Worship Meeting at Stockton Corps
Sunday 13 September 2026 at 10.00 am.
Welcome and Introduction
Today we're exploring the theme Forgiven to Forgive. Throughout Scripture we see a God who rescues, restores, and shows mercy. In response to that mercy, we're called to live differently - to show grace, patience, and forgiveness to others. As we worship together, may we discover afresh the depth of God's forgiveness towards us and the freedom that comes from extending that same grace to those around us.
Reading: We are not meant… (Harry Read)
In these thoughtful verses, Harry Read reflects on humanity's true calling - not toward violence, hatred and division, but toward peace, reconciliation and a restored relationship with God.
Song 279 (TB 513/To God be the glory)
To God be the glory, great things he hath done
Theme: Forgiven to Forgive
Our theme this morning is Forgiven to Forgive. The Bible readings for today's worship come from the Church's lectionary, a set of readings used by Christians around the world. At first glance they may seem quite different, but together they take us on a journey through God's grace and mercy.
The progression begins with God's saving action. Psalm 114 looks back to the Exodus, when God rescued his people from slavery and led them to freedom. We then move to Romans 14, where Paul considers how those who have received God's grace should live together in community, showing acceptance rather than judgement. Finally, in Matthew 18, Jesus brings the theme into sharp focus through his teaching on forgiveness and the parable of the unforgiving servant.
Song 453 (TB 57/Amazing Grace!)
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound
Bible Reading: Psalm 114
Our first reading is Psalm 114, a song of praise celebrating God's power and faithfulness. The psalm looks back to one of the defining moments in Israel's history: God's deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt. Before we hear the psalm, let's briefly recall the story that inspired such wonder and thanksgiving.
The Israelites found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's advancing army, with no obvious escape and little reason for hope. Yet God protected his people, standing between them and their enemies, and opened a path through the sea where there seemed to be no way forward. Trusting in God's guidance, the Israelites crossed safely to the other side, while the Egyptians who pursued them were overwhelmed when the waters returned. Witnessing this extraordinary act of deliverance, the people recognised God's saving power, responded with awe and gratitude, and placed their trust in the Lord.
Prayer
Faithful God. We gather in your presence with grateful hearts, remembering that you are the God who makes a way where there seems to be no way. As you led your people through the waters and guided them into freedom, so lead us today.
Open our hearts to your word, our minds to your truth, and our lives to your transforming grace. When we face uncertainty, teach us to trust in your promises. When fear threatens to overwhelm us, remind us that you are with us. When the path ahead is unclear, help us to follow where you lead.
May our worship bring you glory, and may we leave this place strengthened in faith and renewed in hope. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All-Age Item: The Backpack of Grudges
Need a backpack and several bricks.
Ask for a volunteer to wear the backpack.
As each book is placed in the backpack, mention examples of hurts we might carry:
· Someone was rude to me.
· Someone let me down.
· Someone said something hurtful.
· Someone treated me unfairly.
Ask the volunteer how the backpack feels as it gets heavier.
Explain that hurts, disappointments, and grudges can be like carrying a heavy load. The longer we hold on to them, the more they can weigh us down.
Remove the bricks one by one.
Conclude by saying that forgiveness doesn't mean pretending the hurt never happened or saying that it was acceptable. Rather, forgiveness is about refusing to carry the burden forever. God wants us to experience freedom, healing, and the grace to let go of what weighs us down.
YP Singing Company
Bible Reading: Romans 14:1–12
In this passage, Paul addresses disagreements among believers about matters of personal conviction, urging them to welcome one another with grace rather than judgement. He reminds the church that each person belongs to the Lord and that ultimately, we’re all accountable to God, who alone is our judge.
Songsters
Offering (children to go out)
Pianist to play TB 352/The servant song
(Song 1005/Brother, sister, let me serve you)
Bible Reading: Matthew 18:21–35
In response to Peter's question about how often we should forgive, Jesus tells a powerful parable that challenges our natural instincts about justice, mercy, and resentment. His words invite us to reflect on the extraordinary forgiveness we have received from God and the difficult, yet transformative, call to extend that same forgiveness to others.
Band
Bible Message: Forgiven to Forgive
Shakespeare often returned to the themes of mercy and forgiveness. In The Merchant of Venice, he wrote that mercy "is twice blest; it blesseth him that gives and him that takes," reminding us that grace benefits both the giver and the receiver.
The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
In The Tempest, the wronged Prospero chooses reconciliation over revenge, observing that "the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance." These words echo today's Gospel, where Jesus calls us not to keep score, but to become people whose lives are shaped by the mercy we ourselves have received.
Today's Bible readings take us on a remarkable journey. We begin at the shores of the Red Sea, travel through a song of praise, listen to Paul's advice for living together as Christians, and arrive at one of Jesus' most challenging parables.
At first glance, the readings may seem quite different, but they're held together by a common thread: God's mercy.
