DIY Sunday Service Kit - Introducing the Father to Secularity in rural Wales - Ecclesiastes 3:11 and 1 Corinthians 8

 

Welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit

for 28th. April 2024

We begin here today with a Psalm ... Psalm 100

Let's pray

Lord and loving Heavenly Father we thank you for every opportunity to quieten our minds and hearts and focus our thoughts on you.

Help us to live consciously in your presence, beholding our God with ever-increasing awe and wonder, and draw us daily closer to your hearts we progress towards your Kingdom in Glory.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Here's this week's Prayer Calendar from Justin Long

 On behalf of all Sudan, we pray to the Prince of Peace, “Please, Lord, make it stop.” The conflict is being fueled by surrounding powers and international arms providers. (AP). More and more weapons are pouring in, while millions are pouring out and are on the verge of starvation. This week, more conflict broke out in North Darfur, leading to 40,000 expelled from their homes and whole communities burned to the ground. There are reports of genocide against “non-Arab groups” in Darfur (Middle East Eye). Believers are boldly trying to spread the kingdom, yet much suffering is being endured. It seems impossible that it will end any time soon, absent a miracle—and so it is for the miraculous that we pray. At the same time, we pray for the believers and the kingdom workers: for the Lord to be their Good Shepherd, guiding them through the dark valleys of this time and providing the table they need.

2 We pray for the suffering, distressed and hungry in Tigray. Hunger and insecurity continues to spread. New clashes at the border of Tigray and Amhara have caused 50,000 to be displaced (News24). Many in the region face acute malnutrition. We pray for the Kingdom workers in the region who are trying to be of help.

3 We pray for the more than 1 million displaced in northern Nigeria as a result of the violence in that region. The government has decided that since the IDP camps are rife with problems, it is best to close the camps (NewHum)—but where will the refugees go? Few feel like they can safely return home, so they find themselves fleeing once again. Pray for kingdom workers who are laboring in the region, despite the significant dangers entailed.

4 We pray for the women of Iran. The government has rolled out a new, severe enforcement of the hijab rules (Guardian). The stories of women arrested, beaten, abused, threatened, jailed are heartbreaking. A substantial percentage of the population have grown very disillusioned with the Iranian government and the version of Islam it promotes, and have turned away from Islam. Pray that even more find Jesus. We are thankful that the church is growing in Iran—one of the fastest growth rates in the world!—and yet so many more need to hear. Pray for the kingdom workers laboring boldly to reach Persians with the good news of Christ’s love. One interesting item: due to the rapprochement, over 90,000 Iranian pilgrims will likely participate in the hajj this year. Pray these spiritually hungry people will find Jesus during this time, whether through dreams & visions or encounters with believers along the way (Middle East Monitor)

5 Pray for the believers and kingdom workers in India, who labor even in the midst of a massive rise in Hindu nationalism there. A new article talks about the “messianic spell” of Modi’s cult of personality, which “enables the BJP to project him as one beyond scrutiny” (Guardian). Pray for the current election behind held in India, and pray especially for the protection and wisdom of workers laboring amongst Muslims in India. Pray for the continued spread of Kingdom disciples especially in the north, where “graveyards have become vineyards.”

6 Pray for those who are reaching out to Chinese diaspora around the world. Nearly 40,000 came to the USA alone in 2023 (NBC). Many thousands of Chinese are going to other places as well. Many of these are seeking a life outside of the control of China and its ideology, and are open to spiritual conversations. Pray for believers to welcome, befriend, be a blessing to, and have conversations with these families.

7 Pray for an end to the war in Myanmar. The “devastating, yearslong civil war is heating up, though it isn’t attracting international notice… but it threatens to break apart the country of 55 million people” (NYT). Many young men are doing whatever they can to avoid the draft. Many refugees are spilling over into Thailand, and the Thai government is taking a strong stance against Myanmar. Pray for the kingdom workers who are laboring in Myanmar in the midst of this, to find ways to be a blessing to the people in the midst of the instability and violence.

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Let's pray

Father please refresh our vision of the One True Living God this week as we walk with you.

Embolden us to stand for you and to communicate the truth about the God Who has revealed all we need to know to bring us to life and to form us in godliness.

We thank you that you haven't abandoned us to the impossible task of working out life for ourselves. Draw us close to you in understanding, and lead us forward in the light of your Word.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

DIY Sunday Service Kit - 21/04/24 - Dealing with the days when we KNOW we have missed the mark - Luke 18:9-14

 

Welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit for today, 21st. April 2024.

Let's worship the Lord.

