HE IS ALIVE!
                                                                                     
                                                                                              April 19, 2026
 
 
WORSHIP IN REVERENCE
 
Prelude                                                                                                                                        Deacon Garlan Garner
 
Call to Worship                                                                                                                                 Psalm 121:1-8 KJV  
 
Opening Prayer Moment                                                                                                                                   Pulpit 
 
Hymn of praise                                                                                                              #10 O How I Love Jesus
 
Scripture                                                                                                                                                Matthew 28:11-20
 
Selection                                                                                                                                                                                   Choir                   
Welcome Visitors & Announcements                                                           Mrs. Stacey Gaffney
 
Offertory Scripture                                                                                                     2 Corinthians 8:9
 
Morning Offering                                                                                                                                                       Ushers 
 
Doxology
 
Selection                                                                                                                                                     #411 Lift Him Up                   
MORNING MESSAGE

SERMON                                     
 
                                                                                             “THE CALL TO WITNESS”
                                                                                                             Acts 1:1-8
                                                                                             Dr. Lucious Fullwood
                                                        
 Invitation to Christian Discipleship
 
Invitation Selection                                                                                                          #141 Love Lifted Me
 
Closing Prayer and Benediction
 
Attendance: 4-12-2026
 
Worship Service 
Sanctuary:   149
Online Views:   207
 
Sunday School: 
in person:  42
Online:  22
 
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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
 
WHERE IS JOY FOUND?         Dr. Craig A. Cooper
 
Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice Philippians 4:4
Occasions of joy are sure to come, though they oscillate like the changing of seasons. For our joy to be a constant, it must be grounded in something firmer than our own fluctuating fortunes.
 
If I find no joy in my present circumstances, I can still rejoice in God’s presence. As God’s presence is with us always, we always have reasons to rejoice (see Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5). So what does it look like to rejoice in the Lord?

When we rejoice in the Lord, we rejoice in His sovereignty. The Most High rules with absolute authority over the kingdoms of the earth, governing all of history and every detail of our lives (see 1 Chron. 29:12; Ps. 139:13-16). Even when “The lot is cast into the lap, … its every decision is from the Lord” (Prov. 16:33). No matter the situation, we can rejoice that the Lord our God is in complete control.

We also rejoice in His wisdom. God is boundless in wisdom. We may not understand what He is doing in our lives or in the world, but we can rest in the assurance that He is wisely steering all things toward His glory and the good of His people (see Rom. 8:28).
 
When we rejoice in the wisdom of God, we proclaim with the apostle Paul, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rom. 11:33).

We can also rejoice in God’s perfect love at all times. We may not understand what we’re going through, but we can trust that God loves us at the bottom of it all. So “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:37-39).

When we consider the sovereignty, wisdom, and love of God, we can “rejoice in the Lord always” because in the Father of lights “there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). Our unchanging God is invariably a stable source of steadfast joy. Believer, take heart this day, and rejoice in the Lord!
 
 
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The worship service for today is live streamed. It can be heard later on YouTube and the Church website (www.bellevuebaptistchurchchicago.org) To listen to the service go to Church website and select the media tab for the sermon
 
Thursday Evening Prayer and Bible Study (6:30-8:30 p.m.) Call the Church office with an email address to receive the link. For members who will be using their phones, you may call this number: 1-312-626-6799 and enter the following meeting ID and passcode for the Zoom meeting.
 
Meeting ID: 421 100 2593
Passcode: 849750