‘Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’ (Luke 7:47 NIV)
This Sunday, we’re continuing our short series looking at Experiencing God. This week, we’re going to be considering how we experience love. As we read the encounter between Jesus and the sinful woman, we will see how God’s goodness to us should lead us to love God more, and to love one another more.
I hope you’ll be able to join us either in person, or online, as we look together as God’s graciousness to us, and how that helps us to love.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7 NIV)
This Sunday, we’re starting a short series looking at Experiencing God. We’re starting with how we experience Christ. As we look at part of Paul’s letter to the Colossians together, we’ll see that we already have all we need to experience Christ. Not just that, but that, in Christ, we experience the fullness of God. Because of that, we can live rich and full lives, overflowing with thankfulness.
I hope you’ll be able to join us either in person, or online, as we look together at how we can be certain of experience God, and living joyful and thankful lives.
“Who are my mother and my brothers?” Jesus asked.
Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:33-35 NIV)
Family can be an odd thing - we can choose our friends, but not our family. And our families can be wonderful, terrible, or possibly both. Jesus promises that in all the mess of life, we can be forgiven all our sins and be part of his family.
I hope you’ll be able to join us either in person, or online, as we look together at a passage where Jesus tells us about how we can be part of his family.
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. … For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:5, 16, NIV)
Christians believe in one God, consisting of three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As much as we try to find pictures to help us understand God’s three-ness and one-ness, it is impossible to find one that truly describes how it works.
What we can know is that, from before the creation of the world, God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - have been working together for our salvation. God’s rescue plan for us is part of the unity of God, and of his love for us.
We see it in John’s gospel as well: God the Father sent God the Son to rescue us from death, and so that we can have new life through God the Holy Spirit.
I hope you’ll be able to join us either in person, or online, as we look together at God’s love for us, and how we can be part of God’s family.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4, NIV)
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised his followers that they would not be left alone. He promised a comforter and a helper for them - the Holy Spirit.
The arrival of the promised Holy Spirit on the first 120 or so Christians was a spectacular moment. There was a noise like a violent wind and something that looked like fire. Being filled with the Holy Spirit wasn’t just an internal, personal moment, but one that caused them to speak in other languages.
I hope you’ll be able to join us either in person, or online, as we recall the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the first believers and see what the Holy Spirit means for us as well.