|
Gathering Around the Word
Prelude: Carol Smith at piano Announcements: CALL TO WORSHIP: God is before all things and above all things. Even before all that we see around us was created, our God reigneth then. Our God has no beginning, no equal, no rival. The love and mercy of God endures forever. Everything around us, everything in this world will one day fade away. But the things concerning our God will last forever. Even though our bodies may fade, in Christ we will live forever. Worship God today. Give all of your heart to Him. Praise Him for what He has done. God has drawn near to man so that man may draw near to God. INVOCATION
*HYMN: “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” # 610
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Father, there is nothing in this world greater, more wonderful, or more lovely than You. Knowing You satisfies the need of every longing heart. In You we find the perfect father, friend, and advocate. And yet, the affections of our heart are drawn to the things of this world that are temporary. We spend our time and resources chasing after and preserving things that are here today and gone tomorrow. You call us to love You with all that we have and we are content with giving You what is left over of our time and love. Have mercy on us, O God for living lives of misaligned priorities. Where we have built idols, tear them down. Transform our hearts in a way that makes our highest goal and joy in this life to know and follow you more. *Time of Silent Prayer: *Assurance of Pardon *Response – Gloria Patri # 581 *Passing of the peace Children’s Chat Prayer of illumination Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40: 6-11 Lois Miller Sermon text: 1 John 2:12-17 : *HYMN “The Church’s One Foundation” # 321 *Apostles Creed (next to Prayer List) Presentation of tithes and offering Offertory *Doxology *Prayer of dedication Concerns and Celebrations Prayers of the people The Lord’s Prayer *HYMN “To God be the Glory” # 634 Benediction *Postlude
BIRTHDAYS: Ida Reese, Debbie Rugg, Helen Provenzano
ANNIVERSARIES: None this week SYMPATHIES: None Remember our food collection. And Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” Please let Betty Fisher know of anyone within the community that may be in need at this time. We are looking for interested individuals who would like to join the choir. If you are interested, please let Don Herschell, Debbie Durila or Diana Donaldson know.
Continuing Prayer List
Chuck Dicks, Frank Huffman, Tom Westfall, Sandy Stone, Sarah Wilson, Carl Weber, Jimmy Svetz, Ricci Amos, Haley Diedier Bedillion, Fred Wilkinson, Diane Anderson, Helen Provenzano, Donna West, Judy Donaldson, Marlene McFeely, Wendy Willard, Marley Smith, Ellen Morris, Suzy Smith, Carol Pierce, Chuck Harton, Doug Ward, Cheryl Hardway, Frank Baker, Holly Liggitt (6 yrs. old) granddaughter of Debbie Durila, Tom Miller 
0 Comments
Good morning!
We're so glad you decided to join us today!
When we meet each week, we take time to share any prayer requests we might have. If you have any to share, please add them as a comment to this post. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help us to learn and grow in our spiritual gifts that you uniquely give each of us. We ask that you help us to use our spiritual gifts for your glory. We pray that we may be bold in sharing the gospel, and that we would be faithful in serving you. We ask that you would help us to grow in our knowledge of you and that we would be obedient to your will. We praise you for your goodness and your faithfulness, and we ask that you continue to work in our lives. In Jesus name. Amen
This week's lesson is on Romans 12:3-8.
The book of Romans was written by Paul in about AD 58, Probably toward the end of his third missionary journey. At that point, Paul had not yet been to Rome, but greatly wished to visit. He would do so, but in chains as a prisoner.
