Sunday July 7, 2024
Call To Worship:
Romans 12:14-21
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 Instead, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink, for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Songs:
Let it Rise
Let the glory of the Lord
Rise among us
Let the glory of the Lord
Rise among us
Let the praises of the King
Rise among us
Let it rise
Let the songs of the Lord
Rise among us
Let the songs of the Lord
Rise among us
Let the joy of the King
Rise among us
Let it rise
Ohh, ohh ohh
Let it rise
Let the glory of the Lord
Rise among us
Let the glory of the Lord
Rise among us
Let the praises of the King
Rise among us
Let it rise
And, let the songs of the Lord
Rise among us
Let the songs of the Lord
Rise among us
And, let the joy of the King
Rise among us
Let it rise
Ohh, ohh ohh
Let it rise
(3x)
Let it rise
(4x)
Let the glory of the Lord
Rise among us
Let the glory of the Lord
Rise among us
And, let the praises of the King
Rise among us
Let it rise
And, let the songs of the Lord
Rise among us
Let the songs of the Lord
Rise among us
And, let the joy of the King
Rise among us
Let it rise
Ohh, ohh ohh
Let it rise
(4x)
Let it rise
(7x)
Amazing Grace
1 Amazing grace how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
2 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
'tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
4 The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.
Son of David
[Verse 1]
The blind won't gain their sight
By opening their eyes
A King is coming
To His city and crowds around are following
If I could see, I would follow, too
[Verse 2]
He heals the sick with His hands
As He walks by, they reach for Him
If I could see, I would reach out, too
[Pre-Chorus]
The blind won't gain their sight
By opening their eyes
[Chorus]
Son of David, have mercy on me
Son of David, have mercy on me
Son of David, I want to see
Son of David, have mercy
[Verse 3]
I cannot leave this gate
Since I cannot see my way
But I can stand and call His name
No, I could never leave this gate
But I will stand and shout His name
And I will count on His grace
[Chorus]
Son of David, have mercy on me
Son of David, have mercy on me
Son of David, I want to see
Son of David, have mercy
[Bridge]
I was blind, now I see
Jesus, saved me
I was blind, now I see
Jesus, saved me
Teaching: Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness
What is kindness?
Proverb 25:21-22
“If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat,
and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink,
for you will heap coals of fire on their heads,
and the Lord will reward you.”
Definition of kindness:
“Kindness is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, rendering assistance, or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward in return.”
Luke 10:30-35
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’
Question: What is a moment you saw or experienced profound kindness?
Matthew 5:44-46
44 But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
What is Unkindness?
Definition of unkindness:
“To behave in an unpleasant, rude, unfriendly, or slightly cruel way.”
Acts 28:1-2
After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The local people showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us around it.
Question: What factors can keep us from showing kindness to others?
How can we become more kind?
Historical Linguistic method for understanding kindness:
Kind(adj.) comes from the same root word as:
kind(noun i.e. variety/type)
Kin
Akin
Kinder (child, kindergarten)
From the Old-English word “gecynd” which was used for: natural, native, family, race, innate.
We see the forming of the adjective kind from this very old definition:
“with the feeling of relatives for each other”
Communion:
Head up to the front to take communion.
Once you take communion head back to your seat and reflect on the following questions:
What is one act of kindness you could do this week to a friend, family member, or stranger.
Commit to trying to do that this week!
Benediction:
Move among us, Spirit,
and gather us together with you.
Take our many selves—
our lives, our loves, our ideas,
our questions, our speech, our silence—
and unite us as your people.
Give us the gifts of presence, transformation and guidance,
so that even as we dream your dreams and see your visions,
we may be able to witness to your presence
in our common life.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.—(2 Corinthians 13:14)
Amen.