Hebrews 7:23-28 “What’s Jesus Doing Today?”

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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! I love that song. Y'all did such a fantastic job.

That gets me ready for Easter. Anybody else excited for Easter?

I do hope you'll join us for our special services this week

as we think more about the cross and the resurrection.

Thursday night at 6 o'clock, we'll talk through the first three of Jesus' seven sayings from the cross.

We'll celebrate the Lord's Supper Friday at 3.

We'll do the last four sayings in that service.

And then Sunday morning, 6 o'clock outside and 9.30 back in here.

So much to celebrate. Amen.

And we celebrate, thank you, the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus every day, don't we?

That song. It's an Easter song.

This sermon is Easter focused.

It is Easter part one, if you will.

I mean, I do hope you'll come back, but you're going to get Easter this morning.

And I am pretty fired up, to be honest with you, about this glorious text.

Before I read it, let me ask you to think about something.

I want you to think about how God views you today.

In a variety of potential situations you might find yourself in.

For the sake of this exercise, let's assume that you're a follower of Jesus.

You're in relationship with God, who, remember, is the infinite, holy, holy, holy, just God of the universe.

Okay?

Here's some potential situations.

You're doing that same thing again that you know God's Word tells you not to do.

That you have promised God before you'd never do again.

How does God feel about you today?

Or you're just so confused and you're frustrated by the events that are going on around you in the world and in your life.

And you just, you don't even know how to pray anything at all.

How does God feel today?

Or you're really struggling with doubts again.

Is God really there?

Is He really good?

Is He really in control?

You're just not sure what to think anymore, honestly.

How does God feel about you today?

Is God perhaps disappointed in you?

Seriously?

Again?

Or maybe He's just done caring.

He's really disinterested.

Like, I mean, I guess I'm going to have to let you into heaven one day.

But in the meantime, could you try to get it together?

Or maybe you feel even worse that God's dismissive of you.

He's ready to be done with you.

Putting you in the doghouse.

Don't try to pretend we're good.

Don't expect blessing from me.

Stay away for a while.

You're in time out.

And the next time this happens, it'll be even worse.

To be clear, the Bible's honest that all of those would be very fair things for God to feel towards you, wouldn't they?

He's a righteous king.

He ought to feel those things towards us.

In fact, He is so pure that He has to incinerate sin.

He can't have it in His presence.

It has to be kept away from Him permanently.

And here we are.

We're sinners wondering then perhaps if we can have any relationship at all with this holy God.

Hebrews has been telling us Jesus is the key to this.

Specifically, that He's our great high priest to stand before this holy God on our behalf.

Hebrews 7 has shown Jesus in a permanent, God-appointed role as priest like Melchizedek.

Pastor Bill taught us so well last week, I don't even have to talk about Melchizedek.

And now, He shows us how God relates to, feels about us who trust Jesus as our high priest.

What's our relationship with God today?

It's all about what Jesus is doing today.

Let's read at verse 23 of Hebrews 7.

The former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office.

But Jesus holds His priesthood permanently because He continues forever.

Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him

since He always lives to make intercession for them.

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest.

Holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.

He has no need like those high priests to offer sacrifices daily first for His own sins

and then for those of the people since He did this once for all when He offered up Himself.

For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests.

But the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a son who has been made perfect forever.

This is God's Word. Let's ask for His help.

Father, this is really glorious beyond what You know I have the capacity or abilities to describe.

So, Spirit, would You speak?

Would we hear these words in a fresh way?

Would it give us fresh hope and confidence and joy in our Savior?

We ask in His name. Amen.

Amen.

What's Jesus doing today?

You ever think about that?

What's Jesus up to?

Well, the Bible tells us many things, including that He is sustaining the world by the word of His power.

He's ruling and reigning over the nations.

He's preparing to return and rescue us and restore all things.

That's a lot.

But here, the writer tells us that He always lives to make intercession for those who trust in Him.

This is the role of the priest that Hebrews has been telling us about.

The one who represents the people in the presence of God.

And this, then, is unbelievable.

In every way, this is transformational about how God relates to you.

Here's what it is.

Jesus is praying for you.

What's Jesus doing today?

Jesus is praying for you.

It's unbelievable.

If you didn't realize that, I want this to come home.

Because sometimes that's a general thing, okay?

