23rd April 2017 - Heather Pocock - ACTS WEEK 1

YouTube Church on a Mission discussions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiE7D8MwITM

 

• How do we live out our individual mission/ our mission as a church?
• How did the early church live out mission?

 

Vision Statement for Kerith Community Church: "Helping people find their way back to God through communities growing in their love for God and their love for people".

 

Companies like Nike, Google, Build-a-bear, Starbucks, United Airlines promote vision statements to describe what they are about, and they do what they set out to do.

• If we went out on the streets with our mission statement what would be the reaction? Would people feel like they would need God?

 

H: Hunger

                1^st part of our mission is to help people see they have a hunger for God.

                People need Jesus.

                God created Eden – paradise – every single person has a desire for Eden.

• SHALOM
  • Life should be better. People desire shalom.
  • Just look at tropical holiday photos, gadgets to solve stress, political statements…

Acts 3.6-7: ⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.

• The man didn’t think he needed God – he needed money, health… But Peter recognized and showed the man that he was really thirsting for Jesus. Jesus: Provider, restorer, repairer.
   

Acts 3.9-11: ⁹ When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. ¹¹ While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 

• The crowd also had a desire for God.
• But they were initially attracted to the gifts of Jesus – but that doesn’t satisfy. The giver is the one who satisfies.
  • Ecclesiastes 3.11: He has also set eternity in the human heart;
    “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” (CS Lewis)
  • I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. (U2)

 

E: Evil

2^nd part of mission is to recognize that evil and sin gets in the way and disrupts harmony.

Romans 6.23:  ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Acts 3.13-15: ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴ You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵ You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

• Peter points out the sin and evil in the crowd’s heart.
  • How would you feel?
  • We have become an over affirmed society causing us to believe we are never wrong, and that we don’t need to acknowledge failings.

Romans 3.23 ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

• How do you respond to that verse?

We COMPARE ourselves to others: Personal story: Chatting to a friend about faith. They asked, ‘so you think I’m a sinner?’ But I’m not that bad.

We WAVER good over bad: Journalist interviewing Michael Bloomberg – ex-mayor of NY – “I’ve earnt my place”

We MINIMISE and LEGITIMISE our sin. Often finding someone else to blame.

If we COMPARE, WAVER, MINIMISE we will never experience the grace and truth of shalom.

• If the biggest sinner you know isn’t you then you probably don’t know you. The more we learn about the holiness of God the more we agree with this statement.
• Personal Story: Denial when you’re ill isn’t effective for getting well.
  • Augustine: My sin was all the more incurable because I did not think I was a sinner.
    • Where in my life am I refusing to take the cure?

L: Love

3^rd part of our mission is to tell/ show people that God loves them. He gave us a cure to the disease of sin. Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment.

Acts 3:19-20 ¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

• God wants to give us “times of refreshing” – there is blessing in repentance.
• Messiah: someone who rescues us.

 

P: Pivot

4^th part of the mission is to act on God’s love and repent.

• Repent – turn away and return to God.

Acts 3.26 ²⁶ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

• What lifestyles do we need to turn away from, and return to Jesus?
• Martin Luther: ‘all of a Christian’s life is one of repentance’
• Personal Story: When I move to a new house/ when I am a mother I will be content!
  • We need to look to Jesus – only he will satisfy. Where are we looking for contentment?

H.E.L.P Through these stages we will be able to help people find their way back to God.

Prayer / Discussion
:Where are you looking to satisfy hunger/ wrongdoing?
God is so good to us – he desires us to live in paradise. Help us to recognize our hunger for you Jesus. Only you can satisfy – Reveal where we are reaching to other things. Show us where we are living in sickness

16th April 2017 - Simon Benham - EASTER SUNDAY

Easter Sunday 16^th April 2017 – Simon Benham

Happy Easter. If there's one day to celebrate its today. What better way to celebrate than baptisms. Dying to an old way of life - rising again to a new one.

