Home Service for 10th November 2024 from Rev Jim Williams
Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Reflection
Warning notices seem to be everywhere. At the bottom of the TV screen we’re warned not to drive our car like the one being advertised—as if we could or would. I read a warning not to use a toy tool to do real work, “Lawyers!”
But there is a serious warning not found on the packaging of the Bible. Deep inside Scripture we read, “Sharper than any double-edged sword.” We might rephrase this to say, “Warning: Sharp Edges!”Jesus grabbed my heart by surprise and in a moment gave me faith in him. I’d felt no need to meet him and didn’t expect to. But the focus of my life suddenly shifted from myself to the Savior and King (Colossians 3:1-3). Life changed. New friends got me into Scripture, where I learned the joy of loving God above all and others as myself (Matthew 22:37-40).
Eventually I read the warning in the book of Hebrews. God’s Word cuts deeply. Reading, reflecting, studying, and meditating on Scripture exposes sin, especially to the sinner. Scripture can cut like a surgeon with a scalpel or like a warrior with a two-edged sword. The Spirit seeks to cut out sin and recreate God’s image in the hearts of believers.
Will we yield to the Great Physician’s scalpel and accept our Savior’s victory over sin?
Thank you, God, for the gift of Scripture. Give us the courage to study your Word. In Jesus, Amen.
We come from all walks of life, and Jesus knows.
We bring all that we are,
We carry our burdens of joys and woes,
We are a tangle of worry and wonder,
We live in both darkness and light,
We meet here with all kinds of experiences,
We come with questions and anxieties,
We come fully as ourselves, and Jesus knows. Amen.
God, our high priest, who walks in our shoes, here we meet and celebrate all of life together: the richness found in support; the strength found in companionship; the release that comes from love.
God, our high priest, who walks in our shoes, here we find you among us: in the story of our lives, holding all pain and celebration, sharing the mountains and valleys.
God, our high priest, who walks in our shoes, here we gather in your calling: summoning us from the tangle of our living; whispering our names in the confusion that is life; and loving us in every step we take.
God, our high priest, who walks in our shoes, here we praise you forever.
Amen.
When we feel unimportant, thank you, God, that you can see us.
When we feel lonely, thank you, God, that you can speak to us.
When we feel guilty, thank you, God, that you understand us.
And when we feel needy, thank you, God, that you can help us.
Amen.
In our humanity, God, you have poured into us a great mix of emotion, the richest tapestry of feelings that enliven us.
All that we are, we give to you: our light and our dark; our quiet and our enthusiasm; our worry and our joy.
And we know, we are loved by you, completely, always, and for ever.
Amen.
Suggested Listening Be still, and know that I am God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZugvUQ4m90U Father I place into your hands https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T8759Wdg3U I’m special [Kendrick] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrtoGQevWTM
