25th June 2017 – Don’t be God - Liam Parker

25^th June 2017 – Don’t be God

Preacher: Liam Parker

Scripture: Proverbs 3 v 5-8: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on you own understanding, in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Liam described that he has two older brothers. He enjoyed being part of a band of brothers. The best thing was during celebrations: when they got presents, Liam said he also got the present as he could use their presents! When his middle brother got a Man Utd football, they played with it for a short time but his brother soon picked it up to clean it as it got slightly muddy. He was restricting the use of the football, even though that was what it was intended for.

During problems in our life we try and fix the problems. We try and control what happens to us and feel it is our responsibility to get rid of the trouble.

Liam reminds us ‘not be God’, even though we are representing Him, praying with Him and talking to Him etc. We are not Him. Don’t be God and don’t try and fix the things. He has to be in control.

Remember that God’s ways are higher than our ways….His thoughts are higher than our thoughts……

When God is working to a different time scale than ours, we need to recognise it. Gods timings are different to ours. His ways are higher than our ways.

When those difficult times come, we easily go back to our ways and we start to take control of our of lives.

Don’t be God in fighting our sin. (Sin =When we do something out side of the will of God.)

Sin will cost you more than you want to pay and will keep you longer than you want to be. Sin has a habit of spiralling out of control. Sin has a way of creeping around your whole life. It always come back to get you. It spreads and spirals throughout all our life.

1 John 3 describes sin as being ‘lawlessness’. It attacks all if you let it take over. It has no end. It will continue to grow and grow.

Our human temptation is that we feel we have to do something about it, we have to pray harder and we have to fight our own sin. However, we cannot fight sin. We are no match for the power of sin. Sin will always win.

Don’t fight by yourself. In Proverbs 3 it states, ‘Fear the Lord and shun evil’. To shun evil means to avoid or to ignore or reject. Don’t even get involved with it. Don’t fight it. Stand back from it. We need to have a healthy respect of God’s presence and therefore we ‘want’ to do as HE says. We should fear the Lord. What He says goes.

Jude describes Arch Angel Michael who stood and declared that the fight is not with him but with God. We need to do that. We need to give it to God. Just give your life to God and trust in Him. Fear God and turn away from evil and fleshly desires. Only with God can it occur.

In all your ways acknowledge Him.

Questions:

1) in proverbs it says “shun evil” share with the group how you can “shun evil” – such as not watching certain programs, not to go to certain places? -

2) Are there areas in your life where you need to give it to God – if you are able to- share with the group some of your struggles you are facing – be open and honest with your small group

3) we keep hearing the word

18th June 2017 - Ben Oliver - Being a Father

Ben Oliver

18th June 2017

Being a Father

New Dads gain a lot of new jobs:

·         nappy changing,

·         wrestling with multi-function travel buggies

·         bedtime stories

·         … and much more besides!

Dads – some day all this nappy changing will just be a memory, but you’ll never stop being a father. More - it may be that for you, being a father is something wider than caring just for your biological children, because all can be fathers in Christ:

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.  Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.  Therefore I urge you to imitate me.  For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

1 Cor 4:14-17

These words were written by the apostle Paul – a man who had a radical conversion to Christ, one that set him on a path to become a spiritual father to many.  Timothy was more that his apprentice; to Paul, he was a spiritual son.

That opportunity, to be a spiritual father, is open to us today.  But there’s a commitment you need to make to step up to that responsibility.  Its like walking out of hospital with a new baby, feeling very inadequate – but knowing “No-one else is going to step up, I need to do this”.

We undoubtedly had imperfect teachers (our own fathers), and we are undoubtedly underqualified – but God has asked to step up.  What does it take to be a great father?

Here are some ways.

Start by being God’s son

You can’t represent Him if you don’t know Him.  There’s gospel news here, good news – because anyone can do this, anytime!  Take the story of the prodigal son that Jesus once told.

The prodigal son – the younger son of a wealthy farmer – was a wastrel who had worked his way through his father’s money, reached rock bottom and started to dig.  Realising this, he made ready to go home and prepared a speech, to beg a place as a servant.  Reaching home, he starts to deliver his speech, but before he gets to the ‘servant’ offer, his father embraces him and throws a feast in his honour. 

Jesus audience would have been non-plussed at this point.  They were expecting something else, perhaps to hear of the son’s punishment for the offence he had caused his family.  Their attitude is represented in the story by a judgemental older son who cannot bring himself to join in the celebration for the son who was lost and is now found. 

