.svg)
May 19, 2024
Resources and content for this Sunday.
*Call to Worship | Romans 5:8 | Rev. Blake Arnoult
God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.
8 God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
*Song of Adoration | All Creatures of Our God and King
We begin by responding with praise to God for who he is and for what he does.
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rushing morn in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening find a voice,
Chorus
Thou flowing water pure and clear
Make music for Thy Lord to hear
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright
That givest man both warmth and light,
Chorus
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness.
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, Three in One
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: St. Francis of Assisi, William H. Draper
*Confession of Faith | Isaiah 53:3-5, 10, 12
With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
12 yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
*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.
Have mercy on me O God
Remember not my sin
Have mercy O Lord of love
Cleanse me from within
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”
Wash me and I shall be
Whiter than snow
Mold me and make me whole
All to You I owe
Chorus
/ Let these broken bones rejoice
Give me gladness give me joy
Hide your face from all my sin
Renew this spirit once again /
/ Chorus /
Music and Lyrics: Rivan Bennevendo
Confession of Sin | Westminster Shorter Catechism Q.42, 82, 84
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.
Leader Q 42: What is the sum of the ten commandments?
All The sum of the ten commandments is, to love the
Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.
Leader Q 82: Is any man able perfectly to keep the
commandments of God?
All No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life
perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.
Leader Q 84: What doth every sin deserve?
All Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in
this life, and that which is to come.
Assurance of Pardon | Westminster Shorter Catechism Q.85-86 | 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.
Leader Q 85: What doth God require of us, that we may
escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin?
All To escape the wrath and curse of God, due to us for
sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.
Leader Q 86: What is faith in Jesus Christ?
All Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we
receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.
*Song of Response | O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
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.
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.
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.
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 L. Peace, George Matheson
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.
Song of Thanks | Great is Thy Faithfulness
As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.
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.
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.
Chorus
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.
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: William M. Runyan
Prayer for Christ’s Church
We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.
*Reading of Scripture | 2 Samuel 18:1, 5-10, 14-17, 21, 31-33 | Rev. Blake Arnoult
God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.
1 Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds… 5 And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.
6 So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. 7 And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. 8 The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
9 And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
10 And a certain man saw it and told Joab… 14 And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak. 15 And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him.
16 Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained them. 17 And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every one to his own home…
21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen…” 31 And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” 32 The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” 33 And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Pastor: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
The Preaching of the Word | Rev. Blake Arnoult
“Justice and Grace in the Death of the Son of David”
1 and 2 Samuel: Give Us a King
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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 | Yet Not I but Christ In Me
We celebrate our communion in faith and song.
What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer,
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to his
Oh how strange and divine,
I can sing: all is mine!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
The night is dark, but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labor on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won,
And I shall overcome!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh the chains are released,
I can sing: I am free!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
With every breath, I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
/ To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete,
Still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me! /
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:
// Yet not I, but through Christ in me! //
Music and Lyrics: D. Herbert, Brian T. Murphy, and Clint Wells
Departing Song | Doxology
We begin to end in faith and song.
/ 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. /
// Amen //
Music and Lyrics: Thomas Ken, Thomas Tallis
*Benediction | 1 Peter 1:3 | 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.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congregational Meeting - Today!
Sunday, May 19
All Cornerstone members are encouraged to join us directly after the worship service for a congregational meeting on May 19 for the nomination of additional officers.
Nursery Unavailable
Sunday, May 26
Our nursery will be unavailable next Sunday, May 26, during Memorial Day weekend.
Youth Girls’ Gathering
Sunday, June 2, 11:30am - 1:30pm
Girls 5th-12th grade are invited to the Castaneda home directly after the worship service on June 2 for an afternoon of crafting and fellowship! Lunch will be provided.
Adult Teaching Series
Wednesday, June 5, 7pm
Adults are invited to join us Wednesday, June 5 at the home of Neal and Marion Wade for the first lesson in our 3-part adult teaching series this summer!
Women’s Gathering
Tuesday, June 18, 7pm
Cornerstone women are invited to a fellowship gathering at Mont Art House at 7pm on June 18! Friends welcome!
Bible Studies
Women’s Evening Study: Thursday, June 6
Monthly on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm at the home of Susan and Jeff Arnoult.
Men’s Morning Study: Friday, June 7
Monthly on the first Friday of each month, 7am at Bean and Bottle. 9655 Katy Freeway Suite 100.