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*Call to Worship | Zechariah 4:6-7 | Blake Arnoult
God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.
6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
*Song of Adoration | Arise O God and Shine
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 ring 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 | Isaiah 56:7-8
With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.
7 “My house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8 The Lord GOD,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”
*Song of Confession | Jesus I Come
Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs are simply prayers that are sung. We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come; Jesus I come.
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my sickness into Thy health,
Out of my wanting and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress into jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into Thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,
Out of despair into raptures above,
Upward forever on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into the joy and light of Thy home,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Music and Lyrics: Greg Thompson, William Sleeper
Confession of Sin
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.
We come before you, our Father in heaven, with confidence in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We confess before you today our unworthiness and our infirmities, our weaknesses, and our lack of wisdom. And, we confess that we are all together dependent on you day to day for that mercy which we find at your throne of grace. Give us that mercy again today and lift up our hearts to you. Help us to put all our trust in you both for eternal salvation and for the daily provisions of life, for ourselves and for those for whom we are responsible for their care. Enable us to manifest the mind of Christ at all times, of self-sacrifice and showing love for all people in order that we might serve you well.
Assurance of Pardon | Romans 6:22-23 | 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.
22 Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
*Song of Response | Father, Long Before Creation
We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Father, long before creation,
Thou hadst chosen us in love.
And that love so deep, so moving,
Draws us close to Christ above.
Still it keeps us, still it keeps us;
Firmly fixed in Christ alone.
Though the world may change its fashion,
Yet our God is e'er the same;
His compassion and His covenant
Through all ages will remain.
God's own children, God's own children;
Must forever praise His name.
God's compassion is my story;
Is my boasting all the day.
Mercy free and never failing,
Moves my will, directs my way.
God so loved us, God so loved us;
That His only Son He gave.
Loving Father now before Thee,
We will ever praise Thy love.
And our songs will sound unceasing
'Til we reach our home above.
/ Giving glory, giving glory;
To our God and to the Lamb. /
Music and Lyrics: Andrew Osenga, Francis Johnson
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 | How Great Is Our God
As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.
The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty,
Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice.
He wraps Himself in light, and darkness tries to hide,
And trembles at his voice, trembles at his voice.
How great is our God, sing with me,
How great is our God, all will see,
How great, how great is our God.
Age to age He stands, and time is in His hands,
Beginning and the end, beginning and the end.
The Godhead, three in one: Father, Spirit, Son,
The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb.
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves
Prayer for Christ’s Church
We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.
*Reading of Scripture | Mark 11:11-25 | Blake Arnoult
God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.
11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19 And when evening came they went out of the city.
20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Pastor: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
The Preaching of the Word | Blake Arnoult
“Destruction Stories of Jesus”
The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Jesus
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 | When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
We celebrate our communion in faith and song.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Music and Lyrics: Isaac Watts
Departing Song | On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand
We begin to end in faith and song.
On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye,
To Canaan’s fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
All o’er those wide extended plains,
Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son forever reigns,
And scatters night away.
I am bound (I am bound),
I am bound (I am bound),
I am bound for the promised land.
No chilling winds nor poisonous breath
Can reach that healthful shore;
Sickness, sorrow, pain and death,
Are felt and feared no more.
Chorus
When shall I reach that happy place,
And be forever blessed?
When shall I see my Father’s face,
And in His bosom rest?
//Chorus//
Music and Lyrics: Christopher Miner, Samuel Stennett
*Benediction | Jude 1:24-25 | 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.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Adult Teaching
November 6, 4-6pm
Join us at the home of Tim and Frances Arnoult on Sunday,
November 6 for the third and final session of our series!
Youth Teaching
November 13, 11:30am - 1pm
5th-12th graders! Join us at the Erwin home for pizza, fellowship, and teaching by Pastor Blake!
Adult Christmas Party
December 4, 6-8pm
All adults are invited to join us at the home of Blake and Ryan Arnoult for our annual Christmas party on December 4 at 6pm! We will share a meal as we celebrate the Christmas season together! This is a BYOB, adults-only event.
Children’s Christmas Party
December 11, 11:30am-1pm
Kids and parents, join us for lunch at an awesome Christmas party hosted at the Donovan home on December 11, directly after the worship service!
Christmas Eve Service
December 24, 3-4:30pm
Cornerstone is gathering for our annual Christmas Eve fellowship at 3pm followed by a worship service at 3:30pm. Invite your friends and family to join us!