If you were here for our Good Friday meeting you'll have heard Simon talk about Jesus as the greatest revolutionary leader who ever lived. That he came to lead a revolution, not to overthrow an external system of government but to give us a heart transplant. And how when he died on the cross, rather than marking the end of the revolution as happens with most revolutionaries, it was the act that made the revolution possible. That Jesus died that our sin might be forgiven.

The resurrection is not the reversal of a defeat but the manifestation of the victory Jesus won on the cross for you & me - Nicky Gumbel

If you had a window into the lives of the disciples that first Easter Sunday morning, they weren't celebrating Jesus victory. In their minds it was all over. Jesus had gone the way of so many other revolutionaries. They were in hiding from the authorities and planning on going back to their old lives. They'd had a great three years with Jesus, but sadly now it was all over. So now we come to the point on Easter Sunday where news of the revolution begins to break out!

READ Matthew 28:1-10

The revolution had begun. And its a revolution which continues to this day.

Today, all around the world over 2 billion people who call themselves followers of Jesus will be joining in this celebration. Later in this meeting we're going to witness ? people doing the thing Jesus commanded us to do as a sign of us joining his revolution. Getting baptised.

What is baptism? It's a public declaration where you're saying "I'm part of the revolution". Not only do I identify myself with Jesus death and resurrection, I too have experienced my own death and resurrection. I've died to my old way of life, the Bible calls it repenting, which means I've turned away from my sin. I've turned away from all the things in my life I put there in place of God, and I'm not turning towards Jesus, putting him in the centre.

Simon gave the opportunity for people to join the revolution too.

What was the nature of the revolution Jesus began? We get a huge clue from Jesus resurrection body.

At the resurrection Jesus wasn't just revived. We read stories of people who have near death experiences. Simon has a friend, John Burke, who gathers stories of people who have medically died and then been revived. Often they have very similar stories of what they experience. But when they are revived they still have the same body they had before. In Jesus ministry there was a guy called Lazarus, who died and after four days Jesus raises him to life again. But he comes back with the same body. Sometime later Lazarus dies again, this time for good.

We get a glimpse of what our resurrection bodies will be like when we recall Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. He still had visible wounds, and His disciples could physically touch Him, yet He was able to travel effortlessly and appear and disappear at will. He could go through walls and doors yet could also eat and drink and sit and talk. Scripture informs us that our “lowly bodies” will be just “like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). Indeed, the physical limitations imposed by sin that hinder our ability to fully serve Him on earth will be forever gone, freeing us to praise and serve and glorify Him for eternity.

 

Suddenly in Jesus body we have a demonstration of the revolution. That the separation between heaven and earth has now been removed.

Then we see the conclusion of the revolution at the end of time. Revelation 21:1-4

 

Let our response to the risen Jesus be the same as that of the two women:

 

• There is no more important thing in life than to meet with Jesus. Not to become religious, not to find yourself, but to have a genuine encounter with the risen Jesus. Jesus didn't want the women just to have information about him, he wanted them to know him as a friend.
• Be filled with joy. It's hard to be afraid but happy. Happiness is generally dependant on our circumstances. There is something much deeper about joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength. To know you are free from guilt, free from shame, free from fear, your past is forgiven, your present has purpose and your future is secure.
• Worship him. Put him at the centre of your life. Make him your Lord.
• Go and tell others that you have seen him

 

When Jesus raises us from the dead we don't just revert back to what we should have been. He takes our brokenness, and makes it part of the new creation he is making us in to. He doesn't deny our past but redeems it and uses it to form part of the beauty of our future. Just as a mosaic forms something of incredible beauty from broken pieces, God forms beauty from our brokenness, both as individuals and as a community. As he takes each one of us and begins to form us into his church, into his bride.

 

QUESTIONS:

Are you putting Jesus at the centre of your life?

IS there an area of your life you need to hand to Him?

When was the last time you shared your testimony with someone?

Can you share your testimony with your group today?

