Little Falls United Methodist Church

 

Sunday Worship Service

 

September 6, 2026 - 10 am

 

 

 

139 Main Street, Little Falls, NJ 07424

Office Phone: (973) 256-0993

Website: www.LittleFallsUMC.org

Email: Info@LittleFallsUMC.org

 

We are “A Welcoming Community of Faith, Hope,

Mission and Outreach Sharing Christ’s Love”

Our Mission is “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World”

 

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,

to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,

which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)

 

 

Called to Praise

 

⭻Prepare your heart and body for Worship

 

Greeting & Announcements
 

• We have ‘In-Person’ & ‘Online Worship’ on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at 10am.

 

• You can join our Online Worship via YouTube or Facebook. Type “Little Falls United Methodist Church” in the search window on YouTube or Facebook. Please use the link below to join in Online Worship. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lfumc

 

• Prayer Concerns & Joys – If you would like to share your concerns and joys with the congregation, please email Pastor Jin (jkim@littlefallsumc.org) or complete the online form, www.littlefallsumc.org/prayer.

 

• We have Sunday Worship in the Fellowship Hall during Summer.

 

• We have Sunday Worship in the Sanctuary starting September 13, 2026

 

• We will observe the Holy Communion on Sunday September 6, 2026

 

• Altar Flowers – Thank you, Renee Niccollai, for providing the Altar Flowers! If you would like to offer the altar flowers, please contact Janet (973) 896-8936 or ladyteddy@aol.com. 

 

• Fellowship Time after Worship – Thank you, The Dewes Family, for hosting the Coffee Hour! Let us enjoy a good fellowship time every Sunday after Worship. Please help us with hosting the coffee hour. The Sign-up board is on the table in the Narthex. Please contact Cheryle or Kathy F. if you have any questions about the coffee hour.

 

• 2026-27 Sunday School – Sunday School begins Sunday, September 13, 2026.

 

• Pancake breakfast for the families with children – Sunday School host a pancake breakfast for all families with children at 9am on September 13, 2025! Please join the Pancake breakfast!

 

• Prepackaged Snack Drive – UMW is collecting prepacked snacks (ex. chips, cookies, crackers, applesauce, etc.) for the Oasis aftercare program during September. Oasis doesn’t accept granola bars. The last day of the drive is September 27th, 2026.

 

• Church Yard Sale – We will hold Church Yard Sale on Friday, October 9th, from 12pm to 6pm and Saturday, October 10th from 9am to 3 pm. The detailed will be announced. Please contact Melissa or Allison for any questions or details.

 

• Treasured Memories – The next meeting will be held in the fall. The date will be announced. “Treasured Memories” is a grief group for those who have lost their loved ones. The ongoing meeting gathers every 2nd Wednesday of the month in Lee Lounge at 7 pm. Contact Allison for details (973) 800-4152.

 

• Online Donation – Online donation is available now. Please visit the church website and click ‘Donation.’ The link is https://www.littlefallsumc.org/donation.  Your financial support and generosity are greatly appreciated and essential for our church ministry and mission. Please consider sending your tithes and offerings to Little Falls UMC (139 Main St. Little Falls, NJ 07424). You can send your offerings and tithes to the church every week. Or you can send offerings and tithes for a month with a check. Thanks again for your generosity!

 

• Shoprite Gift Card – To purchase a Shoprite gift card, contact Pete (973) 595-5765 or detroit50@aol.com.

 

• LFUMC FOOD PANTRY ITEMS NEEDED - Many families depend on the Food Pantry on a regular basis. The Pantry needs the following non-perishable items; canned vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, adult/children’s cereal, pasta & sauce, instant potatoes/rice, tuna, chicken, sardines, fruit, apple sauce, juice, and granola bars.

 

• SOCKS FOR SOULS - Do your feet get cold? Please help Unity Circle to provide new or gently used socks to the homeless. There is a constant need. Please drop off your socks in the large white sock in the Narthex. 

 

• Ongoing Collection - UMW collects postmarked stamp and can pull tabs. Items are donated to different charities and organizations.

 

• 2026 Charge Conference – We will have the 2026 Charge Conference at 9 am on Sunday, September 20, 2026. We celebrate our ministries and think about the ministry the following year. Each committee will give us its reports. District Superintendent Rev. Williams will preside the conference. All are welcome to the charge conference for voice and participation. Please note that Church Council Members have the right to vote.

 

• Worship with D.S. Rev. William Williams on September 20, 2026 – We will have Sunday Worship with D.S. Rev. William Williams on Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 10 a.m. after the 2026 Charge Conference. D.S. Rev. Williams will preach at Sunday Worship. Please join us in Sunday Worship! Let us praise and worship God together!

 

† Passing The Peace

 

†Call to Worship

Leader: We gather today in the presence of the Lord, the God who sees us in every moment of our lives. 

People: We live our lives before the face of God—not just in the light, but in the quiet and secret places. 

Leader: The world tempts us daily to compromise, to take the easy path, and to forget who we belong to. 

People: But we are called to be faithful. We are called to do what is right, even when no one else is watching. 

Leader: We know the hard reality: sometimes, choosing integrity and righteousness brings misunderstanding, hardship, or loss. 

People: Yet we hold on to the words of Jesus: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

Leader: Let us worship the Lord who never leaves us in our trials! 

All: Give us the courage, O God, to remain faithful and to always choose Your kingdom. Let us worship God together!

 

†Praise Song           My Life Is In You          TFWS 2032 

 

My life is in You Lord
My strength is in You Lord
My hope is in You Lord
In You it's in You
 

My life is in You Lord
My strength is in You Lord
My hope is in You Lord
In You it's in You

 

I will praise You
With all of my life
I will praise You
With all of my strength
With all of my life
With all of my strength
All of my hope is in You

 

Children’s Time    

 

Hymn of Prayer              Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying              TFWS 2193

 

Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
send us love, send us power, send us grace. 

 

Pausing for Silent Prayer and Confession

 

Prayers of the People (Response: God, in Your Mercy, hear our prayers.)

Gracious and holy God, who sees us in every moment and walks with us through every season, we come before You today lifting up the joys and concerns of our church family. We praise You for the excitement of this fall season, thanking You for the students who are boldly transitioning into new academic programs, returning to their band practices, and stepping out onto the sports fields, as well as the generous spirit of this congregation that help people in need. Yet, Lord, we also bring before You the heavy burdens of our community, knowing that many are facing the harsh reality of doing what is right but suffering for it, experiencing unfair treatment at work, wrestling with quiet daily temptations, or walking through painful trials that feel like an unjust prison. Give comfort to the sick, the grieving, and the weary, and grant us all the courage to live before Your face so that we might faithfully choose integrity over compromise, trusting in Jesus' promise that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who stand firm in righteousness, in whose holy name we pray, Amen.

 

The Lord’s Prayer

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 bread. 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.

 

Called to the Word

Prayer for Illumination 

 

Leader: Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. 

All: Amen

 

OT Lessons                                          Genesis 39:6-21

6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and with him there he had no concern for anything but the food that he ate. Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. 7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10 And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or to be with her. 11 One day, however, when he went into the house to do his work, and while no one else was in the house, 12 she caught hold of his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and ran outside. 13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 she called out to the members of her household and said to them, “See, my husband[a] has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice, 15 and when he heard me raise my voice and cry out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” 16 Then she kept his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to insult me, 18 but as soon as I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

19 When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, “This is the way your servant treated me,” he became enraged. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.

 

This ends the Old Testament Lesson. 
Let us turn to the Gospel Lesson. Please stand, if able.

 

†Gospel Lesson                                 Matthew 5:10–12

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

This is the word of God for the people of God. 

All: Thanks be to God.

 

Message                             Coram Deo                                Rev. Jin Kook Kim

 

Good morning, Church family! I hope you had a blessed week in God’s love and grace last week. God is with you and God cares for you all the time. I hope all of us experience God’s love and care every day even when we face difficulties in our lives, and that is true prosperity as we considered last Sunday. Joseph became a servant in a foreign country, Egypt. And later, he became a prisoner. However, God made him prosperous by God’s presence and help. Joseph got through the situation in God’s presence and help. This is true prosperity. Church family, I am experiencing this God’s grace these days. Due to the loss of our home, every day is challenging, but God gives me strength, peace, and help directly and through people so my family is getting through this situation, handling one by one. I believe that God gives you the same grace, true prosperity to get through everything for God’s vision and will for you and the church. Together, let’s walk with God and get through all situations.

 

Joseph became a chief servant in the house of Potiphar, who was an officer of the King and the captain of the guard, because Potiphar saw that God was with Joseph and made all that he did prosper. That was the blessing to Potiphar and his house. However, the crisis came to Joseph. He faced a temptation. He was handsome and good-looking, and the master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and asked him to lie with her. It was not a one-time event. The temptation came to him daily as she spoke to Joseph day after day. Life is not easy. There is always something. Right?

 

Church family, we face temptation to do the wrong thing in our lives. What was the biggest temptation to do the wrong thing in your life? What is temptation to do the wrong thing in your daily life?  At work, it can be to cut corners on a project when you know the boss isn't checking, or to take credit for a coworker's administrative effort to make yourself look better. At home, it can be to lose your temper and lash out at your family. In a group or a community, it can be to join gossip or complain about people behind their back just to fit in with the crowd. Just like with Joseph, it often happens when we think no one is watching, and just like with Potiphar's wife, it doesn't just ask once, it whispers to us day after day. So, how did Joseph handle it?

 

Joseph could lie with her, but he didn’t do that. Rather, he chose to do the right thing, rejecting the temptation. Why? And how could he choose to do the right thing? Let us read this together!

 

“He [Potiphar] is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9)

 

In these words, we can see why he chose to do the right thing. First, he didn’t want to forsake the master’s trust. Look at Joseph’s exact words. He doesn't say, 'There is no one greater here.' He specifically says, 'He—my master—is not greater in this house than I am.' It shows us that because Potiphar had absolute trust in Joseph, even the master himself stepped back and never micromanaged or acted like a dictator over Joseph's duties. Joseph didn’t want to do the wrong thing nor betray his master.

 

Second, he said, “How then could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” This means doing wrong things is to sin against God, and he didn’t want to be against God by practicing wrong things. The master’s wife kept saying to Joseph to lie with her, although he rejected the temptation over and over again. One day, there was no one in the house when Joseph went into the house to work, and the wife strongly wanted to lie with him, so she caught hold of his garment. She knew no one was in the house except Joseph and herself. Joseph knew that too. Do you know what? People easily do bad things when they are alone and when no one watches over them. The master’s wife thought it was the best time to take Joseph because no one was in the house. However, Joseph knew that God saw everything as God watched over him all the time, and that made kept him from doing the wrong thing.

 

Have you ever heard the words, “Coram Deo.” Coram Deo means “Before the face of God.” To live Coram Deo means to live your entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. Joseph showed us the example of living before the face of God in this story.

 

Church family, we want to choose the right thing, not the wrong thing. However, our will for doing right things would be weakened when we think no one is watching over us. However, God sees everything. God sees every moment. We cannot hide anything from God. When we know the truth, we can live Coram Deo. We can live before the face of God. Coram Deo helps us not to sin against God. Living before the face of God leads us to do the right thing. Thus, let us remind ourselves that God sees us always. And let us live before the face of God. That will help us to do the right thing.

 

Joseph’s story does not end here. He chose the right thing, but the result was not good to him at all. He rejected the Master’s wife’s temptation, running outside, leaving his garment in her hands. However, she lied to her husband, and the master put Joseph into prison. We believe doing the right thing should yield a good result. However, when we see reality in the world, doing the right thing sometimes causes a bad result, and we suffer from it.

 

Then, Church family, is it worth doing the right thing if it does not yield a positive result? Yes, it is still worth it because doing the right thing is following God’s will and living true prosperity. As we considered last Sunday, God was with Joseph although he was in prison. It’s entirely different that he was imprisoned because of a false accusation and for committing a crime.

