Thank God for the Reformation, and for Pastor Chris, who preached from Galatians 3:10–14 on Reformation Sunday. 

Pray for Paul A. as he prepares to preach to us on Missions Sunday. Ask the Lord to deepen our understanding of and commitment to world missions.

Thank God for Pastor Chris and his dramatic presentation of “Michelangelo: Chiseled by Grace” on Sunday evening, October 26th. Ask for people to be drawn closer to the Lord as a result. 

Ask the Lord to heal Bob and Diane of cancer. May they experience His constant grace. 

Pray for Stan Guthrie as he begins his responsibilities as Director of Outreach and Mobilization. Ask the Lord to bless our new speaking series, which begins on this Sunday with Pastor Chris’s portrayal of Michelangelo. May NCC increasingly reach out to our neighbors with the unmistakable love of Christ.

Pray for all at NCC facing medical issues, recovery from surgery, lack of sleep, and other challenges. May we learn to trust God more during times of stress and uncertainty. Ask the Lord for patience … and healing.

Gracious Father, how could your church ever forget, ever lose, or reject the glorious gospel? What circumstances created the necessity for Martin Luther to nail his Ninety-Five Theses to the Castle Church in Wittenberg? Why would we ever choose some other way of salvation besides the way of grace? Rhetorical questions indeed, for we know our own proud and foolish hearts.

We know that by nature we’re allergic to grace; and by notion, we want to believe there’s something we can do to make you love us. But the gospel declares us to be a lot worse than we can imagine, and certainly a lot worse than we want to acknowledge. We weren’t just distanced from God: we were dead in our sins and trespasses—running as fast (and as far) as we could from your justifying love. Such is the insanity of sin.

Why was there a need for the first Reformation? Because of people like us. Why will the church continue to lose and rediscover the gospel of grace? Because of people like us.

Jesus, how we praise you for revealing the great depth of our need and the ceiling-less heights of your provision. Earn our salvation, impress God with our works, merit heaven by rule-keeping? We could sooner click our heels and turn the moon into cannoli cream; snap our fingers and watch Niagara Falls reverse direction! O the arrogance and despair of works righteousness.

In view of this reality, we take these moments now to silently confess our sins to you….
Jesus, you’re not a moral paradigm to emulate; you’re a perfect righteousness in which to find refuge. You don’t give second chances to sincere people; you give new life to rebels. How desperately we needed you to fulfill all the demands of the law for us; and that is what you’ve done, by your perfect life and obedience unto death.

And so we confidently lift the following requests before your throne:

• Please strengthen and deliver the Christians in Nigeria, who are undergoing violent persecution and genocide.
• Watch over and bless Michael and Pearl Oh’s ministry with the Lausanne Movement. Please pour your Holy Spirit upon them, guiding and strengthening their hearts. Grant health amid Michael’s demanding travel schedule. And for their home—for their son, daughter, and Pearl’s mother. May this be a season that’s full of your presence.
  

Finally, Father, on this Reformation Sunday, we once again affirm that our hope is built on nothing LESS, nothing MORE, and nothing OTHER than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. On you, the solid and saving Rock, we stand. All other ground is sinking sand. So please, keep bringing us back to the gospel—the gospel plus nothing else. So, we pray, in Jesus’ all-sufficient name. Amen.