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April 26, 2020
Victory Over Skepticism
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We’re so glad you decided to worship with us today. Thank you! It’s an
honor to have you listening in and to have the chance to fill you with hope
in these troubling times. Welcome to Living Hope.
Easter Series: Victorious!
Victory is sweet...the joy...the excitement.
But victory often lasts just for a moment. It eventually fades away.
Except when it’s a victory that lasts forever.
This Easter celebrate a victory that will never fade. A victory won for you. A victory that gives you more than a thrill. A victory that gives you eternal life.
One life. One death. One empty tomb.
Today’s Focus: Victory Over Skepticism
Thomas was a true skeptic. He doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead. It sounded too
good to be true. He demanded proof if he was going to believe.
We might feel like we’re in a similar spot as Thomas. We’re skeptical of things we can’t verify
with our own senses. We might be skeptical right now about God’s control and skeptical about
his promise of peace for us. There’s not a lot of evidence that he’s in control or giving us peace
right now.
But Jesus appeared to Thomas to bring him proof and peace. Jesus appears to us in the Word
to bring proof and peace to our troubled, doubting hearts too.
welcome to
WORSHIP
CURRENT SERIES INFO
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ABOUT LIVING HOPE
Living Hope Lutheran Church is a brand new mission church on Chattanooga’s east side. We are funded
by and a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, a collection of over 1,300 churches
across the United States and Canada.
Living Hope succeeds in its mission when hope forever in Jesus brings hope for every day in life.
For more on our mission, background, and beliefs just visit our website: livinghopechatt.com
ABOUT WORSHIP
Worship at Living Hope is designed to fill you with hope! The message you hear at Living Hope will cen-
ter you on your Savior, Jesus, and what he's done for you. Worship isn't just about filling up God with
praise. Worship is all about God filling you with good news!
We follow a basic order of service, called the liturgy. In the message, in specially selected Scripture
readings, and in carefully crafted songs, prayers, and creeds, the liturgy proclaims the good news
(gospel) about Jesus from start to finish.
Please use this worship folder as you watch the Facebook Live wor-
ship livestream. Visit the Living Hope Facebook page to join in. If you
were unable to tune in live at 10:00AM on Sunday you can still watch
the worship video on the homepage of livinghopechatt.com
Show friends where you’re livestreaming and finding hope today —check in!
/livinghopechatt
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[Chorus] by Matt Redman
Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
[Verse 1]
The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It 's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
You're rich in love and You're slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still , my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore
[Chorus]
Performed by Mitchell Beckman + Jessica Stoens
OPENING SONG—10,000 Reasons
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Feel free to read the bolded portions out loud with pastor. Or just listen along.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Minister: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, (+) and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
M: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 1 Peter 1:2-4
C: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
M: In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope,
C: through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
M: and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for you.
C: Amen.
CONFESSION + ABSOLUTION M: Dear friends, let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.
C: Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin. For faithless worrying and selfish pride, For sins of habit and sins of choice, For the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do, You should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake. M: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us
alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ through his called servant.
I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.
In every worship service we confess our sins then cling to the forgiveness that Jesus gives us. Confession is called the “heartbeat of the Christian.”
The name of the Triune God and sign of the cross remind worshipers of their baptisms.
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PRAYER OF THE DAY M: O risen Lord, you came to your disciples and took away their fears with your word
of peace. Come to us also by your Word and sacrament, and banish our fears with the
comforting assurance of your abiding presence; for you live and reign with the Father
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
GOD’S WORD
FIRST LESSON___ Acts 10:36-43
36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the
good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what
has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the
baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all
who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in
Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him
from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen
by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who
ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 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. 43 All the prophets testify about him that eve-
ryone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
NIV
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SECOND LESSON 1 Peter 1:8-12
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see
him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to
come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the
time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he
predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was
revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke
of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel
to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these
things. NIV
CHILDREN ’S MESSAGE
A short message designed for children that ties in with the sermon.
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SERMON John 20:19-31
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were to-
gether, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood
among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his
hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am send-
ing you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If
you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are
not forgiven.”
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the
disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the
Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fin-
ger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with
them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and
said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my
hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed;
blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are
not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
NIV
The gospel of our Lord. Praise be to Christ.
