Please find below the notes from the Elder's Prayer this past Sunday.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my father I have made known to you." (John 15:12-15)

Because God loves us, because he has great affection for us, he has called us friends. He shows us this love, this friendship, through his son Jesus.

It is Jesus who lays down his life for his friends. Who are those that he calls friends? It is those who believe in him. If you believe in him, you show that in your life through your obedience to his commands.

And also because we are friends with God, he continually, increasingly, makes himself known to us.

And isn’t that a key part of what friendship is – getting to know each other, spending time together? Now God knows everything about us, so we’re having to play catch-up. But we do get eternity to get to know God better.

We know that this friendship will never end because God doesn’t change. His love never stops, his friendship will never fail. God will never let his friends go.

James 2:23 speaks of the fulfillment of Scripture – “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” – and he was called a friend of God.

If you have put your faith in what God has done and what he has said, you can know with certainty that you have a friend (and a father) that will never leave you, that will never let you go, that will never stop loving you.

(Prayer)

Bless the Lord at all times, let his praise shall continually be in our mouths.

Let us boast in the Lord, let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

When we seek you, you answer and deliver us from our fears. When we look to you, we will never be ashamed.

Because you are eternal, your word will never cease. Because you are the same yesterday, today, and forever, your word will never change.

Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack.

We know no greater love than the love you show to your children. We know no greater friendship than what you’ve shown to us.

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Lord help us to trust you with our lives. Help us to recognize how great your love for us is.

Amen.