 

9th April 2017 SPIRIT LED GENEROSITY. SOLA OSINOIKI

SMALL GROUP NOTES FROM SUNDAY 9 APRIL 2017. THEME – SPIRIT LED GENEROSITY. SOLA OSINOIKI

Before introducing Sola, Simon drew attention to the Vision Fund with Gift Days coming up on 23 and 30 April, and a week of 24-7 prayer between those dates. Simon also challenged us to fill up the front rows in church and be closer to the preacher!

Sola introduced his theme as ‘listening to God’s whispers leads to Spirit led generosity’.

QUESTION: What might this mean to you?

Sola’s prayer is that we might no longer see generosity in black & white, but in technicolour. To change our perspective.

READ: Hebrews 13:2.

QUESTION: Is hospitality optional?

READ: Genesis 18:1-8. Abraham shows spirit led generosity to 3 strangers. He gave them a feast even though he was unprepared and unready. Though Abraham didn’t actually eat with them. It was about emptying himself on behalf of others. Those 3 strangers were angels.

Sola shared a story of needing money for flights to Nigeria. He felt prompted to write on facebook ‘praying for a flight, prices are crazy’. A lady responded with £1000 to cover the flight. Soon after, she herself received £600 – and said she wouldn’t be surprised if the rest came back to her. Another £100 came in. Then a week later, her tax bill was a full £1000 less than she expected.

Message is that God is good. We can give and trust in faith. We cannot outgive God.

READ: Genesis 19:1-4. Lot knew that just inviting wasn’t enough, he urged them to come. Because of that dinner, Lot got the information for him and his family to be safe.

Sola spoke of not giving something cheap, the minimum, but of giving a feast.

Sola shared another story of when he stood in response to a preachers call for people in financial need to stand up. Shortly afterwards a young man knocked on his door with a cheque for £1000!

READ: John 4:10 from The Message Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.”

QUESTION: How does the generosity of God, who gave His only son, challenge me to rethink my own generosity?

READ: Acts 16:14-5. Lydia persuaded them to come.

Sola shared a story of visiting Madrid, looking for a church one Sunday morning. Having arrived by taxi, as a stranger, he felt prompted to bring some prophetic words. Then he was invited to share fellowship and a meal at a home – he was then given money to cover the taxi, and return train fare. Only in the kingdom of God could it happen to end up in the home of a stranger, sharing fellowship, and helping out in the kitchen to prepare food.

QUESTION: Do you have any stories of giving or receiving generosity which you could share with the group?

 

READ: Luke 22:7-13. The ‘man’ that Jesus told them to follow, culturally shouldn’t have been carrying a jar at all! God provides the practical needs (a room), and God sees all things before they happen.

QUESTION: Are people led to find their practical needs met if they follow me? It depends on how much I am being led by listening to God’s whispers. I may not know the impact or consequence.

Sola shared a story of getting 100 dollars out of a cash machine. A woman behind him wasn’t able to get out any cash, and Sola felt prompted to give her whatever she asked for. It was 50 dollars. He doesn’t know the impact, but challenged us to just obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

If you want the Holy Spirit to help your own spirit of generosity, then ask for that help. To be the one in tune with the God’s whisper and therefore the one worth following.

QUESTION: Would you spend a few minutes in quietness seeking the help of the Holy Spirit in being generous?

2nd April 2017 - Kindness #Generosity Michael Ross-Watson

2^nd April 2017: Kindness

Preacher: Michael Ross Watson

Bible Verse: 2 Samuel Ch 9 v 1-13.

Advertisement: Michael Ross Watson promoted his book about prayer. It is available in the Church bookshop for £7 per copy.

Introduction

Verse 1 – Question: is there anyone left of the house of Saul that David may show him kindness. This is followed by a repeat of the plea in V3 where King David says ‘is there not someone from the house of Saul that I can show the kindness of God’. To understand the full meaning and purpose of this situation, we need to understand the relationship between Saul and David.

