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Posts tagged saviour
Loving God, Loving Myself and Loving Others
May 4th
Luke 10: 25-37
In this paper we are going to look at how people accept, or do not accept themselves, and the images we can all project. Before doing so, we look at the context to our reading, and make a comment on God’s command to love Him.
The Context
Imagine what it would be like if every time you put your hand in your pocket you pulled out a £50 note. Undoubtedly you would be very excited, and after the initial shock, would probably think of all the people you could help. Think of the surprise on the faces of friends and others who’d struggled without finance for so long, yet were suddenly able to see how to make ends meet through your giving. It would be an amazing time.
The Church
Feb 19th
A general conception
Many non-Christians and sadly some Christians, don’t understand what is meant when the word ‘church’ is referred to. We have all heard statements like the following: ‘I used to go to church as a child’ or ‘My parents go to the Parish Church’, or ‘We had a lovely church wedding’ or ‘My grandparents were church-goers’ etc. This reflects a misunderstanding of the meaning of ‘Church’. This short booklet will address the true meaning of Church, and correct common misunderstandings. Let’s begin with what the church is NOT.
The Church is not:
A material building.
Worship
Feb 19th
- What is worship?
- When we stop worshipping God, what happens?
- What is the difference (if any) between worshipping and worshipping in spirit and in truth?
- How important is worship?
In worship we focus on all that God has already done, and recognise that we are blessed because of His hand of grace and not our own achievements.
“…Israel’s worship shows the same dynamic as Israel’s ethics; namely, that it is based on God’s prior action. God had already acted in blessing; therefore Israel was to celebrate that in worship and praise.”
The Caring Church
Feb 18th
Churches are not buildings but people from all different walks of life who have accepted the gift of salvation and know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Yet this is not the end of the story. Each one of us is a work in progress; therefore we are all constantly shifting and changing as we learn to embrace all that is ours in Christ. This is not always easy since there can be deep-rooted issues in our lives that we may not even be aware of at times. Whilst there are going to be many good things in our lives, each of us may also have a whole library of life experiences and attitudes, some of which have developed as a means of coping with the troubles and traumas we have had to face. Because we often spend years seeking to protect self, it can be very difficult to let the barriers down and learn to deal with issues by seeking the grace that is already ours through Christ.
