A NOTE FROM PASTOR MARK:
We recognize that family worship has its unique challenges depending on your family’s size and stage of life. Therefore, we have prepared a complete worship service (below) for our entire church family because we are convinced that Sunday is so much more than a sermon. And this is one way for us to be worshiping the same way even though we are apart.
We suggest that you test the worship and sermon links before you gather your family. After you have done this, we encourage the leader of the house to read the prayers and appoint other readers as necessary to encourage greatest participation.
After the sermon is over, we encourage you to discuss the sermon and ways to live out its application.
scandalous God: The Story Behind the Story
TEXT: jonah 1:1-3
ONLINE WORSHIP SERVICE (9.13.2020)
CALL TO WORSHIP:
As we come to worship today, let’s be reminded that the Lord is always worthy of our praise, regardless of our circumstances…
“Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!”
(Psalms 113:1–3 ESV)
OPENING WORSHIP:
“Blessed Be Your Name”
“Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery”
“Holy, Holy, Holy”
affirmation:
Psalms 103:8–13
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
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.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
Worship:
“This I Believe (The Creed)”
prayer:
Lord as we consider all the truths that we know about you, we stand back in awe and say you are a marvelous God. We sang about your holiness. We sang about the mystery of Christ coming as a man to save us. We’ve confessed that you are the Trinity, 3 persons yet 1 god.
Today we thank you that as Trinity you have chosen to share your love with those who don’t deserve it. You have reached out to us while we were your enemies (Romans 5:10). We were slaves of sin, dead in our trespasses and sins, with hearts of stone opposed to you, distrusting you, hating you.
But, you…..you are rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), and that is our only hope. You move toward rebel heart. You delight to pardon sin and release those bound in it. This is why we hear in Scripture the refrain, “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalms 145:8).
And you don’t just clear us of our sin, you go beyond that and welcome us in as close family members. We are now your adopted children and share in the love that you have within yourself as Father, Son, and Spirit.
As your children would you comfort us in the losses of Thordis Rommen and Karen Danis? Please be with their families and our church body as we grieve. Surround us with an awareness of your presence and bring peace amidst the pain. Please be “close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalms 34:18).
And now, would you now come through the preaching of your Word and cause us to rejoice in all of your perfections? Fill us with joy as we hear about your character. Cause our hearts and minds to be shaped by what we see of you. Cause us to be filled with your beauty to overflowing so that we can share the mercy and love of our great God, through word and deed, with those around us.
Amen.
READ SERMON TEXT:
Jonah 1:1–3
SERMON:
Pastor Mark Kernan
Scandalous God: The Story Behind the Story
Sermon Outline:
I. What do we know about Jonah? (1:1)
II. What do we know about Nineveh? (1:2)
III. Why does Jonah disobey God? (1:3)
IV. What do these three verses tell us about God?
CLOSING WORSHIP:
“You Are My King (Amazing Love)”