Originally it was a love relationship. When David took food to the army of Israel when they were fighting Goliath, he challenged them all. All of the soldiers were afraid of Goliath except David. David had killed a bear and lion single handed and he wasn’t scared of Goliath. He took 5 stones and brought a great victory to their side. Saul recognised him and honoured him by making him a leading captain in his army. Furthermore when Saul was oppressed and depressed, David would play instruments to him and sooth him. However Saul tried to kill David twice!

After this, is when then the trouble began. The women began singing that David was better than Saul and Saul became jealous. This lead to Saul becoming angry, which led to fear. Consequently for 20 years David was on the run with Saul trying to kill him, even though he was anointed to be King.

Kindness is an intrinsic issue. Not extrinsic. We need to be motivated internally to be kind.

‘Count on it. God will challenge you, to give more than you have given before. Your faith will cause you to say ‘yes’ or your fear will cause you to say ‘no.’

Your response to Gods challenge will shape your future.

When David decided to bless the remaining people in Saul’s house, it was pivotal moment in his life. When Jesus comes: He removed the tempters power, He fills life with glory.

Michel spoke about the personal pivotal moments in his life. The first one was when he read a book about a gentleman who committed suicide after being continually rejected. He committed to spending his life to being kind to others.

The second occasion when he was diagnosed with cancer, and others provided thousands of pounds to pay for his care. He committed his life to being generous.

David proactively looked for the only descendant of King Saul, and found Mephibosheth. However Mephibosheth was shamed. He was the only one alive from the disgraced family. His father and grandfather were Kings, however His father died in disgrace and Mephibosheth wanted to hide in a small town. He carried a stigma and shame. He also had a disfigured body. He was lame in both feet. He was not born like that, but his maid fell when carrying him, injuring his feet. Disfigured people cover and hide their embarrassment.

He also had a doubtful future, as he lived in Lo Debar (which means ‘a place of barrenness / no pasture’) and a displaced inheritance.

The word of David to Mephibosheth was grand. David wanted to restore him, to restore the broken, the need, what was lost. God is a God of restoration. If you have lost your joy – He can restore (Psalm 23).

Mephibosheth was the rightful heir but was living in poverty. And as he fell prostrate at the feet of David, he likened himself as a dead dog. This is a wrong identify. In Hebrew  ‘ a dead dog’ means ‘embarrassing, piece of garage, worthless, no good’.

So many people live with distorted identify, and don’t recognise their worth.

All of us are worth Jesus dying on the cross, shedding his blood to save us.

We all need to know we, as individuals, are a child of God and an heir to the Kingdom.

David showed kindness to this broken man. He didn’t show it to the normal respectable one, but the one in need. He brought him into his palace to feed at his table. He treated him as his own and restored what he had lost, ensuring his future.

This is how God treats you and wants us to treat others.

It is not religion, not organisations but a life of compassion by each individual that impacts the world, that reaches out to the broken, hurting and the needy. This is a life style. We need to choose.

In Isaiah 58: The promises of God are listed. All the good things awaiting us:

• Your light shall break for the like the morning
• Healing shall spring for the speedily
• Righteousness will go before us
• The glory of God will be the rear guard
• When you call, He will say here I am
• He will guide you continually
• He will satisfy soul in times of doubt
• You shall be a well-watered garden whose spring of water will never fail

However there are conditions, these are that we need to:

• Loose bonds of wickedness
• Undo heavy burdens
• Set the oppressed free
• Break every yolk
• Share bread to hungry
• Share our house with the needy
• Clothe those naked
• Remove the finger pointing

God is kind and calls us to be kind.

Questions:

• What does God think about you?
• Do you need to change your attitude towards yourself? How can we do this?
• Do you represent God in your attitude towards others?
• Has anyone had a pivotal point that has changed their life? Please share if you feel comfortable.

26th March 2017 - Mothers Day – Run Your Race 17 – Catrina Benham

26^th March 2017

Mothers Day – Run Your Race 17 – Catrina Benham

Bible Verse: Hebrew 12 v 1 – 3

Introduction

When we say we are making a decision or struggling people often say ‘just take the next step’, ‘put one step in front of the other’…etc. We need these tips along the journey of life, however we need to look to the bible for our life tips.

The bible has loads of practical tips for life. Our faith is in a real God, who has real answers.

Life is a journey that we go on. We start somewhere and go somewhere. But it can also be explained as a race.

The bible talks about us all being on our own track and Jesus supporting us. Our life race is not about speed or being first. It is about endurance and focusing on God.

Life is not a tarmacked road that is smooth. There are changing seasons in our life. There are twists and turns. In real life there are obstacles and we need to get over that. Hence real life is more like a heptathlon: running, shotput, 800m etc… a  multi event competition.

Hebrews 12 v 1 – 3

Hebrews explains that we will feel weary in life and we will lose heart, at times.  In this long race called life,  however, God also says that we need to take encouragement from others that have done it before, and we need to look to Jesus about how we run the race.

The phrase ‘Therefore’, shows that people have gone before us. In Hebrews 11 heaps of people were commended for their faith. This continues into Hebrews 12 where it discusses about being ‘surrounded by cloud of witnesses’ like a cloud, high, deep, wide.  There is a packed stadium, people in the stacked terraces: believers everywhere cheering us all on. They are saying I’ve done it and you can do it too.

The witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 11 include Ruth and the Woman of Proverbs 31. They went through trials and we need to look at how they ran their race, not what they did.

How they Run not what they Did.

Ruth: She went from Bethlehem to another country, due to famine. Once there, the men of the family died leaving three widows. She stayed with Naomi. From her first marriage she had no children, was a Moabite, poor and that was not attractive in society. However her reputation was that she was a women of noble character. People knew about her. She was a women of valour, brave and strong. She ran her race with determination. God had a plan and she endured: Ruth is part of Josephs line of genealogy, and after the death of her first husband she married again and has children.

Chayil – nobel character, strong, excellent, valiant, brave.

Proverbs 31: The woman discussed in this proverb provides food, works in the night, plants for the future, her trading is profitable. This is not a task list it is a song celebrating all women. It is not a job description. It describes all women.

 

 

Choose to Run

Don’t give up, don’t stop, don’t wish for someone else’s life, move through life with God. Our lives should be about moving through life in ways that can glorify God rather than what we look like or achieve. When we trust Him, we will accomplish. There is not just one winner. We can all win and cheer each other on.

You can do it – they have. We are running in community.

What is hindering your running?

Throw it off. The baggage we carry hinders our faith. We pick up things such as fear, anxiety, ambitions, distractions, care of what others think: these are distractions. Know what hinders you and throw them off. Comparison hinders us. Don’t keep looking to the left, right or behind. We can’t look at others and run our own race – we will crash. Such comparisons rob us of joy.

Sin also entangles. Throw it off.

Don’t run through life with your head down. Don’t march life out – enjoy the scenery, enjoy the time. Keep your head up, eyes up, look to Jesus.

The ultimate on how to do ‘life’ is to fix your eyes on Jesus. The pioneer and perfector of our faith. Put your attention onto Jesus, look and listen to him. He gives us our faith. He completes and finishes our faith. He is around us as we run and is ahead of us as we run.

What is getting you through life? Is it Jesus.

Pray, listen to worship and read the bible, along with some calm breathing. This will get you through the day. We need to remind ourselves on who we should fix our eyes on.

God is our ultimate coach.

Questions:

• How is your unique race going?
• Discuss what you each need to throw off, what baggage are you carrying?
• Does everyone else around you look as they are doing better? How does it make you feel?
• Are you in a place you haven’t been before? Share with your group what new things are crossing your path? Pray for each other..
• Is your head down one foot in front of the other? Or are you distracted by hindrances? How will you refocus on Jesus?
• Do you need to change your race? Are you running in the wrong direction?
• Where do you go for help? Friends, family or God?
• Why don’t you all share an example of overcoming something in your own race - celebrate with those in your group

19th March 2017 - Liam Parker - Generous During the Tough Times

19^th March 2017 – Liam Parker

Generous During the Tough Times

Bible Verse: Psalms 136

God wants us to know how generous he has been to us in the past, so that in the tough times we can remind ourselves of His generous love, to have hope.

