Little Falls United Methodist Church

 

Sunday Worship Service

 

August 16, 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, August 16, 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.

 

• Altar Flowers – Thank you, Linda Timms, for providing the Altar Flowers in Honor of Linda’s father’s Birthday! If you would like to offer the altar flowers, please contact Janet (973) 896-8936 or ladyteddy@aol.com. 

 

• Fellowship Time after Worship – 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.

 

• Walk by Faith – Thanks for joining us Yesterday! Join us next time! The date and time will be announced. It will be postponed if the weather does not cooperate. Please join us and let us share the Good News with others and invite them to the church for a faith journey.

 

• 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.

 

• Emergency Pastoral Care – Pastor Jin will go on vacation from August 19-26, 2026. Please contact Beth Billig (862-686-3087, verybusybeth@aol.com), if you need an emergency pastoral care. Beth will contact the pastor for you.

 

† Passing The Peace

 

†Call to Worship

Leader: Come, let us gather in the presence of the Lord, who calls us by name and gives us a vision for His kingdom.

People: We come with our hopes, our dreams, and our heavy burdens. 

Leader: In the bright moments of joy, God is with us. And in the deep, dark pits of life, God is still actively working. 

People: Even when we cannot see the way, God’s invisible hand is guiding our steps. 

Leader: Let us not be overcome by the stumbling blocks of this world, but trust in the One who weaves our trials into testimonies. 

People: We rest in His unseen timing and trust His unfailing grace.

All: Come, let us worship the Lord together!

 

†Praise Song           This Is the Day                         UMH 657 

 

This is the day, this is the day 
that the Lord has made, 
that the Lord has made;
we will rejoice, 
we will rejoice and be glad in it,
and be glad in it.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, 
this is the day that the Lord has made.

 

Children’s Time                                                                                by Ken Griffin

 

Hymn of Prayer                       ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus           UMH 462 

 

1 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, 

and to take him at his word; 

just to rest upon his promise, 

and to know, "Thus saith the Lord." 

 

[Refrain] 

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! 

How I've proved him o'er and o'er! 

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! 

O for grace to trust him more! 

 

2 O how sweet to trust in Jesus, 

just to trust his cleansing blood; 

and in simple faith to plunge me 

neath the healing, cleansing flood! [Refrain] 

 

3 Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, 

just from sin and self to cease; 

just from Jesus simply taking 

life and rest, and joy and peace. [Refrain] 

 

4. I’m so glad I learned to trust thee, 

precious Jesus, Savior, friend; 

and I know that thou art with me, 

wilt be with me to the end. [Refrain]

 

Pausing for Silent Prayer and Confession

 

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

Gracious and loving God, we thank You for being with us in every season of our lives. We rejoice in Your blessings, in the people who love and support us, and in the ways You continue to guide us each day. We also bring before You those who are facing difficulties, uncertainty, illness, grief, loneliness, or struggles that feel like a deep pit. Give them strength and hope, and remind them that they are never alone. Help us to trust Your providence even when we cannot see what You are doing. Teach us not to respond to hurt with hurt, but to overcome evil with goodness, justice, and love. Guide our church family to be a source of encouragement and grace to those who need it. We place our joys, concerns, and our whole lives into Your loving hands, trusting that You are still working among us. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, 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 37:12-28

12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” He answered, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron.

 

He came to Shechem, 15 and a man found him wandering in the fields; the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said; “tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 The man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them they conspired to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the ornamented robe that he wore, 24 and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

 

25 Then they sat down to eat, and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and resin, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers agreed. 28 When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

 

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

 

†Gospel Lesson                                 John 5:9b-17

Now that day was a Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.”

 

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

All: Thanks be to God.

 

Message                    God Is Still Working                      Rev.  Jin Kook Kim

 

Good morning, Church family! I hope you had a blessed week in God’s love and grace last week as God loves us and cares for us in our daily lives.

