This is part of the worship series
"Growing in Grace"
Series Introduction
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
Week one
The Joy of Hearing God’s Word
Scripture
Nehemiah 8:1–18
The congregation reenacted the Scripture reading as described in this passage. Elders came forward and stood on either side of the pastor as he read; the congregation stood during the reading of the Word. At the end of the passage, members were invited to raise their hands and respond as the Israelites did, with the words “Amen! Amen!”
Sermon Notes
Often we feel pretty good about living—until we’re swamped by the treacherous high seas of life. The people of Israel experienced this as their once-powerful nation was led into captivity and then returned to find Jerusalem in ruins. Into the chaos comes the powerful Word of God, which, as Isaiah says, will not return empty. God’s Word inspires joy in our lives too as we realize that God wants to have a relationship with us. God comes to us in the chaos and calls us to himself. Our joy in the knowledge of God’s grace inspires us to reach out and share that joy with others.
Children’s Message
Where It All Begins
Bring as many different Bibles as possible to show the children: especially Bibles in different languages and formats (a Bible on tape, a Braille Bible, one on a computer disk).
Talk about how important the Word of God is. People have died because they believed it or have been persecuted for owning it. Missionaries leave their homes and families to share its message with others. People’s lives have changed because they learned from it about God’s love for them. The Bible is God’s gift to us, and when we read its words and obey them, we grow.
Prayer Guide
[You may want to include these suggestions for prayer in your bulletin each week.]
This week, ask your congregation to focus on church school and pray for:
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Revised Common Lectionary
Year C: Epiphany—Third Sunday after the Epiphany