Jesus is praying for you.

Great.

Jesus is taking our groans, our wandering prayers, and He's making them beautiful to the Father.

Fourth century church father, John Chrysostom, said this is like a little boy who wants to welcome his father home from a trip.

And so, he goes to make a bouquet for his father, and he gathers, well, mostly weeds and grass and a couple of flowers.

But thankfully, before giving them to his father, he delivers them to his mother, who takes them and fixes them up.

And when the father comes home and gets the bouquet, it's all flowers.

Chrysostom says,

See, Jesus' intercession means He is the one, the only one through whom we pray, through whom we talk to God.

He's the way.

Don't need saints.

Don't need angels.

Kids, I want you to think about this.

When you sit at home and you sit around the dining room table or wherever you sit to eat your meal, probably y'all often pray before you eat.

And when you are getting kind of towards the end of the prayer, do you maybe pray something like,

In Jesus' name, amen?

Is that how you end?

When you say that, what is that?

Is that just like saying, Goodbye, God.

We're through now.

We're going to eat.

I want to tell you it's a lot more than that.

When you say, In Jesus' name, what you're saying is that Jesus is actually praying with you and for you.

It's like Jesus is actually coming right down there with you as you're praying at the dinner table and taking your prayers and walking them up towards God,

making them beautiful and perfect along the way and giving them to God so He hears you praying.

Isn't that awesome?

That's what it means to pray in Jesus' name, that that's the way we come to God.

Kids, God loves to hear you pray.

Jesus loves to pray for you.

In fact, we know this from His high priestly prayer in John 17,

that when Jesus prays for you, He actually thanks God for giving you to Him as a gift.

And He prays that you would be with Him forever.

Isn't that so encouraging?

That's what Jesus is praying for you.

Scottish pastor Robert Murray McShane said of the confidence that he found in Jesus' intercession for him,

he said,

If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.

Yet distance makes no difference.

He is praying for me.

Jesus praying for you is part of His intercession.

It's part of what Jesus is doing today.

But Hebrews is even more specific about what He's praying for.

This word, intercession, it has a legal context, okay?

Someone is representing you, speaking on your behalf to the judge, right?

Remember, we desperately need a representative before a holy God,

or we sinners are in big trouble on our own, right?

Jesus steps forward and says,

I'll speak.

I'll stand.

I'll offer to be your representative.

You've probably heard that line at the end of lawyers' ads.

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed

is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

It's usually faster than that.

It's all I can come up with.

Y'all, here in Hebrews, on the contrary,

every representation is being made

that the quality of legal services offered by Jesus

is greater than the quality of legal services you can get anywhere else.

That's the whole point.

That's what He's saying.

He's saying, this is what I'm offering you.

And so what I want us to see is three ways

that Jesus as the great high priest

is the greater intercessor,

the better representative.

And the first is at the foundation of all of it.

What is His unique basis for His intercession?

He's got one that nobody else offers.

How does Jesus build a case for a sinner like me

before a holy God?

Don't miss this.

Verse 26.

It was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest.

What's He like?

What kind?

A holy, innocent, unstained,

separated from sinners,

and exalted above the heavens.

Stop there for a second.

That's actually a little odd.

You may remember the last time we were told

that Jesus was a fitting high priest.

Do you remember why it was fitting?

Why was Jesus fitting?

He actually was fitting because He had been made low

to suffer like us.

That He had been tempted in every way as we are.

That He had become like us

so He could be sympathetic with us as a high priest.

Jesus is that.

And at the same time also completely, morally, ceremonially,

pure, above us,

in God's throne room,

actually standing before the very throne of grace.

No merely human priest goes there.

No way.

And He doesn't need, verse 27,

to offer sacrifices for His own sins.

Why?

Because He doesn't have any.

And so He was actually able

to make a perfect sacrifice of what?

Of Himself.

We got to get this.

See, back in Leviticus,

God's people were told to bring sin offerings

every time they sinned, right?

It was a lamb or whatever animal

always had to have no spot,

no wrinkle,

no blemish.

That happened thousands and thousands

and thousands of times.

And then for the first time,

a person was offered

as a perfect sacrifice

with no spot,

no wrinkle,

no blemish.

And that was where?

At the cross of Jesus.

God appoints Jesus as priest

not for His weakness,

but here because He's the Son

made perfect forever.