He made it to Rome by about AD 61 but remained under house arrest, unable to move about the city as he might have wished. Paul wrote his letter to the church to introduce himself and his teaching prior to a personal visit there. The church was likely established not long after the day of Pentecost, some 30 years earlier. Some of the Jews who heard Peter's sermon that day were from Rome, and it's easy to imagine that they were the ones who started the church after returning home to Rome. There is little doubt that the Roman church had heard of Paul and looked forward to meeting him. The book of Romans falls into two major sections. The first part, Romans 1-11, features some of the most doctrinal heavy thoughts in all of Scripture. A shift comes with Romans 12-16, which addresses how Christians then live in light of the truth of those doctrines. The ability to discern the “what God's will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” begins with the correct thought of ourselves. For a person to think soberly is to think rationally and appropriately. Paul introduced the common standard of measurement by which to evaluate oneself: it is the measure of faith. For just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. It should be obvious that not all parts of the body perform the same function. A hand does not function as an ear and vice versa. Paul desired his readers to think in terms of one as a collective singular of many. As Christians cannot serve effectively apart from other Christians, so also one body cannot operate independently of the head, who is Christ.
Gifts- How to serve
Paul begins a list of seven different gifts. The gift of prophecy involves proclaiming information divinely revealed for the church's edification. We pause here for caution: as Paul begins his listing of such gifts according to this text and others. But to do so runs the risk of missing the bigger picture which is spiritual gifts serve as an example of a church that is united in it diversity Spiritual gifts are not given merely to bless the person receiving the gift but to build up the church as a whole. Most of all, these gifts are intended to be displays of love between believers. We move to the second gift in Paul's grouping of four: service. Service was the usual way to describe the work that Christians did on behalf of others. Christian ministry in general (Romans 15:25; Philemon 13) The ministry of Christ (Romans 15:8; Galatians 2:17) Specific Christian ministries (Romans 11:13; 2 Corinthians 9:12-13) Ministry of the office of deacon (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3: 8-13) Ministry of a secular authority (Romans 13:4) Paul then focuses on the person who teaches rather than the gift of teaching. Teaching is distinct from prophesying. Prophesy is based on revealing the information that God has placed in the prophet's mouth; teaching involves communicating the truth of the gospel. Teaching was critical for the first-century church, where many people were not formally educated. They learned from auditory instructions instead of reading. Therefore, it was and is a primary task of the eldership. Fourth gift is encouragement. Primary ways Paul used this was to comfort, urge, or encourage. Paul is challenging those with this gift to use it in terms of being a bit stronger than merely “requesting” something of someone else but a bit less strong than “commanding” that person. If it is giving, then give generously. To give is to share with another or the church what one has. This is an expectation of all believers. There are no ulterior motives for our giving. If it is to lead, do it diligently. This includes church leadership, family leadership or household management and self-management. To be such a person is to be in control in a godly sense. If you show mercy, do it cheerfully. To show mercy requires both action and proper attitude. Showing mercy involves more than merely offering lip service sympathy or forgiveness. In the Beatitudes Jesus states, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” The mercy we ourselves have received from God is the basis for our own action of mercy, as Jesus' parable of the unmerciful servant makes clear. (Matthew 18:21-35) We see the cheerfulness aspect of showing mercy also reflected in giving (2 Corinthians 9:7), such giving being a specific kind of merciful act. At this point, this list of spiritual gifts ends. But the very next verse (Romans 12:9) relates love to spiritual gifts in much the same way as 1 Corinthians 12:14 does. Love is the touchstone for how any spiritual gift is used. 