‘His love endures forever’… through the generations.

Enduring Love

The phrase ‘enduring love’ is exactly that… it endures. It is important that we know that we are bound to go through trails in life, and that we will have to endure. Its then that we can claim that we endure. We don’t endure in the good times in life – these are blessings. We endure through the difficult times.

Psalms 136 was a worship song sung in the temple and sung by the army as it headed into battle. They reminded themselves of the good things that God had done and that He will continue to endure. It is a battle song…a battle cry.

Let’s use this Psalm and the enduing love as our battle cry through our current situations.

God at the Start and the Centre

The Psalm puts God at the start. We often talk about putting Jesus at the centre but He also needs to be the start of our decisions and problems. He must be the first thought, the emergency contact on our life. In the UK, life has become comfortable. When compared to rest of world. This becomes a problem as we rely on our circumstances and objects too much. Then we start to relate to Gods love as to how well our circumstances are, and when things go wrong we start to question Him. However, God is with us in the good times but doesn’t leave us when life gets difficult. Don’t measure God by your circumstances.

God’s love endures before, during and after I am here on earth. Hence, we should maintain the same expectations regardless of what we see before us or the circumstances we are in.

All the characters in the bible went through circumstances and carried on walking knowing that Gods love endures forever.

We need to go to God first in all our circumstances: for finances, help and support. We often try and solve it ourselves first, then we go to our parents or friends and then God (last). But we should go to God first. He gives us the correct attitude and is the first voice we should listen to…..’Seek First the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you’.

Personal Growth

Psalm 136 Refers to the time in Egypt when the Israelites were oppressed as slaves. It was a tough time, for a long time. Some people were born a slave and died a slave. BUT His love endured forever. God was doing a lot in Egypt before He lifted them out of the situation. In our lives, before He lifts us out of the situation, He will provide for you in the mist. God used the Egyptians to provide for the Israelites. The Israelites also grew in number during this time. We need to remember that we grow as we go through our challenging season.

Gods unique love is amazing: the more opposition to Gods love – the more it grows.

Allowing God to Do His Work

We need to stop controlling the circumstances we are in and start focusing on growing our relationship with God in the situation. He will then flip the situation around.

Patience and love then grows in us to allow us to handle the situation. As per Romans 5.

When we go through tough times we need to celebrate and give glory to God as it builds character.  However, we must go through the suffering WITH Him. We shouldn’t walk it alone. When we walk alone we are trying to control the situation and not letting God do his work. Read John 15 – the vine and the branches.

The situation that’s causing you to feel less peace IS the situation that God can use to give you more, when you focus on God.

Psalms 136: It refers to the Kings that Israel overcame: Cross Reference Numbers 21 and the many battles. The Israelites had to march through the Kings land. They asked permission to do so and were told no. The army came out against them. They then came across the second Kings army that was twice as big. We have moments in life when tough circumstances occur, we get through it and then even tougher circumstances follow. However, God spoke to Moses and they beat both armies.

Final Thoughts

It doesn’t matter how big your situation is if you walk it with God. Let’s not place our hope in people, finances etc. Only and firstly trust in God’s love as it endures forever. Let’s go to him first.

Questions:

1. Read Psalms 136 together as a group – each taking one verse at a time
2. Can you share with your group a trial that you have gone through in the past – where you experienced Gods Enduring Love.
3. Is there a trial in your life that you are going through RIGHT NOW - that you need to remind yourself of His love that endures?
4. Pray for each other – for the challenges and situations that each of you know Gods Enduring Love on you

Take your requests to God – go first to Him and seek Him. Ask God to intervene. Stop relying on others.

 

Remind yourself of what God has done in your life. Keep your hope alive. Remind yourself regularly. Carry those things daily as they remind you of the hope during your circumstances.

 

Take things to God first. Glorify God in the situation. Walk through the situation with Him.