Serve The City

Reflect (November 24, 2019)

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Welcome to the Sunday Gathering recap (songs, hymns, liturgy and sermon). This blog gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you heard in the gathering or catch up if you weren’t able to be with us.

*The indented sections are responses read aloud by the congregation during the Gathering


SERVE THE CITY: John 13

CALL TO WORSHIP

Praise the LORD, my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them he remains faithful for ever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The LORD reigns for ever, for all generations. Praise the LORD.

Based on Psalm 146

Song: O For a Thousand Tongues

Song: All Praise to Him

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

We've already heard of the generous and compassionate God we have. Bible tells us that He is the giver of every good gift He showers those good gifts down on the world he has made Yet so often we are ungrateful for his gifts We assume that they are things we deserve and have a right to have And instead of using them to love God & love other people. We use them for selfish gain. We are selfish with our time, money, resources and yet God has been so generous towards us. Take a moment to confess to God the ways in which you can be selfish with the gifts God has given you and to reflect on his generosity shown to us in Christ.

Jesus himself tells us:

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

God has been generous to us in giving his son to free us and save us from our sin. We are only able to serve others and demonstrate generosity because of the way we have already been served by Christ.

Song: Forgiven

PASSING OF THE PEACE

PREACHING OF THE WORD

Tom Thrower preached from God’s word to us this Sunday as part of our Serve the City gathering from John 13:1-17. Listen to the sermon audio here:

COMMUNION

Every week we want to respond to what God has done for us in Jesus. One of the great ways he has provided for us to remember the truth of the gospel is giving us communion. As we take the bread and wine we remember what Jesus has done for us.

POST COMMUNION READING

Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.

We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.

We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: When I Survey

Song: Man of Sorrows (Oh the Rugged Cross)

COMMITMENT READING

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

He was in the form of God, but did not count equality with God something to be grasped. He emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant and humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

(Based on Philippians 2:3-8)

Song: Christ is Risen

BENEDICTION

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

(1 Corinthians 15:58)

Peace be with you.

And also with you.

Prepare (November 24, 2019)

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This blog gives you a glimpse into the upcoming Sunday Gathering. It's an opportunity to read through the passage we'll be studying together, pray through some of the liturgy we'll be using, and listen to a selection of the songs we’ll be singing


SERVE THE CITY

SERMON

This Sunday is our Serve the City gathering where we’ll hear about different the projects our city groups have been involved in over the weekend. Tom Thrower will be preaching to us on Jesus’ example of service from John 13:1-17.

LITURGY

COMMITMENT READING

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

He was in the form of God, but did not count equality with God something to be grasped. He emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant and humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

(Based on Philippians 2:3-8)


 MUSIC

  • Man of Sorrows (Hillsong): A song that focuses on the cross of Christ and on his death and resurrection which is where our salvation was achieved.

  • Forgiven (Sovereign Grace): A song of confession that speaks of the selfish ways we can misuse the gifts God has given us and yet the forgiveness that we can know in Christ.

Reflect (November 11, 2018)

Reflect.png

Welcome to the Sunday Gathering recap (songs, hymns, liturgy and sermon). This blog gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you heard in the gathering or catch up if you weren’t able to be with us.

*The indented sections are responses read aloud by the congregation during the Gathering


SERVE THE CITY - Galatians 6

CALL TO WORSHIP

Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Philippians 2:6-11)

Song: Saviour of the World

Song: Fountain of Goodness

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

We've already heard of the generous God we have. He is the giver of good gifts, yet so often we are ungrateful for his gifts and use them for selfish gain. We are selfish creatures, selfish with our time, money, resources and yet God has been generous towards us. Take a moment to confess to God the ways in which you can be selfish with the gifts God has given you and to reflect on his generosity shown to us in Christ.

Jesus himself tells us: For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

God has been generous to us in giving his son to free us and save us from our sin. We are only able to serve others and demonstrate generosity because of the way we have already been served by Christ. Let's ask for God's help in this as we sing this next song together.

SongLead us Back

PASSING OF THE PEACE

PREACHING OF THE WORD

Tom Thrower preached to us from Galatians 6:1-10 look at how we help one another to carry our own load and bear one another’s burdens. Listen to that sermon here.

COMMUNION

Every week we want to respond to what God has done for us in Jesus. One of the great ways he has provided for us to remember the truth of the gospel is giving us communion. As we take the bread and wine we remember what Jesus has done for us.

POST COMMUNION READING

Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.

We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.

We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: Hallelujah What a Saviour

Song: See the Lamb of God

COMMITMENT READING

Father God, thank you for sending Jesus into this world to save us from our sin. In light of his sacrifice and service for us, help us to serve one another sacrificially. Help us to not feel overwhelmed by our own loads that we are unable to see the needs of those around us. Equip us by your Spirit to bear one another's burdens and share our burdens with others. Amen.

(based on Galatians 6:2-5)

Song: In Christ Alone

BENEDICTION

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Peace be with you.

And also with you.