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VICTORY OVER SKEPTICISM
Questions to consider while hearing the sermon:
1. How do we tend to verify claims in our modern age?
2. Where were Thomas’ doubts probably coming from?
3. What 2 things was Thomas looking for?
4. What might we be skeptical of?
5. What makes doubt so dangerous?
6. What does Jesus do for Thomas?
7. What do verses 30 and 31 have to say to us?
8. What complement does Jesus throw your way?
9. What refrain is repeated throughout this account?
10. What is Biblical peace?
Discussion questions: 1. Name some ways that technology has impacted the skepticism lurking inside each of us.
2. Name some reasons we might have a hard time being content with the Means of Grace (Word and Sacrament). Then also name some reasons the Means of Grace are so comforting to you.
3. Let’s name some pros and cons of living at the time of Jesus. Then name some pros and cons of living at the time we do right now.
4. Share one kind of peace that your faith gives you. How does that kind of peace help you each day?
(Join us virtually for theology on tap Tuesday night—we’ll discuss these questions and any others you want to talk about — email [email protected] to be part of it)
TRUTH — Jesus gives the proof that leads to peace.
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OFFERING We collect offerings out of thanks for what God has done for us so that we can support Gospel work here and around the world. Thank you for continuing to support Living Hope’s ministry even in this time. We pray that one day soon we can pick up where we left off in our ministry plans. Thank you! Visit the webpage below to donate through Paypal. It’s quick and easy to do.
https://livinghopechatt.com/donate
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
BLESSING M: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. C: AMEN.
The historical “blessing of Aaron” (Numbers 6:24-26) has been spoken over God’s people for over 3,500 years.
Praying the prayer of the church is a time when we can pray for people in all kinds of circumstances. We also pray for Christ to be with his Church on earth and that his gospel will spread.
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CLOSING SONG
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After the service you can confess your faith together as a family or just read the Creed on your own. This is always a good reminder of everything our Triune God does for us. APOSTLES CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was
buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He as-
cended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From
there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Christians have used the Apostles Creed since the first century to unite themselves together and to obey God’s invitation to “confess with our mouth and believe with our hearts” (Romans 10:9). You are invited to share this confession of faith with us but please do not feel obligated if you feel uncomfortable or have more questions.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Upcoming livestream services
Sundays in April + May—”Victorious” sermon series Victory over despair—May 3 Victorious living empowered by the Spirit—May 10 Victory no matter what happens in this life—May 17 A victory to share with all people—May 24
Children’s Sunday School Jennifer Melso is going to continue giving children a Sunday school lesson and other at-home ideas for parents to do with their children. If you would like to get your kids involved please email her:
[email protected] Connect with LIVING HOPE
Since we can’t have you fill out a handy connection card please just email pastor at [email protected] to be added to our email update list. We’d love to have you visit worship at Living Hope at Regal Cinemas Hamilton Place when we’re able to once again.
Special Assistance Fund
Living Hope has take some special donations in order to be able to supply some essentials to people in need within our congregation and others we’ve come in contact with. If you’d like to inquire about getting some help email: [email protected]. Or if you are self-quarantined and in need of assistance to pick up groceries or other items please contact pastor. We have people willing and able to help or be runners to get you supplies. Now with the tornado doing its damage we’re also looking to help families in need by clearing debris and getting essential supplies.
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Foundations Bible Study We all want answers to life’s biggest questions. But the process for finding them often seems a bit intimidating. Where do I even start? How do I read the Bible? Will I even understand it? There’s no better place to start than by jumping into a Foundations Class. Foundations is a class designed to explore the good news that God has for us in his Word and gives an overview of the Christian faith. The class is now being offered via Google Hangouts! We can go through the class at your own pace. If you’re stuck at home, now is a great time to take the class if you haven't yet. Email or text: [email protected] 423-933-2452
Bible Study—Theology on Tap—Tuesday, April 28 @ 7:00PM We’re unable to meet in person at Lupi’s for this study now but we’ll keep it going with a vir-tual format. For this study, each week we take a deeper look at Sundays sermon content and discuss how to apply that message to everyday life. We’ll use the discussion questions listed with the sermon to guide our conversation. If you want to join the discussion on Tuesday just email [email protected] Or text 423-933-2452 We’ll get you setup with access to the class! And of course feel free to still grab a drink or bite to eat as we have good conversation in a laid-back setting.
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Pastor Eric Melso
423-933-2452
www.livinghopechatt.com
/livinghopechatt
@livinghopechatt
Hope for everyday!
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