Shining Service Celebration
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

National Back to Church Sunday.
Back to Church Sunday (B2CS) is the largest local-church invitational initiative in the world. It is based on the simplest and shortest step in evangelism: inviting a friend to our church. Sounds simple enough. Let’s do it!

The song is a simple appeal to God to come and help those in need.

Kum ba yah, my Lord.
African Spiritual. (1920s).

Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya.
Someone’s singing lord, kumbaya
Someone’s singing lord, kumbaya
Someone’s singing lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbayah.

Introduction:
Jeremiah 8 tells us grieving must happen so it can help our natural emotional process deal with the hurt.
Jesus Christ loves us, died for us; and asks that we might live for him. Jesus buys us salvation with His blood. Today we pray: Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake! Ps. 79:9.
In Timothy today we conclude what we started earlier: our Christian faithfulness reflects our capacity for high moral character, we elect to choose strong leadership to strengthen our goals of high moral character, yet we live to serve the Lord and our neighbor rather than exalt ourselves given our moral character.
Luke gives us a lesson in social economics to consider with the moral character we recognize in Timothy. The example of an unscrupulous apparently self concerned business manager in the parable assists us in getting the moral of the story.
This week we put on our shiny Service hats to go into the community and choose our behaviors wisely.

O for a Closer Walk with God
William Cowper (1772).
Olney Hymns.

O for a closer walk with God,
a calm and heavenly frame,
a light to shine upon the road
that leads me to the Lamb!

Scripture:
My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick. Jer. 8:18.
Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call on your name. Ps. 79:6.
For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all. 1 Tim. 2:5.
No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Luke 16:13.

Prayer:
God of power and justice,
like Jeremiah you weep over those who wander from you,
turn aside to other gods, and enter into chaos and destruction.
By your tears and through your mercy,
teach us your ways and write them on our hearts
so that we may follow faithfully the path you show us. Amen.

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
Edward Mote (1834).
Sovereign Grace.

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,

Prayer:
When joy is gone and hearts are sick, O Lord God,
you give us Jesus Christ as our healing balm.
He came in human flesh that he might give himself
as a ransom for our salvation and
anoint us with the Spirit of consolation and joy.
Hear the cry of your people,
that we may rejoice in the richness of your love
and be faithful stewards of your many gifts. Amen.

All to Jesus I Surrender
Judson Van de Venter (1896).
Vineyard.

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

Prayer:
O Lord God, you call us to embrace both
you and the children of this world with unconditional love.
Give us grace to discern what your love demands of us,
that, being faithful in things both great and small,
we may serve you with an undivided heart. Amen.

You Gotta Serve Somebody
Bob Dylan

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!

Division in Salvation Celebration
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

Introduction:
Luke informs us that Jesus preaches that His Ministry on Earth will bring division among men. Of course there will be death on the cross for Jesus in order to gift us salvation. This alone will further separate those who believe that it is their behavior that earns salvation and those who follow the Lord who believe the Good News. The nourishing fire is Good News. Baptism makes sense. After Christ’s death for our sins, Baptism is a joyous celebration in our lives and a formal entry rite into Christian Faith for many of us.
Jeremiah’s prophecies were generally unwelcome. Jeremiah forecasts tough times ahead to prepare for the coming of the Saviour. We must mirror Jeremiah’s boldness and courage in bringing Scripture to our community.
Our Psalm tells us that our ability to feel confident about adjudicating justice is correlated to our proximity to power.
The common theme in the Epistle to the Hebrews is one must possess and exercise endurance. Talk is cheap. Get to work.

Savior like a Shepherd Lead Us
Dorothy Thrupp (1838).
– performed by Rick Betts.

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

Scripture:
Am I a God near by, says the LORD, and not a God far off? Jer. 23:23.
Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you! Ps. 82:8.
Looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Heb. 12:2.
Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! Luke 12:51.

Prayer: God of justice,
your word is light and truth.
Let your face shine on us to restore us,
that we may walk in your way,
seeking justice and doing good. Amen.

Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus
George Duffield (1858).
– performed by Children’s Choir

Stand up! stand up for Jesus!
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.

Prayer: Friends in Christ,
God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers
as dear to us as our own needs.
Loving our neighbors as ourselves,
we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions
on behalf of the church and the world.

Hear our prayers, God of power,
and through the ministry of your Son
free us from the grip of the tomb,
that we may desire you as the fullness of life
and proclaim your saving deeds to all the world. Amen.

1 2 3 Jesus is Alive
– performed by Valley Assembly

Prayer: Judge eternal,
you love justice and hate oppression;
you give peace to those who seek it,
and you condemn the rage of violence.
Give us courage to take our stand
with all victims of bloodshed and greed,
and, following your servants and prophets,
look to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Amen.

Guide My Feet while I Run this Race
Canton Spirituals Gospel Music
– performed by Austin Academy Choir (2011).

Guide my feet while I run this race.
Guide my feet while I run this race.
Guide my feet while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain!

We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!