Greetings!

Vacation Bible School will take place this week at Streams on Tuesday through Saturday for grades 4-8, 9am to noon. Please contact the church office to register a child. And come and help and have some fun with us!!!

The rest of the schedule follows below.

Sunday, July 13

9:30 – 10:30am   Adult Bible Study

10:45 – 11:45am   Livestream Worship in-person

12 – 1pm   Education Committee, Office Conference Room

3 – 4:30pm   Zoom Bible Study

Tuesday, July 15

9am – 12pm   Vacation Bible School

9 – 11   Streams Food Pantry

10:30am – 12pm   NO Bible Study

Wednesday, July 16

8:30 – 11:30am   Workday

9am – 12pm   Vacation Bible School

9 – 11:30am   Quilters – Large Fellowship Hall

Thursday, July 17

9am – 12pm   Vacation Bible School

9 – 11am   VdC Grouping, Office Conference Rm

Friday, July 18

9am – 12pm   Vacation Bible School

Saturday, July 19

9am – 12pm   Vacation Bible School

Sunday, July 20

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

9:30 – 10:30am   Adult Bible Study

10:45 – 11:45am   Livestream Worship in-person

12 – 1pm   70th Ann. Com.

3 – 4:30pm   Zoom Bible Study

5:30 – 7:30pm   Youth group

Remember you are loved and blessed!

Pr Tom

Welcome

GATHERING SONGS                          MORE LOVE MORE POWER

Chorus More love, more power More of You in my life
More love, more power More of You in my life

Verse 1  And I will worship You With all of my heart
And I will worship You With all of my mind
And I will worship You With all of my strength

For You are my Lord   You are my Lord  Chorus

Verse 2  And I will seek Your face With all of my heart
And I will seek Your face With all of my mind
And I will seek Your face With all of my strength
For You are my Lord  You are my Lord  Chorus

Verse  1

CCLI Song # 60661

THERE IS A BALM IN GILEAD

Refrain

There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole;

there is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul.

1   Sometimes I feel discouraged, and think my work’s in vain,

but then the Holy Spirit, revives my soul again.  Refrain 

2   If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray like Paul,

you can tell the love of Jesus, and say, “He died for all.”

Refrain

3   Don’t ever be discouraged, for Jesus is your friend;

and if you lack for knowledge, he’ll ne’er refuse to lend.  Refrain

 Text: African American spiritual

 Come, Now  Is the Time to Worship

Verse  Come, now is the time to worship;

Come, now is the time to give your heart;

Come, just as you are to worship;

Come, just as you are before your God. Come

Chorus

One day every tongue will confess You are God;

One day every knee will bow;

Still the greatest treasure remains;

For those who gladly choose You now

Repeat verse and chorus

Come, now is the time, Come, now is the time, Come.

CCLI-License# 1366369

THE CALL TO WORSHIP

Pastor:            May the love of Christ be with you as we gather now for worship!

People:          And may the love of Christ be with you also in this service of praise!

Pastor:            Let our worship go beyond these walls in our caring for all we meet in need

People:          Let our hearts celebrate Christ as we serve the Lord with gladness!

Pastor:            Let all we do for others bring glory and honor to Christ’s name!

People:          Blessed be the name of the Lord!

WELCOME TO WORSHIP

Equip

PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Pastor:            Gracious God,

People:          so often we have allowed ourselves to focus mainly on our own desires, and we pass by those who desperately need our help. Too often, Lord, we have allowed ourselves to become comfortable in the world, as we totally ignore the voices of the needy calling for our help just to survive. Forgive us, Lord, and help us make a real difference for You today. In Christ we pray. Amen.

(Silence for reflection and personal confession)

Pastor:God has rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the Kingdom of Christ Jesus. In him, and through him we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. Sisters and Brothers, your sins are forgiven; be at peace.

People:          Thanks be to God!

Passing of the peace

SONG OF PRAISE                       NO GOD LIKE OUR GOD

Verse 1  There’s no god like our God, No king like our King,
No lord like our Lord, Who rules everything.
There’s no hope like our hope, No way like our way,
No grace like our grace, Made new everyday

Chorus  There’s no god like our God. There’s no god like our God,
Creator and King, He rules everything.

