Podcasts about blest be

St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Farmersville, OhioMay 18, 2025Fifth Sunday of EasterAnnouncementsOpening Hymn - "All Are Welcome"Responsive ReadingPrayer of the DayFirst Lesson - Acts 13:44-52Second Lesson - Revelation 21:1-5Hymn - "Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love" - WOV #765 Gospel - John 13:31-35Sermon - "The Real Secret to Being a Christian"Song - "Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)"Apostles' CreedOfferingOffertory - "We Give Thee But Thine Own" - LBW #410, v. 1Prayers of the Church and Lord's PrayerBenedictionExodus Hymn - "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" - LBW #370DismissalFor the video version of today's service, please visit https://youtu.be/mI3iTZ3uNlkMay God bless you now and always!

Dr. Woods Lisenby preaches on the subject, "Blest Be."

Devotion Philippians 2:1-4   Announcements Pastor Call Lent Service Today Holy Week Schedule Arts Camp Church Cleanup Day Cemetery Cleanup Day Quarterly Voters Meeting   Prayer List Pastor John Hein Marlene Hanel Jim Lien Jean Moeri Kimberly Olmanson   Hymn: 464 “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”

Blest Be the Tie That Binds & Benediction Closing Music from the October 22, 2023 Worship Service Groveport UMC, Groveport Ohio Rick Birk, Pastor

St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Farmersville, Ohio September 17, 2023 Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Announcements Prelude Opening Hymn - "Blessed Assurance" - WOV #699 Responsive Reading Prayer of the Day Children's Sermon First Lesson - Ezekiel 33:7-9 Second Lesson - Romans 13:1-10 Hymn - "Trust and Obey" Gospel - Matthew 18:15-20 Sermon - "Fixing the Circle, Part 1" Song - "Raise a Hallelujah" Apostles' Creed Offering Offertory - "We Give Thee But Thine Own" - LBW #410, v. 1 Prayers of the Church and Lord's Prayer Benediction Exodus Hymn - "Blest Be the Tie that Binds" - LBW #370 Dismissal Postlude For the video version of today's service, please visit https://youtu.be/qR5_bVrB1uY May God bless you now and always!

Thank you for joining us for our Sunday service! The sermon today is titled "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" by Pastor Bellarmee Milosi. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tech-arts/message

PreludeWelcome & News of the ChurchCall to WorshipHymn of Praise - (#98) "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"Message for Children & Youth, presented by Walden HughesPraise SongsConfession and Assurance, led by Walden HughesAffirmation of FaithGloria PatriRemembering the SaintsPastoral PrayerHymn of Response - (#614) "For All the Saints" (verses 1, 2, & 6)Choral AnthemSermon - "Care" (I Timothy 5:1–10) - by Rev. Jason GrifficeOffertoryDoxologyHymn of Approach - (#560) "Blest Be the Tie" (verses 1 & 4)Serving the Sacrament of CommunionBenedictionSinging the Lord's PrayerPostludeIf you'd like to send tithes or offerings by mail, please usePresbyterian Church of the CovenantP.O. Box 2128Costa Mesa, CA 92628Great Is Thy FaithfulnessGreat is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not: As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. [CHORUS]:Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided - Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [CHORUS]Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow - Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside![CHORUS]For All the SaintsFor all the saints who from their labors rest, Who Thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest: Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might, Thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight; Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light: Alleluia! Alleluia! From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast, Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Alleluia! Alleluia! Blest Be the TieBlest be the tie that bindsOur hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred mindsIs like to that above. From sorrow, toil, and pain, And sin we shall be free; And perfect love and joy shall reignThrough all eternity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Order of Service: - Prelude - Collect for All Saints: P: O almighty God, You have knit together Your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Your Son, Christ our Lord: C: Grant us grace to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which You have prepared for those who truly love You; P: through the same, Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, C: Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. - Hymn 420 - Blest Be the Tie That Binds - 1 John 3: 13-16: Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. - Devotion - Hymn 558 - From All Thy Saints in Warfare - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Laura Matzke (Organist)

