The Order of Worship – April 20, 2025

This is the 110th Day of 2024.
There are 255 days remaining in 2024.

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.

Easter – Resurrection of the Lord Day

Prelude:

Welcome & Announcements:

This month’s mission focus is the Delta State Wesley Foundation
Bible Study is at afaithtalk.com
No Five Loaves tonight. Returns Next Sunday.

Call to Worship: Easter People

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
On this day God has acted

¹ O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his steadfast love endures forever! ² Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”

¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.

¹⁵ There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly”

¹⁶ the right hand of the LORD is exalted;
“the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.”

¹⁷ I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the LORD.

¹⁸ The LORD has punished me severely,
but he did not give me over to death.

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.

²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.

²¹ I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.

²² The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

²³ This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴ This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Praise The Lord 

Opening Hymn: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today…No. 302 (C)
Verse 1

Christ the Lord is risen today,  Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Verse 2

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Verse 3

Lives again our glorious King,  Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Verse 4

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head,  Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! 

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 Up from the Grave, He Arose…#322 (C)
Verse 1

 Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave he arose,
with a mighty triumph o’er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose! 

Verse 2

Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior;
vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave he arose,
with a mighty triumph o’er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Verse 3

Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;
he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave he arose,
with a mighty triumph o’er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose! 

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: Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)

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 (Raise a Hallelujah)
Verse 1

I raise a hallelujah
In the presence of my enemies
I raise a hallelujah
Louder than the unbelief
I raise a hallelujah
My weapon is a melody
I raise a hallelujah
Heaven comes to fight for me

Chorus

I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive

Verse 2

I raise a hallelujah
With everything inside of me
I raise a hallelujah
I will watch the darkness flee
I raise a hallelujah
In the middle of the mystery
I raise a hallelujah
Fear, you lost your hold on me

Chorus

I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive
I raise a hallelujah
I raise a hallelujah
I raise a hallelujah
I raise a hallelujah

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: Luke 24:1-12
Women proclaim the resurrection

¹ But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.
² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they went in they did not find the body.
⁴ While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. ⁵ The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen. ⁶ Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.”
⁸ Then they remembered his words, ⁹ and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.
¹⁰ Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹ But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

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

Acts of the Apostles: 10:34-43
God shows no partiality

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him.
³⁶ You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all. ³⁷ That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
³⁹ We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, ⁴¹ not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

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

Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
Christ raised from the dead

¹⁹ If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. ²⁰ But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.
²¹ For since death came through a human, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human, ²² for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. ²³ But each in its own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Leader: This is The Word of God for the people of God
People: Thanks be to God.

Sermon:  “Destroying the Last Enemy”

Closing Hymn: He Lives…310 (1,3) (Bb)
Verse 1

I serve a risen Savior, he’s in the world today;
I know that he is living,  whatever foes may say.
I see his hand of mercy,  I hear his voice of cheer,
and just the time I need him, he’s alway near.
He lives, (he lives)
he lives, (he lives)
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me. and talks with me
along life’s narrow way.
He lives, (he lives)
he lives, (he lives)
salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know he lives?
He lives within my heart.

Verse 3

Rejoice, rejoice O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek him,  the help of all who find;
none other is so loving, so good and kind
He lives, (he lives)
he lives, (he lives)
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
along life’s narrow way.
He lives, (he lives)
he lives, (he lives)
salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know he lives?
He lives within my heart.

Filled Up and Poured Out

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