Contents:

OPENING LITANY
MY HEART BELONGS TO YOU
WHAT IS MAN?
PSALM 8
THE NINETY AND NINE
HE'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES
THE ROAD TO CALVARY
THE RESURRECTION
WHAT CAN YOU SAY?
DANIEL
COMMITMENT TO DEVOTION
GIVE YOUR LIFE
THANKS
POURED OUT
DAVID AND BATHSHEBA
COMMITMENT TO PURITY
EXAMINE ME
ENTER MY JOY
ENTER MY LIFE
APPEAL
 
 

OPENING LITANY
(Compiled by David Jeffrey)

<the lights fade to black>
God: I have loved you with an everlasting love
Man: My heart belongs to you
I have drawn you with loving kindness
I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Call on me, and I will answer
My heart is steadfast, O God
And I will show you great and wonderful things
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me
Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you
Before the world was made you knew me
Before you were born, I set you apart
And I’m overwhelmed that you would call me friend
My heart belongs to you
Unto you, O Lord, do I lift up my song
Before you call, I will answer
I will seek you in the morning
While you are yet speaking, I will hear
And I will learn to walk in your ways
I will make an everlasting covenant with you
And step by step you’ll lead me
That where I am there you may be also
And I will follow you all of my days
So do not fear, for I am with you
Your praise shall continually be in my mouth
I have loved you with an everlasting love
I lift my hands in total praise
I died for you
I will extol you before the nations
I rose for you
I will proclaim your matchless name to all generations
I have called you by name
Examine me, and try my heart, O Lord
For you are mine
My heart belongs to you
I have loved you with an everlasting love
My heart belongs to you
I have loved you with an everlasting love
My heart belongs to you.
 

MY HEART BELONGS TO YOU
Song: "My Heart Belongs to You"
Performed by Alex Corvo and Wayne Harris
From the "Saviour" soundtrack

Who will hear the music that I hear? Who will hear the sound that fills the air
Who will see a radiant beam of light dancing for a sun that warms a morning sky

Who will know the beauty of my earth, sense the joy and wonder of its birth
Who will see the glory of the world that I have made
And who will walk beside me in the garden in the coolness of the day

Creation’s glorious song that comes from my heart
Expresses strains of love but only in part
I long to say the words, the words that are true
Someone to hear My heart belongs to you

And who will feel the summer wind that moves across the water as it flows
Who will enjoy the orchestrated mystery that soars within my soul
Who will hear the glory of the music that I hear

I will create man to be in my own image
Form him from the dust of earth and breathe into him
My own breath of life

Lord, I hear you speak to me, how lovely are your words, how beautiful the sound

This wondrous paradise and all that you see
Could never match the joy when you’re here with me
The message of my song will always be true
Mi Corazon, my heart belongs to you

You will enjoy the orchestrated mystery that soars within my soul
And we can feel the summer wind that moves across the water as it flows

Creation’s glorious song that comes from my heart
This wondrous paradise and all that you see
Expresses strains of love but only in part
Could never match the joy when you’re here with me
I long to say the words, the words that are true
The message of our song will always be true
Someone to hear my heart belongs to you
Mi Corazon, my heart belong to you

I long to say the words, the words that are true
The message of our song will always be true
Someone to hear my heart belongs to you
Mi Corazon, my heart belong to you

My life, my love, my heart, belongs to you
 

WHAT IS MAN?
(David Jeffrey)

"What is man that thou art mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You have made him just a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honour." But why? What is man? There are some things about the love of God that we will never understand. Consider the parable of the workers in the vineyard. At each hour of the day, the master went to the courtyard, calling those who had skills to come.

The ones who went first were the strongest workers. The ones who went next had something about them that would commend them to a master. But at the eleventh hour, the master came to the courtyard and he called. And who was left at the eleventh hour? Only the workers that no-one else would have. Who is the last one chosen when teams are picked? Only the undesirable. They worked for just one hour, and the master valued them equally.

Our God is committed even to those that others would leave behind. There is something about the heart of God that loves the undesirable, desires the unlovely, and gives to those who can never, ever, hope to return.

