(All our songs this morning are from Singing the Faith (StF) numbers will be given where available)
Welcome to our Sunday Service, today shared on paper across our circuit and with the congregation at Saltaire Methodist Church and led by Rhona North one of our Circuit Local Preachers.
Click on the blue links to follow them for bible readings and associated links
Welcome: Make yourself comfortable, sit warmly in your favourite chair. Relax and take a few deep breaths. Let the tiredness, loneliness, aches, pains and fears drift up into heaven into Jesus’ arms. See Him taking them from you and handing you, in exchange, an invitation to come up higher, to join with the angels, archangels, cherubim and seraphim along with all the saints in glory in worshipping Jesus. See Jesus sitting on His throne, in all His resurrection glory, seated on the right hand of His Father. He loves you and His invitation is to come closer and worship.
Song – 113 StF – O Worship the King
Prayers: Let’s think of the 4 words from the hymn:
Maker:
Father God, we praise you for being the maker of the universe, the master artist behind creation and making us , designed to worship you. We thank you for who you are, for your love for us, but most of all for making Jesus who loves us completely, so completely Hr died to save us. Thank you Father
Defender:
Thank you Father that you are a strong tower, that your defense is so solid no one can attack you. We can run to you and be safe knowing that every sin confessed to Jesus is washed clean. You then declare us not guilty and defend us against enemy attack. Thank you Father God
Redeemer
Thank you Father that you allowed your own Son to die in our place. We confess those things we have or haven’t done in this last week……
We see Jesus taking our sins from us and throwing them into the bin where we can’t get them back. You have freed us from our sin, delivering us safely from the hold the world has on us. You indeed are our redeemer Jesus. Come Holy Spirit and fall afresh on us, let us feel your power like the noise of a mighty waterfall, washing the silt, dirt and grit away. Thank you Jesus for doing this
Friend:
You walk with us into this worship, you sit beside us, we are so very thankful. We can call you Friend as you are so special, always have our best interests at heart and always keep our secrets.
Give thanks to God for all that’s in your heart……
Let his peace fall afresh on you….
Let’s join together, with the billions of Christian’s across the world who are praising God every hour….
The Lord’s Prayer
Song – 434 StF – God Forgave my Sin
Reading 1:
Luke 16: 1-13 – The Shrewd Manager
Talk: In Luke 15 we hear parables of lost things, God’s plan to rescue each and everyone. In Chapter 16 we find Jesus putting 2 parables together: the Shrewd Manager and Lazarus and the Rich man. They are both teaching us about riches. The rich man asks his manager to account for wasting his possessions, asks him to be accountable and suggests he can no longer be manager. He was hard pressed to find another job as he wasn’t strong enough to dig nor able to beg through the shame.
He knew people, if he reduced their debts would welcome him, so he went round the debtors. To the first he asked how much do you owe? 900 gallons of olive oil. Write a bill for 450 gallons. To the 2nd debtor how much do you owe? 1000 bushels of wheat. Write a bill for 800 bushels. The rich man was impressed with how wise the dishonest manager had been in handling money, believers would not be so. Jesus explained that those that can be trusted with a little can be trusted with a lot. Those that are dishonest with a little will be dishonest with a lot. Jesus goes on to explain if you’ve not been trustworthy with worldly riches how can we be trusted with the true riches of heaven, the kingdom. Jesus then goes on to say the famous line: you cannot serve 2 masters, it’s either God or money.
How do you think you steward the good news of Jesus? We need to be wise and look out for ourselves whilst sharing about Jesus, it’s a long term job! How much treasure have we managed to store up for Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit show you! Be encouraged it’s probably a lot more than you think!
Song – 254 StF – Seek ye first
Reading 2:
1 Timothy 2: 1-7 – Pray first of all for world leaders
Talk: Just how difficult?
Have you found it difficult at some point in your life to make ends meet? Difficult times financially? Difficult to keep within a budget? Difficult to make make the figures balance? Horrors when you’ve been made redundant, illness or a change in your circumstances? When you left home and started budgeting for yourself?
When different amounts came in at different points every 28 days do changed dates monthly? A tax return? Keeping invoices? That’s generally with one salary? Imagine being the one who accounts for a family’s finances feels? Imagine a business man with a small budget? A church or circuit treasurer? A large business man with finance officer? A clerk or financial officer of a council? Rachel Reeves? The higher up the difficulty chain the more they need our prayers. Yes they may have officers to help but how difficult it must be when it’s difficult enough through changing scenes of life to budget wisely. Paul here is advising his young protégé Timothy on how to run the church; start by praying for the leaders
Song – 638 StF – Through all the changing scenes
Prayers of Intercession:
- World Finances: Father God we pray firstly for nations and their leaders, for countries at war or suffering from natural disasters ( pray for those you know……. For the cost war and disaster incur: For fear of war being waged: Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestinian Territories, North and South Sudan, so many…
We pray for the work of the churches across the world, for a move of Your Spirit and a falling afresh on persecuted Christians, For stewarding the resources of heaven on earth
Lord in Your mercy, let all leaders steward worldly resources wisely, Amen
- 2. British Finances: Father God we pray for our own nation, for King Charles and Camilla, William and Kate, that the House of Windsor may steward resources wisely. For, Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, Rachel Reeves as treasurer, all clerks in the Treasury, and all who hold office. Pray for all that you worry about in the nation……
For the churches, especially the Methodist Church and pray for a continued new move of your Holy Spirit that’s bringing souls to salvation through the wise stewarding o.
Lord in Your mercy, let all steward British resources wisely, Amen
- 3. Yorkshire Finances: For also those in Yorkshire West led by Kerry Tankard, for Bradford North Circuit led by Phil, Nick and Joy. For our churches: Allerton, Baildon, Bolton, Calverley, Christchurch, Northcliffe, Saint Andrew’s, Saltaire, Thackley, Thornton and Wilsden. Pray for the shops, businesses charities and organizations in your local area and especially for your church treasurer and Clive Grimshaw the circuit treasurer. For CAP and all who help those in debt as individuals families and businesses.
For Christian’s persecuted here but most of all Lord continue to bring new people into our churches that they may know Jesus and be filled with Your Holy Spirit.
Lord in Your mercy, let all steward British resources wisely
- 4. People’s Finances: For friends, family, neighbours and colleagues that are struggling just now… name them. For those that need proof you have risen from the dead…. Name them. We lift them up. For those that need filling with your Spirit for peace comfort and salvation. For those with small incomes, those in debt, for changed circumstances in life affecting their resources.
May they be lifted Into your arms, Jesus.
Lord in Your mercy, let all whom we know be helped in the stewarding of their resources
- 5. Our finances: And lastly for ourselves that we be filled with your Spirit as we give you the things we have on next week, our worries hopes and dreams…. Fill us with Your Spirit, let us wait on you and tell those we meet the good news about Jesus. Take our diaries: the good things: birthdays, anniversaries, friends to chat and share a cuppa! For the difficult things: our income, budgets reconciliations, hospital visits and hard news, for treatments, for fear of dying, may we see you Jesus receiving us into Your loving arms and carrying us from earth to Heaven.
Lord in Your mercy, let us know You are the mighty steward of our needs, service and salvation. We ask all our prayers in Jesus’ name Amen
Offering: Lay before Him your monies, giving, time and talents
Song – 480 StF – The Lord’s my shepherd
Blessing:
May God walk before, beside and in front of you each day, Amen
