February 16, 2025

*Call to Worship | Ephesians 3:20-21 | Rev. Blake Arnoult

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

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20 Now to God who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

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*Song of Adoration | How Great Thou Art

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

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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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*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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1: What is thy only comfort in life and death?

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

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*Song of Confession | Have Mercy

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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Have mercy on me O God

Remember not my sin

Have mercy O Lord of love

Cleanse me from within

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By Your mercy clean my heart

And I’ll proclaim how great Thou art

Deliver me from guilt and shame

And I’ll sing out, “Praise His name”

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Wash me and I shall be

Whiter than snow

Mold me and make me whole

All to You I owe

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Chorus

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/ Let these broken bones rejoice

Give me gladness give me joy

Hide your face from all my sin

Renew this spirit once again /

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Chorus

Music and Lyrics: Rivan Bennevendo

Confession of Sin

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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We have sinned against you, O Lord, our Maker, our Defender, and our Redeemer. Our natures are corrupt and sinful; prone to fall away from you, sluggish to do good and swift to do evil. Vain thoughts have come upon us and found lodging within us, defiling and disquieting our minds, and keeping out good thoughts. We have burdened ourselves with that care which you have commanded us to cast upon you. We have failed in our duties one to another, and have provoked one another as much to folly and anger as to love and good works. We have been cold in our love to you, weak in our desires toward you, unsteady in our walking with you, and are even at this time poorly prepared to serve you. We beseech you - forgive all our sins, for Christ’s sake, and be at peace with us in him who died to make peace and lives to make intercession for us. Amen.

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Assurance of Pardon | 2 Timothy 2:11-13  | 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.

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11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful - for he cannot deny himself.

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*Song of Response | Thy Mercy My God

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

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Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,

The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue;

Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,

Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.

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Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;

Sin would reduce me to utter despair;

But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,

And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

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Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,

Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;

Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,

And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

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Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,

And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;

/ All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine

Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine. /

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Lyrics: John Stoker

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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 | Isaiah 43

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

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When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,

And the waves will not overcome you.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you,

I have called you by name, you are Mine.

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For I am the Lord your God (I am the Lord your God),

I am the Lord your God (I am)

The Holy One of Israel

Your Savior

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I am the Lord (do not fear)

I am the Lord (do not fear)

I am the Lord (do not fear)

I am the Lord (do not fear)

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When you walk through the fire you’ll not be burned,

And the flames will not consume you.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you,

I have called you by name, you are Mine.

Chorus

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I am the Lord

Music and Lyrics: Anonymous

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Prayer for Christ’s Church

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

*Reading of Scripture | Acts 28:11-31; Ephesians 1:1-2  |

Rev. Blake Arnoult

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

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ACTS

¹¹ After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead. ¹² Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. ¹³ And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. ¹⁴ There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵ And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. ¹⁶ And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.

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¹⁷ After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. ¹⁸ When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. ¹⁹ But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. ²⁰ For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” ²¹ And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. ²² But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”

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²³ When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. ²⁴ And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. ²⁵ And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

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²⁶   “‘Go to this people, and say,

“You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

²⁷ For this people’s heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed;

lest they should see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.’

²⁸ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

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³⁰ He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

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EPHESIANS

^1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

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² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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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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“Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians”

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Pastoral Prayer

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.

Communion Song | When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

We celebrate our communion in faith and song.

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When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

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Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ my God;

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.

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See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down;

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

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Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small:

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Music and Lyrics: Isaac Watts

Departing Song | Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go

We begin to end in faith and song.

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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.

Lyrics & Music: Robbie Seay, Taylor Johnson, Albert Lister Peace, and George Matheson

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*Benediction | Ephesians 6:23-24 | 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.

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23 Peace be to you, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with you all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Kids’ Sunday School

Sunday, February 16, 9am

Our spring Sunday school series for kids (K-4th) continues on Sunday, February 16 at 9am!

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Youth Bible Study

Sunday, February 16, 9am

Our spring Sunday school series for youth (5th-12th) continues on Sunday, February 16 at 9am!

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Palm Sunday Potluck

Sunday, April 13, 4pm

Join us for our annual Palm Sunday Potluck at the Byrd home from 4-6pm on Sunday, April 13! Kids, bring a basket for the Easter egg hunt! Adults, bring your favorite beverage! Friends are welcome!

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Bible Studies

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Women’s Evening Study

Thursday, March 6

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

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Men’s Morning Study

Friday, March 7

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

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