


Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 29
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 29
Surprise Someone
The other day I received a note from a member encouraging me. It wasn’t an anniversary or my birthday or Pastor Appreciation Month. It was a nice, unexpected surprise (I know that’s redundant).
Surprises like this can be a wonderful thing. They brighten our day and show us that we are truly loved and appreciated.
Today: Surprise someone with a little unexpected gift, note, or act of kindness.
Note – This can be a great thing to do for someone who doesn’t, yet, know Jesus, but also something great to do for a friend, spouse, child, or church member. Give it a try.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt

Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 28
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 28
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
Faith is God’s Work
I mentioned yesterday that one of the reasons people don’t share the Gospel is they are afraid they will mess it up and the person won’t believe. It’s understandable since so much in our lives either succeeds or fails based on our work. Someone receiving faith, however, is not one of them.
Faith is a gift of God. It isn’t earned. It isn’t chosen. It isn’t reasoned. It is purely the work of the Holy Spirit.
So, you can relax. You aren’t responsible for creating faith in someone’s heart. You couldn’t if you wanted to. That’s totally God’s domain. Simply share the Gospel and pray. Then, leave the results to God.
Today: Rest in the knowledge that faith is God’s work, not yours.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
Order of Service for June 28
Order of Service for June 28
You are invited to worship with us at 11:30 AM on Sunday, June 14. Below, you will find the Order of Service so you can follow along and participate in the worship service. If you would prefer, you can also download a bulletin here:
Before we start, please share the live stream on Facebook and invite your friends.
Worship Service for June 28, 2020 at 11:30 AM
Welcome
Opening Song: Now, All the Vault of Heaven Resounds
Now all the vault of Heav’n resounds
In praise of love that still abound,
Christ has triumphed, He is living!”
Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear,
Repeat their song of glory here,
Christ has triumphed, Christ has triumphed!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Eternal is the gift He brings,
Therefore our heart with rapture sings,
Christ has triumphed, He is living!”
Now still He comes to give us life,
And by His presence stills all strife
Christ has triumphed! He is living!
Alleluia, alleluia.
Adoring praises now we bring
And with the heavenly blessed sing,
Christ has triumphed, Alleluia!
Be to the Father, and our Lord,
To Spirit blest, most holy God,
All the glory, never ending!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Invocation
Confession and Forgiveness:
P: Come into the presence of the Lord our God.
C: Have mercy, O Lord. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(a time of silence to reflect and personally confess our sins)
P: I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Let us confess our sin before the Lord.
C: Heavenly Father, we confess that we are sinners. We have sinned against you and our neighbors. We have not loved you with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have backed down from speaking Your truth to keep others happy and prevent conflict. We justly deserve Your punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P: The Lord is gracious and merciful. He promises to forgive our sins. Therefore, upon this, your confession, as a called and ordained servant of the Lord, in the stead and by the command of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen. Praise the Lord! Great are His mercies, they are new every morning. Great is His Faithfulness.
Song of Praise and Thanksgiving: King of Kings
In the darkness We were waiting Without hope Without light
Till from heaven You came running There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfil the law and prophets To a virgin came the word
From a throne of endless glory To a cradle in the dirt
Chorus:
Praise the Father Praise the Son Praise the Spirit Three in one
God of glory, Majesty. Praise forever to the King of Kings
To reveal the kingdom coming And to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation You did not despise the cross
For even in your suffering You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation Jesus for our sake you died
Chorus
And the morning that You rose All of heaven held its breath
Till that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs
And the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who’d come To the Father are restored
And the church of Christ was born. Then the Spirit lit the flame
Now this gospel truth of old Shall not kneel, Shall not faint
By His blood and in His name In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ Who has resurrected me
Chorus 2x
Old Testament Reading – Jeremiah 28:5–9
Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
Epistle Reading – Romans 7:1–6
Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Children’s Message
Sermon Hymn – How Great Thou Art
O Lord my God when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the works thy hand has made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Your power throughout the universe displayed
Chorus:
Then sings my soul, my savior God to thee,
How great thou art, how great thou art
Then sings my soul, my savior God to thee,
How great thou art, how great thou art
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Chorus
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”
Chorus
Sermon – “Sent to the Dead…To Whom God Will Give Life”
Matthew 10:34–42
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
And 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 sits 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.
Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen
Benediction
Closing Song: Resurrecting
The head that once was crowned with thorns,
Is crowned with glory now
The Savior knelt to wash our feet. Now at His feet we bow
The One who wore our sin and shame, Now robed in majesty
The radiance of perfect love, Now shines for all to see
Chorus:
Your name, Your name is victory!
All praise will rise to Christ our King
(Repeat)
The fear that held us now gives way to Him who is our peace
His final breath upon the cross is now alive in me
Chorus
By Your Spirit I will rise from the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
In Your name I come alive to declare Your victory
The resurrected King is resurrecting me
The tomb where soldiers watched in vain,
Was borrowed for three days
His body there would not remain.
