Song 1 – Look and See

Song 2 – How Long?

Song 3 – I Will Wait For You

Song 4 – You Hold It All

Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.

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Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen

Holy God,
We confess that we all have sinned and have fallen short of your glory. 

Gracious God,
our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo.

Merciful God,
Forgive us, renew us, and set us free from the weight of our sins
and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image;
through Jesus Christ, the light of the world.

Amen.

A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!

If you have children, they are welcome to join our Sunday school classes! 

Our Scripture reading today is 2 Corinthians 5:1–10 (ESV). Hear the Word of God:

5:1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Groaning for Glory

I. Groaning for Glory: Our Earthly Tent Points to an Eternal Home (vv 1–5)
II. Courage in Absence: Walking By Faith Fuels Our Hope (vv 6–8)
III. Aiming to Please: Judgement Shapes Our Present Purpose (vv 9–10)

Song 5 – On That Day

Song 6 – We Will Feast in the House of Zion

“‘The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

– Numbers 6:24-26

For all church announcements, please see our digital announcements page: ucclife.fi/announcements

Introduction

• Finland has just been ranked as “happiest country” for the 8th time in a row. Why do you think that is?
• What are your tent experiences? What issues did you face, how did you feel, what were solutions?

Into the text

• What is meant by “groaning”, and what does that look like in our lives? What is it we miss (long for)?
• What are the differences between our “earthly tent” and our “eternal home”?
• In which way are we “further clothed”?
• Where can we observe the “preparation” we have received / are receiving from God?
• Consider the phrase “Walk by faith, not by sight” – what is it we believe, and what is it that we do not see?
• What is it we will receive when we appear before Christ?

Apply the Text

• How can we see that our aim is “to please him”? What does that mean in practice, in our day to day life?
• How does our faith help us to walk in courage? What does this courage look like?