Conclusion: All gifts matter
We understand that all spiritual gifts are important. But at the same time, we know that not all such gifts are equal and that not all believers are equally gifted (Matthew 25:14-15) As a result, our natural tendency is to pay more attention to the gifts that are more visible, more “out front” to the public. The highly visible preacher of the church usually gets paid more that the less visible custodian who cleans the church. But here's where Paul's illustration of body members working together (unity in diversity) comes in per Romans 12: 4-5: I don't think you would want to go to a dirty and smelly church any more than you would want to go to church with a horrible preacher! The functions of one's hands are much more varied, useful and visible then are the functions of one's elbow. But a nonfunctioning elbow will severely limit how the hand can function. Pride is a danger to those having the more visible gifts. Also a danger is that those who have the less visible gifts won't use them, perhaps figuratively “burying” them. (Matthew 25:25) But just as no human body functions to its highest potential unless all of its parts are working together, so also the church- the body of Christ – does not function at full potential until all of its members use their spiritual gifts. The cure or preventative for both pride of gifts and nonuse of gifts is Luke 17:10. “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, we are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” Your gifts A popular tool that churches and ministries have turned to since at least the 1980's is a spiritual gifts assessment inventory (or tests) during my time as a student in Bible college and seminary. You can take these tests online and get your results. Most of the time, they told me what I suspected already: that teaching was one of my spiritual gifts. Occasionally, an inventory would indicate that I had a secondary gift that I didn't realize. One such result was that I had the gift of administration. I found that to be exceptionally funny, given the reality of the piles of books, articles and papers piled on my desk, floor and couch. This goes to show that these inventories aren't perfect – they can be misleading. An assumption behind those inventories is that helping people identify what their giftings are will mean that those who have been enlightened will automatically start using those gifts. But that is not always so. People will need encouragement to use and otherwise develop their spiritual gifts. Sometimes, people need the wisdom and insight of others to help discern which giftings are present. Another assumption is that such inventories are even needed for people to be able to identify their areas of spiritual giftedness. A more accurate indicator may be personal experience. What types of Christians service do your personal experiences tell you that you have been best at? Where have you fallen flat.
Prayer
Father, you have called all of your servants to serve. Help us to realize our gifts and give us the courage to develop and use them for your glory. Help us to remember that no matter what our gifts are all members of one body and that no one is unimportant to your church and to you. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thought to remember: Know your spiritual gifts and use them with humility
Questions
Benediction
This week's benediction is from the King James Version. 
Next week's lesson will be on Isaiah 40:12-13, 25-31.
Gathering Around the Word
Prelude: Announcements: CALL TO WORSHIP: Great is God’s love for His people! Even when we fail, God’s love is there. He is patient, kind, and gentle toward us. Who are we that God would have a heart for us? God doesn’t leave us in our lowly estate, He takes us in, transforms us and makes us like His Son. O what a God, the only God that we serve who makes a way of salvation for His creation. Worship Him today and everyday! For great are His ways, unfailing is His love, wonderful are His promises, and perfect are His plans! INVOCATION
*HYMN:
“God of Grace and God of Glory # 307 *PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Father, just one week ago we read that to claim we belong to You and still walk in sin makes us out to be liars. You call us to fight and deny temptation, You give us the strength to flee from the evil one and yet here we are another week where we have fallen short. We come guilty, saddened, and grieving the many ways where we have disobeyed You. We confess that we have failed to turn from sin and in many ways have returned to habitual sin. We look to You for Mercy, O God. We look to You and Your righteousness as our only hope. Forgive us and deliver us from the guilt that weighs heavy upon us. Lift our heads by Your grace and though we may sin today, continue working in us, making each of us more like Your Son. AMEN Time of Silent Prayer: Assurance of Pardon Response – Gloria Patri # 581 Passing of the peace Children’s Chat Prayer of illumination Scripture Reading: Jonah 4 Sermon text: 1 John 2: 7-11 *HYMN “I Love to Tell the Story” # 462 *Apostles Creed (next to Prayer List) Presentation of tithes and offering Offertory Doxology *Prayer of dedication Concerns and Celebrations Prayers of the people The Lord’s Prayer HYMN “Just a Closer Walk with Thee # 835 *Benediction *Postlude
SYMPATHIES:
For the Family of Rebeca Baker Daughter of Jim Nelan For the Family of Terry Weaver Brother-in-law of Nellie Baker Remember our food collection. And Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” Please let Betty Fisher know of anyone within the community that may be in need at this time. We are looking for interested individuals who would like to join the choir. If you are interested, please let Don Herschell, Debbie Durila or myself know. Session meets Monday night at 7 p.m. WOW meets Wednesday January 24 at 9:30 a.m. weather permitting. Remember next Sunday is our congregational meeting after church. There will also be a luncheon in the social hall.
Good morning!
We're so glad you decided to join us today!