Our God has robbed the grave
Our God has robbed the grave
Chorus
He is Resurrecting me, He is Resurrecting me
Upcoming Events
July 2, 7 PM – A Time of Prayer
Facebook, YouTube, FaithWesleyChapel.com
July 5, 11:30 AM – Online Worship
Facebook, YouTube, FaithWesleyChapel.com
“Celebrating Freedom”
July 10, 7 PM – Growth Group Bible Study
Zoom
July 12, 11 AM – In-Person and Online Worship Resumes
Facebook, YouTube, FaithWesleyChapel.com
Song and Dance – Studio 4
Connect with us:
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 27
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 27
Share the Gospel
There are many things involved in evangelism. We need to connect with people who don’t know Jesus. We need to genuinely show love to them and develop a relationship. We need to pray for them and for us.
We can do all these things up to this point and we’ll have a really great friend. At some point, though, if we want them to believe in Jesus, we have to talk about Jesus.
You may have heard the following quote,
“Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words”
Supposedly, this was said by Francis of Assisi, except there’s no record of that. Whether it was or not, it’s not really Biblical either. Yes, we should demonstrate the Gospel in our lives, but words are always necessary. As it says in Romans,
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” – Romans 10:14
Today: Realize that while actions are good, you must at some point speak up and share the Gospel.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 26
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 26
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” – Romans 1:16
Pray for the Boldness to Speak
Probably the biggest reason people don’t talk to others about Jesus is fear. We fear being rejected. We fear messing it up. We fear damaging the relationship.
We need, however, to remember the full situation. No one comes to the Father except by Jesus Christ. We’re talking eternal life or condemnation, here.
We also need to remember we aren’t selling something or convincing someone of something, we are sharing with them the good news of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus. The Gospel is the power of God that brings salvation.
In addition, we simply need to pray for boldness. We can ask the Holy Spirit to give us the words to say. We can ask God to give us strength and boldness.
“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7
Today: Pray that God would give you the words to say and the boldness to say them.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 25
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 25
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” – Matthew 10:16
Use Your Various Resources
We live in an age when we have many ways of connecting with people and communicating. When it comes to mission, be creative.
- How can you use Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Youtube, and other social media?
- What connections do you have which may open doors which are closed to others?
- What skills and interests do you have which may help connect with people or share the Gospel?
When I was in middle school I went on a mission trip to Honduras. None of us spoke Spanish and we were primarily going to help a deaf school anyway. Since we couldn’t speak the Gospel, we created a wordless drama that used music and pantomime to tell the story from the Fall to the Resurrection.
We are living through a pandemic right now and are limited in some of the ways we can connect with people and interact with them. We need to be creative. Even when the pandemic is over, we can still be creative.
Today: Think about what resources you have and how you can use them to reach people for Jesus.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 24
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 24
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.‘” – Matthew 28:18-20
Know God is with You
I love how Jesus ends this command. Jesus doesn’t just say, “Go out there and do it!” He doesn’t say, “You go try to make disciples. Good luck!” He says, “Go make disciples and I’m going to go with you. I won’t leave you.”
The Great Commission is the mission of the church, but the church is Christ’s church. So, it’s His mission, too, and He is going to work to see it accomplished.
You aren’t out there alone. Jesus is with you. The one who has “all authority in heaven and on earth” is with you all the way. Jesus is the one who saved us. He is the one who sent us. His Spirit is the one at work in people’s hearts.
Today: Take great comfort and courage knowing that Jesus is with you and will not leave you.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 23
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 23
Invite Into Community
It’s not uncommon for someone to need to hear the Gospel multiple times before they receive faith. Those multiple times can come from one person, but usually, they come from several people.
You are a part of the church and it’s the mission of the full church to make disciples of all nations. So, as you live on mission, including others with you only makes sense. It creates more relationships and gives more opportunities for deeper connections, showing love, and sharing the Gospel.
Ultimately, if/when a person does receive faith, they need the church to help them learn and grow as well.
As you minister to people outside the church, begin inviting them into the community of the church.
Not Just Worship
The first thing most people think of when I saw something like that last sentence is, “Invite people to church. (meaning worship)” While that is something you can do, it’s not the only way you can invite someone into community.
I’ve known committed Christians whose first foray into church community was through a church cookout or a group of Christians going to a water park. Some people’s first experience might be a service project, a Bible study, or playing on the church softball team (I’d like to have a church softball team).
All of these are ways people can start to form relationships with Christians, hear the Gospel, and see the love of Christ lived out.
Today: As you reach out to people who don’t, yet, know Jesus, look for ways to invite them into the church community.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 22
Sent: A Month of Mission – Day 22
“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’‘” – Matthew 4:4
Read God’s Word
God’s Word is living and active. It changes us. It helps us to learn more about God and grow closer to Him. It tunes us in to God’s voice.
As we spend more time in God’s Word, we tend to get a greater sense of His presence and walk in the Spirit. Like bread for the body, God’s Word is food for our mind and spirit. This is great for life, including our life on mission. We also may find that we are more prepared to answer some of those questions people have about God.
Today: Spend time reading the Bible.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt