Holding Fast to the Word (Ashtabula)

Ashtabula First UMC Worship Plan: Holding Fast to the Word (October 19, 2025)

Theme: Holding Fast to the Word: The Joyful Discipline of Scripture

Color: Green (Ordinary Time)

I. The Gathering

Prelude

Welcome & Announcements

Pastor: Good morning, everyone, and a warm welcome to Ashtabula First United Methodist Church. Today, we turn our attention to the foundation of our faith: "Holding Fast to the Word." We’ll be exploring why Scripture is not just a historical text, but the very "God-breathed" truth that gives us wisdom and anchor in confusing times. Now, let us rise in body or spirit as our prelude begins. I invite our acolyte, Jeff, to bring forth the light of Christ to our altar as we begin our worship service.

Call to Worship

Leader: Oh, how I love your will, dear Lord.

People: I meditate on your wisdom all day long.

Leader: Your teaching makes me wiser each day.

People: Your instruction helps me become my truest self.

All: How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.

Opening Hymn "Come, Holy Ghost, Our Hearts Inspire" (UMH 603)

Opening Prayer

Holy God, we thank you that your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We confess that we often listen to the noise of the world more than the truth of Scripture, and we feel lost. Strengthen us now to receive your teaching. Burn away the doubt and distraction, that we may find wisdom, discipline, and joyful delight in holding fast to your Word. In Jesus' name. Amen.

II. The Word

Scripture Reading 1: Psalm 119:97–104

Psalm 119:97–104 NIV

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

Hymn of Response "O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee" (UMH 430)

Scripture Reading 2: 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5

2 Timothy 3:14–4:5 NIV

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Sermon: Holding Fast to the Word

Sermon: Holding Fast to the Word

Pastor: Let us pray. Holy Spirit, breathe the truth of Scripture into our hearts. Help us to receive your correction with humility and your training with joy. Amen.

Good morning.

I want you to think for a moment about the volume of noise in our modern world. It’s not just the noise of traffic or television; it's the constant, overwhelming volume of information and opinion screaming for our attention. Every screen, every social media feed, every news channel—they all offer a competing version of the truth, a new system to follow, a new guru to trust. We are constantly being pulled in different directions by voices that promise wisdom, happiness, and certainty.

It is easy to feel unmoored, isn't it? It is easy to feel like our spiritual footing is constantly shifting, because the world is filled with what the Apostle Paul calls "myths" and teachings designed to scratch "itching ears." We are living in a time that desperately needs an anchor, a sure foundation that will not yield to the pressure of the moment.

Our scriptures today, written centuries apart, speak with one united voice to this dilemma. They challenge us to look past the fleeting noise of the world and hold fast to the only source of enduring truth: the Word of God. They teach us that this commitment is not a burdensome religious duty; rather, it is both a necessary discipline and a profound, life-giving delight.

I. The Delight of the Word: Sweeter Than Honey

For many people, the word "law" or "instruction" sounds harsh. It sounds like rules, restrictions, and a distant authority holding a ruler over our mistakes. But our first reading from Psalm 119 completely upends that notion. The author of this Psalm didn't just tolerate God's instruction; he loved it. He was obsessed with it! He wrote, “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long.”

To the Psalmist, God's word was not a rulebook, but a relational love letter, a conversation with the Creator. This love produced a deep, physical joy: "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

Why is God’s instruction sweeter than honey? It is because God’s Word provides what the world cannot:

The Psalmist's declaration that God's Word is sweeter than honey is a profoundly radical claim in a culture consumed by bitterness. The world offers us the bitter taste of comparison, the sour feeling of spiritual burnout, and the anxious rush of constant competition. We spend our lives scrolling through screens, looking for affirmation and validation, only to find ourselves spiritually hungry. The Psalmist redirects that deep hunger away from the fleeting sweetness of earthly success and toward the sustaining delight of God's presence. He is saying, "I have found the one thing that truly satisfies the soul."

Wisdom Over Anxiety: The Psalmist declares, “Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me.” The world offers temporary fixes for anxiety, but the Word offers wisdom—a framework that allows us to see beyond the fear of the moment. This is a wisdom that transcends the quick answers of our culture. While the world floods us with statistics and expert opinions, the Word gives us a divine perspective that helps us prioritize what is eternal over what is merely urgent. This meditation is how spiritual formation happens: the steady, daily practice of letting God's voice be the loudest thing we hear. The Word doesn't just impart knowledge; it actively reshapes the very nature of the soul, building resilience and fortitude against the constant wave of modern anxiety. We stop reacting in panic and start responding with the quiet confidence of faith.

Order Over Chaos: The Psalmist testifies, "I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word." God’s instructions are not a cage; they are guardrails that keep us from falling off the cliff of our own poor decisions. The world tells us that freedom is found in having no limits, in pursuing every impulse and desire. But the Psalmist discovered that true freedom is found in obedience—the freedom from the crushing consequences of poor choices and self-destruction. The delight comes from the inner peace of knowing you are walking on the straight path, avoiding the pain and destruction that comes from following the world’s crooked ways. The instruction of God acts as a lamp to our feet, illuminating the safe path ahead and preventing the chaos that comes from spiritual aimlessness. The true joy of the believer is not found in lawlessness, but in the secure, ordered path of discipleship.

The Psalm teaches us that meditating on Scripture is not a duty we check off; it is a discipline that nourishes our soul and cultivates a wisdom that gives us deep spiritual stability.

II. The Discipline of the Word: God-Breathed and Profitable

If the Psalmist gives us the joy of the Word, the Apostle Paul gives us the urgency and authority of the Word. Paul, writing to his protégé Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 3, is deeply concerned about those "itching ears." He knows that the pressure to compromise the truth for the sake of popularity is immense. This challenge is not simply about external persecution; it is about internal dilution—the subtle temptation to exchange the hard, enduring truth of the Gospel for messages that are easy, popular, and require no difficult sacrifice. The phrase Paul uses—itching ears—describes people who crave messages that affirm their prejudices, justify their comfortable choices, and promise quick spiritual fixes. Paul's letter cuts through the noise of these easy answers and tells Timothy: stand firm against the charlatans and the myths. Do not chase popularity; chase truth. The pressure may be immense, but the anchor for withstanding that pressure is the very scripture Timothy has known since childhood.

His core message is an anchor for us all: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

Let's pause on that phrase: "God-breathed." This is more than just "inspired." It is the very essence of the Creator, the divine life force poured out into human language. Just as God breathed life into humanity at creation, God breathes truth into the Scriptures. This is what gives the Bible its unique, indispensable authority. The Greek word here is theopneustos. It reminds us that the Word is not merely a record of what God said in the past, but an active, ongoing communication—the very breath of God sustaining and shaping the present moment. This is why we hold fast to the Bible: because it is the unique place where we hear the living, authoritative voice of the Creator over the chaos of human opinion.

Because it is God-breathed, the Word is profoundly useful—or, as the Greek suggests, "profitable." Paul says this profit is realized in four specific ways. The first two are foundational and restorative: the Word is useful for teaching (knowing the truth) because it establishes our foundation, telling us who God is, who we are, and how the world works. It is also useful for reproof, because it acts as a spotlight, exposing the darkness in our own hearts that we don't want to see, stopping us before we make a terrible mistake. The second two functions are correctional and forward-looking. The Word is useful for correction, guiding us after we have failed and showing us the way back to the path of righteousness, thereby not leaving us stranded in our guilt. Finally, it is useful for training in righteousness. This is the long-term project: the Word is our daily workout routine, building the discipline and character needed for the life Christ calls us to live.

This function of reproof is perhaps the hardest to accept, yet the most profitable. The Word corrects us when we confuse our own desires with God's truth. It corrects the spiritual laziness that tells us we can love God without loving our neighbor. It corrects the self-righteousness that keeps us from forgiving others. When the Word pricks our conscience, it is not God condemning us; it is God saving us from ourselves, stopping the damage before it spreads. This is the ultimate act of love—a discipline that prevents us from falling into spiritual ruin.

