Category: cross

Start afresh

Ruth Kirk

Image: Marc Torfs, Pixabay

His mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

1. Lord,
I want to follow you,
So may I start afresh today
By turning from my selfish ways,
And taking up my cross.

2. Lord,
I want to follow you,
So may I start afresh today
By spreading patience, joy, and love,
Whilst welcoming each loss.

3. Lord,
I want to follow you,
So may I start afresh today
By thanking you for all you send,
And praying without cease.

4. Lord,
I want to follow you,
So may I start afresh today
By seeing you in everyone,
And living in your peace.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past
(Isaiah 43:18; NIV).

 

References

1. Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23; NLT).

2. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-3; NRSV).

The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord! (Job 1:21; NLT).

Always rejoice (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).

I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake (2 Corinthians 12:10; NLT).

3. Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

4. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone (Romans 12:18; NLT).

Start afresh

Ruth Kirk


His mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:22; NLT).

1. Lord,
I want to follow you,
So may I start afresh today
By turning from my selfish ways,
And taking up my cross.

2. Lord,
I want to follow you,
So may I start afresh today
By spreading patience, joy, and love,
Whilst welcoming each loss.

3. Lord,
I want to follow you,
So may I start afresh today
By thanking you for all you send
And praying without cease.

4. Lord,
I want to follow you,
So may I start afresh today
By seeing you in everyone,
And living in your peace.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past
(Isaiah 43:18; NIV).

References

1. Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23; NLT).

2. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-3; NRSV).

The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord! (Job 1:21; NLT).

Always rejoice (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).

I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake (2 Corinthians 12:10; NKJV).

3. Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

4. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone (Romans 12:18; NLT).

One star

Ruth Kirk

Image: VisionPic.net, Pexels

And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was (Matthew 2:9; NLT).

1. One star, so bright;
One birth, one light.

2. One Son, so dear;
One truth, so clear.

3. One path, so short;
One gospel taught.

4. One Man, so brave;
One Lord, our slave.

5. One night, so dark;
One fear, so stark.

6. One hope, so small;
One cup of gall.

7. One life, so hard;
One flesh, so scarred.

8. One cross, so high;
One final cry.

9. One tomb, so cold;
One flash of gold!

10. One God, so good;
One path of love.

Image: Viola, Pixabay

References

1. While they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling-cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7; RSV).

I am the light of the world (John 8:12; NLT).

2. This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him (Mark 9:7; NLT).

3. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6; NLT).

4. Whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else (Mark 10:44; NLT).

5. Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44; NIV).

6. If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39; NLT).

7. The gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life (Matthew 7:14; RSV).

He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip (Mark 15:15; NLT).

8. Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross (Mark 15:24; NLT).

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; NIV).

And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, he said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last (Luke 23:46; NKJV).

9. He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock (Luke 23:53; NLT).

Very early on the Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes (Luke 24:1-4; NLT).

10. The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! (Deuteronomy 6:4; NASB).

Only God is truly good (Luke 18:19; NLT).

Follow the way of love (1 Corinthians 14:1; NIV).

Love is the fulfilment of the law (Romans 13:10; NIV).

Oneness

Ruth Kirk

Image: congerdesign, Pixabay

Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).

Lord,

1. May I be one mind with you,
And share in all your joys and tears.

2. May I be one heart with you,
And share the way you faced your fears.

3. May I be one soul with you,
And share in all your pain and loss.

4. May I be one flesh with you,
And share your death upon the cross.

References

1. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NKJV).

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15; NKJV).

2. I will give them one heart (Jeremiah 32:39; NLT).

If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39; NLT).

3. The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17; NLT).

4. Because God’s children are human beings – made of flesh and blood – the Son also became flesh and blood (Hebrews 2:14; NLT).

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:10; NLT).

Sharing

Ruth Kirk

Image: Simon Matzinger, Pixabay

In all their suffering he also suffered
(Isaiah 63:9; NLT).

1. When my heart is broken,
You, Lord, share my tears.

2. When I’m apprehensive,
You share all my fears.

3. When I suffer hardship,
You, Lord, share my loss;

4. And, when I am dying,
You will share my cross.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).

God is the fire

Ruth Kirk

Image: Francisco de Zurbarán, Yandex

1. God is the fire
That blazes in darkness.
God is the lamp
That lights up the way.

2. God is the voice
That whispers in silence.
God is the truth
That goes out each day.

3. God is the peace
That settles in stillness.
God is the friend
That shares every loss.

4. God is the hope
That lives on forever.
God is the love
That died on the cross.

References

1. God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; NIV). 

God is light (1 John 1:5; NIV).

