Tag: Bible

Daily Devotions for Wednesday 9th September, 2020

Morning
Look Upward and Pray to hear and receive from Jesus

Reading : JOSHUA chapter 7

Meditation : consider these particular words this morning.
Achan’s sin.
What words and images stay with you?
What is God saying to you today as your day starts?
Is there a response God is asking of you?

And then pray in response – to this God of ours
Looking again at verses 20 and 26 as you turn to prayer

O LORD our God,
Hear us
Forgive us
Clean us
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Midday
Pray God’s blessing on the land and people of Bangladesh at this time
LORD, hear our prayers and bless them real good we ask.

Evening
Reading : read these set verses again from JOSHUA 7
Humbly reflect on what you read and then pray in response – for yourself and
for others you have met during this day

LORD God, Father God, hear our many different prayers
As we receive your forgiveness again
As we name others we are concerned about at this time
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sharing God’s Word – a short course

‘Sharing God’s Word – what can we learn from the early church in Acts?’ Led by Jared Hay

This short course is intended to complement the Sunday studies in the Gospels on ‘Sharing God’s Word,’ and the aim is to try to understand how the Early Church shared the Good News in their cultural context. That means investigating the context in which they lived, what they said and did, who said it and did it, and what intentional strategies they adopted to make sure the message was disseminated as widely as possible.

The course will run on Zoom over four Thursday evenings (7.30 – 9pm) spaced out to allow Link groups to meet between sessions to discuss what they’ve learned and how it might be applied in our cultural context. Some discussion questions are provided to help facilitate exploring and applying what has been learned. Members of the congregation are encouraged to join both the course and also a Link group for the follow-up discussion. Please do contact Caroline Barlee, John or Jared if you need help finding a group to join.

15 October – The world they lived in – honour and shame, money, sex and power in the First Century.
What are the major things that shape our cultures today?
How have they influenced the Church’s relationship with others?

29 October – The Word they shared – what was the message the Early Church took to the world?
What actions accompanied the message?
Does the word and action we share reflect the breadth of the activity of the early church?
Are there special emphases that might be useful to highlight when sharing with different groups and cultures?

12 November – The people who shared the Word – who were they and what were they like?
What qualities are needed to share the good news?

26 November – The strategies they used to share the Word – big pictures and jig-saw pieces.
Thinking of our context, what strategies might we adopt for sharing the good news, and how would we need to change to fulfil them?

Daily Devotions for Tuesday 8th September, 2020

Upper Room day – time out with God

Morning
Look Upward and Pray to hear and receive from Father God

Reading : JOSHUA chapter 6

Meditation : consider all that happens here… at the start of your day.
The Fall of Jericho!
What images or words stay with you?
What is God saying to you from His Word?
Is there a Jericho in your life?

And then Pray in response to what you have read
Taking time to wait before God
Invite the Holy Spirit to knock down walls
In your life
In the lives of others
In our world

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
I have read these words
And now I pray for you to work them out
as a living reality in my life – even today
Thy Kingdom come
Thy why will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Midday
Take time to listen for God to speak with you at this time of day
…..and respond to His voice….
Invite Him to point out any Jericho in your life at this time
And ask His help to knock them walls down!
Father God…thank you.

Evening
Reading : read the verses again from JOSHUA 6
Reflect prayerfully on these words…. And then pray as your day closes

LORD God, our great God,
For all of today
I thank You,
Even for those things that have caused me fear and concern.
Help me to rest in Your unfailing love and on Your faithful Word
As I wait for tomorrow.
As I look around at this world
In these days.
Have mercy O Lord!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Devotions for Monday 7th September, 2020

Morning
Look Upward and Pray to hear and receive from the LORD God, the Eternal One

Reading : JOSHUA chapter 3

Meditation : take time to consider these words about
the People of Israel crossing the River Jordan.
Which words or images stay with you?
What is God teaching or reminding you today from these events?

Then take time to Pray in response
Including for those known to you at this time making a life journey

LORD God,
The God of Jordan river-crossings,
Have mercy on us and those we name before you we ask.
O lead us
Help us
Even today
To take a step forward by faith.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Midday
Pray God’s blessing on the land and people of South Sudan
O LORD, hear our prayers at this time of day and have mercy we ask.

Evening
Reading : read the verses again from JOSHUA 3
Reflect on their meaning for you at this time and pray in response…to this God

O Living and True God, our heavenly Father, hear our evening prayers
And forgive us our sins where we have not followed you this day
As we forgive those who sinned against us even today.
O pour out a blessing on those we name before you
As we step into tomorrow.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Devotions for Sunday 6th September, 2020

Morning
Look Upward and Pray to hear and receive from God, the Holy Spirit, on this Sunday

Reading : PSALM 119 verse 90

Meditation : take time to consider this part of the psalm.
What is God saying to you today from his Word?
What are you encouraged and challenged by?

Pray in response to what you have read and considered
Pray for our morning service of worship together to evidence God at work

In Jesus’ name
Today this is my prayer
For I believe and trust in Him
Today this is our prayer
For we believe and trust in Him
Amen.

Midday
Pray the Prayer for the Month as your own Midday Prayer

In Joshua we see Israel in the wilderness and the lesson that fullness of your will in us is through Jesus and not the law.
Lord, just as your people Israel experienced swollen rivers and walled cities, so do we today with viruses and sickness, people lost in darkness, man’s inhumanity to man, poverty and hardship close to home. Equip us in your strength to overcome. Bring us into your fullness; deliverance, healing and abundant living; and plant in us the fruit of your Spirit. Help us face the future with courage and keep us fixed on your Word.
Lord, your people had to wait faithfully and patiently to enter the promised land; they suffered loss when Moses, their leader, was taken from them but you met them in their loss and provided for them a new leader to take them through.
When we become impatient in waiting for you to act we need to remember that you operate on a whole different level to our understanding. Please help us to trust and feel your presence with us as we wait on you.
Thank you for your promise that you will never leave us alone.
Amen

Evening
Reading : read Psalm 119.90 again as your day ends
Reflect on the truths beyond the words and then Pray to this God …our God
Including for others known to you in need at this time

O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, hear our evening prayers
As we praise You for who You are
As we return our thanks to you for the blessings of this Sunday.
As we name others in need before You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.