January 8, 2023
The Love Of The Father
CityAlight
Lift up your voices and lift up your praise
Join with the heavens declaring the wonders
Of His faithfulness forever
Sing of the victory, the hope of the world
The Savior has risen, the Spirit has come to
Bring us into love forever
Chorus:
Oh, we are the people of God
With the freedom of hope in our hearts
How great is the love of the Father
Lifted from darkness and into the light
The sons and the daughters are loved at a price
Our God has made us His forever
Bridge:
This is the song of the redeemed, the ransomed and the free
Given life at such a price; this is love, this is love
And when the Father calls us home and we see Him on the throne
Hear the voices sing as one, “This is love, this is love”
Call to Worship
Mark 1:16-20, 2:13-15
Leader: Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, [Jesus] saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them,
All: "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
Leader: And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them,
All: ...and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Leader: He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him,
All: "Follow me."
Leader: And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
Prayer of Adoration
Nearer My God To Thee
Text: Sarah F. Adams, 1841; Music: Lowell Mason, 1856.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me
Still all my song shall be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone
Yet in my prayers I'll be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise
Out of my stony griefs, my song I'll raise
So by my woes to be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Or if on joyful wing, breaking the sky
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly
Still all my song shall be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Prayer of Confession
Jonah 2:1-10
Leader: Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying,
All: "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress,
and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.
For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
passed over me.
Then I said, 'I am driven away
from your sight;
Yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.'
The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O LORD my God.
When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the LORD,
and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.
Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.
But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the LORD!"
Leader: And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
God’s Assurance of Forgiveness
Jonah 3:10 - 4:2
Leader: When God saw what [the people of Nineveh] did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said,
All: "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas Obediah Chishom, William Marion Runyan, John Piper
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
[Chorus]
Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside
Family Life
† During a brief intermission, children can go with their teachers for a lesson.
The musicians will call us back with a song reprised.
Sermon Passage
Genesis 11:27-12:9
27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
Pastor: The grass withers and the flower fades...
All: ...but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"Called By God"
Pastor Mike McBride
Your Love Never Fails
Christa Joy Black / Jeremy Riddle / Brian Mark Johnson / Gabriel Day
Nothing can separate, even if I run away
Your love never fails
I know I still make mistakes but
You have new mercies for me everyday
Your love never fails
Chorus:
You stay the same through the ages; Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage, I don't have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me; Your love never fails
The wind is strong and the water's deep
I’m not alone here in these open seas
Your love never fails
The chasm is far too wide
I never thought I'd reach the other side
Your love never fails
Bridge:
You make all things work together for my good
You make all things work together for my good
You make all things work together for my good
You make all things work together for my good
The Lord’s Supper
† Receive bread and juice from one of our section leaders near you. Gluten free options are available at the front table.
God is For Us
By CityAlight
We won't fear the battle, we won’t fear the night
We will walk the valley with You by our side
You will go before us, You will lead the way
We have found a refuge, only You can save
CHORUS: Sing with joy now: our God is for us
The Father's love is a strong and mighty fortress
Raise your voice now, no love is greater
Who can stand against us if our God is for us
Even when I stumble, even when I fall
Even when I turn back, still Your love is sure
You will not abandon, You will not forsake
You will cheer me onward with never-ending grace [CHORUS]
BRIDGE: Neither height nor depth can separate us
Hell and death will not defeat us
He who gave His son to free us
Holds me in His love
Benediction
† We invite you to stretch out your hands as you receive the Lord’s blessing.
CityAlight
Lift up your voices and lift up your praise
Join with the heavens declaring the wonders
Of His faithfulness forever
Sing of the victory, the hope of the world
The Savior has risen, the Spirit has come to
Bring us into love forever
Chorus:
Oh, we are the people of God
With the freedom of hope in our hearts
How great is the love of the Father
Lifted from darkness and into the light
The sons and the daughters are loved at a price
Our God has made us His forever
Bridge:
This is the song of the redeemed, the ransomed and the free
Given life at such a price; this is love, this is love
And when the Father calls us home and we see Him on the throne
Hear the voices sing as one, “This is love, this is love”
Call to Worship
Mark 1:16-20, 2:13-15
Leader: Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, [Jesus] saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them,
All: "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
Leader: And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them,
All: ...and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Leader: He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him,
All: "Follow me."
Leader: And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
Prayer of Adoration
Nearer My God To Thee
Text: Sarah F. Adams, 1841; Music: Lowell Mason, 1856.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me
Still all my song shall be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone
Yet in my prayers I'll be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise
Out of my stony griefs, my song I'll raise
So by my woes to be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Or if on joyful wing, breaking the sky
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly
Still all my song shall be; Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Prayer of Confession
Jonah 2:1-10
Leader: Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying,
All: "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress,
and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.
For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
passed over me.
Then I said, 'I am driven away
from your sight;
Yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.'
The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O LORD my God.
When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the LORD,
and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.
Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.
But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the LORD!"
Leader: And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
God’s Assurance of Forgiveness
Jonah 3:10 - 4:2
Leader: When God saw what [the people of Nineveh] did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said,
All: "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas Obediah Chishom, William Marion Runyan, John Piper
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
[Chorus]
Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside
Family Life
† During a brief intermission, children can go with their teachers for a lesson.
The musicians will call us back with a song reprised.
Sermon Passage
Genesis 11:27-12:9
27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
Pastor: The grass withers and the flower fades...
All: ...but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon
"Called By God"
Pastor Mike McBride
Your Love Never Fails
Christa Joy Black / Jeremy Riddle / Brian Mark Johnson / Gabriel Day
Nothing can separate, even if I run away
Your love never fails
I know I still make mistakes but
You have new mercies for me everyday
Your love never fails
Chorus:
You stay the same through the ages; Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage, I don't have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me; Your love never fails
The wind is strong and the water's deep
I’m not alone here in these open seas
Your love never fails
The chasm is far too wide
I never thought I'd reach the other side
Your love never fails
Bridge:
You make all things work together for my good
You make all things work together for my good
You make all things work together for my good
You make all things work together for my good
The Lord’s Supper
† Receive bread and juice from one of our section leaders near you. Gluten free options are available at the front table.
God is For Us
By CityAlight
We won't fear the battle, we won’t fear the night
We will walk the valley with You by our side
You will go before us, You will lead the way
We have found a refuge, only You can save
CHORUS: Sing with joy now: our God is for us
The Father's love is a strong and mighty fortress
Raise your voice now, no love is greater
Who can stand against us if our God is for us
Even when I stumble, even when I fall
Even when I turn back, still Your love is sure
You will not abandon, You will not forsake
You will cheer me onward with never-ending grace [CHORUS]
BRIDGE: Neither height nor depth can separate us
Hell and death will not defeat us
He who gave His son to free us
Holds me in His love
Benediction
† We invite you to stretch out your hands as you receive the Lord’s blessing.
Posted in Worship Guide