April 29 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:5–12
Peter testifies before the High Priests.
Psalm 23 (VU pp.
747–749)
God is my shepherd.
1 John 3:16–24
Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
John 10:11–18
Jesus is the good shepherd.
Spark
Project a series of images that move from people lying down and relaxing, to others lying down to work (e.g., plumbers and car mechanics), to people who “lay down their lives” in helping others.
Theme Engagement Question
What have you laid down/put aside/given up for your faith or for another person? Why?
With Children
Youth could perform a series of short vignettes in which people are going out of their way to help others, as a way to explain the concept of “laying one’s life down” (e.g., someone misses a party to help at the food bank, or someone agrees to give of their time to tutor a child whom they haven’t even met).
Sermon Starter
The gospel reading mentions four times that the shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Peter and John laid down their lives when they ignored the risk of imprisonment that would come with healing the lame man. How do we decide in any situation when and how to lay down our lives for others? The passage from the Epistle tells us that love for others is expressed in action based in truth. It is through living in authentic, truthful relationship with others and with God that we come to know how to love as God loves.
Hymns
Book of Acts
VU 561 “Take up your cross”
VU 562 “Jesus calls us”
MV 117 “By the well”
Psalm
VU pp. 747–749 “The Lord’s my shepherd”
MV 94 “Love knocks and waits”
MV 105 “You are my father”
Epistle
VU 504 “How clear is our vocation, Lord”
VU 506 “Take my life and let it be”
MV 156 “Dance with the Spirit”
MV 179 “Sisters let us walk together”
Gospel
VU 273 “The King of love”
VU 635 “All the way my Saviour leads me”
MV 8 “And on this path”
MV 140 “As long as we follow”