Sunday Focus

12th October 2025

 
Welcome to this weeks Sunday Focus, we pray you will be blessed.

This week we finish our look at Acts with the last two chapters, 27 and 28.


 

Hymn - All For Jesus

 

Song -  I will Walk With You

 

Loving God,
help us to open our hearts and minds as we come to worship You.
May we learn more about Jesus
and feel the presence of You our God
through Your Holy Spirit,
with us in our time together. Amen.

We come before You, loving God,
as imperfect disciples,
seeking to learn more of Your kingdom.

Hear us all now, as we come before You in prayer,
aware of all the blessings we enjoy
and conscious of the needs of so many in our society and across the world,
who do not share our privileges.
Help us to keep them in mind
as we confess that we and they need You, Holy Trinity, in our lives.

Father God, we Your people come aware of our faults and failings.
Sometimes we judge by outward appearances,
neglecting to consider the human being, head and heart, contained within.
Forgive us Father.

Lord Jesus,
when You were here on earth You spent your time and energy with outcasts, strangers and those despised by society.
Help us to do the same and may we always approach others with Your love.
Forgive us Lord.

Holy Spirit
empower us with Your grace and mercy
so that everything we do and think and say
may be for the encouragement and support of all we meet.
May we stop – thinking inwards and looking outwards – with Your power and energy to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Forgive us Holy Spirit, and bless us.
Amen

  Song -  Jesus Calms The Storm

 

Acts 27 - click this link to read this chapter.   Acts 27

In Acts chapter 27 Luke gives us a very detailed account of Paul's journey to Rome by sea, including being shipwrecked and ending up in Malta!

Acts 28: 11-31

Paul’s arrival at Rome

11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island – it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they travelled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Paul preaches at Rome under guard

17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: ‘My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.’

21 They replied, ‘We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.’

23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:

26 ‘“Go to this people and say,
‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.’
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.”

28 ‘Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!’ 
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ – with all boldness and without hindrance!

 

Song -  There is an endless song (How can I keep from Singing)

 

 

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen. 

 

 

Hymn -  Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

 

 

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all,
now and evermore.
Amen.