To know Christ personally, to mature spiritually, to build community and to show God's love faithfully.

Committed to Christ and His Word

JOHN

2

Welcome

ARE YOU NEW HERE?

We especially welcome you and thank you for worshipping with us. We’re excited to be a part of what God is doing in our community and we look forward to getting to know you. If you'd like to know more about us, visit our sycamorepres.com or stop by the Welcome Center in the foyer.

A NOTE FROM OUR SENIOR PASTOR We’re committed to Christ and His Word and strive to love one another. For those who are just becoming interested in Christ, you'll find space to learn and grow without the pressure to be more “spiritual.” We also provide opportunities for those who are experienced and committed to serving Christ and his Kingdom. Join us as we seek:

TO KNOW CHRIST PERSONALLY Faith begins with a personal commitment to Christ,

trusting in Him as Savior and Lord.

TO MATURE SPIRITUALLY Faith grows through commitment to His Word, studying and applying the Scriptures,

transforming every area of life.

TO BUILD COMMUNITY Faith is evident in our love for one another. Jesus said, “By this the world will know you are my

disciples, if you love one another.” This involves commitment beyond Sunday morning to small groups in which we pray and care for one another.

TO SHOW GOD’S LOVE FAITHFULLY Faith is expressed through witness and mercy.

As God’s love is shown for us in Christ, who gave his life for us, we are to show God’s love to others, giving ourselves to share Christ with them,

and serving in our community, our city, and our world.

That others might know Christ personally…

Harry D. Long, Senior Pastor

Large-print worship bulletins are available at the welcome table.

Hearing assistance devices are available at the sound booth.

The mother’s room is available during the services for nursing mothers.

Culto de adoración en español, 11:15 AM, sala tres.

3

Service for the Worship of God

January 26, 2020 | 8:30 AM & 11:00 AM

REFLECTION “Worship has been misunderstood as something that arises from a feeling which ‘comes upon you,’ but it is vital that we understand that it is rooted in a conscious act of the will, to serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ. The feelings, the joy of having been forgiven, follow on as a consequence of our reunion with him.”

Graham Kendrick, Worship

“If worship does not propel us into greater obedience, it has not been worship. To stand before the Holy One of eternity is to change.”

Richard Foster, A Celebration of Discipline

WELCOME PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 103)

(Leader) Praise the Lord, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion.

You are

encouraged to

prepare for

worship by

quieting

your mind and

heart.

Because we

believe God

initiates with

sinners, we begin

worship

with His Word:

His invitation to

us to gather in

His name.

4

HYMN OF PRAISE PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY #53, verses 1 & 3-5

We praise our

Triune God for

who He is and

what He does.

CCLI License #338551

5

PRAYER OF ADORATION CONFESSION OF SIN (ROMANS 6:8-13) (Leader) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with

him.

(Congregation) For we know that since Christ was raised from the

dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to

God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in

Christ Jesus.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil

desires.

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness,

but rather offer yourselves to God,

as those who have been brought from death to life;

and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

Silent prayer, confessing our sin.

THE LORD ’S PRAYER (page 19)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Romans 8:1-2) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Jesus is good to

lead us from the

sorrow and

shame of our sins

into the security

and joy of His

grace.

The reading of

scripture, which

exposes our sin.

6

HYMN OF ASSURANCE HIS MERCY IS MORE

By Matt Boswell and Matt Papa

We rejoice in

the promise of

forgiveness!

7

HYMN OF ASSURANCE YET NOT I BUT CHRIST IN ME

By CityAlight

8

DECLARATION OF FAITH THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM

(Leader) Q.1. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

(ALL) A. That I am not my own, but belong

-body and soul, in life and in death—

To my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,

and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.

He also watches over me in such a way

that not a hair can fall from my head

without the will of my Father in heaven;

in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him,

Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life

and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready

from now on to live for him.

PRESENTATION OF NEW MEMBERS (11:00 service)

SCRIPTURE READING JOHN 5:1-15

SERMON (page 11) SERIES: JOHN: THAT YOU MAY HAVE LIFE Do you want to be healed? Pastor Harry Long

PRAYER OF APPLICATION

We boldly

proclaim what

we believe.

During the

11:00 AM sermon,

children ages 4

years through

2nd grade are

invited to Kid’s

Worship. They

will return after

the sermon.

