Guide for Home Worship

August 16, 2020

Welcome

Thank you so much for joining us! The following page will take you through the order of worship for this Sunday.

If you are new, welcome! We also want to invite you to learn more about us. You can do so by selecting the button below.
A few tips for parents:
  • Plan for your time – read through the guide and prepare the room where you are gathering
  • Make your time joyful – have fun!!!
  • Remember, it’s primarily about a relationship, not a task to scratch off
  • Have your kids participate in age and maturity appropriate ways – reading, singing, etc.

Time of Reflection

“To dwell in love with saints above— Oh that will be glory! But to dwell below with saints we know— Ah! That’s a different story!”
~Christopher J.H. Wright, missiologist, Anglican clergyman and scholar

“Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ.”

“He who loves his dream of a community more than Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.”
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), pastor-theologian, martyred by the Nazis

“The experience of Jesus creates community, and community leads us back to the experience of Jesus”
~Tim Keller, Presbyterian pastor and writer

“If all men knew what others say of them, there would not be four friends in the world.”

“Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much.”
~Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French mathematician and thinker

“It would be a good contest amongst Christians, one to labor to give no offence and the other to labour to take none.”
~Richard Sibbes (1577-1635), Church of England pastor and theologian

Opening Prayer

(select someone from your group to open your service in prayer)

Call to Worship

Psalm 100 (NASB)

LEADER: Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
come before Him with joyful singing.

CONGREGATION: Know that the Lord Himself is God;
it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.


LEADER: Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
and His courts with praise,
give thanks to Him; bless His name.

CONGREGATION: For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting,
and His faithfulness to all generations.

Songs & Liturgy

(sing as a group and/or sing along to recorded versions)
BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD ABOVE
(Charitie Bancroft, 1841, Vikki Cook)
Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heav’n he stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there,
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied,
To look on him and pardon me,
To look on him and pardon me.

Behold him there! The risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless righteousness;
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace!
One with himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by his blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
©1997 PDI Worship CCLI #1791178
RESPONSIVE READING
Micah 4:1-3 (NIV)

LEADER: In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.

CONGREGATION: Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”


LEADER: The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

ALL: They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
COME BEHOLD THE WONDEROUS MYSTERY
(Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, and Michael Bleecker)
Come behold the wondrous myst’ry
In the dawning of the King.
He the theme of heaven’s praises,
Robed in frail humanity.
In our longing in our darkness,
Now the light of life has come.
Look to Christ who condescended,
Took on flesh to ransom us.

Come behold the wondrous myst’ry,
He the perfect Son of Man.
In His living in His suff’ring,
Never trace nor stain of sin.
See the true and better Adam,
Come to save the hell-bound man.
Christ the great and sure fulfillment
Of the law in Him we stand.

Come behold the wondrous myst’ry,
Christ the Lord upon the tree.
In the stead of ruined sinners,
Hangs the Lamb in victory.
See the price of our redemption,
See the Father’s plan unfold.
Bringing many sons to glory,
Grace unmeasured love untold.

Come behold the wondrous myst’ry,
Slain by death the God of life.
But no grave could e’er restrain Him,
Praise the Lord; He is alive!
What a foretaste of deliv’rance,
How unwavering our hope.
Christ in power resurrected,
As we will be when He comes.
©2012 Bleeker Publishing (Admin. by Michael Bleeker) CCLI #1791178

Prayer Time

(You may have an open time of prayer or select someone to pray)

  • Pray for our nation – that the good news of Jesus Christ would draw people to know God genuinely and personally.
  • Pray for those suffering from the ongoing spread of the coronavirus.
  • Pray for those experiencing racial injustices; specifically, that God would bring hope, reconciliation, and restoration through the good news of His Son.
  • Pray for those in authority at every level in our country, that they would govern wisely and justly.

Listen to Sermon

“The Beauty of Unity”
preached by Pastor Don Willeman

Confession of Faith

The Apostles’ Creed (circa 5th Century)

LEADER: Christian, what do you believe?

CONGREGATION: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell*.
The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit;
the holy catholic** church; the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.

Amen.


*i.e. suffered under the judgment of God for His people
**i.e. “universal”

Sharing Time

(have everyone share one thing that struck them from the sermon)

Song

(sing as a group and/or sing along to recorded versions)
JESUS PAID IT ALL
(Alex Nifong, Elvina M. Hall, John Thomas Grape, Kristian Stanfill, 1865)
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

CHORUS:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone. (CHORUS)

Oh praise the One Who paid my debt,
And raised this life up from the dead.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb. (CHORUS)

Oh praise the One Who paid my debt,
And raised this life up from the dead.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save,
My lips shall still repeat. (CHORUS)
©2006 worshiptogether.com songs, sixstepsmusic (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI#1791178

Benediction

(The leader or individual should read this aloud relishing in the confident assertion that Christ has conquered.)

Luke 12:29-32

LEADER: Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

PEOPLE: Amen!