Welcome to Nova at Home



Welcome to Nova's gathering for the week of May 3. Here in this online space, you are joining in with hundreds of other people in the South Bay and beyond as you enter into a time of worship in your own home. 


Here is what we have put together for this week:

  • Announcements (3 min.)
  • Worship (16 min.)
  • Message (23 min.)
  • Discussion
  • Prayer
  • Sharing With Others

There is a special children's video lesson available. This lesson will be most effective if you look over the provided lesson guide ahead of time in order to lead your children through some questions and activities.


We hope you find this online gathering to be a blessing. We look forward to seeing you all face-to-face very soon.

Announcements





Please send your prayer requests to prayer@novachurch.org so that our prayer team can be praying for you.


You can continue to financially support Nova’s ministry through tithes, offerings, and Open campaign contributions by giving online at novachurch.org/giving or by sending your support through the mail (4345 Emerald St. Torrance, CA 90503).

Worship


Join the Nova Worship Team by listening or singing out together in your homes.



Alternative Youtube Mirror


The Beauty of Simplicity

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Say the Word



Here is Living Hope by a trio from Nova who ministers through music to a local health and rehabilitation center.





Discussion


Take some time to think about and discuss these questions with your spouse, small group, family, or friends.


Ice Breaker


In the current Covid-19 interruption, what have you missed or what has been most difficult to bear? 


First Impressions


From the Sunday Sermon on Acts 7:54-8:4 we are challenged during interruptions in our lives to turn our eyes outward and see how God would want to use us. In what ways have you seen God use others to be a blessing to you, the community, or the world?


Digging Deeper


1. We are challenged by the example of Stephen who followed in the footsteps of Jesus: unjustly convicted and executed, he nevertheless gave his life in humility and with forgiveness. How does Stephen's attitude inform our reaction to our present situation?


2. We referenced Martin Luther's response to the plague of his day which was such a wise piece of applied theology, it bears closer attention: "I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely ... this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God."  What practical guidance can we take from Luther's response as to how to behave today?


Challenge


1. The martyrdom of Stephen was an acute crisis that had a lasting impact on the missionary work of the church from that time forward. How might God be changing our own church community to be better positioned to do His work through this time?


2. How might God be changing you, personally, in a lasting way to make you more effective in your ministry to others?

Prayer


Prayer is how we actively affirm our belief in a powerful and loving God.


Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message) says, “…let petitions and praises shape our worries into prayers, letting God know our concerns.”

 

Let’s pray:

  • For the sick and infected: God, heal and use medical interventions to sustain bodies and spirits.
  • For those who are vulnerable: God, protect the elderly and those suffering from chronic disease. Provide for the poor, especially those who have lost their jobs.
  • For the young and the strong: God, give them the necessary caution to keep them from unwittingly spreading this disease. Inspire them to help those who are weak and vulnerable.
  • For those with mental health challenges who feel isolated, anxious, and helpless: God, provide your spiritual and emotional healing and a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Sharing with Others


We love that so many people have shared gatherings like this with their friends and family already. We encourage you to continue doing so. You can follow Nova on Facebook and Instagram and share images and links directly from those accounts.


facebook.com/NovaCommunityChurch

instagram.com/novachurch


Or you can always create your own post! 

Use #NovaTogether to see all the different ways people are gathering in their homes to worship or to fellowship with their small groups.


We have also combined the main videos together as an alternative way to view them or to share them with someone who might have a harder time with the website. 


Combined Service Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPb2oSa1jhw