Centering Practice
We invite you to slow down, breathe, and connect with God, each other, and yourself. Begin by closing our eyes and taking several slow, deep breaths.
- Engage a posture that opens your heart to the world around you (palms up, hands open, etc.)
- Inhale: I receive God’s love
- Exhale: I share God’s love
Call to Worship
Adapted from the Brief Statement of Faith
In life and in death, we belong to God.
Through the transforming grace of our risen Lord,
the steadfast love of God,
and the faithful presence of the Holy Spirit,
We are brought from darkness into light,
called to live and share the resurrection.
Amen.
Worship Songs
Let Everything That Has Breath
Praise You in the morning
Praise You in the evening
Praise You when I’m young and when I’m old
Praise You when I’m laughing
Praise You when I’m grieving
Praise You every season of the soul
If we could see how much You’re worth
Your power, Your might, Your endless love
Then surely we would never cease to praise
Let everything that
Everything that
Everything that has breath praise the Lord
Praise You in the heavens
Join with the angels
Praising You forever and a day
Praise You on the earth now
Join with creation
Calling all the nations to Your praise
If they could see how much You’re worth
Your power, Your might, Your endless love
Then surely they would never cease to praise, to praise
I will worship, I will worship
I will worship You with every breath
The Joy of the Lord
Though tears may fall
My song will rise, my song will rise to You
Though my heart may fail
My song will rise, my song will rise to You
While there’s breath in my lungs
I will praise You, Lord
In the dead of night
I’ll lift my eyes, I’ll lift my eyes to You
When the waters rise
I’ll lift my eyes, I’ll lift my eyes to You
While there’s hope in my heart
I will praise You, Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength
The joy of the Lord is my strength
In the darkness I’ll dance
In the shadows I’ll sing
The joy of the Lord is my strength
When I cannot see You with my eyes
Let faith arise to You
When I cannot feel Your hand in mine
Let faith arise to You
God of mercy and love
I will praise You, Lord
Oh You shine with glory Lord of light
I feel alive with You
In Your presence now I come alive
I am alive with You
There is strength when I say
I will praise You, Lord
When sorrow comes my way
You are the shield around me
Always You remain
Like courage in the fight
I hear You call my name
Jesus, I am coming
Walking on the waves
Reaching for Your light
Prayer of Confession
God of love,
The wonder of Your creation
speaks to Your goodness.
Uphold us with Your grace:
For our fears and worries;
For our neighborhoods and the nations;
For our present and our future:
Hear us, O God, we pray:
— Moment of silent prayer —
Lord Jesus,
Teach us how to walk in Your ways
throughout the world You love.
Amen.
Assurance of God’s Love
Prayers of the People
After each phrase, let’s pray out loud: “Lord, have mercy”
For those facing disaster, whether from the natural world
or caused by humankind…
For the emotional, spiritual, physical, and relational
healing of ourselves and our loved ones…
For our neighbors in Mira Mesa & San Diego
to know Jesus’ love through us…
For our global siblings in Christ, especially those
who suffer because of their faith in You…
For the Church worldwide to be faithful witnesses
of Your justice, mercy, and love…
Amen.
Offering Prayer
Announcements
- Thanks for worshiping with us today! We hope you experience meaningful connection with God and others in our community. If you’re visiting for the first time today, we’d love to get to know you better. Please take home a visitor’s card with QR code so that we can stay in touch & build a relationship!
- Women’s Bible Study: This Friday, October 17th in person!
- Community Connections: Let’s pray for and build up our connections with neighbors and our broader community! Please continue to lift up our 10:02 prayer daily until Advent, that God would give us love & courage to invite friends to be a part of what God is doing in and through Anchor & Hope!
Passing of the Peace
Let’s greet each other at this time!
Blessing of the Children
Worship Song
The Love of the Father
Lift up your voices and lift up your praise
Join with the heavens, declaring the wonders
Of His faithfulness forever
Sing of the victory, the hope of the world
The Saviour has risen, the Spirit has come to
Bring us into love forever
We are the people of God
With the freedom of hope in our hearts
How great is the love of the Father
Lifted from darkness and into the light
The sons and the daughters are loved at a price
Our God has made us His forever
This is the song of the redeemed
The ransomed and the free
Given life at such a price
This is love, this is love
And when the Father calls us home
And we see Him on the throne
Hear the voices sing as one
This is love, this is love
Scripture Reading
Matthew 22:34-40
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Together: Thanks be to God.
Sermon
Faithful Love
Pastor Dan
Conversation questions
- What makes your heart pulse as you think about loving God?
- How can you help others know they are loved by God?
Worship Song
Oh You Bring
Oh You bring hope to the hopeless
And light to those in darkness
And death to life… now I’m alive
Oh You give peace to the restless
And joy to homes that are broken
I see You now… in You I’m found
And You opened the door for me
And You laid down Your life to set me free
All that I am will serve You, Lord
And You opened my eyes to see
All the wonder and awe of Christ in me
Jesus, You’re everything I need
Oh You fill those who are empty
And rescue those in the valley
And through it all… You calm my soul
Oh You find me in my weakness
And heal the wounds of my heartache
I worship You… in spirit and truth
All honor… all glory… all praise to You
Anchor & Hope Church 