05/08/2022 Mother’s Day
Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff— they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Hymn #77 How Great Thou Art
- Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
- When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook,
and feel the gentle breeze;
Refrain:
- And when I think that God, His Son nor sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin;
Refrain:
- When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home,
what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow in humble adoration, and there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Refrain:
Children’s message:
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Proverbs 1:8
As you all know, today is Mother's Day. Today people honor their mothers and tell her how wonderful and special she is. I have brought several things this morning that remind me of my mother. I want to show them to you and tell you about my mother.
Oatmeal! My mother always insisted that I eat a well-rounded breakfast. Now, my idea of a well-rounded breakfast was a chocolate covered doughnut, but my mother did not agree! I always had to eat something like oatmeal, toast, and orange juice. Why? Because my mother loved me and wanted me to grow up to be strong and healthy.
Books! Some of my friends went home after school and watched cartoons on TV, but not me! My mom always insisted that I do my homework before I watched any TV. Why? Because my mother loved me and she knew that a good education was one of the best things she could give me.
Clocks! I am reminded of my mother by a clock because she always insisted on knowing where I was every minute of the day. If I wanted to go to a friend's house after school, I always had to call my mom and ask for her permission and tell her where I was going to be and what I was going to be doing. Why? Because she loved me and wanted me to be safe.
Dishwashing detergent! I guess my mom never heard about child labor laws. She had this idea that every member of the family should chip in and help with the chores around the house. I had special jobs to do and I was expected to do them without being told. Why? Because my mother loved me and wanted me to learn that a happy family is one where everyone works together.
There are many things my mother taught me, some of them may not have been fun at the time, but it was all because she loves me. (adapted from sermons4kids.com)
Prayer: Holy God, thank You for our mothers. Through their love, we begin to understand the love You have for us. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession: Lord we cry to You for help. You answer in words, in the deeds and acts of kindness, in the people around us. Hear the cries of our hearts for those we hold dear. We now pray as You have taught us: 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 sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Offering spotlight: At Camp Victory, the kids are special, and the camp is special. Children who must live with chronic health problems, physical or mental disabilities, or the aftermath of catastrophic illness, know lifelong challenges. Their lives are controlled and restricted by the daily medications and frequently complex medical treatments they need. The lives of family members are also affected. Camp Victory was planned and built for these children. A portion of designated Missions funds supports Camp Victory.
Offertory prayer: Holy God, You work wonders beyond our imagination. Thank You for all the faithful people You have inspired in the history of the church. You have sent into our lives kind Christians who have encouraged us in beautiful ways. Help us to keep growing as disciples led by Your Spirit. May we become more devoted to good works and acts of charity, so that others will be blessed in turn. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. (Discipleship Ministries)
Hymn of Preparation #445 Happy the Home When God Is There
- Happy the home when God is there, and love fills every breast;
when one their wish, and one their prayer, and one their heavenly rest. - Happy the home where Jesus' name is sweet to every ear;
where children early speak His fame, and parents hold Him dear. - Happy the home where prayer is heard, and praise is wont to rise;
where parents love the sacred Word and all its wisdom prize. - Lord, let us in our homes agree this blessed peace to gain;
unite our hearts in love to Thee, and love to all will reign.
John 10:22-30
After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around Him and said to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to Me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to My sheep. My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of My hand. What My Father has given Me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
Message – Message Guaranteed Pastor Becky Cuddeback
Very few things in this life come with a guarantee. Our health isn’t guaranteed, our marriages, our relationships with others – usually the only guarantees we get are death and taxes. Now, there are some things that come with guarantees – Craftsman tools, at least their non electric tools, their tape measures, wrenches, screwdrivers, used to come with lifetime guarantees. You could take any broken tool back to Sears and it would be replaced on the spot. If your granddad’s 30-year-old tape measure snapped, you got a brand new one, with the same lifetime guarantee. Now, I’m not sure the new owner of Craftsman tools still honors the guarantee, but when it came to guarantees, Sears had the best ones. Knowing you would have your broken tool replaced gave you confidence in the brand and kept you loyal to Craftsman and to Sears. We don’t see guarantees like that anymore.
That is what those who gathered around Jesus that day at the temple were looking for. They wanted to know if now was the time they could count on the guarantee from God. The guarantee that God was still for them, that God was bringing about their salvation. They wanted the answer to the trembling question in the heart: If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly. They didn’t want to wait any longer and they wanted Jesus to make it clear as day to them.
They are looking for the same answer we are. Often I get asked, what is it I need to believe, what is it I need to do to be a Christian? Now there are times that question gets a qualifier, like what is the minimum or what is the least I can do to be a Christian. That may seem like the lazy way of looking at Kingdom life, but I think it speaks not to the desire to strive for the mediocre, but where do I start? When do the benefits begin or maybe when does that guarantee start? The good news for them and for us is our salvation is based on what we believe about Jesus, not how we respond.
Jesus tells those gathered, to be with Me, to inherit eternal life, the beginning is hearing Jesus’s voice and following. This is action, because in all honesty – we act with our bodies in tune with what our hearts and minds believe. Sometimes there is a disconnect, but our actions train our thoughts and beliefs. Jesus is asking us to respond to His voice. Each of us gets called in different directions. Not that we aren’t together in our faith lives, but Jesus has different ways to grow our faith. For some, it is in service to the poor, for others it is the gift of worship and for others it is dedicated and devoted prayer lives; just to name a few ways we serve. None are better than the other, just different.
The beauty of it all is that Jesus says He knows us and by Jesus knowing us, we belong to God. No one or nothing can snatch us away. Does this mean we will have no pain, suffering or sorrow or that everything will be easy for us? No. Matthew 5:44-45 tells us, But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. There are and always will be trials, but in the end, we belong to God and God is not giving us up. That is the guarantee.
Let us pray: Holy God, thank You for Jesus. He never gives up on us and His prayers for us, more than sustain us. We thank You for the guarantee of Your constant presence in our lives and the mighty comfort and encouragement of Your Holy Spirit. Let us live into our guarantee and live Kingdom lives today. Amen.
Closing Hymn #504 The Old Rugged Cross
- On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.
- O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left His glory above to bear it to dark Calvary.
(Refrain) - In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see,
for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me.
(Refrain) - To that old rugged cross I will ever be true, its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then He'll call me some day to my home far away, where His glory forever I'll share.
(Refrain)
Go into your week with the blessings of The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit.