February 2, 2025

*Call to Worship | Revelation 5:12-13 | Rev. Blake Arnoult

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

12 “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

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13 “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

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*Song of Adoration | Great Are You Lord

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

You give life, You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope, You restore

Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord

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It's Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise, We pour out our praise

It's Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise to You only

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All the earth will shout Your praise

Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing

Great are You, Lord

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Chorus

_{Music and Lyrics: William Williams, Jeremy Casella}

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*Confession of Faith | Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 1

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

What is the chief end of man? 

Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

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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.}

“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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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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All our days pass away.

But you, O Lord, shall remain.

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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.

_{Music and Lyrics: Rivan Bennevendo}

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Confession of Sin | Valley of Vision, “The Name of Jesus”

^{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.}

All-searching God,

You read the heart,

you see principles and motives of actions,

and you see more defilement in my duties

than I ever saw in any of my sins.

I am ready to flee from myself because of

my abominations;

Yet you do not hate me

but have devised means for my return to you,

and that, by your Son who died to give me life.

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Assurance of Pardon | 1 Corinthians 1:23-25 | Rev. 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.}

23 We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

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*Song of Response | Abide with Me

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

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;

The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, abide with me.

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Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;

And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,

Thou hast not left me, though I oft left Thee,

On to the close, Lord, abide with me.

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I need Thy presence every passing hour.

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, abide with me.

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I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, tears lose their bitterness.

Where is thy sting death? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, abide with me.

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Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

In life, in death, Lord, abide with me.

_{Music and Lyrics: Henry Francis Lyte, William Henry Monk}

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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 | Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing

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

Come Thou Fount of every 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.

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Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Hither by Thy help I’m 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.

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O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let that grace now like a fetter,

Bind my wandering 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.

_{Music and Lyrics: Robert Robinson}

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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 | Genesis 22:1-14 | Dr. Richard Lints

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

1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

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9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

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Pastor: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

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The Preaching of the Word | Dr. Richard Lints

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“The Sacrifice of Isaac”

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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.

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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.

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 | Your Will Be Done

^{We celebrate our communion in faith and song.}

Your will be done my God and Father

As in heaven so on earth

My heart is drawn to self-exalting

Help me seek Your kingdom first

As Jesus walked so shall I walk

Held by Your same unchanging love

Be still my soul O lift your voice and pray

Father not my will but Yours be done

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How in that garden he persisted

I may never fully know

The fearful weight of true obedience

It was held by him alone

What wondrous faith to bear that cross

To bear my sin what wondrous love

My hope was sure when there my Saviour prayed

Father not my will but Yours be done

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When I am lost when I am broken

In the night of fear and doubt

Still I will trust in my good Father

Yes to one great King I bow

As Jesus rose so I shall rise

In ransomed glory at the throne

My heart restored with all Your saints I sing

Father not my will but Yours be done

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As we go forth our God and Father

Lead us daily in the fight

That all the world might see Your glory

And Your Name be lifted high

And in this Name we overcome

For You shall see us safely home

Now as Your church we lift our voice and pray

Father not my will but Yours be done

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And in this Name we overcome

For You shall see us safely home

Now as Your church we lift our voice and pray

// Father not my will but Yours be done //

_{Music and Lyrics: Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson}

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Departing Song | Because He Lives

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

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;

He came to love, heal and forgive;

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

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Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives!

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How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

And feel the pride and joy he gives;

But greater still the calm assurance:

We can face uncertain days because He Lives!

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Chorus

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And then one day, I'll cross the river,

I'll fight life's final war with pain;

And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,

I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

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Chorus

_{Music and Lyrics: Gloria Gaither, William J. Gaither}

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*Benediction | Romans 15:13 | Rev. 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.}

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Kids’ Sunday School

Sunday, February 9, 9am

Our spring Sunday school series for kids (K-4th) continues on Sunday, February 9 at 9am! 

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Youth Bible Study

Sunday, February 9, 9am

Our spring Sunday school series for youth (5th-12th) continues on Sunday, February 9 at 9am!

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Bible Studies

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Women’s Morning Study: Wednesday, February 5

Our women’s weekly Bible study continues their spring series on Wednesday, February 5. Join us at the home of Marion Wade at 10am!

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Women’s Evening Study: Thursday, February 6

Our women’s evening study on Prayer will meet on Thursday, February 6! Join us at the home of Susan Arnoult at 7pm.

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Men’s Morning Study: Friday, February 7

Our men’s study on Prayer will meet on Friday, February 7 at 7am at Bean and Bottle! 9655 Katy Freeway Suite 100.

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Women’s Gathering

Tuesday, February 11, 7pm

Join us at the Willson home on February 11 for our next women’s gathering! We will hear from Ann Lints this quarter!

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