When Family Falls Apart

Sunday, October 25, 2026

Scriptures: Ruth 1:1-5

• Sermon Summary

  In the first sermon of our new series The Story of Ruth, Bobbi

• Discussion Guide

  Community is shaped by the conversations we share.
  These questions are just a tool to help you meaningfully engage with the themes of this week's teaching.

• Service Songs & Prayers

  Worship Songs
  Curated by Alycia F.
  
  Mission House - Good God
  Maverick City Music - Jireh
  Common Hymnal - The Kingdom is Yours
  Hillsong Worship - Cornerstone
  
  Liturgy
  Written by Yelena Pakhomova

  As part of our worship today, I invite you to join me in a prayer of confession.

  “Confession is a prayer of return.”
  It is a reminder that we can change.

  And that Divine mercy is found in the totality of our lives and not only in those parts that we see as good and are happy to reveal to others. Confession is about a return to integrity and wholeness that can help us start anew.
  Let us pray.

  I.
  Our loving God,
  whose grace finds us in our darkest times and whispers,
  “This is not the end.”
  As we check in with our hearts today,
  we trust that same abundant grace will meet us
  and guide us with gentleness.
  Especially as we think about
  those moments of anger or harshness
  that we’ve allowed to boil over and spill to others,
  the moments of mindless distraction we’ve slipped into,
  and the ways we have not used our gifts.
  For all those times, we ask you to forgive us, and we pray:
  Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.

  II.
  God of welcome,
  who always makes room to include more people at the table.
  We confess that often we’re not great at doing the same.
  For withholding our presence from somebody who needed us,
  for criticism, impatience, self-righteousness,
  for the lack of empathy and ignorance of someone’s pain.
  We ask you to forgive and renew us, and we pray:
  Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.

  III.
  God of true peace,
  We confess our participation in the structures and institutions
  that thrive on inequality
  and, in pursuit of wealth, abuse your creation.
  We confess our slowness to learn,
  and our fear and suspicion that often stand
  in the way of relationship and reconciliation.
  We ask you to set us free from all fear
  so that we can follow you with courage, and we pray:
  Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.
  Now receive this affirmation:
  May you trust that you can never wander too far from grace.
  May God’s love and mercy always guide you home.
  Amen.