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.

The strength of what we believe is measured by how much we are willing to suffer for those beliefs. Joseph was a man with strong beliefs. He was prepared to do what was right, despite the pain he knew it would cause. But Joseph had another trait - he not only tried to do what was right, he also tried to do it in the right way. 

When Mary told Joseph about her pregnancy, Joseph knew the child was not his. His respect for Mary's character and the explanation she gave him, as well as her attitude toward the expected child, must have made it hard to think his bride had done something wrong. Still, someone else was the child's father - and it was mind-boggling to accept that the "someone else" was God as the angels informed him.  

Joseph knew Jesus was someone special from the moment he heard the angel's words. His strong belief in that fact, and his willingness to follow God's leading, empowered him to be Jesus' chosen earthly father. What Godly beliefs do each of us hold that God is calling us to hold strong in and not deviate from despite the pressure of those around us? God is our strength.

With love & 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.

The disciples knew they could never dominate a religious dispute with the well educated Jewish leaders. Sometimes we can feel like that too when we are talking with people about the gospel. What if I don't have an answer? What if I give the wrong answer?

However the disciples were not left unprepared and neither are we. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would supply the words they needed. The disciples' testimony might not make them look great, but it would still point out God's work in the world through Jesus' life. We need to pray for opportunities to speak for God, and then trust Him to help us with our words. This promise of the Spirit's help, however, does not make up for lack of preparation. The disciples had three years of teaching and practical application. We also need to study God's Word. Then God will bring His truths to mind when we most need them, helping us present them in the most effective way. If we are prepared and led by the Spirit we may be surprised what comes out of our mouths when we are bold and trust in Him!

With love & 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 and also to stay on for the shared lunch. There will be plenty of food!

If we are to fully grasp the power of love, we must first define it. What is love? As we turn to the Bible we read in the well known passage in 1 Cor 13 that 'Love is patient, kind, does not envy or boast, is not arrogant or rude, doesn't insist on its own way, is not irritable or resentful......' etc. We also read that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and the second is to love our neighbour as ourself. So how are we to love God? In part, this includes by loving others!

What does this look like? We are to follow the example of Jesus Himself. We visit the sick and afflicted, we help the poor, feed the hungry, care for the orphans and widows, strengthen the weak, serve others, sacrifice for each other, put others' needs above our own and are kind, gentle and compassionate. Wow! What a list! But this is nothing in comparison to how God showed His great love for us when He sacrificed His own Son on the cross for each one of us. What a mighty God we serve!

With love & 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.

Planning for tomorrow is time well spent; worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps and schedules and asking for and trusting in God's guidance. When done well, planning can help alleviate worry. Worriers, by contrast, are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God. They let their plans interfere with their relationship with God. 

We are instructed to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matt 6:33), turning to God first for help, asking Him to fill our thoughts with His desires, taking His character for our pattern of living and serving and obeying Him in everything we do. When we do this we need not worry, knowing that He is with us every step of the way, urging us on in all He has called us to be and do. 

With love & blessings

Sandra