DIY Sunday Service Kit 02/07/2023 - Unresolved Guilt

 

Welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit for July 2nd. 2023.

This week we begin a short series entitled: 'IRrelevant' which addresses the way the common malaissaes of our culture are resolved by the Christian faith, the faith that this culture seeks to dismiss as irrelevant. And we begin that today with a look at the problem (and Biblical cure) of unresolved guilt.

But first ... I wonder, when we set out to worship, whether you ever stop and think:'What am I trying to do here?'

It's always a good idea to give our aims and objectives a quick check up when we go into church or sit down to the DIY Sunday Service Kit online ...because it helps us make sure we're doing the stuff we're here to do!

It just occurs to me that this song from Rend Collective has a lot of help to offer us with setting our objectives as we set out to worship God. What do you think? Let's see how they lead our prayers as we set out on using this DIY SSK today ...

Let's pray

Dear Lord and loving Heavenly Father we ask for your help and for your presence with us today as we seek to worship you.

Help us to overcome the things that would hinder or distract us as we seek you now. 

Please build your Kingly rule in our hearts and in our lives, equip us more fully to live in the faith you reveal to us and to serve you in your kingdom so that we might faithfully play our part in the fulfilment of your plans and purposes.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Here's a quick taster of where our Bible ministry is going to take us today

Let's pray today for our world, 

    the communities in which we live, 

        and for ourselves

• We pray for our world

... for France, torn today by a sense of economic injustice in working class and immigrant communities, by a disatisfaction with what's seen as government injustice in the marginalisation of under-privileged communities, leading to violent protest triggered by perceived unjust treatment by the police and legal authorities.

The French Ministry of the Interior said 994 people were arrested across France on Friday night alone.

Amnesty International, the International Federation of Human Rights and the Council of Europe — the continent’s main human rights body — are among organisations that have cited excessive use of force by French police and this has gone on over a long period of time.

Let's pray for peace with justice for our continental neighbours

... for Darfur and South Sudan

Violence between the culturally Christian settled farmers and culturally Moslem travelling cattle herders in Darfur has been taking place for over 20 years, but recent escalation of the conflict has seen in excess of half a million people fleeing as refugees since April.

Egypt had received the highest number of refugees but has recently closed its borders to refugees without visas ... which are not easy to get if you are a displaced person.

Chad, itself doubled, has received the next highest number and the UNHCR reports serious difficulties with getting aid to these people.

The main countries of refuge are poor countries with significant  internal problems of their own, and now that the rains are arriving, the logistics of delivering aid is getting complicated.

The UNHCR working with the international refugees say: "Those fleeing Sudan arrive exhausted after days or sometimes weeks on the road, shocked by the violence they have witnessed and in need of food, medical care and relief items."

Nearly two million people are also displaced within the country as fighting is now taking place not only in the South but also in Khartoum and in the Kordofan region.

Let's pray for peace with justice and the provision of food and clean water, good health services and safety for the refugees.

• We pray for the communities in which we live

On 8th. July a small group of Llandeilo residents has organised the first ever 'Llandeilo Pride' event.

This event has the keen support of the Mayor this year is being promoted like this in an article that appears to have been written by him on the Llandeilo Hub website:

"Às you know, Llandeilo has a rich history of running very successful festivals and events to draw people into the town to spend money in our independent, family-run businesses. A small group of local residents and business owners are proposing to set up Llandeilo’s first LGBTQ+ Pride event and we hope to rely on your support."

The South Wales Guardian reports: "There will be a street party on Market Street at 12.50pm which will officially open Pride in Llandeilo. This will be hosted by drag artist Tina Sparkle.

There will be a number of children’s activities at Eve’s Toy Shop and Hengwrt between 1pm and 4pm before the party moves to the White Horse at 3pm for a performance from Demi Morcom ...Mayor Christoph Fischer, who is openly gay and the second mayor of the town to be so, said: “It is a weekend not to be missed. The support has been overwhelming, and the committee has worked hard and very efficiently to bring all parts of the community together in support of Llandeilo Pride!"

• Let's pray that believers in Llandeilo will be wise and godly in their responses and that the Lord will bring many people to a Biblical faith in Him in the town.
• Let's pray for those in the town who are Same Sex Attracted followers of Christ but who are living as celibate because they see homosexual acts as sinful and nothing to be proud of, that the Lord will strengthen and bless them next weekend in particular.
• And let's pray that the Lord will have mercy on many in the town of Llandeilo, building His Church there for His greater glory.