Perfect priest

who can offer a perfect sacrifice.

That is the priest

that we imperfect people desperately need.

No one else can make a case

for us like this.

It's like Anna

with true love

interceding

before the sword

that's coming,

crashing down

on her sister.

Like that,

Jesus intercedes

for us.

Throwing Himself

between us

and the wrath

of a holy God.

He takes it.

See,

what that means

is that

when you mess up,

Jesus doesn't say to God,

now listen,

Father,

take it easy on Will.

I mean,

he's a pretty good guy.

He really tries,

Your Honor.

I know he blows it a lot,

but give him another shot.

He'll do better next time.

No.

Jesus' case for you

focuses not on you.

But on Himself.

When Jesus prays for you,

He's asking God

to give you

not a second chance

to do better,

but a second representative

who has done better.

Better than Adam.

Better than me.

Better than you.

Jesus,

the perfect Son.

He's saying,

God,

give Him that record.

Why is it

that we can sing

about our souls

rising up

and shaking off

their guilty fears?

Is it because

we've done really well?

What are we saying?

The bleeding sacrifice

on my behalf

appears.

Before the throne,

our surety stands

with our names

written on His hands.

Can you believe that?

Jesus says,

Father,

this will guy,

let me tell you

what's important

about him.

I bled for him.

I see it right here.

I bled for that guy.

Jesus stands

to make your case

before the throne of God

and He speaks

of His five bleeding wounds

that pour effectual prayers

that strongly plead for me.

Forgive Him,

Father,

wretched sinner

though He be.

Forgive Him

for my sake.

That's what happens.

Hear how Paul says it

in Romans 8.

Why does Paul say,

no charges stick

against us?

Why is that true?

Christ Jesus

died

and was raised

to light

and is indeed

present tense

today

interceding

for us.

You know what that means

for you and me?

That means actually

that if we think of Jesus

asking God

to be merciful

and gracious,

when Jesus is pleading

your case

before God,

He's not pleading

for mercy.

There's plenty

of mercy and grace

in Jesus,

don't get me wrong.

But Jesus comes

before His Father

and says,

Father,

give justice.

Give what

must be given now.

1 John 1

says it, right?

If you confess

your sins,

God is faithful

and just

to forgive

your sins.

He sees Jesus

has already paid

for those sins.

Jesus doesn't have

to say,

Father,

come on,

find it in your heart

to give Him a break.

No, He says,

Father,

give Him

the forgiveness

that I purchased,

that I have earned,

that I have won.

That's what

Romans 3 explains

has been happening

with these sacrifices

and priests

all along.

What's been going on

through the Old Testament

is that

as they bring

all these sacrifices,

God is passing

over sins.

He's passing

over them

until a time

would come

when there was

a perfect sacrifice,

when God

could be just,

He could receive

sin's deserved payment

and at the same time

be the justifier

of those trusting

Jesus' perfect sacrifice.

Friends,

Jesus is our

great high priest,

our qualified representative

because unlike

any other religious leader,

His case

is based on

His perfect sacrifice.

So His prayers

for you

are always heard.

Just like when He

prayed for Peter,

He knew Peter

was going to deny Him.

He prayed that

when Peter fell,

His faith

would not fail.

And God hears.

Pastor Edmund Clowney

tells of a time

he sought out

the holiest,

best prayer

he knew

because he was hurting

deeply.

He found

famed theologian

John Murray

and said,

pray for me,

John.

This is what

he writes.

In a time

of devastating

personal grief

concerning a member

of my family,

I sought John Murray

to request

his prayer.

As John

interceded

for me

and for the

deepest concern

of my heart,

he prayed

with urgency

and strength,

weaving together

passages of Scripture

to form the fabric

of his claim

on the mercy

and promises

of God.

At that moment,

I confess,

I was overwhelmed

with the sheer

blessing

of having

such an intercessor

to take me

before my

heavenly Father.

I think that's

how I used to feel

with Delilah Harris

or Jenny Doss

or your grandmother

when you heard

them praying for you.

He says,

then,

as his prayer

was lifted

to the mercy seat,

he began to thank

the Father

for the mediation

of God's

eternal Son,

the merciful

and faithful

high priest

who ever lives

to make intercession

for us.

Clowney says,

then it came home

to me.

