John on Forgiveness

liturgy

Cleansed by His Forgiving Grace

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 2:29-40, 1 John 1:8-9, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Romans 10:9-10, Ezekiel 36:26

Pastor: As Christ’s Church here on earth, we are invited to be a part of a bigger story, welcomed as members of a larger community, and called to a greater mission. In humble repentance we must ack...

liturgy

Dear Jesus, Thank you for loving me. I

Author

Dustin Ray

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 51:1-2, John 3:16, Luke 23:34, Ezekiel 36:26, Philippians 2:13

Dear Jesus, Thank you for loving me. I have sinned. I have disobeyed my parents. I have lied. I have been selfish. I have not listened to you. Please forgive me. Please help me. Please change...

liturgy

O Lord, Accept Me in Repentance

Author

St John Chrysostom

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 55:6–7, Ezekiel 36:26–27, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Matthew 6:13, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 51:10–12

O Lord, accept me in repentance. O Lord, do not leave us. O Lord, lead us not into temptation. O Lord, grant us good thoughts. O Lord, grant us tears and remembrance of death and guilt for our sins. O...

liturgy

Gracious God, we confess our sin to you

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 1:18, Ezekiel 36:25-27, 2 Chronicles 7:14 , Luke 15:11-32, 1 John 1:8-9, Psalm 51:10-12

Gracious God, we confess our sin to you, for we have denied your light in us; we have betrayed your Holy Spirit in us. For those sins which weigh upon us, and those we do not even know we ...

liturgy

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

John 20:31, 2 Timothy 1:10, Isaiah 61:1-3, 1 John 1:5b–7, Ezekiel 36:26-27, John 8:12

Leader: Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” People: God is light, and in Him is no darkness at ...

liturgy

By grace, through Jesus, God calls us His children

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Ezekiel 36:25-27 , Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 51:10-12, Psalm 32:5

Pastor: By grace, through Jesus, God calls us His children so that we might become more like Him, setting our hope on His grace, and living as holy people who fear the Lord and love one another. Whe...

lectionary

Second Sunday in Lent

Author

Rachel Clark

Keywords

Scripture

John 3:1-17, Ezekiel 36:25-27, Joel 2:28, Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:null

Preaching Commentary Introduction This is a well-known passage full of well-known phrases, and yet reading and meditating on the text continues to offer fresh understandings and applications. John ...

liturgy

When we allow darkness to overcome the

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:5, Ephesians 5:18, Isaiah 55:2, Luke 12:15, Ezekiel 36:26

When we allow darkness to overcome the light, forgive us, Lord. When we reduce Christmas to plastic and tinsel, have mercy on us, Father. When hardness of heart keeps us from seeing and hearing an...

illustration

Clearing the Path to Grace

Author

Richard J. Foster

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 1:18, Ezekiel 36:26 , Micah 7:18-19 , 1 John 1:9, Luke 15:20-24, Psalm 51:10

To help us in our confession we may want to picture a path littered with many rocks. Some are small pebbles, others are quite large, and still others are almost completely buried so that we cannot kno...

liturgy

God's Goodness and Our Healing

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:8, Psalm 51:10, Ezekiel 36:26, James 4:8, 1 John 1:8-9, Mark 7:6-7, Hebrews 10:22

Gracious God, our hearts are often divided between what is good and what is evil. Not one of us is pure in heart yet we long to have a whole heart. Where there is hypocrisy in our life, please n...

liturgy

Create in us a clean heart, O God.

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Hebrews 10:22, Luke 15:11-32, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ezekiel 36:26-27, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 51:10-12

Create in us a clean heart, O God. Please cleanse us from our sins and iniquity. Restore to us the joy of salvation that comes from you. Have mercy on us according to your steadfast love. Renew us wit...

liturgy

God's Guidance, Our True Path

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 55:8-9, Psalm 51:1-3, 10, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Luke 18:9-14, Romans 12:1-2 , 1 John 1:9, Ezekiel 36:26

Almighty God, your ways are not our ways. Your thoughts are not our thoughts. Therefore, we have sinned against you and hurt others. In your mercy, show us our sin and move us to sorrow. Transform us ...

liturgy

God of love, you call us to repentance

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Ezekiel 36:25-27, Jeremiah 18:3-6, Isaiah 5:1-4, John 15:1-5, Luke 13:6-9, Psalm 51:10-12

God of love, you call us to repentance: you offer us love we decline to receive and fail to share with others. Help us reclaim your love in our hearts. By your loving spirit re-shape us as vessels of ...

liturgy

In the silence, we raise our voice

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 22:1, Isaiah 6:5, Romans 5:8, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 John 1:9, Ezekiel 36:26

In the silence, we raise our voice before you. We wonder aloud why you are so far from us when we call. In the agony of our cry, we are reminded that it is we who have wandered from your fold, from th...

liturgy

O Lord, you have mercy upon all—take

Author

Ambrose of Milan

Keywords

Scripture

Ezekiel 36:26, Romans 5:5, John 14:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Philippians 4:7

O Lord, you have mercy upon all—take away from us all our sins, and mercifully kindle in us the fire of your Holy Spirit. Take away from us a heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to l...

