First
Congregational Church of North Collins
Conservative Congregational
Christian Conference
337-9811 Church Office / 337-4303 Parsonage
Pastor / Teacher Derek S. Yoder
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Sunday
School 9:30 am Family Worship
Service 10:45 am
Wait in Prayer Worship in Reverence Depart to Serve
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Prelude
Welcome and
Announcements
Choral
Introit …………………………………… Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak
*Call
to Worship ………………………………………………………… Psalm 41:1-13
*Hymn of
Adoration & Praise #699 ……………………………… Like a River Glorious
*Invocation
Worship Through Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
*Hymn of the
Month #506……………………… As When the Hebrew Prophet Raised
*Hymn
#177 …………………………………… O Could I Speak the
Matchless Worth
Scripture Lessons
Old Testament…………………………… Nehemiah 11:1-36 (Pew
Bible pg 768-770)
New Testament …………………………………… Mark 6:45-56 (Pew
Bible pg 1563)
Memory Verse ………………………………..…… 2
Corinthians 5:17-20 (see insert)
Fellowship of Welcome
Sermon Text ………………………………………………… Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
Sermon ……………………………………………………………… Derek Yoder
Back to the Garden?
Wisdom
doesn’t respond to real life by avoiding it,
nor
by seeking to control it.
It presses on with faith (and Jesus) into the
future.
*Hymn of Faith #591 ………………..…………………..………………
Jesus Calls Us
Prayer Requests and Testimonies
Pastoral Prayer
Tithes
and Offerings
Offertory
*Doxology ……………………………………
Praise God from Whom All Blessing Flow
*Benediction
*Congregation invited to stand
Get the most out of the service by asking about our special
listening devices. Pick up one in the back or see an usher for help. If yours
isn’t working
properly, don’t be bashful about raising your hand to ask for assistance.
Announcements
Join us
TONIGHT at the First Church of Evans for a special “Christ in the Feast of
Tabernacles” presentation sponsored by Jews for Jesus. The 6:30 pm program is meant to enrich our
understanding of the gospel by exploring its Jewish roots. There is no cost to attend, but a freewill
offering will be taken up.
Next Sunday,
we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. If
you would like to participate but are unable to be here, see Derek or one of
the Elders to arrange another time.
Don’t be shy about taking full advantage of this important gesture of
unity with Christ and his body. We are
NOT planning to have a fellowship meal following the service.
Evelyn Falk
will celebrate her 103rd birthday on Tuesday! Don’t forget to sign the card in the back or
offer her other gestures of our love.
This
afternoon at 2:00 pm, Derek will offer a brief prayer of dedication for bricks
along the memorial walkway at Schoolhouse #8.
All are welcome to attend.
Calendar
Wednesday, October 1st
Choir practice at the church at 6:00
pm.
Join us at the church for Bible study and
prayer at 7:00 pm. We’re making our way
through the great themes of Genesis.
We’re in Chapter 2 and studying the significance of God’s garden of
delights (Eden). It’s a great time to
join us!
Sunday, October 5th
3DYouth Group
meets at First Church of Evans at 6:00 pm for life lessons from Mark followed
by football camp and refreshments. Don’t
forget, the 2014 Chili Bowl with MPB is right around the corner on October 19th!
Sunday, October 12th
Join us at the
Doles’ for our 3rd Sunday Night Out of the season. Plan to gather around 4:00 pm. Hot dogs will be provided. Attention discussion group members: If yo’ve been reading Powlison’s Speaking
Truth in Love, plan to meet at 3:00 to discuss Part 1 (pp.1-98).
Sunday, November 2nd
Plan now to join
Jim Raub and our friends from area churches at 6:30 pm as we host our annual
fall Singspiration, a seasonal favorite for many.
Sermon Notes
BACK TO THE GARDEN?
Wisdom doesn’t respond to real life by avoidance, nor by seeking
control. It presses on with faith and
Jesus to the future.
1. Utopian
dreamers have always been looking for a world that’s simpler and kinder than
the one we’ve go. Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock isn’t a “Christian” song, but
it expresses this same longing in biblical language. What does she mean by “going back to the
garden”?
2. DO YOU REMEMBER? How would you summarize Solomon’s
introductory poem in Eccl 1:3-11?
3. DO
YOU REMEMBER? How would you summarize
the next section (Eccl 1:12=18)?
4. What
does Solomon mean by the “pleasure test”?
When he mentions wine, is talking about drunkenness? If not, what is he talking about?
5. Derek
suggests that the “pleasure test” isn’t so much an expression of fatalism (“Let’s eat and drink, for
tomorrow we die!”) as it is avoidance. What does he mean?
6. It’s
true that we sometimes respond to the frustrations of life by avoiding
them. Can you think of some examples?
7. Beginning
in Eccl 2:4ff., Solomon describes his ambitious building project. What’s he up to?
8. In
our passage this morning, Solomon lays out two prospective paths of
wisdom. What are they? Why does he eventually reject both?
9. So,
what does wisdom look like in a world
like ours?
