DIY Sunday service Kit 19/06/2022 - Loving one another ... a burden or a breeze?

Hi guys

This week our Bible exposition tackles the duty laid on believers to love one another. It can of course be an absolute joy. It can also be slightly ,,, less so! But the responsibility (or whatever we're going to call it) is laid on us to love those who for one reason or another we don't find easy to love ... and THAT's where it gets really exciting!

1 John 5:1-5 can really help.

But first ...

Let's pray

Lord and Father we thank you for every local church u and down our land that meets today to seek you and to give physical shape and form to the work you are doing by your Holy Spirit to draw people from every language, tribe, people and nation to unite under the headship of Christ in this world and to prepare for the meeting of all your people before the great white throne in Heaven on that coming Day.

Be present also with us today by your all-prevailing Spirit and lead us into the paths you have prepared for us this day.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

AMEN.

Here's a fine lock-down song of prayer for the Church from the Irish band Rend Collective:

Prayer pointers

• Radio ministry in Ukraine

FEBC is the most influential Christian radio stations ministry in Eurasia. 

It broadcasts in Ukraine on FM radio and through social media and also has a powerful reach in Russia, Moldova, Belarus. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and other neighboring countries.

They:

- Broadcast the Good News amidst tragedy on 6 FM stations in Ukraine.

- Reach hundreds of thousands through social media broadcasts.

- Counsel hundreds of callers through their Gospel counselling centre.

- And seem to lead dozens to Christ every day - through various media tools, through phone and online counseling, and in one-on-one conversations.

They ask that we pray for Irina Nesterenko, who is helping to expand FEBC-Ukraine’s prayer helpline to include online counseling, allowing people to write in with prayer needs.

Irina is an FEBC-Ukraine broadcaster and trauma specialist who counsels soldiers and civilians who have been affected by war. She regularly joins Evgeny Goltsov on his program “Wounded by the War,” and has held several seminars in eastern Ukraine for women affected by the war.

• The safety of her family, loved-ones, and friends. Many of them are fighting in the war and Irina is well-known so is clearly a potential target.

• Wisdom on when to move back to Ukraine, and where. Early in the war, Irina’s apartment building was bombed while she was away from home. Another bomb blew up outside of her sister’s home, where she was staying, making it unlivable.

• God's guidance on the many other big decisions in her life.

• The hiring of additional counselors; the needs are great.

• The training of counselors in evangelistic counseling; many people are turning to the Lord when they call in to the prayer helpline.

• The development of online counseling. “I’m on a full train right now,” wrote one listener, hoping someone could counsel him online. Many Ukrainians have had to flee their homes and don’t have the opportunity to speak on the phone privately.

• "Please pray for an end to the war," said Irina. "And for God's help as we counsel hurting people and share the hope of Christ with them."

• Hard to reach places

The 100-fold organisation is a Christian mission that equips other agencies in trying

to reach the hardest to reach places on earth.

Burkina Faso I West Africa, for example, is a hard to reach place

but has14 million people own at least one mobile phone.

100-fold  have very clever volunteers who give Bibles and Bible training materials to people who have no internet access at all, mostly in developing countries. They do this by squeezing masses of material onto microSD Cards that fit inside a phone.

The person with the phone does not even need the internet, but gains access to the Word of God and other helpful materials that when the Holy Spirit is at work can become the means of life to the people who have these tiny micro-SD cards in their phones.

Let's pray today that people way beyond the reach of the Gospel carried by conventional means will be brought to Christ by these little 'Mustard Seed' micro-SD cards in the hardest to reach places in the world ... places so closed to the Gospel and so hostile to the Christian faith that 100-fold is very restricted in what they can tell us about where their recordings get used.

• The UK

There has been a lot of concern in the UK recently about standards in public life. Let's pray that the Lord will have mercy on our land, that those in authority would be blessed with a Biblical understanding of government and authority and that our leaders would know the joy of new life in Christ.

There has also been concern about the new policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda and Evangelical leaders have been speaking out openly ... Krish Kandiah (for example) had a challenging article published in The Time newspaper on Saturday. Let's pray that good and not greater evil will come from Bible-believing contributions to the public debate.

In Wales there is great concern about the pressure on the National Health Service at all levels, with access to an ambulance, to Hospitals and to GPs and dentist all causing concern.

Let's pray for our Health Service and it's often tired and demoralised staff.

And finally let's pray for the Gospel to go out clearly in the land of Wales, for the Spirit of God to empower the spoken and proclaimed Word of God and for souls to be saved wonderfully across our land.

We pray not in our merits but in Jesus' Name.

AMEN.

Our Scripture reading is Titus 3:1-11 (click the link 👇) 

Our Bible exposition is on 1 John 5:1-5

The video from the studio recording of the sermon is here 👇

Our closing song is a gentle meditation on how we can respond to God's love for us ... it's long. I just sat back and played it through listening and thinking, to be honest. I thought it was worthwhile.

Let's pray

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement 

give us the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 

so that with one mind 

and one voice 

we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

For His Glory's sake.

Amen.

If you would like to join us in worshipping the Lord in giving, please feel free to do so by clicking the Stewardship link below.

If you would like a free copy of the summer book 'Incomparable', or some copies to give away to friends and neighbours, please let us know. We have delivered some ... others are still waiting (sorry - we see you and we're coming!)

God bless your week.

Simon.