June 29,2025

WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE

PRELUDE                                                              “ For the Healing of the Nations”                           arr. C.E. Walz

INTROIT                                      “Freedom Is Coming”                                        South African

WELCOME                                                                    Rev. Trip Porch

One: This is the day that the Lord has made

All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

*CALL T WORSHIP  

One: For freedom Christ has set us free!

All: We will not return to chains of fear or selfishness.

One: The Spirit breathes love, joy, peace, and patience.

All: We open our lives to the fruit God longs to grow.

One: Come, let us worship the God who makes us truly free!

*HYMN  405                          “Praise God for This Holy Ground”                    HEYMONYSTRAAT

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION                                                                                                    Bob Concitis

Liberating God, we confess that we often mistake liberty for license. We chase our own comfort while ignoring our neighbor’s needs. We cling to grudges, stir up division, and overlook the hurt we cause. Forgive us. Set us free from self‑centered ways and release us for Spirit‑filled living—lives marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‑control; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

*ASSURANCE OF PARDON

*RESPONSE OF PRAISE 659         “Know That God Is Good”                           MUNGU NI MWEMA

*PASSING OF THE PEACE                                       

     One:   The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,

     All:      And also with you.  

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

ANTHEM                                 “Praise the Lord”                                     Cameroon Song

                                                                                                                                                                     arr. Ralph Johnson

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE                                                                    Dorothy Kyle

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

SCRIPTURE   Galatians 5:1; 13-18; 22-23; 25  MSG

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out- in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are contrary to each other, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard —things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people.

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.

Holy Wisdom, Holy Word  

Thanks be to God

SERMON                                                                                              Rev. Trip Porch

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORLD

*HYMN INSERT                   “For the Healing of the Nations”                                    PICARDY

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE  

TIME OF OFFERING   online giving is available at  www. indianolapres.org/give

OFFERTORY                                   “Freedom”                                        Fiona Joy Hawkins

*OFFERTORY RESPONSE 648   “Thankful Hearts and Voices Raise”              THANKFUL HEARTS

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

Generous God, we dedicate these gifts—money, time, and talent—to the work of your Spirit among us. Use them to cultivate love where there is hatred, joy where there is sorrow, and justice where there is oppression. Make us faithful stewards of the freedom we have in Christ. Amen. 

*HYMN 36                               “For the Fruit of all Creation”                                              AY HYDY NOS 

TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING

CHARGE & BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE                                “Wings to Fly”                                                       Lindy Kerby        

Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452