What is man that thou art mindful of Him? Why are we so important to You? Why have You chosen to commit Yourself to us? I don’t know, but I will praise You – Oh, Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth.

PSALM 8
Performed by: Voices in Praise
(Written by Richard Smallwood)

Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name
Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name
Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name
Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name
In all the earth

Who has set Thy glory, above the heavens
The moon and the stars Thou hast ordained
What is man that Thou art mindful of him
And the Son of Man that Thou visitest him
For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels
And has crowned him with glory and honour

We glorify Your name
We magnify Your name
Forever and ever, Oh Lord

Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name
Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name

THE NINETY AND NINE
(James Yansen)

There was a shepherd who had one hundred sheep. One day he realised that one was missing. He could have said, "Well, I have ninety-nine. That one is not important. It wouldn't make a difference." He could have said, "Well, it will take me too much time, too much energy to go out there to search for that one sheep."

But rather he said, "You know, that one sheep is valuable, and I'll do whatever it takes to save that one sheep." God is willing to do whatever it takes to save us. I thank God for His amazing grace.
 

HE'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES
Song: "He'll Do Whatever It Takes"
Performed by: Jon Shumate, Kaleo Lee, David Jeffrey
(Original artist and lyricist unknown)

You don't know just how far away from home I've been
She said as she looked into my eyes
Could it be I've strayed beyond mercy's outstretched hand
And now His grace no longer stoops to hear my cry
See, I just wanna know, tell me how far will He go
Will He still reach for me in spite of where I've been
And I told her

He'll do whatever, whatever it takes
His grace reaches lower than your worst mistakes
And His love will run farther and you can't run away, my friend
He'll do whatever, whatever it takes
He'll do whatever it takes

They say His love is patient that he always hears a prayer
That His love will follow you despite the miles
But my best years of life are wasted, why would He even really care?
What have I to give that He would find worthwhile?
See I just want to know, tell me how far will He go?
Will He still reach for me in spite of who I am?
Let me tell you

He'll do whatever, whatever it takes
His grace reaches lower than your worst mistakes
And His love will run farther and you can't run away, my friend
He'll do whatever, whatever it takes
He'll do whatever

He'll just keep reaching until He finds a way to bring you back where you belong
Come on back home

He'll do whatever, whatever it takes
His grace reaches lower than your worst mistakes
And His love will run farther and you can't run away, my friend
He'll do whatever, whatever it takes
He'll do whatever, whatever it takes
He'll do whatever it takes

THE ROAD TO CALVARY
(David Jeffrey)

Imagine yourself with me on the road to Calvary, a rugged road up the hill of Golgotha. A challenging journey even without a load, but torturous when you've been burdened with a heavy cross, beaten and whipped and wearing a crown of thorns. And carrying not only that cross, but also the sins of the world. And it was my sins that He carried. It was your sins that He carried. That was the strength of the commitment of our God to us.

"The city was Jerusalem, the time was long ago
The people called Him Jesus, the crime was the love He showed
And I’m the one to blame, I caused all the shame
He gave Himself, the day He wore my crown."

"I can’t forget how He died for me
He suffered so much on Calvary
I can’t forget how they pierced His side
And He bowed His head and died"

"They hung him high
They stretched Him wide
He hung his head
And then He died… that’s love"

No greater love exists that the love God showed, in Jesus, for you and I. The commitment displayed on the road to Calvary.
 

THE RESURRECTION
Song: "The Resurrection"
Performed by: With One Voice
(Written by Richard Smallwood)

And He died
For our sin and our shame, Jesus died
For our sin, He hung high
On a hill called Calvary
To save a wretch undone
Like you and me

I can't forget how He died for me
He suffered so much on Calvary
I can't forget how they pierced His side
And he bowed His head and died

But He rose
Conquered death, hell, and grave
And He rose
With all power Jesus rose
Now He lives forevermore
In Christ we now are saved eternally
In Christ we now are saved eternally

WHAT CAN YOU SAY?
(David Jeffrey)

The love of Jesus Christ, demonstrated on Calvary. The commitment of a God who loved us with an everlasting love. The God would who take those who don't deserve to be taken, who would die for those who deserve to die. What can you say to a God with a love like that? What can you say to a God with that kind of love? VIP, what can you say to a God with that kind of love?

