WE’RE GLAD YOU’VE JOINED US TODAY.

WHO WE ARE.

• We are a community of city-centred, gospel-focused people striving to serve and renew Toronto through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

WHO WE WELCOME.

• We welcome people of all races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds and faiths – both religious and irreligious.

WHO WE BELIEVE IN.

• We believe Christ is relevant to every person in every situation, and we want to help you discover him.

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GOD CALLS

CALL TO WORSHIP

—Psalm 113:1-3

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LEADER:

Hallelujah!

Servants of God, praise,

praise the name of the Lord.

ALL:

Bless the Lord’s name now and always.

Praise the Lord’s name here and in every place

from east to west.

Praise the Lord!

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SONG - O PRAISE HIM (ALL THIS FOR A KING)

(© 2003 worshiptogether.com, sixsteps Music. CCLI# 4158022)

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O praise Him

O praise Him

He is holy

He is holy

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Turn your ear to heaven

And hear the noise inside

The sound of angel's awe

The sound of angel's songs

And all this for a King

We could join and sing

All to Christ the King

How constant how divine

This song of ours will rise

O how constant how divine

This love of ours will rise will rise

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Turn your gaze to heaven

And raise a joyous noise

The sound of salvation come

The sound of rescued ones

And all this for a King

Angels join to sing

All for Christ the King

How infinite and sweet

This love so rescuing

O how infinitely sweet

This great love that has redeemed

As one we sing

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Alleluia alleluia

He is holy

He is holy yeah

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SONG - LORD I LIFT YOUR NAME ON HIGH

(© 1989 Maranatha Praise, Inc. CCLI # 117947)

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Lord I lift Your name on high

Lord I love to sing Your praises

I'm so glad You're in my life

I'm so glad You came to save us

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You came from heaven to earth

To show the way

From the earth to the cross

My debt to pay

From the cross to the grave

From the grave to the sky

Lord I lift Your name on high

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SONG -YOUR NAME

(© 2006 Integrity W orship Music | Integrity's Hosanna! Music. CCLI Song # 4611679)

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As morning dawns and evening fades

You inspire songs of praise

That rise from earth to touch Your heart

And glorify Your Name

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Your Name is a strong and mighty tower

Your Name is a shelter like no other

Your Name let the nations sing it louder

'Cause nothing has the power to save

But Your Name

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Jesus in Your Name we pray

Come and fill our hearts today

Lord give us strength to live for You

And glorify Your Name

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‍GOD CLEANSES

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PRAYER OF CONFESSION

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LEADER:

Almighty and merciful God,

we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.

We have followed too much

the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against your holy laws.

We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;

and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.

ALL:

O Lord, have mercy upon us.

Spare those who confess their faults.

Restore those who are penitent,

according to your promises declared to the world

in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

And grant, O merciful God, for his sake,

that we may live a holy, just, and humble life

to the glory of your holy name.

Amen.

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SILENT CONFESSION

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WORDS OF ASSURANCE

—Micah 7:18-20, NRSV

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LEADER:

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity

and passing over the transgression

of the remnant of your possession?

He does not retain his anger forever,

because he delights in showing clemency.

He will again have compassion upon us;

he will tread our iniquities under foot.

You will cast all our sins

into the depths of the sea.

You will show faithfulness to Jacob

and unswerving loyalty to Abraham,

as you have sworn to our ancestors

from the days of old.

ALL:

Hallejah!

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SONG OF ASSURANCE - ANCIENT OF DAYS

(© 2018 CityAlight Music. CCLI# 7121851.)

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Though the nations rage

Kingdoms rise and fall

There is still one King

Reigning over all

So I will not fear

For this truth remains

That my God is the Ancient of Days

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None above Him none before Him

All of time in His hands

For His throne it shall remain and ever stand

All the power all the glory

I will trust in His name

For my God is the Ancient of days

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Though the dread of night

Overwhelms my soul

He is here with me

I am not alone

O His love is sure

And He knows my name

For my God is the Ancient of Days

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Though I may not see

What the future brings

I will watch and wait

For the Saviour king

Then my joy complete

Standing face to face

In the presence of the Ancient of Days

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PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH AND THE CITY

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COMMUNITY LIFE ANNOUNCEMENTS

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PIZZA AT THE PLAYGROUND

• We invite families with young children to join us for some pizza and play time at the Allan Gardens Playground, located just south of the church. We will meet right after the service on Sunday, August 17th. Register online at gracetoronto.ca/events.