There’s no god like our God, like our God.

Verse 2  There’s no rock like our Rock, No stone like our stone,

He continues to rule, As the ages roll on.
There’s no life like our life, No song like our song.
Let all of creation Sing it loud and strong. Repeat chorus X3

Like our God, Like our God

TODAY’S BIBLE READINGS

First Reading: Deuteronomy 30:9-14

Moses calls the people who are about to enter the promised land to renew the covenant God made with their ancestors. Through this covenant God gives life and asks for obedience. God’s commandment is neither burdensome nor too far off, but dwells in the people’s hearts.

⁹ The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, ¹⁰ when you obey the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

  ¹¹ “Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. ¹² It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ ¹³ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ ¹⁴ No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

Psalm 25:1-4

  ¹To you, O Lord,
  I lift up my soul.
 ²My God, I put my trust in you; let me not be put to shame,
  nor let my enemies triumph over me.
 ³Let none who look to you be put to shame;
  rather let those be put to shame who are treacherous.
 ⁴Show me your ways, O Lord,
  and teach me your paths.

Second Reading: Colossians 1:1-14

The letter to the Colossians was written to warn its readers of various false teachings. The first part of the letter is an expression of thanks for the faith, hope, and love that mark this community, including a prayer for strength and courage from Paul.

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
  ²To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
  ³In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel ⁶that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. ⁷This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, ⁸and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
  ⁹For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. ¹¹May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION                                              THY WORD

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path

And a light unto my path; you’re the light unto my path

Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

Jesus is challenged to explain what is involved in obeying the greatest commandment. Jesus tells a parable rich in surprises: those expected to show pity display hard hearts while the lowly give and receive unexpected and lavish mercy.

²⁵Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
  ²⁹But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

SPECIAL MUSIC  Violin solo by Rollin Medcalf

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

Adult message     5 PENTECOST—7.13.25—LUKE 10:25-37

An elderly woman in a small town in East Texas had car trouble on the way to the supermarket one morning. Her car stalled at a stop sign… she tried everything to get her car started again, but no luck. Suddenly, a man in a pick-up truck came up behind her and with obvious agitation he started honking his horn at her impatiently. She doubled her efforts to get her car going. She pumped the gas, turned the ignition, but still no luck… the man in the pick-up truck continued to honk his horn constantly and loudly.

I love what the elderly woman did. Very calmly she got out of her car, walked back to the pick-up and motioned for the man to lower his window and then politely she said: “I’ll make a deal with you. If you will start my car for me, I’ll be happy to honk your horn for you!”

Now, that is what you call “Rising to the occasion!”.. and that is precisely what Jesus does here in Luke 10. The lawyer was “testing” Jesus… honking his horn loudly. He was trying to trap Jesus and trip Him up with a loaded question… but Jesus (as He so often did) rose to the occasion and passed the test with flying colors… and in so doing… He reminded the people back then (and us today) of what is the main thing in the Christian faith.

Bishop Bevel Jones of the United Methodist Church is famous for having said this: “We need to remember that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!” That’s a powerful idea: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Sometimes we forget that, don’t we?

Dr. Robert Elliot, a cardiovascular surgeon from the University of Nebraska has written a book about the relationship between stress and heart disease. It’s entitled: Is It Worth Dying For? The basic thesis of the book revolves around what Dr. Elliot calls his Two Rules For Life… You’ve heard me use them before: Rule Number One is “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff!!” Rule Number Two is: “It’s All Small Stuff!!” Dr. Elliot reminds us that we can become so obsessed by the small stuff that we miss the main thing.

Well, the question for us this morning is obvious: “What is the Main Thing?” Fortunately for us, here in Luke 10 is the answer. We’ve had it in our hands all along. We could sum it up dramatically like this… “The main thing is… to love God unreservedly, to love people unconditionally and to live life unselfishly.” Let’s take a look at each of these three thoughts one at a time.

