Grace. Communications. Creative. Sample. Leader s Guide THIS ACT OF. A Series of Services on Stewardship ST3

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1 A Series of Services on Stewardship THIS ACT OF Grace Leader s Guide ST3

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3 THIS ACT OF Grace A Series of Services on Stewardship Index About This Series... 4 Newsletter/Bulletin Notices Service One: By His Grace Service Two: God s Varied Grace Service Three: My Grace Is Sufficient Service Four: This Act of Grace By Carol Geisler. Cover image: shutterstock.com by for the Parish, 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. Purchase of this kit gives the purchaser the copyright release to use the material in any format for use in worship. ST3 3

4 THIS ACT OF Grace A Series of Services on Stewardship About This Series This Act of Grace is a series of four worship services on stewardship that can be offered in the month of October or November or at any time of year. Each service looks at stewardship as a response to God s abundant grace toward us and includes Bible readings, hymns, prayers, a children s sermon and a sermon that all focus on a particular aspect of God s grace, in response to which we give of our time, talent and treasure. The grace theme verses for the four services are Romans 3:24, 1 Peter 4:10, 2 Corinthians 12:9 and 2 Corinthians 8:9. Hymns included are Amazing Grace, Oh, Bless the Lord My Soul, My Hope is Built On Nothing Less, and By Grace I m Saved. Kit includes orders of service, prayers, sermons, children s sermons, music, as well as a CD-ROM (Mac/PC) with the text of the entire kit in.rtf (rich text format) and a PowerPoint document of all six services with text (with a copyright release) for use on screens. Kits are not returnable. 4 ST3

5 THIS ACT OF Grace A Series of Services on Stewardship Newsletter/Bulletin Notices Newsletter Overall Notice Join us for a four part worship series on stewardship called This Act of Grace. Each week we will hear stories of God s abundant grace toward us, focusing on the different ways in which we respond to his grace. The themes for each week are By His Grace (based on Romans 3:24), God s Varied Grace (1 Peter 4:10), My Grace is Sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9) and This Act of Grace (2 Corinthians 8:9). Grace us with your presence, as God will grace us with his. Newsletter Week 1 Notice Join us for Week One of a worship series on stewardship called This Act of Grace. Each week we will learn about the different ways in which we respond to God s grace toward us. This week s theme is By His Grace, taken from Romans 3:24. By God s grace through Christ our Lord we are set free from our slavery to sin and we, in turn, give of ourselves as God gave himself for us. ST3 5

6 Bulletin Week 1 Notice Welcome to Week One of a worship series on stewardship called This Act of Grace. Today we see that although we have nothing to give in exchange for our salvation, God in his grace set us free through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now we have much to give all of the riches of God s grace to share with others in Jesus name. Newsletter Week 2 Notice Join us for Week Two of our worship series on stewardship called This Act of Grace. This week we will see that we are stewards of God s Varied Grace (1 Peter 4:10). Through our worship and acts of love and service we put God s varied gifts to use in his kingdom. Bulletin Week 2 Notice Welcome to Week Two of our worship series on stewardship, This Act of Grace. As stewards of God s Varied Grace (1 Peter 4:10), we put the gifts that he has given us in Christ Jesus to work in his kingdom. Newsletter Week 3 Notice Join us for Week Three of our stewardship series, This Act of Grace. Each week we examine the various ways in which we respond to God s abundant grace in Jesus Christ. This week we will remember God s promise, My Grace is Sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). We are stewards of God s all-sufficient grace, grace that will overflow out of our lives into the lives of others. Bulletin Week 3 Notice Welcome to Week Three of our worship series on stewardship, This Act of Grace. Today we will give thanks and praise to God for his promise, My Grace is Sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). Even in our weakness, God s abundant grace flows into our lives through faith in Jesus Christ, grace that flows through us then into the lives of others. 6 ST3

7 Newsletter Week 4 Notice Join us for Week Four of our stewardship series, This Act of Grace. This week we will see that as we excel in This Act of Grace (2 Corinthians 8:9), in giving generously to others, we reflect the act of grace expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, who though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. Bulletin Week 4 Notice Welcome to Week Four of our stewardship series, This Act of Grace. This week we will see that our Lord Jesus, though he was rich, became poor, that by his poverty we might become rich rich in grace and forgiveness. We want to excel in giving to excel in this act of grace so that others will wonder, What s gotten into these people? Grace! ST3 7

