Prepare (July 16, 2017)

This blog gives you a glimpse into the upcoming Sunday Gathering. It's an opportunity to read through the passage we'll be studying together, pray through some of the liturgy we'll be using, and listen to a selection of the songs we’ll be singing

---

EXODUS - Idolatry

SERMON

As Exodus is a big book we won’t read all of the Bible text in our Sunday gathering. Each week we will give you the full section of Exodus here on the blog for you to read in your own time. This is a great way to prepare your heart to hear from God’s word on a Sunday. This week Alex Passmore will be preaching to us on idolatry from Exodus 32-34. 

LITURGY

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

God tells us in his word that we've worshipped and served created things rather than him, our creator God. The truth is that if we look to these things to give us meaning, hope and happiness, they will ultimately fail us. God himself, is the only one who can provide us with these things. But we forget this and end up creating idols in our hearts, that take our worship and attention away from God.

The truth of the Gospel is that Jesus died to save us from our idolatry. Even though we have turned from him, time and time again, in Jesus, he has not turned away from us

MUSIC

• Lead us Back (Sojourn Music): A song of confession, confessing to God the ways we have turned away from him and a plea that he would lead us back to life in him. 

• O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (Zach Sprowls): A song of longing, looking forward to the day we will be with God, singing his praises, forever. 

Reflect (July 9, 2017)

Welcome to the Sunday Gathering recap (songs, hymns, liturgy and sermon). This blog gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you heard in the gathering or catch up if you weren’t able to be with us.

*The indented sections are responses read aloud by the congregation during the Gathering

---

EXODUS - Covenant Life and Going Home

CALL TO WORSHIP

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

(Psalm 95)

Song: Rejoice 

Song: Come Praise and Glorify

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

Every time we are reminded of God's greatness, we see how far we are from him. We are quick to find our identity in so many places, other than him. Yet the truth of the gospel is that our identity has been transformed by Jesus. Hear these words of assurance to us now from 1 Peter:

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy.

(1 Peter 2:9-10)

Song: Grace Alone 

PASSING OF THE PEACE

PREACHING OF THE WORD

Tom Thrower preached to us from Exodus 21-31 looking at how God establishes a new people, a new presence and new priesthood. Click here to listen to that sermon.

COMMUNION

Every week we want to respond to what God has done for us in Jesus. One of the great ways he has provided for us to remember the truth of the gospel is giving us communion. As we take the bread and wine we remember what Jesus has done for us.

POST COMMUNION READING

Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.

We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.

With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.

We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.

Song: Jesus Paid it All 

Song: Mighty to Save

COMMITMENT READING

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:1-4

Song: Cornerstone

BENEDICTION

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen

Peace be with you.

And also with you. 

Amen.

Prepare (July 9, 2017)

This blog gives you a glimpse into the upcoming Sunday Gathering. It's an opportunity to read through the passage we'll be studying together, pray through some of the liturgy we'll be using, and listen to a selection of the songs we’ll be singing

---

EXODUS - Covenant Life and Going Home

SERMON

As Exodus is a big book we won’t read all of the Bible text in our Sunday gathering. Each week we will give you the full section of Exodus here on the blog for you to read in your own time. This is a great way to prepare your heart to hear from God’s word on a Sunday. This week Tom Thrower will be preaching to us from Exodus 21-31. 

LITURGY

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10

MUSIC

• Rejoice (Dustin Kensrue): A call to praise God and gaze upon His glory. A reminder that, even in the midst of our trials and suffering we still have reasons to rejoice in the Gospel.

• Come Praise and Glorify our God (Sovereign Grace): A call to praise and glorify the God who has shown His grace to us in Christ. 

TCH Church Plant in Leicester

A few weeks ago, Pete and Anna Petra joined us from The Crowded House in Loughborough, sharing their vision and plans to church plant in North West Leicester. 

Leicester is the 13th largest city in the UK. While the South of the city is well served with churches, the North is a very different story. In the North West, a largely deprived area of nearly 50,000 people, there is knowledge of only one evangelical church. It is an area of great gospel need. The Crowded House church in Loughborough is sending a small team of 4 adults to plant an Acts 29 church in the North West of Leicester on an estate called Mowmacre Hill.

The team's prayer is that the Lord would give them growth so that they might be able to multiply ‘gospel communities’ - smaller groups of Christian missionaries - across the estates of the North West. Longer term, they hope to play a part in seeing a church established in a Muslim-majority area in the North East of the city. 

Here are some helpful ways you can pray for the Petras and the team: 

Pray that by May 2018 they would: 

• Have a team of 15-20 adults
• Be living locally
• Be doing discipleship and evangelism together in day-to-day life

Also continue to pray for:

• Housing 
• Team members
• Finances
• People to come to know and honour Christ as Lord

If you would like to find out more about how you can support the team in this vision contact info@redeeemerleeds.co.uk