• We pray for ourselves

Let's pray for a greater clarity in our own understanding of the Lord's will for our lives

Let's pray for a greater desire for God Himself as we live out our individual callings before Him day by day

Let's pray for the salvation of those in our families who don't yet enjoy the good things of God

And let's pray that the Lord will daily increase our likeness to Himself, making us daily more and more the people he would have us be.

Lord, we ask you to hear our prayers, and to answer us from your Holy Heavenly throne, in Jesus' name.

AMEN.

Let's read the Bible ... click the pic.

Here's the studiocam video of the sermon

Thank you for being with us here today.

We've been addressing some pretty 'real' issues today that may well have hit home with many of us.

Please, therefore, don't be anguished in silence in response to anything raised here today but take the opportunity to reach out so that we can talk and pray through together any unfinished business with any of this. 

The God of the Bible wants to establish us in the glorious liberty of the children of God, not sink us beneath a weight of guilt and shame ... so if turning to Him isn't comforting today, or if His Cross and Resurrection don't feel as if they're quite covering it, please don't just sit there feeling burdened down. 

And if it IS comforting you, and His sacrifice for our sins really IS doing it for you today, you can always share that for the encouragement of all of us! If you're happy to, I would be happy to share your joy with everyone in next week's DIY SSK ... anonymously if you prefer.

You can contact us using text or WhatsApp or by phone (please text first to make sure I'm free to answer) on 07748 644958.

God bless you - have a GREAT week!

(Offering bag link below as usual. Thanks.)

DIY Sunday Service Kit - 25/06/2023 - Colossians 1:21-23

 

Hello and welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit for June 25th., 2023.

We are living through quite uncertain-seeming times, although of course we know that the God Who rules the world and limits the excesses human beings can run to in His world is the One Who actually holds the whole thing in His hand.

Nonetheless, it seems like a good time to be dealing with the certainties and the foundations of our understanding of ourselves and of what's important in our world.

Today we'll be exposing two heresies that undermine our understanding of things and cause us grief, as we consider the biggest and most fundamental truths of the Gospel. It'll be mainly the last one, but I hope the other two bits will be interesting too!

If you'd like a short sneak preview, click the pic below!

Let's pray

Lord and Father, we thank you for the certainties of your Word and the foundations for our lives found in the sure and certain tenets of the Gospel.

Inspire our hearts today with these things to build resilience in ourselves in living lives of worship and service in your Kingdom, the Kingdom which will always prevail and never ends.

And may the worship of our lives bring you pleasure and be to your glory.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Let's pray

Russia

As things stand, Yevgeny Prigozhin who leads the Wagner Group fighting for Russia across the world as well as in Ukraine seems to have stopped marching on Moscow and is now moving to Belarus. Wagner fighters are being absorbed into the Russian military.

Wagner fighters have now begun to leave the southern city of Rostov-on-Don where their mutiny began less than 24 hours ago, according to credible reports.

Insecurity in threatened dictatorial regimes ... such as we have seen I response to the Wagner revolt ... often leads to crack-downs on persecuted minorities.

Let's pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in Russia today.

Nigeria

Despite a government-imposed curfew in Plateau State this week, Fulani militants killed 15 Christians in the Bwai Village of Mangu in north central Nigeria.

County Chairman Markus Artu declared a curfew beginning Sunday due to ongoing violence. This was the second time in a month when Fulani extremists violated a curfew – more than 40 Christians were killed last month near Mangu.

The attacks come after a slate of violence in the state of recently inaugurated governor Barr. Caleb Mutfwang.

“I have asked God to strengthen my own heart,” said Mutfwang as he visited the area. “…This magnitude of madness and carnage has never happened in the Mangu Local Government Area. There have been isolated and sporadic incidents and you begin to ask why and why now. But we have come to encourage you as leaders of our people to know that God is on the throne."

Let's pray for the safety of Christians being attacked like tis regularly in North Nigeria by Muslim Fulani tribesmen.

Iraq

After years of persecution and destruction, the Christian in community in Iraq takes a step forward as they start a new television channel conducted entirely in Syriac, the traditional language of Christians in the area.  

The public TV channel may indicate a step forward in the wider acceptance of Christians across Iraq. 

Twenty years ago, there were 1.5 million Christians in the country. According to the United States’ yearly report on International Religious Freedom, this number is down to just 150,000 Christians in 2023 due to multiple wars and unrest. 

But as Iraq continues to demonstrate its acceptance of other religions, there is an increase in hope for the centuries-old Christian population to return to their home country – the home of Abraham, the home of our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Let's give thanks for the improvement in conditions for believers in Iraq and pray that our God would bless the people who have remained, give the desire to return to believers who have left because of the wars and build His church in Iraq through their witness and the of the new public TV channel.

Click the Bible below for today's reading

Here's the studio cam video of the sermon

Let's pray

Now 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 Saviour be 

glory, majesty, power and authority, 

through Jesus Christ our Lord, 

before all ages, 

now and forevermore! Amen.

Thanks for being with us again this week. 

Please feel free to get in touch if we can be of help, and please find below the link to our giving page if you would like to join us in supporting the Lord's work through y GRWP, which produces this DIY Sunday Service Kit.

May God bless you this week!

DIY Sunday Service Kit 18/06/2023 - What's YOUR life story?

Welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit for June 18th 2023, which is going to look a little bit different because for reasons of poor Internet connectivity is going to have to be tapped out on my phone!

Let's pray

Lord and loving Heavenly Father we thank you that today we are able to come to pour out our hearts to you in worship and in prayer.

We thank you that in your Word you also open your heart to us, and we thank you that we have the privilege of being able to open your Word and read it freely today.

May our hearts align with yours as we experience today what it means to be united with Christ and with your people by your grace and through the presence of your Holy Spirit in our hearts.

We ask for Jesus sake.

Amen.

Click this link to sing with 20 Schemes Music

Today's reading is here:

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."

Colossians 1:21‭-‬24

Celtic Worship lead us (click the link)

Prayer pointers

Prayer pointers this week will consist of a few links to click, reflect on and pray over ... 

We pray first for Syria (click here)

We also pray for the situation in Somalia

And finally, we pray for Nigeria

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayers for your servants who seek to stand for you and serve you in your Kingdom around the world.

Lead us and guide us too in following their example of loyalty and of faith, and grant us insight into your will for our lives in your service.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

20 Schemes Music lead us again in worship ... click here.

Click this link for the audio of today's sermon, which is here

Click here for the video of today's sermon

And now City Alight help us to afirm and confirm our commitment (click link)

I hope you've managed to navigate through a rather unattractive DIY Sunday Service Kit today. Let's pray that normal service can be resumed next week!

Let's pray

Heavenly Father we thank you for the access we have to your Word and for the teaching we receive from it so freely.

Grant that we will walk in its light this day and every day, for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

The giving link is available HERE. 

(Thanks for persevering to the end!)

DIY Sunday Service Kit 11/06/2023 - Jesus is God and it MATTERS - Colossians 1:19-20

 

Welcome to the DIY Sunday Service Kit almost half-way now through this sunny month of June!

This week we're in our last but one session in. Colossians concentrating on Jesus and finding out why it really matters that He is really God.

Here's a quick insight into where we start with this ... but this is certainly not where we're going to end up with it!

Now for a really sound, tried and tested expression of Christian faith, expressed afresh for us here through the ministry of Celtic Worship. 

We do well to make these sentiments our own as we sing ...

Let's pray for our world in its brokenness, and 

give thanks for the Lord's interventions in turning back its darkness.

We pray today for

Kherson

The blowing of the Kakhovka dam near Kherson has not only taken an unknown number of both Ukrainian and Russian lives, but knocked out very extensive irrigation of one of the most productive areas of food production in Ukraine ... once known as 'Russia's bread basket' because of its huge agricultural production.

Agricultural experts warn fields in southern Ukraine could "turn into deserts as early as next year", as vital irrigation systems, which depend on the vast Kakhovka reservoir, cease to function.

Even before the cost of the current losses is calculated, international markets have taken note. The flooding helped to trigger a sharp rise in global wheat prices, which will have knock-on effects in the poorer countries of the world (which rely heavily on food-grade Ukrainian wheat) and on livestock feeds in the western world affecting prices in our shops.

Drinking water for many towns and cities beneath the dam is also bound to be affected, but the effects of this have as yet to be calculated.

Water is a necessity. Let's pray for everybody affected by this terrible event.

Mostar

The Evangelical Church of Bosnia-Herzegovina is starting next week to run its programme of camps for children from all sorts of home backgrounds, which will run throughout the summer.

We've seen these camps develop over the last twenty years from camps where the sessions all fell to people like our second son Ben, into camps where those leaders have brought on young people from the various churches who now do a lot of the sessions themselves ... but with missionaries and church leaders like Ben now supporting from the background. Somehow, though, it always seems that crises emerge that make this a really busy time for elders and missionaries in any event!

