If you missed Sunday's broadcast, please catch up by following the link below. (For the foreseeable future, we be running our Sunday morning services digitally. Please go to our website on Sundays at 10:30 to join in)
PLEASE WATCH TODAY'S VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
Each Wednesday we take a break from our sermon series devotionals. Today's devotional is based on Psalm 42 and Psalm 1.
'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?' (Psalm 42:1-2)
'Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.' (Psalm 42:11)
'Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of theLord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.' (Psalm 1:1-3)
We are often downcast in our soul. The strife in this world and in our own hearts can often burden and steal our joy.
The deer in Psalm 42 needs water. She doesn't need popcorn, a T.V. show, a relationship, a better job... she needs water. The water in this Psalm is God, whom we meet in His word. We are in a desert and we need God. Your soul needs God.
You come to know God through Jesus. Through faith in His death for us, for our sin, we are brought into relationship with God. However, if we are not 'drinking' -meeting God in His word - we will experience soul thirst.
RESPONSE
Take some time - try 10 minutes - to meet God in His word through meditation on the Bible. The Psalms are a good place to start. Psalm 42 is a good place to start. Read, re-read, pray, worship out of what you read.
COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY – GOD'S HOLY PEOPLE IN CHRIST JESUS
Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News
Particularly, talk about our upcoming online Alpha Course.
Suggested opener/Ice-breaker
We all have to make various choices each day. What do you find it hardest to make choices about and why?
Introduction - please share in your group
This week we began a series in the book of Philippians. The bible is always relevant and I particularly want you to notice that in these trying times of lock down and racial tension, Philippians speaks into both of these contexts.
Please use the devotionals each day for fuller consideration on the themes of this book, but today I want to think about the words of Paul in Philippians 1:1,
'Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons'