WORSHIP OF GOD
Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 11 a.m.
PRELU DE Blessed Assurance arr. Cranfill SPdL Orchestra; Richard Rogers, director
CALL TO WORSHIP
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise. All the earth worships You; they sing praises to You, sing praises to Your name.
HYMN NO. 349 To God Be the Glory TO GOD BE THE GLORY
WELCOME & INVOCATION
Dr. Dock Hollingsworth
SCRIPTURE Psalm 119:105–112 Bill Gabbard
Leader: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
People: I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe Your righteous ordinances.
Leader: I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to Your word.
People: Accept my offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me Your ordinances.
Leader: I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget Your law.
People: The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from Your precepts.
Leader: Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
People: I incline my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the end.
HYMN NO. 33 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah CWM RHONDDA
WORSHIP OF GOD
Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 11 a.m.
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
Jonathan Hall
SCRIPTURE Matthew 13:1–9; 18–23 Bill Gabbard (p. 794 in your pew Bible)
HYMN NO. 407 My Faith Looks Up to Thee OLIVET
SERMON When Things Don’t Take Root Dr. Hollingsworth
HYMN OF RESPONSE NO. 590
SOLID ROCK
WORSHIP OF GOD
Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 11 a.m.
WE LOVE MEETING NEW PEOPLE
Welcome to worship at Second-Ponce! We hope you find this hour to be joyful and transformative. Our church has something for everyone, and not just on Sundays. During the week, we have special dinners, small groups and Bible studies. Wednesday evenings, we share Fellowship Supper followed by adult discipleship and ageappropriate activities for children and teens. We hope you'll join us! And now that you know a little about us, help us get to know you better by completing the blue or green card located in the pew rack and hand it to a minister or drop it in the offering plate.
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 of one our ministers after worship and they'll walk you through an alternative plan.
The Solid Rock
Those wishing to join Second-Ponce today are invited to come down front at this time.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT Rev. John Uldrick
BENEDICTION
Dr. Hollingsworth
POSTLUDE Rejoice, The Lord Is King Darwall/Innes Verleen Baerg, organ
ADDITIONAL SUNDAY INFORMATION
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.
SHARING PRAYER REQUESTS
At Second-Ponce, you have a church family who welcomes the opportunity to join you in prayer. Let us know your prayer needs by filling out a request card located on the back of the pew rack. You can drop it in the offering plate or give it to a member of the Second-Ponce ministerial staff after worship.
MUSICAL MEDITATION Mendelssohn
“Ye People, Rend Your Hearts/If With All Your Hearts” from Elijah Bill Gabbard, tenor; SPdL Orchestra
MY SPDL STORY
Abigail Reams
OFFERTORY Be Still, My Soul arr. Kirkland SPdL Orchestra
Please use this time to reflect on your gifts and service opportunities. Note that the offering plates are now located at the front and back entrances to the Sanctuary.
SHARING HER SPDL STORY
Abigail Reams is a rising junior at Woodward Academy where she is involved in soccer and the service leadership board. She has attended Second-Ponce for 16 years and her favorite part of youth group is the people.
GIVING AN OFFERING
Your financial support of Second-Ponce allows us to carry out the mission God has for our church. There are giving cards in the pew racks that utilize a QR code for making gifts online. You may also drop your offering in the offering plate.
SECOND-PONCE WORSHIP STAFF
Dr. Dock Hollingsworth, Senior Pastor
Verleen Baerg, Organist
Joy Callaway, Pianist
Anneliese Depenthal, Music Ministry Intern
Bill Gabbard, Minister of Music
Jonathan Hall, Minister of Community and Student Discipleship
Rev. Allie Osborne, Minister of Missions and Children's Discipleship
Richard Rogers, Director of Orchestra
Rev. John Uldrick, Associate Pastor
HAPPENING AT SPDL
All SPdL events requiring an RSVP along with info and links are online at www.spdl.org/rsvp.
PRIME TIMER'S ANNUAL PEACH TRIP
Thursday, July 20 | 9:45 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Bullock House & Fitzgerald Fruits
Cost: $25 (lunch & transportation) | Peaches are separate Senior adults and friends, join us for our annual peach trip! We'll depart at 9:45 a.m. for the Bullock House for lunch. Then, we'll head to Fitzgerald Fruit Farm for peaches. RSVP by Tuesday, July 18, at www.spdl.org/rsvp.
CHURCH IN CONFERENCE
Sunday, July 23 | After Worship | Fellowship Hall | Lunch Cost: $8/person
Our summer Church in Conference is coming up at the end of the month! We'll gather in the Fellowship Hall for lunch and then move through a brief, but important agenda. RSVP deadline is Thursday, July 20.
Sign up at www.spdl.org/rsvp.
