Education Sunday

​Your life is like this book. In the eyes of Jesus, by choosing to follow him, you are making a clean start -
turning over a new leaf/page.

​Happy new year!
Thoughts about our Methodist Heritage & what makes us
different and distinctive.
I wish us all a happy new year, filled with blessings, challenges
and encouragements - to the glory of God.

​StF 136 Morning has broken

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Let us confess our sins to God.
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought and word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy,
forgive what we have been, help us to amend what
we are, and direct what we shall be;
that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen

If we confess our sins,
God is faithful and just
and will forgive our sins,
and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.
Amen. Thanks be to God.

Gracious God,
whose love for the world is revealed in your
Son our Saviour:
grant that he may live in our hearts by faith,
and be proclaimed in our lives by love;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be glory and praise, now and for ever.
Amen.

Ezekiel 33:7-11 New International Version
​7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give
them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not
speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold
you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not
do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.
10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we
are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares
the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways
and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

StF 652 Lord we come to ask your healing

Matthew 18:15-20 New International Version Dealing With Sin in the Church
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you,
you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may
be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; 
and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by
my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Romans 13:8-14 New International Version Love Fulfills the Law
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others
has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall
not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one
command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment
of the law.
The Day Is Near11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up
from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over;
the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us
behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery,
not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about
how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Children, Young people &; Education System - Turning over a new leaf.
New Academic Year started: -
New year, New teacher, new school building, new equipment.
Compare 2 note books - one used, scribbled in; the other brand new.
Your life is like this book. In the eyes of Jesus, by choosing to follow him, you are making a clean start
- turning over a new leaf/page.
Clean starts are great - if you had a bad year .
What didnt go too well last year? Let;s start again…

Enjoy your new year. Remember we are here for you, and I hope
we;ll have the opportunity for you to share with us some of the
things you will learn.

Reflections - Tough love and the church
Ezekiel tells us about love and the rest of the world.
What happens when we have a message for the world and fail to give it?
What happens when we give the message and the people dont listen?
In Romans Paul writes to this persecuted church about Love and the Law. Love is the fulfilling of the Law.
This is the direct response to the people who say Christianity is about all the things we can;t do ....
Don’t have any other gods, don;t murder, don;t covet, . …
Yes, the law give us boundaries .. where there seems to be no law – the people behave
intolerably. (Fear of punishment controls behaviour).
But we;re also given open invitations to join in God;s mission​
In Matthew we have Jesus teaching about tough love.
What do you do with someone whose actions are potentially
destructive to the life of the fellowship/members of the
fellowship - or even that person him/herself?
We are given a reasonable process. With the promise that we
are not alone, and resources can be available if we learn how to ask:
If 2 agree about anything you ask for - it will be done...
(How easy is it to agree on something?)
Over the coming weeks and months we’ll learn more about this
asking, this being together – not just physically in the same
space, but of one mind, one purpose, one will, one Spirit.
Where 2 or 3 come together in Jesus; name, he;s promised to be there with them.
So, today - at this moment - as we are gathered - The Lord is here; His spirit is with us …
Amen!

StF 615 Let love be real

Prayers (based on H&P 407, The law of Christ alone ) & LP
The law of Christ alone can make us free,
And love is the fulfilling of the law.
Sisters and brothers are we as God’s children
But will the parenthood of God be known
If we do not reflect his love to others?
In charity and justice God is shown
The law of Christ alone can make us free
And love is the fulfilling of the law.
Millions believe the law of life is cunning
Within a world of cruelty and greed;
How can they know God’s charity and justice
If helping hands have never reached their need?
The law of Christ alone can make us free
And love is the fulfilling of the law.
Christ is at work through us who are his body:
He chooses us to witness and to teach,
To heal and raise and liberate and strengthen,
To be his hands and eyes, his heart and speech:
The law of Christ alone can make us free
And love is the fulfilling of the law.
There is no promise that we shall not suffer,
No promise that we shall not need to fight;
Only the word that love is our redemption,
And freedom comes by turning to the light.
The law of Christ alone can make us free
And love is the fulfilling of the law.

The Lords 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

​StF 30 Jesus stand among us

We pray for other people
God, most gracious and most holy,
grant us the help of your Spirit
as we pray for the Church and the world.
We pray for the Church in every land . . .
for this church and for other local churches
that we may worship and serve you
with reverence and joy.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
We pray for the peoples of the world . . .
and for the leaders of the nations . . .
that all may work together for justice
and peace.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us
We pray for those who are ill
or distressed . . .
for the lonely and the bereaved . . .
and for those in any other need or trouble . . .
that they may be comforted and sustained.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us
Father, we remember before you
all your servants who have died in the
faith of Christ . . .
We pray that we too may lead faithful and
godly lives in this world,
and finally share with all the saints
in everlasting joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

StF 608 All praise to our redeeming Lord

The blessing of God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
remain with you always. Amen.

Go in peace in the power of the Spiri
to live and work to God's praise and glory.
Thanks be to God. Amen.