When we meet in person, we share our joys and concerns with each other. If you have prayer requests to share, you can add them to the comments on this post. When you are ready, you may use the prayer below to get started:
Gracious God, we gather this morning facing various challenges in our lives. We admit that we are fearful and uncertain about what lies ahead, that we are ill-equipped to handle them in our own strength. And so we turn to you, and we ask you to go before us and to help us overcome our problems.
Because you are a God who cares about us, we praise you and we thank you. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Today's lesson is on 2 Chronicles 20:13-20.
Lesson context
The book of 2 Chronicles covers the period from 970 BC to 536 BC. It spans from Solomon, the last king of Israel as a united monarchy, to Cyrus, the king of Persia who ended the Babylonian exile. Readers may wonder why the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles are useful since much of their content mirrors that of 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. A clue is found in the title of 1 and 2 Chronicles as appearing in the Greek version of the Old Testament, known as the Septuagint. There the title translates into English as “Things Omitted.” “Things Omitted” is an appropriate designation for the text of today’s lesson. It focuses on events during the reign of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah (the southern kingdom of the divided Israel) from about 872 BC to 848 BC. The text of 2 Chronicles 17:1-21:3 has much more information about him than is recorded in 1 Kings 15:24 and 22:1-50. Jehoshaphat reigned during the period of the divided monarchy in Israelite history. He was one of the more godly kings of Judah. He is noted for his efforts to rid Judah of idol worship and to promote the teaching of God’s law throughout the land. Also noteworthy is the respect he was held in by surrounding people and the attention he gave to various building projects and administrative reforms. On the downside, however, he entered into an ill-advised alliance with Ahab, king of northern Israel, who enlisted Jehoshaphat’s help in retaking some territory from the Arameans. After hearing of God’s displeasure with that alliance, Jehoshaphat reorganized his government both physically and spiritually. Later a coalition of enemy forces began marching toward Judah. That resulted in the king and his country becoming unified in fasting and public prayer — prayer that confessed utter reliance on the Lord to defeat this threat (1 Kings 20:3-12). The Lord’s response came next.
Facing a crisis (verses 13 to 17)
In this dire situation, representatives from every town came together. The crisis was so severe, in fact, that not only men but also women and children participated. After hearing the king’s prayer, they awaited God’s response. Then the Spirit of the Lord “came on” a man named Jahaziel. As the lesson points out, during the Old Testament era, God’s Spirit seems to have come on certain individuals for a limited time and a specific purpose. In this case, it was so that God could speak through him to the people of Judah. Through him, God tells the people not to be afraid or discouraged by the vast army that is approaching. That’s because the battle is God’s, not theirs. That would have been comforting news to those who believed the message. The coalition army was only about 25 miles away and could be there in less than three days. The instructions are not for the people to do nothing, however. The next day they are to march a particular location, the Pass of Ziz, less than 20 miles from Jerusalem. Although they are to take their positions and stand firm, they will only witness how the Lord delivers them. The words are similar to the ones Moses spoke to the people centuries earlier when the Egyptians pursued them. (See Exodus 14:13-14.)
‘Faith-ing’ a crisis (verses 18-20)
The Lord had heard the king’s prayer and was answering it. Worship was the proper response. The king bowed down, and the people followed his example. Then some from the priestly families of Kohath and Korah got up from the ground and began praising God loudly. Kohath was the second of Levi’s sons. Korah is best known for organizing a rebellion against the authority of Moses. He and those who followed him were swallowed by the earth, but not all the Korahites joined in the rebellion. These are descendants of those who did not rebel. What a contrast it is between these descendants, who rose up to praise God, and some of their ancestors, who rose up to defy Moses! As they set out, King Jehoshaphat calls on his people to have faith in the Lord and to believe in the message they had heard. By having faith in the prophetic message, they will succeed, he tells them. Elsewhere in the Old Testament, when God’s people ignored or mocked the prophets, God sent judgment upon them. (See, for example, 2 Kings 17.) The people of Judah chose to listen to God’s words in this case, and God brought them a providential and even miraculous deliverance. Although it’s not part of today’s lesson, when the people of Judah arrived, instead of finding a vast army, they found a multitude of dead bodies. The biblical account does not tell exactly how this happened but only that the Lord set up ambushes for them and the coalition forces began fighting among themselves. Some commentators speculate that angels initiated a battle, and the different forces began fighting among themselves. Others suggest that a band of desert wanderers attacked a portion of the army, and the allies began attacking each other. In any case, the people were able to plunder their enemies possessions. Both the king and his people returned to Jerusalem just as they had left it — in triumphant praise and worship of the Lord. 
