Sunday Focus

23rd August 2026

 

 

Hymn - Stand Up and Bless The Lord

 

Song - My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness

 

God of all,
we turn our hearts and our minds to our worship.
We wish to pause,
to take a moment to leave behind us all the distractions and demands that usually fill our thoughts.

We lay at Your feet all that has gone before us in the past week,
the things we regret, tasks left undone, words uttered in anger,
the things we wish we could forget, mistakes made, moments that made us uncomfortable;
the things that brought us joy, time spent with family, the laughter of friends.

All of these, and so much more, we lay down at Your feet.
Still our troubled minds, renew our tired hearts and give us a spirit of praise.
For we wish to draw closer to You,
to offer songs of worship,
to hear Your word from scripture,
to learn more about You.
Lord, let us enter Your presence,
for there is nowhere on earth that we would rather be.
Amen.
 

Song - O Lord My Rock and My Redeemer

 

 

Bible Reading

 

Matthew 16:13-20

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ 14And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ 15He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ 16Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah,* the Son of the living God.’ 17And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter,* and on this rock* I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ 20Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.*

  

Song- Build My Life

 

 

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 - What a Friend We Have in Jesus

 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Amen
—Romans 15:13