1. Welcome to Dingwall & Strathpeffer Free Church God Calls Us to Delight in Christ and to Share His Hope.

2. Psalm 84:1-7* (p. 112) 1 How delightful are your dwellings, O Almighty LORD, to me! 2 For your courts my soul is yearning; in your house I long to be. Heart and flesh cry out aloud for the true and living God.

3. Psalm 84:1-7* (2/3) 3 Even sparrows find their dwelling, and the swallow builds a nest Near your altar, LORD Almighty, where her offspring may have rest. 4 Blessed whose home is your abode, they are ever praising God.

4. Psalm 84:1-7* (3/3) 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, those who have a pilgrim’s mind. 6 Pools from autumn rains refresh them; springs in Baca’s vale they find. 7 Strength increasing, Zionward they go on their way to God.

5. Prayer and Bible Reading

6. Bible Reading Romans 11:33-12:8 (p. 1139)

7. Romans 11:33-12:8 33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor? 35 Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

8. Romans 11:33-12:8 Chapter 12 - Living Sacrifices 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God— this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is— his good, pleasing and perfect will.

9. Romans 11:33-12:8 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

10. Romans 11:33-12:8 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

11. On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. John 7:37

12. The Gospel in Six Minutes Pastor John Piper Bethlehem Baptist Church - Minneapolis

13. Psalm 84:8-12 (p. 339) 8 LORD God of hosts, my prayèr hear; O Jacob’s God, give ear. 9 See God our shield, look on the face of thine anointed dear.

14. Psalm 84:8-12 (2/4) 10For in thy courts one day excels a thousand; rather in My God’s house will I keep a door, than dwell in tents of sin.

15. Psalm 84:8-12 (3/4) 11For God the LORD’s a sun and shield: he’ll grace and glory give; And will withhold no good from them that uprightly do live.

16. Psalm 84:8-12 (4/4) 12O thou that art the LORD of hosts, that man is truly blessed, Who by assured confidence on thee alone doth rest.

17. Sermon Romans 12:1-8 The Kaiser in the Kirk?

18. The Kaisers

19. Kaiser Wilhelm II: The Last German Kaiser

20. Kaiser Wilhelm’s valet said: “I cannot deny that my master is vain. When he goes to a christening, he wants to be the baby. When he goes to a wedding, he wants to be the bride. When he goes to a funeral, he wants to be the corpse. He wants to be the centre of everything.”

21. 1 – God Wants our Focus On… God! (3) How “important” are we in God’s church? Focus on past mercy (1-2). Beware of hierarchies. Who is most senior? Who is cleverer? Ask God for sober self-judgment.

22. 2 – God Wants Our Focus On… Others! (4-8) 4-6 - The “Body” image helps us understand the church. Are we the tonsils? The appendix? A picture of unity in diversity. So why is it often so hard to get along with each other?

23. 3 – God Wants us to Celebrate Different Gifts (6-8) This may sound like a strange way to unity… How can you best start to enjoy other people, and enjoy your place in God’s church? By serving: by working, by living with a constantly renewed mind.

24. Psalm 133:1-3* (p. 175) 1How excellent a thing it is, how pleasant and how good, When brothers dwell in unity and live as brothers should!

25. Psalm 133:1-3* (2/3) 2For it is like the precious oil, poured out on Aaron’s head, That, running over, down his beard, upon his collar spread.

26. Psalm 133:1-3* (3/3) 3Like Hermon’s dew, upon the hill of Zion it descends. The LORD bestows his blessing there— the life that never ends.

27. God Calls Us to delight in Christ and to Share His Hope.