July 27, 2025
Prelude - The Mustard Seed
Call to Worship
God of small seeds and mighty plants, you take our meager lives and with your love cause them to produce acts of loving kindness for you in this world. You bring us home with you so that we may be made whole, rejoicing in your goodness. Help us to joyfully serve you all our days, knowing that you are always watching over us. Prepare our hearts to receive your word and our spirits to respond in eagerness to serve you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Hymn - Awesome Power
Invocation and Lord's Prayer
God, what mysteries there are in Your kingdom! We look at the tiniest of seeds and wonder at the power it contains. We consider the smallest phrase of your word and wonder at the wisdom it contains. Lord, we praise Your greatness and commit ourselves again to You as Sovereign over us through the prayer Jesus taught us saying: 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.
Scripture Reading - Mark 4:26-34
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Joys and Concerns
Lord, we pray that you would inspire us to commit to and act on the small difference we can make: May we bring peace through small acts of gentleness and reconciliation; May we bring wealth through small contributions and collaborations; May we bring safety through small acts of consideration and acceptance; May we bring wholeness through small acts of care and service. And in the small ways, O God, may our small difference make a big contribution to your saving work in our world. Amen.
Hymn - Why Should He Love Me So?
Sermon - Receiving God in the Fullest
For Video version, click below.
Hymn - My Savior's Love
Benediction
Let us go now increasing the measure with which we seek to receive from God. Amen.
Postlude - I'm Forever Grateful