Description
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Jesus shared several parables to illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven. He first compared it to a tiny mustard seed growing on a large tree. He also used the examples of the Kingdom being like a small spot of yeast working through a large batch of dough, a treasure hidden in a field, a pearl of great value, and a net that catches all sorts of fish. The Kingdom of Heaven is worth everything and is available to all who seek it. As followers of Jesus, we must be willing to give up everything for the Kingdom of Heaven and pursue God above all else.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Pastor / Worship Leader
Welcome to church! You are loved and wanted by the Lord. You were created by God, the Creator of the Universe and everything seen and unseen. He has great things in store for us today. Let us worship Him together!
Worshipers
God is great! We worship Him with our voices and our hearts.
Time of Praise and Worship
Build Your Kingdom Here
Rend Collective Experiment, ©2011 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
My Savior My God
Aaron Shust & Dorothy Dora Greenwell, ©2005 Bridge Building Music, Inc. (Admin. By Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Cool Springs Blvd., Franklin TN 37067
Sing Sing Sing
Chris Tomlin, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, Matt Gilder, & Travis Nunn, ©2008 worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Vamos Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Shadow Rock Music (Admin. by Music Services)
[Traditional Options]
I Love Your Kingdom, Lord
BH 75 240; BH 91 354; CH 405; EH 524; HWC 280; HFG 545; HLC 203; HGP 168; HSP 189; LBW 368; LSB 651; LW 296; NCH 312; PH 441; RH 330; WC 702; UMH 540; WAR 549; WHM 349; WIS 311
O Jesus King Most Wonderful
HLC 73; LBW 537; LSB 554; LW 274
God of Grace and God of Glory
BH 75 265; BH 91 395; CH 435; CHH 464; EH 594,595; ELW 705; HWC 292; WFG 528; HLC 466; LBW 415; LSB 850; LW 398; NCH 436; PH 420; STTL 720; WC 669; UMH 577; WAR 569; WHM 332
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
Calling all the faithful children of the Lord!
Worshipers
We are here! We are here to worship God, our Maker!
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, You are the Giver of Life and all things good. We don’t deserve Your love or Your grace, yet You freely give it to us. You teach us Your truths through Your Holy Spirit. We pray that we would take what we learn today and apply it to our lives. We ask that You’d give us the strength to purse Your Kingdom until You return.
Worshipers
Until the Lord returns, we will strive to seek Him. Amen!
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
It is true that although we have access to God through the cross of Christ, we still choose to ignore the very Spirit of God inside of us.
Worshipers
We confess- it is true.
Pastor / Worship Leader
How dare we ignore the power of God! How dare we take for granted His Kingdom and our adoption as His children. But God doesn’t say, “Shame on you!” Rather He says, “Shame off you!”
Worshipers
Jesus bore our shame on the cross. He put our sin to death and resurrected us with Himself. We are made new and alive in Christ!
Pastor / Worship Leader
So we must live as devoted followers of Jesus in all that we say, do, think, and act upon. For it is Christ who has redeemed us and called us by name. Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so!
Worshipers
So! And amen!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading 1 Kings 3:5-12
God appeared to King Solomon in a dream and offered to give him anything he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom to govern God’s people justly, which pleased God. He then granted Solomon not only wisdom but also wealth and honor.
At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.
