Sunday Service from Hillside Circuit for July 27th 2025:
Lectionary Theme: Intercession, integrity and identity in Christ
Occasion: 7th Sunday after Pentecost
Lectionary readings:
Psalm 138
Genesis 18: 20-32
Colossians 2: 6-15, (16-19)
Luke 11: 1-13
[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.
I will enter His gates with thanksgiving.
Here is love vast as the ocean.
Beloved and Blessed.
Zvose zvinhu tinopa zvedu.
For the fruits of His creation.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God.
What a friend we have in Jesus.
Lord teach us how to pray aright.
Makwenziwe indumiso.
Prayers:
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 138
1 With all my heart I praise you, LORD.
In the presence of angels I sing your praises.
2 I worship at your holy temple
and praise you for your love and your faithfulness.
You were true to your word
and made yourself more famous than ever before.
3 When I asked for your help,
you answered my prayer and gave me courage.
4 All kings on this earth have heard your promises, LORD,
and they will praise you.
5 You are so famous that they will sing
about the things you have done.
6 Though you are above us all,
you care for humble people,
and you keep a close watch on everyone who is proud.
7 I am surrounded by trouble,
but you protect me against my angry enemies.
With your own powerful arm you keep me safe.
8 You, LORD, will always treat me with kindness.
Your love never fails.
You have made us what we are. Don’t give up on us now!
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Genesis 18
20 The LORD said, “Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things. 21 Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren’t, I want to know about it.”
22 The men turned and started toward Sodom. But the LORD stayed with Abraham, 23 who asked, “LORD, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good? 24 Wouldn’t you spare the city if there are only fifty good people in it? 25 You surely wouldn’t let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right.”
26 The LORD replied, “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed.”
27 Abraham answered, “I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, LORD, for daring to speak to you like this. 28 But suppose there are only forty-five good people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?”
“If I find forty-five good people,” the LORD replied, “I won’t destroy the city.”
29 “Suppose there are just forty good people?” Abraham asked.
“Even for them,” the LORD replied, “I won’t destroy the city.”
30 Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, LORD, if I ask you what you will do if there are only thirty good people in the city.”
“If I find thirty,” the LORD replied, “I still won’t destroy it.”
31 Then Abraham said, “I don’t have any right to ask you, LORD, but what would you do if you find only twenty?”
“Because of them, I won’t destroy the city,” was the LORD’S answer.
32 Finally, Abraham said, “Please don’t get angry, LORD, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only ten good people there.”
“For the sake of ten good people,” the LORD told him, “I still won’t destroy the city.”
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Colossians 2
6 You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.
8 Don’t let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ.
9 God lives fully in Christ. 10 And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority. 11 Christ has also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body. 12 And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death. 13 You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God’s people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins.
14 God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. 15 There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.
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Luke 11
1 When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray.”
2 So Jesus told them, “Pray in this way:
‘Father, help us to honour your name.
Come and set up your kingdom.
3 Give us each day the food we need.
4 Forgive our sins,
as we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us.
And keep us from being tempted.’ “
5 Then Jesus went on to say:
Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, “Let me borrow three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don’t have a thing for him to eat.” 7 And suppose your friend answers, “Don’t bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you something.”
8 He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend. But he will get up and give you as much as you need, simply because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.
9 So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. 10 Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. 11 Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? 12 Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? 13 As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.
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[Did you miss last week’s Sunday Services? They can now be found at Worship Archive – July 20th 2025.]
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 
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