PROVIDENCE CHURCH

      March 27, 2022

 

Welcome

Passing of the Peace: Though we are separated by distance our hearts are one in Christ. The peace of Christ be with you!  And also with you!

 

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise him all creatures here below,

Praise him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen

 

Call to Worship:   Isaiah 42:10-16

Leader:  Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.

Congregation:  Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that people inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

Leader:  Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise in the coastlands.  The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a warrior he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.

Congregation:  And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them.

Leader:  I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground.

ALL:  These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.

 

 

Songs of Praise:

Worthy of Worship (Terry York, 1988; tune Mark Blankenship, 1988 CCLI #82869)

Worthy of worship, worthy of praise, worthy of honor and glory;

Worthy of all the glad songs we can sing, worthy of all of the off’rings we bring,

 

Chorus:

You are worthy, Father, Creator,

You are worthy, Savior, Sustainer,

Your are worthy, worthy and wonderful, worthy of worship and praise.

 

Worthy of rev’rence, worthy of fear, worthy of love and devotion;

Worthy of bowing and bending of knees, worthy of all this and added to these…

(Chorus)

 

Almighty Father, Master and Lord, King of all kings and Redeemer,

Wonderful Counselor, Comforter, Friends, Savior and Source of our life without end…

(Chorus)

 

I Will Wait for You (Psalm 130)

(Keith Getty, J. Kauflin, M. Merker & Stuart Townend, 2018 CCLI #7118914)

1.Out of the depths I cry to you,

In darkest places I will call;

Incline your ear to me anew,

And hear my cry for mercy, Lord.

 

2.Were you to count my sinful ways

How could I come before your throne?

Yet full forgiveness meets my gaze;

I stand redeemed by grace alone

 

Chorus: I will wait for you, I will wait for you,

On your Word I will rely.

I will wait for you, surely wait for you

till my soul is satisfied.

 

3.So put your hope in God alone,

Take courage in his power to save,

completely and forever won

by Christ emerging from the grave! (Chorus)

 

4.Now He has come to make a way,

and God himself has paid the price,

that all who trust in Him today

find healing in his sacrifice.

 

Chorus: I will wait for you, I will wait for you

On your Word I will rely.

I will wait for you, surely wait for you

till my soul is satisfied

I will wait for you, I will wait for you

through the storm and through the night

I will wait for you, surely wait for you,

for your love is my delight.

 

Sing Hallelujah to the Lord (Linda Stassen-Benjamin, 1974)

Men:                                                   Women (echo):

1.Sing hallelujah to the Lord                      (Sing hallelujah to the Lord)

Sing hallelujah to the Lord!                        (Sing hallelujah)

Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah,     (Hal-le-lu-jah!)

(Together:) Sing hallelujah to the Lord.

 

2.Jesus is risen from the dead        (Jesus is risen from the dead)

Jesus is risen from the dead                       (Jesus is risen—)

Jesus is risen, Jesus is risen                         (Hal-le-ju-jah!)

(Together:) Jesus is risen from the dead.

 

3.Jesus is coming back again                      (Jesus is coming back again)

Jesus is coming back again                         (Jesus is coming…)

Jesus is coming, sing, Jesus is coming (Hal-le-lu-jah!)
(Together:) Jesus is coming back again.

 

4.Sing hallelujah to the Lord                      (Sing hallelujah to the Lord)

Sing hallelujah to the Lord!                        (Sing hallelujah)

Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah,     (Hal-le-lu-jah!)

(Together:) Sing hallelujah to the Lord.

 

Confession/Assurance    Psalm 32:1-5

 

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

    whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,

    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

 

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away

    through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

    my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah

 

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,

    and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

 

I Will Sing of My Redeemer (Philip Bliss, 1876; tune James McGranahan)

1.I will sing of my Redeemer, and his wondrous love to me:

On the cruel cross he suffered from the curse to set me free.

 

Chorus:

Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!

With his blood he purchased me;

On the cross he sealed my pardon,

Paid the debt and made me free.

 

 

 

2.I will tell the wondrous story, how my lost estate to save,

In his boundless love and mercy, he the ransom freely gave. (Chorus)

 

3.I will sing of my Redeemer and his heavn’ly love to me;

He from death to life has brought me, Son of God, with him to be. (Chorus)

Thank You Jesus, for the Blood (Bryan BcCleery, Charity Gayle, David Gentiles, Elisha Hoffman, John Hart Stockton, Ryan Kennedy, Steven Musso, CCLI #7172456)

I was a wretch, I remember who I was
I was lost, I was blind, I was running out of time.

Sin separated, the breach was far too wide,
But from the far side of the chasm You held me in your sight.

 

So You made a way across the great divide,
Left behind Heaven’s throne to build it here inside.

And there at the cross, You paid the debt I owed
Broke my chains, freed my soul; for the first time I had hope.

 

Chorus: Thank you Jesus, for the blood applied,
Thank you Jesus, it has washed me white;
Thank you Jesus, You have saved my life,
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light.

 

You took my place, laid inside my tomb of sin.
You were buried for three days, but then You walked right out again.

And now death has no sting, and life has no end,
For I have been transformed by the blood of the Lamb.

 

Chorus: Thank you Jesus, for the blood applied,
Thank you Jesus, it has washed me white;
Thank you Jesus, You have saved my life,
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light.

