Please see guidelines below regarding Religious Drive-In Services as taken from novascotia.ca (Click Here). It is important that we adhere to these guidelines for the health, wellness and safety of others. Thank you in advance. 

Religious services

Religious groups should consider holding services virtually (online or through community TV). They can also hold outdoor “drive-in” services if they follow social distancing requirements, including:

• staff must be present to make sure everyone is following the restrictions
• vehicles must be parked 2 metres (6 feet) apart in the parking lot, with the engine turned off
• only people from 1 household unit should be in each car
• everyone must stay in their car through the entire service
• the building, including washrooms, must stay closed to the congregation
• microphones can’t be shared between staff
• nothing can be passed out to the congregation (like books, programs, food, beverages and collection plates)
• people can’t exchange items between cars

“Worship From Home”

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Brothers and Sisters; Grace and Peace to you! Welcome to worship from home. I am glad you are able to join me this morning as we bring glory, honour and praise to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus. It does not matter where you are this morning, what you are wearing, how you are feeling, or what you may be dealing with; WELCOME to our family! I Would like to wish all the Women in our congregation a Happy Mother’s Day.

Call to Worship: “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.  Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to Him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.” – Psalm 33:1-5

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, today is a new day. A new day to worship you; A new day to start off fresh; a new day to appreciate and give thanks for. We come together from our homes this morning and we offer you thanks for always being with us, not only in our good times, but in our trials as well. It is fitting to praise you for who you are. All praise is due to you. As we worship together in spirit, may our praises bring all glory to you. Let your Word this morning resound in our hearts, and may we tell others about your greatness. This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Worship in Song:

As we join in song together, please do whatever is most comfortable for you. Whether you are sitting, standing, listening, meditating or singing, I invite you to join me in some songs of praise this morning. Just click the link and it should bring you to our music this morning. Let’s sing to the Lord.

• “Forever”

• “Forever Reign”

• “Oceans” (Where Feet May Fail)

Prayers of the People:

     Father, as we come to you today, we have to thank you for looking beyond our faults and for loving us unconditionally. Forgive us when we fail to love others in the same way. Give us eyes to see the needs of the people in our lives, and show us how to meet those needs in a way that pleases you. Lord, help us not to lean on our own understanding but in everything acknowledge you so that you can direct our words, thoughts and actions.

     As we pause in this time of thought, we bring our prayers before you. (Insert your personal thoughts.) We give you thanks for answered prayer and always being with us. We continue to pray for those in our congregation who are going through life trials. In whatever way, we pray that you meet them where they are today. Also, as we continue to live with boundaries and restrictions due to COVID-19, I pray that you continue to grant us patience, and instead of worry, remind us that we are safe, which is something we should be grateful for. We think of those who are still working in the community, and pray for the safety of them and their families. As we continue to wait, teach us to focus more on you in this time than ever before. We give you thanks for your presence in my life. All these things we so humbly offer in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 41:9-10: “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Hymn:

Please join me as we sing a familiar old chorus together. The greatest thing in my life is knowing you, loving you and serving you. Let’s proclaim that together through song.

•  “The Greatest Thing”

Devotion: “Is It Well With My Soul?”

     Who enjoys learning about history? I have to say that was one of the things I always enjoyed even though I was never great at remembering dates and names. There is always so much one can learn from history and it really can give us an appreciation of the present. Last year during a hymn-sing Sunday, we learned about some of the stories and history behind the hymns that we sing in church. These stories can teach us many things, including how to trust and walk with God through rough patches in life. One of my favorite hymns is “It is Well With My Soul” and the story behind this particular hymn struck me. You may have already heard the story, but if you don’t remember, please read along and hear the story of this marvellous work and why we still sing it today.

     “Attorney ‘Horatio Spafford’ and his wife, ‘Anna’, had a wonderful family of four daughters. Tragically, the great Chicago fire destroyed most of his business in 1871. Then, two years later, his wife and daughters were aboard an ocean liner Ville du Havre when it was struck by another vessel. All four daughters drowned. His wife survived and nine days later was able to contact her husband by telegraph with this question: “Saved alone—what shall I do?” Spafford took the next available ship to join his wife. During the passage, the captain of the ship notified Spafford they were crossing the place where the Ville du Havre had sunk. After those moments of reflection and over the course of the rest of the journey, Spafford penned the words of this beloved hymn. May God teach us that “whatever our lot” we can still say, “It is well.” In this true story, a circumstance of life confronts the child of God. And, God’s grace enables his child to trust the heart of the Father. Life will confront us too. The songs we sing in the darkest of midnight will be the very songs that show the world the unwavering faithfulness of our Father who loves us so much. The darker it gets, the more we should sing.”

