I got a call from a lovely and very enthusiastic lady who wanted to speak to someone about getting her baby baptised.
I love doing baptisms. I don’t always enjoy these kind of calls!
Lady: Can I talk to you about getting my baby baptised?
KDN: Sure, We love doing baptisms, always lovely to hear from others who also love baptism. What would you like to know?
Sunday’s sermon ‘Discipleship’ by David Smith is now available: http://bit.ly/1MTJE0V
‘If we are to understand discipleship then we have to understand Jesus—the ultimate disciple maker.’ – David Smith
Another horror week.
Suicide bombings in Beirut have killed 43 people and left 238 wounded. A suicide bombing at a funeral in Baghdad killed 19 people and left 31 wounded. And coordinated attacks in Paris have killed 129 people and left 352 wounded.
We are appalled, grieved and saddened.
Humble Ambition! Sounds like an oxymoron, but not when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
To be ambitious for the lost is demonstrated in a Christian who puts the needs of others before themselves. Paul says ‘in humility, consider others better than yourselves’ (Phil 2:3). This is not a statement of worth – it is a statement of purpose. As Christ did, the Christian can and should humble themselves in order to be a servant of others – even to the point of loss.
To be so captured by the gospel of Christ that you willingly sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others and the glory of God – is ambitious.
Let me offer five suggestions for putting this into practice at Church (thankful that so many in our Church family are shining examples of this principle)…
Sunday’s sermon ‘By Whose Authority?’ by David Smith is now available: http://bit.ly/1Qqzrio
In J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter the new students at Hogwarts are sorted into houses by a talking ‘Sorting Hat’. Clever! If anyone has an issue, then don’t blame it on the faculty, blame it on the ‘Sorting Hat’!
On Sunday I received this anonymous question: ‘Can we please keep the same Home Group next year?’
Sure! Easy for me (Can’t believe we are already thinking about next year!). I love that you have enjoyed your Home Group so much this year that you would like more of that next year.
But before we lock that down, it may be helpful to consider some factors.
Sunday’s sermon ‘Grace’ by David Smith is now available: http://bit.ly/1Q2DD8y
I fear being fake.
I have been a Christian for over 20 years now and there have been times when I have felt I have just been going through the motions. Is that wrong?
It is a horrible feeling, but as I have often said it is difficult to control feelings (although it is possible to manage feelings).
Christians are real people. We serve a real God, who really loves us and who is really disappointed when we sin. At this I am ashamed. I don’t want to sin, and I do. I want to be serious and active in my faith and yet at times I feel as if I am just taking it all for granted.
Sunday evening’s sermon ‘Opinion Pieces’ (Mark 3:7-35) by Bernie Leo is now available: http://bit.ly/1GFeH3Z
‘Jesus is God’s King—over all people and over all evil.’ – Bernie Leo
Christmas is coming (‘Already – please, it comes around so fast’!)
Some of us will be more active than others when it comes to inviting family, friends and colleagues, but let me say that Christmas is one of the easiest times to invite people to church things – we are helped that the retail calendar has been arranged around gospel events (i.e. Christmas and Easter).
There are three intentional steps which will help in inviting someone.
churchcentralonline.com 