God Is In the Story

Everyone has a life story. Some of our stories are difficult, but they are part of who we are. God is part of everyone’s story too. We don’t always see, hear, or feel God’s presence, but God is interacting, guiding, and directing our journeys. In this series, we discover how God is part of our overall story by hearing the stories of ordinary people experiencing God’s extraordinary presence. 

During this series in our congregation, there was a baptism each week. These are indicated in the service orders below. Our church typically baptizes infants, and when we do so we offer parents an opportunity to give their testimony. If older children or adults are baptized, they may offer their own testimony. This series can be adapted for contexts without weekly baptisms by asking ahead of time for a weekly testimony from congregants about how God has been part of their stories.

Week 1

Adversity: God’s University

God Gathers Us for Worship

God’s Greeting and Mutual Greetings

Call to Worship

All who thirst, come to the water.
Come, all who are weary;
come, all who yearn for forgiveness. 
The Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ has washed over us,
and our gracious and holy God beckons and blesses us.
Drink deeply of these living waters.
Glory to you, O Lord; glory to you.
—Worshipping Ecumenically, p. 83 © 1995, World Council of Churches. Used by permission. 

Song: “My Lighthouse” ^{Gilkeson and Llewellyn}

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before you as your children, 
gathered in your name.
Some of us are here feeling like we are in a troubled sea;
some are lonely or have questions.
Where would we be if it wasn’t for your love, O God?
Thank you for shining your light into our lives.
As we worship here together, help us to focus on you.
Open our hearts and minds to what you want to teach us.
Thank you for writing our story. 
In Jesus’ name, amen.

Song: “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)” ^{Cash and Tomlin}

Notes on Visual Elements in the Worship Space

The fabric flowing from the series title sign to the baptismal font signified that our life starts in God who draws us through baptism into a life of service. This is especially significant because we baptized an infant in each of the services of this worship series. In each of the services we had parents share their testimony about how God is in their story.

Book pages were hung from a mobile suspended from the ceiling to help each person worshiping imagine their own story in God’s hands. Life stories were also represented by the books on the shelf (visible in the image on the left), while the open Bible served as a reminder of God’s story revealed to us—a light to the world.

The large display included a mirror to which parents could bring their children before or after a service to show them that they are children of God. A globe reminded worshipers that God’s story was for the whole world, while the mantel clock underscored the truth that our time is in God’s hands. 

God Renews Us Through Confession and Forgiveness

Call to Confession 

Our Lord Jesus said: 
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, 
and with all your soul, 
and with all your mind.’ 
This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it: 
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these 
two commandments” (Matthew 22:37–40).
God has instructed us with these great commandments, 
but we have not lived in full obedience. 
Therefore, let us now confess our sins to God, 
trusting Christ as our Savior and Lord. 

Prayer of Confession

Lord, you are a God who keeps promises. 
In our prayers and songs we say that we want to be Christians, 
but then we forget our promises. 
Our actions do not always match our words. 
We say mean things to other people 
and hurt their feelings. 
We think of ourselves first. 
Worst of all, we ignore you and fail to love you above all else. 
Lord, hear our prayer and forgive us. 
Come and fill our lives. 
For Jesus’ sake, amen.
—David Vroege. A Child Shall Lead: Children in Worship, p. 85 © 1999, Choristers Guild. Used by permission.

Assurance of Pardon: “Blessed Assurance” ^Crosby

Testimony and Baptism

Prayers of the People

Offering 

Offertory: “God Is In This Story” ^{Pardo et al.} 

God Speaks Through Scripture

Text: Philippians 1:12–26

Sermon Notes

Despite Paul’s circumstances—jailed, abandoned, lonely, and tired—God shows up and gives Paul a joyful attitude that rises above his circumstances. In our life journeys, God also shows up in surprising and encouraging ways. Paul’s example is a model for us to follow.

Communion

Songs 

“O Come to the Altar” ^{Brown et al.}
“Christ Our Hope in Life And Death” ^{Getty et al.}

God Sends Us Out to Serve

God’s Blessing 

As you leave this place of worship
as ordinary people 
facing an ordinary week, 
going about your ordinary lives, 
know that you leave here 
having worshiped and met with an extraordinary God
who desires to go with you throughout this week. 

