Psalm 19 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. Psalm 19

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring for ever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind Love your neighbour as yourself

Celebrating Discipline May: inward disciplines meditation, fasting, prayer, study June: outward disciplines service, simplicity, submission, solitude July: corporate disciplines confession, guidance, worship, celebration

James 5: Confessing 13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. Learning to be good penitents and good confessors Thank God for his word to us

The focus of confession is repentance Mark 1:4-5 John came, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All the people went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River. Matt 3:7-8 But when [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. The fact that it is possible to confess without repentance does not mean that it is not good to confess

The heart of repentance is saying YES to God Turning from what is not of God to what is of God. Not avoiding BIG sins Not avoiding sins Saying YES to God (rather than No to God) Matt 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring for ever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind Love your neighbour as yourself

Repentance may be difficult 12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19

Repentance is uncomfortable Having your life turned upside down Meeting with God can be uncomfortable Admitting our wrongs is uncomfortable Matt 16:24 Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matt 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Learn how to repent Confession may be helpful What is God calling me to do different in the future? What am I turning towards? What am I turning from? Through which member of the Body of Christ may God be offering me support ? It may be appropriate to talk to someone who understands both you and the issue that you are dealing with.

Learn how to be a confessor Matt 26:28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. John 20:21-23 Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.“ And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.“ Remember how difficult and uncomfortable it is to repent. Ensure that you understand both the person and the issue before offering advice.

Let us pray As confessors Proclaim peace Proclaim forgiveness Listen Understanding Wisdom Make me a channel

God calls us to turn to… Love, Rest, Forgive, be Faithful, Give, be Truthful, be Content, Hope, Trust, be Pure, be Thankful, Learn, be Patient, seek Justice, be Kind, Heal, Honour, be Merciful, be Self controlled, be Humble, Serve, make Peace, Encourage, Protect God calls to turn away from… Discourage, Abandon, be Greedy, be Proud, Abuse, cause Conflict, Know-it-all, be Impatient, be Unjust, be Unkind, Harm, be Rude, Judge, Hate, Burn out, be Angry, Lust, Steal, Lie, Covet, Despair, Fear, be Impure, be Ungrateful What are you calling me to/from?

Remembering the death and resurrection of the one who is our life and our meaning, we come first to die to all that is loveless and death dealing in our lives. Jesus commands us to love God with all our heart and soul, mind and strength. My brothers and sisters, I have not kept this commandment; forgive my godlessness and pray for me, that God will light the fire of his love in my heart. Jesus commands us to love our neighbours in the same way that we love ourselves. I have been selfish, hard-hearted and mean spirited. Forgive me, my friends, and pray that God’s grace will melt and warm my heart. Confession