Preparing for Sunday, 7/3/11: New preaching series, and new song!

Another 4th of July weekend is upon us. Make sure you come out to our church family picnic at Grace Brethren Elementary School for dinner - 5:00 - 7:30 PM. This will kick off the next 4 Sundays nights of "Renew," our special Summer equipping series. Make sure you pick up a schedule of these nights in the church foyer tomorrow!

Tomorrow, Pastor John will be kicking off a short preaching series, entitled "The Shameless Persistence of Prayer," on the prayer life of Christ. He'll be preaching from Luke 18:1-8. Read the passage ahead of time, and be there for this series. It should be really helpful for us to look at how Christ provides an example of prayer - it's probably different than how many of us think about prayer, or at least practice prayer.

Our singing will go as follows, with a theme of the greatness and goodness of God, and the greatness of the salvation He has accomplished for us in and through Jesus:
1. God of Wonders
2. Doxology
3. The Glories of Calvary
4. Here I Am to Worship

I'd also like to highlight the new song we'll be learning together, called The Glories of Calvary. It's a great, up-tempo song of prayer to God, asking Him to reveal more of the greatness of the Gospel to us. In light of the preaching series on prayer that starts tomorrow, this song is a really important one for us to sing together. We'll start with the chorus so everyone can get the hang of that, first and foremost.

The lyrics are all below, and another version of the song (live version by Enfield). Give it a listen!

Lord, You’re calling me to come
And behold the wondrous cross
To explore the depths of grace
That came to me at such a cost
Where Your boundless love
Conquered my boundless sin
And mercy’s arms were opened wide

CHORUS
My heart is filled with a thousand songs
Proclaiming the glories of Calvary
With every breath, Lord how I long
To sing of Jesus who died for me
Lord, take me deeper
Into the glories of Calvary

Sinners find eternal joy
In the triumph of Your wounds
By our Savior’s crimson flow
Holy wrath has been removed
And Your saints below
Join with Your saints above
Rejoicing in the Risen Lamb