When God's people get passed over (and others get all the credit) - Esther 2:19-3:6

 Welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit for November 13th. 2022 ... Remembrance Sunday.

We no doubt all have a fairly established view about Remembrance Sunday, what to remember, how to mark the day ... even who we want to share it with.

And it is surely only right that we should spend time being thankful for those who have sacrificed to secure our freedoms.

But as we give thanks for the Kingdom we live in, the Christian's loyalties can quite often feel divided ...

Let's start this week with the Word for the Week video on this theme, to enhance this day as fully as we can.

Let's sing

Let's pray

Today we give thanks for those who serve us in our Armed forces and pray for their security, wherever duty takes them around the world.

We give thanks too for the security that our country currently knows. 

We pray for those service personnel who are currently away from home, with all the pressures that puts on friendships and family life.

We pray for those of our special forces who go into isolated and dangerous situations, for those in logistics and communications who are often put in the position of being 'soft targets' in asymmetric warfare situations overseas, and for those who serve by land, air and sea in mainline service roles.

We pray also for those who work for our intelligence agencies, those who serve at specialist installations and in the field, risking their lives and bearing the responsibility for protecting our state, our institutions and our interests at home and abroad.

And we pray in particular today for those for whom the remembrances of times and experiences brought to the surface today are particularly traumatic and painful. We pray for those who carry the scars of mental and physical injury. We pray for those who, across time, have fought to rehabilitate themselves to ordinary and useful life, and to involvement once more in society.

We pray for those who have been bereaved, for parents, for wives and girlfriends and for children. 

And as we do so we remember also those who have valiantly and faithfully put their lives on the line for the Kingdom of God, whether their names are known or unknown to us, at home and overseas, laying down their lives in the service of the King of Kings.

Lord inspire in us a proper sense of allegiance and of duty towards all to whom we owe it, and fix our eyes on the goal of our lives and the One Who leads us and calls us on towards it.

We ask for Jesus' sake, and for His Glory.

AMEN.

Let's prepare our hearts to read Scripture

Our Bible ministry today is based in the passage we're about to read ...

Where are we going with that passage?

Here's a quick 45-second soundbite 'taster' to see you interested!

Our Psalm today is led for us by Sovereign Grace Music

The sermon studiocam is here:

This seems like an appropriate hymn to follow up with ...

Let's pray

Sovereign Lord we commit ourselves for another week into your hand and ask you to lead us forward, setting us apart in your service.

Make us useful as soldiers of Christ and ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

Help us to protect and to herald to our people the truth and authenticity of your Word, and its message of salvation by grace.

And help us to warm hearts and to encourage many this week towards the joy of the salvation we share.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

AMEN.

Thank you for being with us here this Remembrance Sunday.

"May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance"!

If you feel ready to join us in worshipping the Lord by giving to support His work through y GRWP, please click on the Stewardship giving link below 👇

Have a great week!