 

Last Sunday, we considered Joseph’s first story that God gave him God’s vision for him through dreams that alluded to his future. He was not the perfect person to receive it because he was an immature person. God included him as a part of God’ big plan, committing Himself to guide him with God’s love, grace, and patience. As he did, God also chose us for God’s ministry for God’s kingdom, although we are not the perfect person. Let us give thanks to God as God gives us God’s vision for us and calls us to God’s ministry and promises us God’s guidance.

 

Today we consider the second story of Joseph. He was excited for the dreams that God gave him, but his joy for the dreams didn’t last. The dreams made his brothers get more angry toward Joseph, and there was no peace between Joseph and his brother. One day, his father wanted Joseph to come to his brothers who were pasturing the flock in Shechem. Shechem was a dangerous place for Joseph’s family because there was a big fight between Joseph’s family and the people of Shechem because Joseph’s sister, Dinah, was shamed in Shechem. Jacob worried about his sons and wanted to check that they were okay, so he sent Joseph to them.

 

However, it caused tragedy to Joseph and himself. As we know, his brothers hated Joseph for his father’s favoritism and Joseph’s dreams. When Joseph came to them, his brothers wanted to kill him.

 

“They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”  (Genesis 37:19-20)

 

When Reuben, the oldest one, heard of them, he wanted to save him. Considering his brother’s anger toward Joseph, he suggested that they threw Joseph into a pit rather than kill him. He thought he could send him to his father later. They threw him into the pit for now. Later, when a caravan of foreign traders was passing by, Reuben was not with his brothers, and Judah suggested that his brothers sell Joseph to the traders rather than kill him. His brothers agreed with him, so they sold him to the traders.

 

Church family, the first one that I want us to learn from this story is this: “Don’t practice evil at any time.” We would understand Joseph’s brothers’ feelings toward Joseph. It would be anger and envy. And those emotions made them practice evil against Joseph, their brother. However, they should not have thought of killing him, or selling him to the traders, or throwing him into a pit. That is crossing a line. That is evil and sin before God. It shouldn’t happen because they were family.

 

Moreover, by doing that, they were against God’s will. First, do you remember what they said when they wanted to kill him? They said, “A wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” God chose Joseph and gave him God’s vision. By being against Joseph and practicing evil against him, they were against God’s will.

 

Second, no one can be justified for hurting others in any way. All people are God’s precious children, and no one has the right to hurt others. Hurting others is evil. We are often tempted to practice evil to control a situation. However, God wants us not to practice evil anytime, but practice goodness and justice. Church family, whenever you are tempted, let us remember God’s words, “Don’t be overcome by evil but overcome evil with goodness.” Let us not trespass the line that God sets for us.

 

Yet even in the middle of their sin, God did not stop working. This brings us to the second truth I want us to see today. As we see Joseph’s story, his life didn’t go well, although he received God’s vision for him. Rather than a bright and glorious way, he had to go on a hard way. His brothers became the stumbling blocks; even they wanted to take his life. They threw Joseph into a pit. The Hebrew word of a ‘pit’ symbolizes death and hell. Especially the pit without water meant Joseph couldn’t come out by himself at all. That means his life was done, and there was no hope at all. However, God was with him and worked for him even in the situation, although we cannot see the word, God, in the passage. Think about Reuben, the oldest one. He would be the person who got mad at Joseph the most because Joseph took his rights. According to their culture and custom, Reuben, as the first son, should be loved by the father the most, and he should be treated as the heir of the family, and he should be the person who wears the ornamented robe given by his father. Reuben could think that Joseph took all his. However, rather than harming Joseph, Reuben saved him by putting him in the pit. How can you explain that? There is no explanation other than God led Reuben’s heart to save Joseph.

 

Look at Judah; he was one of Joseph’s older brothers who didn’t have a peaceable relationship with Joseph. We don’t know his intention behind his suggestion of selling Joseph to the traders. It could be that he wanted not to trespass the line but saved Joseph. Or it could be his intention to find better benefit for him and his brothers by having money from the traders. Regardless of his intention, his suggestion saved Joseph’s life from the anger of other brothers. How can you explain that? I believe it was God’s work through Judah.