 

In fact, if we look at the laws of the ancient Near East, if a male slave was accused of trying to assault his master’s wife, he would have been executed immediately on the spot. There would be no trial. But look at what happens. The Bible says in verse 19 that Potiphar’s anger burned, but he did not kill Joseph. Instead, he put him in the place 'where the king’s prisoners were confined'—a special prison for political offenders.

 

Why did he do this? Many Old Testament scholars and Jewish rabbis believe that Potiphar likely knew about his wife's unfaithful behavior, and he already knew Joseph’s true character. Because of this, it is highly possible that Potiphar’s anger was not actually directed at Joseph, but at his wife and the humiliating situation that threatened his own reputation. Because he deeply trusted Joseph, he couldn't bring himself to kill him, so he quietly placed him in the political prison instead.

 

And Church family, here is the amazing truth: God turned this unfair situation, even Potiphar's decision, to the opportunity for Joseph to build relationships with the high officials of Egypt. God was working behind the scenes as God’s providence for him.

 

Church family, Joseph’s story shows us a hard reality of our faith: doing the right thing in a broken world might cost you. It might cost you a friendship, a job opportunity, or your reputation. You might find yourself in a 'prison' of misunderstanding, financial hardship, or loneliness, wondering, 'God, why did this happen when I tried to honor You? Did I do something wrong?'

But listen to the powerful promise Jesus gives us for these exact moments. In Matthew 5:10, Jesus says, 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'

 

Notice what Jesus promises. He doesn't say, 'Blessed are you, for you will immediately get a promotion and a comfortable life.' He says, 'Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' When you suffer because you chose to do the right thing before God, the world might call you a fool. The world might say you missed out. But Jesus calls you blessed. He assures us that our quiet acts of integrity, our daily choices to reject temptation, and our willingness to endure unfairness are never wasted. They are building something eternal.

 

So, as we step into this new week, I want to challenge you to live Coram Deo. When you are tired, when you are alone, and when the world whispers, 'No one is watching, just take the easy way out,' remember that the Lord is right there with you. Choose the right thing. Do not compromise.

 

And if choosing the right thing brings an unexpected trial or an unjust result, do not lose heart. Do not give up. God is still working behind the scenes, just as God did for Joseph. Hold on to your faith, trust in God’s unseen providence, and remember that true prosperity is not about avoiding the prison—it is about having the presence of God with you wherever you go. He is faithful, and the kingdom of heaven is yours. Amen.

 

HOLY COMMUNION & GREAT THANKSGIVING 

 

Response 1 : Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. 

  

Response 2 : Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. 

  

Response 3 : Amen 

 

Called to Share

Response to Our Generous God 

 

 †Doxology                  Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow             UMH 95

 

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

 

†Prayer of Dedication

 

All: Lord God, we thank You for Your endless grace and for the ultimate gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. As we bring our tithes and offerings to You today, we offer not just our resources, but our very lives. Help us to live faithfully before Your eyes in all that we do. When the world tempts us to compromise or to seek our own comfort, use these gifts—and our daily choices—to build Your kingdom of truth and righteousness. Strengthen us to always do what is right, trusting that our true reward is not the applause of this world, but the eternal promise of Your presence. Bless these offerings, that they may be used to share Your light, justice, and love with a world in need. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

 

Called to the World

 

†Closing Hymn               Trust and Obey                                  UMH 467 

 

1. When we walk with the Lord  
in the light of his word,  
what a glory he sheds on our way!  
While we do his good will,  
he abides with us still,  
and with all who will trust and obey. 

 

[Refrain] 
Trust and obey, for there's no other way  
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 

 

2 Not a burden we bear,  
not a sorrow we share,  
but our toil he doth richly repay;  
not a grief or a loss,  
not a frown or a cross,  
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

 

3 But we never can prove  
the delights of his love  
until all on the altar we lay;  
for the favor he shows,  
for the joy he bestows,  
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

 

4 Then in fellowship sweet  
we will sit at his feet,  
or we'll walk by his side in the way;  
what he says we will do,  
where he sends we will go;  
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain] 

 

†Benediction                                                                  Rev. Jin Kook Kim

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.  Amen.