Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Reading from Isaiah 9:2; 60:2-3; John 8:12 (NIV)
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
We light this candle as a sign of the coming
light of Christ.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
We light this candle as a sign of the coming
light of Christ.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.”
We light this candle as a sign of the coming
light of Christ.
Our Sung Call to Worship
The First Nowell
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Based on Romans 13:12; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 1:13 (CSB)
Lord,
We know that the night is nearly over, and the day is near,
but have been slow to discard the deeds of darkness
and put on the armor of light.
You have shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ,
but we too often turn away from the light
and gaze into the darkness.
You have rescued us from the domain of darkness
and transferred us in to the kingdom of the Son you love,
but we to often love the chains of sin
and long to go back to the land of slavery.
Lord, our hearts are sorrowful over our disobedience,
Lord, have mercy.
Remind us again of your mercy.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
From Zephaniah 3:14-15, 17 (ESV)
Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
The Lord your God is in our midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he rejoices over us with gladness;
he quiets us by his love;
he exults over us with loud singing.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Joy Has Dawned
Thanksgiving and Petition
Missions Video
We Give Thanks in Prayer and Offer Petitions to God
We express our gratitude to God our Father for Christ’s work on the cross for us and bring our requests before him. In bringing our requests, we confess that we believe God truly is a good father, who cares about our needs and gives us what he knows is best.
We Give Thanks by Giving
We give financial offerings to support the work of the church because of our gratitude to God. By giving we confess we are trusting in God’s provision for us as well.
On the first Sunday of each month we have two offerings—one for the general fund and a second one for the benevolence ministry of our church.
We Give Thanks in Song
King of Kings
Scripture Reading
Isaiah 11:1-10
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
Isaiah 11:1-10 – The Triumph of Grace: A Shoot From the Stump of Jesse – Pastor Eric Schumacher
The Lord’s Supper
This morning we will be observing the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal for the people of God whereby we remember the person and work of Christ on the cross to redeem us from our sin. It is a time to reflect, remember and repent. It is also the application of the sermon whereby we confess our sin and continually turn to Jesus for grace.
If you have trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior, have been baptized by immersion and are a member in good standing of a local church we invite you to share in this covenant meal with us.
We also ask that everyone who takes this covenant meal with us remember the warning given by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” So we ask that you examine your heart and your relationship with God through the person and work of Christ.
If you are not able to receive the Lord’s Supper with us, please use this time to meditate on one of the following prayers.
A 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 me to the reality of who You are. Grant that I might be undaunted in my pursuit of knowing You. Give me an understanding of You that is coherent and convincing, and that leads me to the life in You. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO CONFESS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
Lord Jesus I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever dared admit, but through You I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank You for paying my debt on the cross, taking what I deserve in order to purchase my complete forgiveness. Knowing that You have been raised from the dead, I turn from my sins and receive You as My Savior and Lord. Amen.
A PRAYER OF COMMITMENT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CONFESSED FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
Lord Jesus, You have called us to follow You in baptism and in a life of committed discipleship in Your church. Grant that I may take the necessary steps to be one with Your people, and live in the fullness of Your Spirit in a local community of Christ followers. Amen.
adapted from D. A. Carson, ed., Worship by the Book (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002)
Gluten Free Lord’s Supper: The elements of our Lord’s Supper are gluten free.
Please dispose of your Lord’s Supper cup in the waste receptacles near the doors or put them in the cup holders of the chairs with book racks under them.
Sending
Having heard and confessed the Gospel, we are sent into the world on mission in Christ, which we express in both song and spoken word.
Sending Song
O Come All Ye Faithful
Presentation of New Members