brought near

Ephesians 2

Key v12

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

It's encouraging to remember that when I wasn't near the Lord I was without hope, but now I have hope.

Christ Liveth in Me

By Dan­i­el Whit­tle, 1891 and James Mc­Gran­a­han

Once far from God and dead in sin,
No light my heart could see;
But in God’s Word the light I found,
Now Christ liveth in me.

Christ liveth in me,
Christ liveth in me,
Oh! what a salvation this,
That Christ liveth in me.

listen to MP3 file

rich in mercy

Ephesians 2

v1-7

God is rich in mercy

v8-10

salvation is a free gift, not something we earn

v11-13

brought near

v14

He has broken down the middle wall of partition between us

v15-16

the law is abolished

v17-22

the Lord's new house

Grace Greater than Our Sin

By Julia Johnston, 1911 and Daniel Towner, 1910 (I changed the word "spilled" to "shed".)

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was [shed].

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

listen to MP3 file

Your mercy is great

Psalm 108

v4

For thy mercy [is] great above the heavens: and thy truth [reacheth] unto the clouds.

Sometimes we get into very desperate situations where we feel like the Lord has thrown us away and doesn't go with us any more. We should stay so determined to praise the Lord that we get up early in the morning and sing praises to Him. We should keep asking for His help.

To God Be the Glory

By Fan­ny Cros­by, 1875 and W. How­ard Doane

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

listen to mp3 file

His goodness

Psalm 107

v8

Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!

I considered not recording an mp3 file today, because I'm in a hurry, but I decided I'll record one anyway.

God Is So Good

Traditional

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He’s so good to me!

He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He’s so good to me!

listen to mp3 file

He hears

Psalm 106

v4,5

Remember me, O LORD, with the favour [that thou bearest unto] thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;

That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.

We can pray through these verses for ourselves.

He looks at the trouble we have when He hears our cries.

There Shall Be Showers of Blessing

By Daniel Whittle, 1883 and James McGranahan

There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

listen to mp3 file

marvelous works

Psalm 105

v5

Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

We should think back about some of the wonderful and marvelous things that the Lord has done.

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

By William Williams, 1745 and John Hughes, 1907

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

listen to mp3 file

---

There is no new comic yet.

God is very great

Psalm 104

v24

O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

We should pay attention to the Bible every day instead of being distracted by things like news, because God is very great. He even provides food for sea monsters, and He's going to provide for us. We should bless and praise Him.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Author unknown, and from traditional folk song

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

listen to mp3 file

---

in Love

Ephesians 1

v4

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Here's the secret of the way to be holy and without blame in front of the Lord: It is in Love. If we want to be without blame, we can. We should have Love toward all the saints.

For All the Saints

By William How, 1864 and Ralph Williams

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

listen to mp3 file

---

God adopts us

Ephesians 1

Outline

v1-8

God has adopted us

v9-18

We have an inheritance

v19-23

Jesus is the head over everything

The Church's One Foundation

By Samuel Stone, 1866 and Samuel Wesley, 1864

The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

She is from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.

listen to mp3 file

---

bless the Lord

Psalm 103

v2

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

We should remember all of the great things the Lord has done for us. We should pay attention to blessing Him today.

Blessed Be the Name

By Wil­liam Clark and Ralph Hud­son

All praise to Him Who reigns above
In majesty supreme,
Who gave His Son for man to die,
That He might man redeem!

Blessed be the Name! Blessed be the Name!
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
Blessed be the Name! Blessed be the Name!
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

listen to mp3 file

---

appointed to die

Psalm 102

v20

To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

We should pray for people who need saved and for people who are dying.

Did You Think to Pray?

By Mary Kidder, 1876 and William Perkins

Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor,
As a shield today?

O how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day;
So when life seems dark and dreary,
Don’t forget to pray.

listen to mp3 file

---

before my eyes

Psalm 101

v3

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; [it] shall not cleave to me.

Whether it's TV, videos, or the Internet, and even choosing to look away from other things around us, we should work on not looking at anything evil today.