Lord of my life carry me to your light
Every breath that I breathe, all of me

(Song lyrics written by Michael W. Smith)
 

DANIEL
(James Yansen)

They felt threatened by his presence. They wanted to destroy him and so they went to the king and said, "King, you need to sign a decree that for one month, everybody should worship you. Everybody should bow down and worship you." The king signed the decree. Daniel heard about it, but he said in his heart, "I will not stop praying. I will not stop calling upon the name of my God."

So he went home. He went to his usual spot, his face toward Jerusalem, and he called on the name of Jesus three times a day. We need to be so committed to God that in spite of what happens, we would not stop praying, we would not stop trusting because the God that we serve is faithful."

COMMITMENT TO DEVOTION
(David Jeffrey)

Jeremiah 31, verse 3: "The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness"

"Imagine your wedding day with all the ("Wait, wait, wait... yeah, that's the right one) Imagine your wedding day with all the tears of joy, laughter and excitement. As soon as the reception is over your new spouse kisses you goodbye, hops in the limo and takes off for the honeymoon... Alone! You wave goodbye and wish him or her a good time. Since you’re now married and you have secured his or her love and commitment what’s the point of spending time together?

Sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Yet, isn’t this what we do with our relationship with Jesus? We find Jesus, the One who can fulfil our need for love and salvation, we get excited, we make all sorts of promises but then what happens? As soon as we get comfortable and realise that He will always be there for us no matter what we start to let ourselves go.

A marriage relationship requires TWO people giving their unselfish best to make it work. Our relationship with God is the same. We cannot ask Him to do His part in blessing, guiding and loving us if we are not willing to do the same. We cannot ask Him to hold down the fort for 6 months at a time while we’re out doing our own thing and then expect to return and find things just the same if not better. If a husband did that to his wife do you think she’d be there to welcome him with open arms? I know that God is always there for us and He will receive us over and over and over again but why?
Why would anyone claiming to love Him choose to be separated from Him over and over? Why would someone who claims to love Him dare to abuse His unconditional love and grace so selfishly? What would happen if you only communicated with your spouse as you drifted off to sleep and didn’t even acknowledge their existence
in the morning rush?

Imagine if you gave your jobs, your friends, your family, your schooling, the best you had to offer as far as time and energy and whatever you had leftover you gave to your spouse. The marriage would simply self-destruct. And it is the same in our relationship with Jesus. A relationship that is not nurtured daily becomes weak, frail and may simply cease to exist no matter how much we claim or pretend otherwise." (written by C. Mendoza)

Daniel’s example is one we can learn from – making our relationship with God, and our devotion to Him of greater value than even our lives – "Saviour, more than life to me, you are my joy, the air I breathe." God gave all to us – His own life, in Jesus, and we can give our all to Him today, beginning with our devotion. Won’t you give the Lord your life, today?

GIVE YOUR LIFE
Song: "Give Your Life"
Performed by Vanessa Haynes with David Jeffrey
(Originally performed by Angelo & Veronica Petrucci)

I could not go on
There was no reason
All of my hope was gone
And I gave all I could give
I'd given up
There was no reason to live
I was at the end
Didn't even have a friend
But then I heard somebody say

Won't you give your life today
Just hurry don't delay
For you might not have tomorrow
And if you wait another day
It might just be too late
For you will miss out
Without a doubt
Won't you give the Lord your life today

I did all I could do
I tried it all
But still it brought me back to you
You forgave me
For all that I'd done
All I had to do was believe
Now I live my life
Telling others what is right
Jesus is the only way

Won't you give your life today
Just hurry don't delay
For you might not have tomorrow
And if you wait another day
It might just be too late
For you will miss out
Without a doubt
Won't you give the Lord your life today

No, don't be ashamed
For He is calling out your name

Won't you give your life today
Don't wait 'til it's too late
For you will miss out without a doubt
Won't you give the Lord
Your life today

THANKS
(David Jeffrey)

You know as, as I look out, I just wanna give God thanks for your presence here. I know that the devil didn't want you to get this message, and the devil didn't want some of those who were to participate to give the message. One of my choirs is still in Arouca hoping to make it - transportation. One of my singers was to have sung that beautiful duet with Vanessa, couldn't make it, and let's remember him in prayer - his name is Steve. But I want to thank you and I want to thank all those who are participating for helping to recognise our commitment to our God.

