August 25, 2024

*Call to Worship | 1 Peter 1:8-9 | Rev. Blake Arnoult

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

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

‍

‍

*Song of Adoration | Arise O God

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

Arise, O God, and shine in all Thy saving might,

And prosper each design to spread Thy glorious light;

Let healing streams of mercy flow

That all the earth Thy truth may know

‍

Bring distant nations near to sing Thy glorious praise;

Let every people hear and learn Thy holy ways

Reign, mighty God, assert Thy cause,

And govern by Thy righteous laws

‍

Put forth Thy glorious power, that everyone may see

And earth present her store in converts born to Thee

God, our own God, His church will bless,

And fill the world with righteousness

‍

To God, the only Wise, the one immortal King,

Let hallelujahs rise from every living thing;

Let all that breathe, on every coast,

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

_{Music and Lyrics: William Hurn, Chris Miner}

‍

‍

*Confession of Faith | Acts 4:8, 10, 12 

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

8 Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders,… 10 by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead— 12 there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

‍

‍

*Song of Confession | Doxology

^{Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs are simply prayers that are sung. We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.}

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: Arrg. Thomas Ken}

‍

‍

Confession of Sin | Kyrie Eleison

^{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.}

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

‍

‍

Assurance of Pardon | Acts 10:43 | 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.}

Peter opened his mouth and said, “43 To Jesus all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

‍

‍

*Song of Response | All Must Be Well

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

Through the love of God our Savior, All will be well

Free and changeless is His favor, All is well

Precious is the blood that healed us

Perfect is the grace that sealed us

Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us

All must be well

‍

Though we pass through tribulation, All will be well

Ours is such a full salvation, All is well

Happy still in God confiding

Fruitful if in Christ abiding

Steadfast through the Spirit's guiding

All must be well

‍

We expect a bright tomorrow; All will be well

Faith can sing through days of sorrow, All is well

On our Father's love relying

Jesus every need supplying

Yes in living or in dying

All must be well

‍

On our Father's love relying

Jesus every need supplying

Yes in living or in dying

All must be well

_{Music and Lyrics: Mary Bowly Peters, Matthew S. Smith}

‍

‍

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 | Because He Lives

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

God sent His Son they called Him Jesus

He came to love heal and forgive

He bled and died to buy my pardon

An empty grave is there to prove

My Savior lives

‍

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

‍

How sweet to hold our newborn baby

And feel the pride and joy he gives

But greater still the calm assurance

This child can face uncertain days

Because Christ lives

‍

Chorus

‍

And then one day I'll cross that 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 reigns

Chorus

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

‍

‍

Prayer for Christ’s Church

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

‍

‍

*Reading of Scripture | Galatians 2:11-21 | Rev. Blake Arnoult

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

11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

‍

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

‍

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

‍

Pastor: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

‍

‍

The Preaching of the Word | Rev. Blake Arnoult

‍

“Peter, Apostle to Jews and Gentiles”

1 Peter: Homesick and Hopeful

‍

‍

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 | Jesus Paid It All

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

I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small;

Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”

‍

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

‍

Lord, now indeed I find Thy power and Thine alone,

Can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone.

‍

Chorus

‍

And when before the throne I stand in Him complete,

"Jesus died my soul to save" my lips shall still repeat

‍

Chorus

_{Music and Lyrics: lvina Mabel Hall, John Thomas Grape, Lari Goss}

‍

‍

Departing Song | There Is A Fountain

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

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

‍

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;

And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.

Wash all my sins away, wash all my sins away;

And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.

‍

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power

Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;

Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

‍

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;

Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

_{Music and Lyrics: William Cowper, Lowell Mason, Mark Willard}

‍

‍

*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

‍

Fall Kick-Off Party - Today!!

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! 1055 Conrad Sauer Drive, Houston, TX 77043

‍

‍

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!

‍