I had a better

intercessor

than John Murray.

Jesus Christ,

my Savior,

prayed for me.

Praise Jesus.

Jesus,

praise for you.

well,

that sounds like

a good representative

to have,

right?

It's a good start.

But how long

will he continue

representing me?

That's a real issue

here in Hebrews

because these

Old Testament priests,

there were a lot

of good ones,

but they all died.

And you had to wonder,

would the next guy

successfully make

the sacrifices?

Would he safely

bring you near to God?

God?

First century

Jewish historian

Josephus

estimates 83

different high priests

from Aaron

until the destruction

of the temple

in 70 A.D.

One after another

after another.

But remember,

Jesus

is a permanent priest.

How?

The power

of an indestructible

life.

Verse 16

told us that.

It's Easter.

It's resurrection,

right?

Verse 24.

But Jesus,

he holds his priesthood

permanently.

Why?

Because he continues

forever.

Verse 25.

He always lives.

There's our

eternal security,

right?

It's in the resurrection.

Jesus has beaten

death

at death's own game.

Hosanna,

save us.

You've conquered

death.

Do it for us.

We never have to wonder

if the next day

or the next failure

will condemn us.

If God's gonna

turn and decide

to give up on us

this time.

No.

Our case is not

based on us.

It's based on the

perfect priest

who is the

forever priest

never dying,

never retiring,

never leaving us,

never sleeping,

never wavering,

never failing

to intercede

for us

no matter where

we find ourselves.

He ever

lives above,

right?

For me to intercede,

his all-redeeming love,

his precious blood

to plead

for every race

at the throne

of grace.

He's there today

if you're wondering

what's Jesus doing?

Why isn't Jesus in church?

He's interceding.

Pastor Andrew Murray

explains what that

means for us,

what that frees us up

to do in our lives

if Jesus is always

interceding.

To come to God

through Christ

means nothing less

than entering

into the holiest

of all,

God's very presence,

and dwelling there

all day,

spending our lives

there,

abiding there

continually.

He's interceding

before God

today and always,

so you live,

you rest,

you abide

before God

today and always.

A priest

with a perfect

sacrifice,

with a permanent,

permanent

service

of intercession.

One more phrase

that I don't want

us to miss.

How effective

is Jesus

at bringing me

to God?

In other words,

if I'm going to hire him,

how often

does this lawyer

win the case

for his client?

verse 25.

Consequently,

Jesus is able

to save

to the uttermost

those who draw

near to God

through him

since he always

lives to make

intercession

for them.

Because he lives

forever,

because he always

lives to make

intercession,

he saves

to the uttermost.

Great word.

Great word,

uttermost.

Don't use it

very often.

It means

from all your sins

at all times

in all ways

Jesus saves.

That's what his name

means.

That's what his father

sent him to do.

It's what he came

to accomplish

on the cross

and in the empty tomb.

And it's important

because you need

to know something

when you're wondering

about how God

feels about you.

When you say,

I've been a Christian

a long time,

but lately,

I'm just really,

I'm really struggling.

I'm really wavering a lot.

I don't feel like

God and I

are doing well.

Jesus didn't,

Jesus didn't make

your salvation

possible.

Jesus made your

salvation real.

Not a possibility,

a reality.

He actually

accomplishes salvation.

He saves

to the uttermost.

Later it says

of his sacrifice,

once for all.

So nothing else

is needed.

This Jesus

is a savior.

He came to seek

and to save the lost.

He is able to save

to the uttermost.

So listen,

what does that mean?

That means there is

no sin

too big for him.

It means there is

no sinner

too bad

for him to save.

There's no offense

too often repeated.

No runaway

too distant.

No situation

too complicated.

No valley

too dark

where the good shepherd

can't find

a lost sheep.

No rebel

too hardened.

No shame

too deep.

No life

too far gone.

But Jesus

saves today

to the uttermost.

All of them.

five bleeding wounds.

Five bleeding wounds

of Jesus

cry,

forgive him.

Who?

Which one?

That one?

Is he too bad?

They cry,

forgive him.

Always.

Always.

Dear friend,

if you're here today

and you are just

kind of exploring Jesus,

maybe seeking,

wondering about Jesus,

not sure

what to think

about him,

I'd urge you

to ask him

to be your

representative,

to intercede

for you.

