Preparing for Sunday, 3/11/12 (AND DAYLIGHT SAVINGS!)

I'm super excited for tomorrow morning. But first of all, as a great matter of importance, you need to set your clocks ahead tonight, so you're not late for worship in the morning! If you don't show up to church the music team will come sprinkle jelly beans on your lawn.

But in all seriousness, It's going to be a great morning of worship. Jordan will preach from Romans 3:21-26, on "God's Righteousness and the Glory of Salvation." The focus will be how God is always upholding His own glory and righteousness in all aspects of the Gospel. As Christ stood in our place, and intercedes for us before God's throne, God is bringing glory and praise to Himself. And God's desire to bring Himself glory ultimately results in infinite good for us, as God is redeeming a people from their sin to be worshipers of Him.

Here's the song list for tomorrow:

1. Open the Eyes of My Heart
Our call to worship. This song really expresses a big part of why we should be coming to worship together each week. We desire to behold the glory of God, and to be refreshed in our delight in Him.

2. The Glories of Calvary
This song transitions to the glory of God displayed at Calvary, and at the cross as God crushed His Son for the sake of His people. I especially love the line, "Sinners find eternal joy in the triumph of Your wounds/By our Savior's crimson flow, holy wrath has been removed!"

3. Jesus Thank you
A song of thanksgiving to Christ, for bearing all of our sins to the cross, which we could never do. Romans 1:21-23 says that when we stop being thankful we turn to idols and try to find joy in God's created things instead of God Himself. So we do well to remind ourselves to be eternally thankful to God for our salvation.

4. Before the Throne of God Above
This hymn exalts Christ as our perfect mediator between us and God the Father. The 2nd verse says, "When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there, Who made an end of all my sin!"

5. (AFTER PREACHING) It Is Well
This is one of our church favorites. A hymn written by Horatio Spafford as a response to intense suffering, this one says that God truly cares for His people. God has nailed all our sins to the cross and we "bear them no more," so it is always well with our souls if we are Christ's.