!
Collect
O God our Father, who gave a miraculous deliverance to the Israelites in bondage: Deliver us from our bondage to sin, that we may enjoy the miracles of new life with Christ, through whom we pray. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Dear God, bondage is such a terrible thing for any person. We have shuddered at the thought of the Israelites in bondage, or even the slavery in our own nation's history. But now we come face to face with our own bondage, which is even more severe. Forgive us for our willingness to be possessed by sin when you have offered deliverance. Give us forgiveness, and a freedom from sin that we will always remember in celebration. We pray through Christ our Deliverer. Amen.
Hymns
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"
"I Am Coming to the Cross"
"Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us"
* * *
Second Lesson: Romans 10:5-13
Theme: Our hearts and lips confirm our salvation
Call to Worship
Pastor: Come and consider the salvation that is ours as we worship together.
People: There are times when we wish Jesus were here to tell us more about our salvation.
Pastor: Yes, we do. But Paul said more important is our confessing Jesus as Lord, and believing that God raised him from the dead. Then we find salvation.
People: Jesus is Lord! He is our risen Lord and Savior!
Collect
Heavenly Father, who offers your salvation to everyone who believes in your Son: Help us to confirm our faith by confessing with our lips that Jesus is Lord, and believing in our hearts that you raised him from the dead. In his name we pray.
Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Dear God, we have been concerned about our salvation. We have wanted Jesus to assure us we are saved. But we have not thought about the confession that Qught to be on our lips. Forgive us for not knowing the faith that is in us, and expressing it. Give us faith to believe in our hearts that Jesus lives. Give us courage to speak without reservation that Jesus is Lord. In his name we pray. Amen.
Hymns
"Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know"
"Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine"
"I Serve a Risen Savior"
"Jesus Is All the World to Me"
* * *
Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
Theme: Jesus' temptation, and ours
Call to Worship
Pastor: Temptation is a universal threat to Christian commitment. Even Jesus was tempted to compromise his faith.
People: But Jesus was the Son of God, with special powers to resist temptation.
Pastor: No more special than the power available to us. We have the same support based on God's Word that Jesus had when he was tempted.
People: We want God to help us put his Word in our hearts to strengthen us in times of temptation.
Collect
O God our heavenly Father, whose Word is a powerful defense against all temptation: Cause your Word to find fertile soil in our hearts and minds; that it may grow into our very being, preparing us to be victorious over our temptations. We pray through Christ, our Example. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Dear Lord, you know what problems we have with temptation. We need strength beyond ourselves to conquer them. Forgive us our sins from not being strong enough when tempted. Forgive us for not using the power of your Word to fight on our behalf. Help us to be concerned and committed enough to implant your Word into the center of our thinking, so we can enjoy the victory over temptation. We pray through Christ, who will stand by our side. Amen.
Hymns
"Go to Dark Gethsemane"
"I Need Thee Every Hour"
"Take the Name of Jesus with You"
"When the Storms of Life Are Raging"
Theme: Remembering God's deliverance
Call to Worship
Pastor: In deep humility, we call to mind the aeliverance God gives to his children.
People: We remember the exodus from Egypt, when God called Moses to lead his children out of bondage.
Pastor: Yes, but the greatest deliverance is from our bondage to sin. God grants that deliverance through his Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, and rose again.
People: May this season of self-denial and humility be a journey of deliverance to a new life with our risen Lord!
Collect
O God our Father, who gave a miraculous deliverance to the Israelites in bondage: Deliver us from our bondage to sin, that we may enjoy the miracles of new life with Christ, through whom we pray. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Dear God, bondage is such a terrible thing for any person. We have shuddered at the thought of the Israelites in bondage, or even the slavery in our own nation's history. But now we come face to face with our own bondage, which is even more severe. Forgive us for our willingness to be possessed by sin when you have offered deliverance. Give us forgiveness, and a freedom from sin that we will always remember in celebration. We pray through Christ our Deliverer. Amen.
Hymns
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"
"I Am Coming to the Cross"
"Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us"
* * *
Second Lesson: Romans 10:5-13
Theme: Our hearts and lips confirm our salvation
Call to Worship
Pastor: Come and consider the salvation that is ours as we worship together.
People: There are times when we wish Jesus were here to tell us more about our salvation.
Pastor: Yes, we do. But Paul said more important is our confessing Jesus as Lord, and believing that God raised him from the dead. Then we find salvation.
People: Jesus is Lord! He is our risen Lord and Savior!
Collect
Heavenly Father, who offers your salvation to everyone who believes in your Son: Help us to confirm our faith by confessing with our lips that Jesus is Lord, and believing in our hearts that you raised him from the dead. In his name we pray.
Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Dear God, we have been concerned about our salvation. We have wanted Jesus to assure us we are saved. But we have not thought about the confession that Qught to be on our lips. Forgive us for not knowing the faith that is in us, and expressing it. Give us faith to believe in our hearts that Jesus lives. Give us courage to speak without reservation that Jesus is Lord. In his name we pray. Amen.
Hymns
"Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know"
"Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine"
"I Serve a Risen Savior"
"Jesus Is All the World to Me"
* * *
Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
Theme: Jesus' temptation, and ours
Call to Worship
Pastor: Temptation is a universal threat to Christian commitment. Even Jesus was tempted to compromise his faith.
People: But Jesus was the Son of God, with special powers to resist temptation.
Pastor: No more special than the power available to us. We have the same support based on God's Word that Jesus had when he was tempted.
People: We want God to help us put his Word in our hearts to strengthen us in times of temptation.
Collect
O God our heavenly Father, whose Word is a powerful defense against all temptation: Cause your Word to find fertile soil in our hearts and minds; that it may grow into our very being, preparing us to be victorious over our temptations. We pray through Christ, our Example. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Dear Lord, you know what problems we have with temptation. We need strength beyond ourselves to conquer them. Forgive us our sins from not being strong enough when tempted. Forgive us for not using the power of your Word to fight on our behalf. Help us to be concerned and committed enough to implant your Word into the center of our thinking, so we can enjoy the victory over temptation. We pray through Christ, who will stand by our side. Amen.
Hymns
"Go to Dark Gethsemane"
"I Need Thee Every Hour"
"Take the Name of Jesus with You"
"When the Storms of Life Are Raging"