Jesus’ deeper point is that both these sons are lost – they both need the father’s forgiveness.  Jesus came to bring that forgiveness, achieved through his death on the cross. Today, God is saying to all of us ‘come home’ – and through Jesus we can.

A Father’s identity is bound up in who he is, not what he does

Ben once had a conversation with his daughter that went a bit like this:

“Dad. How come you know the answer to everything?”

“Because I’m the best!”

“No Dad, its God first, then superman, then you.”

We Dads tend to be performance-based – but if you’re defined by your successes, then you are defined by failures too.  “The Big Ego Trip” – a book by Christian psychologist Glynn Harrison - argues that this leads to a roller-coaster identity crisis and is a big cause of mental health issues for men. 

God does not work your value out that way.  You have value not because you’re a big deal, but because God is a big deal, and he’s chosen you. Your identity doesn’t depend on good exam results, or on the opinion others have of you, or any of the other ways we use to judge our worth by our performance.

Fathers’ coach, they don’t complain. 

Watching football from the side-lines, when your child’s team loses every game all season long, tends to provoke a response, as Ben know from first-hand experience!  When you respond, you have a choice of coaching or complaining.

·         If you complain, pointing out failure, it makes your child less likely to try again for fear of being criticised.

·         But if you coach, they know you’re with them, and it encourages them to get back into the game and improve.

The apostle Paul demonstrates this so well; he wrote 2 letters to Timothy, full of coaching tips for the situation Timothy was facing:

“Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well”

“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.”

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity”

Questions:

God desires every father to step up and be a coach in the lives of his child, biological or spiritual.  Where do you stand?

·         Are you a Timothy needing a father to mentor you?

·         Are you being stirred to be a father in God’s kingdom/ Read y to step up?

The film “Courageous” tells the story of how, when a tragedy strikes close to home, four police officers struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers, and together they make a decision that will change all of their lives.  Along the way it sets out a ‘code of conduct’ – things like:

·         Model how to talk with integrity

·         Teach others with respect

·         Call out behaviour where necessary

·         Realise that the job and hobbies have no eternal value, but the souls of your children do.

·         Determine where ever possible to mentor those in need; to guide, direct, and to break destructive habits

Will you stand up and take that challenge?

11th June 2017 - Stuart Bell - Building the House of the Lord

11^th June 2017

Stuart Bell

 

Building the house of the lord

Ephesians – church seen in different kinds of ways:

• As a Family

So we find church is a family – god is father – we are brothers and sisters

• As a body

Also you see church as a body – we are all part of body

• Husband & Wife

Also picture in Ephesians as husband and wife – bride of Christ

• As a temple

Also image of temple – of the holy spirit – living stones

Jews would see a temple as something to go to – if you wanted to meet with god – you would go to the temple – Solomon’s temple – Herods temple

Right back in Genesis there is a hint in Chapter 28 vs 13 that the Church is more than just a place to go there is a Heaven & Earth interaction – gate of heaven –

2 cornth 6 vs 16 – WE are temple of the holy spirit – when we gather together

• As an Army

Should be missional -taking territory – church as the army

What is the house of God meant to look like:

Mark Chap 11 Vs 15.

Jesus goes to the temple – but when he gets there – he’s not pleased, people of God in his day were very much like the people in Jeramiah prophesy – then he quotes Isaiah 56 – what the house of the IS meant to be.

Two prophesies

Jerimiah chapter 7:

As he locks at the people of God – they are coming to the temple but their lives do not align with what people of God should be like:

 

 

 

 

 

• Change your ways and deal with each other justly
• Den of robbers to you that I have been watching
• People drifted from the faith again

Jesus then Quotes from Isaiah 56

• House of prayer

Jerimiah filled with people thinking they are safe in the temple – but Jesus says misfits are welcome – a house of prayer

what does it mean to be building the house of prayer? 

does it mean building should be open more for prayer

Jesus taught them a patterned prayer and Stuart went on to look at the Lords Prayer and used it to describe the shape of a church:

7 things from the lord prayer that gives us an opening to :

1. A place of unity (psalm 133 – how good and how pleasant)
2. A place where God is honoured and worshiped
3. A place where Gods will is done and his kingdom comes
4. A place where daily needs are met
5. A place where love and forgiveness flows
6. A place of safety & protection
7. A place of glorious destiny

Exhibit these wonderful aspects of what a house of the lord looks like – Great images of what we are

QUESTIONS:

Look at these 7 things listed above – are we reflecting these things:

1. In our Church?
2. In our Homes?
3. In our lives?

Be honest with each other and pray that God will help you in areas

4th June 2017 - Diversity - Simon Benham

Simon Benham

4th June 2017

Diversity

We started with a colour-blindness test on-screen, and a range of answers; some passed, some failed! But the real question is, “Is God colour-blind?”

