Posts Tagged Scripture

What Does the Holy Spirit Do?

May 25, 2009 at 9:45 pm · Filed under Pentecost Ideas, Scripture ·Tagged ,

What does the Holy Spirit do?

 

P:  The Holy Spirit lives within Christians.  (John 14:17)

 

C:  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

 

P:  He teaches.  (John 14:26)

 

C:  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

 

P:  He convicts us of sin.  (John 16:8)

 

C:  When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.

 

P:  He guides us.  (John 16:13)

 

C:  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

 

P:   He glorifies Christ.  (John 16:14)

 

C:  He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

 

P:  He strengthens and encourages (Acts 9:31)

 

C:  Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

 

P:  He assures us that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16)

 

C:  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

 

P:  He helps us in our weakness.  (Romans 8:26)

 

C:  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

 

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

 

 

 

 

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What’s in a Name?

April 15, 2009 at 7:30 am · Filed under Scripture, Song Writing ·Tagged ,

the Names of Jesus

Want to write your own worship song about Jesus?  Here are some names that He goes by (in alphabetic order), to help stir your songwriting imagination:

 

 

Jesus is the Amen, the Apostle, the Atoning Sacrifice, the author of their salvation, the  Alpha and Omega, the blessed and only ruler, the bread of God, the Bread of Life, the capstone, in fact the chief capstone and the chief shepherd, the deliverer, the eternal life,. faithful and true, the faithful witness, first and the last, the firstborn from the dead, the firstborn over all creation, the Gate, the good shepherd, in fact the great shepherd and the  great high priest, the head, the heir of all things, the high priest, the holy and true, the hope of glory, the horn of salvation, the image of God, Immanuel, the judge of the living and the dead, King Eternal, the King of Israel, the King of Kings, the King of the Ages, the lamb of God, the last Adam, the life, the light of the world, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the living stone, the Lord of All, the Lord of Lords, the mediator of a new covenant, the Morning Star, our great God and Savior, our Passover lamb, the power of God, the precious cornerstone, a prophet, the resurrection and the life, the righteous one, the rock, the Root of David, the ruler of God’s creation, the ruler of the kings of the earth, the savior, the Son of David, the son of God, the Son of Man, the Son of the Most High, the source of eternal salvation, the true bread, the true light, the true vine, the truth, the wisdom of God and the Word.

 

 

In songwriting, or writing poetry, I find this on-line rhyming tool to be priceless:

 

 

http://rhyme.poetry.com/

 

 

You can also use this impressive list as a responsive reading (although this is very long):

 

 

Pastor:          These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.  (Rev. 3:14)

All:                Jesus is the “Amen”

Pastor:          Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. (Heb. 3:1)

All:                Jesus is the “Apostle”

Pastor:          He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

All:                Jesus is the “Atoning Sacrifice”

Pastor:          In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Heb. 2:10)

All:                Jesus is the “Author of Salvation”

Pastor:          I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Rev. 22:13)

All:                Jesus is the “Beginning and End”

Pastor:          God, the blessed and only ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. (1 Tim. 6:15)

All:                Jesus is “Blessed and only Ruler”

Pastor:          For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. (John 6:33)

All:                Jesus is the “Bread of God”

Pastor:          “I am the Bread of Life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

All:                Jesus is the “Bread of Life”

Pastor:          He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. (Acts 4:11)

All:                Jesus is the Capstone;

Pastor:          Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizen’s with God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief capstone. (Eph. 2:20)

All:                Jesus is the “Chief Cornerstone”

Pastor:          And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. (1 Pet. 5:4)

All:                Jesus is the “Chief Shepherd”

Pastor:          “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.” (Rom. 11:26)

All:                Jesus is the “Deliverer”

Pastor:          He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

All:                Jesus is “Eternal Life”

 Pastor:          I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. (Rev. 19:11)

All:                Jesus is “Faithful and True”

Pastor:          and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Rev. 1:5)

All:                Jesus is the “Faithful Witness”

Pastor:          Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  (Rev. 1:17)

All                 Jesus is the “First and Last”

Pastor:          and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Rev. 1:5)

All:                Jesus is the “Firstborn From the Dead”

Pastor:          He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Col. 1:15)

All:                Jesus is the “Firstborn over all creation”

 Pastor:          I am the Gate, whoever enters through me will be saved. (John 10:9)