Receive your God’s blessing as you leave: 

Beloved, 
I am with you,
I am in your heart and soul. 
And so you are extraordinary. 
Look at this world with my eyes; 
see the wounds that lay beneath the surface and tend to them,
and you will tend to my wounds.
Be my hands, and care for the world in extraordinary ways,
and you will find yourself caring for me. 
Be my feet, going places where others won’t go, 
and you will bump into me. 
Sit with people that others won’t sit with,
and you will find yourself sitting with me. 

Beloved, be extraordinary, 
even as I am extraordinary. 
Be willing to lay down your life, 
even as I lay down my life.

Go forth in peace to love and serve each other. 
—Joyce Borger, Reformed Worship, © 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission. 

Sending Song: “Salvation Belongs to Our God” ^{Howard and Turner}

Week 2

Our Story, God’s Glory

God Gathers Us for Worship

God’s Greeting and Mutual Greetings

Call to Worship 

Come and worship Christ, 
the visible image of the invisible God, 
the firstborn of creation, 
the eternal God: the one through whom all things were created, 
and in whom all things are held together. 
This is our God! 
Let’s worship together and lift his name on high. 
—adapted from Colossians 1:15–17

Opening Song: “Thrive” ^{Hall and West}

Opening Prayer 

God, you fashioned us out of the dust;
you breathed life into us;
you call us your image,
your children;
you designed us to flourish and thrive
in you, only in you.
We gather today to quench our thirst,
to drink deeply of your living waters.
You have called us to come and drink and live.
Here we are, Lord.
We have come to worship you. 
—Bethany Besteman, Reformed Worship, © 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission. 

Testimonies: Do Not Ask for Volunteers

In my experience, when people are asked to give a testimony they are likely to have a “Moses moment”—stammering and finding all sorts of excuses for why they can’t speak. For whatever reason, folks in the Reformed/Presbyterian tradition seem to be uncomfortable with even the word “testimony,” much less giving one. If this sounds familiar, do not put a note in the bulletin asking for four volunteers to give their testimonies for this series. You won’t get the result you are hoping for.

Instead, ask around. Talk to church staff, prayer groups, small groups, Bible study leaders, deacons, and other volunteers and ask them for stories they’ve heard others share about ways they’ve seen God show up in their lives. Then reach out to the people they mention. These don’t need to be about big things—in fact, small is good. These don’t need to be dramatic conversion stories; it’s better if at least three of the four aren’t. The point is that we want to show how our extraordinary God can and does show up in our ordinary lives. God showed up for that young mother who was at her wits’ end when that church member came by unexpectedly and offered to watch the kids so she could have some time to herself. God showed up for the person who was reminded of her baptism during a time of depression, and that single thought was enough to hold her during a dark time. God showed up for the teen who decided to take a chance and sit with a kid who was by himself and ended up finding a best friend. God showed up with the marvel of a rainbow painted across the sky at just the right time. 

God’s extraordinary story is written all over our ordinary lives. We just need to start learning how to see it. Yes, sometimes it’s most easily seen against the darker days of our lives, but it’s no less there in the ordinary parts.

—JB

God Renews Us Through Confession and Forgiveness

Call to Confession

Prayer of Confession

God, who is the author and finisher of our faith 
and of our stories,
so often we think that we write our own stories.
We think it is up to us
to close a business deal,
to fix our family problems,
to make all things new.
We forget to turn to you with our fears and griefs.
We forget to take our anxieties to your throne.
We forget that the battle belongs to you,
that you are the author of our stories,
and that you will bring glory and good
out of all that is broken
when the time has fully come.
Forgive us,
and send into our lives daily reminders
to turn to you
and to cast all our cares on you,
for you care for us.
Amen.
—Bethany Besteman, Reformed Worship, © 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission. 

Assurance of Pardon

“Battle Belongs” ^{Wickham and Johnson}
“Who You Say I Am” ^{Fielding and Morgan} 
“I Love to Tell the Story” ^Hankey

Testimony and Baptism

Prayers of the People

Offering 

Offertory: “My Story, Your Glory” ^{West and Pruis} 

God Speaks Through Scripture

Text: Romans 5:12–17

Sermon Notes

Life is often full of bad news. That’s our story; that’s how it starts. But then there is good news, and because of Christ that’s where it ends. Our story brings the reign of death, but God’s story brings the reign of life. In this message, we consider what Adam brought into the world and how Jesus brought the solution. Our story, God’s glory.

