Readings for this week:
​Esther 7:1-6, 9-10 and 9:20-22
Mark 9:38-50
 
Inclusive God, we gather together.
Welcoming God, we come to you.
Valuing God, we see our worth in you.
Challenging God, open our ears to your words,
open our minds to explore your ways,
open our hearts to receive all that you offer.
Loving God, we come to you.
Amen.
 
The recording of the sermon can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/Sxxywymv6og

The Road to Greatness
(Mark 9:30-37)

In today’s story the disciples clearly had ego problems, arguing amongst themselves about positioning in the coming kingdom. Jesus takes them aside and works on their attitude issues!

There is a generic lesson here about allowing Jesus to sit with us and work on our issues, and a particular lesson about the road to greatness.

To view the recording of this week’s sermon, go to https://youtu.be/X94aC7AzbeM

The text of the sermon, as well as the service sheet for this week, can be found on our News page.

The Big Reveal

Text: Mark 8:27-38

This passage involves a big reveal and a big invitation!

The reveal happens in 3 parts:-

• Who do people say I am?
• Who do you say I am?
• Let me explain more fully who I am!

 
And there are 3 steps to the invitation:

• Follow me
• Follow my example
• Welcome to life in all its fullness

We explore all of these in today’s sermon, which can be viewed here:
​https://youtu.be/L37uADB4poo

Motivated Faith!
Text: Mark 7:24-30

This passage seems to record a sharp and offensive interaction between Jesus and this Syro-Phoenician woman. She comes to Jesus with a request to help her daughter, and he rejects her with an abusive insult! What is going on here? This is hard to equate with the kind and compassionate Jesus who goes out of his way to help those on the margins and those in trouble!

Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/2KeZYu0m2cE
or download the pdf from our News page.

We also have a set of Bible Readings & Prayers for 6th – 17th September, which you may like to use for your own devotions.