Sunday Link-Up -25September2022

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This week’s theme is God’s caring provision.    

CALL TO WORSHIP

• Psalm 91:1-6,14-16 

• He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 
  ² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”  ³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the [a]fowler And from the perilous pestilence.  ⁴ He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and [b]buckler.  ⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.  

  ¹⁴ “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will [a]set him on high, because he has known My name.  ¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  ¹⁶ With [b]long life I will satisfy him,  And show him My salvation.” 

PRAISE TIME

• featuring Darlene Zschech, formerly of Hillsong Australia
• (6598) Shout to the Lord – Hillsong – YouTube 

OPENING PRAYER

SCRIPTURE READING

• 1 Timothy 6:6-10,11-16,17-19    Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, ^[a]and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
• ¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, ¹⁵ which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only ^[b]Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
• ¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, ¹⁹ storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.  

SPEAKING OF LIFE

(6601) Speaking Of Life 4044 │ The Investment of Contentment – YouTube

• DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• How content are you right now?
• How do you spot when you are falling out of contentment?
• What are the consequences of greed for us personally?
• What joy do you derive from non-material things?

INTERLUDE

• (6598) Shout to the Lord – Hillsong – YouTube 

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SHARING TIME

• Luke 16:19-23,24-26,27-31    “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and ^[a]fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with ^[b]the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
• ²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
• ²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”  
• DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What do you find most interesting/intriguing about this passage?
2. What stands out most for you?
3. If you were to re-tell the story, what would be your main focus?
4. Whom do you identify with most in the story?
5. Where was the Lazarus?
6. Where was the rich man (a.k.a Dives)?
7. What do you think the rich man did to cause him to be there?
8. What do you think Lazarus did to cause him to be there?
9. Do you think this is based on a true story?
10. What does the parable tell you about God?
11. What does it tell you about Man?
12. What is the main take-away for you?  Thoughts?  Insights?  Exhortation?

CLOSING SONG

• (6598) Shout to the Lord – Hillsong – YouTube 

CLOSING PRAYER

CLOSING COMMENTS

• Thanks for joining us.
• PLEASE NOTE … If anyone would like to donate to Grace Communion Jamaica, you can do so online by doing the following …
  • • by going to our website  (gracecommunionjm.org)
    • locating the DONATE button (on the right side of the home page)
    • clicking on said DONATE button
    • typing in the amount you’d like to donate (in US Dollars)

BENEDICTION

Numbers 6:24-26

• ²⁶ “The Lord bless you and keep you. 
• ²⁵ The Lord make His face shine upon you … and be gracious to you.   
• ²⁶ The Lord lift up His countenance upon you … and give you peace.” 

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Given our upcoming convention … I’m planning to start a DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM next Sunday … as we need to put together a course for new believers … and (before that) for us to come to some sort of agreement re: what we understand the essentials of the Gospel to be.