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Songs

Prayer

Father God we pray to you as your people in many different places today.  For a time, we must be your people without being together physically.  We are distant and yet we are one in Christ, made to be brothers and sisters because of His finished work and therefore we can praise you together, apart.  And we will do that because there is much to give you thanks for so please give us eyes to see those things.

We grieve that we cannot greet each other today in our normal church services but for a time we must meet separately for the good of each other and the good of the community you have placed us in.  Help us to see your hand in this moment in time and show us what you are teaching us now.  We need your Holy Spirit to see in this moment your intention for us, what good are you working for those who love you?  

Father, we pray for the governments of Australia and our states.  Please help our leaders to be wise in their deliberations and advice to us.  You install our governments and leaders and so we pray that they might seek your wisdom.  Please help them to govern for all people and deliver them from the crushing stress of feeling like they must solve this problem alone.  For our Christian politicians help them to shine.  Father God, who of them is ‘Joseph’.  Who have you installed in the years past in our governments and departments who now might bring your wisdom to bear?  Please use them now for the good of our whole country, to draw on the deep resources that you have lavished us with to protect all who need it.

For our Doctors and medical professionals and medical administrators, we thank you.  We thank you that in the choosing of their life’s work they chose to be carers.  Please protect them as they stand as the vanguard of this moment.  Please Father, give them strength and wisdom to do what they must and help them to know how grateful we are for their service.  And Father, protect their families as they are concerned for them at home while their loved ones work.  Cause them to pray to you, perhaps for the first time, and Lord God draw them to you we pray.  

For our workplaces, we pray for every person in them.  Lord God, as people in our communities lose their jobs we pray that you would help our community leaders and each Australian to be generous.  As Christians, remind us that nothing we have is ours, all we have is yours, to hoard your resources now would be inappropriate.  Help us the share gladly from that which you have given us with those who have lost much.  And for the leaders of our businesses and workplaces please Lord help them to be compassionate.  To do only what is necessary to protect their business and to see that investing in their people is a wise investment.  

As Christians in our workplaces, help us to be an encouragement to our bosses and co-workers and to those who report to us.  We ask that as we show them that our trust is in you, that as we demonstrate a calm reassurance around your plan and hand at work, that we might be seen as different and that some might seek you also.  If we cannot speak to our co-workers now about the hope we have in Jesus, when can we?

Father God we pray for our School leaders and teachers.  In the space of two weeks their world has been changed like so many places.  But schools are the nursery of our nation’s children and for so many, education and achieving has been a goal for which nothing is too small a sacrifice.  Perhaps this moment in time is a moment where we can re-set our priorities as families, that health, love for each other and mental wellbeing would be key and the pursuit of knowledge might be a joy once more and not a ceaseless grind.  Father, God please help our teachers to learn new skills and employ them as they teach. Protect them also from feeling like they have the responsibility of every child they know, that if they don’t get it right a child will suffer immeasurably.  Help our kids to learn in new ways.  You have made children smart and interested, and so help us to entrust them and their learning to you at this time also.

Father God help our families to adjust.  So often we are less patient with those we are closest to.  Please undo our selfishness and drive generosity of spirit into our hearts we pray.  Help the parents of our families to lead their families well in Christ.  To see the opportunity that presents to read your word together and to pray together as a family where only two weeks ago a commute to work filled the hours.  Strengthen our marriages we ask in this time.

We pray for those who feel alone at this time Lord God, please show them that they are not alone.  Show them that you are always present in your word as they read it and helps us to find ways of connecting with them and with each other.  

Thank you for those in our community who are technically minded and who can help us work out ways of connecting remotely.  We thank you for the technology we have, phones, computers, online meeting platforms and even our mail system.  Surely there has been no better time in all of history to be isolated than at this present time when we can be so connected.

Please God protect our missionary partners who are in other countries now because they have left the comfort of home to take your word to the world.  As they bear witness to Jesus’ love for the people in their new communities please help them to know that we love them and are praying for them.  Thank you for their example of self-sacrifice to us.

As we witness to our neighbours Lord God open up conversations for us to step into.  We are so timid and we need your boldness to proclaim the love of Jesus to our neighbours.  Please show us how we can love them practically, to share what we have with them, to share the hope of Jesus also.

Lord God we pray for each other at this time also.  We thank you for our Church leaders as they work hard to keep our eyes on Jesus.  Please help them and their families at this time also.  Help us to be an encouragement to each other, to share stories of your goodness to each of us, to help each other to connect well, to share our resources.  Lord God give us hearts so full of love for you that they would overflow to each other and the world you have placed us in.

Amen

For the Kids

Bible Reading

Please read 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2
and Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Discussion Questions

– How does the Bible’s teaching on reconciliation tell us that we’re worse than we think but God loves us more than we can imagine?
– How does the cross bring peace between us and God?
– Why do you think we find it so hard to forgive?  Why can we be prone to withhold forgiveness and harbour bitterness?
– Peace with God should change our lives.  Which area of application stuck out the most to you and why?
– How can we, in this season of life, share the message of reconciliation with the world?

Song