Proper 24 Ordinary 29 Pentacost 21 C (17 October): Never Give Up

Bible Readings: Jeremiah 31:27-34, Psalm 119: 97-104, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, Luke 18:1-8
















About the Image:
Upper: This image comes from the Sunday Graphx site (http://sundaygraphx.blogspot.com/) and makes a good thematic background for your digital slides if you are concentrating on the Jeremiah reading.
Lower: The quill is from free Microsoft Clip art so feel free to use this image for worship and related activities.

Listening Song: Written on My Heart
By Plus One on their album. The Promise or WOW 2001 (pictured at left). The words of this song are inspired by the Jeremiah reading..

Discussion Questions: For the 2 Timothy reading
What should we persist with in our own personal faith?
What sort of things is Timothy encouraged to persist with? What sort of things should we persist with together?
Are people fighting battles we know nothing about? How deep does our commitment to each other go?
What scripture do you have written on your heart?
What does it mean for our congregation to live in confidence and hope?

Story: The Horse Trader
Found in More Hot Illustrations for Youth by Wayne Rice, Zondervan 1995, ISBN 0310207681, page 86 (pictured at right). I think this is a good introduction or a good youth story for the 2 Timothy reading.

Story: Forgiveness
Found as story No 75 in Your Point Being? by Graham H. Twelftree, Monarch, 2003, ISBN 1854245929 (pictured at left). This story matches up well with the Jeremiah reading.

Story: God, the Recreator.
I have a beautiful clock made by a man who makes all his clocks out of wood from houses which have been pulled down. For God, nothing is too far gone to be restored or recreated into something of beauty - God's promise in the Jeremiah reading.

Response Activity:
Give everybody a red heart cut out of paper or cardboard and a pencil. Ask people to write a short prayer about faith and persistence.

Probably a bit more Jermemiah stuff to come as I work on my service this week.