10th Feb-27th March 2016

Pathways to God

Wednesday 17th February 2016

Wednesday February 17th Lent 2016

This year during Lent we are encouraging everyone to use the season to explore different ways of encountering the living God in Jesus Christ. Our services, sermon themes, and study courses have all been designed to help us do this and you are welcome to join in as much as you can.

This is the first of our Pathways to God lent sessions. Each week there will be refresh-ments from 7pm. We then begin with worship and prayer together before going off to our different groups.

Please make sure you attend the course you have signed up for! If after the first week you feel you want to change courses you can join a different one next week. But this is only possible this week. We hope you will stay with the group you have decided to join. By sticking with a course you will get more out of it and others will be able to learn from you. Thank you.

Opening Worship

Together we say our prayer for Lent:

Jesus, Lamb of God, when you walked this earth you did not consider heavenly equality, though that was yours to choose, but took the role of servant, and in humility and obedience allowed the rough nails of our sin to be hammered into your flesh for the sake of our salvation. And so it is that we acknowledge you as Lord of all, to the glory of God the Father, Son and Spirit, Three.

Amen Source: www.faithandworship.com

Lent calls us to journey, this and every day, following Jesus wherever he leads us.

Lent calls us to journey: to the place where God covenants with us, to receive the new names we are given.

Lent calls us to worship together, to tell future generations the good news.

Lent calls us to practice justice, to bring God’s hope to all people.

Lent calls us to faithful living, to trust the One who gives us life.

Lent calls each of us to take up our cross, to trust the One who bears it with us.

Lent calls us to journey with God.

Let us worship God, who walks with us, this and every day.

Song:

Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom

(Repeat several times)

Reading: Luke 4v1-13

Prayers ending with The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the Kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ 4 Jesus an-swered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.”’

5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ 8 Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,

“Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’

9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,

“He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and

“On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’

12 Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.