Worship Service for February 21, 2021 at 11 AM

Welcome

Opening Song: Cornerstone

My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ name

Chorus:
Christ alone, Cornerstone,
Weak made strong in the Savior’s love
Through the storm He is Lord, Lord of all

When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil
My anchor holds within the veil

Chorus

He is Lord. Lord of all
When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone Faultless, stand before the throne

Invocation

Song: The Steadfast Love

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases

His mercies never come to an end

They are new every morning, New every morning

Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord. Great is Thy faithfulness

(repeat)

Confession and Forgiveness:

P: When God created mankind, He said mankind was very good. Then man rebelled against God and sin entered the world. Immediately after, God promised a savior to save His rebellious creation.

C: Praise be to God whose mercies are new every day.

P: In the fullness of time, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law.

C: Praise be to God whose mercies are new every day.

P: At His baptism, Jesus was numbered among us sinners that He might offer Himself as a sacrifice upon the cross for sinners.

C:  Praise be to God whose mercies are new every day.

P: Through Jesus Christ, God bids us come to Him and confess our sins, promising to forgive our sins and purify us.

C:  Praise be to God whose mercies are new every day. Let us confess our sins and seek God’s mercy.

(a time of silence to reflect and personally confess our sins)

C: Heavenly Father, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart and have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ and His suffering and death on the cross, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen

P: The Lord our God is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.  Therefore, I announce unto you the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In His stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.
C:  Praise be to God whose mercies are new every day.

The Steadfast Love

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end
They are new every morning, New every morning
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord. Great is Thy faithfulness

Song of Praise and Thanksgiving: Happy Day

The greatest day in history, Death is beaten, You have rescued me
Sing it out, Jesus is alive The empty cross, the empty grave
Life eternal, You have won the day
Shout it out, Jesus is alive, He’s alive

Chorus:
oh, happy day, happy day!   You washed my sin away
oh, happy day, happy day!   I’ll never be the same
Forever I am changed

When I stand in that place, Free at last, meeting face to face
I am Yours, Jesus, You are mine
Endless joy, perfect peace.   Earthly pain finally will cease
Celebrate, Jesus is alive, He’s alive

Chorus

Oh, what a glorious day!   What a glorious way! That You have saved me.
And oh, what a glorious day!   What a glorious name! Yeah!

oh, happy day, happy day!   You washed my sin away
oh, happy day, happy day!   I’ll never be the same
oh, happy day, happy day!   You washed my sin away
oh, happy day, happy day!   I’ll never be the same
Forever I am changed

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 22:1-18

Sometime later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Gospel Reading: Mark 1:9–15

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Children’s Message

Sermon Hymn – It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul”

Chorus:
It is well, (it is well) with my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet tho’ trials may come,
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

Chorus

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin not in part but in whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord oh my soul!

Chorus

And Lord haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
Even so it is well with my soul

Chorus 2x

Sermon – “Enduring Testing and Temptation“

James 1:12-18

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Prayers

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen

Words of Institution

Peace

P: The peace of the Lord be with you all.
C: And also, with you.
P: We greet each other in the peace of Christ.

Distribution

Prayer

Benediction

Closing Song: Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father.
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not.
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Chorus:
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand has provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness mercy and love.

Chorus

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

Chorus

Offering

Upcoming Events

Congregational Meeting about a New Facility
“Exploring Our Options”
Time and Date – TBD

Wednesday, February 24 – Mid-Week Lent Devotional Service
Online – Facebook, YouTube, FaithWesleyChapel.com

Thursday, February 25, 7am & 7pm – Tamp Lutherans Pray
TampaLutheransPray.com
Submit prayer requests on the site by Wednesday

Saturday, March 7, 11:30am – 2pm Youth Event – Escape Room
Imagine Escape Rooms https://breakoutgames.com/tampa
2830 E Bearss Ave. Tampa, FL 33613
Cost $24/person