All:                Jesus is the “Gate”

Pastor:          In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   (John 1:1)

All:               Jesus is “God”

Pastor:          I am the Good Shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)

All:                Jesus is the “Good Shepherd”

Pastor:          May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will. (Heb. 13:20, 21a)

All:                Jesus is the “Great Shepherd “

Pastor:          Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (Heb. 4:14)

All:                Jesus is the “Great High Priest”

Pastor:          And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be the head over everything for the church. (Eph. 1:22)

All:                Jesus is the “Head of the Church”

Pastor:          But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he made heir of all things, and through him he made the universe. (Heb. 1:2)

All:                Jesus is the “Heir of all things “

Pastor:          For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. (Heb. 2:17)

All:                Jesus is the “High Priest “

Pastor:          These are the words of him who is holy and true. (Rev. 3:7)

All:                Jesus is “Holy and True “

Pastor:          To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27)

All:                Jesus is the “Hope of Glory “

Pastor:          He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. (Luke 1:69)

All:                Jesus is the “Horn of Salvation”

Pastor:          The God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the body of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor. 4:4)

All:                Jesus is the “Image of God “

Pastor:          The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us.” (Mt. 1:23)

All:                Jesus is “Immanuel “

Pastor:          He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.  (Acts 10:42)

All:                Jesus is the “Judge of the living and the dead”

Pastor:          Now to the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory, for ever and ever. (1 Tim. 1:17)

All:                Jesus is the “King Eternal “

Pastor:          “Rabbi, you are the son of God; you are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49)

All:                Jesus is the “King of Israel “

Pastor:          On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  (Rev. 19:16)

All:                Jesus is the “King of kings”

Pastor:          Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.  Just and true are your ways, King of the Ages. (Rev. 15:3)

All:                 Jesus is the “King of the Ages”

Pastor:          The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)

All:                Jesus is the “Lamb of God “

Pastor:          The first man, Adam, became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. (1 Cor. 15:45)

All:                Jesus is the “Last Adam”

Pastor:          I am the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6)

All:                Jesus is the “Life”

Pastor:          I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)

All:                Jesus is the “Light of the World”

Pastor:          See, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. (Rev. 5:5)

All:                Jesus is the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah”

Pastor:          As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him.  (1 Pet. 2:4)

All:                Jesus is the “Living Stone”

Pastor:          This is the message that God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of All. (Acts 10:36)

All:                Jesus is “Lord of All”

Pastor:          On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  (Rev. 19:16)

All:                Jesus is the “Lord of Lords”

Pastor:          For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. (Heb. 9:15)

All:                Jesus is the “Mediator of the New Covenant”

Pastor:          I am the root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. (Rev. 22:16)

All:                Jesus is the “Morning Star”

Pastor:          While we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:13)

All:                Jesus is “Our Great God and Savior”

Pastor:          Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are.    For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Cor. 5:7)

All:                Jesus is “Our Passover Lamb”

Pastor:          but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:24)

All:                Jesus is the “Power of God”

Pastor:          See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. (1 Pet. 2:6)

All:                Jesus is the “Precious Cornerstone”

Pastor:          The Lord your God will raise for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. (Acts 3:22)

All:                Jesus is the “Prophet”

Pastor:          I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. (John 11:25)

All:                Jesus is the “Resurrection and Life”

Pastor:          Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?  They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. (Acts 7:52)

All:                Jesus is the “Righteous One”

Pastor:          They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. (1 Cor. 10:4)

All:                Jesus is the “Rock”

Pastor:          See, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. (Rev. 5:5)

All:                Jesus is the “Root of David”

Pastor:          These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.  (Rev. 3:14)

All:                Jesus is the “Ruler of God’s Creation”

Pastor:          and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Rev. 1:5)

All:                Jesus is the “Ruler of the Kings of the Earth”

Pastor:          For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior. (Eph. 5:23)

All:                Jesus is the “Savior”

Pastor:          Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Lk. 18:39)

All:                Jesus is the “Son of David”

Pastor:          Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (Heb. 4:14)

All:                Jesus is the “Son of God”

Pastor:          Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. (Mt. 8:20)

All:                Jesus is the “Son of Man”

Pastor:          He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. (Lk. 1:32)

All:                Jesus is the “Son of the Most High God”

