Readings:
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
 
Today we recall the faith of Abraham, who believed and trusted in God, even when there was no reason for hope.
 
Gracious and loving God, when we struggle to place our trust in you;
have mercy on us and forgive us.
Help us when we hesitate,
guide us when we are bewildered,
and strengthen us when we are weak.
Breathe your Spirit upon us
so that we may have the courage to follow Jesus
wherever he takes us. Amen.
“God will count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.” (Romans 4:24b-25)
Hear and believe these words about God's amazing grace.

Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/14G4dg8SOjU
 

Readings:
Genesis 9:8-17
Mark 1: 9-15
 
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
in this sanctuary where You meet us.
 
Research and thinking about the topic of the power of positivity, the attitude of gratitude, indicates that it is important in both the good times and the bad times. In fact, it comes into its own in times of difficulty.
 
You can watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/DleiLtkxRkE

Readings:
Matthew 5: 17-20
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
 
Happy are those who walk in God’s ways.
Blessed are those who observe God’s commandments.
Faithful are those whose eyes are fixed on righteousness.
Joyful are those whose hearts are filled with praise.
Come, let us love the Lord our God.
We come to worship the One
who leads us in the ways of life.
                                                (inspired by Psalm 119: 1-8)
 
This is the 4th sermon in a series that reflects on the research that shows people who belong to faith communities tend to live good and longer lives than average.

Based on this research, in an article called The Surprising Connections between Faith and Health, the writer Rob Moll comments: “If religious faith could be packaged in a pill, the stock price of drug companies would soar. Religion, not merely spirituality, is a profound predictor of health.”

One of the keys to winning at life is to know the guidelines and rules, the instructions and maker’s manual, and to follow them!
 
Watch the full sermon here: https://youtu.be/zJG-oBuLvvo

For those wishing to worship at home, our Bulletin/Service Sheet can be downloaded from our News page.

Readings:
Mark 1: 29-39
Philippians 4: 4-9

Research on the Healing Power of Prayer indicates that the well-being impact of prayer is increased when it is not only practiced alone, but also within a faith community.

Today’s passage from Mark’s gospel is an early look at a day in the life of Jesus, a ‘specimen day’ as one commentator coins it, and, clearly, Jesus’ daily rhythm was prayer soaked!

It is such a trap to forgo prayer because of the busyness of life! Martin Luther once said
“Work, work, from morning until late at night. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer.”

There are lots of studies that demonstrate the positive impact of prayer on well-being. If Jesus was so invested in the importance of prayer, this is surely a template for life as Christian people.

​Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/3pxB34EVCqU