prepared by Deacon Nigel Perrott – 12th July 2026
Grace and peace to you in the name of Christ our saviour!
Lord, you have searched us and know us!
You know when we sit down and when we rise up;
you discern our thoughts from afar.
You search out our paths and our lying down
and are acquainted with all our ways.
Even before a word is on our tongues,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem us in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon us.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for us;
it is high; we cannot attain it.
Hymn STF 341
All for Jesus–all for Jesus,
this our song shall ever be;
for we have no hope, nor Savior,
if we have not hope in thee.
All for Jesus–thou wilt give us
strength to serve thee, hour by hour,
none can move us from thy presence,
while we trust thy love and power.
All for Jesus–thou hast loved us;
all for Jesus–thou hast died;
all for Jesus–thou art with us;
all for Jesus crucified.
All for Jesus–all for Jesus–
this the Church’s song must be;
till, at last, her sons are gathered
one in love and one in thee.
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 341
W.J Sparrow
Prayers of Praise & Confession
Holy God, you are the breath that fills our lungs, the light that steadies our steps, the quiet strength that carries us when we falter. We pause in your presence today to adore you—not out of duty, but because our hearts recognise your goodness.
You are faithful when we are uncertain, patient when we are slow to understand, and generous beyond anything we could earn. Your mercy meets us in the ordinary moments, and your grace keeps opening doors we didn’t even know to knock on.
Jesus, our Saviour, we praise you for walking our roads, for seeing us fully and loving us wholly. Your compassion reshapes our lives, your cross restores our hope, and your resurrection lifts our eyes to a future held securely in your hands.
Spirit of God, you stir courage where fear has settled, you kindle joy where heaviness lingers, and you whisper peace into the noise of our days. We adore you for your constant presence— closer than breath, stronger than despair, gentler than we deserve.
So today, with grateful hearts, we lift our praise: for who you are, for all you have done, and for all you continue to do among us. Be honoured in our worship and glorified in our lives.
Amen.
Forgiving God, as we bring our praise, we recognise where we fail. We come as we are—busy, distracted, hopeful, and sometimes hurting— knowing you already see the truth of our lives.
We confess the moments this week when we chose comfort over courage, silence over kindness, and hurry over compassion. Forgive us when our words have wounded, when our actions have fallen short, and when our faith has been more talk than practice.
Breathe your Spirit into us again. Renew what is tired, heal what is broken, and lift what is weighed down. Set our feet back on your path of justice, mercy, and joy.
In Christ we are forgiven, restored, and made new.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Please read: Mathew 19:13-23
The Little Children and Jesus
13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[a]and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Reflection
The part of this passage I want to focus on today, is the children. This small passage fits into what is a much bigger picture. The picture of kingdom values. Everything is turned on its head. Here we see that children have status, and you can’t buy your way into heaven, with cash and good deeds.! Following Jesus is about a heart connection, a connection that reflects the Kingdom of God.
In the time Jesus lived, children held a different kind of status than they do in our world today. We expect our children to grow into adults and to engage in a life of fulfilled dreams. This was not the case for parents of Jesus’ time. More than half of the children born at this time never reached puberty. They died of diseases and of malnutrition. When children appear in the Gospels, they usually are used to convey a very important message. Such is the case in the passage of Mathew’s Gospel that we read today.
Children had the free reign of the family compound. These people lived in extended families. Brothers lived with their brothers and their wives and their children. The eldest brother or their father was the patriarch. The women lived in one section of the home, usually to the rear where they were not so vulnerable to the vagaries of passers-by. The men lived in another room, usually near the front of the home and were seen as the protectors of their women and children. The children roamed freely between the two areas and were often used by the adults to discover what was going on in the other rooms. They carried stories back and forth. They were the ultimate destroyers of secrecy as they had access to the whole house. The women could not keep secrets from the men and vice versa.
If you wanted to keep a secret, it was important to keep prying eyes and ears away from children. So, when the disciples shoo the children away from Jesus, it was not simply a matter of giving Jesus some quiet time. It was to protect him from gossip, from stories that the children could carry to the adults. Jesus welcomes the children to show that he has no secrets, that his life is open and above board. We have often tended to romanticize this story and make it look like Jesus had a special relationship with the children. What this story also tells us is that Jesus’s special relationship was with all men and women as well as children. Jesus was authentic, trustworthy, and did not try to hide his private life. Allowing the children into his life was proof of that authenticity.
There is an innocence that children possess too. They are not yet fully aware and still have a great deal to learn. So do we, as children of God. As we humble ourselves, as we become the children God intended us to be, so we too will inherit that kingdom which promised to us. Lets all have the mind of a child!
Short prayer:
Loving God, thank You for the gift of children — for their laughter, their curiosity, and the joy they bring into our lives. Bless them, guide them, and help us to cherish and nurture them each day. Help us to, to have the confidence be to childlike and hear the words of Jesus in our lives
Amen.
Prayer of intercession
Loving God, we lift before you all who long for peace, healing, and hope today. Be close to those who are anxious or struggling and strengthen all who care for others with patience and compassion. We continue to pray for the people of following the awful earthquake in Venezuela, for those helping to restore order and help the injured, and all those who grieve.
Here at home, we ask you to bless our community and our church family. Guide us to notice those in need, to speak with kindness, and to act with generosity. Shape us into people who reflect your light in the week ahead.In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
Hymn STF 351 – In Christ alone, my hope is found
1 In Christ alone my hope is found,
he is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
2 In Christ alone! — who took on flesh,
fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
scorned by the ones he came to save:
till on that cross as Jesus died,
the wrath of God was satisfied
for every sin on him was laid;
here in the death of Christ I live.
3 There in the ground his body lay,
light of the world by darkness slain:
then bursting forth in glorious Day
up from the grave he rose again!
And as he stands in victory,
sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
for I am his and he is mine —
bought with the precious blood of Christ.
4 No guilt in life, no fear in death,
this is the power of Christ in me;
from life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from his hand;
till he returns or calls me home,
here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!
Keith Getty (b. 1974) and Stuart Townend (b. 1963)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 351
Words and Music: © 2001, Thankyou Music
Blessing
May God stir compassion within us, strengthen our resolve to stand beside children in need, and guide us to build a world where every child is safe, heard, and treasured. Amen.
