October 18, 2026
Call to Worship
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
— Psalm 16:7–11 (ESV)
To all who are weary and need rest;
To all who mourn and long for comfort;
To all who feel worthless and wonder if God even cares;
To all who are weak and fail and desire strength;
To all who sin and need a Savior —
This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus,
the mighty Friend of sinners, the Ally of His enemies,
the Defender of the indefensible,
the Justifier of those who have no excuses left…
Song of Adoration
Bring Your Sick
Words and Music by Nathan Partain
Verse 1
Bring your sick, your restless fevered,
Filled with anxious shaking moans,
Who would kill for some relief from
All the itching in their bones.
Who still search for some elixir
That could ease their gasping breath,
Some sweet drink to drive the poison
From the writhing in their head.
Verse 2
Bring your wounded, all your broken,
Who can’t stand up on their own.
Who are weak beyond dignity,
Who will never become strong.
They will only need more helping—
Each investment is a loss.
Yes, bring all those who could never
Return any of their cost
Chorus
Jesus Christ, says “Gather to me,
all you lost, you poor, you dead!
I’m your sacrifice, your ransom,
I was given in your stead.
I have found you, freed you, healed you,
my compassion you can trust,
I redeem the undeserving,
I am generous with my love.
Verse 3
Bring your fearful, bring your cowards,
Bring your hiding, cornered strays.
Those who fly at every shadow,
Those who run without a chase.
Bring the cursed, abused, neglected,
Who have lived their lives in caves,
Who distrust the light as darkness,
While they long to be embraced.
Verse 4
Bring your bound, the souls imprisoned,
Bullied by the threat of pain,
Who have tried and tried for freedom,
But have always failed escape.
Those who live with their aggressor,
Whisp’ring doubts into their ear,
Who dare not hope on a savior,
Lest they be crushed by despair.
Confession of Sin
… cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.
— Genesis 3:17–19 (ESV)
Most merciful God, we confess
that we have sinned against You
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done, and
by what we have left undone.
We have not loved You with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in Your will,
and walk in Your ways,
to the glory of Your Name.
Amen.
Song of Confession
We Will Feast In the House of Zion
Words and Music by Joshua Moore & Sandra McCracken
Chorus
We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
He has done great things we will say together
We will feast and weep no more
Verse 1
We will not be burned by the fire
He is the Lord our God
We are not consumed by the flood
Upheld protected gathered up
Verse 2
In the dark of night before the dawn
My soul be not afraid
For the promised morning oh how long
Oh God of Jacob be my strength
Verse 3
Every vow we’ve broken and betrayed
You are the faithful one
And from the garden to the grave
Bind us together bring shalom*
*“Shalom” is the Hebrew word for the idea of complete wholeness and being at peace.
Assurance of Pardon
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
— Luke 24:44–47 (ESV)
Giving
God has given us these bodies,
these days, these abilities,
and the possessions placed into our hands.
We belong to Christ,
and all we have belongs to Him.
Our bodies are passing,
our possessions will not endure,
and this present life is not our final home.
So we make it our aim
to please the Lord.
Teach us to receive your gifts with gratitude,
to use them with wisdom,
and to hold them with open hands.
For we are stewards, not owners,
and we will give an account to Christ.
So we give today not to purchase Your favor,
nor merely to meet an institution’s needs,
but as one part of a life offered back to You.
Use what You have entrusted to us
for purposes that will outlast us.
If Northtown is your church home, we invite you to give as an act of worship. If you are our guest, there is no expectation that you give. We are grateful that you are here.
Whether in life or in death,
whether at home or away,
make it our aim, O Lord,
to please You.
Amen.
Song of Thanksgiving
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Words and Music by Helen H. Lemmel
Verse 1
O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free
Chorus
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Verse 2
Through death into life everlasting
He passed and we follow Him there
Over us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conquerors we are
Verse 3
His Word shall not fail you He promised
Believe Him and all will be well
Then go to a world that is dying
His perfect salvation to tell
Intermission
Take a few minutes to greet one another, get a refill on your coffee, and use the restroom.
If you would like your child (birth–5th grade) to participate in Northtown Kids during the remainder of the service, please take them to meet their teacher at the Welcome Table during Intermission.
Sermon
“Broken Bodies, Enduring Hope”
2 Corinthians 5:1–10
Our bodies are good gifts from God,
broken by sin, but destined for resurrection.
Ben Klar (Executive Pastor)
Song of Supplication
Teach Me To Number My Days (Psalm 90)
Words and Music by Channing Gillespie, Grayson Kessenich, Meredith Benet Aguirre, & Nathan Fox
Verse 1
God of everlasting God of kingdom come
God who brings us life turns us back to dust
Every moment fleeting
All the world will wilt and fade away
Pre-Chorus
How long have mercy
How long will it be
Chorus
Until this world is made new
Until my soul is with You
Teach me to number my days
Teach me to number my days
Until my faith is made sight
And every wrong is made right
Teach me to number my days
Teach me to number my days
Verse 2
God of everlasting generations past
God of perfect patience God of holy wrath
The years are but a vapor
Full of toil then we fly away
Bridge
Satisfy us in the morning
With Your steadfast love
Let Your favor be upon us
Till the work is done
Nicene Creed
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 Son of God,
begotten from the Father
before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
He came down from heaven;
He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit
and the virgin Mary, and was made human.
He was crucified for us
under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again,
according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven and is
seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son
is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy Church.
We affirm one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the
resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come.
Amen!
Communion
. . . the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
— 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)
Doxology
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heav’nly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen
Benediction
Now may the God of peace himself
sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body
be kept blameless at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful;
he will surely do it.
Amen.
— 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (ESV)