PreludeWelcome & News of the ChurchCall to WorshipOpening Hymn - (#32) "How Firm a Foundation"Message for Children & YouthPraise SongsConfession, Assurance, and Gloria PatriSpecial Music - "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" by Gabriel & Radulescu - Rena Weishaar, celloSermon - "I Will Never Leave You" (Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16) - by Rev. Jason GrifficeHymn of Response - (#560) "Blest Be the Tie that Binds"OffertoryDoxologyPrayers of the PeopleClosing Hymn - (#677) "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love"BenedictionPostludeHow Firm a FoundationHow firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?"Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand. "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply: The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake!"Blest Be the Tie that BindsBlest be the tie that bindsOur hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred mindsIs like to that above. Before our Father's throneWe pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares. We share each other's woes, Each other's burdens bear; And often for each other flowsThe sympathizing tear. From sorrow, toil, and pain, And sin we shall be free; And perfect love and joy shall reignThrough all eternity. Amen. They'll Know We Are Christians by Our LoveWe are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, And we pray that all unity may one day be restored:Chorus:And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love. We will walk with each other we will walk hand in hand, We will walk with each other we will walk hand in hand, And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land:[Chorus]We will work with each other, we will work side by side, We will work with each other, we will work side by side, And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride: [Chorus]A-all praise to the Father, from whom all things come, And all praise to Christ Jesus, His o-only Son, And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one:[Chorus] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liturgical Date: Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Calendar Date: July 24, 2022 Order of Service: Matins Hymns: #909, "Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation" #596, "All Christians Who Have Been Baptized" #649, "Blest Be the Tie" Sermon Theme: Bodily Dwelling Deity Sermon Text: Colossians 2:6-15 Other Lectionary Readings: Psalm 138 Genesis 18:20-33 Luke 11:1-13

In this episode, we enjoy the background story to our Hymn of the Month and take a birds-eye view of the overall meaning and theme of  "Blest Be the Tie that Binds."  We see what God's plan looks like for our relationships in church and how that plan is rooted in our divine hope of His coming. Links & Resources:Learn how to share a hymn testimonial on the podcast here.Join Hymns for LifeGet your free devotional guide for the hymn, "How Firm a Foundation."Support the show

In this edition of R.P.K.R., we studied 1st Corinthians 1:10-17 and worshipped God with "Come Now is the Time to Worship," "Great are You Lord," and "Blest Be the Ties that Bind."

PreludeWelcome & News of the ChurchCall to WorshipHymn of Praise - (#89) "Children of the Heavenly Father"Moment for Children and YouthChoral AnthemPrayer of Confession & Assurance of Pardon, led by Amy Hemseri-SabalaGloria PatriThe Church in PraiseScripture and Sermon - "All of You are One in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:23-29) - by Rev. Jason GrifficeOffertory - (#560) "Blest Be the Tie that Binds"DoxologyServing the Sacrament of Communion, led by Rev. Jason Griffice and Rev. Sharon YagerlenerPrayer after CommunionBenedictionSinging of the Lord's PrayerPostludeChildren of the Heavenly FatherChildren of the heavenly Father Safely in His bosom gather; Nestling bird nor star in heaven Such a refuge e'er was given. God His own doth tend and nourish, In His holy courts they flourish; From all evil things He spares them, In His mighty arms He bears them. Neither life nor death shall ever From the Lord His children sever; Unto them His grace He showeth, And their sorrows all He knoweth. Praise the Lord in joyful numbers, Your Protector never slumbers; At the will of your Defender Every foe - man must surrender. Though He giveth or He taketh, God His children ne'er forsaketh; His the loving purpose solely To preserve them pure and holy. Blest Be the Tie that BindsBlest be the tie that bindsOur hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred mindsIs like to that above. Before our Father's throneWe pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares. We share each other's woes, Each other's burdens bear; And often for each other flowsThe sympathizing tear. From sorrow, toil, and pain, And sin we shall be free; And perfect love and joy shall reignThrough all eternity. Amen. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We are saddened when we must leave family or friends and be geographically distant from them. This is particularly true of our Christian family, especially when a pastor in good standing is called elsewhere. Such was the case with John Fawcett who believed he was called to leave Wainsgate, England, and take a different pastorate in London. The congregation was loath to see him go and when he changed his mind, one of the benefits was Fawcett's penning of this hymn, Blest Be the Tie That Binds. Whether near or far, our Christian family has a bond in Christ and we have a firm hope, not a wish, that we will see one another again. Article taken from Living Stories of Famous Hymns by Ernest K. Emurian. Copyright © 1955 by Baker Book House Company. Used by permission of Baker Book House Company.

