PRELU DE Choral Prelude on Hanover (“O Worship the King”) Alec Rowley Jack Mitchener, organ
CALL TO WORSHIP Bill Gabbard
Leader: Let us worship God, our light and our salvation.
People: The Lord is the stronghold of our lives.
Leader: We desire to live in God’s house and to seek God in His holy temple.
People: We have come with shouts of joy, to sing and make music to the Lord.
Leader: Let us worship God in spirit and in truth.
People: Teach us your ways and make straight our paths in this hour of worship and always.
HYMN NO. 98 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed SHEFFIELD
WELCOME & INVOCATION Rev. Jonathan Hall
SCRIPTURE Psalm 89:20–37 Bill Gabbard (from the Inclusive Psalter)
Leader: I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him.
People: My hand will hold him fast and My arm will make him strong.
Leader: No enemy shall deceive him, nor any wicked man bring him down.
People: I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
Leader: My faithfulness and love shall be with him, and he shall be victorious through My Name.
People: I shall make his reign extend from the Great Sea to the River.
Leader: He will say to Me, “You are my Source, my God and the Rock of my salvation.”
People: I will make him My firstborn and higher than the rulers of the earth.
Leader: I will keep My love for him forever, and My covenant will stand firm for him.
People: I will establish his line forever and his throne as the days of heaven.
Leader: If his children forsake My law and do not walk according to My judgments; if they break My statutes and do not keep my commandments;I will punish their transgressions with a rod and their iniquities with the lash; but I will not take My love from him, nor let my faithfulness prove false.
People: I will not break My covenant, nor change what has gone out of My lips.
Leader: Once for all I have sworn by My holiness: “I will not lie to David. His line shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before me."
People: It shall stand fast for evermore like the moon, the abiding witness in the sky.
WORSHIP OF GOD
Sunday, July 21, 2024 at 11 a.m.
HYMN MEDLEY No. 350 Blessed Be the Name BLESSED NAME No. 343 His Name Is Wonderful MIEIR
OFFERTORY PRAYER
WORSHIP OF GOD
Sunday, July 21, 2024 at 11 a.m.
WE'RE "PEOPLE PEOPLE"
FOR GUESTS WE HAVEN'T MET YET
Dr. Daniel Vestal
OFFERTORY Simple Gifts (Shaker tune, ‘Tis the gift to be simple) Wilbur Held Jack Mitchener, organ
DOXOLOGY (HYMN NO. 706)
OLD 100TH Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow
Children K–5 may leave during this time for Kids Worship. Parents, please pick up your children in room C-305 of the Children's Building after the service.
PASTORAL PRAYER Rev. Hall
HYMN NO. 49 As the Deer AS THE DEER
SCRIPTURE Mark 6:30–34, 53–56 Dr. Paul Baxley (p. 818 in your pew Bible)
SERMON The Transforming Power of Stepping Back Dr. Baxley
HYMN OF RESPONSE NO. 407
OLIVET My Faith Looks Up to Thee
Those wishing to join Second-Ponce today are invited to come down front at this time.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT Rev. Hall
BENEDICTION
Dr. Baxley
POSTLUDE Sortie (Postlude) in B flat Major J. Guy Ropartz Jack Mitchener, organist
SHARING OUR OFFERTORY PRAYER
Daniel Vestal has pastored several Baptist churches and was executive coordinator of CBF from 1996 to 2012. Daniel and Earlene have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. The flowers on the Communion Table are given in honor of
LEE BRISCOE BURDETT III (TRIPP) AND AUBREY J. FOSTER for their second birthdays. They are given by their grandparents, Richard and Margaret Petty.
Welcome to church! Make yourself at home here! Settle in for a transformative and joyful hour of worship. We'd love to be helpful in your faith journey. There's a green card in the pew rack—I'm New Here—use it to share as much information as you like and drop it in the offering plate. We understand that some people are hesitant to fill out church cards. It's true—a member of our pastoral staff will reach out, but you won't be flooded with calls, emails or requests. Engagement with us will be at your own pace; we just want to know who you are and how we can pray for you.
FOR GUESTS WE KNOW & CHURCH MEMBERS
Welcome back to church! Your presence is part of what makes Sundays at Second-Ponce so wonderful. If you're a guest who's ready to take the next step or a church member who wants to deepen your involvement, fill out the red pew card—I'm a Regular—and drop it in the offering plate. Let us know how we can help.
MORE GOOD STUFF
EVERYONE IS AN "INSIDER" AT SPDL
We're pulling back the curtain on some experiences and words you'll encounter today.
• Church in Conference: A quarterly meeting of our church body to discuss, and sometimes vote on, SPdL business.
• Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF): The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a Christian network of individuals and churches working together to spread the hope of Christ through a wide range of missions and ministries that give people meaningful opportunities to put their faith into action.
• Doxology: The Doxology is a short hymn of praise. We use it as transition music when children leave the Sanctuary for Kids Worship.
• Inclusive Psalter: A translation of the Psalms, compiled by Young Peoples’ Theology, that maintains tradition, eliminates exclusion and welcomes a wide liturgical audience.
• Invocation: The first prayer of the service invoking the spirit of God to be with us as we worship.
• Prime Timers: Prime Timers is the name of our vibrant senior adult ministry.
• SPdL: An abbreviation for Second-Ponce de Leon. We pronounce it "Spee-duhl."
CHILDCARE DURING
WORSHIP
We love to see children at Second-Ponce, and we have a Kids’ Club area just for them! It's one floor up from the Sanctuary, and our greeters will be happy to show you the way. In the Kids' Club, there’s a nursery and Kids Worship for babies–5th grade. You may take your children to the Kids' Club before the service or, if you prefer, they can stay with you in the Sanctuary for the entire hour or until the Doxology (when kids leave with children's ministry leaders). After worship, pick them up in the Kids’ Club.
HOW TO JOIN
Second-Ponce enthusiastically welcomes you to make a commitment to Christ and our community of faith. At any time during the Hymn of Response, simply walk to the front of the Sanctuary where a member of our ministry team will greet you with warmth and joy. If you're uncomfortable being "in the spotlight," but still want to join–that's ok! Speak with one of our ministers after worship and they'll walk you through an alternate plan.
IN THE LIFE OF OUR CHURCH
CHURCH IN CONFERENCE
Sunday, July 21 | After Worship | Fellowship Hall Church in Conference is happening today after worship! Even if you didn't RSVP for the meal, you can still stay and participate in some fellowship and important church business! Today, we’ll present the names of the proposed Pastor Search Committee for ratification by the congregation.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUNDAY
Sunday, July 28 | During & After Worship Summer is almost over and it's time for our annual Back-to-School Sunday. We'll maintain our regular Sunday School routine, then in worship, we'll hear a message from Rev. Jonathan Hall and offer a blessing for students, teachers and other school personnel. After the service, everyone is invited to stay for a potluck lunch in the Fellowship Hall. We'll provide fried chicken and we're asking you to bring your favorite side and/or dessert to share. RSVP is not required. Don't miss this encouraging and important Sunday!
PRIME
TIMERS' ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Tuesday, August 20 | 2-4 p.m. | Fellowship Hall Cost: Free Join us for homemade ice cream and the makings for banana splits and Coke floats as we walk down memory lane. Bring a photo of yourself as a baby or small child for the slide show coordinated by Ron Watts. If you can, we'd love to have the photo by August 18. You may send it via email to Ron.M.Watts@gmail.com or drop it by the church office in an envelope with your name on it and marked for Ron Watts. You will get your photos back! RSVP with Vicki McCaskey by August 16 at vmccaskey@spdl.org or 404.591.4344.
FREE MOVIE SCREENING | INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!
Saturday, August 24 Optional boxed supper ($10) at 6 p.m. | Movie begins at 7 p.m. | Fellowship Hall Childcare available by registration only Join us for dinner and a movie! Spanning C.S. Lewis’ bitter childhood, WWI and his life-changing friendships at Oxford, The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of CS Lewis depicts the events that shaped Lewis’ early life and journey from hard-boiled atheism to prolific Christianity.
Prior to the free screening, we'll have an optional boxed supper of a turkey sandwich or strawberry spinach salad available for $10. After the movie, we invite you to stick around for an optional time of discussion. The movie runs 1 hr and 13 minutes and is rated PG. The entire event will end by 8:30–9 p.m.
Registration, while free of charge, is required for childcare and supper (adult and children) by Friday, August 16 at www.spdl.org/rsvp or you can scan this code to sign up now.
PRAYER RESOURCES
Second-Ponce partners with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in a variety of ways. Here are some of the connection points between SPdL and CBF:
CBF Fellows The CBF Fellows program assists Baptist clergy who are in their "first-call" in making a healthy transition from seminary to congregational ministry. This application-only opportunity prioritizes the flourishing, collaborating, coaching and well-being of these young ministers. Our own Rev. Allie Osborne is a CBF Fellow.
Chaplaincy Endorsements | The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship currently has more than 785 actively serving endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors. SPdL family member, Rev. Dr. Becky Shoaf is a retired chaplain who still holds a CBF endorsement.
Dawnings | Dawnings is an approach to personal and congregational discernment that equips participating churches to discover and fulfill their God-given mission. A group of SPdL members participated in a Dawnings retreat, the tools from which can be used in our pastor search process.
Disaster Response Local churches with limited resources can support disaster relief through the coordinated efforts of CBF. Our website directly links visitors to the Fellowship's current response opportunities at www.spdl.org/disasterresponse.
Events | SPdL ministers and ministries participate in annual CBF events like children's and youth winter retreats and General Assembly, the seminal summer gathering of the Fellowship with workshops, social gatherings, business sessions and worship.
Ministerial Transitions | As ministers seek vocational calls and churches search for ministers, CBF equips search teams with resources for finding new leaders. Our Pastor Search Committee will leverage these resources as we journey as a church toward calling a new senior pastor.
Missions Second-Ponce supports CBF Missions both financially and through intentional, long-term relationships. A few of these connections include: hosting Missy Ward Angalla, Founder and CEO of Amani Sasa, a shelter and recovery program for refugee women in Kampala, Uganda; being an Encourager Church for Janeé Angel who works with Middle Eastern refugees in Belgium; and spending a week each summer at Touching Miami with Love which was founded through partnerships with CBF.
Youth Ministry Network | The CBF Youth Ministry Network supports, encourages and challenges those serving youth in local churches. Our own Rev. Jonathan Hall serves on the YMN board.
Our church family welcomes the opportunity to pray for you. On our website, you can share prayer requests, find guided prayer suggestions and access print and digital prayer resources. We hope these offerings help you grow in this essential spiritual discipline. Throughout your prayer life, Second-Ponce commits to joining you as a faithful prayer partner. Get started at www.spdl.org/pray.
ADULT DISCIPLESHIP SESSION RECORDINGS
Did you know that SPdLU session recordings are available on the church website? We've made it easy and convenient to check them out for the first time, rewatch some of your favorite speakers or share them with friends. Find SPdLU along with other adult discipleship videos and links at www.spdl.org/faithresources.
SUNDAY, JULY 21
12:15 p.m. Church in Conference*
SUNDAY, JULY 28
BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUNDAY
9:15 a.m. Coffee & Fellowship
9:45 a.m. Bible Study & Sunday School for All Ages
WEEK AT A GLANCE
SUNDAY, JULY 28 CONTINUED
10:30 a.m. Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal 11 a.m. Worship* 12:15 p.m. Potluck Lunch in the Fellowship Hall
*This event is available in person and online via Zoom, YouTube or Facebook; check event details.
Growing in Christ and community–sharing God's love in the world.
