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This Week at First

Live Services

9 AM Contemporary

10:30 AM Traditional


Organ and Tissue Donor Sunday: “Right Reasons” are always a good starting point, whether we are referring to our personal relationships or our commitment to our church or our community. We will examine our reasons for what we do from the perspective of Ruth (Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17), the Psalmist (Psalm 127) and Jesus (Mark 12:38-44).


We will also hear from our Administrative Assistant, Heidi Reinbold on the life-giving gift represented by organ and tissue donations.


See you Sunday.


Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jim


Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17


Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you.  2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.  3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.  4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.”  5 She said to her, “All that you tell me I will do.”


The Genealogy of David

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son.  14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin;[a] and may his name be renowned in Israel!  15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.”  16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse.  17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.



Psalm 127


Psalm 127

God’s Blessings in the Home

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,    

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord guards the city,    

the guard keeps watch in vain.

2 It is in vain that you rise up early    

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious toil;    

for he gives sleep to his beloved.[a]

3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,    

the fruit of the womb a reward.

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior    

are the sons of one’s youth.

5 Happy is the man who has    

his quiver full of them.

He shall not be put to shame    

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.


Mark 12:38-44


Jesus Denounces the Scribes

38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,  39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!  40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

 

The Widow’s Offering

41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.  42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.  43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.  44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”









9am Service:



10:30am Service:





All Saints’ Sunday: Psalm 24 asks, “Who Shall Stand in God’s Holy Place?” This will be our question too as we celebrate All Saints’ Sunday and remember those who have gone before us. Our Scriptures will be Psalm 24 and Revelation 21:1-6.


See you Sunday.


Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jim


Psalm 24


Entrance into the Temple


Of David. A Psalm.

1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,    the world, and those who live in it;2 for he has founded it on the seas,    and established it on the rivers.

 

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?    And who shall stand in his holy place?4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,    who do not lift up their souls to what is false,    and do not swear deceitfully.5 They will receive blessing from the Lord,    and vindication from the God of their salvation.6 Such is the company of those who seek him,    who seek the face of the God of Jacob.[a] Selah

 

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!    and be lifted up, O ancient doors!    that the King of glory may come in.8 Who is the King of glory?    The Lord, strong and mighty,    the Lord, mighty in battle.9 Lift up your heads, O gates!    and be lifted up, O ancient doors!    that the King of glory may come in.10 Who is this King of glory?    The Lord of hosts,    he is the King of glory. Selah



Revelation 21:1-6


The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“See, the home[a] of God is among mortals.He will dwell[b] with them;they will be his peoples,[c]and God himself will be with them;[d]4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.Death will be no more;mourning and crying and pain will be no more,for the first things have passed away.”

 

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.  











9am Service:



10:30am Service:




“What Is Real Love Like?” Not the romantic kind of “falling in love”, but the intentional kind of love that cares for others. This week we will investigate God’s command to love as stated in both the Old and New Testaments. Our scriptures will be taken from both Ruth 1:1-18 and Mark 12:28-34.


See you Sunday.


Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jim


Ruth 1:1-18


Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab

1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons.  2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.  3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons.  4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years,  5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

 

Naomi and Her Moabite Daughters-in-Law

6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food.  7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah.  8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.  9 The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud.  10 They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”  11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?  12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons,  13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.”  14 Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

 

15 So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”  16 But Ruth said,

“Do not press me to leave you    or to turn back from following you!Where you go, I will go;    where you lodge, I will lodge;your people shall be my people,    and your God my God.17 Where you die, I will die—    there will I be buried.May the Lord do thus and so to me,    and more as well,if even death parts me from you!”

 

18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.



Mark 12:28-34


The First Commandment

28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”  29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;  30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’;  33 and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”  34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.









9am Service:



10:30am Service:




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