2. After the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12; NLT).

The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).

3. The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).

You are my friends (John 15:15; NLT).

4. You are my hope, O Lord God (Psalm 71:5; NKJV).

God is love (1 John 4:16; NIV).

Have faith

Ruth Kirk

Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28; NLT).

1. Turn to Christ for healing;
Cry out, for he is near.
Have faith that he will help you
When you suffer pain and fear.

2. Ask him to forgive you,
Confessing every sin,
And trust that he will help you
While you try to change within.

3. Bear your cross, and follow;
Let Jesus share your load.
Rely on him to help you
As you walk his narrow road.

References

1. If you are willing, you can heal me (Luke 5:12; NLT).

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mark 5:34; NIV).

2. Forgive us our sins (Luke 11:4; NLT).

Trust in God (John 14:1; NLT).

3. Take up your cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24; NLT).

Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14; NIV).

We are sinners

Ruth Kirk

Father,

1. We are sinners –
Please forgive us.
Wash away our guilt
And make us whole.

2. Speak to us,
And help us all to listen.
Heal us, Lord,
In body, mind, and soul.

3. We forgive all those
Who sin against us,
Praying for our enemies
And friends.

4. Help us to bear our cross,
And follow Jesus
Through good and ill, Lord God,
Until life ends.

References

1. We are constant sinners (Isaiah 64:5; NLT).

Forgive us our sins (Luke 11:4; NLT).

Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin (Psalm 51:2; NLT).

2. Let me hear your voice (Song of Songs 2:14; NIV).

O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed (Jeremiah 17:14; NLT).

3. We forgive those who sin against us (Luke 11:4; NLT).

Love your enemies! (Matthew 5:44; NLT).

Pray for those who hurt you (Luke 6:27; NLT).

4. If you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:27; NLT).

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God, and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).

Thankfulness

Ruth Kirk

Give thanks in all circumstances
(1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

1. Thank you, Lord,
For everything you give me,
For everything I have
Comes straight from you:

2. My way, my truth, my life,
My goal, my purpose;
My faith, my hope, my love:
Yours, through and through;

3. My blessings, Lord:
Each gift that makes me joyful;
My sorrows:
Every cross that I must bear;

4. Help me to learn
From everything you send me,
Whilst thanking you
For all your tender care.

References

1. Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

Everything comes from God (1 Corinthians 11:12; NIV).

2. Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6; NLT).

Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love
(1 Corinthians 13:13; NLT).

Everything belongs to you (1 Chronicles 29:16; CSB).

3. They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts (Jeremiah 31:12; NLT).

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).

The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord! (Job 1:21; NLT).

4. Don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves (Proverbs 3:11-12; NLT).

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28; NIV).

He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

Dialogue

Ruth Kirk
Image: Momentmal, Pixabay

The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8; NLT).

1. Please teach me, Lord, what you require,
So I may do as you desire.

2. “Love me, your neighbours, strangers, foes,
And pray for all, till healing flows.

3. Make no show of faith, or prayer,
But serve me gladly, everywhere.

4. Keep your temper, staying calm;
Forgive all those who hurt and harm.

5. Say, ‘Sorry,’ when you grieve someone,
And make peace, always, if you can.

6. Be honest, kind, and quick to care;
Keen to lend, and give, and share.

7. Above all else, these words are key:
Take up your cross, and follow me!”

8. Thank you, dear Lord; I hear your call;
You are my way, my truth, my all.

References

1. What does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul (Deuteronomy 10:12; NLT).

I desire mercy, not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6; NIV).

2. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength [and] love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:30-31; NLT).

You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbour’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:43-4; NLT).

3. When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others (Matthew 6:6; NIV).

Serve the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2; NKJV).

4. In your anger do not sin (Ephesians 4:26; NIV).

Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent (Psalm 4:4; NLT).

Forgive those who sin against you (Matthew 6:14; NLT).

5. If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:23-4; NIV).

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9; NIV).

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18; NIV).

6. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid (Luke 6:35; NLT).

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

7. Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).

8. Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6; NLT).

Christ is all that matters (Colossians 3:11; NLT).