     Spafford suffered a fire that burned his business to the ground and then a few years later suffered the loss of his four daughters. That is more suffering than one should ever have to endure, yet his faith in God gave him strength to pen the words we still sing today. What are you dealing with today? Some of you are dealing with illness and some are dealing with heartache. Maybe someone today is dealing with depression, anxiety or pain over loss. Maybe our patience during the pandemic is wearing thin. Maybe uncertainty about the future is weighing on your shoulders. Friends, God walks with you every step of the way. He cares for you so much that He gave His only Son so you could be forever connected to Him. Whatever your lot, can you say “it is well with my soul?” Will you trust Him with your life and commit your days to Him? Tomorrow is not promised, but God walking with you until the end is. “Fear not, I will never leave nor forsake you.” Whatever you may be dealing with and going through, know that God cares. When we are standing in the boat sinking, have faith that God is in that boat with you. Even if we may not leave the storm, He will lead you through it. Trust in His wonderful love and know that because of our Saviour leading us, it is well with our soul. Amen.

Closing Hymn:

Let’s lift our voices in harmony together once again as we sing it is well. As you sing, remember the history/story of this beautiful hymn. Whatever you may be going through today, know that God knows about it, and He loves you! Whatever comes your way, may it be well with us because of the mighty God we serve!

• “It is Well With My Soul”

Benediction:

“And now may the Love of God, the Peace of Christ, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with each one of you, now and forever more. Let’s continue to go forth together and serve our Lord. Amen.”

***God Bless you! Thank-You for joining our family online. We welcome you back again. Anytime throughout the week that you would like prayer or if you have a prayer request, I am only a phone call or e-mail message away. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a safe and blessed Lord’s day.

– Pastor Stephen Wheaton

“Worship from Home”

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Brothers and Sisters; Grace and Peace to you! Welcome to worship from home. I am glad you are able to join me this morning as we bring glory, honour and praise to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus. It does not matter where you are this morning, what you are wearing, how you are feeling, or what you may be dealing with; know that you are welcome here. Ask Him to meet you where you are today! Even though we are worshiping from different homes, we are still part of the same family…the family of God! Each one of you is the church! Let’s prepare ourselves as we enter into a time of worship to our Great God.

Call to Worship:

“Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” (Ps. 77:13-14)

Opening Prayer:

“O God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek you. I give you thanks for your unfailing love. Although the world seems to be turned inside out, we can still say that you are Great, O holy Father! There is no one as great as you are. You are sovereign over all, and we need to simply trust in your goodness, and put our hope in you. For it is you who will carry us through this time and walk with us each step of the way. May we never forget that you are great. As we worship, meet us where we are, and challenge and equip us for the week ahead. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Worship in Song:

As we join in song together, please do whatever is most comfortable for you. Whether you are sitting, standing, listening, meditating or singing, I invite you to join me in some songs of praise this morning. Just click the link and it should bring you to our music this morning. Let’s sing to the Lord.

• “How Great Thou Art”

• “O God You Are My God”

• “Shout to the Lord”

Prayers of the People

Our Great and Everlasting Father, we come to you today so thankful to be here. We are thankful to be safe at home with our families and to have another day to worship you. Tomorrow is not promised to us, so may we be thankful for each new day that you give to us. Lord, there is none like you. Thank you Father for who you are, and for your love, compassion, mercy, grace and kindness. We come this morning to not only ponder your greatness, but to worship you because you are most worthy to be praised! We also come to lift up prayers from our hearts this morning. (Pause for Personal prayers here.) Father, even though we may be safe at home, there are many who are not at home and are out and about. We pray for them and their safety. For those who continue to work in public, we pray for them as well. May your hand be upon them for protection. We also pray that we would see an end to this virus. May you help those who are working so hard to find a vaccine. Give them clarity of mind as they are working and give them strength as there is so much research in order to figure out a plan.  

We also bring requests to you from our church family this morning. You know each heart and who may be struggling today. Be with them we pray. For those who are battling illness, keep them comfortable and remind them of your presence. We thank you for always being with us! You are so so good to us. We lift all of these requests and place them at the foot of the cross, and pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, saying: “Our Father Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory Forever and ever, Amen.”

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 95:1-7: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.”

Worship in Song:

(Please join me as we sing this old chorus. I am sure many of you would know it. Let’s declare together God’s goodness!)

