Friday, June 29, 2018

Winter: Potential or False Security


Outline of Service 8th July 2018



Winter: Potential or False Security – Jer 36:23-4



Hymn 117:  Learning from the Past

The Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:2-4

Psalm 1:1-6:  Delight … in the Law of the Lord

                                                                                    

Bible Readings:                                                  

·     Potential – Accept or Reject Words of Instruction:  Jeremiah 36:1-10, 12, 15-16, 20-25, 27-30, 32

·     False Security:  Luke 16:19-31



Hymn 20:  Seeking to God

·     King Jehoiakim sat in comfort and burned the Words of the Lord, not fearing God’s Power and Might

·     The winter is like Satan’s rule; we can feel comfortable in this world now, but for long term comfort that comfort must come from a relationship with God and not from the things of this world, that is the devil

·     God’s warmth will carry us through winter to to summer, but the devil’s warmth will die out and lead us to a bitter end

·     The parable of Lazarus and the beggar shows us that there are bounds to our long-term relationships, but we have control of them right now

·     Let each ask God for understanding during “the winter” as we await the return of Jesus Christ (“the summer”) and hold the hope of being preserved wholly until that time.

Hymn 6:  Winter Will End!

Doxology

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Winter: The Feast of Dedication





Outline of Service 24th June 2018



Winter: The Feast of Dedication



Hymn 104

The Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:2-4

Psalm 104: 1-5, 19-33 – God creates the seasons





Bible Readings:                                                  

·     Heeding the call of salvation and promise - John 10: 7-22

·     Reflecting on what is good - Ecclesiastes 2: 22-26



Hymn 46



·     The Feast of Dedication in Jesus’ time was not a Moses ordained feast. It was an 8-day winter festival to celebrate the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after Jewish freedom fighters overthrew an oppressive regime.

·     Like Jews of old, we too can take the quiet, contemplative time of winter to remind ourselves of God’s wonderful provision and prayerfully reflect on our walk with God and His plan for us.

·     We too can (re) dedicate our temples – our bodies – to His service and perhaps become God’s special people of promise.



Hymn 16 (Tune 20)



Doxology

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Winter: A God Ordained Season


Winter: A God Ordained Season – Gen 8:22



Hymn 115:  An All Seasons God

The Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:2-4

Psalm 4:1-8   Put Your Trust in the LORD



Bible Readings:                                                  

·     Promise – A New Beginning:  Genesis 8:1-22

·     Promise – Summer and Winter:  Psalm 74:10-17

·     Promise – A New World:  2 Peter 3:1-14



Hymn 81:  Redemption Will Come

·     God ordained the seasons of the year; similarly, He has ordained seasons in the life of this World and in our personal lives

·     In doing this, God has promised that summer will follow winter

·     We know that God is in control even though sometimes we may feel stuck in winter!

·     Just as one season helps us appreciate the others, our life seasons teach us about different aspects of our relationship with God

·     We look forward to the dawning of the new season to come when Jesus Christ returns, and those who are alive will be changed wholly in spirit and soul and body and be made like Him.



Hymn 37 (Tune 26):  Believe and Seek

Doxology