We Gather Together to Worship Our God
Prelude: Nearer, Still Nearer-Morris/ Prelude in Db—Chopin
Gathering Hymn: Our God Reigns
Announcements:
Today:
- 10:30 Worship in the sanctuary.
This Week:
- 6 am, Thursday, Men’s Prayer-time and Bible Study.
- 8:45 am, Friday, MOPS meets at the church.
- 8 am, Saturday, Men’s Prayer-time and Bible Study. (On September 16th, we will meet on TJ’s porch)
General:
- 9:00 am, September 10th, Sunday School will resume for all ages.
- 5:30 pm, September 10th, “Who Is the Holy Spirit?” community groups begin at the church.
- 5:30 pm, September 10th, Young Adult Bible Study at Jay and Kayla’s. (Address in bulletin) Meal provided.
- 6:00 pm, September 10th, Piedmont Area “Who Is the Holy Spirit?” community group begins.
- 6:00 pm, September 11th, Session Meeting.
- September 15th and 16th ‘Flourishing in the Courts of Our God’ Women’s Retreat. The speaker will be Meaghan May and the seminar will be based on Psalm 92. Pamphlets with more information are available.
- September 17th, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
- 5:00 pm, September 20th, Son Light Puppeteer practice resumes.
- 6:15 pm, September 20th, High School Youth Group resumes for grades 8th-12th.
- 9:00 am, September 23rd, Clean Up Day at the church.
- 5:00 pm, September 24th, Fall KQ Kick-Off BBQ and KQ registration.
- 4:30 pm, September 27th, Music Practice resumes. See Rachel A. for more information.
- 5:30 pm, September 27th, Kids’ Quest for grades pre-k-4th, Middle School Youth for grades 5th-7th, and The Study of Eschatology for the adults begin at the church. Meal provided.
- Days 245-274 of the Family Devotional are available. You may pick them up from the basket in the Foyer.
- We are looking for volunteers to sign up to help prepare the Youth Group meals this year. The meal expense will be paid by the church. If interested in helping with these meals, please see Clea B.
- During the month of September, we will be taking a collection for the High School Scooper Pantry. See the bulletin for a list of needed items. You may drop off the items in the basket in the Foyer. Please bring all items by September 24th. If you have any questions, see Amy K.
Responsive Call to Worship: Psalm 97: 1, 9 – 12
Leader: The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.
All: For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
Leader: Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
All: Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.
Leader: Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.
Prayer of Adoration
Hymn of Praise: Hymnal #38 Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
We Confess Our Sin
Responsive Call to Confession: Isaiah 1: 16 – 18
Leader: Thus says the Lord: “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
All: Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
Leader: Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
Silent Confession of Sin
Corporate Prayer of Confession:
All: Heavenly Father, we gather today and recognize our need for You. We admit that it is easy to lose sight of Your goodness and purpose when faced with emotional, physical, and spiritual storms. Forgive us for the times we lack trust in Your promises. Help us hear Your voice and see You move in our ordinary day-to-day lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Responsive Assurance of Pardon: Titus 3:4-7
Leader: But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
All: He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Hymn of Assurance: At Calvary
We Give Thanks To The Lord
Tithes and Offerings
Offertory: Steal Away to Jesus—Spiritual— composed by Wallace Willis, Choctaw freedman in the Old Indian Territory in 1862. Songs such as this are songs with hidden codes, not only about having faith in God but containing hidden messages for slaves to run on their own or with the Underground Railroad.
Doxology
We Hear God Speak
Small Talk
(Following this time, a nursery is available, Toddlers’ Church for ages 2-4, and Children’s Church for ages 5-8.)
Prayer of God’s People
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Debt Free Living Romans 13: 8
A copy of the sermon notes is available: 9-3-23 sermon notes
Audio Only:
Hymn of Response: Hymnal #308 Jesus Paid It All
We Are Dismissed with God’s Blessing
Benediction
Hymn: Hymnal #134 (verse 1) God Will Take Care of You
Postlude: Nothing But the Blood/ Robert Lowry