Pastor:          Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. (Heb. 5:9)

All:                Jesus is the “Source of Eternal Salvation for all who obey him”

Pastor:          “I tell you the truth,  it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. (John 6:32)

All:                Jesus is the “True Bread”

Pastor:          The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. (John 1:9)

All:                Jesus is the “True Light”

Pastor:          I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. (John 15:1)

All:                Jesus is the “True Vine”

Pastor:          I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 1:14)

All:                Jesus is the “Truth”

Pastor:          but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:24)

All:                Jesus is the “Wisdom of God”

Pastor:          In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   (John 1:1)

All:                Jesus is the “Word”

 

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

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Reformation’s Coming ….

August 21, 2008 at 11:39 pm · Filed under Book II: 42-72, Reformation ·Tagged , , , ,

A Reformation reading based on Psalm 46

Pastor INTRO:            We will now recite Psalm 46 responsively.  I will use the NIV and the congregation will respond using Isaac Watt’s metrical version.

 

PSALM 46 (Metrical version – Isaac Watts)

 

Pastor: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

All:       The church’s safety and triumph among national desolations.

God is the refuge of his saints,

 

Pastor: Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

All:       When storms of sharp distress invade

Ere we can offer our complaints,

Behold him present with his aid.

Men:    Let Mountains from their seats be hurled

Down to the deep, and buried there,

Convulsions shake the solid world,

Women:           Our faith shall never yield to fear.

Loud may the troubled ocean roar,

In sacred peace our souls abide,

While every nation, every shore,

Trembles, and dreads the swelling tide.

 

Pastor:            There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

All:       There is a stream, whose gentle flow

Supplies the city of our God;

Life, love, and joy still gliding through,

And wat’ring our divine abode.

 

Pastor: God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

All:       That sacred stream, thine holy word,

That all our raging fear controls:

Sweet peace thy promises afford,

And give new strength to fainting souls.

 

Pastor: Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

 

All:       Zion enjoys her Monarch’s love,

Secure against a threat’ning hour;

Nor can her firm foundations move,

Built on his truth, and armed with power.

Men:    God fights for his church.

Let Zion in her King rejoice;

Women:           Though tyrants rage, and kingdoms rise,

He utters his almighty voice,

The nations melt, the tumult dies.

 

Pastor: The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

All:       The Lord of old for Jacob fought,

And Jacob’s God is still our aid:

 

Pastor: Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.

All:       Behold the works his hand has wrought,

What desolations he has made!

 

Pastor: He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.

All:       From sea to sea, through all the shores,

He makes the noise of battle cease;

Men:    When from on high his thunder roars,

He awes the trembling world to peace.

Women:           He breaks the bow, he cuts the spear

Chariots he burns with heav’nly flame;

 

Pastor: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

All:       Keep silence, all the earth, and hear

The sound and glory of his name.

“Be still, and learn that I am God;

I’ll be exalted o’er the lands;

 

Pastor: The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

All:       I will be known and feared abroad;

But still my throne in Zion stands.”

Men:    O Lord of hosts, Almighty King,

While we so near thy presence dwell,

Women:           Our faith shall sit secure, and sing

Defiance to the gates of hell.

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an Artist, a Song, Nehemiah 8:10 and a Poem

August 13, 2008 at 10:14 pm · Filed under Poetry ·Tagged , , , ,

I was listening to Chris Tomlin’s song “Holy is the Lord” recently.   I just love the verse derived from Nehemiah 8:10: 

 

We stand and lift up our hands,

For the joy of the Lord is our strength.

We bow down and worship Him now.

How great, how awesome is He.

And together we sing, Everyone sing,

Holy is the Lord, God Almighty.

The earth is filled with His glory.

 

CCLI Song No. 4158039© 2003 worshiptogether.com songsSix Steps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)(Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Chris Tomlin / Louie Giglio

 

Here’s a link to watch Tomlin play the song if you’ve never heard it:

 

That line “the joy of the Lord is my strength” does something for me because I know that we all face challenges in life.  They are real, often times difficult and tiresome.  They can sap us of our strength if we let them consume us.  Because we are Christians doesn’t exempt us from trials, in fact, it may do the opposite.  But the “joy of the Lord is our strength.”  I’ve come to realize that in everything we do, we can praise God and glorify him.  We can even praise him through our trials and lamentations.  It happens in the Psalms all the time.  It happened with Job, and with Paul.