 

Bridge: There is nothing stronger
Than the wonder working power of the blood, the blood
That calls us sons and daughters,
We are ransomed by our Father through the blood, the blood

 

There is nothing stronger,
Oh the wonder working power of the blood, the blood
That calls us sons and daughters,
We are ransomed by the Father through the blood, the blood

 

Chorus: Thank you Jesus, for the blood applied,
Thank you Jesus, it has washed me white;
Thank you Jesus, You have saved my life,
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light.

 

Glory to His name, glory to His name; There to my heart was the blood applied: glory to His name.

 

Scripture Reading:    Matthew 20: 29-34

 

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord,[a] have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

 

”This is the Word of the Lord.   Thanks be to God!

Sermon:  “What Do You Want Me to Do for You?”                                                                                                             

 

Hymn of Dedication

 

One Pure and Holy Passion (Mark Altrogge, 1988 CCLI Song #270224)

Give me one pure and holy passion,

And give me one magnificent obsession;

Give me one glorious ambition for my life:

To know and follow hard after you.

(Repeat)

 

Chorus:

To know and follow hard after you, to grow as your disciple in the truth.

This world is empty, pale and poor, compared to knowing you my Lord;

Lead me on and I will run after you,

Lead me on and I will run after you.

 

Give me one pure and holy passion,

And give me one magnificent obsession;

Give me one glorious ambition for my life:

To know and follow hard after you.

Chorus:

To know and follow hard after you, to grow as your disciple in your truth.

This world is empty, pale and poor, compared to knowing you my Lord;

Lead me on and I will run after you,

Lead me on and I will run after you (Repeat Chorus)

Tag: Lead me on and I will run after you.

 

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.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil:

for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.  Amen

 

Hymn of Thanksgiving

Rock of Ages (Augustus Toplady, 1776; tune James Ward CCLI #323401)

1.Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood, from thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure: cleanse me from its guilt and power.

 

2.Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands.

Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone: Thou must save and Thou alone.

 

3.Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress, helpless, look to Thee for grace.

Foul, I to the fountain fly—wash me Savior, or I die.

 

4.While I draw this fleeting breath, when my eyelids close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown, see Thee on Thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.

 

Benediction 

 

KNOW

Welcome to Providence Church! We are glad that you are here, joining us in person or via Zoom!.

Church Yard Sale – Providence Church Yard Sale!  100% of funds raised go to support mission work local and abroad.    April 1-2, 8am to 2 pm.   Please bring your gently used items to the church ASAP. Also ,we need volunteers to help run the yard sale. There will be a sign-up sheet on the Mission table in the narthex or call Renee Mitchell.

 

POTLUCK APRIL 3RD:  On Sunday, April 3 we’re planning a potluck for the whole church after the morning worship service. It’s been way too long since we have done this. So everyone get ready, prepare and bring your best-tasting Chili! If you would like to bring Chili and be a part of the competition that’s great! Otherwise, bring a beverage or a side dish- or just bring yourself! There will be plenty. Note, we will not be having Sunday School that day.

Brief Congregational Mtg:  Also on April 3, the Session is convening a short congregational meeting in the Fellowship Hall. Here’s the background. This year the general assembly of the EPC is approving a new presbytery (a local geographical association of EPC congregations) right here in Western North Carolina. This new Presbytery of the Central Carolinas (PCC) is right in our backyard. Presently we are in the Presbytery of the Southeast (POSE), with outlying churches spread an 8-hour drive due west and 8-hours due south.  Providence is on the extreme eastern boundary of POSE. There are about 35 churches in this large area. Three times a year your pastor and two elders serve as commissioners to attend, participate and serve on committees. So there is a fair amount of driving. After prayerful consideration, your session endorses to you, our members, that Providence be released from POSE and transferred to PCC. That would place us just 30-40 minutes from 7 EPC congregations and the farthest church would be Charlotte.

Children of all ages are invited to participate in the entire service of worship.  Childcare for children up to 6 years of age, in our downstairs Christian Ed wing (on the left) at the end of the hallway.

Nursery Worker Needed –     Providence is looking to hire a part time nursery worker for each Sunday from 9:45 to 12noon.  Please contact Edward Brouwer 828-550-4615, or Linda Wilson, 901-230-7178, providencechurchassistant@gmail.com, if you are interested or know of anyone that might be.  Also, please be in prayer that God will guide this process. Thank you!

 

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GROW

 

Pastor Bible Study – meets each Tuesday at noon in the fellowship hall to discuss the previous week’s sermon as well as the upcoming sermon.   Bring your Bible and a bagged lunch if you would like.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY – From 6:30pm until 8:00pm, we are excited to hold our Wednesday night bible study. The study will be on selections from the book of John. We will also have a short praise and prayer time. Childcare provided if needed. Contact the Allsbrooks or the Mitchells with any questions.

Women’s Prayer Group – 10:15am Tuesday mornings, contact Linda Roberts for more info

Men’s Prayer Group – 6:45am Thursday mornings, contact Sam Mitchell for more info.

 

 

GO

 

Prayer Requests: For Mercy and Grace: Glenda White, Judd and Susanne Heriot, Robbie Hargrove, Mike and Rhonda Lear, Chuck & Carole Torpy; Lisa Rhodarmer’s mother Ruth