A Supreme Gamble

Long Branch Baptist Church

Halfway, Virginia; est. 1786

Sunday, July 1st, 2007

Enter to Worship

Prelude David Witt

Meditation 1 Cor 15:51 – 57

Invocation Michael Hollinger

*Hymn #553

“Nearer My God to Thee”

Welcome & Announcements

Morning Prayer [See Insert]

*Hymn #807

“My Country Tis’ of Thee”

*Responsive Lesson [See Right]

*Hymn #799

“America the Beautiful”

Offertory Mr. Witt

*Doxology

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.

*Scripture John 12:20 – 26

Sermon

“The Supreme Gamble”

Invitation Hymn #596

“I Surrender All”

*Benediction

*Congregational Response

May the grace of Christ our Savior / And the Father’s boundless love

With the Holy Spirit’s favor / Rest upon us from above. Amen.

* Congregation, please stand.

Depart To Serve

RESPONSIVE LESSON

When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?

The end of those things is death.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”

We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;

Death no longer has dominion over him.

Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 6:20-23; 12:1; 6:11; Gen 22:7-8; Romans 6:9; 7:1;7:4-6; 7:14; Gal 2:19-20

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THAT OTHERS MIGHT SEE JESUS… Please remember to purchase reading glasses for Kazakhstan. You can purchase any strength, any size at local pharmacies (Walgreens is selling two pair for $15 right now) and drop them in the red box at the front of the sanctuary.

WARNING: HOMECOMING MAY BE CLOSER THAN IT APPEARS. Homecoming is only 2 ½ months away. If there is a particular homecoming speaker you would like us to invite, please be talking to your deacons.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BE PRAYING FOR YOUR DEACONS as we continue to seek God’s will in what is next for Long Branch. Be praying too for the next pastor who will serve this congregation, that he or she will have heart for this church and the gifts to lead it where God would have it go.

PRAYER LIST

Debbie Flickinger, Warren Lee, Debbie Grigsby, Corey Keely, Susan Schulz, Martha Puryear, Cindy & Thomas Lee, Irene Griffith.

Long Branch Church, your deacons, the next pastor.

Our President, our Congress, our Court, our Governor, and other elected representatives. Our police, firemen, teachers, and men and women in Iran and Afghanistan, Our enemies.

For Forgiveness of our own sin, Thankfulness for the blessings given us, for the joy of our salvation.

Zane, Steve, Jeff, and Bruce – for their families as they serve the Lord in Central Asia.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THAT OTHERS MIGHT SEE JESUS… Please remember to purchase reading glasses for Kazakhstan. You can purchase any strength, any size at local pharmacies (Walgreens is selling two pair for $15 right now) and drop them in the red box at the front of the sanctuary.