Sunday Worship
November 2, 2025
11:00 AM
God Invites Us and Calls Us to Worship
Greeting - Romans 1.7
7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Call to Worship - Psalm 36.7-9
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.
Invocation - Presider
Song of Praise
Holy Forever
Verse 1
A thousand generations falling down in worship
To sing the song of ages to the Lamb
And all who’ve gone before us
And all who will believe
Will sing the song of ag-es to the Lamb
Pre Chorus
Your name is the highest
Your name is the greatest
Your name stands above them all
All thrones and dominions
All powers and positions
Your name stands above them all
Chorus 1
And the angels cry, “Holy”
All creation cries, “Holy”
You are lifted high, holy
Holy forever
Verse 2
If you’ve been forgiven, if you’ve been redeemed
Sing the song forever to the Lamb
If you walk in freedom, and if you bear His name
Sing the song forever to the Lamb
We’ll sing the song forever and Amen
Chorus 2
And the angels cry, “Holy”
All creation cries, “Holy”
You are lifted high, holy
Holy forever
Hear your people sing, “Holy”
To the King of kings, holy
You will always be, holy
Holy forever
Words by Brian Johnson, Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Jenn Johnson, Phil Wickham. © 2022 Brian and Jenn Publishing; Capitol CMG Paragon; S. D. G. Publishing; Be Essential Songs; My Magnolia Music; Phil Wickham Music; Simply Global Songs; Bethel Music Publishing. Used by Permission. CCLI License #11375060.
God Purifies Us
Call to Confession - Matthew 16.24-26
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Individual Prayer
Representative Prayer - Presider
Assurance of Pardon - Psalm 36.5-6
5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.
Song of Thanksgiving
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Verse 1
Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow
Of turning with Thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been
Thou forever wilt be
Chorus
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning
New mercies I see
All I have needed
Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me
Verse 2
Summer and winter
And springtime and harvest
Sun, moon, and stars
In their courses above
Join with all nature
In manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness
Mercy, and love
Verse 3
Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence
To cheer and to guide
Strength for today
And bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine
With ten thousand beside
Words by Thomas Obediah Chisholm. Music by William Marion Runyan. Public Domain.
Confession of Faith - The Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed was a result of the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. The creed emphasizes the doctrine of the Trinity in response to the teachings of Arius, a clergyman who denied the divinity of the Son, the second member of the Trinity. This orthodox statement of faith is used by many denominations, including the PCA.
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And we believe in one holy catholic1 and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
God Speaks Through His Word
Pastoral Prayer
Scripture Reading
1 Samuel 15.10-31
10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king.”
24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” 26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the Lord.
Sermon - To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice
Rev. Jonny Chung
The Lord’s Supper
Song of Response
How Great Is Our God
Verse 1
The splendor of a King
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles as his voice
Trembles as his voice
Chorus
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God
Verse 2
Age to age he stands
And time is in his hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end
The Godhead, three in one:
Father, Spirit, Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb
Bridge
Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God
Words and music by Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves. ©2004 Rising Springs Music; Vamos Publishing; worshiptogether.com songs; Wondrously Made Songs. Used by Permission. CCLI License #11375060.
Thanksgiving Prayer
Mr. Chun Kim
Benediction
Rev. Jonny Chung
Announcements
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to Christine Ha (10/31) and our November birthdays: Jean Tsu (11/8), Elise Yun (11/10), and Jie Qu (11/27).
Sad News
After serving faithfully at Highland for the past 9 years, pastor James has received a call to serve as a military chaplain and will be resigning from our church effective November 2nd. Please let him know how much we appreciate his service and encourage him as his family moves to Texas for what the Lord has next for them.
Special Announcement
We have a new Sunday school director!
MTW Missions Advocates
Our presbytery is starting a monthly prayer meeting and advocacy group for our denomination’s missionaries. Rev. Brian Park will take the lead on this and he asked if there is anyone interested in meeting once a month for about 30 minutes to pray and stay involved with our denomination’s missions arm. Please let Jonny know if you’d like more information.
Website Volunteer
Reformed Theological Seminary is having an open house this Thursday, October 30, at Holy Trinity Church in Chicago. There will be a sample class at 4pm and dinner and discussion at 5. Please let Jonny know if you’re interested in attending.
Kingdom Party (10/31)
Join us for Kingdom party on Friday, 10/31 at 5:00 pm! We'll enjoy a time of fellowship with a short sermon, dinner, and fun activities together. The evening will wrap up just in time for the joint praise night. Come for both!
Joint Service
We will have a joint service with KM Nov. 7 and Nov. 9.
Thanksgiving Sunday Lunch
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, we will prepare a special Thanksgiving lunch. Rather than having the food team prepare everything, we are asking that our members each prepare a dish. The menu will include: Turkey, ham, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, apple pie, pumpkin pie, rolls, drinks, etc. There will be a sign up sheet next to the fellowship director’s sign. If you're not confident in your cooking, you can volunteer to serve drinks or make dinner rolls.
Childcare
We are looking for a couple volunteers to help with childcare for 30 to 60 minutes on Sundays as needed after lunch. Please let Jonny know if you are able to help.
Sermons
The weekly sermon will be posted on the “Sermons” tab on our website. If you’d like to watch the previous week’s livestream, it will be posted on the church’s YouTube site.
Connect With Our Pastor
Pastor Jonny would like to start meeting with our church members to get to know you and to see how he can support you in prayer and in your walk with the Lord. Don’t be surprised if you get a text or email to try and set up a time to meet for lunch or for a coffee.
Digital Giving
Give contributions to church with Zelle through your mobile banking app or through the Zelle app. Our email for Zelle is highland.giving@gmail.com.
Welcome
We are glad to be with you today! Do stick around after our worship service for lunch and fellowship!
Prayer Requests
Please pray for Josiah. Josiah has a rare genetic neurodevelopmental condition caused by a variation in the TNPO2 gene. His condition is extremely rare; only a few dozen individuals in the entire world have it. Please keep Josiah and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Pray that God would work miracles in Josiah’s life and use Josiah to show the grace and faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please pray for Seungha and Michael as they had a healthy baby boy on 8/7!
Please pray for Dean as he transitions to Arizona.
Connect With Our Deacons
Are you or another church member in need of help? Want to get more involved with sympathy and service in our church fellowship? Notice something in our building that needs attention? Or do you have any questions or concerns about our church overall? If so, then please don’t hesitate to connect with our deacons! Our EM deacons are Aaron, Brian, Joey, and Tim, and they are here to serve you and minister God’s compassion and care in our church. Feel free to connect with them via phone, text, or email (highlandemdeacons@gmail.com). Let’s grow together with our deacons for the glory of Christ Jesus!
Signup For Sunday Lunches
Consider supporting lunches for our church on Sundays! Every lunch we enjoy on Sundays are provided by the generous support of our church members. For 2024, members can either provide/cook/buy food on their own or give $100 to our church and have a dedicated cooking team buy/prepare/cook food on their behalf. Check out the signup sheet next to the kitchen window!