Grace Alone | Dustin Kensrue Verse 1 I was an orphan lost at the fall, Running away when I'd hear you call But Father you worked your will, I had no righteousness of my own I had no right to draw near your throne, But Father you loved me still Chorus 1 And in love before you laid the world's foundation You predestined to adopt me as your own You have raised me up so high above my station I'm a child of God by grace and grace alone Verse 2 You left your home to seek out the lost, You knew the great and terrible cost But Jesus your face was set, I worked my fingers down to the bone But nothing I did could ever atone, But Jesus you paid my debt Chorus 2 By Your blood I have redemption and salvation Lord you died that I might reap what you have sown And you rose that I might be a new creation I am born again by grace and grace alone Bridge I was in darkness all of my life, I never knew the day from the night But Spirit you made me see, I swore I knew the way on my own Head full of rocks a heart made of stone, But Spirit you moved in me Chorus 3 And at your touch my sleeping spirit was awakened On my darkened heart the light of Christ has shone Called into a kingdom that cannot be shaken Heaven's citizen by grace and grace alone End So I'll stand in faith by grace and grace alone I will run the race by grace and grace alone I will slay my sin by grace and grace alone I will reach the end by grace and grace alone "Grace Alone” Words and Music by Dustin Kensrue © © 2009 Dead Bird Theology (ASCAP) / It's All About Jesus Music (ASCAP) / We Are Younger We Are Faster Music (ASCAP) Admin. at MusicServices.org All rights reserved. Used by permission. CCLI License# 1748657 Responsive Scripture Reading | Galatians 5:13-26 READER For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. or the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. CHURCH For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. READER Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. CHURCH But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. How Great Thou Art | Stuart Wesley Keene Hine Verse 1 O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds, Thy hands have made I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder Thy pow'r thru'out, The universe displayed Chorus 1 Then sings my soul, My Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, How great Thou art Then sings my soul, My Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, How great Thou art Verse 2 When through the woods, And forest glades I wander And hear the birds, Sing sweetly in the trees When I look down, From lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook, And feel the gentle breeze Verse 3 And when I think, That God His Son not sparing Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in That on the cross, My burden gladly bearing He bled and died, To take away my sin Verse 4 When Christ shall come, With shout of acclamation And take me home, What joy shall fill my heart Then I shall bow, In humble adoration And there proclaim, My God how great Thou art “How Great Thou Art” Music and words by Stuart Wesley Keene Hine © 1949 and 1953 Stuart Hine Trust. All rights reserved. Used by permission.. CCLI License# 1748657 Shout to the Lord | Darlene Zschech Verse 1 My Jesus, my Savior, Lord, there is none like You All of my days, I want to praise, The wonders of Your mighty love Verse 2 My comfort, my shelter, Tower of refuge and strength Let every breath, all that I am, Never cease to worship you. Chorus Shout to the Lord, All the earth, let us sing Power and majesty, praise to the King, Mountains bow down and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name, I sing for joy at the work of Your hands Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand, Nothing compares to the promise I have in You Chorus 2 Oh, shout to the Lord, All the earth, let us sing, yeah Power and majesty, praise to the King (Mountains bow down) Mountains bow down and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name (Wonderful name), I sing for joy at the work of Your hands Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand, Nothing compares to the promise I have in (You) Verse 1 My Jesus, my Savior, Lord, there is none like You All of my days, I want to praise, The wonders of Your mighty love Verse 2 My comfort, my shelter, Tower of refuge and strength Let every breath, all that I am, Never cease to worship you. Chorus 1 Shout to the Lord, All the earth, let us sing Power and majesty, praise to the King, Mountains bow down and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name, I sing for joy at the work of Your hands Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand, Nothing compares to the promise I have in You Chorus 2 (x2) Oh, shout to the Lord, All the earth, let us sing, yeah Power and majesty, praise to the King (Mountains bow down) Mountains bow down and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name (Wonderful name), I sing for joy at the work of Your hands Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand, Nothing compares to the promise