LUNCH MENU $8/PERSON
PROMOTION SUNDAY
Sunday, July 30 | During and After Worship
Join us Sunday, July 30 for a back-to-school celebration! We'll maintain our regular Sunday School routine. Then, in worship, we'll present Bibles and offer a blessing for students, teachers and other school personnel as they embark on a new year. Students are encouraged to bring their backpacks as part of this blessing. After the service, everyone is invited to stay for a potluck, fried chicken lunch in the Fellowship Hall. Bring your favorite side and/or dessert to share. RSVP is not required. Don't miss this encouraging and important Sunday!
JULY 2023 PRAYER FOCUS: PRAYING THE PSALMS
Beginning in Psalms Chapter 1, we find guidance to meditate on God, “Blessed is the one … whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on (God’s) law day and night.” How, then, shall we pray? What are the words we use to talk to God? The Psalms teach us guidance. We invite you to pray the Psalms; use a complete Psalm as a prayer or choose snippets of Psalms as brief breath prayers. Learn more about our July prayer focus at www.spdl.org/prayer.
KIDS' CLUB FRIYAY BEACH PARTY
Friday, August 18 5:30–9:30 p.m. | 0-5th Grade $20/child
Surf's up at our August Kids' Club FriYAY! Wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt and join us for games, crafts, food, Bible stories and fun! Sign up by Monday, August 14 at www.spdl.org/rsvp.
VOLUNTEER TO PASS THE OFFERING PLATE
The Worship Council is looking for volunteers to help pass the offering plate during the 11 a.m. service. If you're interested, contact Howell Williams at librarylion2@hotmail.com.
WEEK AT A GLANCE
WELCOME, CHRIS BOLTIN
A talented and energetic team member will join the Second-Ponce staff August 1. Join us in welcoming Chris Boltin as our new Church Administrator!
A native of Cope, South Carolina, Chris Boltin has served churches and Baptist institutions from Georgia to California including the Georgia Baptist Convention and the national office of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. For the last 21 years, his career has centered on increasing reach and effectiveness by managing large events, nurturing multinational partnerships and establishing seamless processes and procedures.
Chris has been married to his wife, Laurie, since 2001. They have one child, Henry (2006), and two great danes, Leo and Lillie. Chris enjoys cooking, watching classic TV shows and movies, traveling and attempting to walk his large dogs. Gather your biggest and warmest welcomes and help us make the Boltin family feel at home at Second-Ponce!
MISSIONARIES FROM AFRICA
A Reflection on the Baptist World Alliance Meeting by Dr. Dock Hollingsworth I’m punching keys on my laptop while at my first attendance at a Baptist World Alliance meeting. (It’s 3:30 a.m. in Atlanta but not in Norway.) The Missions Council recommended our involvement in BWA as a way of engaging and supporting the world-wide witness of Baptists. I have long admired the work of BWA from a distance but this first step into international Baptist work has converted me to an enthusiast.
For years I have been sitting with other U.S. Baptist leaders, bemoaning the decline in our American churches. For the past 25 years, Baptists and other Christian groups have been losing ground in our evangelistic cause. (I had lunch with a professor from France and she said that it is much worse in France than in the U.S.) The theme of my 10 years of pastoral ministry has been the decline of the American church and “What are we going to do?” But this is not, at all, the theme of the BWA gathering! There are pockets of the world where the Christian witness is on fire. I heard several regional reports announcing expansion and a vibrant witness.
My favorite report came from the large contingent from Africa. While the Baptist church in North America has declined 5% in the last decade, African Baptists have grown 102% in the same ten-year period. Last year alone, the Baptist Church of the Congo grew 22%. And here was my favorite part of the report … African Baptists are raising money, within their churches, to sponsor missionaries around the world. Do you love that or what? We may soon need to sponsor housing for a missionary from Africa to come teach us how to reach a lost world.
I have been inspired again by the vitality of the gospel and its power to transform the lives of those who are willing to admit that their sufficiency isn’t cutting it. Maybe that’s the difference. Maybe some people are still humble enough to recognize that there is something missing. Maybe there are not enough of those people living in France or the USA.
TODAY'S MESSAGE
MONDAY, JULY 17
6:30 p.m. Deacon's Meeting
THURSDAY, JULY 20
9:45 a.m. Prime Timers' Peach Trip
*Online (Zoom or YouTube video) and in person
By the way, our own Jim and Becky Smith were deeply involved in BWA work before retiring as Baptist missionaries. They are rockstars in BWA circles. I am a rookie participant, but once people found out that I am Jim and Becky’s pastor, they pulled out my chair… offered to refill my coffee … bowed when I entered the room! Our church has a seat at this international table because the Smiths have been such long and loyal representatives of the Baptist witness. I have been grateful for their ministry this week. I will be glad to see you next week.
I love being your pastor, Dock
Matthew 13:1–9; 18–23
Dr. Dock Hollingsworth Senior PastorWhen Things Don't Take RootYour choice of sandwich: Chicken salad on a croissant or turkey bacon club on wheat, both served with chips, cookies & brownies, tea, water & lemonade.