Lectionary Readings — Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost — September 7, 2025
Jeremiah 18:1-11; Psalm 136:1-6,13-18; Philemon 1:1-21; Luke 14:25-33
Call to Worship (based on Luke 14:25-33)
Leader: Jesus calls to us: "Come, follow me."
People: But Lord, what will it cost us?
Leader: He calls us to take up our cross and walk in his way.
People: Help us to count the cost and choose faithfully.
Leader: Like one who builds a tower, let us lay a firm foundation.
People: We build our lives upon the rock of Christ.
Leader: Like a king preparing for battle, let us consider what lies ahead.
People: We trust not in our own strength, but in God's power.
Leader: The way of discipleship is not easy, but it leads to life.
People: We choose to follow, knowing the cost, trusting the outcome.
Leader: Come, let us worship the One who gave everything for us.
People: We worship Jesus Christ, who calls us to give our all for him.
All: Let us worship God with hearts ready to follow wherever he leads!
Opening Prayer (based on Jeremiah 18:1-11)
Let us pray:
Gracious and loving God, we come before You this morning as clay in the Potter's hands. Like the vessel on the wheel in Jeremiah's vision, we acknowledge that we are works in progress—sometimes marred by our own choices, sometimes feeling broken or incomplete.
Yet we gather here in wonder and gratitude, knowing that You do not discard what is damaged. Instead, You lovingly reshape us, reform us, and make us new. Your hands are gentle yet strong, patient yet purposeful.
As we begin this time of worship, we yield ourselves to Your transforming touch. Soften our hearts that have grown hard. Mold our spirits that have lost their way. Shape our lives according to Your good and perfect will.
Help us to trust the process, even when the reshaping feels uncomfortable. Remind us that You see not only what we are, but what we can become in Your hands.
Prepare us now to receive Your Word, to lift our voices in praise, and to be formed more fully into the image of Your Son. May this time together draw us closer to You and to one another.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].
[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]
Sermon Outline: "COUNTING THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP"
Based on Luke 14:25-33
I. The FOLLOWING (vv. 25-26)
"Now large crowds were traveling with him..." (v. 25)
A. The Popular Response
B. The Personal Requirement
C. The Pointed Challenge
II. The FORSAKING (v. 27)
"Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." (v. 27)
A. The Symbol of Sacrifice
B. The Standard of Surrender
C. The Spirit of Service
III. The FIGURING (vv. 28-32)
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost..." (v. 28)
A. The Tower Builder (vv. 28-30)
B. The Warring King (vv. 31-32)
C. The Timeless Principle
IV. The FORSAKING AGAIN (v. 33)
"So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions." (v. 33)
A. The Absolute Requirement
B. The All-Encompassing Scope
C. The Authentic Discipleship
Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers
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