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.
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
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer, academic and Christian apologist
“Deep in our timid hearts is a desire to be loved mildly, nothing more. That way, we retain control, we set the terms, we avoid risk. Our loving God, in His ferocious intensity, will have none of it.”
~ Ray Ortlund, contemporary pastor and author
“‘Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.’ ‘Ooh’ said Susan. ‘I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion’… ‘Safe?’ said Mr Beaver … ‘Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), an excerpt from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
“The gospel of justifying faith means that while Christians are, in themselves still sinful and sinning, yet in Christ, in God’s sight, they are accepted and righteous. So we can say that we are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared hope — at the very same time. This creates a radical new dynamic for personal growth. It means that the more you see your own flaws and sins, the more precious, electrifying, and amazing God’s grace appears to you. But on the other hand, the more aware you are of God’s grace and acceptance in Christ, the more able you are to drop your denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions and character of your sin.”
~ Timothy Keller
“Let us wonder; grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store;
When through grace in Christ our trust is,
Justice smiles and asks no more.”
~ John Newton (1725-1807), Anglican pastor
~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer, academic and Christian apologist
“Deep in our timid hearts is a desire to be loved mildly, nothing more. That way, we retain control, we set the terms, we avoid risk. Our loving God, in His ferocious intensity, will have none of it.”
~ Ray Ortlund, contemporary pastor and author
“‘Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.’ ‘Ooh’ said Susan. ‘I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion’… ‘Safe?’ said Mr Beaver … ‘Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), an excerpt from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
“The gospel of justifying faith means that while Christians are, in themselves still sinful and sinning, yet in Christ, in God’s sight, they are accepted and righteous. So we can say that we are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared hope — at the very same time. This creates a radical new dynamic for personal growth. It means that the more you see your own flaws and sins, the more precious, electrifying, and amazing God’s grace appears to you. But on the other hand, the more aware you are of God’s grace and acceptance in Christ, the more able you are to drop your denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions and character of your sin.”
~ Timothy Keller
“Let us wonder; grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store;
When through grace in Christ our trust is,
Justice smiles and asks no more.”
~ John Newton (1725-1807), Anglican pastor
Opening Prayer
(select someone from your group to open your service in prayer)
Call to Worship
Psalm 9:1-4 (ESV)
LEADER: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
PEOPLE: I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
LEADER: When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.
PEOPLE: For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
LEADER: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
PEOPLE: I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
LEADER: When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.
PEOPLE: For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
Songs & Liturgy
(sing as a group and/or sing along to recorded versions)
COME, THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING
(Robert Robinson & Asahel Nettleton, 1757)
(Robert Robinson & Asahel Nettleton, 1757)
Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise mine “Ebenezer”;
Hither by Thy help I come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure;
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wand’ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.
Oh that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Full arrayed in blood-washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry
Bring Thy promises to pass
For I know Thy pow’r will keep me
Till I’m home with Thee at last.
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise mine “Ebenezer”;
Hither by Thy help I come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure;
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wand’ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.
Oh that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Full arrayed in blood-washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry
Bring Thy promises to pass
For I know Thy pow’r will keep me
Till I’m home with Thee at last.
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Psalm Meditation: Psalm 9:5-16 (ESV)
LEADER: But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
PEOPLE: And he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.
LEADER: The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
PEOPLE: And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
LEADER: Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his deeds!
PEOPLE: For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
LEADER: Be gracious to me, O Lord!
See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
PEOPLE: That I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation.
LEADER: The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
PEOPLE: The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
LEADER: But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
PEOPLE: And he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.
LEADER: The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
PEOPLE: And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
LEADER: Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his deeds!
PEOPLE: For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
LEADER: Be gracious to me, O Lord!
See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
PEOPLE: That I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation.
LEADER: The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
PEOPLE: The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
Advent Reading
(If you would like to follow along with the Advent Readings – with or without candles – you can do so by reading the Advent Explanation and this week’s Advent Readings below. You may find an Advent wreath diagram here.)