We know God is a diverse God in His own character (Gen 1:26 “Let us make mankind in our image …”), and in the way he created us (Gen 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”).

Diversity was present through gender, then later in nations; and today we would recognise diversity in many other ways; skin colour, culture, personality, age, education, and wealth amongst others.

Today is Pentecost, and the story of Pentecost is in many ways a statement on diversity:

“‘In the last days, God says,

    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

    your young men will see visions,

    your old men will dream dreams.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

    and they will prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18)

We see that God pours outs his gifts on all, and loves all; grace is available for all. 

Yet God is also sensitive to the differences between us. Looking just a few verses earlier, we have:

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:4-11)

God could have enabled each person present to hear the message in one common language, but instead He chose that each should hear in their own language. God aims for unity, but not uniformity, and so we too should celebrate the diversity amongst us.

At the end of the Bible there is another great statement on diversity:

 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10)

Every nation, every tribe – together in their diversity.

 <Sarah Harvey and Sola joined Simon at the front in a question and answer session>

Q1. What stops you celebrating diversity?

Sarah  I was uncomfortable when I was first at Kerith – I didn’t know who I was, and didn’t want to step out of my ‘safe box’, because I was afraid of what others would think.  It took time to learn that Kerith just wanted me to be myself.

Sola – you’d think it would be colour, clothes, or background – but I agree with Sarah – it’s mostly ‘me’.  Learn to accept your own uniqueness, don’t measure against others.

Q2. How do we make the most of this?

Sarah – We can see all the differences in the crowd of Acts 2 – and the result was that 3000 were added to the church that day. More diversity makes us more effective as a people; in evangelising, and in community – a richer ministry.

Sola – 1 Cor 14:10 speaks of “many languages, none without meaning”.  From that I understand that our differences mean that people can be drawn to us because no matter who comes to Kerith, there will be common experiences they share with someone, which helps connections to be made.

Q3. What do you think we should do more of?

Sola – As we’ve just said, we need you [looking at the congregation]. The world is looking for what we have in the church, it just needs each one of us to show up as ‘us’ – in Christ.

Sarah – Identity a powerful part of diversity – you can’t show up if you don’t know what to show up as.

Q4. What encouragement can you give to those here?

Simon – Just show up as you are, without masks.  It may be hard in the mass of Sunday congregation, but small groups offer that chance to be ‘you’ and to accepted as yourself.

Sola – I would encourage us to look for connections beyond colour, beyond rich and poor, beyond ‘people like us’.  In one of his books Bill Hybels encourages us to ‘walk across the room’.

Rather than questions, todays preach leaves us with a challenge – quite simply, to put Bill Hybel’s encouragement into practice. 

Over the week, find opportunities to “walk across the room” and speak to a stranger within the Kerith community – and when you speak, discover a few things you have in common, and make time to pray for each other.

28th May 2017 - Sharing Our Faith When It Costs (Andy Jackson)

Sharing Our Faith When It Costs (Andy Jackson)

This is part of the series from the book of Acts, looking at our mission statement “Helping people find their way back to God through communities growing in their love for God and their love for people”.

Helen Berhane’s Story

Andy showed a video of Helen Berhane’s sharing some of her story (watch  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSRqIUOL-Eg).  She was persecuted in Eritrea East Africa for her Christian faith.  She was held captive in a shipping container, beaten and treated terribly for 2 years.

Helping people find their way back to God is not always easy.  For many, right now, it comes at a high cost that requires sacrifice, and results in persecution, opposition from others, discrimination, loss of freedom, physical violence and even death.

The cost for the first church leaders

When Peter first preaches things go really well and in one day 3,000 people respond and join the church (Acts 2).  But very soon opposition arises.

Peter heals a lame man, and as a result he preaches to the crowd of onlookers.  Peter and John are seized by the authorities, who eventually threaten them and command them not to preach about Jesus, and let them go (Acts 3,4). 

Peter and the other leaders ignore this command and many people believe, and there are numerous healings and miracles.  All the leaders are then arrested and jailed, but an angel supernaturally releases them and tells them to keep speaking about Jesus.  The authorities are amazed to find them still in the temple teaching people, and so re-arrest them and want to put them to death.  Eventually they are flogged, ordered not to speak about Jesus, and released, but they continue daily to preach about Jesus (Acts 5 v 12-42).

Then one of leaders, Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power who performed great wonders and signs, is arrested and immediately following his trial is stoned to death (Acts 6,7).  A great persecution of the whole church begins, which causes them to scatter to other places, preaching the message wherever they go (Acts 8 v 1-3).

The offense of Jesus

Telling people about Jesus bore a great personal cost for the first church.  Persecution has been part of the history of the church ever since, and today is on the increase.  Jesus told us “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9 v 23).

The message that we are all separated from God and need to repent of sin, and put Jesus in charge of our lives is an affront to people’s independence and their own beliefs.  It is a message that challenges authority, and causes a reaction.  The devil also violently opposes this message.

Our freedom to speak about Jesus

We live in a country in which we have freedom to change religion and express our beliefs (article 9 of the Human Rights Act).  Helen Berhane says to us in the free world, “You must not take your freedom for granted.  If I can sing in prison, imagine what you can do for God’s glory in your freedom”.   We must make the most of that freedom, even if it means ridicule and rejection.  Pauls tells us to “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity” (Col 4 v 5).

Andy Jackson has found that of the hundreds of people the CAP centre has offered to pray for, only a very few have refused this offer.  We must not say people’s “No” for them. 

We also need a sense of urgency in sharing about Jesus; we don’t know how long we will have this freedom for, or how many opportunities people have left to hear the message.

Our individual response

Earlier in this series we were encouraged to write down the names of a few people to pray for to find their way back to God.   Let’s use our freedom to pray for them, speak to them, and invite them to church events (e.g. Alpha).

When we do face opposition we must, like the first church, continue to speak about Jesus.  When first arrested, Peter said “…we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard”.   This should be our experience, that our knowledge of God and our relationship with Him compels us to keep speaking of Him to others.

The first church’s response to persecution and opposition was to ask for boldness to speak God’s word, and for God to act with healings, signs and wonders that would draw others to know Him (Acts 4 v 29).  So powerful was this prayer, that the room shook and they were filled afresh with the Holy Spirit!  Let’s make this our daily prayer.

Questions

1   1.  Watch Helen Berhane’s 6 minute story again (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSRqIUOL-Eg).  What stands out to you?

2   2.  Why were the early Christians so compelled to speak about Jesus? (Acts 2 v 42-47, 4 v 31).

3   3.  What did the early Christians pray for? (Acts 4 v 29, 30).

     4.  What are keys to growing in boldness and signs/miracles? (Acts 1 v 8, John 14 v 12-14, Matthew 17 v 19-20)

     5.  Spend some time praying:

a.       To be filled with the Holy Spirit.

b.       For boldness to speak to others.

c.       For us to grow in faith and for God to perform signs and wonders.

d.       For individuals you know to find their way back to God (particularly those you previously wrote on a card, or represented via a knot in a string bracelet on Sunday). 

21st May 2017 - "Just Maybe" - John Kirkly

John Kirkby, founder of Christians Against Poverty

21st May 2017

You Never Know …

[We started with a Kerith #mystory video of Alan and Ruth, describing how CAP and Christians had helped them.  It’s a good backdrop to what John has to say, so you might like to watch it on youtube at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dZdiVF1dSto]

You have no idea what happens when you do simple things – God may use you to do something that may profoundly affect a life, even a generation – and change your life too. God can, does and is using everything that happens to his glory.

John Kirkby has been a Christian for 25 years, and its 21 years since he founded CAP. 

He’s very aware that life falls into repetitive rhythms – another opportunity to give, to pray, to serve, each very like the last.  That’s true of CAP – he’s done over 1000 ‘asks’ for CAP and there’s loads more to come. It’s just as true of family life – John has had children under 10 for the last 30 years so he feels that one quite keenly too!

Even things that start off exciting, like foreign travel, can feel boring and repetitive with time.  What was once a pleasure becomes a chore, but also a stretch and a challenge to us to keep going.  If we’re to do that, we need to need to come back to God for strength, inspiration, freshness, and the motivation to keep going – or in some cases to start going(!).

John doesn’t want to get to heaven only to look back and feel there was more he could have done.

We need to be pushed in serving God.  (Again, John speaks from experience - as well as CAP, John also founded a church 9 years ago.  He now styles himself the ‘reluctant elder’). 

