Sing to the Lord, and praise him! Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us (Psalm 96.2, GNB).

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

Jesus said, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.’

Acts 1.8 (NIV)

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 23.17-18

If I’m honest, this is a tough one for me. There is something so tempting and attractive about the modern mindset which says you can do what you like (as long as you don’t get caught, or harm another person). And there is something so hard about sharing ‘the good news’ in that context, because to the world it sounds like bad news, because God says we can’t (do what we like)!

The thing is, God knew this would be a problem. Paul wrote to Timothy about the temptation for teachers to say what people want to hear, instead of the truth:

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather round them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

2 Timothy 4.3 (NIV)

And Jesus talked about how the world would react to those who follow him faithfully:

‘I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.’

John 17.14-17 (NIV)

One implicaction of Jesus’ prayer is that if the world doesn’t hate us, perhaps we are giving in to the temptation Paul warned Timothy about, and instead of sharing the truth we are sharing what people’s ‘itching ears’ want to hear.

For the real truth is that abundant life is not found in ‘following your heart’ or ‘doing what you think is right’ – it is found only in doing what God has told us is right, in following the way of Jesus. Is that your heart’s desire? Or like me do you struggle with envying people who don’t care about their sin?

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:

Irene Davies, Alan & Joyce Page, Rita Harris

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 Councillors

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.