Decatur Presbyterian Church, p.c.a.a Community of Grace

For what we proclaim is not ourselves,but Jesus Christ as Lord,

with ourselves as your servantsfor Jesus’ sake.2 Corinthians 4:5

The Worship of Father, Son & Holy SpiritSeptember 18, 2011

The Lord’s Day

Welcome in the name of the Lord Jesus! If you are a guest with us, please be sure to sign our Registry when it is passedbefore the service. Children are welcome in our worship. We have a nursery available for children 3 and under. Children4 to 6 years of age may be dismissed to Godly Play prior to the sermon. Thank you for joining us today and may the Lordrichly bless you.

Song of Assembly1

By Faith Getty\TownendBy faith we see the hand of God in the light of creation’s grand design

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness, who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth with the power of His promise in their heartsOf a holy city built by God’s own hand, a place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise, we will fix our eyes on Him our soul's rewardTill the race is finished and the work is done, we'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day when the longed-for Messiah would appearWith the power to break the chains of sin and death and rise triumphant from the grave

By faith the church was called to go in the power of the Spirit to the lostTo deliver captives and to preach good news in every corner of the earth

We will stand...

By faith this mountain shall be moved and the power of the gospel shall prevailFor we know in Christ all things are possible for all who call upon His name

We will stand...

Welcome and Preparation for WorshipIn your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. ~ David, Psalm 16

Well done, good and faithful servant... Enter into the joy of your master. ~ Jesus, Parable of the Talents

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was madefor another world. ~ C.S. Lewis

Report of the Living Church John Eyster

1 All songs used by permission or covered under CCLI license # 391165.

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The Lord Gives Us His PresenceResponsive Call to Worship2 Psalm 95:1-7aPastor: Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presencewith thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King aboveall gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and hishands formed the dry land.

All: Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and weare the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Prayer of Adoration & Praise

Hymn of Praise

Come, Thou Almighty King AnonymousCome, Thou Almighty King, help us Thy Name to sing,Help us to praise. Father, all glorious, o’er all victorious,

Come and reign over us, Ancient of Days.

To the great One in Three, eternal praises be,Hence ever more. His sovereign majesty,

May we in glory see, and to eternity, love and adore.

We Confess Our Faith The Nicene Creed3

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his father before all worlds, God of God, LightOf Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things weremade; who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day herose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and he shallcome again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with theFather and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets; and we believe in one holy catholicand apostolic church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead,and the life of the world to come. Amen.

2 We believe that God always initiates with sinners, so we begin worship with his invitation and command to us to gather in His name.3 The Nicene Creed originated at the Council of Nicea (325), and an expanded form was adopted by the Council of Chalcedon (451). It was formulat-ed to answer heresies that denied the biblical doctrine of the Trinity and of the person of Christ.

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The Lord Gives Us His GraceCall to Confession Psalm 95:7b, 8aToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts...

We Confess our SinsAlmighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed toomuch the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy law. We have left undone thosethings which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there isno health in us. Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare us, O God, as we confess our sins. Restore useven now, according to your promises declared unto us in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father,for Jesus’ sake, that we may from this day forward live a godly, righteous, and sober life to the glory of your holyname... Silent & Personalized Confession of Sin... Amen!

Words of Comfort Psalm 32:2Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity.

Worship with Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

How Great Is Our God Tomlin/Cash/ReevesThe splendor of the King, clothed in majestyLet all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light, and darkness tries to hideAnd trembles at His voice, and trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with meHow great is our God, and all will see how great

How great is our God

And age to age He stands, and time is in His handsBeginning and the End, Beginning and the End

The Godhead three in one, Father Spirit SonThe Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb

Name above all names, worthy of all praiseMy heart will sing, how great is our God

Amazing Grace Newton/TomlinAmazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

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When I Think About the Lord HueyWhen I think about the Lord, how He saved me, how He raised me,

How He filled me, with the Holy Ghost. How He healed me, to the uttermost.

When I think about the Lord, How He picked me upAnd turned me around, how He placed my feet on solid ground

It makes me wanna shout, Hallelujah, thank you JESUS,LORD, your worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor,

and all the praise...It makes me wanna shout!

My Chains Are Gone Newton/TomlinMy chains are gone, I’ve been set free.My God, my Savior has ransomed me,

And like a flood His mercy reigns;Unending love, amazing grace.

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Petition Elder Skip Thompson

His Tithes & Our Offerings

Anthem Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above Worship Choir(Based on Psalm 146:10)

The Lord Gives Us His WordSermon4 Pastor Tommy Lee

Series: “Come to me… and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

XCIII. The Beginning of the Birth PainsMatthew 24:1-14

We Respond:

Be Thou My Vision HullBe Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou artThou my best thought by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

4 4, 5, & 6 year-old children may be dismissed before the sermon to Godly Play in room 173.4

The Lord Gives Us His SacramentThe Lord Adds to His Church Chris & Ruth Priest

Solemn Vows (PCA Book of Church Order §57-5)Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope exceptthrough His sovereign mercy?

Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alonefor salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?

Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomesfollowers of Christ?

Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your abilities?

Do you submit yourself to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?

Prayer for Chris & Ruth Elder Kent Quinn

The Sacrament of the Lord’s SupperCommunion, also called The Lord’s Supper or Eucharist, is the family meal of Christians. We invite all committedfollowers of Jesus Christ to share in this sacrament: those who are baptized members of a congregation that proclaims thegospel, who are at peace with God and their neighbor, and who seek strength to live in a deeper communion with Jesus.If you are not a Christian, or you are not prepared to share in this meal, we encourage you to spend this time in prayer.We hope that this time is helpful to you as you consider your relationship with Jesus Christ and with his people, the Church.

Breathe BarnettThis is the air I breathe, this is the air I breathe,

Your holy presence living in me.This is my daily bread, this is my daily bread,

Your holy Word spoken to me.And I’m desp’rate for You,And I’m lost without You.

You are the air I breathe, You are the air I breathe,Your holy presence living in me.

You are my daily bread, You are my daily bread,Your holy Word spoken to me.

And I’m desp’rate for You,And I’m lost without You.

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The Lord Gives Us His BlessingBenediction5 Numbers 6:24-26The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift uphis countenance upon you and give you peace.

Our God TomlinOur God is greater, our God is stronger

God You are higher than any otherOur God is Healer, awesome in power

Our God, our God...

5 Just as God called us into His presence at the beginning, so now He commands His blessing upon us as we depart. We look up and extend our handsin a posture of thanksgiving as we receive this great gift. Our final response to God’s assurance of His peace and presence upon those who are in Christis a chorus of joyful song.

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Introduction of New Members

Chris & Ruth Priest are not new to this area, but began attending DPC in January, 2011. They both are attorneysat the law firm of Blackburn, Maloney, & Schuppert, LLC. Chris graduated from Southside High School inEtowah County, AL and Ruth is originally from Pennsylvania. They met in 1992 at Freshman Orientation atTrevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN and were married in 1998. They have one child, IsabelleKatherine, who is 5 years old and attends kindergarten at Julian Harris Elementary School. Isabelle enjoys danceand gymnastics and wants to be a fairy when she grows up.

Chris enjoys scuba diving off of the Great Barrier Reef while Ruth’s hobbies include Iron Man Triathlons androck climbing, with a goal of climbing Mt. McKinley in 2014. They are hoping and grooming Isabelle to becomethe first Miss America / Nuclear Physicist / Astronaut / President of the United States / dolphin trainer, and inthat order. While the proceeding may not be entirely accurate, the Priest family loves spending time with oneanother and having fun.

