DIY Sunday Service Kit - 26/06/22 - Testing the 'Voices' and matters of 'Legacy'

 

Welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit for June 26th., 2022.

The matter of the sort of legacy we might leave and what it might be worth gets tackled in our six-minute Word For for the Week video this week, and evaluating the messages, voices or 'testimony' that comes our way is the subject of our Bible exposition looking today at 1 John 5:6-12.

Let's get straight down to it with a one-minute taster of the sermon that is coming later ...

Now let's pray ...

Lord and loving Heavenly Father we give you thanks and praise that, because of the life, death and resurrection of the Lord's Jesus we can live with the confidence that our prayers are heard in Heaven, from where you reign over all things.

Would you in your kindness be present with us today wherever we take the time to worship you and to hear ad receive your holy Word, so the we might renew our Christian identity and experience as people of your your presence.

For Jesus' sake, AMEN.

Here's the Word for the Week: 'Legacy'

Prayer Points

• Answered prayer ... FMD

We had a Foot and Mouth disease scare earlier this week, as a farm near Kings Lynn in Norfolk was shut down with symptoms of the disease in their pigs.

This caused widespread alarm in the farming community around here as the last outbreak was really challenging in our area, and we posted a prayer request about this on social media.

We are now able to give thanks to God that the Chief Veterinary Officer subsequently tweeted on Saturday that their urgent testing had ruled out that these symptoms were actually FMD. Let's not lose the opportunity to give thanks for answered prayer!

• Afghanistan

We have prayed fairly often recently for the situation that has arisen in Afghanistan after the withdrawal from the country of US and UK forces.

This week an earthquake hit and ruined mud-built homes in the province of Paktika in the East of Afghanistan. It is widely reported that at least 1,000 people have lost their lives with at least 1,500 injured.  It is a poor area. People have no money and no savings, their grain stores are inside their homes and these have been destroyed by landslides and house-collapse.

There was already an aid effort on-going in Afghanistan but the resources were not meeting the needs before this occurred, the infrastructure of the country collapsed when the Taliban took over and the extent of human suffering seems to be substantial. Disasters Emergency Committee have launched an appeal for Afghanistan but there are other pressing needs ... particularly in Europe ... that also draw on people's generosity and there is reluctance in the international community to do anything that might seem to be supporting the Taliban.

• Let's pray for the material needs in eastern Afghanistan's earthquake zone.

• Let's pray for the food and medical situation across the whole off post-withdrawal Afghanistan.

• And let's pray for persecuted Christians in this Moslem country. 

Under this country's Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, Christians are being made to wait till Spring 2023 to even apply for Refugee status. The Taliban have been hunting door to door for Christians since the withdrawal, and Open Doors says Afghanistan is the most dangerous country to live in as a Christian. This decision from the Home Office has been challenged legally in the UK courts and an application for a judicial review has been granted an initial oral hearing. An oral hearing can do either way, but this is progress. 

• Please pray for greater and more rapid progress to a happy conclusion of this matter, and for Paul Diamond the barrister leading the case.

• COVID in Trecastle

Finally, let's pray for Christian friends in the Trecastle area who appear to have caught COVID at a Christian meeting held there on Thursday nights. 

We pray especially for the recovery of health for our friends Wit and Ash, and also Stuart and Liz, and that the Lord will protect and heal others who were present and caught COVID at that time.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. May our prayers rise effectively into your presence. We ask for Jesus' sake.

AMEN.

The sermon Studiocam is here:

Let's conclude in prayer

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things ...

And the God of peace will be with you."

(Philippians 4:8 & 9)

Fill our hearts and minds we pray, Lord, in the coming week so that our lives might be filled with you.

We pray for Jesus' sake.

AMEN.

Thanks for joining is online and in spirit this week.

If you would like to share this DIY SSK with someone you think might appreciate it, please feel free to do so.

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There won't be a DIY SSK next week as Simon is having some time away from his desk, but in cases of need or emergency please call (or better, text) Simon on 07748 644958 and we will get back to you.

God bless you ... have a great week!

Simon.