Church notes - November 2017

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5th November
Psalm 18: 30, 31

Hebrews 12:1 - 3

Communion
Manifold
- The Manifold Grace of God
- There are many aspects that make this up.
Hebrews 4:14 - 18

Sermon
Questions and Doubts
They're not absent from the Bible.
Doubting Thomas
He had honest doubts
John 20:24 - 31

Doubts that aren't honest are excuses.

Some of the disciples doubted after Jesus rose.
A part of faith

Jude 22

Psalms of Lament
Lamentations
Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple! Therefore there was a crisis of faith.

'Why did you let this happen?'

Lamentations 3:19 - 23
Faith is what we choose to call to mind in the midst of difficulties.

Hebrews 12:1 - 3
vs 1
The crowd or witnesses - not only those in the preceeding chapter but also a large number of people in the last two thousand years (e.g. Martin Luthor, who, by faith, refrormed the Church), including those who have recently passed.
Perseverence
vs 2

Questions? Look to the Cross!

Psalm 102:25 - 28


12th November
Psalm 93

John 1:1-5
Philippians 2:9 - 11

Nehemiah 4
Psalm 127
Discouragement is an attitude
- Feeding our minds with negative thoughts
- Satan wants us to be discouraged
- We need to meditate on God's Word.

Peter & Carolyn Campbell - Missionaries
Revelation 7:9
Matthew 24
The Gospel will be preached to all. There are still unreached people groups.
10% of people are Christian - true followers of Jesus.
30% - haven't heard of Jesus
20% - consider themselves Christian, but their obedience to Jesus is doubtful.
40% - Haven't responded to the Gospel.
Matthew 28:18 - 20
We should be going making disciples. God has called enough to reach all the unreached peoples, but people give excuses!
Jeremiah 29:11
He has a future for us. He knows what He is doing. We can reply upon Him.
God is at work despite the turmoil in the world.


PM Church - 12th November
Toxic Words
James 3:3 - 12
'Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me'
- Not true
We've all had cruel words used against us (and vice-versa)

Proverbs 12:21
What will you use your words for?

James 3:3 - 5
Three different pictures of what words are like.
Horse's bit, ship's rudder, small spark.
A small thing can cause great destruction
Words are dangerous
vs 6 - 8
Small words can impact others lives (even Eternally)
We struggle to stop saying toxic words.
Spider-man - "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"
As Christians we have the responsibility to use the right words.
vs 9 - 12
We shouldn't speak toxic words - the other people were also created by God. Praise and poison shouldn't be spoken from the same mouth. Our words become corrupted. God is saying that the two cannot go together.
Like a toothbrush used for cleaning a toilet - that is how gross the toxic words are. They are from our old, siinful self.
This is one of our biggest struggles
We need to keep asking the Spirit to help us.
- 'What is the point of the words I am about to speak? Do they show love for God, or the other person?'
We shouldn't be silent. We are to use words to show God's love.
Proverbs 12:18
Proverbs 12:25
Proverbs 16:24
Isaiah 63:7
Colossians 4:6
Ephesians 4:29
1 Peter 3:15, 16


19th November 2017
All Age Service
Psalm 46
Pslam 116:1, 2

Children, similarity to their parents. Following their example.
Ephesians 5:1
We also need to imitate God's character. We see how Jesus is, through the Gospel.
The most important thing - Love

Love Never fails
1 Corinthians 12:27 - 13:14
Most Excellent Way
13:1 - 3
Without love, we have nothing. We need to have love. We need to use our spiritual gifts in love.

What is love?
It is used in many different ways.

1 Cor 15:4 - 7
Love means dying to yourself.
If we're not patient we can get angry.
We need to make sacrifices, die to our desires. Die to gossip, self promotion, revenge...

Luke 6:32
We shouldn't make excuses not to show love.
If we forget how to love how God wants us to love, we have a perfect picture in Christ.
Romans 5:8

Jesus' Love was real. It was costly.

1 John 3:16


26th November
Nehemiah 1:1 - 4
Nehemiah 2:1 - 8

Nehemiah 3
Cooperating with God... and with each other
- Leadership

The vision in action
A cooperative Community Effort
"Next to him/them" - 19 times in Chapter 3
Little tasks in a community of faith
Acts 2:44, 45 - The Church sharing as they had need.
(Following on from earlier sermon)
1. Leaders not exempt from lowly tasks.
vs 1
1 Corinthians 10:31
All service is for Him.

We may have to serve outside our area of skill
vs 8
A goldsmith and perfume maker repairing the wall.

We may have to serve with those who are different.
Ephesians 6:7

We may have to serve in unfamiliar territory
- Geographic (At home e.g. Australia, or in another country)
- A different area of Church life.
God doesn't leave us short of what we need to serve him.

We may have to serve beyond our share
vs 4, 27
Sometimes we may have to contribute above and beyond what we may consider our share.
Romans 12:1

A Progress Report
Nehemiah 4:6
Romans 12:11
Not only in the tasks we enjoy...
We are cooperating with Him, and each other.