January 7, 2024

*Call to Worship | Psalm 28:8 | Blake Arnoult

_{God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.}

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8 The LORD is the strength of his people.

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*Song of Adoration | Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go

_{We begin by responding with praise to God for who he is and for what he does.}

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O Love that will not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

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O light that followest all my way,

I yield my flickering torch to thee;

My heart restores its borrowed ray,

That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day

May brighter, fairer be.

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O Joy that seekest me through pain,

I cannot close my heart to thee;

I trace the rainbow through the rain,

And feel the promise is not vain,

That morn shall tearless be.

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O Cross that liftest up my head,

I dare not ask to fly from thee;

I lay in dust life’s glory dead,

And from the ground there blossoms red

Life that shall endless be.

_{Music and Lyrics: Robbie Seay, Taylor Johnson, Albert Lister Peace, George Matheson}

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*Confession of Faith | Heidelberg Catechism Q.1

_{With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.}

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What is your only comfort in life and death?      

That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for Him.

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*Song of Confession | We Lift Our Eyes (Psalm 102)

_{Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs are simply prayers that are sung. We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.}

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“Mercy, mercy,” we cry out.

Turn an ear, Lord, when we call.

From Heaven’s holy height, look down

To an earth after a fall.

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Isn’t it you who has justified?

Hung on a cross for a wicked bride.

To you, O Lord, we lift our eyes

Isn’t it you who is glorified?

Paid for our sins with a holy price.

To you, O Lord, we lift our eyes.

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Bitter wine and ash for bread.

Are you with us in this place?

Our days, like evening shadows, end.

Have you turned away your face?

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Chorus

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All our days pass away.

But you, O Lord, shall remain.

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Chorus

_{Music and Lyrics: Rivan Bennevendo}

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Confession of Sin | Psalm 102:1-5, 9, 12-13

_{We fight the temptation to hide our sin and instead acknowledge it openly to God, but we do so in light of the grace offered in Jesus.}

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1 Hear my prayer, O LORD;

let my cry come to you!

2 Do not hide your face from me

   in the day of my distress!

Incline your ear to me;    

answer me speedily in the day when I call!

3 For my days pass away like smoke,

   and my bones burn like a furnace.

4 My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;

   I forget to eat my bread.

5 Because of my loud groaning

   my bones cling to my flesh.

9 For I eat ashes like bread

   and mingle tears with my drink,

12 But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever;

   you are remembered throughout all generations.

13 You will arise and have pity on Zion;

   it is the time to favor her;

   the appointed time has come.

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Assurance of Pardon | Psalm 102:16-22 | Blake Arnoult

_{The good news of the gospel is that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ. This assurance is based on God’s words of promise and it is therefore certain.}

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16 For the LORD builds up Zion;    he appears in his glory;17 he regards the prayer of the destitute    and does not despise their prayer.18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come,    so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:19 that he looked down from his holy height;    from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,    to set free those who were doomed to die,21 that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,    and in Jerusalem his praise,22 when peoples gather together,    and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.

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*Song of Response | Jesus Paid It All

_{‍We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.}

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I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small;

Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”

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Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

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Lord, now indeed I find Thy power and Thine alone,

Can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone.

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Chorus

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And when before the throne I stand in Him complete,

"Jesus died my soul to save" my lips shall still repeat

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Chorus

_{Music and Lyrics: Elvina M. Hall}

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Prayer of Thanksgiving

_{We offer our gratitude to God in prayer in response to his gifts and blessings to his people and ask that he make us faithful managers of these gifts.}

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Song of Thanks | How Great Thou Art

_{As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.}

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O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made.

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed

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Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

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And when I think of God, His Son not sparing

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing

He bled and died to take away my sin

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Chorus

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When Christ shall come, with shouts of acclamation

And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart

Then I shall bow in humble adoration

And then proclaim, My God, how great You are!

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Chorus

_{Music and Lyrics: Carl Gustav Boberg, Stuart K. Hine}

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Prayer for Christ’s Church

_{We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.}

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*Reading of Scripture | Judges 16:20-31 | Blake Arnoult

God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.

