June 11, 2023

*Call to Worship | Psalm 73:25 | Blake Arnoult

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

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25 Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

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*Song of Adoration | Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

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

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O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!

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Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

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Thro’ death into life everlasting,

He passed, and we follow Him there;

O’er us sin no more hath dominion –

For more than conquerors we are!

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Chorus

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His Word shall not fail you – He promised;

Believe Him, and all will be well:

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!

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/ Chorus /

Music and Lyrics: Helen Howarth Lemmel

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*Confession of Faith | Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q.42

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

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Leader: What is the sum of the ten commandments?

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People: 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. 

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*Song of Confession | Holy Spirit

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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/ There's nothing worth more, that will ever come close

No thing can compare, You're our living hope

Your Presence Lord

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I've tasted and seen, of the sweetest of loves

Where my heart becomes free,

And my shame is undone

In Your Presence Lord

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Holy Spirit You are welcome here

Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere

Your Glory God is what our hearts long for

To be overcome by Your Presence Lord

Your Presence Lord /

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/// Let us become more aware of Your Presence

Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness ///

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Chorus

Music and Lyrics: Katie Torwalt, Bryan Torwalt

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Confession of Sin | Blake Arnoult

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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Almighty and most merciful Father, we are thankful that your mercy is higher than the heavens, wider than our wanderings, deeper than all our sin. Forgive our careless attitudes toward your purposes, our refusal to relieve the suffering of others, our envy of those who have more than we have, our obsession with creating a life of constant pleasure, our indifference to the treasures of heaven, our neglect of your wise law and good grace. Help us to more and more change our ways so that we may desire what is good, love what you love, and do what you command, through the love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Assurance of Pardon | Isaiah 25:8 | 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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8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.

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*Song of Response | My Worth Is Not In What I Own

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

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My worth is not in what I own

Not in the strength of flesh and bone

But in the costly wounds of love – At the cross.

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My worth is not in skill or name

In win or lose, in pride or shame

But in the blood of Christ that flowed – At the cross.

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I rejoice in my Redeemer

Greatest Treasure,

Wellspring of my soul

I will trust in Him, no other.

My soul is satisfied in Him alone.

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As summer flowers we fade and die

Fame, youth and beauty hurry by

But life eternal calls to us – At the cross

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I will not boast in wealth or might

Or human wisdom's fleeting light

But I will boast in knowing Christ – At the cross

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Chorus

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Two wonders here that I confess

My worth and my unworthiness

My value fixed; my ransom paid – At the cross.

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Chorus

Music and Lyrics: Keith & Kristyn Getty, Graham Kendrick

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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 Deep The Father’s Love For Us

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

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How deep the Father’s love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give his only son

And make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

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Behold the Man upon the cross 

My sin upon His shoulder

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

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I will not boast in anything 

No gifts no power no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I from His reward 

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

Music and Lyrics: Stuart Townend

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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 | Romans 13:8-14 | Rev. Blake Arnoult

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

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8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

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11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

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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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“Christians in the World with People”

Romans: The Power of God for Salvation

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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.

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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 | Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest)

We celebrate our communion in faith and song.

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Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain

Leave to thy God to order and provide

In ev'ry change He faithful will remain

Be still my soul thy best thy heav'nly friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end

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Be still my soul thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as He has the past

Thy hope thy confidence let nothing shake

All now mysterious shall be bright at last

Be still my soul the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below

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In You I rest in You I found my hope

In You I trust

You never let me go

I place my life within Your hands alone

Be still my soul

(Be still my soul be still my soul)

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Be still my soul the hour is hastening on

When we shall be forever with the Lord

When disappointment grief and fear are gone

Sorrow forgot Love's purest joys restored

Be still my soul when change and tears are past

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last

Music and Lyrics: Kari Jobe

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Departing Song | The Church’s One Foundation

We begin to end in faith and song.

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The church’s one foundation

Is Jesus Christ her Lord,

She is His new creation

By water and the Word.

From heaven He came and sought her

To be His holy bride;

With His own blood He bought her,

And for her life He died.

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Elect from every nation,

Yet one over all the earth;

Her charter of salvation,

One Lord, one faith, one birth;

One holy Name she blesses,

Partakes one holy food,

And to one hope she presses,

With every grace endued.

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Mid toil and tribulation,

And tumult of her war,

She waits the consummation

Of peace forevermore;

’Til, with the vision glorious,

Her longing eyes are blessed,

And the great church victorious

Shall be the church at rest.

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Yet she on earth hath union

With God the Three in One,

And mystic sweet communion

With those whose rest is won.

O happy ones and holy!

Lord, give us grace that we

Like them, the meek and lowly,

On high may dwell with Thee.

Music and Lyrics: Brian Moss, Samuel John Stone

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*Benediction | 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 | 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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12 May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Women’s Summer Gathering

Friday, June 16, 7-9pm

Cornerstone women will be gathering the evening of June 16 for an exchange of favorite snacks and sips at the Byrd home! Bring your favorite snack or sip to share!

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Fall Kick-Off Pool Party

Sunday, August 27, 11:30am-1:30pm

Everyone is invited to join us at the Byrd home on August 27 for our annual fall gathering! This is a BYOB event. Lunch will be provided!

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Cornerstone’s 5th Anniversary Celebration

Friday, September 15, 7-9pm

Cornerstone is celebrating it’s 5th year anniversary this September! Adults are invited to the home of Blake and Ryan Arnoult to celebrate 5 years of ministry and fellowship! 

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Cornerstone is updating it’s member directory! 

Members! Please email emily.mcewin@cornerstonehouston.com with a family photo for our member directory! Our goal is to complete the directory this summer!