December 2, 2018

We’re in week 13 of Ephesians and week one of the season of Advent. Advent (which includes the four Sundays leading up to Christmas) is a season of waiting and longing, designed to help us cultivate awareness of God’s actions—past, present, and future. While we hear the Messianic prophecies of old and reflect on how we have seen them fulfilled in Christ’s first coming, we also hear the prophecies of His second coming and cry out from our hearts for His return!

You can read more about the season of Advent here. Additionally, over at The Christian Year, we’ve recorded some songs and shared some prayers and artworks to help you prepare for the season and anticipate Christ’s coming.

Lastly, although we’ve started the season of Advent, we continue our series in the book of Ephesians. As our society continues a trend toward self-centered and superficial worldviews, where many have adopted a watered-down view of God that that leads them away from the glory they were made to enjoy. Ephesians shatters this diluted view of God by putting the weight of His glory in our faces in a way that is overwhelming and life-transforming. Here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday.

1. Read through our text, Ephesians 6:5–9.

Next in his letter, Paul draws out implications for institutions of labor. He calls the one who is employed to obey the employer with sincerity, just as they would for Christ Himself. This means far more than merely working when people are paying attention or working to get approval from others. The call is to receive one’s work as a responsibility given by God Himself and to do good work for the good of others in order honor God, knowing that He sees and will reward His children accordingly. Similarly, employers are to represent God in the way that they lead their employees, knowing that they too will give an account to the one Master in heaven who sees all and judges all without partiality.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: From Psalm 130; The Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate;
was crucified, dead and buried;
He descended into hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
I believe in the holy Catholic church;
the communion of saints;
The forgiveness of sins;
The resurrection of the body;
And the life everlasting.
Amen.

Be Thou My Vision (Mary Elizabeth Byrne, Eleanor Henrietta Hull, Reuben Kendall, arr. Ascend The Hill)
Here Is Love (William Edwards, Robert S. Lowry, William Rees)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From Every Season Prayers by Scotty Smith:

Dear heavenly Father, as we begin the season of Advent,
we rejoice in the gift of Your Son, Jesus—
Immanuel, God with us and God for us.
Even as we trust in His finished work,
we long for the fullness of Jesus’ kingdom.
Until that day, grant us power to grow in the love of Christ.
For we are weak and foolishly prone
to look to people, places, and things to fill us up.
Grant us grace to mature in the likeness of Jesus.
For we are broken, and we cannot change our hearts,
left to our own resources.
Grant us joy in living to the praise of Your glory.
For we are deceived, and we spend too much energy
living for comfort and the approval of people.
Have mercy on us, O Lord; have mercy on me.
In Jesus’ loving and trustworthy name we pray.
Amen.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel (John Neale, Henry Coffin, arr. Chichi Agorom, The Christian Year)

Oh God (Zach Bolen)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 8:38–39

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

This Is My Father’s World (Maltbie Davenport Babcock, arr. Gungor)
Before The Throne Of God (Charitie Lees Bancroft, arr. The Modern Post)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

November 25, 2018

This is Ephesians week twelve. If you’ve missed a week or would like to share a sermon with someone, remember that the Sermons Page is a complete resource for this and every other sermon series at Park Church.

As for Ephesians, our society continues a trend toward self-centered and superficial worldviews where many have adopted a watered-down view of God that that leads them away from the glory they were made to enjoy. Ephesians shatters this diluted view of God by putting the weight of His glory in our faces in a way that is overwhelming and life-transforming.

1. Read through our text, Ephesians 6:1–4.

Paul calls children and parents to represent the character of God through the dynamics of their relationship. Children are to obey and honor their parents with the general promise that trusting and obeying the leadership of their parents will lead to a flourishing life. Parents are to show the loving authority of God that would cultivate this joyful obedience.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Based on Lamentations 3:22–23, Welcome (From Immanuel Nashville):

To all who are weary and need rest,
To all who mourn and long for comfort,
To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares,
To all who fail and desire strength,
To all who sin and need a Savior,
This church opens wide her doors
with a welcome from Jesus Christ,
the Ally of His enemies, the Defender of the guilty,
the Justifier of the inexcusable, the Friend of sinners.
Welcome!

Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Thomas Obediah Chisholm, William Marion Runyan)
King Of My Heart (John Mark McMillan, Sarah McMillan)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:

Holy God, You have given us many good gifts.
Today we thank You for all of them,
but we also confess that sometimes we love those gifts more than we love You.
We confess wanting more and more things:
food, clothes, toys, and money.
Forgive us for not being content and thankful.
Forgive our selfishness.
Help us to love You more than everything else.
We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Psalm 103:8–13

Better (Pat Barrett, Ed Cash, Chris Tomlin)
Be Thou My Vision (Mary Elizabeth Byrne, Eleanor Henrietta Hull, arr. Ascend The Hill)

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

O Come To The Altar (Brock, Brown, Furtick, and Joye)
His Mercy Is More (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

November 18, 2018

We’re in our eleventh week in the book of Ephesians. As our society continues its trend toward self-centered and superficial worldviews, many have adopted a watered-down view of God that that leads us away from the glory we were made to enjoy. Ephesians shatters this diluted view of God by putting the weight of His glory in our faces in a way that is overwhelming and life-transforming.

Here’s how you can prepare for Sunday:

1. Read through our text, Ephesians 5:22–33.

Paul continues to connect the life-transforming implications of the love of Christ to a few specific relationships in the Christian household. First, he talks about how the relationship between husbands and wives is designed by God to show something of Jesus’ relationship with His church. A Christian Husband is responsible for representing the love of Jesus by sacrificing his own interests and prioritizing His wife’s well-being above his own. A Christian wife is called to represent the church’s submission to and respect for Jesus by allowing her husband to take the responsibility of sacrificial leadership and to respect him as the one who will give an account for how he handled that responsibility. When husbands and wives live into this design, they put on display the beauty of Jesus’ sacrificial love for His Bride, the Church.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Based on Psalm 150, Welcome (From Immanuel Nashville):

To all who are weary and need rest,
To all who mourn and long for comfort,
To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares,
To all who fail and desire strength,
To all who sin and need a Savior,
This church opens wide her doors
with a welcome from Jesus Christ,
the Ally of His enemies, the Defender of the guilty,
the Justifier of the inexcusable, the Friend of sinners.
Welcome!

All Creatures Of Our God And King (William Henry Draper, St. Francis of Assisi)
God Is So Good (You Are Worthy) (Pat Barrett, Daniel Bashta, Ben Smith)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From Every Season Prayers by Scotty Smith:

Dear heavenly Father, we come into Your presence this morning only because Your mercies are new every morning. We stand before You in this place only because we stand firmly in Your grace. We dare call You Abba Father only because You have made us Your beloved sons and daughters. We freely confess our sins to You only because You fully gave Jesus for us. For the ways we loved poorly this past week—in our families, at our vocations, and among our neighbors, forgive us.From the foolish idols to which we cling, the broken cisterns from which we drink, and the false lovers to which we turn, free us. For not believing Jesus is enough and Your grace is sufficient, and for not trusting You to be really sovereign and really good, have mercy on us. Our hope rests alone in Jesus’ finished work and Your steadfast love. Amen.

Jesus We Love You (Kalley Heiligenthal, Hannah McClure, Paul McClure)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Colossians 1:18–22

Hallelujah, What A Savior (Bliss, Carter, Ivey, Suh arr. Austin Stone)

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

Ever Be (Strand, Greely, Wilson, Heiligenthal)
O Praise The Name (Anástasis) (Benjamin Hastings, Marty Sampson, Dean Ussher)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

November 11, 2018

It’s week 10 of Ephesians: As our society continues its trend toward self-centered and superficial worldviews, many have adopted a watered-down view of God that that leads us away from the glory we were made to enjoy. Ephesians shatters this diluted view of God by putting the weight of His glory in our faces in a way that is overwhelming and life-transforming.

Here’s how you can prepare for Sunday:

1. Read through our text, Ephesians 5:1–21.

Continuing where chapeter 4 left off, Paul connects his call to represent Christ in the world to our identity as beloved children of God. Christians are to reflect the sacrificial love that we have seen and experienced in Jesus. This sort of life is to be characterized by purity and thankfulness. The Church is to shine the life-giving light of God’s love into a world that is filled with a darkness that leads people toward shame and destruction. The way to this sort of life is an increasing dependence upon the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. As a Christian increasingly experiences the power of the Holy Spirit, it leads to expressions of thankfulness and a willing deference to one another. All of this is rooted in and empowered by one’s experience of the sacrificial love of Jesus.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Based on Isaiah 60:1–3, Welcome (From Immanuel Nashville):

To all who are weary and need rest,
To all who mourn and long for comfort,
To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares,
To all who fail and desire strength,
To all who sin and need a Savior,
This church opens wide her doors
with a welcome from Jesus Christ,
the Ally of His enemies, the Defender of the guilty,
the Justifier of the inexcusable, the Friend of sinners.
Welcome!

