Reflect (February 2, 2020)

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

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CALL TO WORSHIP

Being a Christian is not about trying to be a better person
It isn’t about trying to live a life good enough life to please God

Christianity is about grace

About God’s undeserved loving kindness towards people just like us

It is about how he has come to seek and save the lost

It’s about his invite, through his Son Jesus, to enter into his family
To live under his kind, just and good kingship

So as we gather together as the church, we remember that we have a different king and we belong to a different kingdom
Let me invite you to stand with me as we join our voices together and declare that God is our King
Join with me in reading aloud anything you see that is underlined

You, O LORD Most High, are awesome, the great King over all the earth! 

You are the King over all the earth and we will sing your praise.

You are the maker of heaven and earth, majesty and honour surround you. 

You are the King over all the earth and we will sing your praise.

You reign over the nations; you are seated on your holy throne. 

You are the King over all the earth and we will sing your praise. 

(Based on Psalm 47 & 96)

SONG: ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING

SONG: MY ONE COMFORT

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

Let me lead us in this prayer of confession

Father God as we are reminded of your glory and majesty, we confess that so often we forget how far we are from you. We are quick to build ourselves up and quick to look down on others. Forgive us for judging one another, thinking we are better than one another. 

Remind us that all of us have sinned and fallen short of your standards. We are all
undeserving of your grace and yet you have lavishly poured it onto us. Amen.

Even though we deserved God's judgement, Jesus took the judgement that was ours on the cross so that we might be freed from the power of sin. God tells us in his word that if we repent and turn to Jesus, we find life. Hear these words of assurance about our great and perfect saviour now:

"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds we have been healed."

(1 Peter 2:22-24)

SONG: FORGIVEN

PASSING OF THE PEACE

Jesus death and resurrection means our sins are forgiven and we have been made right with God. We can know peace with God and peace with one another because of this. One way we like to demonstrate this peace is by greeting those around us at this point in our gathering.

PASTORAL PRAYER

READING OF THE WORD

PREACHING OF THE WORD

Gary Aston preached from God’s word to us this Sunday as we continued in our series on church planting. Click here to listen to that sermon.

PRE-COMMUNION READING

COMMUNION

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: HERE IS LOVE

SONG: NEW AGAIN

COMMITMENT READING

Join me in reading the underlined parts of this prayer as we prepare to leave:

Father God, we ask that you would teach us what true treasure looks like in Jesus. Teach us to look beyond the lesser treasures we so easily settle for.

By your Spirit, give us eyes to see the riches that are ours in Christ Jesus and help us to share those riches with all those around us. AMEN

SONG: IT IS FINISHED

BENEDICTION

Hear this benediction as we close our gathering:

May you leave knowing Jesus as your true king. May you know the comfort of his presence with you. May you know the confidence of his rule over you. And may our lives reflect more and more the beauty of our King.

Peace be with you

And also with you.

Prepare (February 2, 2020)

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.

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CHURCH PLANTING: Planting & sacrifice.

SERMON

Gary Aston will be preaching from God’s word to us continuing in our series on church planting.

LITURGY

CALL TO WORSHIP

Being a Christian is not about trying to be a better person
It isn’t about trying to live a life good enough life to please God

Christianity is about grace

About God’s undeserved loving kindness towards people just like us

It is about how he has come to seek and save the lost

It’s about his invite, through his Son Jesus, to enter into his family To live under his kind, just and good kingship

So as we gather together as the church, we remember that we have a different king and we belong to a different kingdom
Let me invite you to stand with me as we join our voices together and declare that God is our King
Join with me in reading aloud anything you see that is underlined

L: You, O LORD Most High, are awesome, the great King over all the earth! 

C: You are the King over all the earth and we will sing your praise.

L: You are the maker of heaven and earth, majesty and honour surround you. 

C: You are the King over all the earth and we will sing your praise.

L: You reign over the nations; you are seated on your holy throne. 

C: You are the King over all the earth and we will sing your praise. 

(Based on Psalm 47 & 96)

MUSIC

All Creatures of our God and King: A song of praise and worship of our God, the author and sustainer of life.

It is Finished (Dustin Kensrue): A reminder that our sin has been dealt with in Jesus' death and resurrection, our redemption has been accomplished. 

Reflect (January 26, 2020)

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

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CHURCH PLANTING: Planting and prayer.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Sunday when we gather together we have an opportunity to praise God as a community. To join our voices together to sing and to declare God's greatness. So let's join together as we begin with this call to worship:

Praise be to you, LORD, from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honour come from you; you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

(1 Chronicles 29:10-13)

SONG: HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD

SONG: EVERLASTING GOD

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

Even though we've experienced God's saving power in our lives we still choose to love other things before Him. We exchange the glory of God for worldly things. We orientate our lives around possessions, status, security. We love ourselves instead of God and centre lives on our pleasures and reputation. God tells us in his word that we've exchanged the truth about God for a lie, we've worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator. We love so many other things before God, the one who has given us everything and place our trust in them.

Take a moment to reflect on that, to reflect on where you put your trust and what you centre your life on. To confess your sin before God and seek his forgiveness.

Whilst we were still sinners, Jesus died for us, he took the wrath of God upon him for our sin, for our rebellion and yet we can now know freedom and salvation because of him.

SONG: MY ONE COMFORT

PASSING OF THE PEACE

Because of Christ's work on the cross, his death and resurrection, we have been brought back into communion with our God and have been made righteous! We have peace with our creator, our heavenly Father. And that same peace is among us this afternoon, because the Spirit of God unites us together in Christ!

READING OF THE WORD

PREACHING OF THE WORD

Steve Timmis preached from Ephesians 6:10-20 to us this Sunday as we continued in our series on church planting. Click here to listen to that sermon.

PRE-COMMUNION READING

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: JESUS PAID IT ALL

COMMITMENT READING

One thing we sometimes like to do as a church is affirm our faith and what we believe by reading the Apostle's Creed together. The Apostle's creed is a summary of what the church believes and teaches. As we say the Creed, we join Christians past and present, and from all over the world, in proclaiming our common faith. You'll notice the word 'catholic' is used which simply means the 'whole church' and is not referring to Roman Catholic here. So when we say I believe in the catholic church we mean that every follower of Jesus is a member of The church.

Would you like to join with me in reading these words together:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead;

he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

SONG: THIS I BELIEVE (THE CREED)

BENEDICTION

Brothers and Sisters, go, knowing that one day the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Peace be with you

And also with you.

Prepare (January 26, 2020)

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.

---

CHURCH PLANTING: Planting & prayer.

SERMON

Steve Timmis will be preaching from God’s word to us continuing in our series on church planting.

LITURGY

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

Even though we've experienced God's saving power in our lives we still choose to love other things before Him. We exchange the glory of God for worldly things. We orientate our lives around possessions, status, security. We love ourselves instead of God and centre lives on our pleasures and reputation. God tells us in his word that we've exchanged the truth about God for a lie, we've worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator. We love so many other things before God, the one who has given us everything and place our trust in them.

Take a moment to reflect on that, to reflect on where you put your trust and what you centre your life on. To confess your sin before God and seek his forgiveness.

Whilst we were still sinners, Jesus died for us, he took the wrath of God upon him for our sin, for our rebellion and yet we can now know freedom and salvation because of him.

MUSIC

My One Comfort (Dustin Kensrue): We will be learning a new song on Sunday, 'My One Comfort'. If you get the chance, have a listen to the song and come ready to worship together in the gathering.

Jesus Paid it All (Kings Kaleidoscope): A hymn that centers on the price Jesus paid to save us from our sin and the new life we are raised to in Christ.