Conclusion
King Jehoshaphat had offered a passionate plea to the Lord for help, admitting that neither the king nor his people had any strategy or resources to confront the oncoming threat. Perhaps as his prayer progressed, his voice grew louder, possibly even trembling as he reached the end and declared his utter dependence upon God: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12). Then came Jahaziel’s Spirit-empowered words. The people’s “uplook” changed their outlook. All of us can probably recall a time when a passage of God’s Word was especially reassuring and helped get us through difficult circumstances. We may not have felt as desperate as Jehoshaphat did, but we experienced the energy that comes from God’s encouragement. We may not be like Jahaziel, who encouraged a king and his nation when the Spirit of God came upon him. But perhaps during the course of a day, someone will come to mind that we should share a Scripture passage with by a phone call, text message, email or postcard. Who might that be?
Prayer
Father, our culture and our world are often characterized by speech and actions that oppose your truth. Keep our eyes on you daily, that we may escape their influence! Thank you for the one who have encouraged us over the years through your promises. May we seek to pass that blessing on to others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Questions for discussion:
Benediction
Today's benediction is from the New International Version. 
Next week's lesson will be on Romans 12:3-8.
Gathering Around the Word
Prelude: Announcements: CALL TO WORSHIP: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever! Give thanks to the God of gods and the Lord of lords. His love endures forever! He alone does great wonders His love endures forever! He remembers us in our lowly estate His love endures forever! Worship him today, the God who is worthy and whose love endures. INVOCATION
*HYMN: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” # 475
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Father, we confess today that we have fallen short of Your demands of our life and obedience every single day. We don’t love You, and we don’t love others as we should. We allow the stresses in our lives to act as excuses to do the things we know are wrong. You set us free from sin and yet we fight so hard when you call us out of it. Out of your great love and patience, forgive us of these sins and the sin that we don’t see yet we realize runs deep within who we are. Have mercy on us as we confess our sin individually. Amen Time of Silent Prayer: Assurance of Pardon Response – Gloria Patri # 581 Passing of the peace Children’s Chat Prayer of illumination Scripture Reading: Psalm 4 Diana Donaldson Sermon text: 1 John 2: 1 - 6 *HYMN “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine” # 839 *Apostles Creed (next to Prayer List) Presentation of tithes and offering Offertory Doxology *Prayer of dedication Concerns and Celebrations Prayers of the people The Lord’s Prayer HYMN “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing # 546 *Benediction *Postlude Be safe and keep warm!
BIRTHDAYS:
January 14 Christine Welling Barb O’Hara ANNIVERSARIES: None this week SYMPATHIES: For the Family of Richard Wagner, Debbie Mary’s father Remember our food collection. And Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” Please let Betty Fisher know of anyone within the community that may be in need at this time. We need prayers for Tom Miller. He fell and hit his head and ended up with a concussion. Nellie Baker is asking prayers for her brother-in-law, Terry Weaver. He is now under hospice care in Maryland. We are looking for interested individuals who would like to join the choir. If you are interested, please let Don Herschell, Debbie Durila or Diana Donaldson know. Starting a new year, so if you have news, joys or concerns let Diana Donaldson know.
Continuing Prayer List
Chuck Dicks, Frank Huffman, Tom Westfall, Sandy Stone, Sarah Wilson, Carl Weber, Jimmy Svetz, Ricci Amos, Haley Diedier Bedillion, Fred Wilkinson, Diane Anderson, Helen Provenzano, Donna West, Judy Donaldson, Marlene McFeely, Wendy Willard, Marley Smith, Ellen Morris, Suzy Smith, Carol Pierce, Chuck Harton, Doug Ward, Cheryl Hardway, Frank Baker, Holly Liggitt (6 yrs. old) granddaughter of Debbie Durila, Tom Miller, Terry Weaver
Good morning!
