Below is the order of service with brief section headings and descriptions. Below that is the full order of service with talk notes and PowerPoint prompts. Obviously the Word file of this looks better as it has formatting! Email me for it if you want it.
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All Age Order of Service, Sun 13th Feb 2005 : Nehemiah and the Bible
INTRODUCTION
Welcome- Sheila.
Looking at when Nehemiah brought out the Bible (OT) and read it to the people in the streets
My Jesus, my Saviour
Ewen- mini introduction.
Nehemiah 8 is read out and children have to be the first to find words in their order on the projector: Bring out, Read, Listen, Understand, Act
Prayer- A child
That the Lord would teach us and help us to hear Him speak through the Bible, and that we would act on what He says in the Bible.
Our God is a great big God while taking the OFFERING
Very youngest kids go out
BRING OUT (v1)
Ewen: mini talk 1
¡§Mary Jones and her Bible¡¨. May we value the Bible and give it the place of prominence we should. Apply: put your Bible somewhere prominent.
Prayer- Sheila
Applying this bit of Ewen¡¦s talk and resolving before God to ¡¥bring the Bible out¡¦ and put it in its rightful place (somewhere where we will read it!)
It¡¦s a happy day
READ (v3)
Ewen: mini talk 2
Trying to read Gk, French, Japanese and blank versions of the Bible. We don¡¦t just honour the Bible as a ¡¥book¡¦- it¡¦s the words in it that matter to us- because they are how God speaks to us. So we must READ it for it to be of any use. Apply: set time aside to read it.
Have you got an appetite
Prayer- someone older
We resolve this morning to set time aside to read the Bible. Help us to know what/when is right for us
LISTEN (v3)
Ewen: mini talk 3
2 voices trying to guide someone blindfolded along an obstacle course. Then 2 v quiet whispers trying to guide while congregation gives ¡¥hubbub¡¦. Apply: we need to learn to hear God speak through the word. We need to find ways of ¡¥listening¡¦ that are helpful to us.
Hungry, I come to you
Prayer - Sheila
That we may learn to hear you speak to us¡K through the Bible mainly, but in other ways as well. Help us to find the ways that are helpful for us: maybe silence, praying in a beautiful place, music, praying as we DO things etc
UNDERSTAND (v7, 12)
Ewen ¡V mini talk 4
The people needed help to understand. We do too! It¡¦s more than just reading the Bible- it¡¦s KNOWING the truth that sets you free. That¡¦s why church and HGs are so important- we are helped to understand. Find a Bible version that helps you, whith commentary (NLT, NIV, Life Application Bibles)
Sheila- mini bit about Bible study notes
Holy Spirit we welcome you
ACT (v14)
Ewen ¡V mini talk 5
But it¡¦s not complete until you have ACTED on it. Like a game/competition (or combination padlock)- you don¡¦t win until you have COMPLETED it. In fact- this is our major weakness: it¡¦s not understanding all the tiny bits of the Bible, but rather acting on what we DO know! And it¡¦s acting on it that pleases God, shows obedience and is how we really learn. (I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand). Illustrate ¡¥understanding in doing¡¦ with Matthew¡¦ shock game! Apply: do not merely listen to the word, do what it says
Prayer- someone young
That God might help us to really trust Him and His word and act on those bits that we do understand.
One shall tell another
Blessing
Invitation to check out Bibles and Bible Study notes at the Back
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All Age Order of Service, Sun 13th Feb 2005 : Nehemiah and the Bible
Sheila will lead all the underlined songs
INTRODUCTION- PPT Introductory slide
Welcome- Sheila.
Looking at when Nehemiah brought out the Bible (OT) and read it to the people in the streets
My Jesus, my Saviour
Ewen- mini introduction. ¡V PPT Nehemiah & Bible Crossword
Nehemiah 8 is read out (by Ed Jackson) and children have to be the first to find words in their order on the projector: Bring out, Read, Listen, Understand, Act
Prayer- A child
That the Lord would teach us and help us to hear Him speak through the Bible, and that we would act on what He says in the Bible.
Our God is a great big God while taking the OFFERING
Very youngest kids go out
BRING OUT (v1) PPT2 title and then PPT onto next page
Ewen: mini talk 1
¡§Mary Jones and her Bible¡¨. May we value the Bible and give it the place of prominence we should. Apply: put your Bible somewhere prominent.
PPT cottage picture
Many years ago, a little girl lived with her parents in a small grey stone cottage in the Welsh countryside. Her home was in a green valley in the shadow of a mountain, and from there you could sometimes see the sea in the far distance. Her father was a weaver who worked very hard to support his family and, although they didn’t have much, they were happy.
¡§Mary, Mary!¡¨ called a distant voice.
PPT ¡V picture of mary running out of house
¡§Coming, Mother ¡K¡¨ Mary Jones knew what was expected of a nine-year-old girl. Without grumbling, she would do her share of the chores around her home. She would scrub the floors, feed the chickens, cook and help to
keep the house tidy.
