Sunday Service from Hillside Circuit for February 23rd 2025:
Lectionary Theme: Love conquers everything
Theme for Youth Sunday: Finding hope in the promises of God
Occasion: 7th Sunday after Epiphany
Lectionary readings:
Psalm 37: 1-11, 39-40
Genesis 45: 3-11, 15
1 Corinthians 15: 35-38, 42-50
Luke 6: 27-38
Readings for Youth Sunday:
Habakkuk 3: 17-18
Joel 2: 25-27
[Click or tap on a Bible reference above to jump down the page to the Bible reading to read it for yourself (and/or to listen to it) and then click or tap on Back to top to come back here.]
Songs:
Here are the songs for Sunday morning service. Click or tap on a song to open it in YouTube.
Hakuna wakaita sa Jesu.
Our God is an awesome God.
Light of the world.
Give thanks with a grateful heart.
In Christ alone.
It is well with my soul.
You can listen and join in with prayers from the English Methodist Service Book. They can be found at the Prayers for worship webpage.
Children’s Address:
Sermon:
Bible readings:
Psalm 37
1 Don’t be annoyed by anyone who does wrong,
and don’t envy them.
2 They will soon disappear like grass without rain.
3 Trust the LORD and live right!
The land will be yours, and you will be safe.
4 Do what the LORD wants,
and he will give you your heart’s desire.
5 Let the LORD lead you and trust him to help.
6 Then it will be as clear as the noonday sun
that you were right.
7 Be patient and trust the LORD.
Don’t let it bother you when all goes well for those
who do sinful things.
8 Don’t be angry or furious. Anger can lead to sin.
9 All sinners will disappear,
but if you trust the LORD, the land will be yours.
10 Sinners will soon disappear, never to be found,
11 but the poor will take the land
and enjoy a big harvest.
39 The LORD protects his people,
and they can come to him in times of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and saves them from the wicked
because they run to him.
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Genesis 45
3 Joseph asked his brothers if his father was still alive, but they were too frightened to answer. 4 Joseph told them to come closer to him, and when they did, he said:
Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. 5 Don’t worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.
6 There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plough fields or harvest grain. 7 But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way. 8 After all, you weren’t really the ones who sent me here – it was God. He made me the highest official in the king’s court and placed me over all Egypt.
9 Now hurry back and tell my father that his son Joseph says, “God has made me ruler of Egypt. Come here as quickly as you can. 10 You will live near me in the region of Goshen with your children and grandchildren, as well as with your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. 11 I will take care of you there during the next five years of famine. But if you don’t come, you and your family and your animals will starve to death.”
15 Joseph was still crying as he kissed each of his other brothers. After this, they started talking with Joseph.
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1 Corinthians 15
35 Some of you have asked, “How will the dead be raised to life? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36 Don’t be foolish. A seed must die before it can sprout from the ground. 37 Wheat seeds and all other seeds look different from the sprouts that come up. 38 This is because God gives everything the kind of body he wants it to have.
42 That’s how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. 43 These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. 44 As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies.
45 The first man was named Adam, and the Scriptures tell us that he was a living person. But Jesus, who may be called the last Adam, is a life-giving spirit. 46 We see that the one with a spiritual body did not come first. He came after the one who had a physical body. 47 The first man was made from the dust of the earth, but the second man came from heaven. 48 Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth. And everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven. 49 Just as we are like the one who was made out of earth, we will be like the one who came from heaven.
50 My friends, I want you to know that our bodies of flesh and blood will decay. This means that they cannot share in God’s kingdom, which lasts forever.
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Luke 6
27 This is what I say to all who will listen to me:
Love your enemies, and be good to everyone who hates you. 28 Ask God to bless anyone who curses you, and pray for everyone who is cruel to you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, don’t stop that person from slapping you on the other cheek. If someone wants to take your coat, don’t try to keep back your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who asks and don’t ask people to return what they have taken from you. 31 Treat others just as you want to be treated.
32 If you love only someone who loves you, will God praise you for that? Even sinners love people who love them. 33 If you are kind only to someone who is kind to you, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners are kind to people who are kind to them. 34 If you lend money only to someone you think will pay you back, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners lend to sinners because they think they will get it all back.
35 But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a great reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are unthankful and cruel. 36 Have pity on others, just as your Father has pity on you.
37 Jesus said:
Don’t judge others, and God won’t judge you. Don’t be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you. 38 If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.
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Habakkuk 3
17 Fig trees may no longer bloom,
or vineyards produce grapes;
olive trees may be fruitless,
and harvest time a failure;
sheep pens may be empty,
and cattle stalls vacant
18 but I will still celebrate
because the LORD God saves me.
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Joel 2
25 I, the LORD your God, will make up for the losses
caused by those swarms and swarms of locusts
I sent to attack you.
26 My people, you will eat until you are satisfied.
Then you will praise me
for the wonderful things I have done.
Never again will you be put to shame.
27 Israel, you will know that I stand at your side.
I am the LORD your God – there are no other gods.
Never again will you be put to shame.
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[Did you miss last week’s Sunday Services? They can now be found at Worship Archive – February 16th 2025.]
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 
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