Service for August 31, 2025

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Welcome

Prelude

Call to Worship

Praise the Lord!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 106:1

Hymn # 98 Now Thank We All Our God

1 Now thank we all our God

with heart and hands and voices,

who wondrous things hath done,

in whom his world rejoices;

who from our mothers' arms,

hath blessed us on our way

with countless gifts of love,

and still is ours today.

2 O may this bounteous God

through all our life be near us,

with ever-joyful hearts

and blessed peace to cheer us;

and keep us in his grace,

and guide us when perplexed,

and free us from all ills

in this world and the next.

3 All praise and thanks to God

the Father now be given,

the Son, and him who reigns

with them in highest heaven–

the one eternal God,

whom earth and heav'n adore;

for thus it was, is now,

and shall be evermore.

Call To Confession

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For,

“Whoever would love life and see good days

must keep their tongue from evil

and their lips from deceitful speech.

They must turn from evil and do good;

they must seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

and his ears are attentive to their prayer,

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 3:8–12 citing Psalm 34:12-16 (NIV):

Confession of Sins

Let us pray to the Lord confessing our sin, saying together:

Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;

may your love and faithfulness always protect me.

For troubles without number surround me;

my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

and my heart fails within me.

Be pleased to save me, Lord;

come quickly, Lord, to help me.

Psalm 40:11–13 (NIV)

Word of Comfort

As we are weary and burdened by our sin and our troubles, our Lord Jesus says to us:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV)

Song of Renewal

Jesus! I do now receive him,

more than all in him I find;

he hath granted me forgiveness,

I am his, and he is mine.

Hallelujah! what a Savior!

Hallelujah, what a Friend!

Saving, helping, keeping, loving,

he is with me to the end.

Trinity Hymnal # 498, stanza 5

Scripture Lesson: Ephesians 5:3-21

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Sermon

Hymn # 52 O Praise the Lord! O Thank the Lord!

1 O praise the Lord! O thank the Lord!

For bountiful is he;

because his lovingkindness lasts

to all eternity.

2 Who can express Jehovah's praise

or tell his deeds of might?

O blessed are they who justice keep

and ever do the right.

3 Regard me with the favor, Lord,

which thou dost bear to thine.

O visit thou my soul in love;

make thy salvation mine:

4 That I may see thy people's good

and in their joy rejoice,

and may with thine inheritance

exult with cheerful voice.

Prayer of the Church and 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Hymn # 125 Let All Things Now Living

1 Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving

to God the Creator triumphantly raise;

who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,

who guides us and leads to the end of our days,

His banners are o'er us, his light goes before us,

a pillar of fire shining forth in the night,

‘till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished,

as forward we travel from light into light.

2 His law he enforces: the stars in their courses,

the sun in its orbit obediently shine;

The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,

the deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.

We too, should be voicing our love and rejoicing,

with glad adoration, a song let us raise,

‘till all things now living unite in thanksgiving

to God in the highest, hosanna and praise!

Benediction