“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging" (Psalm 46:1-3, NIV)
I suspect you will have seen that news that England will be entering a 'lockdown' period, starting on Thursday this week. We are moving back to a position where we should be staying in our homes as much as we possibly can. This is planned to last until the beginning of December, and the hope appears to be that we can enjoy some relaxing of the restrictions for Christmas.
“‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.’” (Mark 10:29-30, NIV)
The Christian life is one of total devotion to Jesus. Aided by the Holy Spirit, Christians are to get rid of anything that would prevent us from wholeheartedly following Jesus, no matter what it is. We are not left with nothing, however: we are promised that whatever we end up leaving behind will be replaced by God’s abundance and generosity to us. I hope that you’ll be able to join us at 8:30, at 10:30, or online (details below), as we look at this together..
“As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’" (Mark 10:17, NIV)
The man in this encounter with Jesus asks a really important question: what do I need to do to inherit eternal life? Is it enough to be ‘good’, or is there something more that is needed? Jesus’ words bring the man sadness, but can bring us great comfort and assurance. I hope that you’ll be able to join us at 8:30, at 10:30, or online (details below), as we look at this together.
Jesus said ‘Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ (Mark 10:15, NIV)
We’re continuing our look at Mark’s gospel, and spending a few weeks thinking a little more about what it looks like to follow Jesus. In this passage (Mark 10:1-16), we’ll see how following Jesus affects some of our relationships. If we are totally devoted to following him then how we think about relationships might well be changed. I hope that you’ll be able to join us at 8:30, at 10:30, or online (details below), as we look at this together.
“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.” (Mark 9:43, NIV)
As we read Mark's Gospel, we are asked to consider three questions: Who is Jesus? Why did he come? What does it mean to follow him? In the passage we are looking at this week, Jesus presents us with the choice between life and death - not just now, but for eternity. Following Jesus can be hard at times: there will be many things that we want to do that God says we shouldn't be doing. We should, instead, be so focused on walking in Jesus path, that we will get rid of anything that would distracts us, or cause us to lose our step. It might seem painful, or uncomfortable, at the time, but our trials and our devotion to God will lead to our growth in holiness. I hope that you'll be able to join us at 8:30, at 10:30, or online (details below), as we look at this together.