Let's pray

Here's the Seven Day Prayer Calendar from Justin Long

Let's pray

We are thankful for the current cessation in warfare in Gaza. We pray for the safe, rapid, and effective distribution of food and medical aid to the residents affected by the region. We pray for the rapid release of the remaining hostages, for the families on both sides of the war who have been deeply traumatized by the violence, and for the safety and bold labor of Kingdom workers in the region. Lets indeed pray for a complete end to the wars in the region, and for leaders to walk a path that “does justly, loves mercy, and walks humbly with our God.” We pray for the many people who could be involved in the reconstruction of Gaza - including Kingdom workers.

… We also are thankful the Iranian reprisal today (expected, in the wake of the assassination of the IRGC commanders) was less damaging than it might have been. Pray restraint will be exercised and the violence will not widen in spirals of reprisal, and for the families affected by the strike.

2 We are thankful for the delivery of food aid into Darfur and pray that more aid, relief, medical work and peacemaking will be allowed. We pray for an end to the war in Sudan. We pray for aid agencies, organizations, foundations, national governments, and Kingdom workers to have their “hearts turned” to mercy and charity toward the millions who are displaced, for whom so little is presently being done. We pray for more donors to support aid work among the displaced. We pray for the many families who have not heard from their loved ones in Sudan, and do not know whether they are still alive. We pray for the children of Sudan, who form “Generation War”: “millions are starving, have been forced into marriage or become child soldiers and threatened with death.”

3 We pray for the hundreds of thousands in Nigerian displacement camps, who “struggle to put food on the table.” They are from northwest Nigeria, a “hotbed of criminal activity for close to a decade now”: raiding, looting, mass killings, and kidnap-for-ransom enterprises. Pray for kingdom workers in the region, and for an end to the violence and the development of the economies. “We are getting [food aid now, for Ramadan]… but what happens once Ramadan is over?” Pray especially for the children, who have been traumatized by war (What does war do to a boy?).

4 We pray or the hundreds of thousands of Afghanis who have been forced out of Iran and Pakistan, back into Afghanistan (see NYT photoessay). Upon their return, they have no homes, no jobs, and little to no aid. We pray for aid workers to be allowed to help them, and for innovative Kingdom work that will be a blessing to the poorest of the poor.

5 We pray for the many Central Asians at risk in Russia in the wake of the concert attack. Several Tajiks were arrested in connection with the attack, and migrants from Central Asia are facing significant increases in harassment and attacks: “beatings, property destruction, hooliganism, acts of harassment.” Over a million Central Asians (among them, believers and Kingdom workers) have migrated to Russia for work, and their remittances to their families form a large minority of the GDP of the Central Asian states. Pray for believers to be bold to stand up for and be a blessing to these migrant workers.

6 We pray for believers in Vietnam, where new religious decrees are burdening local churches (CT). The decrees are allegedly supposed to “increase religious liberty” and “increase financial transparency” but in fact give the government more oversight and control, and burden churches with new reporting requirements. Pray for the churches and the believers as they strive to be obedient to God and to negotiate their way forward in this environment.

7 Pray for believers in Malaysia in the midst of rising religious conservatism (CNN). Especially during Ramadan, religious policing was ramped up and even non-Muslims could run afoul of the increased enforcement. “As long as you look Malay, you must fast during Ramadan - those are the rules,” said one person. The rise in religious conservatism and enforcement has led to heightened tensions. Pray for believers to stand firm in their faith, yet have wisdom and discernment in the environment.

Click the pic for today's reading from God's Word

As we sing today's psalm, let's ask for the Holy Spirit's help that we might see Jesus with fresh eyes when we come to take a deep-dive into God's Word together

Our Deep-Dive into Scripture is available here now in two formats:

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Let's reflect our reliance on God's mercy as we sing ...

Let's pray

We thank you Lord and Father that you feed our souls and enlighten our lives as we open your Word.

Remind us often of its wisdom and inspire us by your Holy Spirit to worship you with our words and in our lives as we put into practice what we have heard.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Thanks for being with us as we worshipped today

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DIY Sunday Service Kit 14/04/24 - The Walking that is GOOD for you

 

Hello, and welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit for April 14th., 2024!

Did you miss us last week?

Well, we're back and there are a few changes and fresh developments in what we have to offer here today ... see if you can spot them, and once you've watched the short video Deep-Dive this week, please take just a moment to click the pic and answer the one-question, three option poll the will help us develop fresh plans to grow our Bible time. Thanks!

We begin our worship today with this new song published just this week - from Sovereign Grace Music ...

Our prayer pointers today come once more from Justin Long

Sunday

We pray for all of those impacted by the ongoing war in Gaza.

