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10:00 AM Service August 23, 2026

PRELUDE

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

RINGING OF THE BELL

Please stand as you are able.

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, whose compassion endures forever. Amen.

Let us confess our sin to God.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Compassionate God, we confess to you all our sins. Our burden is

heavy, and we cannot free ourselves. In your mercy, call us back

to you. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Restore us to

dwell in your peace. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying

heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” In the name of God,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, your sins are forgiven. Rest in God’s

love. Amen.

GATHERING HYMN “Rock of Ages” Hymn #623

GREETING

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the

communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

And also with you.

 

HYMN OF PRAISE

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray. O God, with all your faithful followers of every age,

we praise you, the rock of our life. Be our strong foundation

and form us into the body of your Son, that we may gladly minister

to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Please be seated.

WORD

FIRST READING Isaiah 51:1-6

Just as God had called Abraham and Sarah and given them many

descendants, so now God offers comfort to Zion. God’s deliverance

will come soon and will never end.

1 Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,

you who seek the Lord.

Look to the rock from which you were hewn

and to the quarry from which you were dug.

2 Look to Abraham your father

and to Sarah, who bore you,

for he was but one when I called him,

but I blessed him and made him many.

3 For the Lord will comfort Zion;

he will comfort all her waste places

and will make her wilderness like Eden,

her desert like the garden of the Lord;

joy and gladness will be found in her,

thanksgiving and the voice of song.

4 Listen to me, my people,

and give heed to me, my nation,

for a teaching will go out from me

and my justice for a light to the peoples.

5 I will bring near my deliverance swiftly;

my salvation has gone out,

and my arms will rule the peoples;

the coastlands wait for me,

and for my arm they hope.

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens

and look at the earth beneath,

for the heavens will vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like a garment,

and those who live on it will die like gnats,

but my salvation will be forever,

and my deliverance will never be ended.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

PSALM 138 Psalm 138

1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;

before the gods I will sing your praise.

2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name,

because of your steadfast love and faithfulness;

for you have glorified your name and your word above all things.

3 When I called, you answered me;

you increased my strength within me.

Refrain

4 All the rulers of the earth will praise you, O Lord,

when they have heard the words of your mouth.

5 They will sing of the ways of the Lord,

that great is the glory of the Lord.

6 The Lord is high, yet cares for the lowly,

perceiving the haughty from afar.

Refrain

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe;

you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your

right hand shall save me.

8 You will make good your purpose for me;

O Lord, your steadfast love endures forever; do not abandon the

works of your hands.

Refrain

SECOND READING Romans 12:1-8

In response to God’s merciful activity, we are to worship by living holistic,

God-pleasing lives. Our values and viewpoints are not molded

by the time in which we live but are transformed by the Spirit’s renewing

work. God’s grace empowers different forms of service

among Christians, but all forms of ministry function to build up the

body of Christ. 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of

God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and

acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2 Do not

be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the

mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good

and acceptable and perfect.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to

think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with

sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God

has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members and not

all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are

one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy,

in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in

teaching; 8 the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity;

the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

CHILDREN’S SERMON Pastor Chris Steubing

Please stand as you are able for the gospel reading.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

GOSPEL Matthew 16:13-20

The holy gospel according to Matthew.

Glory to you, O Lord.

At a climactic point in Jesus’ ministry, God reveals to Peter that

Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus responds

with the promise of a church that will overcome the very gates of Hades.

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he

asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and

still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But

who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the

Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him,

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not

revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you

are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of

Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom

of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in

heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in

heaven.” 20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone

that he was the Messiah.

The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ

SERMON Pastor Chris Steubing

HYMN OF THE DAY “Built on a Rock” Hymn #652

 

Please stand as you are able.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

Together with the whole church, we confess our faith:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.*

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

THE PRAYERS

...Merciful God, receive our prayer.

SHARING THE PEACE

The peace of Christ be with you always.

And also with you.

Let us share the peace with one another.

OFFERING

OFFERING MUSIC “Promise Song” Choir Anthem

The congregation is invited to stand as the offering is brought forward.

OFFERING PRAYER

Let us pray. Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. Through

your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts: our selves,

our time, and our possessions. Use us, and what we have gathered,

in feeding the world with your love, through the one who

gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (Sung)

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.

 

BENEDICTION

Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and

forever.

SENDING HYMN “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” Hymn #697

DISMISSAL

Heaven has come near. Go, share the good news!

Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

POSTLUDE

 

Pastor—Rev. Chris Steubing

Visitation Pastor—Rev. Judi Miller

Our Reader—Dottie Gilbert

Our Liturgist—Claire Roberts

Organist/Pianist—Jimmy Cheung

Choir and Hand Bell Director—Wendy Kuenemann

Office Administrator—Trista Stubblefield

 

Liturgy and songs reprinted by permission of One License.net License # - A-744251. . "Promise Song" Arranged by Douglas

Nolan. Copyright 2018 by Hal Leonard LLC and Hal Leonard- Milwin Music Corp. Used by permission. CCLI License # 2561118.