A Word of Explanation:
For many centuries Christians have used the Advent Wreath to remember and celebrate the coming of Christ. The word advent simply means “coming” or “arrival”. With the Advent Wreath, we celebrate not only the birth of Christ 2000 years ago, but also our rebirth in Him through faith. And we look forward with anxious anticipation toward his Second Advent for us.
Week 1 Readings:
Isaiah 59:19-20
From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along.
“The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD.
Isaiah 60:1-3
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Candle Instructions (optional)
As you light the first purple candle, say “This candle reminds us that we have hope because of the promise of the coming Redeemer. God is our hope.”
A Word of Explanation:
For many centuries Christians have used the Advent Wreath to remember and celebrate the coming of Christ. The word advent simply means “coming” or “arrival”. With the Advent Wreath, we celebrate not only the birth of Christ 2000 years ago, but also our rebirth in Him through faith. And we look forward with anxious anticipation toward his Second Advent for us.
Week 1 Readings:
Isaiah 59:19-20
From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along.
“The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD.
Isaiah 60:1-3
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Candle Instructions (optional)
As you light the first purple candle, say “This candle reminds us that we have hope because of the promise of the coming Redeemer. God is our hope.”
Sharing
(as a lead into the Prayer Time, as a group share how you are feeling and what you are learning; below are suggested questions)
Prayer Time
(You may have an open time of prayer or select someone to pray)
- Pray for our church’s short and long-term meeting place needs, that God would give us favor in the eyes of those in authority and that He would give us provision that would go far beyond all that we could ask or imagine.
- Pray for our world – that the good news of Jesus Christ would flourish and that many would come to know God genuinely and personally.
- 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 Goodness and Severity of God”
preached by Pastor Doug Cooper
preached by Pastor Doug Cooper
Song of Response
(sing as a group and/or sing along to recorded versions)
HIS MERCY IS MORE
(Matt Papa, Matt Boswell)
(Matt Papa, Matt Boswell)
What love could remember no wrongs we have done?
Omniscient, all knowing, he counts not their sum.
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore.
Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more.
What patience would wait as we constantly roam?
What father, so tender, is calling us home?
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor.
Our sins they are many, his mercy is more.
CHORUS:
Praise the Lord,
His mercy is more.
Stronger than darkness, new every morn.
Our sins they are many, his mercy is more.
What riches of kindness he lavished on us.
His blood was the payment, his life was the cost.
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford.
Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more.
(CHORUS)
©2016 Messenger Hymns (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.) CCLI #1791178
Omniscient, all knowing, he counts not their sum.
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore.
Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more.
What patience would wait as we constantly roam?
What father, so tender, is calling us home?
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor.
Our sins they are many, his mercy is more.
CHORUS:
Praise the Lord,
His mercy is more.
Stronger than darkness, new every morn.
Our sins they are many, his mercy is more.
What riches of kindness he lavished on us.
His blood was the payment, his life was the cost.
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford.
Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more.
(CHORUS)
©2016 Messenger Hymns (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.) CCLI #1791178
Confession of Faith
adapted from Matthew 16 and Galatians 2:20
LEADER: Christian, who do you say Jesus is?
CONGREGATION: I say He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed King of Heaven and Earth… the Son of the living God.
LEADER: And what is true of you now that you are in Christ?
CONGREGATION: I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life, which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
LEADER: Christian, who do you say Jesus is?
CONGREGATION: I say He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed King of Heaven and Earth… the Son of the living God.
LEADER: And what is true of you now that you are in Christ?
CONGREGATION: I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life, which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
Sharing Time
(have everyone share one thing that struck them from the sermon)
Closing Meditation
Psalm 9:17-20 (ESV)
LEADER: The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
PEOPLE: For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
LEADER: Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
Let the nations be judged before you!
ALL: Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men!
LEADER: The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
PEOPLE: For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
LEADER: Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
Let the nations be judged before you!
ALL: Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men!
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!
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!