Audlem Baptist Church Online Service for the 7^th August 2025 Tell Her Story This is the second service in a series of seven.
	Welcome and Introduction This series of sermons comes from Chichester Baptist Church and is from July and August this year. The series title is Tell Her Story and we will dig into the scriptures over the next seven weeks looking at some of the women we find there in both the Old Testament and the New. It is quite topical in our culture today, but we will see how these stories can strengthen our own faith, courage and witness whether we ourselves are women or men. What can we all learn?
	Song: Strength Will Rise (Everlasting God) In this series I have tried to use the same hymns that were used in Chichester before and after the message. This week the song is one that highlights how God will provide the strength we need for the task in hand. Click here to watch the video.
	Bible Passage and the Message: Tell Her Story: Deborah This message is the second in our series and is from the 20^th of July. If you have a Bible or Bible app to hand, please find Judges chapter 4 before you start the video. This week the minister Ellen Wild brings the message. The video starts with Tom reading the passage for today. Click the filmstrip icon below to start watching the YouTube video. It should start automatically about 50 minutes into the complete service. Ellen finishes her message by showing a screen with some questions for us to quietly think about. After that the musicians return and I suggest that you stop the video at that point. We will watch a video of the song that they sang after our own prayers. Click here to watch the video. You can adjust the YouTube settings using the controls at the bottom right of the screen. The gear wheel on the left adjusts the quality (480 may be enough) and the box frame on the right shows the video full screen.
	Our Own Prayers I realise that I use these words every week to guide your thoughts and I still think they are a helpful summary. As you watched the message today was there a moment when you sensed the Holy Spirit speaking directly to you? Then tell Jesus about it. Or maybe you simply had a ‘lightbulb’ moment which you would like to thank God for. Spend a few moments to thank God for all his goodness to you in the last week. Spend a few minutes in confession. Take a few minutes to pray for others who you feel burdened for. If you have received the Church email, it will give you some suggestions. Now spend a few moments praying for the fellowship of the church to which we belong and its witness to friends, family, neighbours, the young and the old, and to the wider world.
	Song: Some May Trust in Chariots This is the song that Chichester sang to close their service. The words are a little repetitive but are very appropriate and the pictures are very evocative. Click here to watch the video.
	A Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, We pray for Your Spirit to lead us, just as Deborah was in sync with Heaven.  Give us the courage to discern Your will, the wisdom to speak Your word clearly in our homes, workplaces, and communities.  Help us to be a voice of reason and faith, standing up against injustice and wickedness, not with fleshly might but with Your divine power.  Strengthen us, O God, to serve faithfully in all the roles You have given us—as mothers, wives, workers, and spiritual leaders.  Just as You called Deborah to lead Israel to victory, empower us to bring Your light and truth into every situation we face.  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
If you have more time: If you are not very familiar with the story of Deborah, read all through Judges chapters 4 and 5 to find out what happened to Sisera when God fought for the Israelites.