In themselves believers have no life, or strength, or spiritual power. All that they have of vital religion comes from Christ… Their root is Christ, and all that there is in the root is for the benefit of the branches. Because he lives, they shall also live. J. C. Ryle

As prophet [Jesus] meets the problem of man's ignorance, supplying him with knowledge. As priest he meets the problem of man's guilt, supplying him with righteousness. As king he meets the problem of man's weakness and dependence, supplying him with power and protection. J. B. Green

The assumption of spirituality is that always God is doing something before I know it. So the task is not to get God to do something I think needs to be done, but to become aware of what God is doing so that I can respond to it and participate and take delight in it. Eugene Peterson

There is no such thing as a great man of God, only weak, pitiful, faithless men of a great and merciful God. Paul Washer

R E F L E C T I O N S

RIVERWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHT U S C A L O O S A , A L A B A M A

J u l y 8 , 2 018 • 11 :0 0 Se r v i c e • J e f f Pa t e , Pa s to r Rev.

Seventh Sunday after PentecostLeaders In Worship: Assisting Elder Steven Crawford

Joann Williams, piano

WELCOMEProgram all communication devices to be in silent mode. Thank you.

PRELUDE Please use this time for prayer and meditation as we prepare to go before the living God in worship.

P R A I S E

CALL TO WORSHIP: from Psalm 99Pastor: The Lord reigns; let the people tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!All: The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all peoples. Let them praise his great and awesome name! Holy is he!Pastor: Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! Come, let us worship.

HYMN OF PRAISE: 101 “Come, Thou Almighty King”

PRAYER OF PRAISE AND THE LORD'S PRAYER

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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.Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.

C O N F E S S I O N

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SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20:7-117“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him

8 9guiltless who takes his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days 10you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your

God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested

on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.All: Thanks be to God!

CORPORATE CONFESSION OF SIN: All: Almighty and merciful God, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare those who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to the world in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And grant, O merciful God, for his sake, that we may live a holy, just, and humble life to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

SILENT REFLECTION AND CONFESSION

WORDS OF ASSURANCE & PEACE OF GOD: from Philippians 2Pastor: Your assurance for salvation is found only in Jesus, who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.People: And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Pastor: Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, People: so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Pastor: The peace of Christ be with you all.People: And also with you.

HYMN: 296 “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!” st. 1-4

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C O M M I T M E N T

OFFERTORY PRAYER

OFFERTORY Presentation of tithes & offerings

DOXOLOGY (Hymnal, page 731)

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: Colossians 1:15-20Leader: What do you believe concerning Jesus Christ?All: I believe that: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

RESPONSE: 735 “Gloria Patri”

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

HYMN: “Come, O Creator Spirit Blest” (lyrics on next page)

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P R E A C H I N G O F T H E W O R D

SCRIPTURE: Acts 18:1-171 2After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the

3Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with 4them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every

5Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, 6Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they

opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own 7heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And he left there and went to the

house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And

9many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one 10night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you,

11and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” And he 12stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. But when Gallio was

proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 14saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious

15crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 17And he drove them from the tribunal. And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

SERMON: “Human Frailty and Divine Provision” Rev. Jeff Pate

1. Come, O Creator Spirit blest, and in our hearts take up your rest;Spirit of grace, with heav’nly aid come to the souls whom you have made.

2. You are the Comforter, we cry, sent to the earth from God Most High,fountain of life and fire of love, and our anointing from above.

3. Make our dull minds with rapture glow, let human hearts with love o’erflow;and when our feeble flesh would fail, may your immortal strength prevail.

4. Far from our souls the foe repel, grant us in peace henceforth to dwell;ill shall not come, nor harm betide, if only you will be our guide.

5. Show us the Father, Holy One, help us to know th’eternal Son;Spirit divine, forevermore you will we trust and you adore.Spirit divine, forevermore you will we trust and you adore.

C O M E , O C R E A T O R S P I R I T B L E S T

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HAPPY BIRTHDAYS

LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10; Psalm 48; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13

NO YOUTH GROUP TONIGHT

The youth have just returned from the RYM Summer Conference in Panama City Beach, so there will be no youth group meetings tonight. Our next youth group will be on July 15.

