Listed here:
1) Complete order of service, and then below that
2) Talks
3) Drama for "Actions speak louder than words"
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Shine like stars! Philippians 2:14-16
Order of service for All Age Worship, Sun 26th Feb 2006
Aims:
1) to communicate that our actions & attitudes (what we say and do) affect who we are which in turn affects our witness. So, not complaining and arguing helps us become blameless and pure (not vice-versa!) which means that we shine out and witness for God.
2) To praise God and have fun!
Songpro- Feast 06 promo video clip playing as people come in
Songpro – show PPT1 during:
Notices/welcome- Ewen
10.04am
Praise- Adrian
Over all the earth, you reign on high
Let everything that has breath + offering
Just let me say how much I love you
Prayers of praise (from young and old)
10.15am
“Becoming blameless and pure”
Songpro: Video Clip1 - ‘The Incredibles’ from 16’27”, arguing round the table. Tot 2’25”
Songpro- show PPT 2 during:
Reading: Phil 2:14-16. Becky Baker
10.20am
Mini talk 1- Ewen (see talks notes)
How do you become blameless and pure? By your attitude and actions. What you do affects who you are (not so much the other way around). “So that you may become…” Acts of the will mould the personality. People who consciously don’t argue or complain become pure people (more than nice people automatically don’t argue). If we are like a pressure cooker- moaning only momentarily releases the pressure- what it really does is compound the problem and add fuel to the fire, goods inside the cooker… pressure.
God’s word is good psychological sense.
Why do this?- because you are children of God, and you want to show the family likeness more
Songs:
“Do everything without complaining” - Adrian/Ewen
“May the words of my mouth”
Prayer- that we may watch our actions and attitudes so we may become more like Christ- A young person (Ewen to get?)
10.32am
Youngest kids leave
“Shining like stars”
Video clip 2- Communication- German Berlitz advert
game/video/ drama etc- Ewen/Adrian showing that how you ACT as a person speaks louder than words. Maybe something along the lines of how much communication is non verbal (ie say one thing but show another with your body language and it’s the body language that speaks!)
10.39am
Mini talk 2- Ewen (see talks notes)
If you work at being like this three things will happen. 1) you will stand out against this dark world (and Christians SHOULD be different!) 2) you will shine like stars 3) this will effectively be a witness –. You will be holding out the word of life (in being a message and holding out the message. “Would any of you like LIFE?”)
“Share the gospel at all times. If necessary use words”. Actions speak louder than words. You don’t speak the message- you ARE the message
10.44am
Songs-
I reach up high
God’ people (superheros)
Prayer- Adrian. That our lives may shine out and be magnetic to others
10.48am
Mini- talk 3 – Ewen (on talks notes, but no PPT until Feast promo)
Feast is a way we can ‘hold out the word of life’
Feast Promotion- Ewen
Brief prayer for Feast - Ewen
10.55am
Closing songs
Here I am, wholly available
He is the Lord, and He reigns on high
Blessing & challenge to receive prayer- Ewen
11am close
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Shine like stars- talks.
Mini- talk 1- becoming blameless and pure- start PPT 3
So- how do you shine like a star for Jesus? (PPT "shine like stars")
¢ become blameless and pure! (PPT "Blameless and pure")
Ewen wait for two pictures to appear
How do you become blameless and pure? (PPT "How?")
¢ it says here: "do everything without complaining or arguing"(PPT)
o by the way you act: your actions and attitudes
o (anyone know what an ’attitude’ is?)(vid clip will auto loop)
o note: written here to adults! Applies to all ages!
Here’s the fantastic thing about God’s word. It tells us some unexpected truths!
- you know- I would have thought it was the other way around!
o that if you were" blameless and pure", then THAT would cause you to ’do everything without complaining or arguing"
o like: really nice people- they are the ones who don’t complain or argue…. and so shine like stars
- but that’s not what this says at all! This says:
o how you ACT makes how you ARE (PPT)
o ’do everything without complaining or arguing’- and that will make you blameless and pure inside! (PPT-’become’)
" your attitudes will build/change who you ARE
" God will make you BECOME a star (PPT)
" rather than- who you are having to dominate how you act
" (makes sense, actually- otherwise we could just say "I can’t help being nasty… complaining.. that’s how I am… God made me". He says don’t complain and it WILL make who you are!")
Let me tell you a story. Tim and Jane were brother and sister. Tim was 15, Jane was 11. One day they had an incredible row because both wanted to play on the Playstation
- Tim wanted to play "Timesplitters: future perfect"
- Jane wanted to play Itoy play 3
- They argued about it! They went and complained to their mum about it- why each of them should be able to play the game they wanted.
- Then, when mum told them to ’sort it out and stop arguing’- they both sulked about it
o Strangely- it just made each of them feel worse. Neither could agree to play any game… and ’expressing their anger’ (as they had been told at school) didn’t seem to make them feel any better either
- Tim just said "well, that’s the way I AM. Like it or leave it. I’m grumpy… and I’m made for games like ’timesplitters’
- But Jane thought. She thought: perhaps if I deliberately stop arguing and complaining- we’ll work something out
o She deliberately controlled herself. It was hard at first
o Then she said "I’ll play timesplitters with you if you want, Tim"
" She felt SO much better inside!
o Tim said "it’s not for little girls!! Besides- it’s better in single-player mode!.....
" But I suppose I could do the race with you on Play 3
" Because Jane had become so laid-back… it kind of influenced him
And they did. And they both enjoyed it
You see- moaning and complaining doesn’t make you better- inside or out. It makes you worse. Things worse. Compounds it.
- and Paul and the Bible know this! (PPT- "makes things worse")
- It might make you feel better for a WHILE… but after that it poisons you!
- Psychologists say we ARE…become…. what we say, act, reinforce, repeat
o This says the same, but in the positive sense:
o Apply your WILL… act as God wants… and it will affect how you are
Let me illustrate it this way (PPT- takes to blank page)
- complaining and arguing does not take the lid off the pressure cooker of your life/feelings (PPT cooker and lid)
o well- it feels like it does, for a minute! And sometimes you need to ’let out’
- but do it for long and it adds to the goods/pressure inside the cooker. Adds to the flame! Adds to the pressure. (PPT)
So- want to become blameless and pure? (PPT- takes you to new page)
¢ do everything without complaining or arguing (PPT)
¢ and it will become second nature. Change your nature
o If you do things without arguing or complaining- then, in time, you will ’become blameless and pure’
" Act right… get the right attitudes… and God will see to it that it changes who you ARE
" inside
Why become blameless and pure? (PPT)
¢ it’s a whole lot better! More fun! (PPT)
¢ Says here "so you may become children of the Lord"- in other words look more like your heavenly Father and Saviour, Jesus! (PPT)
Mini-talk 2- shine like stars (start PPT 4)
So- why is ’not arguing and complaining’… becoming ’blameless and pure’ so important? (PPT)
- because we want to please God and be like Him
- … but because our ACTIONS speak even louder than our words! (PPT)
If you work on this… and let God work In you…
- 1) you will shine like a star (PPT)
- 2) you will stand out against the darkness of this world ’this crooked generation’ (PPT)
o and Christians SHOULD stand out… be different
" Illustr: it’s tragic that the lives of many people who SAY they are Christians are no different from anyone else’s.
" They misbehave at parties
" They moan at work
" They are not as Jesus would be when it comes to members of the opposite sex
o You see- your actions are a witness. Very often you don’t SPEAK the message about Jesus- you ARE the message about Jesus
So- live right… blameless… and here it says you will be
- 3) ’holding out the word of life’ (PPT)
Is how you live at school, work, home, street…with your friends, family, different? A witness?
- are you letting your light shine?
- Is the way you are living is not glorifying to God?
o then this morning is the time to set it right. Get right. Come back
(PPT)
MT 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Paul wants to boast on the day he stands before Jesus that all his work was not for nothing. That all the work for these people’s lives was not for nothing because they were unchanged, arguing and not serious about his faith
- the friends who have helped you would like to boast in the same way!
- Don’t disappoint them!
Mini-talk 3- the Feast
We can ’hold out the word of life’ by the way we act and are- but also in other ways:
- I love the expression!
- It doesn’t speak about forcing your views on others. Making them do things they don’t want
- It talks about holding out LIFE in your hands (ACT IT)… the means/way to life…. and saying ’would any of you like this?’
YOU have something fantastic in your hands that others need… long for… are desperate for, even if they don’t know it
Here is a way you can shine like stars and hold out the Word of life to this area: The Feast
Feast promo PowerPoint
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Actions speak louder than words
Hats on to show we are ‘in character’
A: knock knock
E: hello
A: Can I come in?
E: “you’re welcome! Come in” (arms folded)
A: Nice to see you, John
E: “good to see you, too, Andrew” (in grumpy tones)
A: Did you go to the match, yesterday?
E: Of course! (showing great interest) Come on you Saints!
A: How did they get on?
E: Won three nil … Higginbottom, Rasiak and Jones … first win since January 2nd … they were brilliant – it could have been five or six … might be just too late to get into the play-offs, but I’ve put in for a season ticket for next year just in case we go up and they sell out.
So, how are you? (asking somewhat indifferently)
A: Not too well, to tell the truth. I had some virus about 4 weeks ago- and I just can’t seem to get my energy up after it. I feel quite low…
E: Yeah? Yeah? That’s good. Glad you’re getting better. But I’ve been feeling a bit rough, actually. Glad you’re okay- Jesus tells us we should be concerned for others.
A: Well- thanks for your concern! I could do with shaking this off
E: yeah. Yeah.
A: I was wondering- any chance you could help with a shopping run for me. My car’s in trouble and is in at the Garage- so, what with being ill and everything, I haven’t been able to do my weekly shop.
E: That’s what you get with a FORD (Fix Or Repair Daily, that’s what it means). I’d love too, mate- but ours needs a service too, and that could be anytime this week or next so I really need to keep the car free. Jackie could help you, but she’s doesn’t really know you, does she?
A: Oh, okay
E: you going to church tonight?
A: yep. It’s really important to me. Something’s happened in my life, recently, and I really want to follow Jesus and do what He would do more than ever! It’s great! I really enjoy the worship at church. I really want it to make a difference to my life.
E: great! (animated). I’m going, too. So- what did you do last night?
A: well I went down the pub to watch the rugby with some mates from work . It’s one of the great things about being single! No one to worry about or nag you, so I stayed on afterwards. Had a bit much to drink, though. Have got a bit of a headache today - but it’s a lot better since I prayed about it!
Don’t think I embarrassed myself too much … although I can’t actually remember all of it. I DO remember chatting up this bird, though. I went back to her place, afterwards…. Know what I mean??! She’d never guess I was a Christian! Not after what we got up to. I’m going to surprise her with that information when the time is right! That’ll be a ‘good witness’
E: Hmmmm.
A: Hey- how’s work?
E: the company’s doing well, actually. Thanks for asking. It’s good to be in such a place of responsibility as a Christian. We need more Christians in top management. Got some trouble with one bloke, though- turns out he’s got a dicky heart. I like him, but I reckon he’s a liability, actually- we could be paying sick pay forever if something happens to him…. and I bet it will. I’m looking for a way to get rid of him.
A: Gosh. I’ll pray for you on that one!
E: listen. Better go. We’ve all gotta get ready for church. Hope some folks see us all going- it could be a good witness to them!