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“Come to me… and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)XCIII. The Beginning of the Birth Pains

Matthew 24:1-14Pastor Tommy Lee

1. Understanding the Questions

2. Dress Rehearsal Theology

3. Practical Warnings for That Generation

4. Practical Warnings for Our Own Generation

Sermons are available at the church web site www.decaturpca.org

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September 25 DPC Block Party October 7-9 Women in the Church International Conference October 16 Local Missions Conference October 26 Fall Festival October 29 Youth NCC Workday November 6 DPC Breakfast Story November 6 Night of Prayer for the Persecuted Church December 3 Children's Advent Workshop December 11 Christmas Music Program December 24 Christmas Eve Service February 3-4, 2012 Common Ground Marriage Weekend

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Tuesday, 6:30am Iron Men Bible Study @ DPC 9:30am Fall Ladies Bible Study (nursery provided) Wednesday, 11:30am Men’s Bible Study @ ADTRAN 5:30pm Dinner / Guests Welcome 6:00pm Kid's Choirs: 5 Year Olds - 2nd Grade / Kids of the King 3rd Grade - 8th Grade / Dare 2 Declare YBR Small Groups (9th - 12th Grade) 6:15pm Midweek Bible Study Worship Choir Practice 6:30pm 4 Year Olds & Kindergarten / Kid's Quest 1st -2nd Grade / Discovery Club 3rd -5th Grade / Discovery Club Stampede (6th-8th Grade) 7:45pm Praise Band Practice Thursday, 12:00pm Women’s Bible Study @ Neighborhood Christian Center Friday, 6:30am Men’s Bible Study @ Temple, Inc. Sunday, 3:00pm DPC Block Party

THIS WEEK

2:00pm McNalley Bridal Tea 6:00pm YBR (9th - 12th Grade) @ the Cowards’

TODAY

Coming Sunday, October 16. Stay tuned fordetails.

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will meet for lunch on Sunday October 2. Speak toTommy if you're interested in joining us.

Missions Spotlight: Bill and Cheryl Nikides ministering toMuslims with i2 Ministries.Bill and Cheryl are coming to Decatur on Wednesday nightFebruary 15th!Bill and Cheryl have been missionaries reaching Muslims for 12years. As a Director with i2 Ministries, Bill trains church plant-ers, leaders and missionaries on three continents (Asia, Africa,Latin America) for ministry in the Islamic world. Bill developscourses and supporting materials and travels extensively. He alsoprepares local leaders to reach Muslims at home.In addition to their missions work Bill and Cheryl are concernedabout what is called “insider movements”. This is a very disturb-ing trend in which some missionaries and church leaders blurthe distinctions between Islam and Christianity. Some eventeach that that a Muslim follower of Jesus can retain all Muslimpractices, including prayer toward Mecca and recitation of theMuslim Creed. Bill is involved in making a documentary aboutinsider movements that will be available on DVD.DPC provides about 10% of the annual support for the Nikides.The Thompson/Sasser Care Group is staying in touch with Billand Cheryl. For more information please contact the Mulligansor the Missildines. Also check out the web site ati2ministries.org.

DPC ANNOUNCEMENTS

This fall the ladies will be studying, by Nancy Guthrie. The books

are available and the cost is $10. Please see AbbiWhitcomb if you would like to pick up a copy.

Tuesdays, 9:30 am, at the churchBeginning this Tuesday, September 20

Iron Men Bible Study:Men, come join us on Tuesday mornings at 6:30 am aswe revel in the goodness of the gospel, as it’s celebratedin the book of Galatians. We finish promptly at 7:30 am.Invite a friend!

Iron Men of DPCForged by God; Sharpened by BrothersIron sharpens Iron, and one man sharpens another.~ Proverbs 27:17Please join us for a Bridal Tea

Honoring Sophie McNalleySunday, September 18, 2011 ~ 2:00pm at DPC

Selections at Jimmy Smith Jewelers,Sam, Frank & Moore,

Williams~Sonoma in Huntsville,& Belk

All ladies are invited . . .

To enjoy dessert & fellowship as well as hear from one ofour missionary wives, Judy Linton, on Monday, October3 at 7:00pm at the home of Carol Godwin. Please seeElizabeth Lee if you can bring a dessert.