• “Awesome God”

Devotion:

     Has anyone ever asked you a hard question about God that you could not answer? Maybe they were curious, and maybe they wanted more of an understanding because they wanted to know about the God we worship. A small girl once asked her understanding father, “Daddy, who made God?” With her simple question, was she not expressing the burning desire of most of us in wanting to know more about the God we worship? It seems that every time we try to explain God to another person, we discover the painful and humiliating truth that nearly all of our explanations are short and unclear. Even though we will never be able correctly and totally to explain to someone else the God we worship, there is much we can know and share about Him.

     If we are to explain who God is to someone, we must consider His greatness. It is impossible to know and understand Him without recognizing this truth. The writer of Psalm 95:3 said, “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” Here, the psalmist had made a comparison between his God, (the God of the Bible), and the false gods known and worshiped by many of the people of his time, and the psalmist concluded that his God was much, much greater. Still in this day and age, we can be absolutely certain that the God we know and worship as Christians is greater than all.

     #1. God is great in His holiness. Through what the bible reveals to us, we are able to see that God is perfectly holy. This fact causes Him to be distinguished from things sinful. The sudden realization of this fact caused Isaiah to cry, “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (6:5). Likewise, when Moses had recognized God’s holiness, he fell on his face before God. When we come to realize God’s character, it causes us to be troubled about our own sinfulness but thankful that the God we worship stands apart because of His great holiness.

     #2. God is great in His knowledge. It is interesting to know that there are many people today who have not awakened to the teaching of the Scriptures that God has perfect knowledge and knows all things. They fail to understand that His knowledge, (being great and perfect), is not limited by time, space, or distance. A. W. Tozer wrote, “Because God knows all things perfectly, He knows no thing better than any other thing, but all things equally well. He never discovers anything, he is never surprised, never amazed. He never wonders about anything, nor does He seek information or ask questions.” We can be certain that God knows what you are going through today. He knows what is on your heart and what you are troubled with. Will you let Him walk with you through your struggles? Will you give Him all the rest of your days and let Him walk with you even in the good times?

     #3. God is great in His power. God possesses what no creature has: absolute power. We know this from the psalmist’s words, “Power belongs to you, God” (Ps. 62:11). Honestly, how can someone look at the universe and say ‘there is no god’?  I believe the creation of the universe stands as one of the greatest testimonies to the greatness of God’s power. We can even read about it in Genesis, chapter one. Of course, the ultimate testimony of His great power is found in His ability to change people. Do you remember when He came into your life? We have heard many stories about how God has changed the lives of so many. He can take the lowest convict and change him from the inside-out. He has the ability to change lives for the better.

     #4. God is great in His presence. God is here, everywhere, close to everything, next to everyone. In every time and in every moment, God is present. David, king of Israel, wrote in Psalm 139:7 – 10: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Likewise, God is with you too, brothers and sisters. Do not fear. Know that you are never alone. Whether you are going through good or bad, He is there. He is bigger than what you are going through. Learn to lean on Him and put your trust in His strength. He loves you! This brings me to my final point.

     #5. God is great in His love. The apostle John declares in 1 John 4:16, “God is love.” With these three small words, he reveals the essential nature of God. Because of this nature, we are allowed to know and love through the forgiveness of sins given to us in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Concerning the greatness of God’s love, F. W. Robertson said, “To me this is the profoundest of all truths — that the whole of the life of God is the sacrifice of self. God is love: love involves sacrifice — to give rather than to receive. All the life of God is a flow of this divine self-giving love.”

     Knowing this, we can be assured that He gave Himself for you. That’s how much you mean to Him. God is a flow of self-giving love. Will you give your all to Him? He gave His all for you. If you never have realized this before, know that this great God can be personally known by you. He has revealed Himself to all people through His Son, Jesus Christ. People are hurting today in this world. They need to know about a great God who is there for them. If you have a relationship with Him, will you share His love? In this day and age, we can do that through media and use it for His glory. Share through your messages about God’s love to a hurting world. Some many reject it, but to another, it might change their day….or even their life. Remember, He is Holy, all knowing, powerful, ever-present, and is love. That is our great God! Amen.

Let’s lift our voices once more, shall we? It is no secret that God loves you, for He is love! People need to know about that truth! They feel alone in the world, scared to face another day. He not only loves us, but He gave something very precious! His own Son! ‘To God be the glory – great things He has done! So loved He the world, that He gave us His Son.’ I am ever thankful! Let’s sing together!

• “To God Be The Glory”

Benediction:

“And now may the Love of God, the Peace of Christ, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with each one of you, now and forever more. Let’s continue to go forth together and serve our Great Lord. Amen.”

***God Bless you! Please join us online again next week! Anytime throughout the week that you would like prayer or if you have a prayer request, I am only a phone call or e-mail message away. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a safe and blessed Lord’s day.

 – Pastor Stephen Wheaton