fardell24 | Church notes

Church notes - April 2016
3rd April
'Water you turned into wine': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnTf4sMIKtw
Love God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0ER44ogoqE

Passion
Can we be passionate about Jesus without being considered fanatics?
What impact does the resurrection have on our life?

The Greatest Commandment
Mark 12:30, 31

C. S. Lewis: 'Christianity cannot be moderately important. It is either ridiculous, or the most important endeavour'

Revelation 2:4
The Ephesian Church had lost their passion.

Luke 9:23 - 25
Self Denial - Process of weaning off selfish desires and attitudes
Dying to Self - Dead to sin, but alive to God!
We need to maintain our connection to God.
Connecting to Him through His Word each day ignites that passion again and again.

10th April
'The Saviours Love':
'Unbroken Praise': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXRv9l1SFe4

Missionaries - Josh & Shell Bowen - Soe, West Timor, Indonesia
Report, Praise points and prayer requests
- Visa renewal in May

Prayer request - Congregration member in Burns unit at Concord Hospital!

'Same Power': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InsifiZxVXU
'Christ Alone, Cornerstone': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvLxZEU02uI

Judges 14 - 16
Samson
It's never too late to make a fresth stsrt.
The strongest of all men, yet had weaknesses
He chose a lifestyle that ultimately robbed him of his strength.
Three Attitudes
1. Self Indulgence
Judges 14:1 - 3
Judges 16:1, 4
He didn't ask 'What are the consequences of this decision'
He said: 'It is not about me, but mostly it is!'
2. Resentment
Against the Philistines
Don't allow a hurt from the past to dictate your future.
Job 5:2
Job 8
It always hurts you more thant it hurst others
Proverbs 29:11
Forgiveness is important
3. Carelessness
Samson played with temptation for personal amusement.
Delilah manipulated him into revealing the secret of his strength.
Are you flirting with temptation?
No one plans to fail (at a career, maintaining their health, or their marriage...)
What is the weakest link in your life?
Take the time and trouble to ensure that you are spiritually fit.

Opposite - We should
Hunger for the things of God
Love the Bible
Be unified in love for each other.
Have a huge heart for the lost
Have compassion for the broken and needy

Read the word every day - and invest in relationships with other Christians

'Unbroken praise' (repeated)

17th April
Every Move I Make: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tr5eUBTClw
Lifesong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnf1xczuOrA
During offering - Just a Closer walk with thee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P-Q-T4YXGY

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 8:1 - 9
Christ is Enough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6MzgVsP2uE
Oceans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBJJJkiRukY

Judges 19 - 21
God is telling us something we need to know.

'Judges Chronicles the downward Spiral of a society that rejects God as King' - David Jackson
Judges 19
A concubine - guaranteed food and clothing, but nothing else!
A wife - guaranteed more rights

The suffering that the concubine endured in Gibeah was so severe that she was either unconscious or dead when her husband saw her at the step in the morning.

A world without absolutes is a scary place.
'If God is dead, then everything is permitted!' Nietzche.

A price is paid when one engages in promiscuous sexual activity

Judges 20

Contrast - Nehemiah1, 2
When he heard of the problems in Jerusalem Nehemiah did these things
- He burst into tears
- He prayed for a month
- Then he took action

The Israelites in this situation acted immediately.

Judges 21
A 'great' situation (note the sarcasm...)

All of this took place because the Levite couldn't treat his concubine with respect.
Israel had neglected God as their King

Only Jesus' return will repair the situation.

It looks like freedom, but it's actually slavery. Slavery to one's own desires; to sin.
This was the situation in Israel.

Unbroken Praise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXRv9l1SFe4

24 April

1 Thessalonians 1:1 - 10

Acts 17:4, 5
The Thessalonians had been transformed

1 Thessalonians 1:1 - 10
Vs 4,5
The Kingdom of God - God's power in you.

They were people of faith
Real love expresses itself in action
Jesus is the supreme example - going to the Cross
Perseverance
- A new and perfect future awaits us.
We need to incorporate these concepts into our lives
We should be the same as the Thessalonians in being a model of Christ.
Often we are not.
Faith, hope and love should be evident in our lives.
We need to sacrifice our interests.

Are we addicted to affluence and comfort?
Are we a model in our attitudes to materialism and finances
Is there something we need to turn away from
vs 10
The judgement is coming
All the pain in the world is caused by human sinfulness
In the light of that, the judgement is a good thing!
The Gospel is our hope, as it was for the Thessalonians
What transformation do you need to make in your life?