Liturgical Date: Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (OSLC's 90th Anniversary) Calendar Date: February 6, 2022 Order of Service: Divine Service 1 Hymns: #669, "Come We That Love the Lord" #912, "Christ Is Our Cornerstone" #609, "Jesus Sinners Doth Receive" #570, "Just As I Am" #649, "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" #895, "Now Thank We All Our God" Sermon Theme: Seek and Save the Lost Sermon Text: Luke 19:1-10 Other Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 138 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 Luke 5:1-11

Today's Reading: Romans 12:16-21Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 6:1-7:14; Romans 16:17-27Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil. (Romans 12:16c-17a)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It seems like the smart thing to do. I mean, someone wrongs you, you wrong them back. Right? If they speak evil of you, you speak evil of them. Meet hatred with hatred, pushing and shoving with pushing and shoving. After all, if you aren't looking out for you, who is? Right? To all that, you can hear Jesus saying, "O you of little faith" (Matthew 6:30). And He is right. Thinking I am alone in this world, with no one to look out for me but me, I often take matters into my own hands, only to end up lashing out at others. Yes, such little faith.     You, too? Repent, because those thoughts aren't true. You are never alone in this world. That our flesh insists on believing otherwise is just evidence of the unbelief still tucked away in our hearts. That's where all our sin comes from, "O you of little faith."Good News: The antidote is not you, but Jesus. For every proof of the unbelief you and I were born with and that will be with us all the way to the grave Jesus answered for by His sacrifice upon the Cross. All the evidence of our unbelief lies forever buried now beneath His death for us upon the Cross. You are holy to God. You are His child. You are forgiven everything. God's gracious presence and happy smile are with you now and forever. Jesus' water, Word, and Supper promise you this.So, you think it smarts when others hurt you? Guess what? It smarts God even more, because you are His dear child. He's got this. He's got you. And He will never let go. If others mean you harm, and God allows it, it's only because God is using it to accomplish a greater good for you, or for others, that you can't see right now (Genesis 50:20). Trust Him on that. If others refuse to live in peace with you, fine. You can do the honorable thing by leaving the whole business, and any vengeance, in God's hands and continuing on with the greatest work of all: love (1 Corinthians 13:13). For how does good overcome evil? The Cross. That's how. That's always how. Jesus. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. From sorrow, toil, and pain, And sin we shall be free And perfect love and friendship reign Through all eternity ("Blest Be the Tie That Binds" LSB 649, st.3,5)-Rev. Bradley Drew is pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Metairie, LA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane BamschPastor-psychiatrist duo Rev. A. Trevor Sutton and Dr. Brian Smith have teamed up to help you evaluate your technology use through a Christian perspective. Learn how to form healthy, faithful technology habits with Jesus at the center. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

PreludeWelcome & News of the ChurchCall to WorshipHymn of Praise - (#547) "The Church's One Foundation"Moment for Children & YouthPrayer of Confession and Assurance of PardonGloria PatriPraise SongsSermon - "If.... Then" (II Chronicles 7:13–14) - by Rev. Sharon YagerlenerHymn of Response - (#560) "Blest Be the Tie That Binds"OffertoryDoxologyPrayers of the PeopleSending Hymn - (#659) "We've a Story to Tell to the Nations"BenedictionPostludeThe Church's One FoundationThe Church's one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord, She is His new creation By water and the word; From heaven He came and sought her To be His holy bride; With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died. Elect from every nation, Yet one o'er all the earth, Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy name she blesses, Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued. 'Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation Of peace for evermore; Till with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious, Shall be the Church at rest. Yet she on earth hath union With God, the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won; O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we Like them, the meek and lowly, On high may dwell with Thee. Amen. Blest Be the Tie That BindsBlest be the tie that bindsOur hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred mindsIs like to that above. Before our Father's throneWe pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares. We share each other's woes, Each other's burdens bear; And often for each other flowsThe sympathizing tear. From sorrow, toil, and pain, And sin we shall be free; And perfect love and joy shall reignThrough all eternity. Amen. We've a Story to Tell to the NationsWe've a story to tell to the nationsThat shall turn their hearts to the right, A story of truth and mercy, A story of peace and light, A story of peace and light. CHORUS:For the darkness shall turn to dawning, And the dawning to noon-day bright, And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth, The kingdom of love and light. We've a song to be sung to the nationsThat shall lift their hearts to the Lord, A song that shall conquer evilAnd shatter the spear and sword, And shatter the spear and sword. [CHORUS]We've a message to give to the nations—That the Lord who reigheth aboveHath sent us His Son to save usAnd show us that God is love, And show us that God is love. [CHORUS]We've a Savior to show to the nationsWho the path of sorrow hath trod, That all of the world's great peoplesMight come to the truth of God, Might come to the truth of God. [CHORUS] See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

