JOIN US FOR WORSHIP


Worship isn’t about performance; it’s about participation.

This Worship Guide serves as a weekly resource as we join in singing, praying, and celebrating the work God is doing in our community.

Whether you’re at the Lyric Theatre or tuning into our live stream, we’re so glad you are joining us!

Let’s jump in.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

At dawn he went to the temple again, and all the people were coming to him. He sat down and began to teach them.Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse him. Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center.  When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

John 8:2-11 CSB

PRAYING TOGETHER

Key Quote:

 “It’s impossible to exaggerate the importance of a believer’s mental representation of God, for the way you imagine God largely determines the quality of your relationship with God. The intensity of your love for God will never outrun the beauty of the God you envision. Related to this, the depth of your transformation into the likeness of Christ will never outrun the Christlikeness of your mental representation of God.”

Greg Boyd, Cross Vision

GROWING TOGETHER IN COMMUNITY

Start your time together by having a few people share where they’ve seen God at work in their lives throughout the week.

God is not contained to a service or a building. We want to live with the expectation that God is present and at work in the everyday stuff of our lives. We listen, join him in his work, and share stories of how he’s moving!

Talk It Over

 

1. We all have an inner Pharisee that drives us to self-righteousness and pride from time to time. What are some issues or topics that tend to drive you to internally “throw stones” and stand in judgement over others?

2. Like the woman caught in adultery, we’ll one day find the reality of our sin and brokenness to be too much to hide. When you come to an awareness of your own sins and failures, do you tend to run from God or to Him? What are some of the ways you hide or avoid your guilt and shame? (Yes, a hard question. But think about it!)

Practice:

Our practice this week? Confession. This past Sunday, we broke it down like this: If God is like Jesus, my pride and judgement can be confronted and transformed by grace.  And then this: If God is like Jesus, I can bring him my sin and failures – forgiven and free from the condemnation. When you identity your places of pride and the shame of your sin, bring it to Jesus. Hebrews says we can come boldly before the throne of graces with confidence because of Jesus – with nothing to fear. This week, when you feel that rush or pride or shame, stop. Pray. Offer it up to the God who is like Jesus. 

NEXT STEPS AND RESOURCES

Moving into the fall, we’re renewing our commitment to discipleship in community. We’re thrilled to have our leaders being trained and equipped to be and make disciples. Each of our 7 “Anchors” in our current series are based on the 7 Axioms our leaders are learning (written by Ben Sternke and Matt Tebbe). Visit gravityleadership.com to learn more, and check out their podcast!

Processing What God Is Doing In Us