Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Leader: Come, people of God, to remember God’s promises.
People: We come with hearts of hope, even when trust feels impossible.
Leader: Abraham trusted God, even when the path was unclear.
People: We trust the One who provides, the God who is faithful.
Leader: Let us worship the Lord, our Provider.
People: To God be the glory forever!
Opening Hymn
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah UMH 127
Why This Song:
This hymn voices our dependence on God’s leading through wilderness and uncertainty, echoing Abraham’s journey of trust when the path ahead was unclear.
Prayer of Confession
Provider God, You gave Abraham the courage to trust You, yet we confess how quickly we falter.
When our bodies are weak and our strength is failing, we struggle to believe You will carry us. When those we love are sick or suffering, we question Your goodness and doubt Your care. When the future feels smaller than we once imagined, our hope grows dim and we resist trusting Your promises.
Forgive us, Lord, for the ways fear overshadows faith. Forgive us when we cling to control instead of leaning on You. Strengthen our hearts to believe that You are faithful still. Hear us now as we offer the silent prayers of our hearts.
Silent Prayer of Confession"
Amen.
Words of Assurance
Leader: God does not abandon us in our weakness. Christ has carried our sin, our sorrow, and our fear to the cross. In His resurrection, we are given new life.
People: We rejoice in God’s mercy — we are forgiven and made whole!
Passing of the Peace
First Reading:
Genesis 21:1-3; 22:1-14
Sermon:
When Trust Feels Impossible by Pastor Kevin Rutledge
Hymn of Response
He Leadeth Me: O Blessed Thought 128
Why This Song:
We close by affirming that God’s faithful hand guides us still, sending us out in the assurance that even when trust feels impossible, God is with us every step of the way.
Tithes and Offerings
Offertory Response
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95
Offertory Prayer
Faithful God, When we give, we release our fear of scarcity. When we give, we declare our trust in Your promises. Receive these gifts, O Lord, and multiply them for the work of Your kingdom, that all may know Your love and care. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer and Lord's Prayer
Announcements
Closing Hymn
Stand By Me UMH 512
Why This Song:
In seasons of trial, weakness, and fear, this hymn becomes a prayer for God’s steady presence — much like Abraham’s trust that God would provide even in his greatest test.
Benediction
Said Each Week as A Communal Prayer:
Send to us all the people who feel unwanted and unloved in other places, and if they can't come to us, send us to them.
Postlude