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20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. 21 And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. 22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” 24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.”[a] 25 And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. 26 And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” 27 Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.

28 Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. 30 And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. 31 Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.

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Pastor: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

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The Preaching of the Word | Rev. Blake Arnoult

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“Prologue to Kingship in 1 and 2 Samuel”

1 and 2 Samuel: Give Us a King

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Pastoral Prayer

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Sacrament of Communion

Sacraments are visible signs of the invisible grace of God - what Christ does by his Holy Spirit within us. Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist), as the distribution of the elements of bread and wine, symbolizes a meal. Communion is a sign of fellowship. That sign signifies more than just the future heavenly fellowship that is to come. The outward sign signifies the inner reality that sinners already experience fellowship with God in the Spirit because of Jesus. Communion is not a meal for good people. It functions as a renewing seal to desperate sinners of that fellowship we have with our holy and gracious God.

You will be invited to come forward. If you are not a Christian we encourage you to spend this time in reflection on what you’ve seen and heard in the worship. Children who have not received their first communion are welcome and encouraged to come forward with their families to witness their partaking. We invite children who are ready to make a public profession of faith in Christ to arrange a meeting with the elders, and thus become “communicants” at the Lord’s Table.

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Pastor: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Pastor: Lift up your hearts!

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

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Prayer of Thanksgiving and Words of Institution

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Pastor: Let us proclaim the mystery of the faith:

People: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Hallelujah!

Pastor: Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us. Hallelujah!

People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.

Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God.

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Please let an usher know if it is difficult for you to come forward. We would be happy to serve you at your seat. All communion bread is gluten-free. All communion wine is made from  grape juice.

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A communion prayer for those searching for the truth:

Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth and the life. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who you are. Give me the ability to follow you no matter what it might cost me. Give me an understanding for you that is coherent, convincing, and leads to the life that you promise. Amen.

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Communion Song | The Old Rugged Cross

We celebrate our communion in faith and song.

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On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suff'ring and shame;

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

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So I'll cherish the old rugged cross.

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.

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Oh that old rugged cross, so despised by the world.

Has a wondrous attraction for me,

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above,

To bear it to dark Calvary.

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Chorus

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In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

A wondrous beauty I see.

For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died

To pardon and sanctify me.

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Chorus

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To the old rugged cross, I will ever be true,

Its shame and reproach gladly bear,

Then He'll call me some day to my home far away,

Where His glory forever I'll share.

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Chorus

_{Music and Lyrics: JGeorge Bennard}

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Departing Song | Doxology

_{We begin to end in faith and song.}

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/ Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. /

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// Amen //

_{Music and Lyrics: Thomas Ken, Thomas Tallis}

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*Benediction | Psalm 4:6 | Blake Arnoult

_{God sends us out with his blessing. A benediction is not a prayer. We don’t bow our heads. We lift them up and even lift up our hands to receive his blessing as we are sent out as participants in his mission to the city of man.}

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6 Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Spring Calendar

Our spring events and programs are now on our website!  

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Nursery Unavailable

Next Sunday, January 14

Our nursery will be unavailable on Sunday, January 14 as we will be gathering in the lobby for worship. The nursery will resume on January 21.

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January 2024 Dates

Bible Studies

‍Men’s Morning Study: Friday, February 2Monthly on the first Friday of each month, 7am at Bean and Bottle. 9655 Katy Freeway Suite 100.

Women’s Evening Study: New date! Thursday, January 11Monthly on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm at the home of Susan and Jeff Arnoult.

Women’s Weekly Study: Wednesday, January 24 at 10amOur weekly women’s study of the Book of Hebrews will begin at 10am on January 24 at the home of Marion Wade.

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Women’s GatheringJanuary 23

Women are invited to join us on January 23 for our first quarterly women’s gathering!

Youth GatheringJanuary 28, 11:30amAll 5-12th graders are invited to join us after the service on Sunday, January 28 for lunch and fellowship! More details to follow.