Hymn Sing
Gray Psalter Hymnal
# 503 Built on the Rock, vs 1
Supplemental Hymnal
# 26 Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
# 52 Great is the Lord
Call to Worship
Hymn #410 Crown Him with Many Crowns (Gray Psalter Hymnal)
Psalter: Psalm 1:1-6 (Please read responsively) Nancy Dunn
1Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.
3They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.
4The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Prayer for Illumination
Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 2:1-22 NRSV
2 My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you, 2making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; 4if you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures—5then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly, 8guarding the paths of justice and preserving the way of his faithful ones. 9Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; 10for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11prudence will watch over you; and understanding will guard you. 12It will save you from the way of evil, from those who speak perversely, 13who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, 14who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil; 15those whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.
16You will be saved from the loose woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, 17who forsakes the partner of her youth and forgets her sacred covenant; 18for her way leads down to death, and her paths to the shades; 19those who go to her never come back, nor do they regain the paths of life.
20Therefore walk in the way of the good, and keep to the paths of the just. 21For the upright will abide in the land, and the innocent will remain in it; 22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God for His Word.
Choral Anthem: We Are Not Alone
We are not alone, God is with us
We are never alone
For God is with us
Now, through all our days, always
Forever and ever
We are never alone
And God will make us strong
For God is with us
We will press on
For God is with us
Now, through all our days, always
Forever and ever
We are never alone
Our God is with us now
Children’s Sermon
Hymn # 434 God Moves in a Mysterious Way (Gray Psalter Hymnal)
New Testament Reading: James 3:13-4:3
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
4 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
Sermon True Wisdom Pastor SJ Winter