9

HYMN OF PURPOSE COME YE SINNERS

We sing

because God’s

Word calls us to

respond.

10

PRAYER OF PETITION & THANKSGIVING

CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE (hymnal #644) May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything,

That I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

OFFERING O GREAT GOD Sanctuary Choir

Please sign and pass the fellowship pad.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

DOXOLOGY (hymnal #731) Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him all creatures here below:

Praise Him above ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

BENEDICTION

CLOSING REFRAIN (hymnal #727)

Lead me, Lord, lead me in thy righteousness,

make thy way plain before my face.

For it is thou, Lord, thou, Lord only,

that makes me to dwell in safety.

We give thanks

to God and bring

our needs to him.

As recipients of

his grace, we give

back to God a

portion

of what is

already his.

Jesus said, “I give

[all who believe

in Me] eternal

life, and they

shall never

perish; no one

will snatch them

out of my hand.”

John 10:28

11

Sermon Outline

SERIES: JOHN THAT YOU MAY HAVE LIFE STUDIES IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

...that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

And that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:31

Sermon Title: Do you want to be healed? John 5:1-15

1. Do you want to get well, physically?

"I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.

While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." (John 5:7)

- Man at the Pool of Bethesda

2. Do you want to get well, spiritually?

"See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."

- Jesus

12

MISSIONS D & J, MISSIONARIES IN THE GAMBIA D. will be traveling this month to three West African countries: Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Senegal. The first two stops are to explore new partnership possibilities with folks who think that the West African Reformed Mission (WARM) may be able to enhance their works. In Senegal he will make a member care visit. Pray for safety in travel, good health, and clear communication, insight and wisdom for all these visits. Pray that the Lord would use D. to encourage and affirm our families in Senegal. Pray for the Lord to grant them grace for challenges of cross-cultural life and work.

OUR CONGREGATION ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) and THE PASTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE In January, our prayer requests will be centered on the community.

Please pray:

1. That God will encourage the hearts of the community to come and visit Sycamore.

2. That all visitors would feel welcomed and accepted while with us.

3. That they will clearly hear the gospel proclaimed and see it lived out within our

congregation.

4. That many souls will be saved through the on-going work of the Holy Spirit in our

midst.

OUR DENOMINATION BEN SPIVEY, REFORMED UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP LYNCHBURG OUR COMMUNITY PRISON DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRY OUR CITY PRAY FOR THOSE PERSONS IN FINANCIAL NEED IN METROPOLITAN RICHMOND.

We pray for the various needs of our

mission partners, congregation,

denomination, community and city.

Petition & Thanksgiving

13

SUN Jan 26

MON 27

TUES

28

WED 29

THU

30

FRI 31

SAT Feb. 1

This Week at Sycamore Worship Service Adult Sunday School in sanctuary Servicio de adoración MS Youth Group HS Youth Group Prayer Meeting Men’s Bible Study Men’s Bible Study ESL MS Boys Bible Study Women’s Bible Study Missions Committee Meeting Local Impact Team Meeting Women’s Bible Study Sanctuary Choir ESL Conversation Knitting His Love Sanctuary Open for Prayer (12-6) Knitting His Love Pastor’s Discipleship Class Men’s Bible Study ESL Bible Study Young Family Chili & Game Night Hispanic Bible Study Mother-Daughter Book Club

8:30 & 11:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:15 AM 5:00 PM 6:30 PM 12:00 PM 6:00 AM 6:45 AM 9:30 AM 6:00 PM 6:30 PM 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 AM 7:00 PM 9:30 AM 11:30 AM 12:00 PM 3:00 PM 7:00 PM 6:00 AM 10:00 AM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 AM

14

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

We encourage our children to glorify God,

to know Him personally and learn how to

live as His beloved sons and daughters. We

welcome all children, and encourage and

support parents as they love and raise them.

We provide a safe, loving, and gospel-filled

environment for families.

Nursery: Care for infants ages 0-3 is

available during all worship services and

the Sunday School hour. Your child will

play and enjoy a lesson and a snack.

Children in Worship: We love and

value having kids in our worship service!

We encourage them to engage in the

service as they are able.

Worship Bulletins for children are,

available in the foyer on Sunday

mornings: one for children ages 3-6

and one for children ages 7-12.

