April 25, 2021 - Connected to the Shepherd
“Tested by families, for families (and others too). Church at Home is an interactive, weekly worship service to be held from the safety of your own home. Each service will be centered around one theme and will have 3 songs, readings, and prayers, a short (4-5 min) message for children, and a longer (10 min) message for the whole family.”
Thank you for joining us for our Church at Home service!
Directly below in English and here in Spanish is an at-home worship service to be held with the family or as an individual or small group. Included are links to songs and pastoral messages (English, Spanish, Bilingual, and children's message) which will be made available every Saturday on Youtube. The head of the household can lead (L) and others can respond (C) or everyone can take turns. Use the links for the songs and messages at the appropriate time. Please do not feel pressured to go through the whole thing in one sitting. Rather, use each element of this service so that it serves as a blessing to you and your family.
If you have any prayer requests, or if you worship in this way this weekend, please use or fill out our online connect card, or linked below in the service. Comment to let us know how it went and any suggestions you may have!
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Finally, for this week’s news update or more information about our church, click here.
May God bless your Church at Home worship service this week.
Pastor William Dunn
Connected
to the Shepherd
You are connected because of Jesus. You are connected to his resurrection, to him as the Good Shepherd, to his word, to his love, to each other, and to more! If you haven’t been connected to church much over the last year, perhaps now is a great time to reconnect, as God connects us to so many blessings.
For a couple days, it looked like everything had fallen apart. Their Savior had died. They might be next. But Easter morning changed everything. Christ appeared to his disciples, resurrected, fully alive! This Easter season, we will look back on the words of Jesus from the Easter Gospel lessons. There we will find a connection that cannot be broken. Through the resurrection of Christ we are connected to true peace that drives out doubt. Through the Holy Spirit, we can study the scriptures together and see the heart of God and his plans for us. We are safe in Christ’s flock. He is the Good Shepherd, and we love to gather to listen to his voice. Jesus urges us to stay connected to vine where we will produce fruits of faith. Jesus is more than just our God or our Savior, he is our friend. He connects us to himself and each other with his love. Even though we don’t see him anymore, we are still connected with Christ. Connected and protected by his power and his word.
Opening Song - Draw Us to Thee
Invocation
L. In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C. Amen.
Confession and Absolution
We begin the service by recognizing how we have fallen short of God’s will and desire for our lives, and we receive the good news that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ.
L. Let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.
C. Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin. For faithless worrying and selfish pride, for sins of habit and sins of choice, for the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do, you should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.
L. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ just as he proclaimed to the paralytic: "Take heart, your sins are forgiven.” Let us take this forgiveness to heart and proclaim it to each other in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
L. O Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Good Shepherd who laid down your life for the sheep. Lead us now to the still waters of your life-giving Word that we may abide in your Father’s house forevermore; for you live and reign with him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C. Amen.
First Lesson - Acts 4:23-33
When the congregation in Jerusalem heard that the leaders of the Jews had commanded Peter and John not to preach, they prayed to their Good Shepherd to give them courage and boldness to preach the gospel even in the midst of danger. The Lord answered his prayer, giving them the strength and courage to witness to him.
23 After Peter and John were released, they went to their own friends and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said. 24 When they heard this, with one mind they raised their voices to God and said, “Master, you are the God who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. 25 By the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David, your servant, you said:
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers are gathered together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.
27 “For certainly, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and people of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did whatever your hand and your plan had decided beforehand should happen.
29 “Now Lord, look at their threats and give to your servants the ability to keep on speaking your word with all boldness 30 as you stretch out your hand to heal and as signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. Also, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
32 The whole group of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they held everything in common. 33 The apostles continued to testify about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ with great power, and abundant grace was on all of them.
Psalm of the Day - Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
2 He causes me to lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You set a table for me in the presence of my foes.
You drench my head with oil.
My cup is overflowing.
6 Surely goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
Second Lesson - 1 John 3:1,2
By the wonderful love of God, we have become his dear children. Although we cannot yet fully see the greatness of our inheritance, we will see it when Christ returns to take us to heaven.
See the kind of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are! The world does not know us, because it did not know him. 2Dear friends, we are children of God now, but what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he is revealed we will be like him, and we will see him as he really is.
Gospel - John 10:11-18
Jesus Christ declares to us that he is our Good Shepherd. In contrast to the hireling, who flees and abandons his sheep when faced with danger, Jesus our Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.
11 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep. He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he works for money, he does not care about the sheep.
14 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me 15 (just as the Father knows me and I know the Father). And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This is the commission I received from my Father.”
Children's Message
Song - I am Jesus’ Little Lamb
English Sermon
Confession of Faith - The Apostles' Creed
We speak the truths of the faith that have united the church for thousands of years.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Offering
Out of thanksgiving for God’s message of grace and forgiveness, if you would like to support our ministry with a financial gift you may do so with zero fees through our Facebook page or with a small fee included through Paypal. We thank you for your gracious support.
Online Connection Card
Please use the link to connect with us online! Let us know that you worshiped with us or submit a prayer request.
General Prayer
Use this time to pray to God about anything that is on your heart and mind. Remember who God is and how he describes himself in the Bible. Focus on his eternal perspective. Consider not only your own life, but also the lives of others. Finally, pray with confidence knowing that God hears you, and pray in the name of your savior, Jesus Christ.
The Lord's Prayer
Pray the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
The Blessing
Just as God told Aaron to bless his people in this way, we ask God’s blessing on us as we go forth in our lives.
L. The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us.
The Lord look on us with favor and ☩ give us peace.
C. Amen