Sunday Worship Service: April 25, 2021
~ Guest Preacher ~
Westminster Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles
Westminster Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles invites you to experience Virtual Worship. Scroll the page to participate in Virtual Sunday Worship and join us on Sunday’s at noon for the Video Chat Coffee Hour on Zoom. See you soon.
Shhh, Virtual Worship is Starting
Opening Prayer:
God as we come together this morning, we acknowledge that we bring into this space all of ourselves. We bring with us this morning all the experiences of the week, the good things and the bad or difficult things. We bring with us this morning all of the emotions–the highs and lows of this week as we have followed public events, interacted with others in our communities, and interacted with others among families and friends. God, as we come into Your space, meet us we we are, let us know You are welcoming us into your arms, and that we are now home with You for a little while on this Sunday morning. Restore us and renew us. Help us to feel known and loved.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Opening Hymn:
“He Lives” #275
Welcome:
I want to welcome each person who clicks onto our service today. We are truly grateful that God brought you to church this morning, and I want you to personally feel welcomed to this day, to this community, to this online space.
CHURCH NEWS & GIVING
Announcements:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Drive-in Sunday Worship Twice a Month: 1st Sundays and 3rd Sundays
FELLOWSHIP COFFEE HOUR via Zoom
Sunday, April 25th at 12:00 p.m. / Noon
Please join youth pastor Jason Floyd for Fellowship with our Westminster Family. Let’s join one another for a check in and fellowship following the morning virtual worship service via zoom. Join the Zoom Coffee Hour Meetings – Let’s Chat! – CLICK HERE
Attention Westminster Family
~ DRIVE-IN COMMUNION SERVICE ~
Sunday, May 2nd, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.
PLEASE ARRIVE 10:30-10:45 A.M.
On Sunday, May 2nd we will be having our drive-in Communion Sunday Worship Service in our parking lot. Please pay close attention to upcoming emails this week about instructions for the service. We will also meet for a drive-in worship service on the third Sunday, May 16th. So mark your calendar dates and join us in the WPC parking lot for our Westminster drive-in Sunday service.
PREVIEW
DRIVE-IN COMMUNION SERVICE TODAY
~ Click Here ~
PRAYER MEETING:
Wednesdays at 5:30pm
Please join us for the via conference call.
Phone: (339) 209-4324 – (no code is needed)
BIBLE STUDY
Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.
We will meet for our Bible Study at 1pm as to not conflict with the food giveaway ministry. Join Pastor Rhoden for our weekly zoom virtual Bible Study. – CLICK HERE
NBPC-SC
BIBLE STUDY & PRAYER:
Wednesdays at 12 Noon
Interaction Based discussions/Scripture Translation will continue until the end of the summer. – GET DETAILS!
*** FOOD GIVE AWAY ***
Thursdays at 11:00 a.m.
We know that times are tough. Thanks to our partnership with Immanuel Presbyterian Church, we’re giving away FREE FOOD to the community. Come and get your free box of food in the parking lot of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles on Thursdays.
View Food Give Away ~ Click Here
Prayers of the People:
O Lord, our Shepherding God,
come close to us now
Come near us in our time of need.
Shepherding God,
we need You in our time of anxiety.
We need You in our time of economic uncertainty.
We need You in a time of a globe-trotting disease.
We need You to bind our wounds,
and pour Your healing ointment on our heads .
We need the briars, and brambles, and burrs
pulled out of our fleece and skin.
Shepherding God.
You guide us with Your voice,
Help us to listen and follow no matter where Your voice leads.
Help us to trust You.
Shepherding God,
protect us from the hired hands
that do not really care for us
and have neglected or abused us in the past.
Shepherding God,
thank You for Your Son
who lay down his life for those who follow Him.
and for those who are not in the fold yet.
Lord we pray for those who don’t know the Shepherd,
whose life circumstances kept them from knowing the Good Shepherd.
We pray that by our actions, our behavior,
and our reaching out into the community,
they may come to know You.
Shepherding God,
renew us, guide us with Your love
and renew us with Your peace.
Amen!
First Scripture Reading
1 John 3:16-24
16We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
18Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
23And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Offering Song
“He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands”
“Doxology Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” 651
Offering Prayer:
On Lord, we thank You for this offering. We pray that You would bless it and that it may be used for the furtherance of Your kingdom.
Amen.
Tithes and offerings:
SERMON MESSAGE
Sermon Song
“What A Friend” by Barbara G. Sherrill
Sermon:
~ John 10:11-18 ~
The Good Shepherd
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away — and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
Closing Song
“Redeemed How I Love To Proclaim It!”
CLOSING PRAYER
May Eternal God, Our beginning and our end, be our starting point and our haven, and accompany us in this day’s journey. Use our hands to do the work of Your creation, and use our lives to bring others the new life You give this world in Jesus Christ, Redeemer of all.
Amen.
Organ Postlude
We hope you enjoyed Virtual Sunday Worship.
ADD YOUR COMMENTS BELOW, SHARE THE WORSHIP,
& JOIN US FOR COFFEE HOUR on ZOOM at NOON on SUNDAY, APRIL 25th.
MEET PASTOR RHODEN
Rev. Carlton A. Rhoden
Westminster Presbyterian Church / Los Angeles
Rev. Carlton A. Rhoden became the Pastor/Head of Staff of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in April, of 2014. Rev. Rhoden comes with a wealth of experience, having formerly served as Senior Minister of the First Baptist of Los Angeles from 2006 until 2013. Rev. Rhoden earned a Masters of Divinity from the American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley California in 2005. Upon graduation Rev. Rhoden was awarded “The J. Alfred Smith Sr. Award for Outstanding Ministry in the Black Church”. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School Summer Leadership Program class of 2005. Rev. Rhoden received a Bachelor of Science in Social Work with a minor in African American Studies from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in 1999. While at Stockton, Rev. Rhoden was a member of the Men’s Basketball team, a member of Student Government, and pledged Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
He is also active in community organization, most recently with Oakland Community Organizations. He is nationally recognized for his expertise in this field and has provided advice and consulting for community organization groups from coast to coast.
Carlton is married to Nikki Thomas-Rhoden. Nikki holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. They have two children, CJ and Maya. Nikki is a Social Worker who has a great concern for children in need. She is a graduate of Richard Stockton College of N.J. (B.A.), and a Master’s of Public Administration from Cal State Hayward. She is currently employed at Penny Lane Centers as a Site Director of Wrap Around. She is devoted to her family and the ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church Los Angeles. Most importantly she is the best wife and mother a man and his children (Maya and C.J.) can have.
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