October 15, 2023

October 15, 2023
 
Prelude
My Lord What A Morning
Jubilee Bells

Greeting
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

*Call To Worship
CLM Twinkle Gordon

Leader: "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven and where thieves do not break in or steal."
People: "For where your treasure is there will your heart be also."
Leader: This is the day the Lord has made.
People: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

*Gathering Song
For the Beauty of the Earth
UMH #92
WORDS: Folliot S. Pierpoint, 1864

1. For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love
which from our birth
over and around us lies;
 
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
 
2. For the beauty
of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and
tree and flower,
sun and moon, and
stars of light;
 
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
 
3. For the joy of
ear and eye,
for the heart
and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense
to sound and sight;
 
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
 
4. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister,
parent, child,
friends on earth and
friends above,
for all gentle thoughts
and mild;
 
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
 
5. For thy church,
that evermore
lifteth holy hands above
offering up on
every shore
her pure sacrifice of love;
 
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
 
6. For thyself,
best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great
love of thine,
peace on earth,
and joy in heaven:
 
Refrain
Lord of all,
to thee we raise
this our hymn
of grateful praise.
 
Mystery Box

Stewardship Moment

Prayer Song
Lead Me Lord
UMH #473
WORDS: Psalm 5:8; 4:8

Lead me, Lord,
lead me in
thy righteousness;
make Thy way
plain before my face.
 
For it is Thou, Lord,
Thou, Lord only,
that makest me dwell
in safety.
 
Pastoral, Silent and, The Lord’s Prayer
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

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. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory forever.
Amen

Prayer Response
Lead Me Lord
UMH #473
WORDS: Psalm 5:8; 4:8

Lead me, Lord,
lead me in
thy righteousness;
make Thy way
plain before my face.
 
For it is Thou, Lord,
Thou, Lord only,
that makest me dwell
in safety.

Invitation to Offering
CLM Twinkle Gordon

Offertory
Blessed Be Your Name
Matt & Beth Redman

Prayer of Thanks and Dedication
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

*Doxology
Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow
 
Praise God, from whom
all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures
here below: Alleluia! Alleluia!
 
Praise God, the source
of all our gifts!
Praise Jesus Christ,
whose power uplifts!
 
Praise the Spirit,
Holy Spirit!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!

Scripture Reading
Luke 12:13-21
CLM Twinkle Gordon

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?”  And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly.  And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’  Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Anthem
Give Me Jesus by Robert Sterling
Sanctuary Choir
 
Prayer for Illumination

Leader: May the words of my mouth,
People: and the meditations of all of our hearts
All: be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our rock and our redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Message
The Distraction of Abundance
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

*Hymn
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Vs. 1, 3 UMH #103
WORDS: Walter Chalmers Smith, 1867 (1 Tim. 1:17)
 
1. Immortal, invisible,
God only wise,
in light inaccessible
hid from our eyes,
 
most blessed,
most glorious,
the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious,
thy great name we praise.
 
3. To all, life thou givest,
to both great and small;
in all life thou livest,
the true life of all;
 
we blossom and flourish
as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish,
but naught changeth thee.
 
*Benediction
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

Postlude
Stephanie Shorden