Fall Afresh (Jeremy Riddle)
God Is So Good (You Are Worthy) (Pat Barrett, Daniel Bashta, Ben Smith)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:

Our Father in heaven, we thank You
that You have led us into the light.
We thank You for sending the Savior to call us from death to life.
We confess that we were dead in sin before we heard His call,
but when we heard Him, like Lazarus, we arose.
But, O Father, the grave clothes bind us still.
Old habits that we cannot throw off,
old customs that are so much a part of our lives
that we are helpless to live the new life that Christ calls us to live.
Give us strength, O Father, to break the bonds;
give us courage to live a new life in You;
give us faith to believe that with Your help we cannot fail.
All this we ask in the name of the Savior
who has taught us to come to You. Amen.

Nothing But The Blood (Robert Lowry, arr. Charlie Hall)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 1 Peter 1:3–5

Living Hope (Brian Johnson, Phil Wickham)

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

Christ Is Risen (Mia Fieldes, Matt Maher)
Take My Life And Let It Be (Frances Ridley Havergal, Henri Abraham Cesar Malan, arr. Norton Hall Band)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

November 4, 2018

This is our ninth week in the book of Ephesians at Park Church. As our society continues its trend toward self-centered and superficial worldviews, many have adopted a watered-down view of God that that leads us away from the glory we were made to enjoy. Ephesians shatters this diluted view of God by putting the weight of His glory in our faces in a way that is overwhelming and life-transforming.

Here’s how you can prepare for Sunday:

1. Read through our text, Ephesians 4:17–32.

Paul carries the imagery of the Christian family as the body of Christ into the next section where he explains that Christians exist in the world as a representation of the love of Jesus. Before experiencing the life and love of Jesus, people are darkened in their minds and bent in their desires. But those who have been made alive with Christ are being renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit to represent the image of Christ in the world as a new humanity. He compares the old way of life to an old set of clothes that need to be taken off and replaced by the new clothes of a new life. The love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit must move Christians to take off destructive desires and actions that mark the old way of life—lying, anger, theft, hurtful words, bitterness, promiscuity, and drunkenness. These are to be displaced by a spirit-empowered love for others that is marked by honesty, peace, faithful work, generosity, encouragement, forgiveness, self-control, and a sensitivity to God’s Spirit.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Based on Ephesians 3:18–19, Welcome (From Immanuel Nashville):

O God, by Your power may we, with all the saints, comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with your fullness. Amen.
—
To all who are weary and need rest,
To all who mourn and long for comfort,
To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares,
To all who fail and desire strength,
To all who sin and need a Savior,
This church opens wide her doors
with a welcome from Jesus Christ,
the Ally of His enemies, the Defender of the guilty,
the Justifier of the inexcusable, the Friend of sinners.
Welcome!

Grace Alone (Dustin Kensrue)
Come Thou Fount (Robert Robinson, John Wyeth)

CONFESSION OF SIN: Based on the Heidelberg Catechism, Questions 88–90:

Genuine repentance involves two things:
the dying-away of the old self and the coming-to-life of the new. The dying-away of the old self is to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more, and to run away from it. The coming-to-life of the new self is wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to. Together, as Christ’s body, we now confess our sin and express our longing to live in joyful obedience to God.

In Tenderness (Garvey, Gordon, Walton arr. Brian Eichelberger)
Jesus Is Better (Aaron Ivey, Brett Land)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 2 Corinthians 5:17–19

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

Honest Work (James Craig Hartz Jr.)
Give Us Clean Hands (Charlie Hall)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

Trudy Swain

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Our guest is Trudy Swain. She’s the Associate Director of Save Our Youth.

Listen

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Show Notes

3:00 – Who Trudy Swain Is 12:15 – What It’s Like To Be A Save Our Youth Mentor 22:10 – Why Being A Mentor Is So Life Changing 30:30 – Scared Of Being A Mentor? Listen To This 32:50 – How Proximity Can Break Down Misconceptions 35:00 – How To Handle Boundaries As A Mentor 41:40 – Rapid Fire Questions

Links

in James Lepine • Park Church Podcast