February 18, 2018

This week is week six of Genesis at Park Church, where we’re discussing God’s foundational worldview for His people and their purpose in His world.

This is also the first Sunday of the season of Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter where we make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ passion and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. Prayer and worship are some of the ways we can do this preparation, and The Christian Year is our ongoing collection of resources to help you with that (in Lent or in any season). Check it out here. As for this Sunday, here are a couple ways you can prepare:

1. Read through our text, Genesis 6–9.

Really? God flooded the entire earth? Why? How? How does this help me understand Him as good and loving and gracious? These are pretty normal questions that arise as one reads the story of Noah. Stories of judgment and salvation are woven throughout the Bible and, in some ways, this story of Noah is the first formative one. This week, we’ll address some of our questions together.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 100:1–3

Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber)
Yet Even Now (Joel Limpic)

CONFESSION OF SIN: Psalm 32:1–5

Psalm 32:6–7 (Mark Wilkins)

Cornerstone (Bradbury, Liljero, Morgan, Mote, Myrin)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Acts 4:11–12

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

Ash Wednesday, 2018

This Wednesday at 6:30am and 12pm, we’ll have Ash Wednesday services at Park Church to mark the beginning of the season of Lent. As explained in The Worship Sourcebook, “Lent is a season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate Good Friday and Easter. Just as we carefully prepare for big events in our personal lives, such as a wedding or commencement, Lent invites us to make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ passion and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection.” Ash Wednesday inagurates this season through singing, prayer, and the symbolic imposition of ashes with the spoken, biblical reminder, “From dust you came, to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19). Here’s how you can prepare for this service:

1. Read through our text, Ecclesiastes 7:1–4.

Often, Lent is observed as a time of self-reflection, repentance, and an honest look at our mortality and need for a Savior. This is where Solomon brings us in Ecclesiastes 7—the inevitable “end of all mankind” and the ignorance of denying its reality. A sober look at our post-fall world and post-fall selves makes us quick to say, “all I have is Christ.”

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 90:1–4, 12–17

All Creatures Of Our God And King (William Henry Draper, St. Francis of Assisi)
Come Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook

Lord God, it is hard to think that we will die someday.
We dream, make plans, and talk about what we’ll do in the near future.
We don’t always think about what you want.
Instead, we make choices that we think are good for us.
But we are only here because you take care of us.

We confess that we forget we need you all the time.
We confess that sometimes we make choices that aren’t what you want.
We don’t know what is best for our lives.
Holy God, we are sorry for our sin.
Help us to remember we live because of you.
Help us to do what you want us to do
through Jesus, our Lord.
Amen.

Yet Even Now (Joel Limpic)

Lord I Need You (Carson, Maher, Nockels, Reeves, Stanfill)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 8:35–39

HOMILY

COMMUNION & IMPOSITION OF ASHES:

Christ The Sure And Steady Anchor (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)
Man Of Sorrows (Matt Crocker, Brooke Ligertwood)

in Ash Wednesday • Preparing for Sunday

February 11, 2018

Were in our fifth week of Genesis at Park Church. In this series, we discuss God’s foundational worldview for His people and their purpose in His world. Here’s how you can prepare this week’s service:

1. Read through our text, Genesis 3–5.

Our text this week takes us through the narrative of the Fall: sin, judgement, and promise. We learn that while God has created boundaries for the good of our joy and life, the deceiver has tempted us to pursue joy and life away from God. Our rebellion against God has led to pain and death, but in Christ we are pursued by God, bringing us back to joy and life.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 100:1–3

On Christ The Solid Rock (William Batchelder Bradbury and Edward Mote, arr. Austin Stone)
Build My Life (Barrett, Kable, Martin, Redman, Younker)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From Prone to Wander by Barbara R. Duguid and Wayne Duguid Houk

O God, our Father, Forgive us for our many sins. Like Adam and Eve, we are easily captivated by the objects that our eyes desire. We fall so often, and when we do, we run and hide in shame instead of running to You to confess our sin and find joy and forgiveness in the cross. You have given us Your most cherished treasure, yet we prize many other things more highly than Christ. Forgive us for trusting in our own strength more than in His power to save us completely.

