Worship Service for March 19, 2023, at 11 AM (Youth Service)

Red Letter Challenge – “Giving”

Welcome

Faith: This Is Who We Are: Growth Groups

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)

Bridge: 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.                          © 2011 Hillsong Music Publishing

Invocation

Confession and Forgiveness:

P: Our Heavenly Father asks us to come into His presence.
C: But we are sinful and unworthy. 

P: Yes, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but Jesus Christ died on the cross that we may be forgiven and washed clean of all our sins by His blood spilled on the cross.
C: Lord, if You wash us, we will certainly be clean and pure.

P: We take a moment to bow before the His cross and silently reflect on our lives and confess our sins.

(Time of silence for reflection and confession)

P: Let us confess, together, our sins to God our Father.
C: Heavenly Father, we confess that we are sinners.  We have sinned against you and our neighbors. We have not loved you with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not lived out our faith in our community. We justly deserve Your punishment.  For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.  Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name.  Amen.

P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins.  As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I, therefore, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen

Song of Praise and Thanksgiving: No Longer Slaves

You unravel me, with a melody. You surround me with a song,
Of deliverance, from my enemies till all my fears are gone.

Chorus:
I’m no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God

From my mother’s womb You have chosen me.
Love has called my name
I’ve been born again, into your family
Your blood flows through my veins

(Chorus)

Ohhh, Ohhh, Ohhh, Ohhh,

Bridge:
You split the sea so I could walk right through it
My fears are drowned in perfect love
You rescued me and I will stand and sing.
I am a child of God
Repeat

I am a child of God . . .

(Chorus)                                                                          © 2014 © Bethel Music Publishing

Old Testament Reading – Proverbs 11:24-25

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
    another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
    and one who waters will himself be watered.

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

Epistle Reading – 2 Corinthians 9:6-12

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And 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. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading – Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise be to You, o Christ.

Children’s Message (Children dismissed to Children’s Church)

Sermon Hymn: What Is the World To Me

What is the world to me With all its vaunted pleasure

When You, and You alone, Lord Jesus, are my Treasure!

You only, dearest Lord, My soul’s Delight shall be;

You are my Peace, my Rest, What is the world to me!

The world seeks after wealth And all that Mammon offers,

Yet never is content Though gold should fill it coffers.

I have a higher good, Content with it I’ll be:

My Jesus is my Wealth, What is the world to me!

What is the world to me! My Jesus is my Treasure,

My Life, my Health, my Wealth, My Friend, my Love, my Pleasure,

My Joy, my Crown, my All, My Bliss eternally.

Once more, then, I declare: What is the world to me!    © Public Domain

Sermon – Series: The Red Letter Challenge – “Giving”

Song: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus 

O soul are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free.

Chorus:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face;

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

(Repeat last 2 lines at the end of the last chorus.)

Through death into life everlasting,

He passed, and we follow Him there.

Over us sin no more hath dominion,

For more than conqu’rors we are.

(Chorus)                  © 1922 Public Domain, Words: New Spring, and Music: 1922 New Spring

Prayers: Text in prayer requests to (813) 326-5255

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

Offering

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 and Benediction

Closing Song: The Wonderful Cross

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

Chorus:

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross

Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live.

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross

All who gather here By grace draw near and bless your name.

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

(Chorus)

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were an present far too small

Love so amazing so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

(Chorus)

Upcoming Events

Today, After the Service, Confirmation
Faith Lutheran Church

Mar 21, 7 PM Council Meeting
The Shucks

Red Letter Challenge Small Groups

Mar 21 @7PM Online and at Rich and Judy’s
Mar 28 @7PM at Renee’s
Mar 28 @7PM Online and at Rich and Judy’s
Apr 1 @10AM at the McConnell’s