This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Pray any pastoral counseling today would be used by God. During the weekdays …
This Sunday at Church: Pray any pastoral counseling today would be used by God
In a previous Sunday Suggestion entitled – Serving Sunday – I encouraged you to go to church looking for ways to serve. We do need to be built up and encouraged by going to church, but it is also not just about what we get out of it. We go to church to worship God, to meet with fellow believers, and to serve the family of God.
Today’s suggestion is of a similar nature. Why not go to church today and volunteer to help out with something? It need not be a big commitment, like taking on a new home group, but can be something smaller such as serving coffee or stacking chairs.
In particular, go with open eyes looking for opportunities. Where is it that your church needs help? Is there a way in which you can step into that gap and make a difference.
Perhaps your church has a set of rotas to sign up for different jobs such as cleaning, offering lifts or praying before the service. If so, ask the Lord to guide you and add your name if you feel prompted.
If there really isn’t anything more you can do right now, then I understand. Life is generally busy and sometimes the thought of taking on another job, no matter how small, is overwhelming. Instead then, why not recognise the volunteers around you and just give them a word of thanks. It will be appreciated I am sure, and it is right to honour those who freely give their time for the good of the fellowship.
Your church may have a pastor or vicar, it may also have a leadership team or group of elders or deacons, but it is not their role to do everything! The church can only work if we all do our part. Too often, a few people do more than their fair share and end up burning out. If we share the load, we will all be far more effective for God’s kingdom.
Your #church may have a pastor, and may also have a leadership team or group of elders, but it is not their role to do everything! #Christianity
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So how can you contribute? Don’t sign up for something you cannot deliver on, but do chip in in whatever way you can.
Have a great Sunday!
Although normal service has now resumed on the blog, whatever normal is! I thought I might continue to share select Bible verses for you to think about throughout the day.
How good are you at waiting? I have some patience, often it is tested at times!
What about waiting on the Lord? how good are you at that?
Waiting on God is not like waiting for a train however. Instead, waiting on the Lord is like waiting on a table. We do not stand with our arms folded and tapping our toes. Rather we are attentive and ready to serve.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Psalms 27:14 NIV
Give this some thought today.
Pearls of Wisdom Even the dimmest, most tiniest of candles can cast a great light in a dark room. Are you the only Christian in your family? How about your place of work? Your school perhaps? It can feel extremely tough to be the only one with Christian beliefs or values. It can be lonely,…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2021/05/23/be-a-candle-pow/
I want to start this post with a little challenge for you, similar to what you might find in a children’s workbook or puzzle book. It’s a “fill in the blank…”
Complete the following sentence:
“God, if I have found favour in your eyes, please… FILL IN THE BLANK.”
How would you complete this? Is it immediately obvious to you, or do you need a little time to think about it?
Would you ask for something physical, such as health or strength? Or would it be something financial or material that you needed? Perhaps it would be an ask on behalf of someone else, such as salvation or a particular spiritual blessing?
How would you fill in the blank? #God if I have favour in your eyes, please…? #Bible #Jesus #Christianity
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We may have all kinds of different ideas on how to complete this line, but, as it happens, we find out the “correct” answer as the Bible tells us. These are, in fact, words of Moses and I want to spend a few minutes thinking about how he completed the sentence.
Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me your way, now, that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight; and consider that this nation is your people.”
Exodus 33:13
The answer is: “Show me your ways!”
Hands up all of you who filled in the blank in this same way? I must confess that I would not have.
Moses’ prayer is incredibly humbling (to me at least, how about you?) He asked God to show him His way so that he might know Him. For Moses, the “prize” he sought more than anything was to know God. It was not physical, financial or even spiritual blessing, instead it was the privilege of knowing God.
Think of all the things we seek after in our lives. Some seek fame, through a variety of means right from YouTube artists to Hollywood actors. Others seek fortune, gambling or working themselves sick. Others seek satisfaction in romantic relationships, career or political power, and others move from hobby to hobby, house to house, friendship group to friendship group. Moses sought none of these things.
Paul the Apostle valued knowing God far above all else, just as Moses did.
He said:
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Philippians 3:8-10
Paul counted everything as rubbish next to knowing Christ.
Paul counted everything as rubbish next to knowing #Christ #Jesus #Bible
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How much value do you place in knowing Jesus? It is rather easy to say the words, “It’s the most important thing…” but if I looked at your life and how you spend your time, would I draw the same conclusion?
I am humbled at the thought.
Lord, show me Your way that I might know You! Help me to see all else as loos in comparison to knowing You! Let my diary, my bank statement, my social media feeds, my words, thoughts and actions all demonstrate that there is nothing in my life that is more important than You. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Gods grace is indeed truly amazing!
Caring for a close relative suffering with dementia, this post from Bruce Cooper was very touching when I read it a few days ago.
When facing this terrible disease, or indeed, any other tremendous trial, I thank God for his grace which is more than sufficient.
I pray you are blessed by Bruce‘s words, and can rest in gods grace in whatever you are facing today.
As one endeavours to walk with God, in this life that we have been given, the grace that God so often extends to us becomes more and more apparent. …
God’s Grace
In lieu of my usual blog posts during this time in the UK, I’m sharing the occasional Bible verse for meditation.
If all goes according to plan, normal service will resume on Friday.
Here are today’s verses for you to consider.
““I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11 NIV
Thank the lord that he is our good Shepherd!
St.Monan’s Sunrise, East Neuk of Fife. Photography courtesy of Ben Bremner, https://www.facebook.com/ben.bremner3 When the Lord saw that he turned …
Holy Ground
If you live outside of the UK, it may be difficult to grasp the magnitude of feeling surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Talking to many people about this, lots feel a genuine sense of loss at her death. Few have actually met her, and yet have been impacted by her passing.
Her many decades of service, her kindness, and her Christian faith all play a part in this.
Another reason people have felt her death so profoundly is because it reminds us of our own losses. for me, this event has reminded me of my own late grandmother – who we affectionately referred to as the Queen of our family.
If you are experiencing loss at the moment, the pain of grief, or have been reminded of such things, then I pray for you today.
Heavenly father, we thank you for the life and service of our late Queen. we pray for her family at the moment, asking you to comfort them, and indeed, to comfort all those who feel her loss.
Lord, I pray for all of those who are reminded of their own grief at the moment. May you also comfort them, strengthening them and giving them peace.
Let us remember, with Thanksgiving, those we have lost. we thank you, dear God, for the impact these people have had on our lives. We pray to, that we may be a positive influence in the lives of those around us.
We thank you heavenly father, for your grace and mercy toward us. May you bless King Charles and the UK government with wisdom at this time, as they lead the nation.
As we consider the Christian example of our late Queen, may the nation of the UK return to faith in Christ.
In Jesus name I pray
Amen
I read this excellent post earlier and wanted to pass it along to you. Do check out the other writing on David‘s blog.
Have you ever experienced something that hit so close to home you found yourself saying, “That’s me.” This happened last week when I read a post by …
Showing the Whole Picture
As some of you will be aware, a number of us UK bloggers have paused our outputs for a few days as a mark of respect to the passing of Queen Elizabeth the second.
For today, I share a few brief verses for you to ponder throughout the day.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalms 147:3 NIV
We thank God who binds up broken hearts!
This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Share appreciation for those who serve with church financial book keeping The last…
This Sunday at Church: Share appreciation for those who serve with church financial book keeping
Andy Brown 