First Baptist Church of Athens, Georgia offers devotions for Advent prepared by our members. The devotion begins with the music of Greensleeves, played on flutes by Sarah DelBene, followed by a reading from a daily carol, then a personal reflection on the question, “What brings you hope this Advent and Christmas season? The carol reading today is verse 1 from Blest Be the God of Israel, read by Braxton Watson; the personal reflection is from Beth Sanders. 

Blest Be the Ties That Bind - Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are "Love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind and with all your strength," and "Love your neighbor as yourself." Following these two commandments can build a foundation for a better life through stronger relationships.

Blest Be the Ties That Bind - Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are "Love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind and with all your strength," and "Love your neighbor as yourself." Following these two commandments can build a foundation for a better life through stronger relationships.

Liturgical Date: Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20B) Calendar Date: September 19, 2021 Location: Our Savior, Milford, IL Order of Service: Divine Service 3 Hymns: #454, "Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle" #851, "Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us" #725, "Children of the Heavenly Father" #649, "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" #547, "The Lamb" #637, "Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord" #845, "Where Chairt and Love Prevail" Sermon Theme: Ruthlessly Seeking Sermon Text: Psalm 54 Other Lectionary Readings: Jeremiah 11:18-20 James 3:13-4:10 Mark 9:30-37

Blest Be the Tie That Binds Closing Music from the September 19th Worship Service Groveport UMC, Groveport Ohio Jonathan Mann, Pastor

"Blest Be the Tie That Binds": Foundational Principles of the Fellowship Class What Does 'Christian Love' Mean, Anyway??" It's one thing to circle up and sing it; The question is, "Can we actually LIVE it as God asks us to?"

Prelude  Welcome  Hymn #35               Praise to the Lord, The Almighty   Reflection                                    The Light Shines On, The Darkness Lingers                 Elder Paul Mannes Hymn #306           Blest Be The Tie That Binds Benediction Song                           Not To Us   Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty Text: Joachim Neander, 1680; trans. Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt. Music: Stralsund Erneweiten Gesangbuch, 1665;  harm. The Chorale Book for England, 1863 Public Domain   Blest Be the Tie that Binds Text: John Fawcett, 1782 Music: Johann Georg Nageli, 1828; arr. Lowell Mason, 1845 Public Domain  

Prelude  Welcome  Hymn #35               Praise to the Lord, The Almighty   Reflection                                    The Light Shines On, The Darkness Lingers                 Elder Paul Mannes Hymn #306           Blest Be The Tie That Binds Benediction Song                           Not To Us   Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty Text: Joachim Neander, 1680; trans. Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt. Music: Stralsund Erneweiten Gesangbuch, 1665;  harm. The Chorale Book for England, 1863 Public Domain   Blest Be the Tie that Binds Text: John Fawcett, 1782 Music: Johann Georg Nageli, 1828; arr. Lowell Mason, 1845 Public Domain  

Liturgical Date: Second Sunday of Easter Calendar Date: April 11, 2021 Location: Our Savior, Milford, IL Order of Service: Service of Prayer & Preaching Hymns: #606, "I Lay My Sins on Jesus" #471, "O Sons and Daughters of the King" #411, "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light" #649, "Blest Be the Tie" Sermon Theme: One Heart and Soul Sermon Text: Acts 4:32-35 Other Lectionary Readings: Psalm 148 1 John 1:1-2:2 John 20:19-31

Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 13 - Dearest Jesus, Draw Thou Near Me - The Sixth Commandment (p. 31): You shall not commit adultery. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other. - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 420 - Blest Be the Tie That Binds - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Rev. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux (Preacher), Riley Marth (Organist)

Included Music: Everlasting God, Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus, Bow the Knee, Blest Be the Tie, At the Cross (Love Ran Red), Christ Is Able to Save, and I Need Thee Every Hour   Message Title: Worship Together   Text: Hebrews 10:23-25   Take Home Point: We cannot encourage and strengthen one another if we are not connected to one another.