We're so glad you decided to join us today!
Each week that we meet in person, we take some time to share any joys or concerns we might have. Take some time to consider your past week. If you have any prayer requests to share, please add them as a comment to this post. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started.
Lord, today I place my trust in You with all my heart. I acknowledge that my understanding is limited, and I lean on You for guidance and wisdom in all I do.
Help me to rely not on my own understanding but on Your infinite knowledge and love. As I prepare to face the challenges and blessings of this day, I submit myself to Your will. I surrender my plans, desires, and ambitions to You, knowing that Your ways are higher and wiser than mine. I ask for the humility and strength to align my actions and decisions with Your divine purpose. Lord, please make my paths straight. Remove any obstacles that may lead me astray from Your righteous and loving path. Grant me the clarity to discern Your will and the courage to follow it, even when it may seem unclear or difficult. In every moment of this day, I seek Your guidance and presence. Whether in times of joy or trial, help me to remember Proverbs 3:5-6, and may these verses be a constant reminder of Your steadfast love and faithfulness. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the assurance that as I trust in You, submit to Your ways, and seek Your guidance, You will lead me on a straight and purposeful path. With gratitude and love, I commit this day to You, trusting that You are always by my side. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Today's lesson is on Proverbs 3:1-8.
Lesson Context
The book of Proverbs is generally, mostly attributed to King Solomon. Its importance is in how it communicates what makes up a life of wisdom. All people can learn and apply the wisdom taught in the book of Proverbs. It is divided into five sections: an introduction to wisdom (Proverbs 1-9), the proverbs of Solomon (10:1-22:16; 25:1-29:27), the words of the wise (22:17-24:34), the words of Agur (Proverbs 30), and the words of King Lemuel (Proverbs 31). We know nothing about Agur or King Lemuel. The book has us listening to the teachings of a father to his son. With one exception, the poetic order of each pair of verses in today's scripture follows the same pattern. First, the father gives his son a negative command. Second, the father gives a positive command. Finally, the father concludes that section with a promise for his son.
One Law (verses 1-2)
This passage is set up as a father talking to his son. The son is told to "keep my commands in your heart." In the Old Testament, the heart refers to a person's inner being. The commands should become part of the son's volitions, emotions, and knowledge. A way to keep the commands would be to commit them to memory, and obey them. This reflects on the Law of Moses, where children are to honor their parents. A child who honors their parents is entering a life of wisdom. This will be a flourishing life, with relational harmony.
Two Virtues (verses 3-4)
Love and faithfulness are two key words in the Old Testament, especially regarding the attributes of God. Love frequently refers to God's loyalty and commitment to his people. Faithfulness conveys the idea of reliability. For the father speaking to his son, he wants to see his son's heart transformed. The son should do good actions that come from a heart oriented toward the virtues of mercy and truth. In the Old Testament, a person might bind something around their neck to show the importance and significance of that item to the wearer. The father's speech is interpreted as figurative language by our book. It is meant to highlight the extent that the son should go to in order to develop a life of love and faithfulness. The virtues are not to be hidden from the world. By having the virtues of love and faithfulness, the son will win favor. This means he will be held in high regard. Having a life of wisdom and character will not only win favor with God, but with other people as well. A good name and good reputation take time to develop. Not only do these things provide a personal benefit, but they are also avenues to honor God and reveal God to other people.
One Trust (verses 5-6)
Placing trust anywhere other than God can lead to futility or destruction. It does not lead to any lasting or eternal wisdom. Leaning on your own understanding can lead to pride. Only foolish people trust themselves more than the wisdom of the Lord. The Lord is worthy to be trusted because he is the source of salvation. To trust with all your heart is total commitment. It is all-encompassing. To submit to God means to know him and give him proper recognition for his activity in a person's life. It involves a willingness to yield to his will. God will all-knowing, all-present and all-powerful. We can trust that he will provide his people with a wise and righteous path. This is not a promise of an easy life. However, God has provided us with an avenue of peace through Christ Jesus.
