Order of Service - August 7

 

WE’RE GLAD YOU’VE JOINED US TODAY.

WHO WE ARE.

  • We are a community of city-centred, gospel-focused people striving to serve and renew Toronto through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

WHO WE WELCOME.

  • We welcome people of all races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds and faiths – both religious and irreligious.

WHO WE BELIEVE IN.

  • We believe Christ is relevant to every person in every situation, and we want to help you discover him.

NEED TO GET CONNECTED AT GRACE?

GOD CALLS

CALL TO WORSHIP

—from Psalm 86:8-10, NRSV

LEADER:
There is none like you, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.

ALL:
All the nations you have made shall come
and bow down before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things,
you alone are God.

PRAYER OF ADORATION

SONG - EVERLASTING GOD

(© 2005 Thankyou Music. CCLI # 4556538)

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord,
we will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope our strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
the everlasting God
You do not faint, You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

SONG - OUR GOD ALONE

(The Brilliance/©2010)

Who formed the mountains and filled the oceans?
Our God alone, our God alone
Who took the dust, breathed life in us?
Our God alone, our God alone

Alleluia (6x)

Who came from heaven for our redemption?
Our God alone, our God alone
Who died for sin that we may live?
Our God alone, our God alone

Alleluia (6x)

Who rose again? Death could not win
Our God alone, our God alone
Who is returning bringing our kingdom?
Our God alone, our God alone
We will worship, we will worship
Our God alone, our God alone
We will worship, we will worship
Our God alone, our God alone

GOD CLEAnSES

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

LEADER:
Most gracious and most merciful God,
we confess to you and to one another that time after time
we have entered your presence with countless prayers
but with hearts that have been closed to your grace.
We have lifted our hands to you in praise,
but our feet have still walked in the ways of evil.
We have rehearsed your commandments
but have refused to see your face in the needs of our neighbor.
We pray, Lord, that you forgive our lack of faith
and pardon our acts of injustice.

ALL:
Grant us the healing that comes from your presence
and the cleansing of your all-powerful Word,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.


SILENT CONFESSION

WORDS OF ASSURANCE

—Romans 5:8; Colossians 1:13-14; Romans 5:1, NIV

LEADER:
God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

ALL:
Thanks be to God!

SONG OF ASSURANCE - BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD ABOVE

(© 1997 Sovereign Grace Worship. CCLI # 2306412)

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heav'n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Saviour died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am
The King of glory and of grace

The King of glory and of grace
The King of glory and of grace
The King of glory and of grace
The King of glory and of grace

One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased with His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Saviour and my God
With Christ my Saviour and my God

PRAYER FOR THE Church and CITY

COMMUNITY LIFE ANNOUNCEMENTS

CHURCH-WIDE SURVEY

  • The elders are inviting you to fill out this church-wide survey. This survey is an important tool to help our church leadership to understand the current needs and composition of our congregation. 

  • The survey asks a broad range of questions and includes some places for your written feedback. All submissions will be anonymous to ensure your confidentiality is protected, and we believe that this data will be beneficial in focusing our ministry, hearing where we can improve, and better understanding our congregations.

  • We value your input, and we highly encourage you to take 10 minutes to fill out this survey to help us learn how we can serve you better. We will collect data until Sunday, AUGUST 14. If you have any questions, please contact Joe.

SUMMER EATS

  • Make new friends or deepen existing relationships by going out for a meal after service (either 9:30AM or 11:15AM) at Grace Toronto Church! All you need is your wallet and a positive attitude. Gather around the person holding the “meet here for lunch” poster board, and then walk to a nearby affordable restaurant.

GCA SUMMER ARTS MARKET

  • You are invited to the inaugural Grace Summer Art Market, planned for Saturday, AUGUST 20! Hosted by the GCA in the bright upper hall at Grace Toronto Church, this will be a one day pop-up art show and sale, featuring a wide variety of art and handmade products by local Christian artists.

  • Register for free FREE online at the Grace Centre For The Arts.

GTKIDS VOLUNTEERS

  • God has blessed GT Kids with a wonderful team of volunteers over the last year. The team has been working together to bring the gospel to the children in the 1st service, and now we need a team to spearhead opening second service! We need people ready to check in and welcome our kids and families, and people to care for the kids in the nursery. If you’d like more information please email our children’s ministry director, alisha@gracetoronto.ca

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

  • OVERCOMING ANXIETY (Philippians 4:4-7) Anxiety is a form of fear and is a feeling that all of us experience at some point in our lives. Jesus and Scripture commonly provide us with how we can overcome anxiety: we go to God and submit our prayers and supplications to Him. If this is something you're experiencing this morning, pray for the "peace of God" to fill your mind.

SUPPORT

  • If you are in any form of need or if you are able to help others, please visit http://www.gracetoronto.ca/help or visit http://www.gracetoronto.ca/prayer to submit your prayers.

DIACONATE

OFFERING

GOD COMMUNES

SCRIPTURE READING

ISAIAH 40: 18-31 (ESV)

18 To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
19 An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skilful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
21 Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23 who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

SERMON

Tarak George

Q&A

Text your questions to 416-830-0335

REFLECTION

SONG OF REFLECTION - THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD

(© 2010 Hillsong Publishing, So Essential Tunes, Stugio Music Publishing. CCLI # 5660739)

Give me eyes to see more of who You are
May what I behold still my anxious heart
Take what I have known and break it all apart
You my God are greater still

And no sky contains
No doubt restrains all You are
The greatness of our God
I spend my life to know
And I'm far from close to all You are
The greatness of our God

Give me grace to see beyond this moment here
To believe that there is nothing left to fear
And that You alone are high above it all
You my God are greater still

And there is nothing that could ever separate us
There is nothing that could ever separate us
From Your love
No life no death of this I am convinced
That You my God are greater still

And no words could say
Or song convey all You are
The greatness of our God
I spend my life to know
And I'm far from close to all You are
The greatness of our God

And no sky contains
No doubt restrains all You are
The greatness of our God
I spend my life to know
And I'm far from close to all You are
The greatness of our God
All You are the greatness of our God

PRAYER FOR THOSE SEARCHING FOR TRUTH

Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth, and the life.  Grant that I might be undaunted by the cost of following you as I consider the reasons for doing so. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open me to the reality of who you are.  Give me an understanding of you that is coherent, convincing and that leads to the life you promise.  Amen.

PRAYER OF BELIEF

Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever dared admit, but through you I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope.  I thank you for paying my debt on the cross, taking what I deserved in order to offer me complete forgiveness.  Knowing that you have been raised from the dead, I turn from my sins and receive you as my Saviour and Lord.  Amen.

GOD COMMISSIONS

BENEDICTION

—2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, NIV

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who loved us and by his grace
gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,
encourage your hearts and strengthen you
in every good deed and word.


PRAYER

Would you like prayer? Send us an email at prayer@gracetoronto.ca. We would love to intercede for you!

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