8 THIS ACT OF Grace A Series of Services on Stewardship Service Two: God s Varied Grace Complete Script for Worship Leaders The Opening Verse is read silently by the congregation or aloud by the pastor or a reader: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10 The Opening Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Old Hundredth LM: All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Him serve with mirth, his praise forthtell; Come ye before him and rejoice. Know that the Lord is God indeed; Without our aid he did us make. We are his folk, he doth us feed, And for his sheep he doth us take. For why? The Lord our God is good: His mercy is forever sure. His truth at all times firmly stood And shall from age to age endure. 44 ST3

9 To Father, Son and Holy Ghost, The God whom heav n and earth adore, From us and from the angel host Be praise and glory evermore. The Responsive Reading from Psalm 107 is spoken responsively by the pastor and the congregation: P Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. C So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. P Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. C He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. P Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! C For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. The Confession and Absolution is spoken responsively by the pastor and the congregation: P We sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Let us confess our sins to God, asking him in mercy to free us from the prison of our sin. C Almighty Lord, we are lost in the darkness of sin, and the shadow of death rests on us. We turn away from the light of your love and live in the darkness of our own sins. We do not walk in love and selfishly serve our own needs instead of the needs of others. Let the light of your grace and love shine on us for the sake of Jesus our Savior. Have mercy on us and forgive our sins. P Jesus died on the cross to free us from the dark prison of our sins. He rose from the dead to shatter the doors of death. For his sake and by his command I announce to you that your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. C We cried to the Lord in our trouble and he delivered us from our distress. We give thanks and praise to the Lord, who brought us out of darkness and the shadow of death! ST3 45

10 The Hymn of Praise is sung by the congregation to the tune Ich Singe Dir CM: Rejoice, my heart, be glad and sing, A cheerful trust maintain; For God, the source of ev rything, Your portion shall remain. He is your treasure, he your joy, Your life and light and Lord, Your counselor when doubts annoy, Your shield and great reward. The Children s Message is given by the pastor or other worship leader: (Needed: printed signs that say PLEASE and THANK YOU ) P There are some very important words that your parents probably want you to remember and use all the time. If you ask someone for something, or if you ask someone to do something for you, what word should you say? (Let children answer, then show the PLEASE sign.) When you ask someone for something, you should always say, Please. There are other important words that go along with Please. When someone gives you a gift, or if someone does something kind for you, what should you say? (Let children answer, then show the THANK YOU sign.) You should say, Thank you! We don t always use those words as we should, but they are very good words. We should practice using them whenever we can. When Jesus was walking to Jerusalem, ten lepers came to meet him. They were sick with a terrible skin disease called leprosy. They had to live by themselves, away from their family and friends, so no one else would get sick. But the lepers knew Jesus could help them. They said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us! Jesus healed them. He sent them to the temple to prove to the priests that they were well so they could go home again. But one man, just one of the ten lepers healed, turned back. He went back to say Thank you to Jesus for making him well. Jesus came to heal us, too. He came to heal us from the sickness of our sins. He died on the cross for us and rose from the dead. Because of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we will live forever with him. Whenever we come to church to worship like we are doing today we learn about Jesus love and we receive his forgiveness. In prayers and songs we say Thank you! to Jesus for saving us! We say Thank you with our words and we can say Thank you with our actions, too. Whenever we are kind 46 ST3

11 to others in our words and actions, we are saying, Thank you, Jesus! Whenever we help people in need, and whenever we tell people about Jesus love, we are saying, Thank you, Jesus, for saving me! Let s give thanks to Jesus in prayer right now. Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for us. Help me to say, Thank you! to you every day in my words and in my actions. Amen. The Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Ich Singe Dir CM: His wisdom never plans in vain Nor falters nor mistakes. All that his counsels may ordain A blessed ending makes. Upon your lips, then, lay your hand, And trust his guiding love; Then like a rock your peace shall stand Here and in heav n above. The Old Testament Reading, Exodus 12:21-27, is read by the pastor or other worship leader: P Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, What do you mean by this service? you shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses. And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. The Meditation is delivered by the pastor: P Children learn early on at least we hope they learn to say Please and Thank you to others. But now, all of us, adults and children alike, what do we say? We have received the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are God s stewards, ST3 47

