Sunday | January 24
Call to Worship Psalm 117:1-2
Prayer of Invocation
Almighty God,
Father in heaven,
all glory and magnificence belong to you.
Your steadfast love is great toward us.
Your faithfulness endures forever.
May your Holy Spirit work through the preaching of your Word,
through the call and sending of missionaries,
and through the witness of our lives,
so that all nations may know your steadfast love and faithfulness,
that you have shown through your Son;
And that they extol and praise the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit.
One God, forever. Amen.
Hymn of Praise Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all praise we would render; O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!
Prayer of Confession (In Unison)
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.
Assurance of Forgiveness 1 John 1:7
Responding in Praise 735 Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. world without end. Amen, amen.
Affirmation of Faith (In Unison) The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there 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.
Collection of Tithes and Gifts
With gladness, let us present the offerings of our life and labor to the Lord as a sign of our trust in Him.
You can give financially to the church in one of the following ways:
1) Mail a check to: Covenant Presbyterian Church, 4000 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, Mississippi 39211.
2) text an amount to 601-202-4203;
3) Click here to give online by credit card or directly from your bank account; (Click here for tutorial on how to give online)
Children’s Catechism Question 138
Musical Offering The Majesty & Glory of Your Name
New Testament Reading 1 Timothy 5:17
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
Old Testament Reading Exodus 18:1-27
1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” 12 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.
Sing the Doxology 731
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heav'ly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Word Preached "Sound Advice” Dr. Josh Cole
Discussion Questions
- What do the names of Moses's sons, Gershom and Eliezer, mean?
- How do they describe the life of God's people?
- How does Jethro respond to the good news he hears from Moses?
- Why does Jethro tell Moses that what he is doing "is not good?"
- Do you find is challenging to ask others to help you? Why or why not?
- Why is Jethro's advice good for Israel?
- How does Jethro's advice continue to be practiced by God's people today?
Hymn Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise; just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."
Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust him more!
O how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust his cleansing blood;
just in simple faith to plunge me 'neath the healing, cleansing flood! [Refrain]
Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease;
just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace. [Refrain]
I'm so glad I learned to trust thee, precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
and I know that thou art with me, wilt be with me to the end. [Refrain]
Prayer of Intercession and the Lord’s Prayer
Pray that the Holy Spirit would move mightily around the world,
opening eyes to Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Church around the world.
For Christians in Angola, Nambia, Tanzania, and Kenya.
Bless their witness, their fellowship, their worship.
Grant faithful pastors and leaders to lead churches in those lands.
Pray for the Church in Jackson.
For wisdom and patience during the pandemic.
For faithful ministry to those unable to attend worship.
Pray for the work of missionaries around the world.
For the work of the Outreach Foundation.
Especially for their work in Kenya partnering with churches for the expansion of the kingdom.
Pray for Covenant.
For financial blessings including an end of the year budget surplus.
For continued faithfulness in stewardship of resources.
Pray for our country.
For God’s Spirit to move and transform hearts within our land.
For the spread of COVID-19 to cease.
For peace in our divided land.
For President Joe Biden and his staff.
For Vice President Kamala Harris.
Pray for our state.
For wisdom for state legislators.
Pray for our city.
For safety and protection for police officers and fire fighters.
For hospital personnel — for strength and endurance.
For school administration and teachers, especially Casey Elementary.
Pray for those who are ill and recovering,
for those hospitalized,
for the homeless and jobless,
for those suffering and weary.
Pray through our high priest and mediator, Jesus Christ.
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.
When you have specific Prayer Request call the church (601-981-7236) or send your prayer request to the pastors here: www.covenantpresjackson.org/ministries/prayer-request/
Read God’s Blessing Numbers 6:24-26
Postlude Intermezzo No. 6 by Hermann Schroeder
Children's Worship Resources
Activity
Color and cut out Jethro Advises Moses puzzle