On Sunday mornings, Mary and her parents, dressed in their Sunday best, would walk to the little chapel in the village two miles away. Mary always sat between her parents, trying not to fidget. At the front, the minister
would open a large, black, leather-bound book. As he began to read, Mary would marvel at the wonderful words and store them up in her heart. After the service, she would go cautiously up to look at the impressive book.
There were two words printed in gold on its cover. Mary guessed that these said ¡§Holy Bible¡¨ because she had heard the minister mention the name of the book. The words inside looked odd to her. ¡§How can anyone ever make sense of these squiggles?¡¨ she thought. ¡§Oh, how I wish I could read this book for myself, or even have one for my own!¡¨
Then, on Sunday morning, the minister, announced that a school was to open in the village. Mary was excited. ¡§Now I can learn to read,¡¨ she said, ¡§and make sense of those strange marks in the book at chapel.¡¨
The schoolmaster, Mr Evans, and his wife moved into a farmhouse not far from Mary¡¦s home. Mary worked extra hard to finish her chores quickly so that she could go to the Evans¡¦ house to learn to read. Her parents saw how hard their daughter worked at both schoolwork and her duties at home.
Months passed and seasons changed, until at last Mary was asked to read
from the chapel Bible one Sunday morning. She was not very tall, so her
father made a special wooden box for her to stand on so that she could see the words properly. Now the squiggles were no longer strange to her. She read perfectly. Mr and Mrs Jones were very proud of their daughter.
After the service, Mary rushed up to her parents. ¡§I must have a Bible, I must have a Bible!¡¨ she cried. Her father gently placed his hand on her shoulder. ¡§But Mary, Bibles are expensive, and your mother and I haven¡¦t much money.¡¨
¡§I know, I know, that¡¦s why I am going to save up for one, and I don¡¦t care how long it takes me. I¡¦ll do jobs for other people, I¡¦ll save all my pennies, I¡¦ll do anything just to have my own Bible.¡¨
PPT- picture of Mary saving up
And that is exactly what Mary did. For six long years she saved all she could until the day came when she had enough money to buy a Bible. Mr Evans had told her that there was a man in a town called Bala who had a
number of Bibles.
Mary, now fifteen, told her parents that she was going to walk to Bala.
Her father exclaimed, ¡§Daughter, that¡¦s nearly twenty-five miles away!¡¨ But there was no changing Mary¡¦s mind ¡V
she had waited too long for that. So, with her purse of money and some bread and cheese tied up in a bundle, she set off.
PPT- Mary walking
The journey to Bala seemed endless. Mary followed many paths, crossed valleys and streams and found her way around hills. As her weariness grew and her aching limbs seemed almost too much to bear, she muttered words of encouragement to herself. ¡§Come on, Mary, not much further now,¡¨ she thought. Eventually she came to the brow of a hill, from which she could see the edge of a town. Dusk was falling, and candlelight had begun to flicker in cottage windows. Mary’s heart pounded with excitement. Here was Bala at last! She recognised it from Mr Evans¡¦ clear description.
With renewed energy and a new determination, she set off again down the hill. Mary had been told to find a well-to-do gentleman called Mr Charles. After knocking on several doors and asking for directions, she found his house. She ran up the garden path and knocked loudly on the large oak door. As it was opened, Mary made her request for a Bible, the words tumbling over themselves in her eagerness: ¡§I¡¦m Mary Jones, I¡¦ve walked twenty-five miles to get here, I¡¦ve saved up for six years to buy a Bible, I¡¦ve got the money here, you can count it if you like ¡V please can I have a Bible?¡¨
Mr Charles was taken aback. ¡§You had better come in and tell me all about it, but first you must have something to eat. You must be famished.¡¨ He smiled kindly and beckoned the housekeeper to take Mary to the kitchen.
After she had eaten, Mary told Mr Charles everything. He was moved by her account. ¡§You are fortunate,¡¨ he said, ¡§this is the very last one.¡¨ ¡K.
PPT- Mary receives Bible
¡K. And he held out to her a brand new Bible. Mary stared at it for a long moment before taking it with both hands. Then she expressed her heartfelt thanks.
The next morning, Mary, clutching her treasured possession, said goodbye to Mr Charles and started on her way home. She arrived to a grand reception¡K.
PPT- Mary is welcomed back
It seemed as if everyone was there. Her mother and father threw their arms around her and hugged her. Nearby stood Mr
Evans and the minister, smiling broadly and clapping their hands. Everyone was cheering and wanted Mary to show them her Bible. As she held the book up for all to see, she murmured a few quiet words. ¡§Thank you, Jesus, thank you Mr Charles,¡¨ she said.
This is a true story and Mary¡¦s, now ancient, Bible is on display in Cambridge University. Her story sparked the translation of the Bible into thousands of languages through the Bible Society
This book, the Bible, was SO valuable to Mary. I¡¦ve been to Siberia where people travelled for days and gave up a week of work just so they could receive a bible and some teaching from it
- it¡¦s so valuable to people
- and it¡¦s so valuable to God
We mustn¡¦t just leave it on the shelf!
- perhaps you don¡¦t know where yours is¡K or it¡¦s thick with dust
o well- that says something
we mustn¡¦t leave it on the shelf. Like Nehemiah did- we must bring it out! (PPT ¡V Bring it out)
- Apply: place it somewhere important, prominent. Somewhere that will remind us to read it!
-
Prayer- Sheila
Applying this bit of Ewen¡¦s talk and resolving before God to ¡¥bring the Bible out¡¦ and put it in its rightful place (somewhere where we will read it!)
It¡¦s a happy day
READ (v3) PPT 3
Ewen: mini talk 2 ¡V only uses the PPT title slide
Trying to read Gk, French, Japanese and blank versions of the Bible. We don¡¦t just honour the Bible as a ¡¥book¡¦- it¡¦s the words in it that matter to us- because they are how God speaks to us. So we must READ it for it to be of any use. Apply: set time aside to read it.
Volunteers- who can read?!
- try read Greek Bible (it¡¦s all Greek to me)
- Might be able to read this: French Bible
- How about this? (Japanese Bible?)
- How bout THIS (give blank Bible)
You can have a Bible. (Might even take great pride in it)¡K
- but what use is it if it is not READ?
o (Should be black and white and read all over!)
Nehemiah brought the Bible out into the streets and they READ it. Out loud
Why do we read it (and why was it so special to Mary and Nehemiah)?
- because God speaks through it
o it¡¦s His story
o it¡¦s His vocabulary (cf prophetic)
o it¡¦s His Word. It tells us about Jesus
Apply: so- we not only need to get the Bible out, but also make time to READ it
- decide to set time aside each day
Have you got an appetite
Prayer- someone older
We resolve this morning to set time aside to read the Bible. Help us to know what/when is right for us
LISTEN (v3) PPT 4
Ewen: mini talk 3-
2 voices trying to guide someone blindfolded along an obstacle course. Then 2 v quiet whispers trying to guide while congregation gives ¡¥hubbub¡¦. Apply: we need to learn to hear God speak through the word. We need to find ways of ¡¥listening¡¦ that are helpful to us.
PROPS: Blindfolds. Obstacle course
3 volunteers (one blindfolded, 2 guides)
- first: guide by shouting
o need to not only READ but listen for God to speak
o Illustr: at school I used to read set books, but not listen
o But, it¡¦s actually more like this:
- Now: one guide whispering while congregation makes a gentle hubbub
Need to learn to listen (PPT)
- learn to hear God¡¦s voice (PPT, it pulls up images)
o and find the different things that help us listen.
„X It¡¦s different for different people
o Beauty, art, music, silence, activity,
„X Be free to be you!
„X But be hungry to hear Him speak
Apply: set aside quiet time or whatever works for you
Hungry, I come to you
Prayer - Sheila
That we may learn to hear you speak to us¡K through the Bible mainly, but in other ways as well. Help us to find the ways that are helpful for us: maybe silence, praying in a beautiful place, music, praying as we DO things etc
UNDERSTAND (v7, 12) PPT 5
Ewen ¡V mini talk 4
The people needed help to understand. We do too! It¡¦s more than just reading the Bible- it¡¦s KNOWING the truth that sets you free. That¡¦s why church and HGs are so important- we are helped to understand. Find a Bible version that helps you, with commentary (NLT, NIV, Life Application Bibles)
Nehemiah had people help everyone so they could not only hear but understand what was written (PPT)
- we need help, too
We need:
- the Bible in language we can understand PPT (pictures of Bible)
o progress- move on. Aim to move to something that gives you MEAT
o if you don¡¦t understand- use a bible with study notes to HELP you
Sheila- mini bit about Bible study notes
Holy Spirit we welcome you
ACT (v14) PPT 6
Ewen ¡V mini talk 5
But it¡¦s not complete until you have ACTED on it. Like a game/competition (or combination padlock)- you don¡¦t win until you have COMPLETED it. In fact- this is our major weakness: it¡¦s not understanding all the tiny bits of the Bible, but rather acting on what we DO know! And it¡¦s acting on it that pleases God, shows obedience and is how we really learn. (I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand). Illustrate ¡¥understanding in doing¡¦ with Matthew¡¦ shock game! Apply: do not merely listen to the word, do what it says
But it doesn¡¦t end there
- aim is not just to understand
o Nehemiah and his friends ACT by having a celebration the Bible tells them to have
- aim is to ACT: put it into action PPT (running man appears).
o like a game or competition- you haven¡¦t won until you¡¦ve completed (PPT- Rubix cube appears)
Actually- this is where we fall down.. the weakest link in the chain
- it¡¦s not grasping all those tiny bits of the Bible that we think are hard to understand
- it¡¦s DOING what we DO understand¡K
¡K and it¡¦s DOING that
- pleases God
- shows obedience
- helps us REALLY learn
o I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand (PPT)
If time: to show you how you REALLY learn by DOING
- who would like to join me for one last fun game that really helps you learn?????
o Matthew¡¦s shock machine game!
o (if nobody volunteers- you¡¦ve really learned!)
Prayer- someone young
That God might help us to really trust Him and His word and act on those bits that we do understand.
One shall tell another
Blessing
Invitation to check out Bibles and Bible Study notes at the Back
