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*Call to Worship | Matthew 6:33 | Blake Arnoult
God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.
33 Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
*Song of Adoration | Holy Spirit
We begin by responding with praise to God for who he is and for what he does.
/ There's nothing worth more, that will ever come close
No thing can compare, You're our living hope
Your Presence Lord
I've tasted and seen, of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free,
And my shame is undone
In Your Presence Lord
Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your Glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your Presence Lord
Your Presence Lord /
/// Let us become more aware of Your Presence
Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness ///
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: Katie Torwalt, Bryan Torwalt
*Confession of Faith | Luke 12:22-24
With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.
22 Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
*Song of Confession | Lord, I Need You
Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs are simply prayers that are sung. We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the One that guides my heart
Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Chorus
Teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
When I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus, You're my hope and stay
Chorus
You're my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
Music and Lyrics: Christy Nockels, Daniel Carson, J. Reeves, K. Stanfill, Matt Maher
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 of mercy, you sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost. We confess that we have strayed from you and turned aside from your way. We are misled by pride, for we see ourselves pure when we are stained and great when we are small. We have failed in love, neglected justice, and ignored your truth. Have mercy, O God, and forgive our sin. Return us to paths of righteousness through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon | Psalm 103:8, 10-12 | 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.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
*Song of Response | Heal Us, Emmanuel
We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are
We long to feel Thy touch
Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly
O Savior hear our cry
Our faith is feeble, we confess.
We faintly trust Thy Word.
But, will You pity us the less?
Be that far from You Lord!
Chorus
Remember him who once applied,
With trembling for relief.
“Lord, I believe,” with tears he cried,
“O help my unbelief!"
Chorus
She, too, who touched you in the press,
And healing virtue stole,
Was answered, “Daughter, go in peace;
Thy faith has made thee whole.”
Chorus
Like her, with hopes and fears we come,
To touch You if we may.
O, send us not despairing home;
Send none unhealed away!
//Chorus//
Music and Lyrics: Kevin Twit, Lucas Morton, William Cowper
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 | A Debtor To Mercy Alone
As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.
A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on,
My person and offering to bring.
The terrors of law and of God
With me can have nothing to do;
My Savior’s obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions from view
The work which His goodness began,
The arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is yea and amen,
And never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
Not all things below nor above
Can make Him His purpose forego,
Or sever my soul from His love.
My name from the palms of His hands
Eternity will not erase;
Impressed on His heart it remains
In marks of indelible grace.
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
As sure as the earnest is given
More happy, but not more secure,
The glorified spirits in heaven.
Music and Lyrics: Augustus Toplady, Kevin Twit
Prayer for Christ’s Church
We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.
*Reading of Scripture | 2 Corinthians 8:1-14; 9:5-7 | Blake Arnoult
God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness…
9:5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Pastor: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
The Preaching of the Word | Rev. Blake Arnoult
“Our Offering of Grace”
2 Corinthians: The God Of All Comfort
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 | God Really Loves Us
We celebrate our communion in faith and song.
I’ve got a friend closer than a brother
There is no judgment. Oh, how He loves me
I’ve got a friend
And He is my strength. He is my portion
With me in the valley with me in the fire
With me in the storm
Let all my life testify
Hallelujah we are not alone
God really loves us
God really loves us
Hallelujah oh praise my soul
God really loves us
God really loves us
His mercy’s enough. His grace is sufficient
So come if you’re needing forgiveness or healing
His mercy’s enough
Oh, this is our hope. The cross it has spoken
Death is no more. Christ is the Lord
Oh, this is our hope
Hallelujah we are not alone
God really loves us
God really loves us
Hallelujah oh praise my soul
God really loves us
God really loves us
//And oh oh oh oh
And oh oh oh oh //
/ What a Father what a Friend
What a Savior He is /
Hallelujah we are not alone
God really loves us
God really loves us
Hallelujah oh praise my soul
God really loves us
God really loves us
// What a Father what a Friend
What a Savior He is //
Music and Lyrics: Robert Robinson
Departing Song | Jesus Paid It All
We begin to end in faith and song.
I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
Lord, now indeed I find Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone.
Chorus
And when before the throne I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save" my lips shall still repeat
Chorus
/// Oh, praise the One who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead ///
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: Elvina M. Hall
*Benediction | 2 Corinthians 9:8 | 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.
8 God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fall Kick-off Party
August 21, directly after the service
Join us for our fall bash to kick off the start of our fall ministries! We will be gathering at the home of Blake and Ryan Arnoult for burgers, hotdogs, and a waterslide for the kids! Dress casually that Sunday, bring your favorite beverage, and invite your friends!
Mailing Address Update
Our mailing address has changed! Please send any mail for Cornerstone to our new address below!
Cornerstone Houston
1415 S Voss STE 110 #148
Houston, TX 77057
Fall Ministries Are Starting Soon!
Men and Women’s Bible Studies
Beginning Wednesday, September 7
Adult Teaching
Sunday, September 11
Youth Teaching
Sunday, September 18
Children’s Sunday School
Sunday, September 18
Visit our events page to subscribe to our calendar!