Welcome to our virtual service!
We’re really glad you can join us for this service. Everything you need for the service is on this webpage. Simply press the play button on the live stream below. You might like to print out the service sheet below.
Today’s service sheet can be downloaded here
This week’s service should be streaming live from 10:30 and can be accessed here. It is best viewed on a laptop or desktop computer. If you’re viewing on a phone or tablet, you may need to use headphones to access the sound.
Watch the live stream below:
WELCOME by Alex Slowey
SONG
Give thanks to the Lord our God and King
his love endures forever.
For He is good, he is above all things:
his love endures forever.
Sing praise, sing praise, sing praise, sing praise.
With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm:
his love endures forever.
For the life that’s been reborn:
his love endures forever.
Sing praise, sing praise, sing praise, sing praise.
Forever God is faithful; forever God is strong.
Forever God is with us, forever.(repeat) Forever.
From the rising to the setting sun:
his love endures forever.
By the grace of God, we will carry on:
his love endures forever.
Sing praise, sing praise, sing praise, sing praise.
AN ENCOURAGING ENCOUNTER!
Rich interviews one of our church members, Vic Crooks
PRAYERS led by Ed & Anna Bowerman
SONG
Before the world began, God made a masterplan
To bring all things together under one head
That head is Jesus Christ, who died and rose to life
And now he’s seated at the right hand of God
Once we were dead in sin
Now we are raised with him
By grace we’re saved, through faith in Jesus alone
Part of his body now, united by his power
Joined with his people all over the world
We are the church, have you heard?
He washed us clean with his word
He chose us to be on his team
We are more loved than we could dream
We’ve got good news, shout it out
You’ve got to hear what it’s all about
No-one’s too far away to be
Welcomed into God’s family
Speaking the truth in love to build the body up
We serve each other using gifts from the King
We pray for unity so everyone will see
God’s plan in action in his people today
We are the church, have you heard…
One Lord, one faith, one God, one Father,
One body, one Spirit, we are one in Christ!
One hope, one truth, one cross, one Saviour,
One mission, one future, we are one in Christ!
We are the church, have you heard….
Our children and young people go out to their groups
BIBLE READING
1 Corinthians 1:1-2:5, read by Phil Carter
1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions in the Church
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Proclaiming Christ Crucified
2 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
BIBLE TALK by Richard Hopkins
SONG
Oh to see the dawn of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men, torn and beaten, then
nailed to a cross of wood.
This the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us.
Took the blame, bore the wrath –
we stand forgiven at the cross.
Oh to see the pain written on Your face,
bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Every bitter thought, every evil deed
crowning Your bloodstained brow.
This the power of the cross….
Now the daylight flees, now the ground beneath
quakes as its maker bows his head.
Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life;
‘finished!’ the victory cry.
This the power of the cross…
Oh to see my name written in the wounds,
for through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death, life is mine to live,
won through Your selfless love.
This the power of the cross:
Son of God – slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.
In Philippians 1 we are told to ‘let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ’. We confess that often we do not live in this way.
Despite our encouragement in Christ and comfort from his love,
we do not love as we should.
Lord please forgive us, and help us to live like Jesus.
We often act from rivalry and conceit,
And consider ourselves more important than others.
Lord please forgive us, and help us to live like Jesus.
We look to our own interests, ignoring the interests of others.
Lord please forgive us, and help us to live like Jesus.
We do not share the mind of Jesus in how we live and act.
Lord please forgive us, and help us to live like Jesus.
Our Lord Jesus humbled himself by being obedient to death, even death on the cross.
His death has won full and free forgiveness for all who trust in him.
Thank you lord Jesus for dying for us. Amen.
We gather together to remember the cross, where our Lord Jesus Christ saved us. His obedience and sacrifice fully accomplished our redemption. He laid down His life to serve us and bring us forgiveness. In response, He calls us to pick up our own crosses and follow Him.
As we remember now His body and blood broken and spilled for us, we are invited to eat and drink as a way of declaring that we do indeed trust Him and will indeed follow Him. Neither eating nor drinking is what saves us, but all who eat and drink with faith in Christ are saved. And so let us encourage one another with the certainty of hope offered to us in the gospel remembered at this meal:
Christ has commanded us and all believers
to eat of this broken bread and drink of this cup in remembrance of Him.
As surely as we see with our eyes the bread broken before us
and the cup given to us,
so surely was His body offered for us and His blood poured out for us on the cross.
As surely as we receive from each other’s hand and taste with our mouths
the bread and the cup of the Lord,
so surely does He Himself nourish and refresh our souls to everlasting life
with His crucified body and shed blood.
Mere bread and wine, yet symbolising Christ.
And so when offered to us, we gladly eat and drink with faith
and so receive Christ and all His benefits.
You’ll be brought a container with a bread wafer and grape juice.
If you would like to be brought a gluten-free wafer, please tell the steward.
As the bread and wine are distributed, we sing of Jesus’ death for us.
SONG
You chose the cross with every breath,
the perfect life, the perfect death: you chose the cross.
A crown of thorns you wore for us,
and crowned us with eternal life: you chose the cross.
And though your soul was overwhelmed with pain,
obedient to death you overcame.
I’m lost in wonder, I’m lost in love,
I’m lost in praise forevermore.
Because of Jesus’ unfailing love,
I am forgiven, I am restored.
You loosed the cords of sinfulness
and broke the chains of my disgrace: you chose the cross.
Up from the grave victorious
you rose again so glorious: you chose the cross.
The sorrow that surrounded you was mine.
‘Yet not my will but yours be done’, you cried.
I’m lost in wonder, I’m lost in love…
On the night he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
We remember Jesus as we eat this bread
In the same way he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
We remember Jesus as we drink this wine
SONG
What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh how strange and divine, I can sing: all is mine!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh the chains are released, I can sing: I am free!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
With every breath I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!
CLOSING PRAYER
Some material in this service is © Used by permission CCL Licence # 1102690. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.