Two Actions (verses 7-8)
The opposite of trusting and submitting to God is to consider one's wisdom as the final say. God is the source of wisdom. He desire to give his people wisdom through his Spirit. As a result, God's people should avoid lives of pride and arrogance. Instead, they should seek wisdom from God. The example of King Solomon provides us with a warning based on this verse. He received wisdom from God. However, he failed to follow God's wisdom. As a result, he experience heartache and the promise of consequences that would extend past his lifetime. To fear the Lord involves having an attitude of reverence, awe, wonder, faith, and trust in the Lord. It is impossible to be wise in one's own eyes and simultaneously fear the Lord. Instead, an attitude of humility is required. The last verse of the passage is difficult to translate because it is a Hebrew idiom. The King James Version translates the verse as, "It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." Our book says that this is a more accurate translation of the original Hebrew. This may be a literary practice wherein one part of the body represents the whole. A life of humility, fear of the Lord and obedience to him results in the complete wholeness of a person. We know that a person's status in life does not correlate to the quality of a person's heart. While people may experience wholeness and health in part while on earth, scripture promises a time in the future when God, "will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away," (Revelation 21:4). 
Conclusion
It is easy for believers to sy that we are seeking the wisdom of God when in actuality, other voices influence our lives and shape our perspectives. If we're filling our lives with human ideas rather than the wisdom of God, which will have more influence?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the inspired wisdom you have revealed to us in scripture. Help us to listen and follow your word. Show us how we can be more attentive to the direction of your Spirit so that we might have lives of wisdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Questions for Discussion
Benediction
Today's benediction is from the English Standard Version. 
Next week's lesson will be on 2 Chronicles 20:13-20.
Gathering Around the Word
Prelude: Choir Announcements: CALL TO WORSHIP: We come to worship today as people who know they are sinners. Walking in the light reveals all the darkness that we wish we could hide. What hope then do we have? What then can wash away our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. O what a joy it is to know that there is no sin too great, no unrighteousness too deeply rooted that the blood of the Lamb cannot clean. Praise God for His faithfulness. Let us worship God today. Our shield, our glory, and the lifter of our heads! INVOCATION
*HYMN: We Three Kings of Orient Are” # 151
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Father, when we consider how deeply rooted our sin is, and how short we have fallen there is not a time in our memory that we can escape the reality of who we are. We sinned when we were young, when we were young adults, and we will sin still as we grow old. Try as we may to do otherwise, we cannot avoid that this is part of who we are as fallen human beings, and the shame that comes from this sin is often so great that we would rather hide from it and pretend that it isn’t there. Remind us again of the forgiveness that we find through the blood of Your Son. As we confess our sin, hear us and have mercy on us. Ease us of our guilt. Root us in the confidence of Your great love and patience. We pray this in the name of Your Son, AMEN Time of silent prayer. Assurance of Pardon Response – Gloria Patri # 581 * Passing of the peace Children’s Chat Prayer of illumination Scripture: Psalm 3 Sermon text: 1 John 1: 5-10 *HYMN “As With Gladness Men of Old” # 150 *Apostles Creed (next to Prayer List) Presentation of tithes and offering Offertory Doxology *Prayer of dedication Concerns and Celebrations Prayers of the people The Lord’s Prayer INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE “Let Us “Break Bread Together #525 Communion Alleluia (1 verse) INVOCATION “A Hymn of Joy We Sing” (see insert) *HYMN “Gentle Mary Laid Her Child # 146 *Benediction *Postlude Safe and Happy New Year!!
