sunday february 22, 2026

Fruitland United Methodist Church
February 22, 2026

*(Please stand if you are comfortably able.)

Prelude: “Finlandia” by Jean Sibelius

Welcoming the Light of Christ and inviting the neighborhood to worship.
Welcome and Announcements Holly K. & Jorge R.

*Call to Worship Holly K.
Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven.
Blessed are those whose sin the Lord does not count against them.
When we kept silent, our bones wasted away.
But when we confessed, God forgave us.
In the wilderness, Christ was tempted yet remained faithful.
In our weakness, God is our strength.
Let us worship the Lord, our refuge and our Redeemer.
*Sharing the Peace of Christ.

*Opening Hymn: “You Are My Hiding Place” TFWS 2055

Scripture: Psalm 32 UMH 766 (Read responsively) Holly K.

Time With Young Christians Pastor Jorge
Please write prayer concerns and celebrations on yellow notes, to be collected.

Community Expressions Jorge & Holly K.
     Sing: “Holy, Holy, Holy” TFWS 2007
     Thanksgiving and Celebration
     Prayers for Healing and Wholeness
     Our Community and World
     Let Us Pray
     The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name . . .”

*Hymn: Amazing Grace! How Sweet The Sound UMC #378

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:12-19 Holly K.
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Invitation to Generosity Rev Jorge R
     Offertory: “It’s Me, It’s Me O Lord” African-American spiritual
     *Doxology: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow . . .” UMH 95
Dedication Prayer: All we have is gift. All we give is gratitude.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 4:1-11 Holly K.

*Hymn: “Lord, I Lift Your Name On High” TFWS 2088

Sermon: “When the Soul Is Silent.... And When the Devil Whispers” Rev. Jorge R.
Psalm 32 | Matthew 4:1–11

There is a kind of silence that makes the soul sick.
The psalmist writes, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away.”
This is not the silence of peace.
It is the silence of hidden guilt.
The silence of pretending.
The silence of carrying something too heavy for the heart.
Many of us know that silence. We smile on the outside, but inside something aches.

Psalm 32 reminds us that freedom begins with honesty.
When David confessed, he discovered grace: “You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Confession is not humiliation. It is liberation.

Matthew 4 takes us into another kind of silence — the wilderness.
Jesus is alone. Hungry. Weak. And in that quiet place, a voice whispers:
“If you are the Son of God...”

Temptation always questions identity.
It whispers doubt before it offers shortcuts. Turn stones into bread. Prove
yourself.
Take power the easy way. Bread. Prestige. Power.

Jesus refuses to negotiate who He is.
He answers with trust in God’s Word.

In the wilderness, Jesus chooses faithfulness.

Here is the good news for us:
Most of us live somewhere between Psalm 32 and Matthew 4.
Sometimes we resist. Sometimes we fall.

But grace meets us in both places.
When we are tempted, God strengthens us. When we fail, God forgives us.
Temptation says, “Hide.” The Spirit says, “Return.”

And the blessing is not for the perfect. It is for the forgiven.
Today we are invited to ask:
Where am I staying silent?
Which voice am I listening to?

The silence of guilt drains the soul. Confession restores it.

The whisper of temptation divides the heart.
The Word of God anchors it.
We are not defined by our temptation.
We are not defined by our failure.
We are defined by grace.
Rejoice in the Lord. There is forgiveness. There is strength. There is hope. Amen.

*Prayer of Confession:
Merciful God,
When we remain silent about our sin, our hearts grow heavy.
Forgive us when we hide. Forgive us when we justify.
Forgive us when we doubt who we are in You.
In moments of temptation, we do not always stand firm.
Restore us through Your mercy.
Remind us that we are Your children.
Free us through Your grace.
(Silent Prayer)
Words of Assurance Pastor Jorge R.
Hear the good news:
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven.
In Jesus Christ, We are forgiven, restored, and strengthened.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

Closing Hymn: “Grace Alone” TFWS 2162

Benediction: Go into the wilderness knowing you are not alone.
When temptation whispers, remember who you are. When guilt
weighs heavy, remember there is grace. May the God who
forgives, the Christ who strengthens, and the Spirit who sustains
go with you this week. Amen.

Postlude: Lord, Dismiss us with Thy Blessing by John Fawcett

                                 Pastor Jorge Rodriguez [email protected]