Sunday Service from Hillside Circuit for May 4th 2025:
Lectionary Theme: Call to look after God`s flock
Occasion: 3rd Sunday of Easter
Lectionary readings:
Psalm 30
Acts 9: 1-6(7-20)
Revelation 5: 11-14
John 21: 1-19
[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.
All praise to our redeeming Lord.
O Heavenly King.
Jesus calls us.
Onward Christian soldiers.
There’s a light.
May the Lord.
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 30
1 I will praise you, LORD!
You saved me from the grave
and kept my enemies from celebrating my death.
2 I prayed to you, LORD God, and you healed me,
3 saving me from death and the grave.
4 Your faithful people, LORD, will praise you with songs
and honour your holy name.
5 Your anger lasts a little while,
but your kindness lasts for a lifetime.
At night we may cry,
but when morning comes we will celebrate.
6 I was carefree and thought, “I’ll never be shaken!”
7 You, LORD, were my friend,
and you made me strong as a mighty mountain.
But when you hid your face, I was crushed.
8 I prayed to you, LORD, and in my prayer I said,
9 “What good will it do you if I am in the grave?
Once I have turned to dust,
how can I praise you or tell how loyal you are?
10 Have pity, LORD! Help!”
11 You have turned my sorrow into joyful dancing.
No longer am I sad and wearing sackcloth.
12 I thank you from my heart, and I will never stop
singing your praises, my LORD and my God.
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Acts 9
1 Saul kept on threatening to kill the LORD’S followers. He even went to the high priest 2 and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the LORD’S Way. 3 When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, “Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?”
5 “Who are you?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus,” the Lord answered. “I am the one you are so cruel to. 6 Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.”
7 The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, 9 and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.
10 A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, “Lord, here I am.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying, 12 and he has seen a vision. He saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so that he could see again.”
13 Ananias replied, “Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem. 14 Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your name.”
15 The Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for worshipping in my name.”
17 Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, “Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized. 19 Then he ate and felt much better.
For several days Saul stayed with the LORD’S followers in Damascus. 20 Soon he went to the Jewish meeting places and started telling people that Jesus is the Son of God.
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Revelation 5
11 As I looked, I heard the voices of a lot of angels around the throne and the voices of the living creatures and of the elders. There were millions and millions of them, 12 and they were saying in a loud voice,
“The Lamb who was killed is worthy to receive power,
riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory, and praise.”
13 Then I heard all beings in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea offer praise. Together, all of them were saying,
“Praise, honour, glory, and strength forever and ever
to the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!”
14 The four living creatures said “Amen,” while the elders knelt down and worshipped.
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John 21
1 Jesus later appeared to his disciples along the shore of Lake Tiberias. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, and the brothers James and John, were there, together with two other disciples. 3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing!”
The others said, “We will go with you.” They went out in their boat. But they didn’t catch a thing that night.
4 Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize who he was. 5 Jesus shouted, “Friends, have you caught anything?”
“No!” they answered.
6 So he told them, “Let your net down on the right side of your boat, and you will catch some fish.”
They did, and the net was so full of fish that they could not drag it up into the boat.
7 Jesus’ favourite disciple told Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon heard that it was the Lord, he put on the clothes that he had taken off while he was working. Then he jumped into the water. 8 The boat was only about a hundred yards from shore. So the other disciples stayed in the boat and dragged in the net full of fish.
9 When the disciples got out of the boat, they saw some bread and a charcoal fire with fish on it. 10 Jesus told his disciples, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” 11 Simon Peter got back into the boat and dragged the net to shore. In it were one hundred fifty-three large fish, but still the net did not rip.
12 Jesus said, “Come and eat!” But none of the disciples dared ask who he was. They knew he was the Lord. 13 Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave some of it to his disciples. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from death.
15 When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, he asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?”
Simon Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I do!”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus said.
16 Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you!”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus told him.
17 Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”
Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you for certain that when you were a young man, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands. Then others will wrap your belt around you and lead you where you don’t want to go.”
19 Jesus said this to tell how Peter would die and bring honour to God. Then he said to Peter, “Follow me!”
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[Did you miss last week’s Sunday Services? They can now be found at Worship Archive – April 27th 2025.]
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 
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