12 the managers and caretakers of his grace. So what do we do now, as stewards of God s varied grace? The people of Israel received God s grace. They were slaves in Egypt, beaten down and oppressed, helpless to save them themselves. God in his grace acted in power to save them. He sent plagues to Egypt to punish Pharaoh for his stubborn refusal to let Israel go. God sent Moses to speak to Pharaoh and demand Israel s release. In a final act of justice, God would destroy the firstborn of Egypt. Israel had no part in this act of salvation. They were not even allowed to go outside! They waited indoors to see what God would do. The blood of the lambs on their doors kept them safe. The firstborn of Egypt would die, but death would pass over the houses marked with blood. Pharaoh would set Israel free. God saved his people and told them to remember and celebrate the Passover forever. Year after year, they were to remember the mighty acts of God that saved them. When their children asked the reason for the celebration, they were to tell the story of their salvation. They were to give thanks and glory to the God who saved them. The Gospel Reading, Luke 17:11-19, is read by the pastor or other worship leader: P On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. When he saw them he said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? And he said to him, Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well. The Meditation is delivered by the pastor: P As Jesus, our Passover Lamb, walked the road to Jerusalem and to his cross, ten lepers met him on the way. Like the people of Israel, these lepers were enslaved by their disease and helpless to save themselves. They cried out for mercy, and Jesus healed all of them. He sent them to the temple to prove that they had been healed and as they went they were made clean on the way. Only one came back to Jesus, shouting praise to God as loudly as he earlier had shouted for mercy. He gave thanks and glory to God for his healing. 48 ST3

13 The Epistle Reading, 1 Peter 4:7-11, is read by the pastor or other worship leader: P The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. The Meditation is delivered by the pastor: P Now we live in the end times. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. His blood marks our lives. We are healed by his forgiveness and we wait for him to come again. Like the Israelites, we remember and celebrate God s grace for us in the Sacrament of the Lord s Supper and in our worship. Year after year we remember the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in our festivals. We teach our children about the mighty acts of God. Like the leper, we give thanks to God for his goodness and power. By the power of his Holy Spirit, God gives to each of us the gifts needed for the growth of his kingdom. As the apostle Peter tells us, we are to use those gifts to serve others, as good stewards of God s varied grace. We put the gifts of God to work for his kingdom as we give thanks and glory to the God who saved us. We are saved by God s grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Having received the grace of God, what do we do with it now? Like the Israelites saved and set free, we remember and celebrate God s grace. Like the leper made clean, we give thanks and praise to God. As stewards of God s varied grace we use the gifts he has given us to serve others and proclaim the good news of salvation so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. The Hymn of Response is sung by the congregation to the tune Hanover : O worship the King, all-glorious above. O gratefully sing his pow r and his love; Our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days, Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise. ST3 49

14 O tell of his might, O sing of his grace, Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space; His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, And dark is his path on the wings of the storm. Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air, it shines in the light, It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain. Frail children of dust and feeble as frail, In thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail. Thy mercies, how tender, how firm to the end, Our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend. The Offering is gathered at this time. The Prayers are spoken responsively by the pastor and the congregation: P Christ, our Passover Lamb, you were sacrificed on the cross for our salvation. We remember and celebrate your love, giving thanks for our salvation. C We are made clean, our sins washed away in your blood and our lives marked for service in your name. P Christ, our Passover Lamb, we pray for those in need of help and healing, especially and all those we name in our hearts. C Let your grace flow through our lives into the lives of those in need. P Christ, our Passover Lamb, fill us with your Spirit to serve as good stewards of your varied grace. C In gifts of speech, teach us to speak the good news of salvation. In gifts of service, make us willing servants. In all things, in our thoughts, our words and our actions, help us to give to you all thanks and praise. Amen. The Lord s Prayer is spoken in unison by the pastor and the congregation. Holy Communion, if celebrated, takes place at this time, according to local custom. The Benediction is spoken by the pastor: P My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. 50 ST3

15 The Closing Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune St. Thomas SM: O bless the Lord, my soul! Let all within me join And aid my tongue to bless his name Whose favors are divine. O bless the Lord, my soul, Nor let his mercies lie Forgotten in unthankfulness And without praises die! Tis he forgives thy sins; Tis he relieves thy pain; Tis he that heals thy sicknesses And makes thee young again. His wondrous works and ways He made by Moses known, But sent the world his truth and grace By his beloved Son. ST3 51

16 Tune...St. Thomas SM 66 ST3

17 The Closing Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune St. Thomas SM: O bless the Lord, my soul! Let all within me join And aid my tongue to bless his name Whose favors are divine. O bless the Lord, my soul, Nor let his mercies lie Forgotten in unthankfulness And without praises die! Tis he forgives thy sins; Tis he relieves thy pain; Tis he that heals thy sicknesses And makes thee young again. His wondrous works and ways He made by Moses known, But sent the world his truth and grace By his beloved Son. ST3 67