Be Thou My Vision

By Dal­lan For­gaill, 8th Cen­tu­ry and Ir­ish folk

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

listen to mp3 file

---

start with praise

Psalm 100

v4

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name.

If I start by thanking and praising the Lord, that could help me be glad to serve Him.

In Thee Is Gladness

By Johann Lindemann, 1598 and Giovanni Gastoldi, 1593

In Thee is gladness, amid all sadness,
Jesus, sunshine of my heart.
By Thee are given the gifts of Heaven,
Thou the true Redeemer art.
Our souls Thou makest, our bonds Thou breakest;
Who trusts Thee surely hath built securely,
And stands forever. Alleluia!

If God be ours, we fear no powers,
Not of earth or sin or death.
God sees and blesses in worst distresses,
And can change them in a breath.
Wherefore the story tell of God’s glory
With heart and voices; all Heaven rejoices,
Singing forever: Alleluia!

listen to mp3 file

---

He is holy

Psalm 99

v5

Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; [for] he [is] holy.

We should worship the Lord because He's holy.

O Worship the King

By Ro­bert Grant and Jo­hann Hay­dn

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

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.

listen to mp3 file

---

don't be weary

Galatians 6

Outline

v1-2

Discipleship

v3-5

When you're going to help somebody else overcome sin, make sure you're doing what's right yourself.

v6

Give good things to the people who teach you in the Word

v7-10

Don't get tired of doing good

v11-15

Circumcision is about making a show, but really being a new creature is about living by the cross.

v16-18

Blessings and suffering like Jesus

Key v9

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

I'm really tired right now, and sometimes it seems so pointless to try to do all my work. It seems like I won't succeed, and it seems like even if I do succeed, that it won't do any good. I'm tempted to not get up in the morning in the first place, or, once I have, to just lay down and go back to sleep. I'm tempted to waste time and be lazy.

Application

I'll just do the best I can, because when it's the right time, I'll be glad I did.

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus

By Hel­en Lem­mel, 1922

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

listen to mp3 file

---

marvelous things

Psalm 98

v1

O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

Even though there are some really difficult situations, the Lord has done great things. He's doing marvelous things. We should be glad and sing praises.

My Heart is Fixed

By Isaac Serafino (me)

My heart is fixed,
I will sing and give You glory!
My heart is fixed,
I will sing and give You praise!
My heart is fixed,
While I'm trusting in Your mercy.
My heart is fixed,
While I'm waiting for Your grace.

listen to mp3 file

---

rejoice in God

Psalm 97

v12

Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

We should rejoice because of the Lord.

Rejoice, the Lord Is King

By Charles Wesley, 1744 and John Darwall, 1770

Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

listen to mp3 file

the Lord reigns

Psalm 96

v10

Say among the heathen [that] the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

When we witness, we can tell people about how the Lord rules, and that He will judge.

Jesus Shall Reign

By Isaac Watts, 1719 and John Hatton, 1793

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

Behold the islands with their kings,
And Europe her best tribute brings;
From north to south the princes meet,
To pay their homage at His feet.

listen to mp3 file

less than we deserve

Job 11

v6

And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that [they are] double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee [less] than thine iniquity [deserveth].

When we have a hard time, we might feel like the Lord is unfair. He is not unfair. We should remember that we are suffering less than we deserve to suffer for our sins.

Only a Sinner

By James Gray, 1905 and Dan­i­el Town­er

Naught have I gotten but what I received;
Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;
Boasting excluded, pride I abase;
I’m only a sinner, saved by grace!

Only a sinner, saved by grace!
Only a sinner, saved by grace!
This is my story, to God be the glory—
I’m only a sinner, saved by grace!

listen to mp3 file

hear His voice

Psalm 95

v7b,8a

...To day if ye will hear his voice,
Harden not your heart...

We shouldn't stubbornly resist what the Lord says in the Bible.

