Matthew

Matthew 28:19-20 | God's Heart for the Discipleship of His People

May God’s heart for His people be on display among us.

As you go forward from this service time,
may your worship continue in many ways,
and particularly today in discipleship.

May you surrender yourself to Christ’s authority,
treasuring in your heart the status of disciple
while also acting out your faith
so that your life may be a beacon of hope
especially in days when hope feels far off for so many.

In following Christ with everything,
may you trust Him with it all,
including that whether your path is clear or not,
He will surely be with you even to the end.

As Christ builds into your life
through but not limited by others,
may you also build into the lives of sisters and brothers,
so that God’s heart is made clearer
as His church builds itself up in love.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance to you and give you peace.

Matthew 27:62-28:20 | Remember the Empty Tomb

May our risen Lord be your hope today as He is our hope for all eternity.

As you encounter circumstances and situations
that would be commonly considered hopeless,
may you remember the empty tomb
that was thought to put an end to the story
but could not stop resurrection from breaking through.

As you experience the outworking of sin in this world
as it pervades relationships, communities, your own thoughts, and more,
may you remember the empty tomb
in which sin and dark powers placed Jesus to rest,
but found they could not hold back the power of resurrection.

As death reminds you of its presence
when news broadcasts give projections and statistics
and your daily life is uprooted to slow the spread of sickness,
may you remember the empty tomb
with its mouth open wide,
singing that death’s sting has been sabotaged
by a risen Savior who will raise us to eternal life as well.

May your life serve to reflect these words: He is risen indeed.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance to you and give you peace.

Matthew 21:1-17 | Palm Sunday

May Jesus, our King of kings, make His rule known in your life.

May you echo the crowds as Jesus entered Jerusalem,
who praised and celebrated this King
even though they did not yet know
the nature and scope of His saving plan.

May the glory of our King give you strength
and excite you with reasons to worship
even as we pray for His saving power over our world.

May Jesus’ humility as He draws near to heal us of our sin
give you hope that while we face this present storm and darkness,
Jesus, the ultimate healer of our souls,
will one day make all things new and right.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance to you and give you peace.