[Did you miss last Sunday’s services? They can still be found at Worship Archive – October 31st 2021.]
Sunday Service from Connexion for November 7th 2021:
Sunday Services from Hillside Circuit for November 7th 2021:
Theme: God’s eyes are on His Children
Occasion: 7th Before Christmas
Psalm 127
Ruth 3: 1-5
Hebrews 9: 24-28
Mark 12: 38-44
[Click or tap on a Bible reference above to jump down the page to the Bible reading to listen and/or 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, or go to the Songs for worship webpage to find them embedded.
Longing for light we wait in darkness (Christ be our light).
Before the throne of God above.
Majesty (Here I am).
We bow down and confess you are Lord in this place.
Master, speak! thy servant heareth.
My faith looks up to Thee.
Christ be beside me Christ be before me.
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:
Sermons:
Bible readings:
Psalm 127
1 Without the help of the LORD
it is useless to build a home or to guard a city.
2 It is useless to get up early and stay up late
in order to earn a living.
God takes care of his own, even while they sleep.
3 Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD.
4 Having a lot of children
to take care of you in your old age
is like a warrior with a lot of arrows.
5 The more you have, the better off you will be,
because they will protect you
when your enemies attack with arguments.
Ruth 3
1 One day, Naomi said to Ruth:
It’s time I found you a husband, who will give you a home and take care of you.
2 You have been picking up grain alongside the women who work for Boaz, and you know he is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be threshing the grain. 3 Now take a bath and put on some perfume, then dress in your best clothes. Go where he is working, but don’t let him see you until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Watch where he goes to spend the night, then when he is asleep, lift the cover and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do.
5 Ruth answered, “I’ll do whatever you say.”
Hebrews 9
24 This is why Christ did not go into a tent that had been made by humans and was only a copy of the real one. Instead, he went into heaven and is now there with God to help us.
25 Christ did not have to offer himself many times. He wasn’t like a high priest who goes into the most holy place each year to offer the blood of an animal. 26 If he had offered himself every year, he would have suffered many times since the creation of the world. But instead, near the end of time he offered himself once and for all, so that he could be a sacrifice that does away with sin.
27 We die only once, and then we are judged. 28 So Christ died only once to take away the sins of many people. But when he comes again, it will not be to take away sin. He will come to save everyone who is waiting for him.
Mark 12
38 As Jesus was teaching, he said:
Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes and be greeted in the market. 39 They like the front seats in the meeting places and the best seats at banquets. 40 But they cheat widows out of their homes and pray long prayers just to show off. They will be punished most of all.
41 Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. 42 Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were worth only a few pennies. 43 Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said:
I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 44 Everyone else gave what they didn’t need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn’t have a cent to live on.
Children’s Address for Hillside Circuit on November 7th 2021, with Mrs Talenta Chakoma:
I greet you all in the mighty name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.
I hope you are all well and the Lord is protecting you always.
Theme : God’s eye is on His children.
Reading : Mark 12:38-44
Long time ago during Jesus’s time, in Israel there used to be a group of Leaders who were really proud of themselves, they were called the Pharisees or the teachers of the law. Jesus was not amazed by them because they always did things so that all other people will always think there are holy and good. They always did things for show off and to be seen.
Even when praying they would pray with so many word for show off and not for worshipping God and this did not please God and Jesus Christ thus why he always told people to be better than these teachers of the law.
From where we read we heard Jesus requesting the people not to be like the Pharisees, whom he said liked to wear most beautiful robe so that they will be envied by people. The will be looking all smart and always were given good seat at weddings and at church since they were wearing nice clothes.
Please note that there is nothing bad about wearing good and beautiful clothes but it was only condemned here because these teachers of law did it for show off, for pride and for getting noticed by people.
God does not like people who do things out for pride, for show off or to be envied. He however loves people who are humble and caring about others.
God therefore calls his children not to be like these guys, but to be humble and thankful for what they have been given by him.
Let’s say we are at school and someone does not bring their lunch box or pen, because their parents cannot afford to give them.
A bad child will share her food for show off, she will be like “guys you see am so generous am sharing my food with this poor girl, her family are so poor to afford a lunch box” and everyone in the class will be like “wow! You are so generous” such sharing God does not delight in it. God does not like people who act generous only for Show off but he likes those that help because they want to help and not to be known for helping.
So a child of God when she/he share her food she will do it secretly without letting others know or even showing off about it and this God delights in hence they will get their reward from God.
A Wow!! from the people can only go so far, the reward for people it’s just a wow and nothing else, but a WOW!! from God is the best, it’s accompanied by reward like blessings, protection from God and Long life.
Remember our topic says God’s eye is always on his children, even when we are doing things to show off before the People God is watching and even when we do it for good reason he is still watching.
I urge you today that may you be a God pleaser so that your reward might come from God and not a people pleaser who will receive the reward from the people.
Prayer.
Loving God, we thank you for the blessings that you have given us, food to eat, warm places to sleep and parents who love us. Teach us to share the amazing gifts that you have given to us with those who need them. Protect us Lord from various dangers like corona virus and all other diseases. We ask all this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
God bless you all. Amen.
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 