FIRST OF ALL… The main thing is to love God unreservedly. To love God with no stipulations, with no restrictions, with no holding back, with no hesitation; to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength… that’s the main thing!

G. Campbell Morgan, a well-known British preacher, once collected an offering to help keep a widow and her three children from being evicted.  He went to her house to give her the money, but no one answered no matter how much he knocked or yelled. So, he went away very disappointed.

Later, that afternoon the widow called him. Someone had contacted her and told her about the purpose of the pastor’s visit, so she called him and said: “Oh Dr. Morgan, I’m so sorry—I was inside the house all the time when you were knocking and calling… but you see, I didn’t come to the door because I was afraid… I thought you were the landlord coming to collect the rent… when after all you were a friend coming to bring a precious gift.”

Think about that! What a parable that is for us! God comes knocking at our door, calling our name… and He has a wonderful life-saving gift for us. And we hide in fear! We won’t open the door; we won’t let Him in because we are afraid He is the landlord coming to collect the rent that we don’t have. Well, let me tell you something. The good news of the Bible is that God is not an angry, ruthless landlord. No! He is a caring friend who comes… bringing to us a gracious, saving gift. He stands at the door and knocks, but we have to let Him in.

Have you let Him in? Have you let Him in all the way? He has a precious gift for you. Let Him in. Welcome Him gladly with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. The main thing is (first of all) to love God unreservedly.

SECONDLY… The main thing is also to love people unconditionally, love with no stipulations, love with no strings attached… Jesus called it the most authentic sign of discipleship.

Recently, I read a powerful story from WWII that relates to this. A little boy and his family were arrested by the Nazis and placed in a prison camp. His family were all executed but the boy miraculously managed to escape. 

When night fell, he went up to the first house he came to and knocked on the door. When the people opened the door, they saw him there and they recognized that he was a prisoner and they were afraid and they slammed the door in his face. Then he went to the second door and the third door…and the same thing happened. They slammed the door in his face. They were afraid to get involved.

But, when he came to the fourth house, the woman was about to close the door when the little boy remembered the verse from Matthew 25 about the least of these and he shouted… “Wait! Don’t you recognize me? Don’t you know who I am? I’m one of the least of these. I am Jesus whom you say you love!” And the woman opened the door and welcomed him in. She adopted him and raised him as her own.

Wouldn’t it be something if we could see the face of Jesus in every person we meet? Unconditional love… that is the torch Christ passes to us; it’s the sign of discipleship, it’s the calling of all who follow Him. He made that dramatically clear on a cross. The main thing is… to love God unreservedly,… and to love people unconditionally.

AND THIRD and finally the main thing is to live life unselfishly as servant people.

Anthony Campolo, a noted writer and teacher, tells a wonderful story about something that happened at his church one Sunday morning. It was “Student Recognition Day” and one by one the students came forward to tell of their dreams and plans for the future.

“I’m going to be a lawyer.”

“I’m going to be a doctor.”

“I’m going to be a professor.”

Now, while this was going on the old pastor who had been the minister there for well over thirty years was getting more and more impatient. Finally, when they were all through, the old pastor got up and he said: “Now, my little children, before we go home, there are a few things I need to say to you.”

He said: “Now, young people, you have lots of goals and dreams and ambitions and plans for life and that’s nice, but let me tell you something and I want you to listen closely. One of these days you are going to die… and they are going to take you out to the cemetery… and they are going to drop you into a six-foot hole. They are going to throw dirt in your face and then they are all going to go back up to the church hall and eat potato salad!”

He went on: “Listen! When you came into this world, everybody was laughing and you were the only one crying! Now, when you go out of this world, the question is whether everybody else is going to be crying and you are going to be laughing.”

Then he said: “The whole thing hinges on this – on whether or not you are going to live your life for titles or for testimonies.”

“Young people,” he said, “Don’t live your life for titles! That’s small stuff. Live your life to be a testimony! Make a difference in this world!”

The he finished with this: “Pharoah had the title, but Moses had the testimony. Nebuchadnezzar had the title, but Daniel had the testimony. Jezebal had the title, but Elijah had the testimony. Pontius Pilate had the title, but King Jesus had the testimony.” Then the old preacher paused for a moment and then he said: “Young people, it’s so important. Make your mind up right now to live for a testimony, not for a title!”

