Our church building may be closed, but God’s eyes are open and his ears are attentive to our prayers (2 Chronicles 7.15).

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

Let us build with care,
building on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

from 1 Corinthians 3.10-11

Today’s Proverb

Read the proverb through three or four times, slowly. Pause in-between, maybe write it out by hand – savour the words, let them speak deeply to you.

Proverbs 15.26

I wonder if you’ve heard the term ‘thought police’? It comes from George Orwell’s book 1984, and their job is to arrest people who have committed thoughtcrime: they haven’t done anything wrong (yet), but they’ve thought it.

I also wonder if, when we read verses like this one, we react as we might when reading about the thought police? Is God watching us, waiting to pounce on and punish us for thoughtcrime? Well, no…

First, Jesus taught that sin is what comes out of our hearts (see Mark 7). People often tell me they are a ‘good person’, by which they usually mean they give to charity (their spare change), are good citizens (apart from the odd ‘white’ lie and a bit of speeding – only when it’s safe of course) and haven’t done anything bad (they aren’t in prison). Fine I guess, but that’s a pretty low bar! When it comes to being holy and perfect, Jesus taught that what we think – anger, lust, envy, greed, jealousy – is every bit as important as what we do.

Second, there is a subtle difference, like the difference between temptation and sin. Human beings are not inherently good: we are all broken, damaged, marred by sin; we all face temptations and evil thoughts… and there is a limit to how much we can control those things. But with GOd’s help we can learn the self-control needed to keep that stuff in our heads and in our hearts, to be confessed privately to God.

Is that something you find easy, or hard? Be honest… there’s only one true answer here! God gives us the Holy Spirit to help us learn: in the list of the fruit of the Spirit, the last one is… self-control. If you want to, ask God to help you grow in this area.

Prayers

Pray for Five – pray for your five friends / family from Thy Kingdom Come.

Our daily prayer sheet includes the names of everyone for whom we have a signed church family directory form – and local parishes and senior church leaders. Today we are praying for:

Ben & Jess Green, Lesley Willers

Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.

We also pray for: Local Health, Police & Fire Services

Please pray for our leaders and healthcare workers, and all those working to keep us safe, well, and fed. Please pray that people would unselfishly put others before themselves.

Church Family Prayer

Come Holy Spirit,
and make us one in heart and action,
so that we can serve God faithfully:
abounding in love,
maturing in holiness,
and seeking out the lost.
Help us grow as disciples of Jesus –
in commitment, in depth, and in number –
that we may be a blessing to Amington;
to the glory and praise of God the Father.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

Closing Prayer

Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
the only way to the Father.

Psalm 127.1, Hebrews 12.2 & John 14.6

May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
Amen.