If you missed Sunday's broadcast, please catch up by following the link below. (For the foreseeable future, we be running our Sunday morning services digitally. Please go to our website on Sundays at 10:30 to join in)
This week, and next, we will be focussing our devotions around the Easter theme. Today's devotional is by Austin and Ivy and is on the theme of The Passover.
The first Passover, recorded in Exodus 12, like this season that we are in, was a time of great shaking in the land of Egypt, after 9 consecutive plagues. The temptation for us, as for them, is to get completely preoccupied with our circumstances. The people of God were told to focus on the Passover.
The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats (12:5)...slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast (12:6-8)...This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is theLord’s...For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast (12:11)...On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. Passover(12:15).
Let's refocus on what's most important
Let the Passover remind us to focus on what is most important to us - to Jesus who is our 'Passover Lamb'. He is perfect, He removes the 'yeast' (sin) from our lives. He died in our place, to purchase our freedom. It's His blood that covers and saves us from the wrath of God; because of Jesus, judgement passes over us in mercy.
Periods of shaking loosen our grip on the things that we are holding too tightly. During this period of testing, He is drawing us back to what is most important. May God cause us to delight in Jesus in a new way this Easter.
May we put on our 'sandals' pick up our 'staff' in readiness for all that God wants to do in and through us.
RESPONSE
Ask the Spirit to search you, what thoughts, hurts, habits, relationships... do you need to leave behind?
Please watch the video
COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY – JESUS GOES TO THE CROSS
Opener
What aspect of the Easter story do you find most powerful and why?
Introduction - please read in your group
This week, and next, we will be focussing our devotions around the Easter theme. This week we are thinking about the death of Jesus, principally, from Luke 23. All four of the gospels tell of this notice being placed on Jesus’ cross,
“There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.” (Luke 23:38)
Although the authorities were mocking Jesus with this sign, it is also a great truth - Jesus is the King of Kings. Jesus is the King by virtue of being God. His death was a great act of humility and service to this sinful world.
Please discuss/share together
i) Please read Luke 23:26, 9:23, 14:27 – What does it mean for us to carry the cross in our lives? Do you have any examples that you would like to share?
ii) Please read Luke 23:38 - Jesus is being presented through this account as a king (the word king or kingdom appears 6 times in this chapter). What might God's reasons be for highlighting Jesus' identity in this way to us? How does His Lordship affect your everyday life?
ii) Please read Luke 23:44-46 – What does this say about how the cross saves us?
Pray together
If you can, please connect in groups of men or women. On Sunday we spoke about temptation from Matthew 6:13. Is there any temptation that you are dealing with that you'd like to share and pray about?
If it's not possible to get into gender groups, please go around your group, each one sharing what they would like prayer for at the moment. Pray for each person in turn.
Please pray for our nation, government and Boris Johnson, currently in hospital.
Pray for our Easter Sunday service.
Notices
Please share from this week’s Church News.
MOST IMPORTANTLY - SHARE THE INVITATION TO OUR EASTER SERVICE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
