1 Just like this time last year - My social media links have been - - PDF document

Notices and Welcome! Theme: God’s Word, Spoken to God’s People. Will it make a difference in 2020? Opening Prayer, Confession and Centring

• Let’s start with prayer – a prayer taken from the ending of Psalm 19

The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servants are warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive our hidden faults. Keep your servants also from wilful sins; may they not rule over us. Then we will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen

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Just like this time last year - My social media links have been bombarded.

• Stop doing
• Start doing
• be a better you- the you you’ve always wanted to be.
• Be the “you” you deserve to be

They seem to forget they had the same petitions last year In fact today I am the result of the choices and decisions I made throughout last year. Nothing really has changed – my resolutions seemed not to have made a difference. Never the less I have given myself some personal goals to strive for

• Some related to self control and,
• others the growth and development

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Now Too late  2030

The other news we are all increasingly becoming aware of is the great concern over the causes and impacts of climate change. I believe, mankind has ended up with the “situation” we deserve. We have what we have because we have invested in our comforts and convenience without due consideration to the environmental costs and consequences of our decisions. So in addition I include in my list of New year’s, even new decade’s, resolutions a response to this current crisis we all face. Behind my resolution is the underpinning value: “my small changes can make a difference” My aim this year is simply to

• Know my CO2 debt numbers
• Get engaged in some project
• do the small stuff well and regularly
• Pray and fast for our leaders on this matter

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In a similar way, As a fellowship, we are what we are because of our past individual and corporate investments in prayer, worship, service, outreach and discipleship. Do you think 2020 will see any change? Growth? In you or in the fellowship? Are we happy with how things are so more of the same please?

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Welcome Family Activity, Story and Singing Singing Blessing, Finish and Friendship

God’s family coming together in His house Praise to God our Father What a House needs. What a Home needs. We are God’s home

(His Dwelling Place)

Building a loving, caring and worshiping family Meet your family builders Start the new year blessed

Listening and Reflecting Activity, Praying and Singing

Review the agenda for today’s All Age Family Service

• Keep coming back to this as a guide and a reminder.

A focus of today’s service is: The Word of God spoken to the People of God. And will it make a difference in 2020? So today we have three Bible Readings The first is Psalm 95 This is an invitation to worship to worship and a nudge to remember past lessons learned.

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1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song.

3 For the LORD is the great God,

the great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

5 The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

A Psalm of David

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7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture,

the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice,

8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,

as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,

9 where your ancestors tested me;

they tried me, though they had seen what I did.

10 For forty years I was angry with that generation;

I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’

11 So I declared on oath in my anger,

‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

A Psalm of David

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Welcome Family Activity, Story and Singing Singing Blessing, Finish and Friendship



God’s family coming together in His house Praise to God our Father What a House needs. What a Home needs. We are God’s home

(His Dwelling Place)

Building a loving, caring and worshiping family Meet your family builders Start the new year blessed

Listening and Reflecting Activity, Praying and Singing

So the welcome has been made and the invitation to come and sing and shout out loud to the Lord has gone out. We respond with the following two songs

• Come now is the time to Worship
• Come People of the risen King

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Songs

Hand out musical instruments Once singing over get them back and settle children at front ready for the next activity

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Welcome Family Activity, Story and Singing Singing Blessing, Finish and Friendship

 

God’s family coming together in His house Praise to God our Father What a House needs. What a Home needs. We are God’s home

(His Dwelling Place)

Building a loving, caring and worshiping family Meet your family builders Start the new year blessed

Listening and Reflecting Activity, Praying and Singing

As I said our focus is the Word of God spoken to the people of God. And, will it make a difference in 2020? In the Bible a number of buildings and structures are mentioned. I’m going to ask the Children to come and build with these boxes some of these and ask the adults if they know where these structures many be first mentioned in the bible?

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As they build ask the adults where they think these structures are or might be mentioned in the Bible. Two minutes to build a

• Wall – around Jericho
• A tall tower – Tower of Babylon
• Pyramid – not mentioned but likely build by the Hebrew slaves after the time of Joseph.
• Home – famously – could be a the temple or the house that the wise builder built

Once built: Ask some questions: What makes for a good building?

• Good Foundations!
• Strong walls
• Sturdy roof
• Nicely decorated inside

How to get the most fun from it?

• Have clear rules on how to take care of it so it does not break
• Ensure that everyone feels part of that “Home”

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A Parable of Jesus

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Let’s all read this one together. God’s Word Spoken by God’s people: Will it make a difference in 2020? 12

Sing a new Song to the Lord And Make your music to him

Get musical instruments out Do – Learn the song part Then do the image section from the song – do it once Encourage children to dance

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Welcome Family Activity, Story and Singing Singing Blessing, Finish and Friendship

  

God’s family coming together in His house Praise to God our Father What a House needs. What a Home needs. We are God’s home

(His Dwelling Place)

Building a loving, caring and worshiping family Meet your family builders Start the new year blessed

Listening and Reflecting Activity, Praying and Singing

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Last week on holiday we visited Bolton Abbey: Built on firm foundations – the walls are still standing after more than 1000 years. But what’s wrong with this building? It’s derelict and empty. Now a tourist attraction of, “what used to be”

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In the village we stayed at there was lots of new build going on. So we decided look around the show home. On the day we went we couldn’t get in so only had chance to peek through the windows. This is what we saw. Looks great doesn’t it. But what is missing?

• A family
• Love and laughter,
• Memories and cuddles
• Smells and noises
• Even a little bit of mess of “my Stuff” lying around.