Third Sunday in Advent: December 13, 2020 Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet Zechariah Third in Advent Series on Annunciations __________ Hymn 109 - Blest Be the God of Israel - MERLE'S TUNE Copyright Info – Text © 1973 The Jubilate Group (admin. Hope Publishing Company). Music © 1983 Hope Publishing Company. Reprinted and recorded with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-716211. All rights reserved.

September 6, 2020 | We begin our Fall sermon series, "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" in which we will be looking, all fall, as 1 Corinthians 13.

“Blest Be the Tie,” the 8/2/2020 sermon by guest preacher Nathan Huguley. Scripture reference: Matthew 14.13-21. Podcast includes entire worship service. Music licensing: The following music is used by permission under CCLI streaming license #20126570. “Fiat Lux” (Let There Be Light) Theodore Dubois / Edited by Diane Bish © 1993 Tarzana Music “In Christ There is No East or West” Tune: McKEE African-American spiritual adapted by Harry T. Burleigh (1939) Text: John Oxenham (1908, alt., public domain) “The Bond of Love” Tune: SKILLINGS, Tune & text by Otis Skillings (1971). © 1971 Lillenas Publishing Co. (Admin. by The Copyright Company) “We Are Travelers on a Journey” Tune: BEACH SPRING, from The Sacred Harp, 1844, harmonizer Benjamin Briggs (2009). Harm. © 2010 Celebrating Grace, Inc. Text: Richard Gillard (1974) . © 1977 Scripture In Song/Maranatha! Music/ASCAP (All rights administered by Music Services) “Because I Have Been Given Much” Arr. John Lamb © 2004 Word Music. “This Is My Father’s World” Music: Conrad Kocher/Arr. Stan Pethel ©1996 Hal Leonard Corporation. “Blest Be the Tie” Tune: DENNIS, Johann G. Nägeli (1828), arr. Lowell Mason (1845). Text: John Fawcett (1971). Public domain. “We All Are One in Mission” Tune: COMPLAINER, source: William Walker’s Southern Harmony, 1835, harmonizer Thomas Leary (2009) Harm. © 2010 Celebrating Grace, Inc. Text: Rusty Edwards (1985). © 1986 Hope Publishing Company “Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven” Lani Smith (Lauda Anima by John Goss) © 1975, Lorenz Publishing Co.

Today we study "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" and talk about Christian unity. Definitely a timely topic. 

On this Baccalaureate Sunday, our youth look at the hymn, "Blest Be the Tie That Binds," and share their experience of Jesus being the Vine and us the branches.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds (History Behind the Hymns #13) by Daniel Whyte III

Matt DeVore presents a lesson examining the hymn Blest Be the Tie. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. I Love To Tell The Story sung by and used with permission from J. Elliot Bowman. Lyrics by Catherine Hankey (1866) and music by William G. Fischer (1869). --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/rays-of-truth/support

Annoucements, prayer, and sermon on Mark 16:1-8. Also, a special thanks to Nic Groen for singing Low in the Grave, to Paul Knapper for singing Christ the Lord is Risen Today and I Know that My Redeemer Lives, and to Heidi Link for reading scripture. The recording of Blest Be the Tie That Binds comes from https://www.smallchurchmusic.com/. The quote from Philip Yancey comes from “Easter Sunday” in Stories for the Christian Year, pg. 138,139. The quote from James Alision comes from Raising Abel, pg. 161. Opening and closing prayers are taken from the The Worship Sourcebook, © 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources. Congregational prayer based on a prayer found in Spill the Beans, Issue 18, pg 74.

Psalm 118:19-21Doug Dortch “God’s Answer”April 5, 2020, Palm Sunday My wife and I moved into our new home a month or so ago, and its physical address is not yet on any of the navigation apps. So, when we have needed people to find us, unless they know the neighborhood, getting to our house is evidently impossible. I know what you’re thinking. “Why don’t you just give them directions?” Do you remember the last time you gave someone directions? I can’t. I can’t remember the last time I tried to explain to someone how to get somewhere. Actually, I do; and I got so frustrated by my inability to do so that I just told them, “Stay where you are, and I’ll come and find you,” which I did. The fact of the matter is that we’ve been spoiled by these navigational aids that we have learned to lean on so that when an address doesn’t show up, we have no answer; we just have to find peace with not knowing exactly where we are, which in the end is the same as being lost. Of course, finding peace with being lost is one thing when it comes to physical addresses. It’s quite another thing when it comes to matters of the soul and navigating through this life and arriving at a place of wholeness and peace. The concept of “lostness” is something that is at the core of Christian faith; is it not? From the very beginning of our Bible, we find that all of us, male and female, having been created in the very image of God, have chosen to go our own way instead of God’s way, which has caused us to fall out of fellowship with Him. We have distanced ourselves from God by our desire to have our own way so that we are “out of place,” which is the essence of any kind of “lostness.” That reality begs the question, “So, how do we get back into fellowship with God?” “How do we become reconciled to Him?” “What must we do, or, better yet, how much must we do to get back into place with God?” All of those questions are essentially directional ones; and while the Bible describes a God whose very heart is to help us find our way back to Him, it also is patently clear that finding our way back is something that none of us can do on our own. It is instead something that God must do for us so that instead of merely offering us detailed directions, God comes to where we are in our lostness in order to reclaim us and restore us and show us the way. We see that truth in every book of the Bible, both Old Testament as well as New. For example, this Psalm that is before us this morning, the 118th Psalm, is considered a Messianic psalm. In other words, it is a psalm that celebrates a victory only God could have made possible, a victory accomplished by God’s representative, an Anointed One through whom God would work to remove every barrier and obstruction that would keep God’s people separated from Him. In this section of the Psalm, the Anointed One, more than likely the king, maybe even David himself, has returned to Jerusalem having won a hard fought victory over one of Israel’s many enemies. As he nears city gates, he implores the sentries, who are perched atop the city walls to “Open for (him) the gates of the righteous (so that he might) enter and give thanks to the LORD.” In other words, the king knows that the victory that has come to him is not something he has earned by himself or on his own. It is a victory that God has made possible, and so he returns to the city to with a heart full of gratitude for something he did not deserve – a victory that was uncertain and up in the air, until God showed up and saved the day. I am especially drawn to the twenty-first verse: “I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.” What interests me about that verse is the word salvation, which in the Hebrew is yeshua. If that word sounds familiar, it should. It means “Jesus.” It was the very name that the angel of the Lord had in a dream commanded Joseph to give to the child that would be born to his betrothed Mary by the Holy Spirit, because that child would grow up “to save his people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21). I don’t know how the Bible could be any clearer in terms of how Jesus would be the Anointed One sent by God to show us the way back to the safety and security, the wholeness and the health that being in relationship with God alone can bring. Is that how you might characterize your life today? Would you say that even in this present season of isolation and sheltering in place that you have this abiding sense of safety and security, that your soul is whole and well because of how Jesus has opened up the gates of righteousness into God’s presence for you? If not, it’s because of how you are still trying to pry them open in your own power, when it’s your own power that has shut them by your inability to live into God’s expectations and purposes. But if so, it’s because you gave up on that futile exercise long ago, and you have chosen instead to order your life around the victory God has made possible through your faith in Jesus Christ. Today, of course, is Palm Sunday. It marks the beginning of the last week in Jesus’ life, when Jesus came down from the Mount of Olives into the city of Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate, otherwise known as the Gate of Righteousness, where Jesus would spend the rest of that week preparing himself to do battle with the powers of darkness and where on the cross he would win a victory that would make our salvation complete. On the Thursday of that last week, Jesus gathered with his disciples in an Upper Room to share with them a final meal, which we know as the Last Supper. At that supper Jesus would offer them final directions on how they might always remember the way back to God. He took the bread, gave thanks for it, broke it, and offered it to his disciples telling them that the bread they were sharing would symbolize his broken body, which they should continue to do “in remembrance” of him. n after they had finished eating, he took the cup and in the same fashion gave it to his disciples, telling them that it symbolized the new covenant in his blood for the forgiveness of sins and that they should do it as well “in remembrance” of him. And then they did one last thing. They sang a hymn (Mt. 26:30; Mk. 14:26). What hymn did they sing? In the church where I grew up, we always sang “Blest Be the Tie that Binds” after celebrating the Lord’s Supper, but of course that hymn wasn’t written when Jesus inaugurated this memorial meal. So, what did his disciples and he sing? Most biblical scholars believe that Jesus and his disciples sang this 118th Psalm, a psalm that God’s covenant people had been singing at festivals such as Passover since the time of King David himself. It was for them a reminder of how in seasons of trial and tribulation when God’s People might find themselves dazed and confused and with countless questions as to what their future might hold, this Psalm would be a reminder that God would come to them in their lostness and He would show them the way home. “I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation, my yeshua.” Our salvation is not just something; it is someone. It is Jesus. God’s ultimate answer to our deepest and most pressing questions is His presence that has drawn near to us in Christ Jesus, in Jesus the Messiah. Tim Keller is an author and theologian, who established and served as the first pastor of the famed Redeemer Church in the Manhattan section of New York City. In his book The Reason for God, Keller tells the story of a woman in the church who complained to him how she had been praying over and over the prayer, “God, help me find you. God, help me find you. God, help me find you.” But her praying had gotten her nowhere. It ws then that a good friend had suggested that she might change her prayer to a different sort of plea: “God, come and find me.” The friend’s reasoning was that the Bible speaks of Jesus, God’s Messiah, as the Good Shepherd who goes looking for his lost sheep. So, she did just that. She changed her prayer completely. And as she recounted her story to Pastor Keller, she concluded in this way: “The only reason I can tell you this story is because he did” (The Reason for God, p. 240). So, on this Palm Sunday, the beginning of a week we call Holy, let us pray to Jesus to open to us the gates of righteousness so that we may enter and give thanks to the Lord, for Jesus is all the answer any of us should require. He has become our salvation, the Author and the Finisher of our Faith, and the one upon whom we rely in every situation and circumstance to show us the way so that we might know both the joy and the peace of being found, both now and forevermore. Psalm 118:19-21

