Welcome to worship this morning. We are continuing our series looking at 1 Peter thinking about how we live the best life we can amongst the current circumstances. Claire is speaking today on living a new life. We meet on zoom for coffee and cake after the service at 12.15pm. The link is here
This week we begin our new six weeks Bible study series 'Lifting the Lid - exploring God's heart for mental health'. These studies will help us to gain a Christian perspective on mental health through well known Bible stories as well as help us to explore and understand different mental health diagnoses and how we can support people in our church and neighbourhood. With mental health suffering because of the pandemic, this is a good time to explore this issue from a Biblical perspective and seek to gain in understanding. The Bible Studies are open to everyone and will be repeated in two sessions - 8pm on Monday evening and 10.30am on Wednesday morning on the zoom link above.
On Saturday 13th February at 5pm we are holding FAMILY FORTUNES on zoom with our host Vic. All are welcome - login and get your thinking going, a chance to have a laugh and to see if you can guess what other people think! Our survey says....... (on the zoom link above - all welcome).
Worship
Call to Worship
Sing a new song!
For God has done wonderful things!
God sent Christ into the world
he moved into the neighbourhood
brought light in the darkness
and drew us closer to him.
Look - because of him –the old is gone
and we are new.
You are new.
I am new.
Each of us
All of us
A new creation in Christ
Shout for joy!
Sing a new song!
Songs for Worship
A playlist of songs is below - you might want to save the last two for before and after the sermon
New Life
Today our service is all about embracing the new life we have been given. Have a watch of this video telling the story of how Jesus brought new life to two people in Matthew 9:18-26
In just a few verses, there are two stories of transformation. A broken Father and a woman who has been ill for some time reach out to Jesus and ask him to help. What does he do?
He helps - in bigger ways than they could have ever asked. He accepted the woman and healed her, calling her his daughter. He took the hand of the child and brought life back into her body. Jesus reaches into death and brings life, reaches into mourning and brings joy, reaches into desperation and brings hope.
This story isn't just the story of changed lives for those families, it is the story of changed life for all of us. We have been given new life by Jesus - all the bad stuff - the sin - has been taken away and we can choose to live a life of love in his name.
As you think about this story you might want to get a piece of paper and draw round your hand on it and cut it out. Think about how the woman reached out to Jesus and Jesus reached out to the girl. He gave them both new life.
Write 'new life' in the middle of the hand.
What does it mean to have new life? Write words of thankfulness for the new life you have been given by Jesus in the hand. Pray and give thanks that we have a new beginning every day.
Prayers
Enoch brings our prayers today
Word
Our sermon is based on 1 Peter 1:13-2:3 you might want to read it first here
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