Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for September 28, 2025
Pre-service Song
How Long, O Lord, How Long? (Psalm 113)
O Lord our God, to You we come.
Will You still hide Your Face?
We cry before You and on our knees we pray.
How long, O Lord, how long?
Our sorrows leave us weak and worn,
Surrounded by our fears.
We look to heaven through feeble faith and tears.
How long, O Lord, how long?
‘Til Your glory fills our eyes
And our faith is turned to sight.
‘Til our thirsty souls are satisfied.
How long, O Lord, how long?
Our foes and enemies rejoice.
Injustice seems to reign.
Lord, we are shaken and we are losing strength.
How long, O Lord, how long?
‘Til Your glory fills our eyes
And our faith is turned to sight.
‘Til our thirsty souls are satisfied.
How long, O Lord, how long?
But we will trust Your steadfast love.
Your grace will be our song.
You bring new mercies with ev’ry rising sun.
How long, O Lord, how long?
‘Til Your glory fills our eyes
And our faith is turned to sight.
‘Til our thirsty souls are satisfied.
How long, O Lord, how long?
How long, O Lord, how long?
By Brittany Born, David Zimmer, Lisa Clow and Matthew Carpenter
© 2022 Sovereign Grace Praise
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11 (ESV)
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear
though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved
into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth,
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Our Sung Call to Worship
This is My Father’s World
This is my Father’s world,
And to my list’ning ears,
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world,
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world,
The birds their carols raise;
The morning light, the lily white
Declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world,
He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me ev’rywhere.
This is my Father’s world,
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world,
The battle is not done;
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and heaven be one.
This is my Father’s world,
The battle is not done;
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and heaven be one.
Words by Maltbie D. Babcock, Music by Franklin L. Sheppard
©Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
New City Catechism, Questions 14, 16, 18, 19 (Romans 5:12, 1 John 3:4, Ephesians 5:5-6, Isaiah 53:10-11)
Did God create us unable to keep His law?
No, but because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve,
we are all born in sin and guilt, unable to keep God’s law.
What is sin?
Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created,
not being or doing what he requires in his law.
Will God allow our disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished?
No, God is righteously angry with our sins
and will punish them both in this life and in the life to come.
Is there any way to escape punishment and
be brought back into God’s favor?
Yes, God reconciles us to himself by a Redeemer,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Time of silent confession.
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Philippians 2:6-11 (ESV)
Remember the Gospel!
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
He Will Hold Me Fast
When I fear my faith will fail,
Christ will hold me fast;
When the tempter would prevail,
He will hold me fast.
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path;
For my love is often cold;
He must hold me fast.
Chorus
He will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.
Those He saves are His delight,
Christ will hold me fast;
Precious in His holy sight,
He will hold me fast.
He’ll not let my soul be lost;
His promises shall last;
Bought by Him at such a cost,
He will hold me fast. (Chorus)
For my life He bled and died,
Christ will hold me fast;
Justice has been satisfied;
He will hold me fast.
Raised with Him to endless life,
He will hold me fast
‘Till our faith is turned to sight,
When He comes at last! (Chorus)
By Ada Ruth Habershon and Matthew Merker
© 2013 Getty Music Publishing; Matthew Merker Music
There is One Gospel
There is one Gospel on which I stand for all eternity.
It is my story, my Father’s plan, the Son has rescued me.
Oh, what a Gospel, oh what a peace.
My highest joy and my deepest need.
Now and forever, He is my light.
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There is one Gospel to which I cling, all else I count as loss.
For there, where justice and mercy meet, He saved me on the cross.
No more I boast in what I can bring,
No more I carry the weight of sin.
For He has brought me from death to life.
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There is one Gospel where hope is found, the empty tomb still speaks.
For death could not keep my Saviour down, He lives and I am free.
Now on my Saviour I fix my eyes,
My life is His and His hope is mine.
For He has promised I too, will rise.
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And in this Gospel, the church is one, we do not walk alone.
We have His Spirit as we press on to lead us safely home.
And when in glory still I will sing
Of this old story that rescued me.
Praise to my Saviour, the King of life.
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And when in glory still I will sing
Of this old story that rescued me.
Praise to my Saviour, the King of life.
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Praise to my Saviour, the King of life.
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
By Jonny Robinson and Rich Thompson
© 2022 CityAlight Music
Thanksgiving and Petition
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.
You may give electronically at gabcames.org/giving/ or place your offering in the boxes at the back of the sanctuary or send a check in the mail.
Scripture Reading
Psalm 13 (ESV)
1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers and the flower falls
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Psalm 13 – “How Long, O Lord?” – Pastor Michael Felkins
Sermon Discipleship Questions
1. What encouraged you?
2. What convicted you?
3. Is there anything in your life that needs to change?
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
How Long, O Lord, How Long? (Psalm 113)
O Lord our God, to You we come.
Will You still hide Your Face?
We cry before You and on our knees we pray.
How long, O Lord, how long?
Our sorrows leave us weak and worn,
Surrounded by our fears.
We look to heaven through feeble faith and tears.
How long, O Lord, how long?
‘Til Your glory fills our eyes
And our faith is turned to sight.
‘Til our thirsty souls are satisfied.
How long, O Lord, how long?
Our foes and enemies rejoice.
Injustice seems to reign.
Lord, we are shaken and we are losing strength.
How long, O Lord, how long?
‘Til Your glory fills our eyes
And our faith is turned to sight.
‘Til our thirsty souls are satisfied.
How long, O Lord, how long?
But we will trust Your steadfast love.
Your grace will be our song.
You bring new mercies with ev’ry rising sun.
How long, O Lord, how long?
‘Til Your glory fills our eyes
And our faith is turned to sight.
‘Til our thirsty souls are satisfied.
How long, O Lord, how long?
How long, O Lord, how long?
By Brittany Born, David Zimmer, Lisa Clow and Matthew Carpenter
© 2022 Sovereign Grace Praise
Blessing
2 Thessalonians 3:5 (ESV)
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God
and to the steadfastness of Christ.
Amen.
Scripture text for next Sunday: Psalm 14