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

LEADER:

O Lord, open our lips,

ALL:

and our mouth shall proclaim your praise

LEADER:

Your faithful servants bless you

ALL:

They make known the glory of your kingdom

Praise the Lord!

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SONG - YOUR LOVE O LORD

(© 1999 New Spring and Vandura 2500 Songs. CCLI # 1894255)

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Your love O Lord

Reaches to the heavens

Your faithfulness

Stretches to the sky

Your righteousness

Is like the mighty mountains

Your justice flows

Like the ocean's tide

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I will lift my voice

To worship You my King

I will find my strength

In the shadow of Your wings

Your love O Lord

Reaches to the heavens

Your faithfulness

Stretches to the sky

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SONG - OUR GOD

(© 2010 Atlas Mountain Songs, sixsteps Music, Thankyou Music, Vamos Publishing, worshiptogether.com songs. CCLI # 5677416)

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Water You turned into wine

Opened the eyes of the blind

There's no one like You

None like You

Into the darkness You shine

Out of the ashes we rise

There's no one like You

None like You

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Our God is greater

Our God is stronger

God You are higher than any other

Our God is healer

Awesome in power our God our God

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And if our God is for us

Then who could ever stop us

And if our God is with us

Then what could stand against

And if our God is for us

Then who could ever stop us

And if our God is with us

Then what could stand against

What could stand against

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SONG - LET YOUR KINGDOM COME

(© 2006 Sovereign Grace Praise. CCLI Song # 4804046.)

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Your glorious cause O God

Engages our hearts

May Jesus Christ be known

Wherever we are

We ask not for ourselves

But for Your renown

The cross has saved us so we pray

Your kingdom come

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Let Your kingdom come

Let Your will be done

So that ev’ryone might know Your Name

Let Your song be heard ev’rywhere on earth

Till Your sov’reign work on earth is done

Let Your kingdom come

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Give us Your strength O God

And courage to speak

Perform Your wondrous deeds

Through those who are weak

Lord use us as You want

Whatever the test

By grace we'll preach Your Gospel till

Our dying breath

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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.

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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

—Psalm 103:8, 13-14 NRSV

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The LORD is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

As a father has compassion for his children,

so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.

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SONG OF ASSURANCE - THE SOLID ROCK

(E. Mote, W. Bradbury/Public Domain)

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My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus' name

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On Christ, the solid rock, I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand

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When darkness seems to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

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His oath, his covenant, his blood

Support me in the whelming flood

When all around my soul gives way

He then is all my hope and stay

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When He shall come with trumpet sound

Oh, may I then, in Him, be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone

Faultless to stand before the throne

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PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH AND THE CITY

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COMMUNITY LIFE ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL

• The second part of our Adult Sunday School course entitled "HOW TO READ THE BIBLE" will be held today! Classes will be offered during both services to allow for participants to come to a class and worship service. The class will be taught by Rev. Kingsley Lai. In this course, we are exploring 4 practical and technical approaches to reading the Bible.

WOMEN'S MINISTRY CHRISTMAS BRUNCH

• Come join Women’s Ministry Christmas event by making potpourri jars you can gift to a friend, singing carols and having lunch together. Bring your friends and neighbours as we celebrate the Gift of Jesus to our world. Sunday December 1st from 11:00am-1:00pm. Register online at gracetoronto.ca/events

MEN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY

• Join us for a festive night of fellowship, food, and encouragement! Come enjoy dinner, fun games, and hear a testimony of God's Providence and Provision. Take advantage of Early Bird pricing until Nov 28th! Purchase your ticket online at gracetoronto.ca/events

CHRISTMAS BAKE SALE

• On Sunday, December 15th, Grace Toronto is hosting a Christmas Bake Sale to raise funds for the Pregnancy Care Center. Interested in baking goods to support this cause? Please sign up at gracetoronto.ca.events

SLEEPING BAGS FOR CHRISTMAS

• Join us as we love the homeless by collecting new sleeping bags for Christmas. There will be bins in the main lobby to collect these sleeping bags. For more information, please contact stephen@gracetoronto.ca.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE AND DINNER

• Join us on December 24th for a Christmas Eve service from 4-5PM, followed by a communal dinner from 5-7PM! Invite your friends, colleagues and neighbours as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

YEAR-END REIMBURSEMENTS AND GIVING

• Donations must be received and deposited in the bank by DECEMBER 31 for your 2024 tax receipt. Receipts will be sent out on FEBRUARY 2025. The CRA requires your mailing address.  Please log in to your Planning Center account to update your mailing address for  tax receipts.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

• LOVE (1 John 4:7-21) What does it mean to truly love? John teaches that love comes from God, and those who know God will reflect His love in their lives. God's perfect love, shown through Christ, drives out fear and compels us to love one another. Let us abide in God's love and express it in our relationships, for in loving others, we demonstrate that God abides in us.

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

SCRIPTURE READING

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Matthew 6:1-18

1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

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SERMON

Dan MacDonald

Q&A

Text your questions to 416-830-0335

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SONG OF RESPONSE - HEART OF WORSHIP

(© 1999 Thankyou Music. CCLI # 2296522)

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When the music fades all is stripped away

And I simply come

Longing just to bring something that's of worth

That will bless Your heart

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I'll bring You more than a song

For a song in itself is not what You have required

You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear

You're looking into my heart

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I'm coming back to the heart of worship

And it's all about You all about You Jesus

I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it

When it's all about You all about You Jesus

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King of endless worth no one could express

How much You deserve

Though I'm weak and poor all I have is Yours

Ev'ry single breath

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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 Hebrews 13:20-21, NIV

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Now may the God of peace

equip you with everything good for doing his will,

and may he work in us what is pleasing to him,

through Jesus Christ,

to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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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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