Walking in the light
Audio of Sunday service
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The service was opened by Emily where she made the weekly announcements. The service was then taken by Will who started off asking Nancy to chat to the children. Her message was about having to have things told to them repeatedly because they may not have heard or have been paying attention.  Click the link below to hear Nancy chatting to the children or read the text. 
 The children left the hall and Will took over the service following on from Nancy's statement about being told or being questioned multiple times. Will preached briefly and then handed over to Gary McDowell to continue the service. He spoke about how Jesus had approached the fishermen along the shore and asked them if they had, had success in their mornings fishing. They told him they had not and he told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. Although they were skeptical, they listened and soon they discovered that their nets were filled with fish. They were amazed and shocked at how this could occur. Jesus who they had not recognised then invited them to join him for a meal on the shore. While they were sitting together Jesus questioned Peter as to whether he Loved Jesus ? He asked the question three times, each time receiving an affirmative answer from Peter. Jesus was showing that on a previous occasion Peter had denied knowing or being a part of His group three times. LISTEN TO GARYS SERMON BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW  Emily opened the service with the announcements and handed over to Will Ackles to present the service. Will called on Nancy to chat to the kids. Will began with a review of the first Sunday—John was writing to a people who were, for a variety of common reasons, discouraged and doubting two things: could/would Christ deliver what he promised and were they worthy of receiving it. His response was to remind the people of two things: the identity of Christ and the relationship with that identity and their lives. 1 John then is a letter about two things: doctrine and ethics. It is about what it means to be a Christian, one of God’s peculiar/distinct/set-apart people. What it means to be a light to the culture rather than a mirror of the culture. Will then took the service forward after reverting to his previous discussion from John 1 1:4 In it John identifies three components in the identity of Jesus that should give his readers confidence and encouragement, three things shared by no one else. 1–Christ, ‘was from the beginning’ means he was/is creator. As such he and he alone knows the purpose for creation and for each person. Without him we create meanings but they are not real or lasting. 2–Christ is life. Apart from him people exist, but do not have life to the fullest. 3–Christ declares that we can have a relationship with God as our loving father. Nature hints at a god of power, but says nothing of his moral character. Religions try to reach god or placate him. Jesus says he loves us.  Img c/o shutterstock Our relief Minister, Pastor Will Ackles of Florida, USA was introduced by Emily Kearon to our congregation. He asked anyone who is in need of spiritual guidance or just wanting some friendship to feel free to contact him, and his wife Nancy, who will be happy to visit them at their home. Will said that he would be concentrating on the Letter “1 John” from the Holy Scriptures for his duration in Ireland and that he had in fact produced a 51 page booklet for all to study, should they so wish. Will introduced “1 John” by mentioning the rope bridge “Carrick-a-Rede”, situated in Northern Ireland, and asked the congregation, who had crossed this rope bridge, what had been their feelings when they first approached the bridge. Did they believe that the bridge might not be strong enough to carry their weight? Is this not perhaps the same question we ask God when we are faced with a difficult situation in life “Is God really able to help me overcome my fear, or is this too difficult for Him?” Of course we all know the answer to this dilemma – if you trust God anything is possible for him. We should endeavour to become unique or “peculiar people” and be wholly dedicated to the worship and service of the True and Living God, and show others, by the way we live, that we are God’s children and under His care. Will ended the service by celebrating the ancient Passover, now Holy Communion, and explaining that this was God’s commandment to the ancient Hebrews to protect them from “The Angel of Death” and has been handed down by Jesus Christ to us to remember what He did for us on the cross at Calvary.  |
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January 2021
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