Photos From Circuit MembersHymn
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
o'er the world's tempestuous sea; guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us, for we have no help but thee; yet possessing every blessing, if our God our Father be. Saviour, breathe forgiveness o'er us: all our weakness thou dost know; thou didst tread this earth before us, thou didst feel its keenest woe; lone and dreary, faint and weary, through the desert thou didst go. Spirit of our God, descending, fill our hearts with heavenly joy, love with every passion blending, pleasure that can never cloy: thus provided, pardoned, guided, nothing can our peace destroy. |
Food for ThoughtRead the bible passage Mark 1:12 ( or/and for a more detailed account also Luke 4:1-13)
The theme of our second week is the Temptation of Jesus in the Desert and is centred on the above passage/ passages. After his Baptism and before any practical ministry the Bible tells us that Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led into the desert where he was tempted by the Devil for 40 days. We’re told there were three temptations. 1. Jesus was fasting but the Devil tempted him to break the fast by turning stones into bread to eat and satisfy his hunger. 2. The Devil tempted him to abuse his power by a promise that all the kingdoms could be his. 3. Jesus was tempted to test God by throwing himself down from the highest point of the temple to prove that the angels would protect him. Questions to Ponder 1.Perhaps you can remember the times when there’s been panic food buying by some which has led to food shortages . What’s the longest you’ve gone without food and how did it feel? Have you ever done extreme dieting? What was your mood and your well being like at these times? 2. Jesus fasted in the desert. Nowadays people often choose to give up something such as chocolate for Lent. Do you think fasting or food abstinence helps us to focus on prayer? 3. We tend to judge world leaders who we feel abuse their power but are we ever tempted to do wrong by abusing the power we have ? do we think too highly of ourselves sometimes, look down on others or fail to be generous because money speaks and money can impress? 4. Do we ever try to strike a bargain with God, such as “If you answer my prayer the way I want it answered I promise that then I will…….” How difficult is it to simply accept God’s will? 5. Many Christians pray the Lord’s prayer daily as part of their devotions. One line of the prayer asks that we’re not led into temptation. Do we think God answers that part of our prayer and if so how? |