July 20, 2025
Prelude - Sower's Song
Call to Worship
O God, we gather together in Your presence with expectation, hungry for an encounter with You, eager to hear Your Word. Open our eyes and ears to the presence of Your Holy Spirit. May the seeds of Your Word scattered among us this morning fall on fertile soil. May they take root in our hearts and lives, and produce an abundant harvest of good words and deeds. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our teacher and our Lord. Amen.
Hymn - We Will Glorify
Invocation and Lord's Prayer
Gracious God, as the earth welcomes seed, we would like to welcome Your word. We want to grow, You within us and we within You. Make us into the women and men of faith who live by the words of Jesus' prayer: 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 4:1-9
1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
Joys and Concerns
Speak O Lord as we come to You, to receive the food of Your holy word. Take Your truth plant it deep in us, shape and fashion us in Your likeness that the light of Christ might be seen today. In our acts of love and our deeds of faith, speak O Lord and fulfill in us all Your purposes for Your glory. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Hymn - All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
Sermon - Listen and React to Jesus' Invitation
For Video version, click below.
Hymn - Sing unto the Lord
Benediction
Let us listen now to the voice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ as we go. Amen.