[Did you miss last week’s Sunday Services? They can now be found at Worship Archive – January 22nd 2023.]
Sunday Service from Connexion for January 29th 2023:
Sunday Service from Hillside Circuit for January 29th 2023:
Lectionary Theme: God of the vulnerable and the powerful
Occasion: 4th After Epiphany
Lectionary readings:
Psalm 15
Micah 6: 1-8
1 Corinthians 1: 18-31
Matthew 5: 1-12
[Click or tap on a Bible reference above to jump down the page to the Bible reading to read it for yourself 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.
O my soul.
King of the ages.
O let the Son of God.
Hide me now under your wings (Still).
To be in your presence.
Breathe on me breath of God.
Be thou my vision.
May the Lord.
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 15
1 Who may stay in God’s temple
or live on the holy mountain of the LORD?
2 Only those who obey God and do as they should.
They speak the truth 3 and don’t spread gossip;
they treat others fairly and don’t say cruel things.
4 They hate worthless people,
but show respect for all who worship the LORD.
And they keep their promises, no matter what the cost.
5 They lend their money without charging interest,
and they don’t take bribes to hurt the innocent.
Those who do these things will always stand firm.
Micah 6
1 The LORD said to his people:
Come and present your case to the hills and mountains.
2 Israel, I am bringing charges against you
I call upon the mountains and the earth’s firm foundation
to be my witnesses.
3 My people, have I wronged you in any way at all?
Please tell me.
4 I rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to be your leaders.
5 Don’t forget the evil plans of King Balak of Moab
or what Balaam son of Beor said to him.
Remember how I, the LORD, saved you many times
on your way from Acacia to Gilgal.
6 What offering should I bring when I bow down to worship
the LORD God Most High?
Should I try to please him by sacrificing calves a year old?
7 Will thousands of sheep or rivers of olive oil
make God satisfied with me?
Should I sacrifice to the LORD my first-born child
as payment for my terrible sins?
8 The LORD God has told us what is right and what he demands:
“See that justice is done,
let mercy be your first concern,
and humbly obey your God.”
1 Corinthians 1
18 The message about the cross doesn’t make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God’s power at work. 19 As God says in the Scriptures,
“I will destroy the wisdom of all who claim to be wise.
I will confuse those who think they know so much.”
20 What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn’t God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? 21 God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him.
Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. 22 Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. 23 But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. 24 Our message is God’s power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen. 25 Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else.
26 My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn’t think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. 27 But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.
28 What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important. 29 God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him. 30 You are God’s children. He sent Christ Jesus to save us and to make us wise, acceptable, and holy. 31 So if you want to brag, do what the Scriptures say and brag about the Lord.
Matthew 5
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down.
Jesus’ disciples gathered around him, 2 and he taught them:
3 God blesses those people who depend only on him.
They belong to the kingdom of heaven!
4 God blesses those people who grieve.
They will find comfort!
5 God blesses those people who are humble.
The earth will belong to them!
6 God blesses those people who want to obey him
more than to eat or drink.
They will be given what they want!
7 God blesses those people who are merciful.
They will be treated with mercy!
8 God blesses those people whose hearts are pure.
They will see him!
9 God blesses those people who make peace.
They will be called his children!
10 God blesses those people
who are treated badly for doing right.
They belong to the kingdom of heaven.
11 God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12 Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 
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