 

God was with Joseph and saved him from his brothers, although the brothers challenged God through treating Joseph wrongly. That was not the only event; when Joseph went to Shechem, he couldn’t find his brothers because they had moved to Dothan. When Joseph didn’t know where to go, a stranger let him know where they were. It was wilderness, and it was a dangerous place for Joseph’s family. Do you think it is coincidental? I don’t think so. I believe it was God’s guidance to Joseph. Church family, as God chose Joseph as a part of his big plan, God gave him not only God’s vision but also God was with him and guided him, and saved him.

 

We could feel like we are in a pit although we have God’s vision. We sometimes feel like we are not supported by people or within the community, even sometimes we feel like our vision is stopped by close people, our group, or community. Have you ever had any experience? You make a great plan for vacation, but your family doesn’t like it. You have a good idea, but your boss and team don’t think it is realistic. You believe that a ministry is very important, but you don’t get support. How about your life journey? You dream something for your life and you have worked hard for it, but you are stuck by a stumbling block. Church family, even in those times, God is with you and working for you for God’s vision. As God worked when Joseph was in the pit, God guides you and saves you from the situation and danger in your faith journey.

 

Reading this story of Joseph, I was thinking why God didn’t show him a great salvation such as sending angels to lift him high. Or Jacob suddenly comes and sees all things and makes them straight. In the story, Joseph was hanging in there. The salvation seems not perfect. He was thrown into a pit, and he was sold to the traders although he was saved from death. His life was not glorious or normal. Isn’t it close to our reality? We often pray for a dramatic miracle, like an angel pulling us out of our struggles or our problems disappearing overnight. But God’s providence usually works in the messy, ordinary, and even painful realities of our lives. Sometimes God changes the situation. Sometimes God changes people. Sometimes God gives us strength to endure. And sometimes God quietly opens a way that we could not see before. We may not recognize God’s work in the moment, but that does not mean God is absent. God is still working. God didn’t magically transport Joseph back to his father’s house because God was using this very pit, and even this caravan of traders, to lead Joseph to Egypt. God was not just saving Joseph's physical life; God was shaping his character and preparing him for God’s vision for him and the world. Sometimes, God’s salvation doesn't look like an immediate escape, but a faithful presence that walks with us through the dark valley.

 

Church family, how should we respond when we find ourselves in our own 'pits'—when our dreams seem shattered, when we face unfair treatment, or when God seems silent? First, do not lose hope. The pit is not the end of your story. God is still writing your story. Second, look for God's invisible hand in ordinary moments. Just like the stranger who guided Joseph, or the unexpected turn of events through Reuben and Judah, God often sends help and guidance through ordinary people and mundane circumstances. Finally, trust in God’s unseen timing. Even when you cannot see God working, God is weaving your struggles, your pain, and even the wrongdoings of others into a beautiful tapestry of God’s grace. You are still, and always will be, in God's guiding hands.

 

As we step into a new week, I encourage you to hold onto this truth: God is working in our lives, especially when we are in the pit. God never abandons the one God has called. When we face unfairness or stumbling blocks, let us not practice evil, but instead, let us respond with faith, knowing that God is actively turning our trials into testimonies. May you experience the deep comfort of God’s invisible presence guiding your steps, protecting your life, and faithfully fulfilling God’s vision in you. 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: Gracious Provider, we thank You for Your constant faithfulness and the unseen ways You supply our every need. Just as You work through ordinary moments to bring about Your great purposes, we ask that You would take these ordinary gifts and use them for Your kingdom. Multiply our tithes and offerings so they might be Your invisible hand of grace to those facing difficult times, providing tangible hope, care, and provision for the children and families in our local community. May our giving be a reflection of Your goodness, overcoming the challenges of this world with Your love. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

 

Called to the World

 

†Closing Hymn                        Great Is Thy Faithfulness                      UMH 140 

 

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. 

 

[Refrain] 

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! 

 

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. [Refrain] 

 

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! [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.