Let's pray for mature and new leaders, for strength, wisdom and enthusiasm, and that children and young people for whom this is their only time away throughout the year will have a great time at camp and come to know the Lord Jesus for themselves.

Planning for a Conference on Reaching Rural Wales

Our focus on Rural Wales at the recent ministers' conference has fired up interest in a conference to stimulate and communicate between instances of pioneer outreach and church revitalisation in rural Wales, which y GRWP had been working towards for some time.

Please pray for plans that are being laid for an autumn conference to energise recent interest and galvanise it into action would prosper and bear fruit!

and give thanks for ...

Bala Ministers' Conference

We asked for prayer for Simon speaking at the Bala Ministers' Conference last Tuesday.

It was deemed by others present to have gone very well and we now both give thanks for that ... because it could easily have back-fired ... and for those who were stirred and stimulated by having been there on the night.

(See above for prayers prompted by how things went!)

The re-opening of our 'candidacy' for the station café

We are now about ten days from having been assured that we are still very much in the running again for tenancy of Llandovery Station Café.

As many of you will know, this looked very much as if it had disappeared as an option.

Let's give thanks as we pray for this to go through and be made possible in the providence of our God.

Good contacts for our friends at Pantycelyn during yr Urdd Eisteddfod

Finally, although we were disappointed not to have the Station Café open by the time the Urdd took place in Llandovery, we were really encouraged by accounts of meetings and ministry that flowed from the exhibition and hospitality laid on by our friends at Memorial Chapel throughout the Urdd week.

Let's rejoice with those who rejoice and pray that the Lord will bring lasting spiritual fruit from our friends' labours.

Lord, hear our thanks and our prayers from your Heavenly throne and show your mercy and your grace in your world.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

AMEN.

As we prepare to read Scripture, 

we make the words of this next song our prayer

Please click on this Bible to be taken to today's Bible reading

Click on the little preacher below to go to the transcript and audio version of today's sermon, 

or scroll on down for the studiocam video

Let's pray

We give you thanks our Lord and God that reflecting through your Word 

on your person, 

on your Divine greatness and Glory, 

feeds our souls.

Take us into the coming week we pray with soul-protectingly large thoughts of Jesus, 

and may our thoughts in your presence guard our souls.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

AMEN.

We have a song to play out with today, but first, if you would like to join us in worshipping by giving t the work of y GRWP please click the offering bag below.

If we can be of help to you or if we can usefully pray with you about an issue on your heart, please contact Simon on 07748 44958 (it's helpful if you can text or WhatsApp first to make sure I'm neither driving Norwich someone at that point, but in emergencies please feel free to try to phone through as soon as you need to!)

Here's the bag, and the 'play-out' is below it.

Have a great week!

We play out today with City Alight ... 'There is One Gospel'

DIY Sunday Service Kit 04/06/2023 - My strength was sapped (a 'special' in the heat of summer) ... Psalm 32:4

 

Welcome to this short form DIY Sunday Service Kit this week which comes to you in this hot, dry week around the themes of Psalm 32 and with a (video only) Word for the Week from Psalm 32:4

Let's pray

Lord and father we thank you that in our weakness you are our strength, that in the parched tome in our lives you provide us with living water through a living relationship with the Living God, and the when we have been battered by hard experience in our weakness, our lack of wisdom or our own deliberate choice you stand by to renew or strength.

Lead us afresh to yourself today, we pray.

Lead us to the Rock that is higher than us.

Take us into your Word and lead us to listen to you so that you may plant our feet securely in a firm place, and we stand in the strength our God supplies.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

AMEN.

Let's read Psalm 32

Here is the Word for the Week

Now here's a word of testimony around this theme and 

a song that goes with it 

Pray

Lord and Father we confess before you that even this week we have had things in our lives to regret having thought, done, not thought of and not  done when we should have done.

Like the person in that video, we have had things that we might've preferred to keep out of the sight of the Father we know actually sees it all and knows us through and through.

Please forgive us for our lack of openness, sincerity and integrity before you.

We thank you that, as you know every inclination of the thoughts of our hearts ... all the time ... you have made provision for our sins and our failures at the Cross and from the grave of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Will you please give us true repentance and grant us genuine, Holy Spirit given amendment of life ... and lead us in your everlasting way, strengthening us to walk more closely with you in the week that lies ahead.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Let's pray

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face shine on us –

so that His ways may be known on earth,
    His salvation among all nations.