For some, life has quenched the fire that used to burn.  We need continually to be reminded by God to “keep the main thing the main thing”, and keep the important things to the fore. Three simple phrases can keep us going:

“You never know …”

“Just maybe …”

·         Just maybe today someone’s going to take this message to heart.

·         Just maybe today a life will be saved

“The next …”

·         Time to talk

·         Time to serve

·         Time life group meets

·          

May be significantly used by God.

There was an evening when John was keen to get home from church, but on the way home he was intercepted by someone he knew.  Reluctantly he paused to speak.  The man had a need, and a story to tell, and they prayed together.  3 weeks later someone else passed on a message from that man, explaining that things had worked out for him as they had prayed, and he was coming to church.

This week …

·         You could invite someone to church.  Yes they might say no, but “just maybe …” this is the right time and they’re keen to come.

25 years ago, one man spoke to someone who looked all together on the outside, but was falling apart inside.  It was only an invite to a BBQ, and then an invite to church – but it ended up with John being saved and later baptised.  Derek, the person who baptised him, was also an encourager and a faithful giver and helper in the early days of CAP.  Only small things, but they meant a lot.

So many people did small things for CAP - encouraging, praying, supporting.  Some people didn’t do apparently small things.  That’s OK – Jesus never left John on his own – but it’s also their loss; they were not part of something that today has helped 600000 people, and saves 1000 people each year worldwide.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 in the Message version (with John’s commentary interspersed):

Be generous: Invest in acts of charity.

Charity yields high returns.

                Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around.

Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night.

JK – don’t be too melodramatic, but take that immediacy on board as an attitude of heart – don’t put good deeds off.

When the clouds are full of water, it rains.

When the wind blows down a tree, it lies where it falls.

Don’t sit there watching the wind. Do your own work.

Don’t stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.

JK - I’m going to put all sorts of droplets in the air, so they can be part of the rain. Don’t just sit there watching the winds … get on with your life and do something!

Just as you’ll never understand

    the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman,

So you’ll never understand

    the mystery at work in all that God does.

Go to work in the morning

    and stick to it until evening without watching the clock.

You never know from moment to moment

    how your work will turn out in the end.

JK - I’m going to keep on serving him - he is my Master, I will do what he wants. I help at a food bank at times, talking to those who com it.  It’s not about second-guessing what God might be doing (“is this the significant one?”), just treating people as people; talking, listening, and praying with people in need.

3 years ago, John was on holiday, chilling, and glad to be ‘off duty’.  A lady recognised him.  They didn’t speak then, but at church that evening the same lady was there.  JK wanted privacy, but “just maybe”, and so they chatted over coffee.  Today that lady is a market trader for CAP; 60 people have been helped through her, and 17 saved.

Hear the call, and remember.  “You never know”, “just maybe”, and if you want encouragement as to where those small things may lead, you need only look around at the lives that have been changed in and by this church.

Questions:

How can you keep that sense of urgency, that freshness, that readiness to believe that “You never know …” when something you do will be used by God?

How can you encourage or challenge others to step out thinking “just maybe”, and be encouraged or challenged in turn?

What can you do at “the next” opportunity to enlarge God’s kingdom?

·         Invite people round?

·         Speak to a work colleague?

·         Offer to pray?

·         Serve on a team?

14th May 2017 - Community Lee Layton-Matthews

Lee Layton-Matthew 14trh May 2017

Community

Lee started by sharing a Coca-Cola Advert (other soft drinks are available!) It starts off with people on the underground focusing on one man watching a movie on a tablet. He starts to laugh really loudly and very soon everyone starts to laugh. The tube turns into a community of people laughing

Lee stated that one person can change the atmosphere around us. You and I were designed to be in Community, we thrive with people.

Lee went onto share from Acts 2:42-47New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The fellowship of the believers

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

What is community?

Gen 1:1-3a

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said

The Word became flesh – John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

To understand Community we need to understand that Everything was created out of the community of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit

In true community we can love with all our love -  Agape

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end

 

In true community we Laugh and Cry

In true community we can doubt

John 20:24-2

Jesus appears to Thomas

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’ 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’28 Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29 Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’

Lee share the meaning of the word - Ubuntu

People are people through people

True Community brings LIFE

Questions:

Read Acts 2 42-27 – have you felt like you are in Community in Kerith?

If not – what are you doing to actively promote community in your life?

Have you had seasons of doubt? Do you feel able to share some doubts you have today?

Lee shared the advert from Coca Cola – how did that make you feel? Did you laugh? – how can you change the atmosphere in your office/school/neighbourhood tomorrow?