Look Back with Gratitude, Look Forward with Confidence

The week ahead Wed 4th Jan 7.30pm Midweek prayer meeting, church hall. Fri 6th Jan 7.30pm – 9pm Rock Solid in Spors Nis. Open to all P5 to S2. Services next Sunday 8th January 2017 11am service (church hall) Mr Murdo Smith, Elder, Stornoway APC 3.30pm Sunday school (church hall) for all P1-S2 children 6pm service (church hall) Mr Iain Macmillan Dates for your diary Monday 9th Jan Evening Bible study 7.30pm Church hall. Everyone welcome. Studying characters in the Old Testament. Tuesday 17th Jan Film night in the church hall. This month’s film will be ‘God’s Not Dead 2’ (PG cert). Thank you to everyone who contributed so generously to the foodbank collection. 1st January 2017 A very warm welcome to our services of worship this New Year’s Day. We pray that you will all know God’s blessing as we meet together the first day of 2017. Worship this morning is led by Mr John Hebditch and this evening by Mr Chris Barrowman. Induction loops are fitted in both the Church and hall for the hard of hearing. Please set your hearing aid to position ‘T’. Recordings of all our services are available on our website www.crossnesschurch.com as free Podcasts. CD recordings are also made of the services and are made available free of charge to the housebound and elderly. Please ask one of the office bearers if you would like a copy. Crèche available by request. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eaglaisnis or via Google by entering ‘@eaglaisnis’ www.crossnesschurch.com for more information and audio content. If you would like information posted on the website, please contact Chris on 810112 or email the website crossnesschurch@gmail.com Cross Ness Church of Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity No.SC000991 11 o’clock service led by Mr John Hebditch Praise: Psalm 100 Praise: Hymn 413 ‘Rock of Ages’ Praise: Hymn 564 ‘Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah’ Reading: 1 Samuel 7: 4-13 (NIV) 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only. 5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah. 7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him. 10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar. 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. Romans 8:35-39 (NIV) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Tea/Coffee will be served after the morning service to which everyone is warmly invited No Sunday school until after the holidays. 6pm service – led by Mr Chris Barrowman Please continue to pray for our congregation, that we would know the Lord’s blessing at this time. We continue to pray for all in our congregation and community who are in hospital or are ill in any way. If you know of someone who needs prayer at this time, please let one of the Elders know