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*Call to Worship | Isaiah 45:23 | Blake Arnoult
God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.
23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
*Song of Adoration | Thy Mercy My God
We begin by responding with praise to God for who he is and for what he does.
Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.
Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.
Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.
Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
/ All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine. /
Music and Lyrics: John Stocker, Sandra McCracken
*Confession of Faith | Philippians 2:1-11
With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.
1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
*Song of Confession | Come Ye Sinners
Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs are simply prayers that are sung. We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power
Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry ‘til you’re better,
You will never come at all.
You will never come at all
On the bloody Cross behold Him,
Sinner, will this not suffice,
Lo! the incarnate God ascended,
Pleads His perfect sacrifice
Chorus
Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: Joseph Hart, Brooks Ritter
Confession of Sin | Blake Arnoult
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.
God, our Father, we confess before you today both our unworthiness and our infirmities, our weaknesses, and our lack of wisdom, our license, and our desire to control our own lives. 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; to freely self-sacrifice and show love for all people in order that we might freely serve you well.
Assurance of Pardon | John 8:31-32, 36 | 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.
31 Jesus answered, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…” 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
*Song of Response | Sweet Comfort
We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Whatever my God ordains is right
His holy will abides
I will be still whatever he does
And follow where he guides
Sweet comfort, sweet comfort
Yet shall fill my heart
Sweet comfort, sweet comfort
Sorrow shall depart
Whatever my God ordains is right
He makes my feet to stand
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine
He holds me in his hand
Chorus
This bitter cup, I take it
My fainting heart restored
So here I stand, unshaken
I trust upon the Lord
Chorus
He is my God though dark my road
He holds me, I shall not fall
Whatever my God ordains is right
To him I leave it all
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: Latifah Phillips and Sandra McCracken
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 | Doxology
As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here be--low;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen
Amen
Amen
Music and Lyrics: Thomas Ken
Prayer for Christ’s Church
We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.
*Reading of Scripture | Romans 14:1-12 | Rev. Blake Arnoult
God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Pastor: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
The Preaching of the Word | Rev. Blake Arnoult
“The Christian’s Master”
Romans: The Power of God for Salvation
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 | Grace Alone
We celebrate our communion in faith and song.
I was an orphan lost at the fall
Running away when I'd hear you call
But Father you worked your will
I had no righteousness of my own
I had no right to draw near your throne
But Father you loved me still
And in love before you laid the world's foundation
You predestined to adopt me as your own
You have raised me up so high above my station
I'm a child of God by grace and grace alone
You left your home to seek out the lost
You knew the great and terrible cost
But Jesus your face was set
I worked my fingers down to the bone
But nothing I did could ever atone
But Jesus you paid my debt
By Your blood I have redemption and salvation
Lord you died that I might reap what you have sown
And you rose that I might be a new creation
I am born again by grace and grace alone
I was in darkness all of my life
I never knew the day from the night
But Spirit you made me see
I swore I knew the way on my own
Head full of rocks a heart made of stone
But Spirit you moved in me
And at your touch my sleeping spirit was awakened
On my darkened heart the light of Christ has shone
Called into a kingdom that cannot be shaken
Heaven's citizen by grace and grace alone
So I'll stand in faith by grace and grace alone
I will run the race by grace and grace alone
I will slay my sin by grace and grace alone
I will reach the end by grace and grace alone
Music and Lyrics: Dustin Kensrue
Departing Song | O Come To The Altar
We begin to end in faith and song.
Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling
O come to the altar
The Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there’s no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling
/ Chorus /
/ Oh what a Savior
Isn’t He wonderful
Sing alleluia, Christ is risen
Bow down before Him
For He is Lord of all
Sing alleluia, Christ is risen /
/ Chorus /
Bear your cross as you wait for the crown
Tell the world of the treasure you’ve found
Music and Lyrics: Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
*Benediction | Jude 20, 21 | 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.
20 Beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fall Kick-Off Pool Party
Sunday, August 27, 11:30am-1:30pm
Everyone is invited to join us at the Byrd home on August 27 for our annual fall gathering! This is a BYOB event. Lunch will be provided!
Cornerstone’s 5th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, September 15, 7-9pm
Cornerstone is celebrating it’s 5th year anniversary this September! Adults are invited to the home of Blake and Ryan Arnoult to celebrate 5 years of ministry and fellowship!
Cornerstone is updating it’s member directory!
Members! Please email emily.mcewin@cornerstonehouston.com with a family photo for our member directory! Our goal is to complete the directory this summer!