BIRTHDAYS: Christine Welling, Barb O’Hara
ANNIVERSARIES: Clayton & Leslie LaPosta SYMPATHIES: For the Family of Twila Fisher, cousin of Linda Miller For the family of Richard Wagner, father of Debbie Mary Remember our food collection. And Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” Please let Betty Fisher know of anyone within the community that may be in need at this time. Women’s Missionary Group will meet this Tuesday, Jan. 9th downstairs in the social Hall at 9:30 am. Please join us as we fellowship together in the New Year. The Women On Wednesday (WOW) will meet this Wednesday 1/10 at 9:30 weather permitting.
Continuing Prayer List
Chuck Dicks, Frank Huffman, Tom Westfall, Sandy Stone, Sarah Wilson, Carl Weber, Jimmy Svetz, Ricci Amos, Haley Diedier Bedillion, Fred Wilkinson, Diane Anderson, Helen Provenzano, Donna West, Judy Donaldson, Marlene McFeely, Wendy Willard, Marley Smith, Ellen Morris, Suzy Smith, Carol Pierce, Chuck Harton, Doug Ward, Cheryl Hardway, Frank Baker, Holly Liggitt (6 yrs. old) granddaughter of Debbie Durila, Ron Westfall, Carol Horne
Good morning!
We're so glad you decided to join us for the first Sunday of 2024!
Yesterday was Epiphany, the day when we celebrate the wise men coming to see Jesus.
We meet in person most weeks, and discuss the lesson together. We also share any prayer requests we have. Consider the last week, and any prayer requests you might have. You can add these as a comment on this post. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started.
Loving Father, I can be so entrenched in my own thinking that sometimes I doubt Your Word and question Your promises, often wishing I had some concrete proof of Your love for me. Forgive me, Lord - I know that Your Word gives me all the affirmation of this absolute reality that I need. Your Word and promises are sure, and Your faithfulness stretches beyond the limits of time and space. Thank You for the gift of faith. I pray that, day by day, my loving trust in You will become increasingly established within my heart for I long to please You in all I say and do and am. In Jesus' name, AMEN.
Today's lesson is on Hebrews 11:1-4a, 7a, 8, 17-18, 20-23, 32, 39-40. If you would like to read the passage uninterrupted, Hebrews 11:1-40.
Luke says he writes so that you can know for certain. John writes so that we can believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
The book of Hebrews is a bit of a puzzle. Scholars can’t agree on who wrote it or when it was written. They do agree that Hebrews offers a description of faith, and a history of God’s people. This letter was written to encourage a people not to give up on their faith because of the suffering they endure. Faith, for Hebrews, is always linked to hope. Faith is looking at God and trusting him for everything. Hope is looking at the future and trusting God for it. Over two thousand years later we still have a similar faith. We believe in things we cannot see. You can’t see electricity but when you flip a switch, you see the light. You can’t see anything on a CD or DVD but you know that sound and pictures are there. Yes, faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. In various translations, this chapter is introduced by many titles: “The Meaning of Faith,” “By Faith we Understand,” “Description of Faith,” and in the Bible most of us use, NIV, “Faith in Action”. The chapter’s list of saints who have gone before us is often called a cloud of witnesses. Each of us has our own cloud of witnesses: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, Sunday School teachers and pastors. Remember them and be thankful. In 2024 we have the advantage of knowing about Jesus, the cross and his resurrection. We have been empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit. God has called each one of us to work for his kingdom. 
Conclusion
Some faithful people have some significant imperfections. We are to walk by faith not by sight. We have an advantage over Old Testament teachers because we have the privilege of knowing about Jesus and his resurrection. Because we believe in the promises of God, it becomes our duty to do what God calls us to do, believing that the Holy Spirit will empower us to do so. Prayer Heavenly Father, we thank you for these faithful servants of yours whose deeds inspire us in our faith. May we prove to be at least as faithful as they were. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Thought to Remember Faith overrides imperfections!
Questions for Discussion
Benediction
Today's benediction is from the Tree of Life Version. 
Next week's lesson is on Proverbs 3:1-8.
|
AuthorWe are a small, rural Presbyterian church in southwestern Pennsylvania. Archives
August 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed