Lenten call to worship:

Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Week 1: Loving God with passion, prayer and intelligence

Sermon 3/6: Pastor Paul preaching
Bible study 3/7
Old Testament reading: Exodus 20:1-11, The 10 Commandments
New Testament reading: I John 4:10-19
Sermon passage: John 14:8-14

Week 2: What it is to be mindful of God

Sermon 3/13: Vicar Alyce preaching
Bible study 3/14
Old Testament reading: Daniel 2:19-23
New Testament reading: Matthew 6:6-13
Sermon passage: Mark 12:29-34

Week 3: Loving ourselves

Sermon 3/20: Pastor Paul preaching
Bible study 3/21
Old Testament reading: Psalms 139
New Testament reading: Ephesians 5:1-12
Sermon passage: Matthew 5:1-12
Key verse: Matthew 5:5

Week 4: Loving ourselves

Sermon 3/27: Vicar Alyce preaching
Bible study 3/28
Old Testament reading: Psalm 149 or 150
New Testament reading: Ephesians 2:1-8
Sermon passage: Philippians 1:9-11

It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! (Ephesians 2:1-8)

So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)

Week 5: How to love others

Sermon 4/3: Pastor Paul preaching
Bible study 4/4
Old Testament reading: Deuteronomy 10:19-21
New Testament reading: Matthew 18:21-22
Sermon passage: 1 Corinthians 13
Key verse: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Week 6: Loving others

Sermon 4/10: Pastor Paul preaching
Bible study 4/11
Old Testament reading: Psalms 31:9-16
New Testament reading: Romans 13:8-10
Sermon passage: John 15:11-17
Key verse: John 15:13-14