Opening Praise – How Great is our God

Opening Prayer

Everlasting Father we bless you
for sending your Son, your only Son, whom you love,
into the world, so that we might live through him.
Lord Jesus Christ we bless you
for bringing life and immortality to light
through your Gospel of peace.
Holy Spirit we bless you
for giving us new life in Christ,
and for filling our hearts with his love.

Merciful Lord,
we humble ourselves in your presence,
confessing our unworthiness and sinfulness in your sight.
We have broken your holy law.
We have put ourselves first
and failed to seek your kingdom and righteousness,
and neglected the love of our neighbour.

God of compassion,
pardon all our wrong doings
and forgive our sins.
Cleanse us from all unrighteousness,
and renew a right spirit within us;
through the grace of Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Saviour.

Guide us, O Lord,
in all the changes of life,
that we may neither complain in adversity
nor boast in prosperity;
but with faith, hope, and love,
may follow your divine will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Reading Luke 8:4-15

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,

“‘though seeing, they may not see;
    though hearing, they may not understand.’

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Sermon – ‘The Parable of the Sower

Hymn 89 – Praise, my soul, the King of HEaven

Final Prayer

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all, evermore.

Amen

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