The Bible Stands

By Hal­dor Lil­le­nas, 1917

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted
’Mid the raging storms of time;
Its pages burn with the truth eternal,
And they glow with a light sublime.

The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.

listen to mp3 file

God will help us

Psalm 94

v14

For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.

This is an encouraging promise for when we feel discouraged. If we're the Lord's people, He isn't going to throw us away and forget about us. The Lord is going to help us. Praise the Lord.

Our God, Our Help in Ages Past

By Isaac Watts, 1719 and William Croft, 1708

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

listen to mp3 file

wait for the hope

Galatians 5

Outline

v1-12

keeping the law for righteousness is being in bondage

v13-15

serve each other by love

v16-18

be led by the Spirit

v19-21

the works of the flesh

v22-23

the fruit of the Spirit

v24-26

walk with the Lord

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

By Charles Wesley, 1739 and in Lyra Davidica, 1708

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

listen to mp3 file

Love and serve

Galatians 5

v13

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

We should serve each other by Love.

Work, for the Night Is Coming

By An­na Cog­hill, 1854 and Low­ell Ma­son, 1864

Work, for the night is coming,
Work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling,
Work ’mid springing flowers;
Work when the day grows brighter,
Work in the glowing sun;
Work, for the night is coming,
When man’s work is done.

listen to mp3 file

God is strong

Psalm 93

v1

The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, [wherewith] he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

God is strong, so we should praise Him.

thank the Lord

Psalm 92

v1

[It is a] good [thing] to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:

Somebody told me that I should spend more time thinking about the Lord, and how good He is, and praising Him. We should thank Him for things.

Thank the Lord for being righteous.

Give to Our God Immortal Praise

By Isaac Watts, 1719 and Ralph Har­ris­on, 1784

Give to our God immortal praise;
Mercy and truth are all His ways:
Wonders of grace to God belong,
Repeat His mercies in your song.

listen to mp3 file

He will be with us

Psalm 91

v15

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Are you "in trouble"? Call on the Lord. He will answer you, be with you, and deliver you.

No, Not One!

By John­son Oat­man, 1895 and George Hugg

There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! No, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases,
No, not one! No, not one!

Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! No, not one!

listen to mp3 file

tell others

Psalm 89

v1

I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

We should tell other people about the great things the Lord has done.

My Redeemer

By Phil­ip Bliss, 1876 and James Mc­Gran­a­han, 1877

I will sing of my Redeemer,
And His wondrous love to me;
On the cruel cross He suffered,
From the curse to set me free.

Sing, oh sing, of my Redeemer,
With His blood, He purchased me.
On the cross, He sealed my pardon,
Paid the debt, and made me free.

listen to mp3 file

pray in the morning

Psalm 88

v13

But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

We should remember to pray in the morning.

Awake, My Soul, to Joyful Lays

By Sam­u­el Med­ley, 1782 and Wil­liam Cald­well, before 1830

Awake, my soul, to joyful lays,
And sing thy great Redeemer's praise;
He justly claims a song from me -
His lovingkindness, O how free!
Lovingkindness, lovingkindness,
His lovingkindness, O how free!

listen to mp3 file

Abba Father

Galatians 4

v6

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

We should be encouraged when we've prayed, that the Lord will answer us.

Abba, Father! We Approach Thee

By James Deck, 1841 and John Zun­del, 1870

"Abba, Father!" We approach Thee
In our Savior's precious Name;
We, Thy children, here assembled,
Now Thy promised blessing claim;
From our sins His blood hath washed us,
'Tis through Him our souls draw nigh,
And Thy Spirit, too, hath taught us,
"Abba, Father," thus to cry.

listen to mp3 file

sing for the Lord

Psalm 87

v7

As well the singers as the players on instruments [shall be there]: all my springs [are] in thee.

We should sing for the Lord in our meetings today.

Marching to Zion

By Isaac Watts, 1707 and Robert Lowry, 1867

Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
Join in a song with sweet accord
And thus surround the throne,
And thus surround the throne.

We're marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We're marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.

listen to mp3 file