 

I’m not a poet by any stretch but sometimes we just have to follow an inspiration when it comes.  Here’s my probably one-and-only poem and it’s based on Nehemiah 8:10.

 

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength

When you can’t seem to get a date; remember, that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

If you can’t sleep and you’re up late; the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

When you wrestle with your own fate; remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

If you try and try to lose weight; the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

When you doubt getting through that narrow gate; remember, that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

If you strive to be more than great; the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

When you don’t like your very best traits; remember, that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

If you lack patience and can’t wait; the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

When you hope and pray for a clean slate; remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

If you lack the skills to really debate; the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

When all you can do is to deflate; remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

If you have an abnormal heart rate; the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

When life seems like one long rain date; remember, that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

If you’re old-fashioned and need an update; the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

When you’re church has a really high attrition rate; remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

If you need an improved emotional state; remember, that the joy of the Lord is still your strength.

 

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Enhanced Bible Reading

August 7, 2008 at 4:09 pm · Filed under Multi-Part Reading, Responsive Readings, Scripture, Worship Idea ·Tagged , ,

Here’s an idea that you can apply to almost any scripture reading used in worship.  Take your favorite commentary and splice the commentators thoughts into the scripture text weaving them into a back-and-forth reading.   In the following example we used “the People’s Bible on Revelation” (ISBN #075860453X), together with some of our original thoughts on Rev 5:11-14:

Reader 1:  11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.   They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.

Reader 2:  John’s vision must have been breathtaking!  10,000 x 10,000 = 100 million.  Over ten times the population of New York City – and these were all angels circling around a throne.

Reader 1: 12In a loud voice they sang:    ”Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Reader 2: In Jesus’ state of exaltation, he who was slain is worthy to receive these seven accolades (power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory & praise).  All these things are put under His control.    The last three words “honor, glory & praise” are now His in exchange for the shame and disgrace and ridicule which were heaped upon Him in His passion.  This verse concludes the “song of the angels.”  The heavenly song has reached its apex.  Now all creation joins in the heavenly hymn.

Reader 1: 13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

Reader 2: What a moving and glorious expression of praise sung by all of God’s creation.  John has now been witness to the fact that the divine purpose of God’s creation has been achieved.  There is a great multitude of saved and sanctified people who, with the angels and all creation, shall praise God forever and serve Him in everlasting righteousness and blessedness. 

Reader 1: 14The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Reader 2: With this “Amen”; one of the most powerful songs ever heard had come to a divine closure.  These very words are the basis for Handel’s Messiah.  We believers do not need a large amount of musical knowledge to be moved by this performance.  How blessed we are that God has revealed that one day we will be part of the heavenly choir, privileged to bow down in the presence of the Lamb who sits upon the throne.

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Moses Parts the Seas

June 30, 2008 at 10:17 am · Filed under Multi-Part Reading ·Tagged , ,

Sometimes, Scripture lends itself nicely to a multi-part reading.  This helps the congregation follow the story, especially the children.  In our church, when one of the characters is the “Voice of God”, we have this person read his lines from the back of the church and speaking through a microphone to separate and amplify his voice above everyone else.  Here’s an example using four voices to read Exodus 14 – “Moses parts the Red Sea.”

 

Old Testament Lesson (Exodus 14:10-29)

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.  (Hebrews 11:27)

Pastor (Narrator):

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them.  They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.  They said to Moses,

Reader 1 (Israelites):

“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?  What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?  Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’?  It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

Pastor (Narrator):  Moses answered the people,

Reader 2 (Moses):

“Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today; you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Pastor (Narrator):  Then the LORD said to Moses,

READER 3 (voice of the Lord):

“Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites to move on.  Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.  I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.  And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.  The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

Pastor (Narrator):

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them.  The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel.  Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.  The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.  During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.  He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving.  And the Egyptians said,

Reader 5 (Egyptians):

“Let’s get away from the Israelites!  The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.”

Pastor (Narrator):  Then the LORD said to Moses,

READER 3 (voice of the Lord):

“Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”

Pastor (Narrator):

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.  The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea.  The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.  Not one of them survived.

But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.  That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.  And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Note: All text is from the NIV translation (Zondervan Publishing)

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