#158 – OVER TO YOU (29/7/20)

If you missed Sunday's broadcast, please catch up by following the link below. (For the foreseeable future, we will be running our Sunday morning services digitally. Please go to our website on Sundays at 10:30 to join in)

Each Wednesday, we take a break from our usual devotional series so that we can ask this question: “Father, what are you speaking to me about at the moment?”

i) Pray and position yourself

Take a moment to pray that the Father would speak to you today.

Position yourself in a mindset of expectation by meditating on and praying out of the words of Luke 9.

‘A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”' (Luke 9:35)

The Father’s voice speaks to us down through the ages. Let’s listen to Jesus.

ii) What is God speaking to you about?

Write down what the Father is speaking to you about: something you’ve read in the bible, some teaching you’ve heard, the experiences that you are going through…

iii) What are you going to do in response?

Write down any response that you are going to take. The response can be a new attitude, new action, new habit, new direction, new decision…

COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY – JOY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES COMES FROM STANDING ON WHAT YOU KNOW

Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.

Suggested opener/Ice-breaker

Have you ever had the experience of having to stand on/hang on to something that you weren't completely sure about?

Introduction - please share in your group

Joy in uncertain times comes through ‘standing’ on what we know. There are lots of things that can cause us worry and concern, too often we stand on these, fixate on them and lose hope. However, as Christians, there are wonderful truths that we know, can stand on and rejoice in.

Please read Philippians 1:18-26

Paul knows and rejoices in the fact that he can pray and be prayed for; the availability and the strengthening of the Spirit of Jesus; his salvation (a better translation of deliverance); that death is a door to joy, and that life is an opportunity for fruitful service.

Do you regularly rejoice in these truths? Which of them do you least 'stand' upon?

The practice of reading and stopping to pray out of what we are reading is very important. It's only as we do so that we will rejoice in and stand on the range of topics that the bible addresses.

How are you doing at reading, meditating, praying and worshipping out of the bible?

Discuss/share/pray in smaller groups:

1. What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you about (maybe from Sunday's message or your bible reading this week)?

2. What will you do in response?

3. How can we pray for you?