POURED OUT
(David Jeffrey)

2 Timothy 4: 6,7: "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good faith.. fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

The call to service is one repeated throughout the Bible and also found in the example of Jesus Christ, whom we follow.
Philippians 2:6,7, says of Jesus, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant." Jesus said in Matthew 20:28, "The son of God did not come to be served, but to serve."

As we experience the footwashing, we remember the example of Jesus who came and washed the feet of his disciples. And God calls to each and everyone of us who recognise his commitment to us and desire to make that commitment to him to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – which is a spiritual act of worship"

God calls you to make yourself available to Him – to commit your hands, your feet, your eyes, your mouths, and especially your will to His service. God wants us to recognise that He gave us our hands to reach out to man, to show the world His love and His perfect plan. And He wants us to say, "Lord, I'm available to you, my will I give to you, I'll do what you say do. Use me Lord to show someone the way, and enable me to say, 'My vessel is empty and I am available to you.'"

Arouca Youth Choir would have sung this for you. Perhaps they'll sing at Youth Fellowship afterwards. But our God calls us to service. Let us commit to service.

DAVID AND BATHSHEBA
(James Yansen)

She walked up and down her house. Her husband wasn't there. She was confused. She was frustrated. But she had to tell him. She had to tell him what happened and so she decided to write a note to him. She says in the note, "I'm pregnant." You see he was the king of Israel and he took his eyes off of the Maker. He was supposed to be out in battle but rather he was up on his palace relaxing, doing what he should not have done.

All of a sudden he looked across and he saw something, someone. He couldn't contain himself. He started taking off his clothes. "Get her for me! I need her! I just can't contain my passion!" To take your eyes one moment off of Jesus can cost you your life. To take your eyes off of Jesus can cost you your family. To take your eyes of Jesus can cost you eternity. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

COMMITMENT TO PURITY
(David Jeffrey)

The story of David tells us something of critical importance to the committed Christian. You know, David got into trouble because he was not where he was supposed to be. If you read the beginning of the chapter, you'll discover that it was the time of the year when kings go off to fight. But David stayed home. David sent the armies and so while David was idly home, his eyes started to wander and David got himself into trouble.

When our hands that are not gainfully employed serving our God, the temptation will come for us, to find ourselves doing something else. And so the advice of David's son, looking back on David's folly: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead (not at Adoration, straight ahead), fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; keep your feet from evil."

There is such a responsibility for each of us to maintain our purity. "Everyone who has this hope, blessed, in him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1 John 3:3) And it’s not just a matter of physical purity, because the state of mind, and the state of the heart are far more important, because the Lord looks on the heart and the heart is the wellspring of life. The direction of our purity is defined in each of the moments of our life – and it’s the little decisions that we make that influence that direction: whether or not we’ll watch a television show we know does not benefit us, or whether or not we’ll watch the form of a young man or woman that passes by us, whether or not we’ll put ourselves into a compromising position in our relationships.

It’s the little decisions that will influence whether or not we’ll take a moment to read our Bibles in the midst of a busy day, whether we’ll share a word of comfort or appreciation with a friend, whether we’ll spend our relationship time serving God and blessing others rather than setting ourselves up for temptation.

Each decision that we make influences our purity, and we need to seriously consider the impact of our choices. We need to ask our God to examine us, and try our hearts, as we seek to commit ourselves in our quest for purity.