NO WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

Due to VBS next week, the women’s Bible studies will not meet on Wednesday. The studies will resume next week Wednesday, July 18.

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

C O M M U N I O N

HYMN: 135 “God Sees the Little Sparrow Fall”

Pastor: The Lord be with you. All: And also with you. Pastor: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them up to the Lord. Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All: It is right for us to give thanks and praise. Pastor: As the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread and offered thanksgiving to God, so too we now offer to God our thanks and praise.

THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPERRiverwood Presbyterian uses wine in the celebration of Holy Communion. If you would prefer non-alcoholic grape juice, please take a cup from the inner circle of the tray.

HYMN: 296 “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!” st. 5,6

BENEDICTION

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DISMISSING HYMN: 263 “Lift High the Cross” v. 4

July 11 Clay StaggsJuly 12 Hunter Sheppard

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

“THE GREATEST” July 9–12 from 9:00-12:00Vacation Bible School begins tomorrow! VBS is designed for rising K5 through 12 years old. If you have not pre-registered your child, you may register tomorrow morning.

VBS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, AND WINGS OF GRACE

During VBS and through Sunday, July 29, the children of Riverwood Church will be collecting school supplies to be placed in back packs and distributed to children in Tuscaloosa through Wings of Grace. A box is in the foyer for donations for this Mercy Ministry. Suggested items include: notebooks, paper, glue sticks, pencils, pens, erasers, crayons, etc.

SESSION AND DIACONATE MEETING

The elders and deacons will meet this Wednesday, July 11, at 6:30pm in the Administration Building for their monthly meeting.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE

Communion Teams: The Church needs additional teams of two or more to prepare Communion each Sunday. It is a necessary part of preparing for worship and, with a full contingent of teams, will happen every 7 or 8 weeks. If you want to serve, see Jimmy Hopper and he will set you up for training with a team and will put you into the rotation. Assist a family with lawn care: Through our partnership with Love INC, we have been given the opportunity to help Jasper and Bertha Hope maintain their yard. Jasper suffered a stroke a few years ago and is unable to work to work in the yard anymore. Please prayerfully consider signing up to help – use the link in your email announcements, or speak with Tom Arnold or Greg Vander Wal.

BABY SHOWER

Please join us in the Fellowship Hall next Sunday, July 15 at 2:00pm as we celebrate the upcoming arrival of Evie Mae Tulipan!

LAKE LURLEEN FUN DAY

Join us for a day of Fellowship and FUN at Lake Lurleen on Saturday, July 21. The fun will begin at 10:00am at the Beach Pavilion but you can come any time during the day. The park will close at sunset. Activities for the day can include swimming, boating, hiking, and fishing. Bring your own food and drink. Fees: 4-11 years old $2.00; 12-51 years $4.00; Over 62 years old, $2.00.

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A N N O U N C E M E N T S

S U N D A Y S C H O O L

At Riverwood Presbyterian Church we have Sunday School at 9:45am for all age groups.

MEETING DOWNSTAIRS: Nursery: Multi-Staffed

2-3 year olds: Janalie Graham & Joanie Norris4-5 year olds: Debbie Jones

MEETING UPSTAIRS:Grades 1-3: Monica UrbanGrades 4-6: Ginny Nippert

MEETING IN THE BARN: Youth Class led by Jeff Pate

MEETING IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL: Adult Class

MEETING IN THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING: Adult Class – Disability and the Gospel led by Gene Martin

M I N I S T R I E S O F S E R V I C E

NURSERY VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE:July 8: Heather Henson / Meg Sigmon / Rachael & Caleb Drinkard / Wilson Pate

July 15: Caleigh Henson / Darla Cook / Bruce DeHaan & Olivia Patridge / Savannah Cook

JULY DEACON SCHEDULE:Head Deacons: Bruce DeHaan & Tom ArnoldClean Up: Steve Patridge & Dusty Sheppard

F I N A N C I A L R E P O R T

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Through June 2018:Operating Income: $201,224.04Operating Expense*: $217,715.78Net Income: ($16,491.74)Designated gifts: $16,066.00Building loan balance: $913,585.48

*Includes the minimum monthly building loan payment