Audlem Baptist Church Online Service for the
20^th October 2024

Practising the Way

This is the first service in our current series.

Apprenticed to Jesus

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Introduction

The sermons for these online services come from Chichester Baptist Church during very recent months.

In our previous series we have talked about the huge impact that Jesus’s earthly ministry had on the way we think about God, the Trinity and the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, in this series we move on to think about what it means for us to be one of his followers. The early church was known as being people who followed in The Way. The term “Christian” came much later.

This series is in large part based on a book by John Mark Comer entitled “Practising the Way”. My hope is that as we go through this series we will go deeper in our understanding of what it is to be a true disciple.

Song: Guardian

In this series I have tried to use the same hymns that were used in Chichester before and after the message. So this song is their choice for us. It expresses the thought that we want to follow in his steps and make him our guide.

Bible Reading: Mark Chapter 1 verses 16 to 20

If you have your own Bible to hand, please open it at Mark chapter 1. If you don’t have a Bible nearby, you can click the icon above and the passage will be displayed in a separate browser tab.

Apprenticed to Jesus

The first message of the series is from September this year. The video includes our reading for today from Mark chapter 1 verses 16-20.

The speaker is the Reverend Ellen Wild, who is the Minister at Chichester.

Click the filmstrip icon below to start watching the YouTube video. It should start automatically at about 51 minutes into the complete service.

I suggest that you stop the video after she has finished the message and led a short prayer and the band is ready to play the final congregational song. We will watch a video of the same song after our next prayers.

You can view the video full screen by clicking the small button at the bottom right of the video screen (as shown highlighted on the small image on the left).

Prayers

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: Build My Life

The Chichester congregation sang this song to close. It follows on from Ellen’s message, and is a good song for an apprentice.

A Closing Prayer

Loving God,
your Son Jesus showed us how to act with understanding and kindness. Give us the strength we need to reach out to others, to be the hands of Christ here on earth and to act with compassion and love. We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.