I have in (You) Nothing compares to the promise I have in Ooh, nothing compares to the promise I have in You “Shout to the Lord” Music and words by Darlene Zschech © 1993 Darlene Zschech / Hillsong Music Publishing Australia (Admin. in the US and Canada at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission. CCLI License# 1748657 Freedom Weekend: A Call to Eternal Vigilance and Gospel Love As we celebrate this 4th of July weekend, we’re reminded of a powerful quote: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” — John Philpott Curran (often misattributed to Thomas Jefferson) And also this sobering truth from one of our Founding Fathers: “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself… there never was a democracy yet, that did not commit suicide.” — John Adams The founders understood our human tendency toward self-sabotage—to give up what others fought for. This principle doesn’t just apply to nations. It applies to God’s Kingdom, too. Freedom in Christ: A Spiritual Reality Christ has given us freedom—freedom from sin, death, Satan, and even the weight of religious performance. We no longer need to justify ourselves by works, but instead live by grace through faith. Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Romans 12:1 “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God…” We don’t live for God’s mercy—we live because of it. Freedom Must Be Guarded Even spiritual freedom requires vigilance. Paul warns us not to use our freedom to indulge the flesh, but rather to serve one another through love. Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Three Gospel Freedom Principles I. Gospel Love Protects Others by Pursuing Personal Holiness (Romans 13:8–10) “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” True love is more than emotion—it’s active faith that protects others from our sin. We see this echoed in: 1 John 4:10–11 “If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Israel’s history shows that this is impossible without Christ. But now, the law is written on our hearts (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:8–12), and we are empowered by the Spirit to love as Christ loved us. James 4:1–10 reminds us that inner battles are rooted in selfish desires. The solution? Submit to God, draw near, resist the devil, and humble ourselves. “Only Christ could so satisfy my heart that I no longer need others to meet my expectations—I can lay down my life for them.” II. Gospel Love Focuses on Eternal Destiny, Not Earthly Gratification (Romans 13:11–12) “You know the time… salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand.” This reminds us to live with eternity in view, not driven by immediate pleasure. Ephesians 5:11–16 “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness… Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” “The gospel not only changes who we are, it points us to who we are becoming.” — Douglas Moo We live now as citizens of the coming Kingdom, showcasing the character and fruit of Christ to the world around us. III. Gospel Love Protects Others by Choosing Christ Over the Flesh (Romans 13:13–14) “Let us walk properly… not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality… But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.” Every life has a trajectory. Will you fuel sinful indulgence or godly transformation? The life of Sean “Diddy” Combs has become a warning of what happens when sinful desires go unchecked. “To put on Christ is to be united with Him… to reflect His holiness and purity.” — John Murray We’re each on a path—toward debauchery or glory. Which are you choosing to pursue? A Final Exhortation Christian love fights for the freedom and joy of others by focusing on: Our own personal sanctification Our eternal destination Our continual transformation into the likeness of Christ This weekend, as we reflect on our national freedom, let’s not forget to guard and cherish the greater freedom we have in Christ. Let us walk in love, vigilance, and victory. In Christ Alone | Keith Getty & Stuart Townend Verse 1 In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light my strength my song This Cornerstone this solid Ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love what depths of peace When fears are stilled when strivings cease My Comforter my All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand Verse 2 In Christ alone who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid, Here in the death of Christ I live Verse 3 There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious Day, Up from the grave He rose again And as He stands in victory, Sin's curse has lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine, Bought with the precious blood of Christ Verse 4 No guilt in life no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I'll stand “In Christ Alone” Words and music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend© 2001 Thankyou Music (PRS) (Admin. worldwide at CapitolCMGPublishing.,com excluding Europe, which is admin. by Integrity Music) All rights reserved. Used by permission.CCLI License# 1748657