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 take up the cross and follow Jesus,
whatever the cost.

from Luke 14.27-28

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 16.25

Friends, if you ignore all of the warnings in Proverbs and listen to only one, let it be this one.

Sincerity is not the same thing as truth; it is possible to be sincere and wrong. This is one of the reasons why I do not permit Frank Sinatra’s My Way to be sung in church: it embodies the opposite of the Christian way of life and thinking. I can’t think of many songs I’d like at my funeral less than that. I hope and pray that people might say, ‘I did it his way.’

Where the truth of this proverb is hardest is when the ‘way that appears to be right’ is encouraged / endorsed / enforced by the culture in which we live. This is not new; the church has always faced this battle. Today the main issues are mostly around gender, sexuality, marriage. But even within the church the authority of the Bible and the place of Jesus Christ are both being constantly undermined. It’s tempting and makes for an easy life and a quick win to walk the way of the world. Then we would face no opposition, no difficult questions from our friends, no online condemnation.

The problem is, ‘There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.’

As Christians we have a responsibility – out of duty and love – to share the truth with the world that needs it. After all, if someone is heading towards death, is it not loving to warn them, to try to save their life?

And that is key: speaking the truth, warning people, must come from a place of love and humility. And, no-one will follow or listen to us if we ourselves are not walking in the way that leads to life, the way of Jesus Christ. So the first question is: are you?

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:

Rose Swaddle, Linda Dearne, Simon Dearne

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: Evangelism & Outreach

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.