WELCOME AND ANNCOUNCEMNTS

PRELUDE “Be Thou My Vision” Dan Forrest

CALL TO WORSHIP – Psalm 111

Leader: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. Praise the Lord!

People: Your work is full of honor and majesty, and your righteousness endures forever.

Leader: The works of your hands are faithful and just; all your precepts are trustworthy.

People: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who practice it have good

understanding.

*HYMN “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” #478

CALL TO CONFESSION—2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. This instruction is spoken by the voice of the Lord, our God. In obedience to it, let’s confess our sins. Let’s pray, saying together….

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

We are part of the body of believers, Father; but many times we become independent with our faith, and careless in the witness we give to others who are searching for the truth. Forgive us when we hurt others in their faith by the witness we give to our faith. Unite us in a fellowship of mutual upbuilding in our commitment to Christ, in whose name we pray...

Silent Prayers of confession

WORDS OF ASSURANCE– Romans 6:22-23

Now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Friends, believe the good news.

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

*GLORIA PATRI

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSON: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. ² Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. ³ But whoever loves God is known by God. ⁴ So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” ⁵ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), ⁶ yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. ⁷ But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. ⁸ But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. ⁹ Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ¹² When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

SERMON “Idol’s Food” Rev. Barrett Ingram

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his

only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the

third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right

hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the

dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic* Church; the communion of saints; the

forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

*“catholic” (little c) is translated as “universal” and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church.

PASTORAL PRAYER AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

HYMN “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” #438

BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE “Postlude in D” Johann Rinck

Announcements

Sunday, January 31

12:00 PM – Christian Education/Fellowship & Nurture will meet in Fellowship Hall

Sunday, February 7

3:00 PM - Worship committee meeting

Prayer List

Marguerite Hufham, Sarah Melvin, Louise Quick, Ronnie Rush, Juanita McGraw, Betty Johnson, Bill Jackson, Darrel Melvin, Happy Lashlee, Gerry Carey, Becky Regan, Mary Ward, Lucille Hood, Amy Johnson, Bill Marsh, Esther Collier, Madeline NcNeill Long, Shannon Wilcox, Clara Wooten Hunsucker, Ernest Ray Long, Jo Campbell, Linda Smith, Susan and David Butler, Doug Bergeron, Margaret Ingram, Bill Greene, Allison Ward, Jimmy Hickman, Holly Eppley, Betty Faircloth, Susan Deans, Sammy Hatcher, Kim Worley Sellers, Carmen McQueen, Claudia Hester, Lin Weeks, Nellie Macon, Richard and Mary Jane Howell, Susan Priest, David Callihan, Ray Battle, Michael Ann Williamson, James Boswell, J.B. Priest Family, Rev. David McKirachan, Molly Cox, McCoy Family, Bob Nelson, Ann Burney, Betty Ann McPherson