DIY Sunday Service Kit 11/12/2022 - Unrecognised Person in the Bagging area (Malachi 3:1)

 

Welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit for December 11th. 2022.

The second in our 'Prepare' sermon series getting us ready for Christmas 2022 takes us to the airport arrivals lounge with Malachi 3:1. Be sure to take a look at that using the link below!

But first, let's pray.

Lord and Father we thank you for our freedoms and liberties to worship you as we approach the season for celebrating the Lord Jesus's arrival on earth.

Help us to recognise afresh the privileges we have to know Him, and use us in new ways in this season of preparation for Christmas to engage with our world and make Him known.

For Jesus' sake.

AMEN.

Let's affirm our faith in this song from City Alight

Now here are today's Prayer Points

During the last week our news media seem to have offered us something of a world tour through the medium of football in their coverage of the World Cup ... and we now know more about quite a. few countries thanks to their coverage.

But what do we know of and what can we pray about the spiritual situation and needs of the countries we're being (re-)introduced to in this way?

Morocco

Arab armies invaded in the 7th century, introduced Islam, and erased a strong North African Berber Church. 

Moroccans feel proud of their country’s heritage as a centre of Islamic civilisation and learning, and they resist Christianity. 

Only a small percentage have heard the gospel.

Moroccans became aware of the indigenous Church when the media broadcasted negative and inaccurate reports about a large number of converts to Christianity. 

There may be about 2,000 Moroccan Christians, with 20 to 30 small house fellowships. 

New believers feel pressure from family, police, or religious authorities. 

Pray for 'creative access' Christians trying to quietly share Christ with Moroccan people, for outreach at the World Cup by believing sportspeople and that Moroccan believers might grow amid such persecution as they experience amongst their own people.

Croatia

The deep impact of historic and recent hatred among Croat, Serb, and Bosnian may hurt the nation for generations to come. 

Pray for true reconciliation, and for God to break these religious and ethnic bondages through the power of Christ! 

The Catholic Church holds much influence in society, and some Catholic leaders work towards reconciliation. 

Many people still suffer psychological and emotional trauma from the conflicts, and churches could have a great impact.

Evangelicals are one of the few groups that straddle the ethnic divide. 

Many Bosnians, Croats and Serbs have been won to Christ and brought into fellowship together.

The churches' and missions' care and love for those who suffered in the war won much credit for the gospel. 

Pray that evangelicals would continue to demonstrate the boundary-breaking, universal love of God.

Industrial unrest at home

Pressures in the wider economy with inflation running higher than it has for a while, and discontent with shrinking real-terms pay through the pandemic and previously has led to serious industrial unrest that is causing problems across our economy and services.

Let's pray for peace with justice, an economy where those who serve well feel valued and where people can have the sense that they have enough.

Let's pray especially for our NHS which is living in a time of crisis and where the services it is able to provide is so frequently less than its employees wish to deliver and we its beneficiaries have come to expect.

Lord, in your mercy please hear our prayers today for the things you have laid on our hearts, and intervene for the sake of your people's needs and for the Glory of you great Name. 

AMEN. 

Sovereign Grace will lead us in a meditation on Psalm 62

Click this Bible for the reading from Malachi 3

Let's sing

Let's close with prayer

Prepare our hearts, Lord we pray, for your coming. 

For:

• The celebration that will soon take place of your first coming at your incarnation
• The times when you come particularly clearly and closely to us by your indwelling Holy Spirit
• The time when you will come again in Glory at the end of days and redeem your inheritance from all the Nations.

And enable us to walk, freshly inspired by your Word, in the light of your truth and your grace.

Glory.

AMEN.

If you would like to join us in worshipping by giving, please click the offering bag

Thanks for being with us here again this week.

Next week we plan to be in the first chapter of Luke's Gospel as it really begins to feel like Christmas is drawing near ... check out v. 76 and we'll see you here again next week!

Simon.

07748 644958.       HoWChaplain@gmail.com