Jesus, You are our strong salvation. Thank You for invading our world to rescue us from ourselves. We cannot fathom the humility, love, and commitment to Your Father’s glory, which led You to give up heaven for us. How can we ever thank You adequately?

Holy Spirit, fill us with everlasting wonder that the Gospel is true. You kept your promise to send a Savior; help us to stop trying to rescue others and ourselves. When we are tempted to sin as Adam and Eve did, remind us of Christ, who kept all Your laws for us, and fix our eyes on Him. Whether we give in to temptation or resist, show us Christ, our only hope for the perfect obedience that we require to stand before You. Cause us to cherish Christ above all our other desires, so that we will be satisfied in Him for all eternity. In His name we pray, amen.

O Come To The Altar (Brock, Brown, Furtick, and Joye)

Jesus Paid It All (Elvina Hall, Kristian Stanfill)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 3:23–25

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

In Tenderness (Garvey, Gordon, Walton arr. Brian Eichelberger)
It Is Well (Horatio G. Spafford, Philip P. Bliss)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

February 4, 2018

It’s week four of Genesis at Park Church. In this series, we discuss God’s foundational worldview for His people and their purpose in His world. Here’s how you can prepare this week:

1. Read through our text, Genesis 2:18–25.

The Lord brings to Adam every creature He created and Adam names them, but as each passes, none is an adequate companion for him. So the Lord makes Adam’s equal-but-different counterpart, Eve. She bears God’s image like Adam, and the two are naked and unashamed. Millennia later, gender and sexuality are still defining factors for mankind, but we are broken; outside the Garden. How can God’s initial design for human life persist to inform our worldview?

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 16

Our Great God (Fernando Ortega)
King Of My Heart (John Mark McMillan, Sarah McMillan)

CONFESSION OF SIN: Jeremiah 2:12–13

Walk Among Us (Joel Limpic, Mark Wilkins, Dave Wilton)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 8:14–17

No Longer Slaves (Joel Case, Jonathan David Hesler, Brian Johnson)

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

Christ The Sure And Steady Anchor (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)
Jesus Is Better (Aaron Ivey, Brett Land)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

January 28, 2018

We’re in week three of Genesis at Park Church. In this series, we discuss God’s foundational worldview for His people and their purpose in the world. Here’s how you can prepare for this week:

1. Read through our text, Genesis 1:29–2:17.

In our text this week, we read a second account of the creation of man in addition to several commands and charges given him. On the most fundamental level, we see the goodness of creation and the goodness of human work.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 145:1–3, 15–18

Praise To The Lord The Almighty (Joachim Neander, arr. Citizens)
Great Are You Lord (Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan, David Leonard)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From God Honored in The Valley of Vision

O God, praise waiteth for Thee,
and to render it is my noblest exercise;
This is Thy due from all Thy creatures,
for all Thy works display Thy attributes
and fulfill Thy designs;
The sea, dry land, winter cold, summer heat,
morning light, evening shade are full of Thee,
and Thou givest me them richly to enjoy.

Thou art King of kings and Lord of lords;
At Thy pleasure empires rise and fall;
All Thy works praise Thee and Thy saints bless thee;
Let me be numbered with Thy holy ones,
resemble them in character and condition,
sit with them at Jesus’ feet.

Deliver me from the natural darkness of my own mind,
from the corruptions of my heart,
from the temptations to which I am exposed,
from the daily snares that attend me.

Until the day of life dawns above
let there be unrestrained fellowship with Jesus;
Until fruition comes, may I enjoy the earnest of my inheritance
and the firstfruits of the Spirit;
Until I finish my course with joy may I pursue it with diligence,
in every part display the resources of the Christian,
and adorn the doctrine of Thee my God in all things.