Quote

Author

Eugene H. Peterson

Keywords

Scripture

Titus 3:5-6, John 3:16-17, 1 John 1:9, Ezekiel 36:25-26, Romans 6:23

Defilement is what sin does to us; damnation is what sin introduces as our eternal end. Except for God’s intervention. We have needs, and God addresses our needs. Even our sin, the most destructive re...

liturgy

Gracious God, our hearts are often

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 51:10, Jeremiah 17:9-10, Matthew 5:8, Romans 7:21-23, James 4:8, Ezekiel 36:26, 1 John 3:3, Psalm 73:1, Psalm 24:3-4, Matthew 15:19-20, Romans 12:2, Psalm 139:23-24, Titus 1:15, James 1:2-8, Matthew 12:25

Gracious God, our hearts are often divided between what is good and what is evil. Not one of us is pure in heart yet we long to have a whole heart.

liturgy

Collect for Purity

Keywords

Scripture

John 4:7-26, Isaiah 6:1-8, Revelation 4:11, Matthew 22:37, Ezekiel 36:26-27

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you,...

illustration

Our Faith

Author

C. S. Lewis

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 2:20, Romans 8:10, Ephesians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:49, Ezekiel 36:26, Philippians 2:13, 1 John 4:13, Romans 8:29

Our faith is not a matter of our hearing what Christ said long ago and “trying to carry it out. The real Son of God is at your side. He is beginning to turn you into the same kind of thing as Himself....

liturgy

Our God is not only for us

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 8:31-39, Matthew 1:23, John 14:2-3, 1 Peter 1:3-4, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Philippians 2:13

Leader: Our God is not only for us, People: He is also with us. Leader: Through His suffering, death, and resurrection, People: God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has secured our home in eternity. L...

illustration

Sin and Trees

Author

John Stott

Keywords

Scripture

Ezekiel 36:26, Romans 6:6, Galatians 5:16-17, Psalm 51:10, Jeremiah 17:9, John 8:34

Sin not only alienates; it enslaves. It separates us from God and it also brings us into captivity. We need now to consider the ‘inwardness’ of sin. It is more than the wrong things we do; it is a dee...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, John 3:1-17

Author

Rachel Clark

Keywords

Scripture

John 3:1-17, Ezekiel 36:25-27, Joel 2:28, Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:null

Introduction This is a well-known passage full of well-known phrases, and yet reading and meditating on the text continues to offer fresh understandings and applications. John 3:1-17 is the account o...

Quote

Author

John Owen

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 8:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20, Ezekiel 36:26-27, John 3:5-6, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Every time we say we believe in the Holy Spirit, we mean we believe that there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.

liturgy

Creator of all things, Alpha and

Author

John Birch

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 2:1-4, John 13:1-17, Luke 10:25-37, John 4:1-26, John 14:16-17, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Isaiah 61:1

Creator of all things, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, Father, Shepherd, Servant, Brother, Priest and King. Whose love poured out mends broken hearts. Whose wounded hands reach out to all. Whose S...

illustration

Avoiding the Holy Spirit

Author

Robert Morris

Keywords

Scripture

Numbers 11:24-29, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Joel 2:28-29, John 14:16-17, Acts 2:1-4, Psalm 51:10-12

I grew up in church. However, this church was part of a denomination that avoided mentioning the Holy Spirit whenever possible. Our denominational leaders treated Him a bit like the crazy uncle who sh...

illustration

The Crucial Thing

Author

Søren Kierkegaard

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 22:37-39, 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Colossians 1:9-10, Philippians 3:10-14, James 1:22, John 14:21

In a journal entry by the Danish Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, the great existentialist philosopher describes the importance not simply of grasping the truth of the Christian faith, but having the tr...

Quote

Author

Teresa of Avila

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 25:8, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Jeremiah 29:13, John 14:23, Psalm 139:23-24

Believe the incredible truth that the Beloved has chosen for his dwelling place the core of your own being because that is the single most beautiful place in all of creation.

Quote

Author

Herb Caen

Keywords

Scripture

Ezekiel 36:26-27, Jonah 3:1-10, Proverbs 16:18, Psalm 51:10-12, John 3:3 , Galatians 5:22-23

The trouble with born-again Christians is that they are an even bigger pain the second time around.

Quote

Author

John Ortberg

Keywords

Scripture

Ezekiel 36:26-27, Matthew 28:19-20, John 14:15-21, James 1:27, Ephesians 2:10, Isaiah 61:1

The Holy Spirit says: You are it. You are God's plan. In a thirsty world, people need to be refreshed. It is a broken world, and people need to be healed. Now get out there and do it!

Quote

Author

Daniel Darling

Keywords

Christmas

Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:17, Luke 2:8-14, John 3:3-8, Acts 2:1-4, John 11:38-44, Ezekiel 36:26, Isaiah 9:6-7, John 1:9-13, Colossians 1:19-22, Revelation 21:1-5

The message of Christmas, then, is not about manufacturing sentimental feelings in vain hopes of a miracle. It’s about believing the reality that God has birthed something new in Jesus and because of ...

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