May the peoples praise you, God;

    may all the peoples praise you

May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you rule the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations of the earth.

May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.

AMEN.

Thanks for being with us online today.

If we can be of help and/ or pray for you, please feel free to contact us on 07748 644958 (please text or WhatsApp message first in case I'm already with someone else) or email HoWChaplain@gmail.com

And if you are able to share with us in supporting the work of y GRWP, please click the offering bag below to be taken to our giving page. Thanks.

Have a great week in God's presence!

DIY Sunday Service Kit 28/05/2023 - Colossians 1:18 ... The Solution to All our Soul-Ills

 

Welcome to Pentecost Sunday 2023 with y GRWP and the DIY Sunday Service Kit!

Let's face it, some of us have been around in church for quite a few Pentecosts now, and crucial though Acts chapter 2 is ... there can be a certain sense that we've been here a few times before1

I thought this year that this video from Wycliffe Bible Translators gave us a fresh angle ... what do you think?

(Click below).

Let's pray

Father, help us to grasp again we pray the importance to your purpose of bringing all things and all people together again under the Headship of Christ and fixing the brokenness born of the Fall.

And to that end, help us to reset our own priority and resolution that all people should hear the message of the Bible in the language of their own culture and of their own heart.

Help us to be part of putting your message where people can most readily and most thoroughly receive it, starting right where we are today. We ask for Jesus sake.

Amen.

The Holy Spirit inspires prayer and worship in the people of God ... let's seek His presence as we sing this well-prove old hymn given fresh life with Celtic Worship

Here's a trailer for where OUR Bible ministry is going today for Pentecost ...

Let's pray

Llandovery and 'the Urdd'

Next week, the Urdd Eisteddfod comes to Llandovery and whilst I am pretty disappointed, to be honest, that we still don't have a place or opportunity to be reaching out to eisteddfod goers ourselves it is GREAT that Memorial Chapel are doing this 👇

There's no website as such for this but I grabbed this screenshot from their Pastor, Rob,'s own Facebook profile so ... sorry for the poor quality! 

Let's just pray for them and the big effort they are making?

Ukraine

It looks pretty much as if things are hotting up in Ukraine with gentle warnings being put out by the Ukrainian Army to Russia that they are about to start their delayed Spring offensive.

I can only imagine they are letting the Russian Army know what is coming in the hope that the Russians won't do anything disproportionately ... precipitous! We know the Russian state has got access to doomsday weapons, and I'm sure we are all praying that no-one does anything catastrophic with them during this conflict.

Let's also pray for the Ukrainians who have this war in their towns and cities, who are bearing terrible things already due to the conflict.

And let's pray for those inside Russia who also suffer very badly and unwillingly from this war. The Lord has His people deployed in both countries involved in this conflict and brethren on both sides can be innocently and unwillingly caught up in violence.

Bala

(Yup ... north Wales ... Bala!)

It's an honour to have been asked to be a speaker at the Bala Ministers' conference next week and to speak there about mission in Rural Wales.

Normally they have people filing the conference's missionary slot who are doing exciting sounding things in exotic places around the world. Normally, too, mission in rural Wales is not really on the radar in conferences like this.

Would you pray that I don't muck it up, that God gives rise to a real concern for the Gospel in rural Wales and that it leads to fresh prayer, and for both practical help and personnel coming forward to strengthen the things we are doing here? 

I'd also love to know if there's anyone anywhere else doing anything like the stuff we are doing, because it currently seems to be a fairly lonely 'gig'!

(Obviously, I'll be asking them to pray too about somewhere for us to meet ... aargh!)

So ... there are some prayer points. Let's pray, as the Spirit leads!

When you've prayed, please click the traditional Pentecost hymn in the box below ...

Click the Bible below to be taken to today's Bible reading

Click here for this sermon on the StudioCam

It always feels a bit dangerous to finish with a new song, but this one seems to fit ... so here it is!

(And as usual, the giving link is on the next button below. Thanks.)

Now let's pray

Our Lord and Father we thank you for every reminder of the Glory and the Supremacy of the One Who is OUR Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

As you know the inner depths and the deepest thoughts of our hearts, please would you apply to our hearts today the things that we have seen in your Word, and cause us to lean more heavily day by day on the grace of your Spirit's strength to walk more closely with our supreme Saviour in His ways.

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

AMEN.