6th Sunday after the Epiphany
Feb 16, 2025
Loving God and loving neighbor, here in Central Vermont
and to the ends of the earth, all to the glory of God.
Prelude Music
Prepare your heart for worship.
Rebekah Barnes
Welcome and Announcements Listen for upcoming events and ways you can get involved.
Pastor Josh
Lighting the Candles Jesus is the light of the world.
Acolytes
Statement of Faith—HC Q&A 60-61 Confess what you believe about the Christian faith.
Pastor Josh and Congregation
L: Let us confess our faith together:
C: I am made right with God only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart. When I say that by faith alone I am right with God; it is not because of any value my faith has that God is pleased with me. Only Christ’s satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness make me right with God. And I can receive this righteousness and make it mine in no other way than by faith alone.
Greeting Your Neighbors Greet your neighbors in the name of the Lord.
Congregation
Call to Worship—Ephesians 5:19-20 Hear God call you to worship through his word.
Scott Puopolo
L: God calls us to worship and we respond. “Address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, And make melody to the Lord with your heart.”
C: We give thanks to God and have come to praise Him together in the name of our Lord Jesus.
Opening Prayer Invite God to work in you as you worship today.
Scott Puopolo
Worship Songs Join with the congregation in praise to God.
The Proctors
Your Name
Verse 1
As morning dawns and evening fades
You inspire songs of praise
That rise from earth to touch Your heart
And glorify Your Name
Chorus
Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name let the nations sing it louder
‘Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your Name
Verse 2
Jesus in Your Name we pray
Come and fill our hearts today
Lord give us strength to live for You
And glorify Your Name
Goodness of God
Verse 1
I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days
I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God
Chorus
All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
Verse 2
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a father
I’ve known You as a friend
I have lived in the goodness of God
Bridge
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Same God
Verse 1
I’m calling on the God of Jacob
Whose love endures through generations
I know that You will keep Your covenant
I’m calling on the God of Moses
The one who opened up the ocean
I need you now to do the same thing for me
Chorus
Oh God my God I need You
Oh God my God I need You now
How I need You now
Oh Rock oh Rock of ages
I’m standing on Your faithfulness
Verse 2
I’m calling on the God of Mary
Whose favor rests upon the lowly
I know with You all things are possible
I’m calling on the God of David
Who made a shepherd boy courageous
I may not face Goliath
But I’ve got my own giants
Bridge 1
You heard Your children then
You hear Your children now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You answered prayers back then
And You will answer now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You were providing then
You are providing now
You are the same God
You are the same God
Bridge 2
You moved in power then
God move in power now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You were a healer then
You are a healer now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You were a Savior then
You are a Savior now
You are the same God
You are the same God
Bridge 3
You freed the captives then
You’re freeing hearts right now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You touched the lepers then
I feel Your touch right now
You are the same God
You are the same God
Verse 3
I’m calling on the Holy Spirit
Almighty river come and fill me again
Tag
Come and fill me again
Come and fill me again
Scripture Meditation—Romans 4:13 – 5:1 (Pg x in Pew Bible) Hear a reading from the Gospel that relates to the sermon text.
Judy Stabolepszy
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Confession and Assurance—Abraham WSB Prayer
Pastor Josh
L: Let us turn to the Lord in confession of Sin.
C: God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we are your covenant people—one church, drawn from all nations. Our citizenship is in heaven. Yet we confess, O Lord, that we sometimes lose sight of your kingdom and its ways. We confess that we sometimes live more as citizens of our own land than as citizens of your kingdom. Forgive us for forgetting our true home, and for being more concerned with the affairs of our own kingdoms than of the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior. In His name, we pray. Amen.
L: Now beloved, here this good news proclaimed to all of you who are in Christ: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Congregational Prayer Lift your burdens and concerns to the Lord.
Pastor Josh
The Lord’s Prayer In closing, pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray.
Congregation
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, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Children Dismissed for Children’s Church
Megan Moore
Scripture Reading—Genesis 15:1-21 (Pg x in Pew Bible) Read this portion of God’s word.
Scott Puopolo
15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
L: The grass withers and the flower fades.
C: But the word of our God will stand forever.
Sermon Hear God’s word proclaimed and explained.
Pastor Josh
Song of Response—This is Amazing Grace Respond to the preaching of the word with song.
The Proctors
Verse 1
Who breaks the power of sin and darkness
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger
The King of Glory the King above all kings
Verse 2
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder
And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder
The King of Glory the King above all kings
Chorus
(Yeah) (Oh) This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You laid down Your life
That I would be set free
Oh Jesus I sing for all that You’ve done for me
Verse 3
Who brings our chaos back into order
Who makes the orphan a son and daughter
The King of Glory the King of Glory
Verse 4
Who rules the nations with truth and justice
Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance
The King of Glory the King above all kings
Bridge
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy worthy worthy
Extinguishing the Candles You are the light of the world.
Acolytes
Benediction Receive a parting blessing.
Pastor Josh
Postlude Music
Rebekah Barnes