Music clip - Pete James – Jesus love me
Call to worship
Jesus said: ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ So, let us join together as friends, Jesus’ friends, to worship and serve the one who, because of his great love, gave his all for us.
Jesus Christ, we do not come alone to worship you, we come together as your chosen people, accepting your love for us and your call to us,
committing ourselves again to one another and to you. We come in friendship both with you, and those we meet.
Prayer of praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You know us, you love us. We are not an accident or a mistake. This we know for sure!
We thank you, for you are love
You knew us at the start, when we were in our mother’s wombs
We thank you, for you are love
You walk with us every day of our lives, through the joys and the heartache, the laughter and the loss.
We thank you, for you are love
You are our faithful friend, our relationship does not depend on what we do or don’t do
We thank you, for you are love
Prayer of forgiveness For those times we have been selfish
We are sorry, forgive us
For those times we have been jealous of others
We are sorry, forgive us
For the times we have doubted your love for us
We are sorry, forgive us
For the times we have been unfriendly or cross with those we meet or those we share our lives with
We are sorry, forgive us
Assurance of forgiveness
God of hope and healing:
For forgiving us – we thank you For choosing us – we thank you. For trusting us – we thank you. For befriending us – we thank you. For empowering us – we thank you. For loving us – we thank you. for blessing us – we thank you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hymn : StF. 332 Lord I lift your name on high
Reading – John 15: 9-17
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
“My command is this”
Love one another as I have loved you.
.Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends
You are my friends if you do what I command.
Love one another as I have loved you.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love one another.
You are my friends if you do what I command
Love one another as I have loved you.
I am sending you to go and bear fruit.
Love one another as I have loved you.
I am giving you these commands so that you ….
Love one another as I have loved you.
Hymn : What a friend we have in Jesus – Pete James
Prayers of thanksgiving, intercession
What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer
Intercessor / friend at all times / time space circumstance
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
Christian aid week
India
We should never be discouraged Take it to the Lord in prayer
George Margaret / Shirley / Norman / Nolene / challenged by relationships that change as people are ill
Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness Take it to the Lord in prayer
Personal prayer – challenges of the coming weeks and months, the hurt and loss of the past weeks and months
Draw us deeper into your love, and bless us with the confidence to proclaim Jesus as our dearest friend, teacher and Saviour. We ask this in his name. Amen.
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hymn : StF 80 My God I am thine
My God I am thine
What a comfort divine
What a blessing to know that my Jesus is mine
Blessing
Lord Jesus, we rejoice that you have chosen us to be your friends. Help us to be a friend to you by obeying your commands. As we go out into your world, help us to live a life that reflects your love, by being a friend to others. Amen.
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