Over the past three Sundays we have lit the candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy.
[worship leader lights 4 Rightmost candles]
Today we light the candle of Love as we remember this good news:
God is love and He has poured out His love so generously among us!

As we enter worship let’s remember God’s extraordinary love that welcomes us!

This is love: not that we have loved God
but that He loved us and sent His Son to atone for our sins.
Thank you, God, for loving us when we were unloveable.

For displaying your love by sending Jesus into our weary world.

Because of your love and your saving work,
We worship You, not in fear but in boldness.

There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear.

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains

Gloria
In excelsis Deo

Gloria, gloria, gloria
In excelsis Deo

Shepherds why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King

See Him in a manger laid
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary Joseph lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise

Alleluia
Alleluia, for the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia
Alleluia, for the Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia

Holy, holy, are you Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb

Amen

Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb

Worthy is the Lamb

Prayer/Reading:
As we rest in the presence of the holy one, let’s bring our honest selves before Him. Please join me in reading the underlined portions of this confession:

Jesus, our Example and Redeemer,
when we look at You—
steady, gentle, and humble—
we recognize how restless our own hearts can be.
Meet us in the places where we are restless.
Center us again in Your peace.

There are parts of our lives we hold too tightly;
there are fears that we hide,
worries that we carry alone,
and sinful habits that we excuse.
You see every hidden place.
You understand every burden.
Draw us out of hiding and into Your light.

We acknowledge the distance
between who You are
and who we are becoming.
Close that distance by Your Spirit.
Shape our desires to reflect Your heart.

Where we are hardened, soften us.
Where we are scattered, gather us.
Where we are wounded,
tend to us with Your healing.
Do what only You can do—
restore what is broken,
lift what is heavy,
and make us whole again.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

1 John 4:11, Philippians 2:6-1

In tenderness He sought me
So weak and sick with sin
And on His shoulder brought me
Into His flock again

While angels in His presence sang
Until the courts of heaven rang
Oh the love that sought me
Oh the blood that bought me

Wondrous grace
That brought me home to God

He called this needy sinner
He spoke His words of life
He whispered to assure me
I found thee, thou art Mine

I never heard a sweeter voice
It made my aching heart rejoice
His grace I’ll daily ponder
And tell of His great love

Yet deeper, brighter, purer
I’ll know these things above
It seems as if eternal days
Are far too short to sing His praise

Wondrous grace
That brought me home

Wondrous grace
That brought me home to God

Oh the love that sought me
Oh the blood that bought me

Wondrous grace
That brought me home to God

Wondrous grace
That brought me home

Prayer/Reading:
Church, hear the Gospel:
When our love falters, Christ’s love remains—

the love that descended to a manger
and ascended a cross for our redemption.

This is how God has shown His love:
He sent His only Son so we might live through Him.

Jesus, rich in majesty, chose the poverty of the cross—
And by His wounds, we have become rich in grace.

Now we consider everything else loss
beside the beauty of Christ crucified and risen.
Christ is our treasure, now and forever.
Amen.

Let’s respond together.

2 Corinthians 8:9, Philippians 3:8–9

Let every creature rise and bring
Their grateful praises to our King
Angels descend with songs again
And earth repeats a loud amen

Amen amen
Amen amen
I found my life
I found my life in Him
Amen amen

I found my life
I found my life in Him
Amen amen

Peace like a river from His throne
Will flow to nations yet unknown
His word a light where all hope is dim
And all tribes unite to cry amen

And in this Child we'll find our rest
And all the meek and lowly blessed
An Infant tongue could sing the hymn
Of hallelujah and amen

And in this Child we'll find our rest
And all the meek and lowly blessed
His Word a light where all hope is dim
And the tribes unite to cry “amen”

Oh the perfect Son of God
In all His innocence
Here walking in the dirt
with you and me

He knows what living is
He’s acquainted with our grief
A man of sorrows
Son of suffering

Some imagine You
Are distant and removed
But You chased us down
In merciful pursuit

To the sinner You were grace
And the broken You embraced
And in the end
the proof is in Your wounds
Yes in the end
The proof is in Your wounds

Blood and tears
How can it be
That there’s a God who weeps
There’s a God who bleeds
Oh praise the One
Who would reach for me
Hallelujah
to the Son of suffering

Your cross, my freedom
Your stripes, my healing
All praise King Jesus
Glory to God in Heaven
Your blood, still speaking
Your love still reaching
All praise King Jesus
Glory to God forever

Glory to God forever

Jesus Transforms What You Treasure

Timothy Paul Jones

17 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
18 A ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”
21 “I have kept all these from my youth,” he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

23 After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.
24 Seeing that he became sad, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!
25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”
27 He replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
28 Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed you.”
29 So he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers or sisters, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,
30 who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come.”

–Luke 18:17-30

Big Idea: Jesus doesn’t add one more thing for us to do; Jesus renews everything we do by transforming what we treasure.

1.  Outward goodness isn’t bad, but outward goodness isn’t enough to transform what you treasure (Luke 18:17–21)

2. What you treasure most is what you think you can’t live without (Luke 18:22–25)

3. Followers of Jesus don’t lose anything; they invest everything (Luke 18:26–30)

What a friend we have in Jesus
What a friend we have in Him
Ever faithful to the end
Jesus what a friend

Never failing
Never fading
Oh Your love remains
Forever loyal
My Savior
Jesus what a friend

Jesus what a friend

Who am I
That You would call me friend?

You are closer than the air that I breathe
You are stronger than the grip of my sin
Oh what a friend
Oh what a friend

You are closer than the air that I breathe
You are stronger than the grip of my sin

Oh what a friend
Oh what a friend