Saturday 26 May 2012

Pray for the Odessa Team

This morning the Odessa Team leave Worcester for Ukraine. Pray for their safety as they travel and for a fruitful and joyful time together.

It was great to have staff and student  representatives from Tudor Grange School in our morning service last Sunday. They raised £1,500 to contribute to the work on Transition House. An interview with Paul and a photo of the team was included in this weeks edition of the Worcester Standard.

Worcester Standard Article - click HERE to read it!


Sunday 20 May 2012

A Few Wise Words about Words

On Sunday morning we looked at James 3:1-12, which is all about the immense power of the tongue: to heal or harm.

The old rhyme may say: ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’  - but we all know from experience that the truth is quite the opposite.

The book of James is sometimes described as the New Testament equivalent of Proverbs, so it should be no surprise that Proverbs also has a lot to say about what we say.

So – here are a few wise words about words...

What we talk about reveals whether we are foolish or wise...

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. (15:2)
The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse. (10:32)
...so we need to guard what we say.

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. (21:23)
He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. (13:3)
Words have the power to build up and cheer up...

The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment. (10:21)
An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. (12:25)
...but also to stir up, cough up and get us beat up.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (15:1)
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. (11:13)
A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. (18:6-7)
 So sometimes it’s best just to shut up and shut out.

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. (17:28)
Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. (14:7)
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue. (17:4)
We should treasure those who speak wisely:

Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel. (20:15)
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an ear-ring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear. (25: 12)
 However only God’s words are flawless...

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (30:5)
For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (2:6)

Friday 11 May 2012

The Bible in 50 Words

I was sent a link to a great video this morning: The Bible in 50 words.

Utilising beautiful visuals and a really clever poem, it does exactly what it says in the tin! The big story of the whole Bible, from start to finish, in just 50 well chosen words.

Why not send it to a non-Christian friend as a discussion starter: 'You know you've always said the Bible is a difficult book to understand? Well have a look at this...'




Sunday 6 May 2012

James Chapter 2: Indiscriminate Love



During the morning Sunday service on 6th May I quoted from a Focus on the Family book by Mike Adkins that was popular a few years ago: A Man Called Norman.

It's the story of the unlikely friendship that developed between Mike and his eccentric neighbour, who was known locally as 'weird Norman'. The church I was attending at the time showed the video of Mike telling his story during a midweek meeting and I remember it making a big impact on me.

Mike is a gifted communicator and he shares with disarming honesty and humour about the middle-class prejudices he struggled with and how he came to genuinely love Norman and eventually lead him to faith. We see in Mike's struggle to leave his  comfort zone and live out the gospel, our own struggle to love others as Jesus loved and demonstrate the grace and acceptance God showed us. It's a story that perfectly illustrates the passage we were looking at: James 2:1-13.

The believers James were writing to were showing favouritism to those who were important and wealthy, while dishonouring those who were poorer and more needy. James urges them to keep God's royal law of love and accept and welcome all. In our image-conscious, status-obsessed culture, it's something we need to keep working hard at cultivating as individuals and as a church.

If you want to hear Mike Adkins retelling the story of 'A Man Called Norman' follow the links below. It's a bit dated now, but it's still worth a listen.

In total it's around 30mins long, but has been split into 4 parts:




Direct Links:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rigeTsJNd8o&feature=relmfu
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aak02vUTXO0&feature=relmfu
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtMBHlsBUT0&feature=relmfu
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFXQ3G57bWE&feature=relmfu