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August 18, 2024
Resources and content for this Sunday.
*Call to Worship | John 10:11 | Rev. Blake Arnoult
God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
*Song of Adoration | Father, Long Before Creation
We begin by responding with praise to God for who he is and for what he does.
Father, long before creation, Thou hadst chosen us in love.
And that love so deep, so moving, draws us close to Christ above.
Still it keeps us, still it keeps us; firmly fixed in Christ alone.
Though the world may change its fashion,
Yet our God is e'er the same;
His compassion and His covenant through all ages will remain.
God's own children, God's own children;
Must forever praise His name.
God's compassion is my story; is my boasting all the day.
Mercy free and never failing, moves my will, directs my way.
God so loved us, God so loved us; that His only Son He gave.
Loving Father now before Thee, We will ever praise Thy love.
And our songs will sound unceasing 'til we reach our home above.
Giving glory, giving glory; to our God and to the Lamb.
Giving glory, giving glory; to our God and to the Lamb.
Music and Lyrics: Andrew Osenga, Francis Johnson
*Confession of Faith | What is the Lord's Prayer?
With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
*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.
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.
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?
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.
All our days pass away.
But you, O Lord, shall remain.
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
Confession of Sin | Agnus Dei
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.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us your peace.
Assurance of Pardon | John 1:29 | 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.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
*Song of Response | Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
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.
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.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness 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
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 | Blessed Assurance
As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above,
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Chorus
Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blessed,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
/ Chorus /
Music and Lyrics: Charles Hutchison Gabriel
Prayer for Christ’s Church
We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.
*Reading of Scripture | Psalm 23 | Rev. Jaime Jimenez
God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.
A Psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Pastor: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
The Preaching of the Word | Rev. Jaime Jimenez
“The Lord is My Shepherd”
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 | When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
We celebrate our communion in faith and song.
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.
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.
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?
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 | Before the Throne of God Above
We begin to end in faith and song.
Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is "Love,"
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heav'n He stands
/ No tongue can bid me thence depart. /
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
/ To look on him and pardon me. /
Behold him there! the risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless Righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace!
One with Himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by His blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
/ With Christ, my Savior and my God. /
Music and Lyrics: Charitie Lees Bancroft
*Benediction | Hebrews 13:20-21 | 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.
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fall Kick-Off Party
Sunday, August 25, 11:30am
Join us for our annual Fall Kick-Off Party on August 25! We will gather at Pickleball Social for fun and games, including a pickleball tournament! Anyone who is interested in playing in our pickleball tournament can sign up through our weekly email or on our website!
Bible Studies
Women’s Evening Study: Date Change! Tuesday, August 27
Our women’s evening study on Prayer will meet on Tuesday, August 27! Join us at the home of Susan Arnoult at 7pm. The study will resume meeting on the first Thursday of each month on October 3.
Men’s Morning Study: Wednesday, August 28
Our men’s study on Prayer will meet on Wednesday, August 28 at 7am at Bean and Bottle! 9655 Katy Freeway Suite 100. The study will resume meeting on the first Friday of each month on October 4.
Women’s Morning Study: Wednesday, August 28
Our weekly women’s study on Prayer begins at 10am on Wednesday, August 28 at the Wade home!
Kids’ Sunday School
Begins Sunday, September 8, 9am
Cornerstone Kids’ Sunday School will begin on Sunday, September 8 for the first week of our 10-week series on Justification!
Youth Bible Study
Begins Sunday, September 8, 9am
Cornerstone Kids’ Sunday School will begin on Sunday, September 8 for the first week of our 10-week series on Justification!