Building Renewal 

September 20-October 18 Worship Series

As we begin our program year our overall theme will be “Open Doors.” God’s door is always open and inviting us in. Do we enter individually and as a church? How does the door swing the other way to let God into our lives? And finally, how do we open our doors to the world around us and go out the doors to serve?

Our theme of the first series of the program year is “Open Doors: Going God’s Way. “This series will look at how biblical characters reacted to “Going God’s Way.” Throughout the stories in this series we hear people react in many ways. But one thing is true, God’s faithfulness offers an open door to God’s love, an opening that never closes. This series will show us various reactions to the call and invite us to follow God’s way now. 

September 20: Genesis 12: 1-9; Matthew 28: 19-20
Theme: Call of Abram/Go Make Disciples
Abram did as the Lord asked and left Haran to venture to a new land. Abram was told that he would be a blessing. In Matthew the disciples are commissioned to go and make disciples of all nations, a call which still is true for us today. Abram and the disciples went God’s Way through the open door. Will we do the same?

September 27: Genesis 39: 1-23; Matthew 5: 11-12
Theme: God is Steadfast
Today we hear about Joseph, who is betrayed once again, this time by the Potiphar’s wife. We also hear in Matthew that “Blessed are you when they revile you falsely on my account”. Sometimes it may be hard to even see a door to “Go God’s Way,” but know that there is always a door and God’s love for us is steadfast.

October 4: Exodus 14: 5-7, 10-14, 21-29; Matthew 2: 13-15
Theme: The Lord Protects
Today we hear a story that was made famous in the 1956 movie “The Ten Commandments” in which Charlton Heston plays Moses. I’m sure most of us can visualize Charlton Heston putting his hand out to calm the sea, but there’s more to this story than Moses, or who portrayed Moses, it’s that God protects. In the Matthew Reading for today God protects Joseph, Mary and Jesus. God protects those that Go God’s Way.

October 11: Exodus 19: 3-7, 20: 1-17
Theme: Keeping the Covenant 
God’s covenant with Moses and the people of Israel begins with God declaring that they are God’s treasured people. The Ten Commandments are a sign of this relationship and a roadmap for keeping the covenant with God and with one another. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus points to the importance of this covenant, saying he has come not to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them. As followers of Jesus, that makes us God’s covenant people too.

October 18: Joshua 24: 1-15 (16-20)
Theme: We Shall Serve the Lord
Today’s reading has Joshua telling the other Israelite leaders how God has protected them and to remain steadfast. The Matthew text is Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness a 3rd time. Joshua deals with the unfaithfulness of some of the people and Jesus renounces the devil. Both show, or say, “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord”. Do our homes and our church serve the Lord?