Some weeks are more challenging than others, aren't they?
It's certainly been a challenging one here!
But when it feels as if the Lord is very present with us, that can make all the difference when the going gets tough.
The thing is ... it doesn't always feel as if He is there with us. What then?
The Book of Esther has a fair bit to say to us on that, this book of the Bible where God isn't even mentioned.
And Esther is where we're going for the next few weeks.
Welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit where our sung worship today is led by City Alight
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
You need to persevere so that
when you have done the will of God,
you will receive what he has promised."
Hebrews 10:35-36
Here's the word for the Week video
Our Psalm today is Psalm 42 ...
We pray today for ...
Tom
... who is heading back to Australia in the second week of October to make a new home back there near his family.
Tom's health has been a matter of concern for a number of years. Let's pray that the Lord takes him safely back to Australia travelling with a very good long-standing friend Bill, who is coming over to take Tom back there with him. It's a long flight and Tom has a history of heart trouble so please let's pray for a safe trip and for a happy reunion with his family back there.
Let's pray Tom can settle rapidly into a good, warm, loving fellowship of believers where there is sound and soul-nourishing Bible teaching and where brothers and sisters in Christ will love, encourage and pray for him.
And let's give thanks for God's dealings with Tom, and through him amongst us, in the years he's been here with us. He's been a great strength and encouragement to many of us as we've grown in grace together.
The Harris family
We've had a lot to do with this hard-working farming family on the outskirts of Llandeilo for many years. There are six children from nearly thirty years old down to the mid-teens.
Their house burned down a few years ago ... mercifully all of them got out.
Then the father was injured in an incident at Carmarthen mart when a large bullock turned back on him and beat him up badly.
Last Friday while getting cattle ready to read their TB test, this father (Maldwyn Harris) was attacked and killed by the bull.
And then they lost twenty cattle that tested positive in the delayed TB test.
The family is naturally quite traumatised: some of them asking deep spiritual questions, others just dazed, angry and hurt ... all very natural ... but we are trying to support them and they are talking with us so please let's pray for them today?
There is a Health and Safety Executive inquiry, a coroner's court and the TB test reactors to be sorted out on top of the family's natural grieving.
The Urdd Eisteddfod in Llandovery
The Welsh National Youth Eisteddfod is due to take place in Llandovery next year. The celebrations started on Saturday with a procession through the town and the opportunity for outreach we have there in partnership with Memorial Chapel will be supported by a bi-lingual team of young people from the Evangelical Movement of Wales.
The time to be praying about the preparations, permissions and planning is clearly NOW!
Let's make the a matter for regular prayer?
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Simon is due to be preaching morning and evening at two churches in Mostar on October 2nd., having flown out the day before.
There's a week of meeting missionaries seeking to encourage and help them, farmers out in the villages and people from government agriculture organisations lying ahead there ... and time with family where there's been a significant bereavement recently.
Please pray for safe and trouble free travels, usefulness to God's cause out there in some fairly needy places and for good time with Ben and Ena who we haven't seen since COVID. Also with the extended family there who are grieving.
(And possibly that any side effects of the COVID jab scheduled for Simon for Sunday will have worn off by the time he has to start travelling! This could be a big ask ...)
And please pray for Helen and Caleb who will be holding the fort at home and looking after the farm. They are both quite tired and could do with everything going very smoothly.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayers, may they prevail in your presence by the blood of your holy Lamb, Jesus. So we pray in Jesus Name.
AMEN.
We're going to sing again with City Alight ...
Click on the preacher (below) for the sermon recording
Here's the sermon studiocam
Now let's respond to the message with singing ...
If you would like to continue worship with giving, please click on the Stewardship graphic below.
If there's anything you'd like prayer for, please email HoWChaplain@gmail.com or message Simon on 07749 644958 (this is linked to WhatsApp too).
Finally, let's pray the well-known words of Jude vv. 24-25 for one another:
"To him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy
— to the only God our Savior
be glory, majesty, power and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages,
now and forevermore!
Amen."
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