• We are praying for the families of the 196 aid workers who have been killed in the war. Bringing help and healing to those suffering in the midst of violence is a tremendously risky endeavor, and while we are inspired by their boldness, we are sad for the loss, and pray for those who are grieving.

• We pray for those who continue to risk their lives to try and help the hurting, and for the stress their families feel. We pray for the Spirit to give them wisdom and discernment for their daily actions, as well as courage and protection.

• We continue to pray for an end to the war and a just resolution. We pray that more aid corridors would be opened and aid workers would be able to operate with a greater measure of safety.

Monday

We pray for the children of Kenya. A heart-wrenching article in Kenya’s Standard Media is entitled, “Children no one wants as clock ticks to phase out orphanages.” Under the National Care Reform Strategy, Kenya is essentially moving away from orphanages - but for many children in orphanages, it’s proving difficult to trace their families and get them into family based care. This is especially so when the child is in some ways disabled. We pray for the children, and for ministries of the church that could help. In our prayers, let’s remember Matthew 19:14, “Let the little children come to me… The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Tuesday 

We pray for the thousands displaced and traumatized in the 15-year fight against Boko Haram. “The fight against Boko Haram leaves a trail of ruin and ashes” tells the story of those who live in and around North Nigeria. The war against Boko Haram has resulted in over 350,000 deaths, and the destruction of numerous villages burnt to the ground. The voice of one: “‘Nothing feels normal anymore,’ she said, not after watching soldiers swoop into your community and kill your loved ones. But then she added, ‘God had destined it to happen. Even if it is not okay, it is okay since it is God’s doing.’” We pray for peace, a just resolution, and for healing for the traumatized. We pray for the many Kingdom-multiplying ministries working in the region, in the midst of many dangers. Most of all we pray for the truth of God’s character and his love for people like Zara to be revealed to them.

Wednesday

We pray for the secret believers in Iran. The BBC has a short piece on “The Christians celebrating Easter in secret.” “‘We meet in small groups and each time in different places,’ Tina says. ‘It could be in the home of one of our members or sometimes even in a park or in a car while driving. It's safer if each group knows as little as possible about the others, so if one group encounters problems, the rest aren't implicated.’” Another reports that when he was first arrested, 3-year sentences were common; now, 10 to 15 year sentences are. Nevertheless, there is a continued strong trend: many Iranians are disillusioned with Islam and are leaving their beliefs. The larger share of these are secularizing, but a certain percentage are becoming Christians. Many who come to the West are spiritually hungry to learn about Jesus. Pray for secret believers to be steadfast in their faith, and to have opportunities to share the Truth with their family and friends, and that the number of Jesus followers in Iran would continue to grow.

Thursday

We pray for the families that were impacted by the earthquake in Taiwan. The 7.5 quake saw 9 killed and 900 injured—while tragic, it could have been far worse. We express gratitude that the toll was that low, and pray that many mission agencies, denominations, and Kingdom workers will use the opportunity as a reminder to prepare for worse disasters in least-reached regions. Similar magnitude earthquakes in Pakistan and Turkey both killed in the 10s of thousands, and it is not uncommon for such quakes to occur in any given year.

Friday

South Korea is exploring how foreign students and foreign spouses can take jobs as domestic helpers for South Korean families (Korea Herald). People in similar sorts of positions in the Middle East have brought the Gospel to Gulf states; might there be a Kingdom opportunity in Korea? Pray that God would give Kingdom workers discernment, innovation, and a willingness to serve children and families. Also, let’s take a moment to pray for the many Kingdom workers who are steadfastly and patiently waiting, in the South, for the border to the North to open—who are praying for the Gospel to flood into the North in a miraculous way.

Saturday

Social norms are being stressed in Malaysia and Indonesia around religious lines. A five part series on political Islam in CNA is highlighting how Christians are feeling the sting of pressure and persecution. “Her case is an example of how increasing restrictions in the name of religion are upheaving social norms and liberties.” Pray for Christians who must experience daily life in the midst of social pressure. Pray for believers to be discerning and wise yet bold in their witness, and as in Iran, steadfast in their faithful devotion and obedience to Jesus.

Click this link for this week's Bible reading

Our Psalm today is Psalm 90

Our Deep-Dive into Scripture is here ...

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So, we tried something a bit different with the Deep-Dive this week ... just giving it a try ... would you take a moment to click the pic below and choose just one of the three options in the poll there? 

Thanks so much!

Let's pray

Father we thank you that your have provided for us through your Son the Lord Jesus Christ the path to life that restores Eden's fellowship with you to those who trust in you.

Lead us into the way of walking with you.

Hold us in the relationship with you that the gift of your Holy Spirit brings.

And bring us, safe following you, at last to your glorious Heavenly home.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

AMEN.