Song of Response: “Same God” ^{Barrett et al.}

God Sends Us Out to Serve

God’s Blessing

This world is full of bad news, 
but you have the good news of the gospel. 
Make sure you share it through your words and actions this week,
knowing that you are not alone, but go with the blessing of our extraordinary God:
I am the Lord, your God, 
Jesus, the Messiah, 
who died so you would live, 
who rose from the dead and ascended, 
assuring you that you too will conquer death 
and that even now you have an advocate in heaven.
Know that I am with you. 
I am here. All shall be well. 
Now go forth and tell the good news! 
—Joyce Borger, Reformed Worship, © 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission. 

 Sending Song: “Jesus Messiah” ^{Tomlin et al.}

Week 3

Sow, Grow, Overflow

God Gathers Us for Worship

God’s Greeting and Mutual Greetings

Call to Worship 

We come this morning as a people 
called “out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
We come this morning already accepted, 
but wanting to be told again; 
already forgiven, 
but needing to hear it again. 
We come certain and uncertain,
lost and found, 
all of us fumbling through the darkness 
trying to find our way home. 
At the same time, we come surrounded by God’s redeeming light. 
We come together to worship our God 
and to rehearse together life as the redeemed. 
Come, let us bow down and worship.

Song: “Come, Now Is the Time to Worship” ^Doerksen

Opening Prayer 

Christ, in this hour of worship, 
lift us out of the routine of our daily lives 
and set us upon your holy mountain. 
Let our worship come from our hearts, 
that it may be genuine. 
Let our praises for you leap from our mouths, 
that we may be alive with faith and joy. 
—R. Mark Liebenow, And Everyone Shall Praise: Resources for Multicultural Worship, United Church Press, p. 35 alt. © 1999, R. Mark Liebenow. Used by permission.

This is our story, this is our song, 
praising our Savior all the day long. Amen.

Sung Refrain: “Blessed Assurance” ^Crosby

This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
—Fanny Crosby, 1873, public domain

God Renews Us Through Confession and Forgiveness

Call to Confession 

We long for hearts and lips that overflow with praise,
but that is not always the case.
James reminds us that 
“with the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, 
and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. 
My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 
Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” 
—James 3:9–11

With our mouths closed but our ears and hearts open,
let us confess the ways we have used our lips
in ways that dishonor God and our neighbors.

Silent Prayers of Confession

Assurance of Pardon

Come near to God and he will come near to you. 
Wash your hands, you sinners, 
and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
—James 4:8, 10

Songs

“Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord” ^Hudson
“Blessed Assurance” ^{Crosby, LUYH 363, GtG 839, SSS 320}
“No Longer Slaves” ^{Helser et al.}

Testimony and Baptism

Prayers of the People

Offering

God Speaks Through Scripture

Text: Matthew 13:1–23 

Sermon Notes 

In the parable of the sower, God is a patient sower scattering seeds of God’s word on all kinds of soil. God’s grace is so abundant that seeds are scattered everywhere, but only the fertile soil receives God’s word with gladness. God is in all the seeds, but only takes root in hearts that are open and fertile. This message looks at the power of the seed and the fruit it can bear in anyone.

Song of Response: “New Wine” ^Ligertwood

God Sends Us Out to Serve

God’s Blessing

Our extraordinary God has chosen to plant God’s seed of faith into us ordinary people, and God now invites us to go into the world to sow that seed wherever the Holy Spirit may guide us this week. This isn’t just a task for our church staff, mission committee, or elders; no, it’s for everyone in this room—and by everyone, I mean all ages, from the youngest of you to the oldest. Each of us is called to spread the good news of the gospel through our words and deeds in this week. We look forward to hearing in the weeks to come where you see God at work in the world around you. But as you leave this place and do this godly work, know that you are joining the work the Holy Spirit has already begun, that you are not alone, and that you leave with God’s blessing:

I, your God, am with you. 
I will meet you in the still moments of your day, 
in the chaos of life, 
at work, at school, on the street, at home or wherever you sleep at night,
in the reading of Scripture and in your prayers,
in your acts of service and kindness, however big or small,
in your tending of creation, 
in your moments of joy, fear, impenetrable darkness, pain, grief, or loneliness.
I am your God. 
I am with you. 
Look for me. 
Ask for me. 
I am here. 
I will go with you. 
I love you. 
—Joyce Borger, Reformed Worship, © 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission. 

Sending Song: “What a Beautiful Name” ^{Fielding and Ligertwood} 

 

Week 4

Relating to God

God Gathers Us for Worship

Prelude: “God Is In This Story” ^{Pardo et al.} 

God’s Greeting and Mutual Greetings

Call to Worship 

The psalmist writes: 
“It is good to praise the Lord 
and make music to your name, O Most High, 
proclaiming your love in the morning 
and your faithfulness at night.” 
—Psalm 92:2

Please join us in singing about God’s faithfulness.