(Thanks to Joshua Harris for inspiration in this section)

EXAMINE ME
Song: "Examine Me"
Performed by Adoration Gospel Choir
(Lyrist unknown)

Examine me and prove me and try my heart
Be merciful my Father I pray

With thee, Lord, I am blessed
My joy and my rest
My life and my salvation

Examine me and prove me and try my heart
Thou art my light and my salvation
My joy, salvation, thou art my light

With thee, Lord, I am blessed
My joy and my rest
My life and my salvation

Examine me and prove me and try my heart
Be merciful my Father I pray
Examine me and prove me and try my heart
Be merciful my Father I pray

Thou art my light, salvation, my joy
Examine me and prove me
Thou art my light and my salvation
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

ENTER MY JOY
(David Jeffrey)

Take a moment. Think about how committed God has been to you, personally. Realise that before you existed, before you were born, God called you by name. That He has loved you with an everlasting love. That he died for you and if there was only you on this world, He still would have died.

The God that is committed to you desires a commitment from you. And He gives you an invitation to enter into His life, to enter into His joy, to enter into His full salvation, and then to live with Him now, and forever. What will you do with His invitation to enter His joy?

ENTER MY LIFE
Song: Enter My Life
Performed by Luenda Moore, Giselle Marcano, Vanessa Haynes
(Written by Cleon Richardson)

Enter my life, enter my hope, enter the joy of my love
Enter the full salvation, my life
Enter my hope, enter the joy of my life
Enter the full salvation, my life

See, some may sit and cry
They may hope to die
It may seem there is no-one there
But this, but this we came to say
That Jesus is the way
He has you in His deepest thoughts

My life, enter my hope, enter the joy of my life
Enter the full salvation, my life

You want to change your life
You're looking for that light
To brighten up your darkest day
And I know, I know the road is long
My friend you just hold on
For Jesus sees and He will change your way

But first, but first just let him in
Let him get rid of your sin
Giving you life, take away pain and strife
He will give you peace, He'll set you heart at ease
Come unto me all ye that are weak and heavy laden
And I, and I
Rest

My life, enter my hope
Enter the joy of my life
Enter the full salvation
My life, enter my hope
Enter the joy of life
Enter the full salvation
Salvation

APPEAL
(David Jeffrey)

Enter my life, enter my joy, enter my full salvation. Cleon Richardson could not be here this evening, so he wrote a song to share with you: enter my life.

The Lord has spoken to you. The Lord has called to you. The Lord has told you that He has loved you with an everlasting love. And the Lord calls you to commit to Him. Now, I'm not going to ask you to get up. I'm not gonna ask you to wave your hand. I'm not going to ask you to come forward. But I'm going to invite VIP to sing again with me, and those of you who know the words, "Lord of my life, carry me to your light, every breath that I breathe, all of me" if you want to sing, if you want to communicate to God and let him know that I want to give you all.

The widow's mite wasn't special because it was small, but it was the fact that she nothing left once she had given. You may think you don't have much, you may think you're not much. But we all know that little is much when it's in the Master's hand. I invite you, as you commit yourself to a God who loves you with an everlasting love, to sing with us, or just to pray to God, "Lord of my life, carry me to your light, every breath that I breathe, all of me." Close your eyes.

Lord of my life, carry me to your light
Every breath that I breathe
All of me

(Lyrics written by Michael W. Smith)

Let's pray.

Father, you have heard the expressions of our hearts. You've heard us speaking to you. You know how much we love you. We recognise your commitment to us, that you have loved us with an everlasting love, a love that will never let us go. Father, we don't want to turn our backs on that love, but we want to reach out to you with everything we have.

In our daily lives, Father, we want to put your devotion in the rightful place, in the first place. Father we want to serve you, we want to give our lives as a drink offering, poured out before you. And Lord, we want to be pure. We want to be holy, we want to be like you. Father, you've given us all, and we give you all. All of our hearts, all of our minds, all that we are.

We thank you for your forgiveness of our sins. We thank you for your grace. We thank you for hearing our cries for help, and we thank you for your commitment. Seal our decisions and may we leave here walking fully in your light, we pray, in Jesus' name, Amen.

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