To Frank & Linda Williams on the birth oftheir grandchild!

To Sam Cook & Amber Shirley on theirengagement!

To Cliff Daugette & Whitney Weatherford ontheir engagement!

Baked Chicken Breast / Hashbrown CasseroleGreen Beans / RollsTea & Lemonade

Kids: Nuggets

Tear here and place in the offering plate

Please e-mail your dinner reservations and/or changesto debbie@decaturpca.org or call the church office @351-6010 ext. 2.

Name: ________________________________________

No. of meals: Adult _________ Kids ________

Name: ________________________________________

Date: _________________________________________

No. of meals: Adult __________ Kids ________

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inviting our neighbors to the DPC Block Party.If you can help us deliver door hanger invita-tions, please come by the table in the cafe area.There you can pick up your maps and your doorhangers. You can make delivery anytime be-tween now and September 24. Let's invite ourneighbors to our home for dinner and music, sowe can enjoy getting to know them!

We’ll have a special guest at our MidweekMeeting. David Spickard, president & CEOof Jobs for Life, will be with us! Jobs for Lifeis a national ministry that trains men andwomen for success at work and life. Comejoin us and hear more about this amazingwork of God’s kingdom.

UNSHAKABLE TRUTH: RELEVANT FAITH

Christian apologist Josh McDowell is coming toDecatur, and will be teaching believers how we candefend the truth of the Christian faith in a skepticalage. September 28 & 29, 6:00 - 8:00pm bothnights. DPC is one of four local churches sponsor-ing this conference. It will be held at Central Bap-tist Church. DPC will not be hosting our MidweekMinistries on the 28th. Everyone is encouraged toattend this very helpful, faith-building conference!

YBR (9th - 12th Grade) will meet tonight at 6:00pm @the Cowards’ to distribute door hangers & enjoy pizzafollowed by a lesson.

DPC UPDATE:DPC World Missions Team

We have recently relaunched the DPC Missions Committee in order to better support the church’scall to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) During our lastmeeting we identified three initial priorities for DPC Missions:

1. To establish and nurture the relationships between our current missionaries and theirsupporting Care Groups. This will be the church’s main avenue of communication andsupport for each of our missionaries. We believe that it is critical that DPC develops andmaintains strong relationships with our missionaries. We need everyone to help figureout how our Care Groups can best support them!

2. We are beginning to develop our plans around DPC's 2012 Mission Conference in Febru-ary. Brad Eades is leading this effort. The Committee will hold a special meeting on Sept28th in order to put the plan together in detail, specifically finalizing dates and potentialmain speakers. Please be praying for this effort.

3. We are determining better ways to communicate to the church about missions. This briefsummary is one of those ways. Look out for a lot more to come!

Here are the current members of the Missions Committee:

Lucinda Beddow, Greg and Debbie Smith, Andy and Carla Thompson, Brad Eades, Carol Godwin,David and Abbi Whitcomb, John Eyster, Wally and Linda Keasler, David and Kendra Mulligan, Wadeand Leigh Littrell, Mike and Leslie Sexton, Scott and Julie Missildine, David Zajic, Tommy Lee

Please let us know if you have any questions or any ideas to help the Church better answer our callto missions. We are also always looking for new committee members!

Pastor’s Note: David Mulligan is the newly-elected leader of this ministry team. Thank you, David, foryour service!

Missionary Mission Care Group Lead ContactSamuel & Silvia Martinez Dominican Republic Godwin/Greiss Carol Godwin

Joel & Judy Linton Taiwan Quinn/Schieler Lucinda BeddowDaniel Cohee Taiwan Smith/Eades David & Abbi Whitcomb

Wayne & Amy Newsome Japan Temple/Walraven Wally & Linda KeaslerBill & Cheryl Nikides Muslim World Thompson/Sasser Scott & Julie MissildineRay & Michelle Call Mexico Leadership Team Tommy Lee