It’s a “Show house” not a “Home”

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Ezra Nehemiah

Faithful to the word of God Practical Carer Now to our Bible Story Which is all about

• God’s word spoken to God’s people and the difference it made

This is Ezra: He was a wise man because not only did he read God’s word, but he also did what it said. This is Nehemiah. He cared about protecting the family of God and the place where the family of God worshiped. He did something practical if he saw the need. 17

Taken away  Destroy temple

“Show home”

Cruel King Kind King

 Go home Re-build Temple

70 Years

Derelict and Empty

New Build Objections

“Show home”

Once again!

This is a summary of the Story of Ezra. I encourage you to read this and the book of Nehemiah. The word of God, read by the people of God. Will it make a difference in 2020? This is God’s special church building. But it is in ruins. It had been destroyed and all the people taken away as slaves by a cruel king. Years later; God allowed the people to go back and build a new special church

• again. But there was a problem and it took ages to build

The neighbours complained and frustrated their plans. Some neighbours even wanted to attack them as they built. But finally, they had built it. But nobody knew how to use it well. So, it got ignored, got cobwebs and rusty inside. What a waste of time you might think? 18

Safe and Happy Home

Ezra Nehemiah

However, now the Special building was completed God sent two other people Ezra and Nehemiah: Nehemiah organised the building of the walls around the temple to protect it from

• attack. You could say a practical carer – or it is an image of the importance of

prayer next to the Word of God spoke to and by the people of God Ezra read the bible to the people which helped them understand how to use the building properly:

• A place to pray and sing to God; to listen for his voice
• A place to say sorry for wrong things done and find healing and restoration in all

sorts of ways

• A place to bring gifts for sharing out to the poor
• A safe place to grow, learn and mature

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1.Why do you think God allowed the Special building to be taken away in the first place? 2.Which part of the Ezra story do you think we should not forget? 3.How can people who use God’s special buildings today be a blessing to others? They didn’t play in it properly We need to love and hug each other more Ask them to come and play and, Make it interesting for them to join in

Ask members of the leadership team to give their responses to the questions Then reveal what the children said when we did Ezra the other week in Sunday club.

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From Ezra to us

Faith Indwelling Holiness

Paul in a letter to the Corinthian Church states that they are collectively the Temple of God. Individually and collectively. On the personal level Based on my discipleship journey with others over the years this is how I have understood that to mean with regards my own growth as a disciple. I used to think Faith was enough until challenged about the in dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and the need for holiness in my life. Then later as I read books like Richard Forster’s – Celebration of Discipline I realised I needed to develop and practice a number of spiritual disciplines if I was to grow and become Christ like. Finally, I have learned that without accountability to a trusted friend to spur me on in these discipline I backslide. I know I need to practice all these disciplines but for 2020 I have prayerfully considered which areas have greatest opportunity for improvement. The challenge I put to you is this:

• Do you have a discipleship development resolution for 2020?
• If so, have you entrusted this to a close friend to keep you accountable and encourage

you on?

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There are different ways we learn, grown and mature. For the children here at the front I want them to come and Draw on this chalk boards what they have thought about the Story of Ezra.

Humility Healing Fellowship Growth Fruits Stewardship

Collectively we also are the Temple of the living God. So, if a visitor should peek through the window of our “Show home” What would they find/see going on? I have put some ideas of the things that I think they should find going on and being evidenced in the lives of the members of this fellowship. Humility  Before God and others Healing  In Relationships (home and here), in body, mind and spirit Fellowship  Such as hospitality, making close friends, connecting one with another Growth  from discipleship and mentoring, outreach through friendships and service Fruits  Which fruits are you particularly known for, and which have yet to ripen? Stewardship  This building and the content of our actions and messaging You may have other ideas  these are just presented as food for thought.

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As we started so I will finish The focus of today’s new year’s opening family service message is God’s word spoken to God’s people and will it make a difference in 2020?

• Do we need to be resolved or spurred to greater maturity and readiness?
• If so how?

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Welcome Family Activity, Story and Singing Singing Blessing, Finish and Friendship

   

God’s family coming together in His house Praise to God our Father What a House needs. What a Home needs. We are God’s home

(His Dwelling Place)

Building a loving, caring and worshiping family Meet your family builders Start the new year blessed

Listening and Reflecting Activity, Praying and Singing

We are nearly at the end of the service. With the focus God’s word spoken to God’s people and will it make a difference in 2020? We have asked the big question – will it make any difference? Let us now pray about this?

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 Who are these guys?  What did they do?

Not for origami

God’ family

Do’s Don’ts My Prayers

For me For Others For Church

Mark how you feel you are at Peachcroft Christian Centre

Blob Church – draw a character or put a word if there is nothing that you see fits your feelings. Hopefully you have completed these by now. Silent prayers as you reflect on the service sheet and what you have done with it.

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Ask the children now to go and sit within their family groups. Time of silent reflective prayers at the start of this new year – this new decade So many challenges – so many changes – so many lessons to learn. Let us sit before God in silence and reflect and pray that God would help us make a difference in 2020. Ending May the words of our prayers and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen

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By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation

• ther than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If

anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved - even though only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

1 Corinthians 3:10-17 A Letter from Paul

Joy Read End of Part 3

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Last song

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Welcome Family Activity, Story and Singing Singing Listening and Reflecting Blessing, Finish and Friendship

 

Activity, Praying and Singing

 

God’s family coming together in His house Praise to God our Father What a House needs. What a Home needs. We are God’s home

(His Dwelling Place)

Building a loving, caring and worshiping family Meet your family builders Start the new year blessed

Start and end of Part 4 So our focus has been God’s work spoken to God’s People. We are at the end of our service. Time for Coffee and Connection. Numbers 6:24-26 The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The LORD turn his face towards you and give you peace.’ Amen 29