Kid’s Worship for children ages 4

years to 2nd grade, during the sermon in

the 11:00 AM service. This ministry

teaches children how to worship in

church through age-appropriate lessons

and activities. We start worship

together, and just before the sermon you

are welcome to take your child(ren) to

room 15. They will be escorted back to

the sanctuary after the sermon.

YOUTH MINISTRY

Our Youth Ministry desires to see High

School (HS) and Middle School (MS)

students grow in their personal relationship

with God by journeying with them toward

spiritual maturity in a gospel-centered

community.

Both MS (grades 6-8) and HS (grades 9-12)

students meet at different times for Youth

Group, a time to fellowship and dive

deeper into understanding who God is and

who we are.

Additionally, there are weekly opportunities

throughout the year for Small Group Bible

study.

THROUGH THE ROOF

Through the Roof exists to love and serve

Jesus Christ by breaking down barriers so

that children with special needs and their

families can know Jesus and fully

participate in the body of Christ. We will

do what it takes to get them "through the

roof" to meet Jesus.

TTR provides buddies to attend Sunday

School or special events with your child,

and every Sunday, Room 24 is our Sensory

Room, a quiet place to relax and

decompress in a sensory-friendly

environment.

Growing Together

"...in Christ we, though many, form

one body, and each member belongs to

all the others." Romans 12:5

15

WOMEN’S MINISTRY The Women’s Ministry seeks to enable all women, regardless of age and stage of life, to understand and grow in their relationship with Christ, to find ways to fulfill Christ’s purpose in their lives, to reach beyond themselves to minister to others, and to develop a vision for sharing Christ. Join us for bible studies and the Annual Retreat.

MEN’S MINISTRY Our men’s ministry seeks to build relationships among men so they can encourage one another spiritually, as the Bible says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Join us for bible studies and our Annual Retreat.

SENIOR ADULT MINISTRY-VIPS If you are like us, there are a few things you want in life: to celebrate blessings, to share your experiences and insights, to do something worthwhile with your time and experience, and for others to know the joy of the gospel. Does this represent you? The VIPs at Sycamore offer you a host of opportunities to share, learn, and grow in God’s grace.

SMALL GROUPS

Small Groups are a primary way we are intentional about life together. Groups meet regularly to pray, study and share joys, sorrows, and struggles.

HISPANIC MINISTRY This Ministry is a loving and welcoming community that gathers for fellowship and worship in Spanish as a part of the Body of Christ at Sycamore. We worship on Sunday at 11:15 AM in room 3.

MINISTERIO ESPAÑOL Este Ministerio es una comunidad cariñosa y acogedora que se reune para adorar y tener compañerismo en Español como parte del cuerpo de Cristo de Sycamore. Nos reunimos para adorar el Domingo a las 11:15 AM en la sala 3.

For more information on any of these and more of our ministries,

visit www.sycamorepres.com.

16

THANKS TO THOSE SERVING THIS SUNDAY (JANUARY 26)

8:30 Nursery 9:50 Nursery 11:00 Nursery Kid’s Worship

Bill Angus Cindy Angus

Naomi Moon Fatima Albaadani

Babies: Cherri Castle Doug Castle Toddlers: Mariam Severson Fatima Albaadani

Evan Earley Shannon Earley

8:30 Ushers 11:00 Ushers

Frank Williams Russ Allen Robyn Hoover Tony Sumner

Bill Edmunds John Bailey Michael Bailey Ralph Eynon

Serve

SERVING NEXT SUNDAY (FEBRUARY 2)

8:30 Nursery 9:50 Nursery 11:00 Nursery Kid’s Worship

Edi Kurtz Fatima Albaadani

Brenda Perry Susan Palmer

Babies: Joanne Yi Annette Roberts Toddlers: Lori Higley Fatima Albaadani

Becky Boone Bill Stanton

8:30 Ushers 11:00 Ushers

Wayne Mathewson John Vick Darryl Glass Jimmy Cox Steve Jenkins

Bob Maddox Duncan Cooke Jim Mathay Lee Harris

This is the schedule as posted online. Changes and substitutions may not be reflected.

17

Sunday School To deepen our understanding of Scripture

and our love for God through thoughtful

and engaging studies of God’s word.

