Song 1 – Be Still for the Presence of the Lord

Let us call each other to worship with words based on Psalm 27 and John 4:23:

Let us worship God, our light and our salvation. 
The Lord is the stronghold of our lives.
We desire to live in God’s house
and to seek God in his holy temple.
We have come with shouts of joy,
to sing and to make music to the Lord.
Let us worship God in spirit and in truth.
Teach us your ways, O Lord, 
and make straight our paths 
in this hour of worship and always.

‭‭Let us worship the Lord!

Song 2 – Living Waters

Song 3 – Lord of Lords

Song 4 – Our Father (The Lord’s Prayer)

The Lord our God invites us into covenantal relationship with him, and as an integral part of that relationship, he invites us to bare our hearts before him not only with praise and thanksgiving, but also with confession of sin and acknowledgment of his forgiveness. Before we read together the prayer that will be on the screen, we are going to spend a moment in silence. In our silence, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind for us those things which we need to confess and repent of.

Confession of Sin
God of living water, 
We thirst for you 
whether we know it or not.
We are made to worship,
and when we do not worship you,
we succumb to false idols which we create
in our hearts and in our lives.

God of mercy,
Forgive us our sin,
And renew us by your Spirit. 

God of eternal glory, 
help us to lay aside 
all that prevents us from seeking your kingdom
and to give all that we have 
to gain the pearl beyond price 
through our Saviour Jesus Christ, 
Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness
To all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, I say:
Your sins are forgiven. 

Let us read together our assurance of forgiveness, which is based on the Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 56:

I believe that God,
because of Christ’s atonement, 
will never hold against me
any of my sins nor my sinful nature,
which I need to struggle against all my life. 
Rather, in his grace, 
God grants me 
the righteousness of Christ 
to free me forever from judgement.

Let us pray.

Song 5 – His Mercy is More

Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.

For information about giving online, please visit ucclife.fi/give or follow the QR code on the screen. You can also speak to our pastors or leaders for more information about giving and generosity. You can also ask the welcome team for more info. 

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen

A special welcome to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!

Hear the Word of the Lord:

^“1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, ² because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

³ Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

⁴ I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. ⁵ And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. ⁶ And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. ⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.⁹ Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, ¹¹ for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

¹² Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

¹³ The children of your elect sister greet you.”

This is the Word of God. 

Hold These Things Together
– 2 John 1:1-13

1. Election and Suffering
2. Truth and Love
3. Love and Obedience
4. The Father and the Son

Song 6 — Yet Not I, But Through Christ In Me

Song 7 — Let Us Be Known

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 sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. 
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.

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