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Order of Worship
May 3, 2026
Welcome and Announcements
Gathering the Family Together
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing
Our helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe
His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing,
Were not the right man on our side, The man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He
Lord Sabaoth His name, From age to age the same
And He must win the battle
And though this world with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed, His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim, We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure:
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours Through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also.
The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still:
His kingdom is forever.
Call To Worship
Scripture Reading: Mark 8:34-38
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Prayer of Invocation
Declaring What We Believe
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made man.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy universal and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come.
Amen.
We Respond to God’s Presence
The Solid Rock
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Words: Edward Mote; Music: William B. Bradbury
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Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
Verse 1:
Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, All I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition! God and heaven are still my own.
Verse 2:
Let the world despise and leave me, They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
O while Thou dost smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, Show Thy face and all is bright.
Verse 3:
Man may trouble and distress me, ‘Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ‘tis not in grief to harm me, While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ‘twere not in joy to charm me, Were that joy unmixed with Thee.
Verse 4:
Go, then, earthly fame and treasure, Come disaster, scorn and pain
In Thy service, pain is pleasure, With Thy favor, loss is gain
I have called Thee Abba Father, I have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;
All must work for good to me.
Verse 5:
Soul, then know thy full salvation Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station, Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee,
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.
Verse 6:
Haste thee on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heaven’s eternal days before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide us there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
Text: Henry Lyte. Music: Bill Moore. © 2001 Bill Moore Music.
Children’s Lesson
Pastoral Prayer
The basket to receive His tithes and our offerings
is located on the left as you leave the Sanctuary.
We Worship Through Hearing
Today’s Message
Sermon Series: Guard the Gospel; Shepherd the Flock
“Be Strong and Endure”
II Timothy 1:15-2:7
Notes
I. The Examples of ______________ and Faithfulness.
(II Timothy 1:15-18)
II. The Call to Be __________________ by Grace.
(II Timothy 2:1-2)
III. The Challenge of ________________ Faithfulness.
(II Timothy 2:3-7)
Communion
Prayer of Contrition
Sharing of the Elements
We invite to the Lord’s Table all those who are baptized disciples of Jesus Christ and are under the authority of Christ and His body, the Church. By eating the bread and drinking the wine with us as a visitor, you are acknowledging to the elders of this local church that you are in covenant with God and an active member of a congregation in which the gospel is faithfully confessed, taught, and believed. You also acknowledge that you are a sinner, without hope except in the sovereign mercy of God, and that you are trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. If you have any doubt about your participation, please speak to the elders before or after the service.
Declaration of Forgiveness
We Are Sent Forth in Worship
to Share the Gospel
The Greatest Commands
Verse 1 (Alto; All women first time through):
Love one another, for love is of God.
He who loves is born of God and knows God.
He who does not love does not know God,
For God is love, God is love.
Verse 2 (Bass; All men first time through this section):
Love bears all things,
Believes all things,
Love hopes all things,
Endures all things.
Verse 3 (Tenor):
God is love, God is love, God is love.
God is love, God is love, God is love.
God is love, God is love, God is love.
God is love, God is love, God is love.
Verse 4 (Soprano):
Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.
With all thy soul, all thy strength, all thy mind.
Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
For God is love, God is love, God is love.
Benediction
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Bulletin Date: 2026-05-03