Nursery room C/D

Nursery room B

Nursery room A

Room 13

Room 12

Room 10

Room 15

Room 24

Room 4

Room 2

*as of Sept 2019

0-1 years

*2-3 years

*4-5 years

Grades 1-2

Grades 3-4

Grade 5

Kid’s Worship

Sensory Room

Middle School

High School

CHILDREN - 9:50 AM on Sunday.

Kid's Sunday School teaches that it is the gospel,

not good behavior, that changes everything.

Includes time of worship & music for all classes.

YOUTH - 10:00 AM on Sunday.

Middle School students (grades 6-8) and High

School students (grades 9-12) meet to study God's

word and be encouraged to grow in their faith.

ADULT - 10:00 AM on Sunday

- Learning to Love the Psalms

Learn to love some of the greatest treasures the

Lord has given through a study of their themes,

structure, and beauty.

Room 3

- Parenting

The purpose of parenting, our calling as

parents, and the fuel for our journey as

parents.

Room 25

18

PRESENTATION OF NEW MEMBERS (11:00 SERVICE)

Larry and Carolyn Caulder

Larry and Carolyn are natives of South Carolina, but have lived in the Richmond area since 1978. They are both retired and live in the Queensmill subdivision. They have two daughters and five grandchildren who also live in Midlothian.

Carolyn grew up in the Presbyterian church and Larry in the Baptist church. After marriage and many years of membership in the United Methodist church, they felt God calling them to visit Sycamore. The heartfelt welcome they received from so many at Sycamore encouraged them to become more involved with some of the activities and missions.

In their free time, they enjoy family and opportunities for Christian fellowship and Bible study, traveling, entertaining, and gardening. Carolyn also enjoys crocheting and has become involved with “Knitting His Love” at Sycamore.

Larry and Carolyn are interested in becoming involved with a Covenant group and helping with the missions of the church.

Highlights

BUDGET

January Goal: $77,020

January Giving: $49,274 64%

(as of January 19, 2020)

Financial Information

19

Spiritual Care

If you'd like to speak to someone about what it means to know Jesus Christ or you have a

spiritual need or question, please speak to one of our elders. The primary responsibilities

of our elders are oversight, shepherding, and spiritual care for the community at

Sycamore. If you are interested in speaking with a trained counsellor, we support Wellspring

Christian Counselling. You can contact them at www.wellspringrva.com or 804-306-0504.

PRAY WITH US

Fill out the prayer card from this bulletin and drop it in the offering plate.

To sign up for our church-wide prayer chain, go to sycamorepres.com and click on

Community, then click Prayer.

Our church staff meets weekly to pray over requests and praises.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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 for ever. Amen.

PRAYER OF BELIEF

Lord Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner and do not deserve eternal life.

But, I believe You died and rose from the grave to purchase a place in heaven for me.

Lord Jesus, come into my life; take control of my life; forgive my sins and save me.

I repent of my sins and now place my trust in You for my salvation.

I accept the free gift of eternal life. Amen.

Harry D. Long, Senior Pastor Marty Cates, Associate Pastor of Family & Youth Ministries Ambrose Winfree, Assistant Pastor of Hispanic Ministry Becky Boone, Director of Kid ’s Ministry Michael Breakall, Director of Worship Christine Bates, Assistant Director of Youth & Discipleship Evan Maddox, Assistant Director of Youth & Outreach Sandra Learned, Administrative Team Leader Kate Maguire, Administrative Assistant Margarita Wallace, Administrative Assistant

STAFF

Dave Antoline* Jim Bates* Rob Cross* Brian Kaman Glenn Kurtz Peter Martin Rob Nettles* Dave Prior*

Dennie Pritchard* Amish Ray Stephen Righter* Trevor Roberts Phil Rohrer* Jim Shefferly Jim Ulmer Gene Whitehead

*active session

ELDERS

Tyler Burgess Jim Hankins Pat Murphy Kevin Newman

Steve O’Brien Scott Shefferly Frank Stokes John Vick

DEACONS

Office Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Mon-Fri Phone: 804-794-0238

510 Coalfield Road Midlothian, VA 23114 sycamorepres.com

A congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)pcanet.org

Announcement, Newsletter, and Ministry Moment Requests (by 12:00 PM on Wednesday) office@sycamorepres.com