prepared by Rev. David Jebb – 21st June 2026
Opening Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for the gift of this day and for the opportunity to gather in your presence. Draw near to us by your Holy Spirit; strengthen our faith, renew our hope, and fill our hearts with your love. May all that we do and say bring glory to your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn – StF 51 Great is Thy faithfulness
Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
Almighty and loving God, we praise you for your goodness and mercy.
We thank you for the beauty of creation, for the gift of life, for family and friends, and for all who care for us. We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who came among us to reveal your love, to bring healing and hope, and to show us the way to eternal life.
We thank you for your Church throughout the world, for the fellowship of believers, and for the assurance that nothing can separate us from your love.
Accept our praise and thanksgiving, and help us to live each day in gratitude and trust; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word and deed,
by what we have done and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
Forgive us, renew us, and restore us,
that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your name.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the good news:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
To all who turn to him in faith, he offers forgiveness, peace and new life.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Scripture Readings
Romans 6:1b–11
Paul explains that believers have died to sin and now live in newness of life through Christ’s resurrection.
Matthew 10:24–39
Jesus teaches about discipleship, fearlessness, and confessing him before others.
24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[a] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[b]
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Message: “New Life, Fearless Witness” Romans 6:1b–11 & Matthew 10:24–39
Today’s readings may feel as though they are pulling us in two different directions. In Romans, Paul proclaims the astonishing good news that we have died with Christ and been raised to new life. It is a message of freedom, grace, and hope. But in Matthew, Jesus speaks of persecution, division, and the cost of discipleship—even conflict within families.
So which is it? A life of peace, or a life of struggle? The truth is: it is both. And this tension lies at the very heart of the gospel.
1. New Life in Christ: A New Identity
Paul tells us that our “old self” has been crucified with Christ.
This means that sin no longer has dominion over us. We are not defined by our failures, our fears, or our past. We are not driven by guilt or by the need to earn God’s approval.
We are alive to God—not because we are perfect, but because we are united with the risen Christ. This new identity changes everything. We are no longer slaves to fear, to sin, or to the world’s expectations. We belong to Christ, and our life is hidden with Him in God.
2. Fearless Witness in a Resistant World
Jesus then takes this new identity and places it in the real world a world that often resists the gospel. He says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” Why can we be fearless? Because in Christ, we have already died and risen. Our true life is secure in God’s hands. Nothing the world can do can touch that.
Jesus also says, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” This is not a call to aggressive evangelism. It is a call to quiet, steady loyalty:
- A word of kindness spoken in Christ’s name
- A refusal to compromise truth for comfort
- A gentle but firm confession that Jesus is Lord
- A willingness to stand with Christ even when it costs us
This is the witness Jesus asks of us—not dramatic heroism, but faithful courage.
3. The Power That Makes Witness Possible
The good news is that God does not ask us to do this in our own strength. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us. Because we have died to sin, we do not have to die to our witness. Because Christ is risen, we can rise above fear. Because the Spirit lives in us, we can speak and live with courage.
Our witness is not rooted in our personality or confidence. It is rooted in the life of Christ within us.
4. A Final Word of Encouragement
So do not be afraid. You are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you. Christ acknowledges you before the Father, and He will give you the words, the courage, and the love you need for today.
You have died with Christ. You have been raised with Christ. And now you are sent by Christ to live freely, to love boldly, and to witness fearlessly.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, we have died with you and risen to new life. Take away our fears. Give us boldness to confess you – not with pride, but with love. And let our lives show that sin no longer rules us, because you rule our hearts. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Loving God, we pray for your Church throughout the world.
Strengthen all who proclaim the gospel and serve in your name.
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer.
We pray for our Circuit, Churches, our communities, for our families, friends and neighbours.
Bless all who care for others and all who work for justice, peace and reconciliation.
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are sick, lonely, anxious or bereaved.
Bring comfort to all who suffer and surround them with your love.
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are unable to leave their homes, for residents of care homes, and for all who feel isolated.
May they know your presence, your strength and your peace.
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer.
We remember with gratitude those who have gone before us in faith.
Help us to follow their example and to trust in your promise of eternal life.
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
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.
Hymn StF 440
| Amazing grace! – how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch; like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. God’s grace that taught my heart to fear, His grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed | The Lord hath promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures. When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we first begun. © John Newton (1725 – 1807) |
Blessing
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always.
Amen.