In Exodus, the Israelites are trapped. Behind them is Pharaoh's army. Before them is the sea. There appears to be no way forward and no way back. They're powerless to save themselves.
Then God acts.
The sea parts. A path appears where no path existed before. The people walk through on dry ground and discover that their future depends not on their own strength, but on God's faithfulness.
This is one of the great stories of salvation in Scripture. Again and again, the Bible reminds us that we worship a God who rescues. A God who makes a way where there seems to be no way.
Many of us know what it's like to face situations that feel impossible. We might not be standing before the Red Sea, but we may find ourselves trapped by anxiety, regret, broken relationships, grief, disappointment, or fear.
The good news of the Exodus story is that God is still in the business of opening paths where we cannot yet see one.
Psalm 114 is the natural response to that rescue.
The psalmist looks back and marvels at what God has done. The sea flees. The mountains leap. Creation itself seems to respond to the presence of God.
The psalm is filled with wonder.
Sometimes we become so familiar with the stories of faith that we forget how extraordinary they are. The God we worship isn't distant or indifferent. He's the God who acts, who saves, who transforms lives.
And when we recognise that, praise becomes the most natural response.
Paul then brings us down from the dramatic events of the Exodus into the everyday realities of church life.
In Romans 14, he addresses Christians who disagree with one another. They have different convictions, different practices, and different opinions.
Paul's advice is simple but profound: stop judging one another.
Why?
Because each person belongs to the Lord.
That's easy to say and often difficult to do.
Churches, like families, contain people who see things differently. We have different personalities, backgrounds, preferences, and experiences. We don't always agree.
Yet Paul reminds us that our unity isn't found in thinking exactly alike. Our unity is found in Christ.
· The person whose views differ from mine belongs to Christ.
· The person who irritates me belongs to Christ.
· The person who disappoints me belongs to Christ.
· The person with whom I disagree belongs to Christ.
Remembering that can change the way we treat one another.
Then we come to the Gospel reading.
Peter asks Jesus a question that most of us can understand.
"How often should I forgive? As many as seven times?"
Peter probably thinks he is being generous.
But Jesus responds, "Not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
In other words, stop counting.
Forgiveness isn't about keeping score.
Jesus then tells the story of a servant who owes an enormous debt. The amount is so large that repayment is impossible. The servant has no hope.
Yet the king does something astonishing.
He forgives the debt completely.
Not a payment plan. Not a reduction. A cancellation.
The servant walks away free.
But then he encounters another servant who owes him a comparatively tiny amount.
Instead of showing mercy, he demands repayment and has the man thrown into prison.
The contrast is shocking.
The servant received mercy but failed to pass it on.
And that's the heart of the parable.
Jesus wants us to understand the scale of God's grace towards us.
We all stand before God as people who need mercy.
· None of us earns God's forgiveness.
· None of us deserves God's love.
· Everything we receive is a gift of grace.
When we truly grasp that, it begins to transform the way we see others.
Forgiveness is never easy.
· It doesn't mean pretending that wrongs don't matter.
· It doesn't mean saying that hurtful actions are acceptable.
· It does not mean remaining in situations that are abusive or unsafe.
But forgiveness does mean refusing to allow bitterness to rule our hearts.
It means entrusting justice to God.
It means allowing God's grace to have the final word.
· Perhaps there's someone who comes to mind today.
· Perhaps there's an old hurt that still causes pain.
· Perhaps there's a relationship that remains broken.
· Perhaps there's a wound that has never fully healed.
Only you know what that may be.
The invitation of the Gospel isn't to minimise that pain. It's to bring it before the God who parted the sea, the God who inspired the psalmist's praise, the God who teaches us to live together in grace, and the God who forgives us more than we can ever imagine.
The journey through today's readings can be summed up very simply:
· God rescues us.
· God shows us mercy.
· God calls us to extend mercy to others.
Or, as we might put it:
· We have been forgiven.
· We are being transformed by grace.
· We are called to forgive.
May God give us the courage to receive his mercy, the wisdom to share it, and the grace to become people through whom his forgiveness can flow into the world.
Reflection, Response, and Prayer
Song on Video: Give Me a Heart of Forgiveness
Lord God. We thank you for speaking to us through your word today. As we reflect on your faithfulness to your people throughout the ages, help us to recognise your presence in our own journeys.
When we find ourselves facing obstacles that seem impossible to overcome, remind us that you’re greater than our fears. When we can’t see the way forward, give us courage to take the next step in faith. When we’re tempted to doubt, help us to remember all that you’ve done and all that you’ve promised.
Shape us into a people who trust you more deeply, follow you more faithfully, and share your hope more generously with others. May the truths we’ve heard today take root in our hearts and bear fruit in our lives. Amen.
Song 262 (TB 361/Blaenwern)
Love divine, all loves excelling
Benediction
May the God who led his people through the sea go before you on every step of your journey. May Christ, who is our hope and salvation, walk beside you and strengthen you. May the Holy Spirit fill you with courage, peace, and faith for the days ahead.
And may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.