Worship Guide
April 27, 2025
Second Sunday of Easter
Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World
ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE
Greeting:
Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
People: And also with you!
Special Music:
Centering Words:
Let all creation proclaim and rejoice: Christ is risen. Overcoming death, he is the Alpha and Omega, the powerful beginning and end of all things, the one who is and was and is to come.
*Call to Worship:
Leader: With trumpet sounds and singing hearts,
People: we come to praise the Lord.
Leader: As faithful witnesses of Christ’s grace and love,
People: we come to praise the Lord.
Leader: Coming here with our doubts and our faith,
People: we come to praise the Lord.
Leader: Let us pray.
ALL: God of mystery and miracles, breathe your peace upon us. Reveal your presence, as we look for you each day. Strengthen our faith and our trust, as we pray for miracles for one another and for all of your creation. Amen
Hymn: “He Lives”
I serve a risen Savior, he's in the world today;
I know that he is living, whatever foes may say;
I see his hand of mercy, I hear his voice of cheer,
and just the time I need him, he's always near.
He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
along life's narrow way.
He lives, he lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know he lives?
He lives within my heart.
In all the world around me I see his loving care,
and though my heart grows weary, I never will despair.
I know that he is leading through all the stormy blast;
the day of his appearing will come at last.
He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
along life's narrow way.
He lives, he lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know he lives?
He lives within my heart.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek him, the help of all who find;
none other is so loving, so good and kind.
He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
along life's narrow way.
He lives, he lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know he lives?
He lives within my heart.
PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
Words of Assurance
In grace, we are forgiven.
In Love, we are freed.
In Christ, peace and assurance are ours.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
*Gospel Reading: Revelation 1:4-9
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
9 I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Leader: This is the Word of God for the people of God
People: Thanks be to God.
WORD AND RESPONSE
Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”
Children’s Message: “Surprise”
Hymn: “He Is Exalted”
He is exalted, the King is exalted on high;
I will praise him.
He is exalted, forever exalted and I will praise his name!
He is the Lord, forever his truth shall reign;
heaven and earth rejoice in his holy name.
He is exalted, the King is exalted on high.
He is exalted, the King is exalted on high;
I will praise him.
He is exalted, forever exalted and I will praise his name!
He is the Lord, forever his truth shall reign;
heaven and earth rejoice in his holy name.
He is exalted, the King is exalted on high.
Sermon: “Embodied Believing” John 20:19-31
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
RESPONSE TO THE WORD
Hymn: “Trust and Obey”
When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will, he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
but is blessed if we trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
But we never can prove the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows, for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
what he says we will do, where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Psalter: Affirmation From Romans
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword?
No!
In all things we are more than conquerors through the One who loved us.
We are sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen
Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns
Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer
SENDING FORTH
Hymn: “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From vict’ry unto vict’ry, his army shall he lead,
till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict, in this his glorious day.
Ye that are brave now serve him against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;
where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.
To those who vanquish evil,a crown of life shall be;
they with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.
Benediction
Hymn: “Go Now In Peace”
Go now in peace, never be afraid.
God will go with you each hour of ev-ry day.
Go now in faith, stead-fast, strong and true.
Know He will guide you in all you do.
Go now in love, and show you believe.
Reach out to others so all the world can see.
God will be there watching from above.
God now in peace, in faith, and in love.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