His Mercy Is More (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)

What A Beautiful Name (Ben Fielding, Brooke Ligertwood)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: John 1:12–13

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

O Come To The Altar (Brock, Brown, Furtick, and Joye)
Be Thou My Vision (Mary Elizabeth Byrne, Eleanor Henrietta Hull, arr. Bazan, Ascend The Hill)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

January 21, 2018

This is week two of Genesis at Park Church. If you didn’t read last week’s Preparing for Sunday post that explained a little more about why we chose Genesis to take us through May, you can find that here. As for this week, here’s how you can prepare for worship:

1. Read through our text, Genesis 1:26–28.

God made mankind in His image and gave them dominion over all the earth, commanding them to be fruitful, fill the earth, and subdue it. As mankind continued on after choosing to disobey God in the garden (and again and again thereafter), we’ve always had confusion about purpose. The “Great Mission” in verse 28 is God’s declaration of His purpose for mankind on the earth; a means to His glory.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 8

How Great Thou Art (Stuart K. Hine)
This Is My Father’s World (Maltbie Davenport Babcock arr. Gungor)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook

Merciful God,
You made us in Your image,
with a mind to know You,
a heart to love You,
and a will to serve You.
But our knowledge is imperfect,
our love inconstant,
our obedience incomplete.
Day by day, we fail to grow into Your likeness.
In Your tender love, forgive us
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Here’s My Heart (Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin)

Man Of Sorrows (Matt Crocker, Brooke Ligertwood)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 1 Peter 2:24–25

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

Fairest Lord Jesus (August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, Joseph August Seiss)
Great Are You Lord (Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan, David Leonard)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

January 14, 2018

We’re excited to begin a new series this Sunday on the book of Genesis. Genesis is written to lay a foundational worldview for the people of God and to reveal His purposes in the world. Where did we come from? Why do we exist? How do we interact with each other? How do we engage in the world? Where did beauty come from? Why is there so much brokenness? Where can we find hope? What’s our role in the world? These are some of the foundational questions that Genesis answers. We hope our time in this book will lead us to know God and engage in this world with wisdom, faithfulness and hope.

Here’s how you can prepare for this first week:

1. Read through our text, Genesis 1.

Our series is split into two narrative “movements,” with Part I beginning in a predictable place: “In the beginning…” As we reflect on the formation of our world and our bodies, we see God’s authority and glory depicted in a most foundational way.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: John 1:1–5

Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee (Ludwig van Beethoven, Henry Van Dyke, Edward Hodges)
Our Great God (Fernando Ortega, Mac Powell)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From Prone to Wander by Barbara R. Duguid and Wayne Duguid Houk

You are the great Creator, who has made all things from nothing. In the beginning You made man in Your image and declared all Your handiwork to be good. You took pleasure in Your creation, crowning it with the light of Your presence as You walked with Adam in the garden each day. But Adam fell, exchanging the glorious light of Your love for the darkness of sin and rebellion; each one of us sinned in Adam, and we continue to sin. We are lovers of darkness as we hide ourselves from You in guilt and despair. We thank You that our sin and darkness can never overwhelm the shining brightness of Your glory. Though we still are drawn to walk in darkness many times each day, You sent your Son into this world to shine the radiant light of Your love on vile sinners like us.

Thank You, Lord. Jesus, all things were made through You. You are worthy of the worship of angels, yet You laid aside your crown and took on our flesh in order to destroy our darkness. Born as a helpless babe, You are the Messiah who came to redeem us from the fall and reconcile us to God. Though You were the Light of the World, You were slain by darkness in order to satisfy the wrath of Your Father as You paid for the sin of Your people. Then bursting forth from the darkness of death, You rose again into the glorious light of day and victoriously carried our human flesh and blood into the courts of heaven. There in heaven, those You have redeemed will worship You forever as Savior and King.

Holy Spirit, draw our hearts from darkness to light. Show us the glory of our Redeemer and cause us to revel in His love and bask in the warmth and joy of His great pleasure in us. Cause us to hate the darkness of our sin and flee to the brightness of His love, which welcomes us as treasured family members and carries us as honored guests to the table of celebration. We come in His holy name, amen.

The Stand (Joel Houston)

O Praise The Name (Anástasis) (Benjamin Hastings, Marty Sampson, Dean Ussher)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: John 1:12–13

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

What A Beautiful Name (Ben Fielding, Brooke Ligertwood)
All Creatures Of Our God And King (William Henry Draper, St. Francis of Assisi)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

January 7, 2018

At Park Church this week, we celebrate Epiphany with a one-off sermon entitled Follow Jesus. Learn more about Epiphany and find corresponding resources for personal worship at The Christian Year. Here’s how you can prepare for this weekend!

