Welcome to our service today. It is great to have you here and we would love to invite you to stay after the service and join us for tea and coffee.

As Paul reached the end of his life (and what a life it was!), he could look back and know he had been faithful to God's call. Now it was time to pass the torch to the next generation, preparing leaders to take his place so that the world would continue to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

Timothy was Paul's living legacy, a product of Paul's faithful teaching, discipleship, and example. Because of Paul's work with many believers, including Timothy, the world is full of believers today who are also carrying on the work. The question for each one of us is what legacy will we leave behind? Who are we training to carry on the work we are doing? You may not think you are qualified to do this but it's not about qualification. Simply taking the time to talk to someone, encourage them and pray for them is all a part of investing into the next generation. We can all be a part of this. It is our responsibility to do all we can to keep the gospel message alive for the next generation and those to come. 

Blessings,

Sandra

Welcome to our service today. It is great to have you here and we would love to invite you to stay after the service and join us for tea and coffee. We will also be heading to Bradford Park for a picnic after the service so please feel free to join us.

If you're like me you may have many excuses when it comes to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others. For example, what if I say the wrong thing? What if I can't answer their questions? What if they don't like me after I've spoken to them? Or "I'm just not confident enough to share with people". 

Some people do use 'impressive words' when they share the gospel but they may also be very weak on content. Paul wanted his listeners to be impressed with his message, not his style. We don't need to be a great speaker with a large vocabulary to share the gospel effectively. The important thing to note is that the persuasive power is in the story, not in the storyteller! Paul, being a brilliant scholar, could have overwhelmed his listeners with intellectual arguments. Instead he shared the simple message of Jesus Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide his words. We too should follow Paul's example and keep our message simple and basic. The Holy Spirit will give power to our words and use them to bring glory to Jesus. 

Blessings,

Sandra

Welcome to our service today. It is great to have you here and we would love to invite you to stay after the service and join us for tea and coffee.

How easy is it to make idols of things in our lives? Idolatry is often subtle, taking something that is itself good (eg family, ministry, relationship, work) and making it our ultimate goal or passion. Idolatry begins when people reject what they know about God. Instead of looking to Him as the Creator and sustainer of life, they see themselves as the centre of the universe. They soon invent 'gods' that are convenient projections of their own selfish plans. These gods may be wooden figures, but they may also be goals or things we pursue such as money, power or things that will bring us comfort. They may even be misrepresentations of God Himself - making God in our image, instead of our Holy God to be worshiped and revered. 

The common denominator however is that idolaters worship the things God made rather than God Himself. Anything or anyone we put before the Lord in our lives is an idol, since God alone deserves our worship and devotion. Those who worship idols can begin to resemble them however as we worship the true God we increasingly become more like Him.  

Blessings,

Sandra

Welcome to our service today. It is great to have you here and we would love to invite you to stay after the service and join us for tea and coffee.

Two principles that we are called to live by from the Bible are mercy and justice. These are at the very foundation of God's character and we see this throughout His Word. 

Mercy and justice are essential principles/traits for every believer but they are not always easy to keep in balance. Some people are merciful to the point that they excuse wrongdoing. Others are just to the extent that they forget mercy. Mercy without justice, because it is not aiming at a higher standard, can leave people in their sins. On the other hand, justice without mercy, because it has no heart, can drive people away from God. To focus on one at the expense of the other is to distort our witness. As God's church we must aim to live and act out both principles. 

Blessings,

Sandra