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

—based on Isaiah 9:2, NIV

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LEADER:

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

ALL:

Jesus Christ is our life and light.

In his name and in his power, let us worship God!

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SONG - KING OF KINGS

(© 2018 Hillsong Music Publishing CCLI Song # 7127647 -- CCLI License # 2821054)

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In the darkness we were waiting

Without hope without light

Till from Heaven You came running

There was mercy in Your eyes

To fulfil the law and prophets

To a virgin came the Word

From a throne of endless glory

To a cradle in the dirt

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Praise the Father

Praise the Son

Praise the Spirit three in one

God of Glory

Majesty

Praise forever to the King of Kings

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To reveal the kingdom coming

And to reconcile the lost

To redeem the whole creation

You did not despise the cross

For even in Your suffering

You saw to the other side

Knowing this was our salvation

Jesus for our sake You died

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And the morning that You rose

All of heaven held its breath

Till that stone was moved for good

For the Lamb had conquered death

And the dead rose from their tombs

And the angels stood in awe

For the souls of all who'd come

To the Father are restored

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And the Church of Christ was born

Then the Spirit lit the flame

Now this Gospel truth of old

Shall not kneel shall not faint

By His blood and in His Name

In His freedom I am free

For the love of Jesus Christ

Who has resurrected me

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SONG - WHOM SHALL I FEAR (ANGEL ARMIES)

(© 2012 Capitol CMG Paragon; McTyeire Music; S. D. G. Publishing; Twelve Lions Music; Worship Together Music)

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You hear me when I call

You are my morning song

Though darkness fills the night

It cannot hide the light

Whom shall I fear

You crush the enemy underneath my feet

You are my sword and shield

Though troubles linger still

Whom shall I fear

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I know Who goes before me

I know Who stands behind

The God of angel armies is always by my side

The One who reigns forever

He is a friend of mine

The God of angel armies is always by my side

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My strength is in Your name

For You alone can save

You will deliver me

Yours is the victory

Whom shall I fear

Whom shall I fear

(Whom shall I fear)

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(And) nothing formed against me shall stand

You hold the whole world in Your hands

I'm holding on to Your promises

You are faithful

You are faithful

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SONG - GREAT ARE YOU LORD

(© 2012 Open Hands Music, Integrity's Praise! Music, and Integrity's Alleluia! Music. CCLI # 6460220.)

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You give life You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope You restore ev'ry heart that is broken

And great are You Lord

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It's Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise

We pour out our praise

It's Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise to You only

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And all the earth will shout Your praise

Our hearts will cry these bones will sing

Great are You Lord

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GOD CLEANSES

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PRAYER OF CONFESSION

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LEADER:

O Savior Christ:

We are a world at war.

ALL:

Our peace depends on you alone.

LEADER:

We are a sinful people.

ALL:

Our pardon depends on you alone.

LEADER:

We are full of good intentions but weak at keeping promises;

our only hope of doing God’s will

is that you would come and help us do it.

ALL:

Lord Christ, Word made flesh,

our world longs

for your peace,

for your pardon,

and for your grace.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

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SILENT CONFESSION

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WORDS OF ASSURANCE

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—1 Corinthians 15:54-57, NRSV

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“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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SONG OF ASSURANCE - O PRAISE THE NAME

(© 2015 Hillsong Music Publishing. CCLI# 7037787.)

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I cast my mind to Calvary

Where Jesus bled and died for me

I see His wounds His hands His feet

My Saviour on that cursed tree

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His body bound and drenched in tears

They laid Him down in Joseph's tomb

The entrance sealed by heavy stone

Messiah still and all alone

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O praise the Name of the Lord our God

O praise His Name forevermore

For endless days we will sing Your praise

Oh Lord oh Lord our God

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Then on the third at break of dawn

The Son of heaven rose again

O trampled death where is your sting

The angels roar for Christ the King

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He shall return in robes of white

The blazing sun shall pierce the night

And I will rise among the saints

My gaze transfixed on Jesus' face

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PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH AND THE CITY

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COMMUNITY LIFE ANNOUNCEMENTS

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COMMUNION VOLUNTEERS

• We are seeking 25 volunteers to help prepare Communion elements for the 11:15 AM service, beginning in Janurary. If you are interested in serving, please email communion@gracetoronto.ca for more information.