He loves doing it.

He lives for it.

And he will save you

to the uttermost.

You

and God

completely good

forever

and always

can never be

separated from him.

That's what Jesus

will do for you.

Dear friends

who have trusted

in Jesus

maybe for

most of your life,

won't you today,

as you hear Jesus

praying for you,

leave your life

of self-condemnation,

of half-hearted

distance

from Jesus,

of playing church

occasionally

but feeling like

God's far off.

Leave your life

of sin

that Jesus

has paid for

and remember

that he is

interceding

for you

today.

So God

is not

disappointed.

God is not

disinterested

in you.

Today,

while Jesus

is interceding

as he always

does,

your father

is smiling

on you.

He's delighting

in you

as his perfect

son.

He is welcoming

you home.

Come home,

he says.

Before we close,

I want to remember

why the writer

thinks this is

so important.

Why is he

telling them

about Jesus

as their

greater priest?

Do you remember

the whole letters

about this?

Some of them

in life's

difficulties,

they're in a

tough place

and they're

thinking about

going back

to the Jewish

sacrificial system

with dying

priests

and repeated

sacrifices

and many

regulations.

They're thinking

about that

because they all

know and feel

deeply they need

a representative

before God's

throne.

But they also

know other

options.

They've lived

them.

The spirit

of their age

was to go

back to the

sacrifices.

sacrifices.

That's not

what many

people contemplate

these days.

That you

haven't been

thinking that

during this

sermon.

Maybe I'll

go back

to that.

No.

Instead of

clinging to

this great

representative

before God,

what's the

spirit of our

age?

I think

having lost

a reverent

fear of

God that

makes us

desperately

dependent on

a representative.

The spirit

of our age

is representing

myself.

In fact,

we do it

while we go

to church.

One of the

classic ways

I'll say that

I'll represent

myself is I'll

be moral.

I'll be good

enough for

God to be

okay with

me.

By the way,

that is way

underestimating

His holiness

and our

weakness to

think that

that's how we

could navigate

the relationship.

Others do

the same thing

by saying,

you know,

really all I

need to do

is be true

to myself.

And that

makes me and

whatever God

is out there,

we're fine.

However I

live, as long

as I'm true

to myself.

As much as

it is never

a good idea

to represent

yourself,

is it,

Barnes?

this instinct

is there

in all

of us

to represent

myself.

I'll show you

a version of

it in my

own life.

A couple

weeks ago,

Christy asked

me to do

something for

her, not

anything unusual

or unreasonable,

just helping

out around the

house.

But she told

me how I

could be

helpful to

her and she

explained how

she wanted

it done.

And I

listened,

mostly.

But I

kind of

thought I

just kind

of handle

it my

own way.

So when

it wasn't

done the

way that

she asked,

she wasn't

so much

frustrated at

how it

was done,

she capably

did it

better.

She was

hurt.

I didn't

respect or

value her.

I'd

selfishly

messed up

and hurt

someone that

I love.

How's

I going to

respond?

This

actually,

you haven't

seen it

yet,

this is

where you're

going to

see the

self-representation.

What happens

in that

moment for

me?

I mount

my self-defense.

It's a pretty

common one.

There's several

things I do.

I call

character

witnesses.

You know,

just the

beginning of

a conversation,

you know,

I work in,

naturally weave

in the fact

that this

happened after

I was picking

up the

girls.

I'm usually

pretty helpful,

that's what

you're supposed

to hear.

Plus,

there were

extenuating

circumstances.

I had a

long day

at work.

I wasn't

feeling great.

There was a

lot on my

mind.

You know,

that needs

to be

included.

My noble

intentions.

Sweetheart,

I didn't mean

to hurt you.

But the

closing argument

comes,

maybe you've

made this

one before,

future

commitments,

right?

Look,

it won't

happen again,

right?

Of course,

it won't

happen again.

So we're

okay,

right?

You're

happy with

me now.

See how

I've told

you how

good I

am and

will be?

Aren't

you okay

now?

Well,

that's no

way to

live,

is it?

Self-representation,

especially

if you're

having to

draw up

a defense

constantly

to prove

you're good

enough,

not just

to another

person,

but to

God,

to the

one who

sees

everything

that you

do,

to the

one who

knows

every

thought and

intention

of your

heart,

representing

yourself to

him and

explaining it

away.

Can you

imagine?

Most of us

can imagine.

You know

what you'll

do if

that's the

way you

live with

God?

I'll tell

you because

I've lived

it.

You'll

quit drawing

near to

him.

You will.

I don't

know what

it'll look

like, but

you'll quit

getting close

because it's

exhausting.

It's too

much work

to get to

the place

where you

know he's

okay with

you, where

you've

proven your

case.

You'll

either know

you're not

good enough

or you

will get

exhausted

from trying

to convince

yourself that

you are.

How about

this way of

living with

him?

I'm sorry.

I was

unthoughtful.

I hate

how this

hurts you

and our

relationship.

Please

forgive me.

I have

nothing.

I need

forgiveness.

Why is it

so hard

for me

to say

that?

As a

husband?

As a

child of

God?

Because I

love to

represent

myself.

I want

to tell

you,

Jesus

loves

to represent

you.

He lives

to intercede

for you.

He's doing

it today

and always.

You can

count on it.

You can

live like

it's a

reality.

Don't

represent

yourself.

Don't

run back

to making

enough of

the right

sacrifices.

You know,

a few

Sunday mornings

at church,

a couple

service

project,

a few

bucks

in the

plate.

Yeah,

God and

I,

we're good

now.

No,

no.

That's

exhausting.

Y'all,

it's also

ineffective.

And there

is a

greater

priest

than that.

He knows

your pain.

He gets

your temptation.

He's

walking

your shoes

and

He's

holy,

innocent,

unstained,

separated

from sinners,

exalted

above the

heavens,

interceding

in the

very throne

room of

God.

He's

praying

for you

right now.

Dear ones,

run to

Jesus and

don't ever

run away

from Him.

Three points

in a poem.

That's what a

sermon is

supposed to

be.

It's not

usually the

way I

go.

But I

like this

poem.

Martha

Snell

Nicholson.

I can

relate.

I think

probably

many of

you can

too.

I

sinned

and

straightway

post-haste

Satan

flew before

the presence

of the

Most High

God

and made

a railing

accusation

there.

He said

this soul,

this thing

of clay

and sod

has sinned.

Tis

true that

he has

named

thy name

but I

demand

his

death

for thou

has said

the soul

that sinneth

it shall

die.

Shall not

thy sentence

be fulfilled?

Is justice

dead?

Send now

this wretched

sinner to

his doom.

What other

thing can

righteous

ruler do?

And thus

did he accuse

me day and

night and

every word

he spoke

oh God

was true.

Then quickly

one rose up

from God's

right hand

before whose

glory angels

veiled their

eyes.

He spoke

each

jot and

tittle

of the

law must

be fulfilled

the guilty

sinner dies.

But wait

suppose his

guilt were

all transferred

to me

and that I

paid his

penalty.

Behold my

hands

my side

my feet

one day

I was made

sin for

him and

died that

he might

be presented

faultless

at thy

throne.

And Satan

fled away.

Full well

he knew

that he

could not

prevail against

such love

for every

word my

dear Lord

spoke was

true.

Jesus

there you

stand

before the

throne of

God above

making our

strong

and perfect

plea.

How beautiful

it is to

us.

that you

pray for

us.

You

defend us.

You plead

your blood

for us.

Praise you

Jesus for

your sinless

life that

makes us

beautiful to

our Father

clothed in

your righteousness.

Praise you

Jesus for

your sacrifice

of yourself

that washes

us clean

from all

our sins.

Praise you

Jesus for

always living

to intercede

for us.

thank you

for praying

for me.

Would you

help us even

this week to

run and

cling to your

cross?

We're going

to have it

before us.

We're going

to have

opportunities.

Help us

from the

depths of

our hearts

to see it

as the

most needful

thing in

our lives

and the

most important

thing of

all.

Help us

to worship

you for

your love.

Help us

to find

our hope

in your

empty tomb

and your

ongoing life

and your

intercession

before the

throne of

God.

Pour out

your grace

on us.

Give us

joy and

confidence

in you.

Thank you

for loving

us.

We pray

these prayers

in your name

knowing that

you pray them

alongside of

us and we

give you

great thanks.

Amen.

For more

information

visit us

online at

southwood.org

and we

have

to

a

home

to

have

to

have

!

!

We

to