The world wants to sell us fast fixes and comforting myths that feel good right now. But Paul is charging Timothy—and us—to endure suffering, carry out ministry, and preach the message "in season and out of season," precisely because the Word of God is the only tool that can withstand the test of time and truly prepare us for every challenge. We need this training and discipline for the long haul of Christian ministry—it builds the spiritual stamina that keeps us from becoming timid or weary when the work of the Kingdom gets hard.

III. Holding Fast: Discipline and Delight United

So, what does it mean for us today to hold fast to the Word? It means bringing the Psalmist’s delight together with Paul's discipline.

It is not enough to respect the Bible as a cultural relic; we must actively engage with it as the living, God-breathed truth.

It means choosing discipline over convenience. It means intentionally carving out time each day—even just a few minutes—to open the Scriptures, not just for a quick scan, but for meditation, allowing the truth to sink into your soul. It is the steady habit of letting God's voice be louder than all the other noise.

It means seeking correction, not comfort. When the Word rebukes us, we should receive it with humility, trusting that God’s correction is always aimed at our ultimate good and wholeness. This is the joyful discipline of the Christian life. This discipline isn't about personal guilt; it's about public readiness. When the Word corrects our individual apathy, it is equipping the corporate body (the church) to advocate for the oppressed. The private reading of the Bible fuels the public work of justice.

It means allowing the Word to guide our hands. The wisdom we gain from the Word is not meant to stay locked in our heads. It must flow out into our lives, guiding how we speak to our neighbors, how we spend our resources, and how we advocate for justice in our community. Imagine a difficult decision in the workplace, or a conflict with a family member—the ability to pause and ask, "What does the Word instruct me to do here?" is the practical fruit of meditation. That is when we become wise, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Word of God is our ultimate anchor. It is the steady, sweet, and firm guide that keeps us from being tossed about by every passing spiritual fad or social fear. Let us hold fast to this treasure, tasting its sweetness and submitting to its discipline, that we may be wise and thoroughly equipped to live the life Christ has called us to live.

Amen.

III. Response and Intercession

Anthem “Give Me Jesus”

Please be seated. Having received the Word that is profitable for teaching and correction, we now turn our hearts toward prayer. We bring the burdens of the world and the needs of our lives to the One who alone can grant wisdom and rest. I invite you now to a time of silent intercession, lifting the unspoken needs of our community and the global church. (A period of silent intercession is observed.)

Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer

Gracious and Holy God, we thank you for your Word, which gives us light and wisdom in confusing times. We pray for all who are being led astray by voices that scratch "itching ears." We pray for those who feel lost and untaught. Discipline us with your love, correct us with your truth, and train us in righteousness. We lift up the needs of the sick, the grieving, and the anxious in our community. We seek the delight of your presence, and we trust your instruction to keep our feet from evil. We pray all this in the name of Christ, who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily breaad.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Offering

The Word calls us to be rich in good works and generous in spirit. Our offering is our concrete act of holding fast to God's instruction to love our neighbor and build the kingdom. Will the ushers please come forward?

Doxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him, all creatures here below;

Praise him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Let us pray. Holy God, accept these offerings as a visible sign of our obedience to your Word. Use them for the teaching, reproof, correction, and training of your people, that your light may shine brightly through Ashtabula First UMC. Amen.

IV. Sending Forth

The Word we meditate on makes us wiser than our teachers and stronger than our enemies. Let us stand now, and sing a strong declaration of our faith in God's wisdom, and prepare to go and live the Word this week. "Wonderful Words of Life" (UMH 600)

Closing Hymn "Wonderful Words of Life" (UMH 600)

Pastor: The Word we meditate on teaches us to walk in the way of Christ. Let us sing our commitment to that disciplined life, and prepare to go and live the Word this week.

Benediction

Go now, and hold fast to the Word you have received. May you find God's instruction sweeter than honey to your mouth and a lamp to your feet. Do the work of the evangelist, endure suffering, and carry out your ministry fully, by the power of Christ. And may the blessing of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forevermore. Amen.

Postlude