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Join Zoom Meeting

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https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82730716739?pwd=javTba0kt5Zak5jN1rOo5Q9MaQIzSU.1

 

Meeting ID: 827 3071 6739

Passcode: 514679

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March 8, 2026

Third Sunday in Lent

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GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

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SILENT PREPERATION:  Because you have made the Lord your refuge, The Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.      Psalm 91: 9-10 NRSV.

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

ORGAN PRELUDE         “Sweet Hour of Prayer/Jesus Loves Me”

                                                                  Medley     

CHIMES

*CALL TO WORSHIP  (Please join responsively)

Leader:  Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation!

People: O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!

Leader:  All you who hear, Now to His table draw near;

People:  Join me! In glad adoration!  

*HYMN                                     “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”                                              #621  

PRAYER OF INVOCATION  (Unison)

Heavenly Father, as we gather in Your Name, we humbly seek Your divine guidance during this worship service. Be the beacon that illuminates our path, the compass that directs our hearts, and the wisdom that guides our thoughts. May Your Presence be felt in every spoken word, and every note sung. We trust in Your infinite wisdom and pray for your guidance to lead us on the righteous path. May Your light shine upon us, O Lord, as we navigate the challenges of life. Grant us the clarity of vision to discern Your will, and the strength to follow it. In Your Holy Name, we offer our gratitude, and say, Amen. 

CALL TO CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION  (Unison)

Holy and merciful God, in Your presence we confess our failure to be what you created us to be. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from Your ways, in wasting Your gifts, in forgetting Your love.  By Your loving mercy, help us to live in Your light, and abide in Your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

SILENT PRAYER OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

 

                                                                                   PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORD

Delaware Adult and Teen Challenge

Genesis 1:27

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Genesis 1:31a

“God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”

Matthew 22:37-39

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Philemon 1-25

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,  2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:  3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,  5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake.  7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been  8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,  13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.  15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.  18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account;  19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. 22 At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

SERMON                       “Image Bearing:  The efficacy of Advocacy”

                                                    (Scriptures from NASB)

                                                         Pastor Bob Carey

TESTIMONIES

SINGING

 

                                                                      RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD

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*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH  (Unison)                                    (The Apostles’ Creed – Traditional)

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only 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 sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

*HYMN                                    “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”                                        #466  

PPRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD'S PRAYER

OFFERING INVITATION

OFFERTORY                         “We Praise thee, O God, Our Redeemer”

                                                                       Kremser                             

*DOXOLOGY                                                                                                                        #382

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION   (Unison)

Righteous God, accept our gifts of gratitude for the dawning awareness of Your healing presence among us. You have satisfied our need in parched places and made our bones strong. Through these offerings, we wish to extend to the world the amazing wonders we have experienced. Fill us with yearning for the Spirit of Christ, that we might become salt and light and be empowered for good works, to Your honor and glory. Amen.

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                                                                             GOING IN GOD’S NAME

 

*HYMN                                      “Jesus Calls Us, O’er the Tumult”                                         #399     

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

*BENEDICTION RESPONSE    “God Be With You Till We Meet Again”  (Vs. 1)                 #523

POSTLUDE                                           “To God Be the Glory”