AFTER SERVICE BRUNCH

• Stick around after either service on August 3rd for brunch in the St. Andrew's Hall! Catch up with friends - or make new ones - over a plate of eggs, hash browns, bacon, and pancakes! Cost is $10 per person, and children 12 and under are free! RSVP at gracetoronto.ca/events

CALL FOR WORSHIP LEADERS

• We are currently looking for worship leaders who are experienced in drums, bass, electric guitar or piano to audition for the Worship Ministry. If you're interested, please contact Chun at chun@gracetoronto.ca.

FAMILY MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

• If you are an expecting family or a mother on maternity leave, Family Ministries have a few opportunities for you! Please contact alisha@gracetoronto.ca to learn more about our baby gift box program and Fall Mom's Group.

NORTH YORK PARISH SOCIAL

• Do you live in North York? We're going to have a time of prayer and fellowship at Tyndale University from 11:30-1:00pm! Register online at gracetoronto.ca/events

GTMEN PUB NIGHT

• Back by popular demand! Here is an opportunity for GTMen to reconnect and fellowship before summer ends! Join us on Thursday, August 28th from 6–8 PM at Pogue Mahone (777 Bay St.). Register online so we can save you a spot.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

• REST (Matthew 11:28-30) Jesus invites us to find rest in Him, for His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. Reflect on how you can find true rest in Christ. Pray for the strength to lay your burdens at His feet and rest in His care.

SUPPORT

• If you are in any form of need or if you are able to help others, please visit http://www.gracetoronto.ca/help  or visit http://www.gracetoronto.ca/prayer  to submit your prayers.

DIACONATE

• The Diaconate exists to contribute to the flourishing of gospel-centered community by meeting the practical needs of our church community, and extending help and compassion to those experiencing hardship or difficult circumstances.
• Click here for more information.

OFFERING

• To set up your online giving or to learn more about giving options, visit gracetoronto.ca/give.

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GOD COMMUNES

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SCRIPTURE READING

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Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-21

1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

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2 “I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.”

1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield,

your very great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”

10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”

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SERMON

Kingsley Lai

Q&A

Text your questions to 416-830-0335

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SONG OF RESPONSE -LIVING HOPE

(© 2017 Phil Wickham Music, Simply Global Songs, Sing My Songs, Bethel Music Publishing. CCLI# 7106807.)

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How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation I turned to heaven

And spoke Your name into the night

Then through the darkness Your loving-kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished the end is written

Jesus Christ my living hope

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Who could imagine so great a mercy

What heart could fathom such boundless grace

The God of ages stepped down from glory

To wear my sin and bear my shame

The cross has spoken I am forgiven

The King of kings calls me His own

Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever

Jesus Christ my living hope

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Hallelujah praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There’s salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ my living hope

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Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

(Jesus Yours is the victory)

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Jesus Christ my living hope

Oh God You are my living hope

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COMMUNION
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PRAYER FOR THOSE SEARCHING FOR TRUTH

Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth, and the life.  Grant that I might be undaunted by the cost of following you as I consider the reasons for doing so. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open me to the reality of who you are.  Give me an understanding of you that is coherent, convincing and that leads to the life you promise.  Amen.

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PRAYER OF BELIEF

Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever dared admit, but through you I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope.  I thank you for paying my debt on the cross, taking what I deserved in order to offer me complete forgiveness. Knowing that you have been raised from the dead, I turn from my sins and receive you as my Saviour and Lord.  Amen.

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GOD COMMISSIONS

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BENEDICTION

—2 Corinthians 13:14

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The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

and the love of God

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

be with you all.

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PRAYER

Would you like prayer?  Send us an email at prayer@gracetoronto.ca.  We would love to intercede for you!

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