1. Responsive Reading: PSALM 30

I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
   and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
   and you have healed me.
O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
   you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
   and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
   and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity,
   "I shall never be moved."
By your favor, O LORD,
   you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
   I was dismayed.

To you, O LORD, I cry,
   and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
"What profit is there in my death,
   if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
   Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
   O LORD, be my helper!“

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
   you have loosed my sackcloth
   and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
   O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

2. SONG – To God be the Glory

3. AFFIRMATION OF FAITH – London Baptist Confession (1689) Ch.3, para 1 (ALL)

4. CONFIRMATION OF DOCTRINE – Catechism Question

How can we know the Word of God?
We are commanded to hear, read and search the Scriptures
(1 Pet. 2:2; Rv. 3:22; Mt. 21:42; 22:29; 2 Tim. 3:14-17)

How do we know this to be true?
Because 1 Peter 2:2 teaches this, saying:
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.”

5. Memory Passage - Psalm 121:5-6

6. SONG – Gloria Patri

7. CONFESSION and RENEWAL IN CHRIST

It is written:  “There is none righteous,
no not one.”  (Romans 3:10)

“For all have sinned
and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)

Recognizing that we are sinners and all deserve the wrath of God, let’s humbly confess our sins to our heavenly Father saying:

ALL: O most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly confess our sins and beg for Your mercy.
We have not loved You with all of our heart and we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves.
We have not always done justly, nor always loved mercy, nor walked humbly with You, our God
According to Your great and tender mercies, blot out our sin.
Create in us a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within us through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

(confess silently our sins)

Now, lift your heads and hear the promise of God to all who repent of their sins and trust in Christ:

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

(1 Peter 2:24)

Therefore, hear the word of God which declares that

you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him

(Colossians 1:21-22)

And rejoice in Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom you are declared righteous!

ALL: Amen

8. SONG – Doxology

9. INTERCESSION and THE LORD’S PRAYER

(Praying - For the lost; For the Church; For missionaries; For the country; For our church family; For our family)

Our Lord, teach us to pray as you did, saying:

ALL: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 
Your kingdom come, your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.  Amen

10. SCRIPTURE READING and SHORT DISCUSSION

Acts 1:1-11

11. CLOSING SONG –Romans 11 Doxology