That’s the main thing… to be a living testimony for God. That’s the main thing: To love God unreservedly, to love people unconditionally, and to live life unselfishly. Here is one more story to drive the point home.

An unknown author paints this revealing picture: On the street I saw a small girl, cold and shivering in a thin dress, with little hope of a decent meal.

I became angry and said to God: “Why did you permit this? Why don’t you do something about it?”

For a while God said nothing. That night God replied, quite suddenly: “I certainly did do something about it . . . I made YOU.”

And that’s why God made us—to do something about it. Can He depend on you? Amen.

 Illustrations and ideas of King Duncan used by permission from

Sermon and Worship Resources @ sermons.com

SERMON SONG    I’M SO GLAD JESUS LIFTED ME     ELW #860

1        I’m so glad Jesus lifted me.

I’m so glad Jesus lifted me.

I’m so glad Jesus lifted me,

singing glory, hallelujah! Jesus lifted me.

2        Satan had me bound, Jesus lifted me.

Satan had me bound, Jesus lifted me.

Satan had me bound, Jesus lifted me,

singing glory, hallelujah! Jesus lifted me.

3        When I was in trouble, Jesus lifted me.

When I was in trouble, Jesus lifted me.

When I was in trouble, Jesus lifted me,

singing glory, hallelujah! Jesus lifted me.

Text: African American spiritual

Respond

AFFIRMING OUR FAITH                           Apostles Creed

            I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

            I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried;  He descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living 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.

Prayers of the Church

P:         Joining our voices with God’s people around the world, let us offer our prayers for those in need.

A brief silence.

P:         For the church, steadfast and faithful in its mission to proclaim redemption through Christ Jesus; for all ministers of the gospel who proclaim that the word is near, let us pray.

C:        Have mercy, O God.

P:         For those who feel ashamed; for those who find it difficult to trust; for the bereaved and sick (especially), that God provide compassionate and loving caregivers to all who suffer, let us pray.

C:        Have mercy, O God.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

P:         Merciful God, you hear the prayers of your people even before they are spoken. We commend these and all our prayers to you, trusting in your abundant mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C:        Amen.

WE WORSHIP GOD THROUGH OUR GIVING  Next, we will receive the gifts of forgiveness of sin, life, and salvation from our Lord Jesus, and respond gratefully with our offerings. Offering plates are in the front next to the aisle for your gifts. You may also donate online on the website, by text (the phone number is on the website), by mail, or personally deliver it to the office. Lives are changed through the ministry enabled by your gifts. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in the Gospel. Let us pray:

PRAYER OF BLESSING

Leader:           We offer these gifts, O God, in response to your great love for us.  We offer our lives because we love you with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength and all our mind.  As we go from here to love our neighbor as ourselves, may we go in the power of your Spirit to love as Jesus loved and to serve as he served. This we pray in his name.

People:          Amen.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION 

LORDS 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 and ever. Amen.                                     

COMMUNION SONG         Sing Alleluia

1.  Sing alleluia to the Lord, sing alleluia to the Lord   

Sing alleluia, sing alleluia, sing alleluia to the Lord

2.  Jesus is risen from the dead

3.  Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth

4.  He’s coming back to take us home

5.  We give thanks to God our King

6. He died for us, we’ll live for Him

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Send

Benediction Song        As You Go on your way

As you go on your way may Christ go with you.

May he go before you to show you the way;

May he go behind you to encourage you;

Beside you to befriend you;

Above you to watch over;

Within you to give you peace. 

In the name of the Father, Son and Spirit.  Amen.

Announcements

Streams Theme song

See the streams of living waters,

springing from eternal love,

well supply your sons and daughters,

and all fear of want remove. 

Who can faint while such a river

ever will their thirst assuage?

Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,

never fails from age to age.

SENDING BLESSING

Leader:           Greet your worshiping neighbor.

                        Go in peace and Serve One Another!

People:          Thanks be to God!!!