The Weekly Liturgy :: Week of 11/26/2023
Gather - We begin our Liturgy in corporate worship by coming together and acknowledging who God is through the Acclamation. God’s character and presence frames our corporate worship and this is also the way we begin our Weekly Liturgy whether we engage it personally or in a group setting.
How did you experience God’s character and presence this week (joys, struggles, breakthroughs)?
Word - We desire for God’s Word to always be on our minds, upon our lips, and deep in our hearts. We want to read, reflect, listen, and respond to God’s word as we are formed more deeply as disciples of Jesus.
Read Philippians 3:1-14 and John 17:1-3.
Reflect on these passages either individually or with others.
Listen to the Holy Spirit. How is God speaking to you through this passage?
What has brought you the most joy in the past week? Thank God for His good gifts!
What has caused you suffering in the past week? Take a moment to invite the Lord into your pain. Ask Him what He is saying to you around your suffering.
Paul talks about finding confidence in our flesh in verses 3-6. We are not meant to find self-confidence and sense of identity apart from God. Where are you most tempted to find your confidence & identity apart from God: your accomplishments & abilities, others’ opinion of you or your possessions?
What makes it honestly difficult for you to consider everything else “garbage” (v. 8) compared to knowing Christ?
John 17.3 is the only place in the Bible where eternal life is explicitly defined, and Jesus defines it as “know[ing] you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Does it surprise you that this is how Jesus would define eternal life? Why or why not?
Paul says, “I have lost all things, in order that I might be found in Him.” What do you need to lose, do or stop doing in order to be found in Him a bit more today?
In what ways might you have gotten off track from knowing God as your life's primary goal? Knowing about God? Doing things for God?
David Benner says “Identity is never simply a creation. It is always a discovery. True identity is always a gift from God” (The Gift of Being Yourself). Both from Scripture and from the Holy Spirit speaking to you, who has God said that you are to Him?
Prayer - Spend a few minutes praying into the areas God has spoken to you about. Pray for one another, for the non-believers in your lives, and for the world. (Consider praying through the Lord’s Prayer).
Sending - We are all called and sent out into the world to bring the message of the Gospel. Where are you being sent this week to share Jesus through your actions and words? Is there a specific person or area you need to reach out to or pray for?