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:

Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6.9 (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.

I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. (NIV)

I walked through the fields and vineyards of a lazy, stupid person. They were full of thorn bushes and overgrown with weeds. The stone wall around them had fallen down. 32 I looked at this, thought about it, and learned a lesson from it: Go ahead and take your nap; go ahead and sleep. Fold your hands and rest awhile, but while you are asleep, poverty will attack you like an armed robber. (GNB)

Proverbs 24.30-34

What do you work hard at? When are you lazy? Or, to put it another way: what are you poor in?

One of my favourite preachers is a man called Rico Tice. He’s a wonderful evangelist and an engaging speaker – and one of his recent messages contained a story about an old friend of his who said this: ‘failure is success in things that don’t matter’. When I heard those words they resonated so deeply with me.

This Proverb does not mean that rest is bad, and this Proverb does not mean that we should spend every waking hour working and toiling away. Having a Sabbath rest isn’t important to the Bible, it’s literally vital, and baked into the very fabric of creation itself.

However, working hard is a good thing – provided we work hard at things that matter. Hence my question: what are you poor in? Forget money and possessions – they are useful but they are not what’s most important. How about patience? Honesty? Faith? Hope? Love? Godliness? Self-control? What are you poor in?

I wonder how much our lives would change if we weren’t so lazy, if we didn’t so easily slumber and sleep, when it came to following Jesus…

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:

Robins Family (Daniel, Joanna, Rachel, Steve)

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: PCC & Standing Committee

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.