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PRELUDE – Dustin Tatro, Organ
WELCOME & OPENING PRAYER Rev. Steve Patterson
HYMN UMH 139 “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
CALL TO WORSHIP Dr. John Miller
RESPONSE HYMN UMH 369 “Blessed Assurance”
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Claudia Anderson
PASSING THE PEACE
MORNING PRAYER Dr. John
– Join us in prayer for: Bill G., Ruth G., Wanda H., Faith J., Bob M., Bob S., David W. and in sympathy for: Robert B.
– Share a new prayer request
THE LORD’S PRAYER
ANTHEM “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”-Dustin Tatro, Organ & Jeanine Wheeler, Piano
SCRIPTURE & SERMON Rev. Steve
God’s Masterpiece|Ephesians 1:3-14 NLT
How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every blessing in heaven because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with his love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to! Now all praise to God for his wonderful kindness to us and his favor that he has poured out upon us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. So overflowing is his kindness toward us that he took away all our sins through the blood of his Son, by whom we are saved; and he has showered down upon us the richness of his grace—for how well he understands us and knows what is best for us at all times. God has told us his secret reason for sending Christ, a plan he decided on in mercy long ago; and this was his purpose: that when the time is ripe he will gather us all together from wherever we are—in heaven or on earth—to be with him in Christ forever. Moreover, because of what Christ has done, we have become gifts to God that he delights in, for as part of God’s sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be his, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. God’s purpose in this was that we should praise God and give glory to him for doing these mighty things for us, who were the first to trust in Christ. And because of what Christ did, all you others too, who heard the Good News about how to be saved, and trusted Christ, were marked as belonging to Christ by the Holy Spirit, who long ago had been promised to all of us Christians. His presence within us is God’s guarantee that he really will give us all that he promised; and the Spirit’s seal upon us means that God has already purchased us and that he guarantees to bring us to himself. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
Ephesians 1:3-14 (NLT)
Key Observations..
1) You’ve been on God’s mind from the beginning
2) You belong to God, and that will never change
3) Everything you need, you can have
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH UMH 881 “Apostles’ Creed” – Rev. Steve
OFFERTORY PRAYER Dr. John
OFFERTORY RESPONSE HYMN UMH 365 “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”
Send your offering online. If you want to set up recurring ACH gifts, email Scot.
BENEDICTION Rev. Steve
POSTLUDE -Jeanine Wheeler, Piano