The Bubbas and some special guest pastors talk about "being and doing church when the world has changed" -- a live talk session recorded on March 23, 2020. Great ideas to be found here; we all learned a great deal from each other! We'll do it again in a couple of weeks, because things are changing fast! Closing theme is Blest Be the Tie That Binds by John Fawcett and Hans Georg Nagali.

Prelude This Is My Father’s World James PethelRev. James Richardson, organistChoral Introit Now to Your Table Spread John IrelandHymn 470 O Day of Rest and Gladness WOODBIRDChildren’s Time Rev. Katie CallawayFirst Lesson Exodus 16:13-21 Brian Martine, lay readerSecond Lesson Psalm 78:11-20Solo They’ll Know We Are Christians Lloyd LarsonBill Gardner, tenorThird Lesson Luke 9:10-17Sermon Miracles Abound Rev. John CallawayHymn 438 Blest Be the Tie That Binds DENNISCelebration of Holy CommunionHymn 439 In Christ There Is No East or West ST. PETERChoral Response Here Is Our Common Wealth John IrelandPostlude Praise the Lord, All Ye Nations Robert J. PowellFor more information about First Baptist Church Savannah, GAVisit our website http://www.fbc-sav.orgKatie Callaway, Co-PastorJohn Callaway, Co-PastorJames Richardson, Organist EmeritusWe invite you to attend our Sunday morning worship service at 11AMWe are located at 223 Bull Street on Chippewa Square, downtown SavannahAll are Welcome

Title: Blest Be the TieAuthor: Michael PhillipsReference: 2 John 1-13Time: 20:29

Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Blest Be the Tie That Binds Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above. Before our Father's throne We pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one Our comforts and our cares. We share each other's woes, Our mutual burdens bear; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above. Before our Father's throne We pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one Our comforts and our cares. We share each other's woes, Our mutual burdens bear; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above. Before our Father's throne We pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one Our comforts and our cares. We share each other's woes, Our mutual burdens bear; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above. Before our Father’s throne We pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one Our comforts and our cares. We share each other’s woes, Our mutual burdens bear; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above. Before our Father’s throne We pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one Our comforts and our cares. We share each other’s woes, Our mutual burdens bear; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again.