FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
ORDER OF WORSHIP
1st Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2025
PRELUDE
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- CE/FELLOWSHIP and WORSHIP COMMITTEES meet today after worship.
- TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP: 9:30ish AM, Mission Coffee House.
- FINANCE COMMITTEE meets Tuesday, March 11 at 6:30 PM via Zoom.
- LENTEN SOUP SUPPER (soup provided by Men’s Brotherhood) on March 12 at 5:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY: 9:30 AM, center meeting room.
- SESSION meets Thursday, March 13 at 7:00 PM.
CALL TO THE CROSS
In the wilderness, Christ was tested.
In our lives, we face trials and temptations.
Yet God is our strength and our shield.
We turn to the Lord, our refuge and our guide.
In fasting, in prayer, in seeking God’s way--
We follow Christ on the road to the cross.
*OPENING HYMN #81 (blue) “Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days”
Lord, who throughout these forty days,
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins,
And close by Thee to stay.
As Thou with Satan didst contend,
And didst the victory win,
O give us strength in Thee to fight,
In Thee to conquer sin.
And through these days of penitence,
And through Thy Passion-tide,
Yea, evermore, in life and death,
O Lord, with us abide.
Abide with us, that so, this life
Of suffering over-past,
An Easter of unending joy
We may attain at last!
*CALL TO CONFESSION
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Lord Jesus Christ, we remember with gratitude those people who sowed the seeds of faith in our lives. We confess the times we failed to plant seeds of faith in the lives of others; the times when our personal agendas became more important than yours; the times when our lives became so entangled with the values of the world that we forgot what you have said and done and promised. Bless and renew our lives, we pray, so that we bear the fruit of your mercy and your love. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*GLORIA PATRI (on screen)
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.
CHILDREN’S SERMON (music led by Nancy O)
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Heavenly Father, open our ears and our hearts that we may be open to your Word and look forward with joy to your promises. In Jesus name, Amen
Psalm 119: 33- 40 (responsively)
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
Gospel Reading:
Matthew 13: 1-13, 16-17
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying:
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Matthew 13:18-23
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
SERMON Stories of Jesus – The Sower
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH -- (From the Heidelberg Confession 1563)
My only comfort in life and in death is that I belong—body and soul, in life and in death—not to myself, but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins, and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
*HYMN OF RESPONSE #426 (blue) “Lord, Speak to me, That I May Speak”
Lord, speak to me, that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou hast sought, so let me seek
Thine erring children lost and lone.
O lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wandering and the wavering feet;
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.
O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.
O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord,
Until my very heart o’erflow
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.
O use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where;
Until Thy blessed face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.
OFFERING OF OURSELVES AND OUR RESOURCES
*DOXOLOGY (on screen)
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.
*CLOSING HYMN #538 (blue) “Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing”
Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing; fill our hearts with joy and peace;
Let us each, Thy love possessing, triumph in redeeming grace.
O refresh us, O refresh us, traveling through this wilderness.
Thanks we give and adoration for the gospel's joyful sound:
may the fruits of Thy salvation in our hearts and lives abound.
Ever faithful, ever faithful to the truth may we be found.
So that when Thy love shall call us, Savior, from the world away,
Let no fear of death appall us, glad Thy summons to obey.
May we ever, may we ever reign with Thee in endless day.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
ORDER OF WORSHIP
1st Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2025
PRELUDE
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- CE/FELLOWSHIP and WORSHIP COMMITTEES meet today after worship.
- TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP: 9:30ish AM, Mission Coffee House.
- FINANCE COMMITTEE meets Tuesday, March 11 at 6:30 PM via Zoom.
- LENTEN SOUP SUPPER (soup provided by Men’s Brotherhood) on March 12 at 5:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY: 9:30 AM, center meeting room.
- SESSION meets Thursday, March 13 at 7:00 PM.
CALL TO THE CROSS
In the wilderness, Christ was tested.
In our lives, we face trials and temptations.
Yet God is our strength and our shield.
We turn to the Lord, our refuge and our guide.
In fasting, in prayer, in seeking God’s way--
We follow Christ on the road to the cross.
*OPENING HYMN #81 (blue) “Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days”
Lord, who throughout these forty days,
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins,
And close by Thee to stay.
As Thou with Satan didst contend,
And didst the victory win,
O give us strength in Thee to fight,
In Thee to conquer sin.
And through these days of penitence,
And through Thy Passion-tide,
Yea, evermore, in life and death,
O Lord, with us abide.
Abide with us, that so, this life
Of suffering over-past,
An Easter of unending joy
We may attain at last!
*CALL TO CONFESSION
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Lord Jesus Christ, we remember with gratitude those people who sowed the seeds of faith in our lives. We confess the times we failed to plant seeds of faith in the lives of others; the times when our personal agendas became more important than yours; the times when our lives became so entangled with the values of the world that we forgot what you have said and done and promised. Bless and renew our lives, we pray, so that we bear the fruit of your mercy and your love. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*GLORIA PATRI (on screen)
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.
CHILDREN’S SERMON (music led by Nancy O)
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Heavenly Father, open our ears and our hearts that we may be open to your Word and look forward with joy to your promises. In Jesus name, Amen
Psalm 119: 33- 40 (responsively)
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
Gospel Reading:
Matthew 13: 1-13, 16-17
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying:
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Matthew 13:18-23
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
SERMON Stories of Jesus – The Sower
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH -- (From the Heidelberg Confession 1563)
My only comfort in life and in death is that I belong—body and soul, in life and in death—not to myself, but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins, and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
*HYMN OF RESPONSE #426 (blue) “Lord, Speak to me, That I May Speak”
Lord, speak to me, that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou hast sought, so let me seek
Thine erring children lost and lone.
O lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wandering and the wavering feet;
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.
O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.
O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord,
Until my very heart o’erflow
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.
O use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where;
Until Thy blessed face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.
OFFERING OF OURSELVES AND OUR RESOURCES
*DOXOLOGY (on screen)
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.
*CLOSING HYMN #538 (blue) “Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing”
Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing; fill our hearts with joy and peace;
Let us each, Thy love possessing, triumph in redeeming grace.
O refresh us, O refresh us, traveling through this wilderness.
Thanks we give and adoration for the gospel's joyful sound:
may the fruits of Thy salvation in our hearts and lives abound.
Ever faithful, ever faithful to the truth may we be found.
So that when Thy love shall call us, Savior, from the world away,
Let no fear of death appall us, glad Thy summons to obey.
May we ever, may we ever reign with Thee in endless day.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE