September 8th, Sermon & Ministry Resources

Faith, Favoritism, and Fruitful Works

Lectionary Readings — Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost — September 8, 2024

Proverbs 22:1-2,8-9,22-23; Psalm 125; James 2:1-10,14-17; Mark 7:24-37

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Call to Worship (based on James 2:1-10,14-17)

Leader: My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?

People: Lord, help us to show no partiality, but to love all as you have loved us.

Leader: Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom?

People: Open our eyes to see the value in every person, regardless of their status.

Leader: If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.

People: Guide us to love our neighbors in both word and deed.

Leader: What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works?

People: May our faith be alive, active, and evident in our actions.

Leader: Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

People: Lord, help us to demonstrate our faith through acts of love and service.

Leader: Let us worship God not just with our lips, but with our lives.

All: We come to worship the Lord, committing ourselves to faith that works through love.

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Opening Prayer (based on Psalm 125)

Loving and Steadfast God,

We come before You today, reminded of the words of Psalm 125, which speak of Your unshakeable protection and enduring love.

Like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but stands firm forever, we trust in Your unwavering presence in our lives. Surround us, Lord, as the mountains surround Jerusalem, enveloping us in Your care and grace.

We are grateful that You are our fortress, our refuge in times of trouble. When the world around us seems uncertain, help us remember that those who trust in You are as secure as Your holy mountain.

Just as You protect Your people, we pray for Your justice and righteousness to prevail in our communities and in our world. May the scepter of the wicked not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, so that we may not be tempted to use our hands for evil.

Lord, we ask that You do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. Guide us to be among them, living lives that honor You and reflect Your love to others.

We pray for peace upon Your people, upon all who seek to follow Your ways. May Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

In Your holy and precious name we pray,

Amen.

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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: Faith, Favoritism, and Fruitful Works

Scripture: James 2:1-10,14-17 (NRSV)

I. The Peril of Partiality (James 2:1-4)

II. The Preference of the Poor (James 2:5-7)

III. The Preeminence of the Perfect Law (James 2:8-10)

IV. The Proof of Productive Faith (James 2:14-17)

Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers