Weekly Sermon, May 23, 2021
Welcome to our Virtual Worship Service
Sunday, May 23, 2021
11:00 a.m.
2021 Theme: Serving the Lord with Joy
Nehemiah 8:10b
For scripture translations, click here.
Sunday School Lesson,* review and prayer
by Deacon George Hillman
Ezekiel: Street Preacher to the Exiles, Ezekiel 18:1-9,30-32
Worship Music:
My Help – Min. Catherine Armstrong and Langley Choir (pre-recorded)
We’ve Come This Far By Faith – Langley Choir, (pre-recorded)
Alpha and Omega – The Colbert Sisters (pre-recorded)
Sermonette: With A Quickness, Matthew 8:23-26
Speaker: Pastor Cynthia Thomas
Prayer Lines Are Open For You:
The Langley Prayer Line is staffed by Langley ministers and prayer team members.
Monday and Friday: 6:15-6:45 am; 12:15-12:45 pm; 8:15-8:45 pm
Wednesday: 6:15-6:45 am, 11:15-12:00 noon
Call in with prayer requests, to connect, to pray together and for any other needs.
Let us shelter under the mighty wings of God.
Langley’s Prayer Line:
1-515-604-9094
Access code: 471-150-100
Announcements:
Guidelines for Langley’s In-person Worship Services beginning May 23, 2021. Please read the guidelines for your safety. Click for more information.
Virtual Event Series: Alzheimer’s & Other Dementia Awareness. Columbia University and the National Association of the Church of God (NACOG) are partnering to offer you a free series of discussions on memory loss and how it may impact your family. Each session will have a Q & A session at the end with a memory loss expert. Upcoming Topics include: Friday, May 21st – Caregiving Challenges, Concerns, and Resources; and Friday, May 28th – Barriers on Communities of Color: Clinical Evaluation, Early Diagnosis Limitation, and Research. Click here to register for the April Sessions. Click here for the May Sessions. Download the Dementia Care Guide Book here.
Illinois Eviction Moratorium For Renters Likely To Extend. The hold on evictions in Illinois is likely to continue following CDC guidance of a moratorium on evictions until June 30, but it’s important to not fall too far behind. For more information, click here.
Chicago Homeowners Struggling Due to the Pandemic Can Apply for Grants to get Mortgage Relief. Applications and more information about the program are available online.
Find a Covid-19 vaccine for you or a loved one here. Click the link for more information. The data on the website auto refreshes every minute. For those without computer access, please call 1-833-621-1284 (Illinois Department of Health), for a vaccine appointment.
Tithes & Offerings: At this time, we are asking that you give your tithes and offerings through Bill Pay only. Please do not mail or drop off your tithes and offerings. Bill Pay can be set up through your bank (please call, go online, or visit your bank to establish this payment system). Thank you!
Reflection: A New Heart and Spirit (Read Ezekiel 18:1-9,30-32)**
Doctor Christiaan Barnard performed the world’s first human-to-human heart transplant in December 1967. Today, people can officially register as organ donors. A small designation on someone’s driver license indicates to medical personnel that, at the point of imminent death, this person is willing to give her or his heart and other organs so that others may receive the gift of life.
As a faithful prophet, Ezekiel proclaimed that our sin leads to death. Sin is a “heart” issue; as Jesus declared. “The things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them” (Matt 15:18). But God is willing to give us a new heart and a new spirit.
The Lord takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. He holds each person responsible for his or her own sin. And he invites each of us to experience a heart-change so we can live forever. –Kevin Stiffler
What difference has a new heart made for you?
Stay prayerful and read the following daily:
John 15:16
Galatians 6:8
Isaiah 46:10
Matthew 8:23-26
Credits:
*Bridges Connecting God’s Word to Life, Spring 2021; Warner Press, Inc
**Pathways: Moments with God’s; Daily Devotional Guide; Spring 2021; Warner Press, Inc.
All photos from UnSplash.