1. Read through our text, Matthew 9:35–39.

In our text this week, Jesus goes throughout all the “cities and villages” of His region to teach, heal, and proclaim the Gospel. He encourages His disciples that the world is ready for the Gospel, but needs messengers of the Gospel sent to it. In the same way, He now goes throughout all the world, encouraging our request-prayers for “laborers” to persist.

Epiphany celebrates the fact that the Light has gone out into all the world. Let this be especially “real” and striking to we who are on the other side of the world from where Jesus first spoke these things!

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 23

House Of God Forever (Jon Foreman)
How Marvelous (I Stand Amazed) (Charles H. Gabriel)

CONFESSION OF SIN: Isaiah 53:4–6

Come Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart, arr. Robbie Seay)

All The Poor And Powerless (David Leonard, Leslie Jordan)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: John 9:10–11

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

O Christ Our True And Only Light (Johann Heermann, James Lepine, Joel Limpic)
Hallelujah, What A Savior (Bliss, Carter, Ivey, Suh arr. Austin Stone)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

December 31, 2017

This is the last week of Your Kingdom Come: Gospel Promises from Isaiah, observing Christmastide. During Christmastide, we take time to savor and celebrate the incarnation of Christ. You can learn more about the season and find additional music, visual artwork, and prayers for Christmastide at The Christian Year.

1. Read through our text, Isaiah 54:1–17.

Isaiah 54 marks the reversal of everything after the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 arrives. God is reversing things for His people, making them into a fruitful people who reflect His glory.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Luke 1:49–55

Joy To The World (Isaac Watts)
He Who Is Mighty (Katie DeGraide, Rebecca Elliot)

CONFESSION OF SIN: Isaiah 64:6–9

All The Poor And Powerless (David Leonard, Leslie Jordan)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Issiah 54:10

Here Is Love (Edwards, Limpic, Raab, Rees)

THE WORD MADE FLESH (Ligonier):

We confess the mystery and wonder of God made flesh
and rejoice in our great salvation
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

With the Father and the Holy Spirit,
the Son created all things,
sustains all things,
and makes all things new.
Truly God,
He became truly man,
two natures in one person.

He was born of the Virgin Mary
and lived among us.
Crucified, dead, and buried,
He rose on the third day,
ascended to heaven,
and will come again
in glory and judgment.

For us,
He kept the Law,
atoned for sin,
and satisfied God’s wrath.
He took our filthy rags
and gave us His righteous robe.

He is our Prophet, Priest, and King,
building His church,
interceding for us,
and reigning over all things.

Jesus Christ is Lord;
we praise His holy Name forever.
Amen.

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

Throughout Every Season (God With Us) (Joel Limpic, JD Raab)
Hallelujah, What A Savior (Bliss, Carter, Ivey, Suh arr. Austin Stone)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

Christmas Eve, 2017

This Sunday at Park Church is Christmas Eve, and the fourth week of Your Kingdom Come: Gospel Promises from Isaiah, our series for Advent. Our service times will be slightly different this week for the holiday—10am, 5pm, and 6:30pm. Here’s how you can prepare for worship:

1. Read through our main text, Isaiah 9:1–7.

The wait has been long, we have walked in darkness and dwelt in a land of deep darkness, but no more. The “sunrise from on high” has visited us (Luke 1:78); we’ve seen a great light. Of the increase of that light and of the government of that light there shall be no end. It will be for peace, justice, and righteousness. A Son is given.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

First Advent Candle

Reading One: Isaiah 9:1–7

Second Advent Candle

O Come, O Come Emmanuel (John Neale, Henry Coffin, arr. Chichi Agorom, The Christian Year)
Joy To The World (Isaac Watts)

Reading Two: Luke 2:1–7

Third Advent Candle

Oh Come All Ye Faithful (C. Frederick Oakeley, John Francis Wade)

Reading Three: Luke 2:8–21

Fourth Advent Candle

Angels We Have Heard On High (James Chadwick)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Author Unknown)

HOMILY & COMMUNION

Christ Candle

O Holy Night (Placide Cappeau)

Congregational Candles Lit from Christ Candle

Silent Night (Joseph Mohr)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday