Prayer Focus for Uganda – Sunday, April 26

ugan-MMAP-smUganda, Africa: Major ministry challenges for the Ugandan Church:

  1. a) Young people’s ministry is fundamental to rebuilding the country in the wake of AIDS and the LRA devastation. Pray for the extensive ministry of SU in schools and for FOCUS(IFES) and Life Ministry (CCCI) on university/tertiary campuses; evangelism, discipleship and training are the main ministries. Pray also for effective youth programs in churches.
  2. b) Children in crisis. Numbing poverty deprives many children – including up to two million orphans – of care, finances for education and hope. Pray especially for street children, who are most numerous in Kampala (AIM, Viva, others), and for children in the north. (www.operationworld.org)

Prayer Focus for Tuvalu – Sunday, April 19

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Tuvalu, Pacific: Tuvalu faces an uncertain future. Very limited resources, possible rising sea levels and modern/global external influences make this traditional culture fragile, both environmentally and socially. Pray that wisdom would prevail in preserving Tuvalu as a nation and culture, and that the long-standing presence of the Church would play a major role in this. (www.operationworld.org)

Prayer Focus for Turks and Caicos – Sunday, April 12

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Turks and Caicos Islands, Asia: Caribbean: Christian values in society are challenged by offshore finance with its frequent money laundering, by tourism with its increasing licentiousness and by illegal drug trafficking. Pray that churches might address these through holy living and genuine faith. (www.operationworld.org)

Gathered Worship is Covenantal – Joshua 24:1-28

How aware and knowledgeable are we that we have a covenant with God?
Do you think that worshippers at Crossroads sense a need to respond to God during worship?
What do you think it means to renew our covenant with God during a worship service today?
Read 2 Corinthians 4:5-6
Where do you see the theme of a suzerain-vassal covenant in these verses?
How is this covenant we have connected with looking into the face of another?
Read Revelation 22:1-5
How is worship in the fully restored heavens and earth presented with regards to God’s face?
When you look back over the course of your life do you sense that worship is a very interpersonal event on Sundays?

How would you like to see your worship on Sunday improve interpersonally?

Seeing that God has made each individual different how does that inform the personal nature of congregational worship?

Prayer Focus for Turkmenistan – Sunday, April 5

turm-MMAP-smTurkmenistan, Asia: Witness by other means: a) The Turkmen NT was published in 1994, but requires editing and revision. Work continues on completing the OT. Pray for this work to be completed quickly; pray also for its importation, distribution and impact on readers. There are also a number of Christian book titles available in Turkmen. b) Christian radio programmes commenced in Turkmen in 2001. Pray for all involved in producing and airing these programmes. Thank God for Christian broadcasts in Russian on satellite TV, and pray for Turkmen-language Christian TV broadcasts to begin soon.

Leviticus 16 ‘The Day of Atonement’

day-of-atonementIf a neighbor or co-worker were to ask you what the Pastor spoke about on Sunday how would you summarize the sermon in one sentence?

You can’t understand sacrifice of Jesus until you understand sacrifice in Leviticus. Leviticus 16 is about the Day of Atonement? How was the Day of Atonement like spring cleaning?

An atoning sacrifice is also known as a ransom in Leviticus. Let’s consider how a ransom works.
Jay Sklar writes, “In the Old Testament, a ‘ransom’ has the following characteristics:
1. It is a legally or ethically legitimate payment;
2. It delivers a guilty party from a just punishment that is the right of the offended party to execute or to have executed;
3. It is a lesser punishment than was originally expected;
4. It is up to the offended party whether or not to accept the payment; and
5. Its acceptance serves both to rescue the life of the guilty and to appease the offended party, thus restoring peace to the relationship.

Exodus 21:28-30 is an example of how a ransom works in human-to-human relationships. Read Exodus 21:28-30
How can a man whose ox has gored others multiple times avoid the death penalty?
Is the offended party required to place a ransom upon the offender?
How would you view the offended party’s action?

Read Leviticus 17:11
Just as God mercifully provided for a ransom in human-to-human relationships Lev. 17:11 is about how ransom, or atonement, also works in God-to-human relationships. Sacrifice in Leviticus is a ransom for those who deserve death.

Read Mark 10:45
How does Jesus’s death on the cross meet the requirements of ransom above?
How is Jesus’ ransom payment even better than that required in the Old Testament?
How much of the debt has not been paid by Jesus? How does this help us to understand why the New Testament speaks of Jesus’ saving work as a gift (see Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8)?