WELCOME
Communion Worship Service
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144)
Songs
Call to Worship
Let’s take a moment to shift our focus. We don’t gather just to attend something, we gather to turn our attention toward God. To remember who He is and where our life truly comes from.
Psalm 63 says:
“O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You”That’s the posture we bring today. Not because we have everything together, but because we know where life is found.
Songs
Prayer
CONFESSION:
Let’s pause for a moment because if we’re honest, it doesn’t take long for us to drift. We get busy. We get distracted. We start trying to carry life on our own.
God, we confess how quickly we disconnect. We fill our lives with noise. We rush from one thing to the next. We carry things we were never meant to carry alone. Even in our faith, we try harder instead of staying close. Forgive us for relying on ourselves more than You. Forgive us for the ways we’ve drifted without even noticing. Draw us back again.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
Hear this truth: God is not distant from you. He has not stepped away. He is inviting you back. You don’t have to fix everything today. You simply come back. In Christ, you are forgiven, welcomed, and held in grace.
Fruitful
Living the Mission
Today's Message: Pastors Marlee Page and Dave Page
Before we move forward, consider this question we’ve been carrying: “Who is the one person today, God?”
If you held onto that even briefly this week, you may have noticed something, moments appeared, people came to mind, nudges surfaced. And yet, often right behind that nudge came hesitation:
What if this gets awkward?
What if I say the wrong thing?
What if I don’t know what to do?
So instead of stepping in, we paused. The issue is not that we don’t care. It’s not that we don’t want to be used by God. The issue is this: We’re trying to live a Spirit-led life, without staying connected to the Spirit.
A Different Kind of Life
The heartbeat of this series is simple: You don’t need a different mission, you need a different kind of life. Most of us already know what we’re supposed to do:
- Love people
- Show kindness
- Extend grace
- Point others to Jesus
We don’t lack information. We lack formation.
Scripture Reading: John 15:1–5
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [a]takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Not less. Not a little. Nothing. Somewhere along the way, we’ve drifted into believing the Christian life is about effort:
- Try harder
- Be better
- Do more
- Fix yourself
And then we wonder why we feel tired, why it feels forced, why it doesn’t last.
But Jesus never said, “Go produce fruit.” He said, “Remain in me.” A simple picture. You don’t need to go far to understand this. Think of a vineyard or an orchard. You never look at a branch and think, “That branch is working really hard.” If it’s connected, fruit comes. If it’s not, nothing does. That’s the difference. Sometimes this truth becomes clear in the simplest ways. You can care for something, water it, give it attention, even try your best, and yet if it becomes disconnected from its source, it will not survive. Because it’s never just about how something looks, It’s about what it’s connected to.
Where This Meets Us
Some of us look fine on the outside. We show up. We serve. We say the right things. But internally? We’re tired. Disconnected. Running on empty. The truth is: Fruit doesn’t come from trying harder, it comes from staying connected longer.
Galatians 5:16
Paul says: “Walk by the Spirit” Not sprint. Not perform. Walk. When was the last time you simply sat with God? No agenda. No list. Just presence. If we’re honest, many of us spend more time scrolling than abiding.
A Simple Practice for the Week
This week, keep it simple: Take five minutes a day. Sit with Jesus. Read John 15. Be still. Pray: “Jesus, I’m here.” And carry the question again: “Who is the one person today, God?” But this time, not from pressure. From connection. Because when you’re connected: You notice more. You care more. You respond more naturally. You don’t need more willpower. You need deeper connection. You don’t need a different mission. You need a different source.
Communion
As we come to the table, we are reminded of something essential: Jesus doesn’t just tell us to stay connected He made a way for it to be possible. Left to ourselves, we drift. We disconnect. We try to do life on our own. But on the night before the cross, Jesus gave us something to return to again and again.
He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said:
“This is my body, given for you.”
He took the cup and said:
“This is my blood, poured out for you.”
Communion is not just a ritual. It is a reminder: Our life is not found in what we produce But in what we receive. So take a moment: Where have you been striving instead of abiding? Where have you been trying to produce what only Jesus can grow? This table is not for those who have it all together. It is for those who know they need to stay connected. As you receive the bread remember: your life comes from Him. As you receive the cup remember: you are held in His grace. Stay connected.
Jesus, thank You that You are the source of life. Draw us back to You again and again. Help us to remain in You and let Your life flow through us. Amen.
Prayer
God, thank You that You are not distant. You are near. You are present. For every person reading this, draw them back to You. In the middle of busy schedules, in the middle of distractions, In the middle of everything competing for attention, Help us stay connected. For those who are tired, meet them with Your presence. For those carrying burdens, remind them they are not alone. And as we ask, “Who is the one person today?” Give us eyes to see and hearts that are open, not from pressure, but from connection. Holy Spirit, do what we cannot do on our own. Grow in us what we cannot produce. We trust You. Amen.
Song
Benediction
As you go into your week, remember this: Stay connected. Not just in the big moments but in the small, everyday ones. And continue to carry this question with you: “Who is the one person today, God?” As you stay close to Him, trust that He will lead you. Amen.