The Order of Worship – July 12, 2026

This is the 193rd Day of 2026.
There are 172 more days remaining in 2025.

Filled with the Holy Spirit,
we are a people of prayer
committed to love one another
and equipped to share Christ’s love throughout the world.

Prelude:

Welcome & Announcements:
This month’s mission focus is Ballas Family Community Kitchen
Bible Study is all new at afaithtalk.com on Tuesday!
Call to Worship: Be Thou My Vision…#451 (Eb)

Responsive Reading: Psalm 119:105-112
Your word is a lamp to my feet

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet 
and a light to my path.

¹⁰⁶ I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to observe your righteous ordinances.

¹⁰⁷ I am severely afflicted; 
give me life, O LORD, according to your word.

¹⁰⁸ Accept my offerings of praise, O LORD,
and teach me your ordinances.

¹⁰⁹ I hold my life in my hand continually, 
but I do not forget your law.

¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me, 
but I do not stray from your precepts.

¹¹¹Your decrees are my heritage forever; 
they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹² I incline my heart to perform 
your statutes forever, to the end.
Praise the Lord!

Opening Hymn: For the Healing of the Nations…#428 (G)
Verse 1

For the healing of the nations, Lord, we pray with one accord;
for a just and equal sharing of the things that earth affords;
to a life of love in action help us rise and pledge our word,
(pledge our word) help us rise and pledge our word.

Verse 2

Lead us forward into freedom;
from despair your world release,
that, redeemed from war and hatred,
all may come and go in peace.
Show us how through care and goodness
fear will die and hope increase (hope increase)
fear will die and hope increase.

Verse 3

All that kills abundant living,
let it from the earth be banned;
pride of status, race, or schooling,
dogmas that obscure your plan.
In our common quest for justice
may we hallow life’s brief span (life’s brief span)
may we hallow life’s brief span.

Verse 4

You, Creator God, have written
your great name on humankind;
for our growing in your likeness
bring the life of Christ to mind,
that by our response and service
earth its destiny may find, (may find)
earth its destiny may find.

Affirmation of Faith:
The Apostle’s Creed..No. 881

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 Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified,
dead,
and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at 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 Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Gloria Patri…Page 70

Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Amen.

Praise Song: Refiner’s Fire  (E)

Purify my heart let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart let me be as gold pure gold
Refiner’s fire my heart’s one desire
is to be holy set apart for You Lord
I choose to be holy set apart for You, my Master
ready to do Your will

Purify my heart cleanse me from within and make me holy
Purify my heart cleanse me from my sin deep within
Refiner’s fire my heart’s one desire
is to be holy set apart for You Lord
I choose to be holy set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will
(Pause)
Refiner’s fire my heart’s one desire
is to be holy set apart for You Lord
I choose to be holy set apart for You, my Master
ready to do Your will
ready to do Your will
Yes, I’m ready to do Your will 

Pastoral Prayer
Contact us here to add your concern to our prayer list.

The Lord’s Prayer:

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.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.

Anthem: Hymn of Promise…#707 (F)

Offertory

Doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen

Children’s Moment
Children’s Song: Here I Am to Worship (D)

Light of the world You stepped down into darkness,
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You

Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that
You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

King of all days Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in Heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor

Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that
You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that
You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that
You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
Here I am to worship

Prayer for Illumination
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
The parable of the sower and the seed

¹ That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. ² Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³ And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up.

⁵ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ Let anyone with ears listen!”

¹⁸ “Hear then the parable of the sower.

¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.

²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.

²² As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.

²³ But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
All: Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading: Romans 8:1-11
Living according to the Spirit

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

³ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

⁶ To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

⁷ For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law–indeed it cannot, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
All: Thanks be to God 

Sermon Text: Genesis 25:19-34
Esau sells his birthright to Jacob

¹⁹ These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, ²⁰ and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean.

²¹ Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife because she was barren, and the LORD granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. ²² The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.

²³ And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other; the elder shall serve the younger.”

²⁴ When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. ²⁵ The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle, so they named him Esau. ²⁶ Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

²⁷ When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

²⁸ Isaac loved Esau because he was fond of game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. ³⁰ Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom.)

³¹ Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.”

³² Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?”

³³ Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Leader: This is the Word of God for the people of God
All: Thanks be to God

Sermon:  Another Bad Deal Gone Down

Closing Hymn: Wonderful Words of Life…#600 (F)
Verse 1

Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life;
let me more of their beauty see,
wonderful words of life;
words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life. Beautiful words,
wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

Verse 3

Sweetly echo the gospel call,
wonderful words of life;
offer pardon and peace to all,
wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify forever.
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life.
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life. 

Filled Up and Poured Out

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