Song: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” ^Chisholm

Opening Prayer [music continues quietly] 

Dear God, 
some of us are here this morning filled with joy, 
others with sadness; 
some with pain, others with thanks. 
Though our feelings, thoughts, and emotions are ever-changing, 
we know you are unchanging. 
[pause] 
You are faithful. 
[pause] 
You are good. 
[pause] 
You remain the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Amen.

Song: “Goodness of God” ^{Cash et al.}

Another Job

Consider sharing the story behind the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” Like Job, the hymn author Horatio Spafford’s life was marked by devastating losses. A successful lawyer and real estate investor, he was financially ruined by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, not long after his four-year-old son had died of scarlet fever.

Seeking solace, Spafford sent his wife and four daughters on a voyage to England, intending to join them later. Tragically, their ship collided with another and sank in the Atlantic. Over two hundred lives were lost, including all four of Spafford’s daughters. His wife, Anna, survived and sent a heartbreaking telegram to him from England: “Saved alone.”

Spafford immediately sailed to join his grieving wife. During the voyage, the ship’s captain, knowing Spafford’s story, informed him that they were passing over the very spot of the shipwreck. It was there, amidst the profound sorrow, that words of comfort and hope came to Spafford, which he wrote down. These words became the beloved hymn.

God Renews Us Through Lament and Hope

Call to Lament

God has given us great hope, but we also live in a world that gives us many reasons to despair. Hope is a precious gift in the face of all such realities. Let us take some time to lament the things that burden us and to affirm God’s gift of hope. Please pray with me, using words from Psalm 42 to guide us:

Prayer of Lament

“My tears have been my food 
      day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
      ‘Where is your God?’”

We wonder where you are, O God, when we see and feel the effects of sin on this broken and beautiful world. Where are you when storms wreak havoc? Where are you when wars break out? Where are you when people fear for their lives and livelihoods? In stillness, we bring the burdens of disaster and fear to you.

Silence

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?
      Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
      for I will yet praise him,
      my Savior and my God.”

“My Soul in Stillness Waits” (refrain) ^Haugen

“I say to God my Rock,
      ‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
      oppressed by the enemy?’”

We wonder where you are, O God, when we see or experience emotional pain. Where are you when families and friendships are broken, or when communities fracture? Where are you when loved ones die? In stillness, we bring the burden of such pain to you.

Silence

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?
      Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
      for I will yet praise him,
      my Savior and my God.”

“My Soul in Stillness Waits” (refrain) ^Haugen

“My bones suffer mortal agony
      as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
      ‘Where is your God?’”

We wonder where you are, O God, when we see or experience suffering. Where are you when illness wears away our bodies, when loved ones suffer and we can do nothing to help them? Where are you when doctors fail? In stillness, we bring the burden of suffering to you.

Silence

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?
      Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
      for I will yet praise him,
      my Savior and my God.”

“My Soul in Stillness Waits” (refrain) ^Haugen

“By day the Lord directs his love,
      at night his song is with me—
      a prayer to the God of my life.”

We wonder where you are, but you know where we are. You receive our burdens, and you give us hope. Amen.
—Selections from Psalm 42, arranged into a litany with prayers by Bethany Besteman © 2025 Bethany Besteman, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission.

Assurance of Hope: Isaiah 40:27–31

Testimony and Baptism

Prayers of the People

Offering

God Speaks Through Scripture

Text: Job 1:13–19; 2:1–9

Sermon Notes

All of us at some point will struggle with relating to God. Part of that challenge is that we really don’t understand what God’s faithfulness looks like. Our ideas of faithfulness and God’s faithfulness are often at odds with each other. In the story of Job, God’s faithfulness shows up in a way we don’t expect. While in our individual stories we may at times conclude that God is not the God we wanted, in reality God is just the God we need.

Song of Response: “It Is Well with My Soul” ^Spafford (See sidebar “Another Job”) 

God Sends Us Out to Serve

God’s Blessing

Receive this blessing from our extraordinary God: 

But now, this is what the Lord says—
      he who created you, Jacob,
      he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
      I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
      I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
      they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
      you will not be burned;
      the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
      the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
—Isaiah 43:1–3

Sending Song: “Blessed Assurance” ^Crosby