GRACE GATHERINGS REGISTRATION

• Want to join a Grace Gathering Small Group? The Winter 2026 semester will begin on January 19.Registration will be OPEN between January 4-18 this year. To register and learn more about our Grace Gatherings, please go to, gracetoronto.ca/grace-gatherings.

YOUNG ADULTS BOARD GAMES AND YAP

• Are you between the ages of 18 and 25? Then join the Young Adults Group on January 7th from 7:30-9:30 for a chill evening of board games and snacks in the church building. Have some fun and make some friends before classes start up again!

MINISTRY AND VOLUNTEER FAIR

• What gifts and interests has God given you that you can use to serve your community? Join us in the St Andrew's Hall after service on January 11th for donuts, coffee, and to learn about the ministry opportunities at Grace.

WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY

• Join us every Tuesday from January 20 to March 17 at 7pm in St. Andrew’s Hall as we explore the book of Ecclesiastes and discover what the Bible reveals about life’s true meaning. Register online at gracetoronto.ca/events.

NEWCOMER'S BRUNCH

• Are you new to Grace Toronto? This brunch is for you! Join us in the St. Andrew's Hall after either service on January 18th to get to know some of our pastors and lay leaders. Register online at gracetoronto.ca/events to help us know how much food to order.

GTMEN'S HUB

• GTMen's Hub returns on January 20th! We meet every Tuesday at 7PM. We will be taking a 12-week journey on studying the Psalms.

KIDS CAFE

• Join us for a kid-friendly coffee hour on Sunday, January 25th after the first service. Enjoy fellowship, delicious baked goods, and specialty hot drinks! Cost of entrance is one canned food item per person.

‍PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

• WORSHIP (Matthew 2:10-11) The Magi rejoiced exceedingly and worshiped the Christ child. Reflect on how you can offer your worship to Jesus as a response to His grace. Pray for a heart that treasures Him above all else.

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, visitgracetoronto.ca/give.

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GOD COMMUNES

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SCRIPTURE READING

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Ephesians 6:10-20

The Armour of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

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SERMON

Dan MacDonald

Q&A

Text your questions to 416-830-0335

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SONG OF RESPONSE - O CHURCH ARISE (ARISE SHINE)

(© 2016 © S.D.G. Publishing, Sixsteps Songs, Thankyou Music, Worship Together Music, and Getty Music Publishing. CCLI# 7065980)

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O Church arise and put your armour on

Hear the call of Christ our Captain

For now the weak can say that they are strong

In the strength that God has given

With shield of faith and belt of Truth

We’ll stand against the devil’s lies

An army bold whose battle cry is love

Reaching out to those in darkness

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Our call to war to love the captive soul

But to rage against the captor

And with the sword that makes the wounded whole

We will fight with faith and valour

When faced with trials on ev'ry side

We know the outcome is secure

And Christ will have the prize for which He died

An inheritance of nations

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Arise shine for your Light has come

Arise shine for the risen Son

Lift your eyes we are His radiant bride

Arise O Church arise

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Come see the cross where love and mercy meet

As the Son of God is stricken

Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet

For the Conqueror has risen

And as the stone is rolled away

And Christ emerged from his grave

This victory march continues 'til the day

Every eye and heart shall see Him

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So Spirit come put strength in every stride

Give grace for every hurdle

That we may run with faith to win the prize

Of a servant good and faithful

As saints of old still line the way

Retelling triumphs of His grace

We hear their calls and hunger for the day

When with Christ we stand in Glory

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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

—based on Philippians 4:7

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May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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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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