Can I share with you what the vision of our church is? The Bible says, “Without a vision the people perish.” If we can’t see where we’re going, we’re not going. We need a vision or we’re going nowhere. Here’s what we’re about. To extend the Kingdom of God one life at a time in West Horsley and the surrounding area by becoming more like Jesus Christ one day at a time The Kingdom of God is not seen in the Bible as a limited geographical area, like our little village of West Horsley. Instead the word Kingdom could be better rendered as ‘Kingship.’ The Kingdom of God is wherever God is King. Wherever he reigns and rules. He is God of the whole universe he created. That’s his right, that’s his position. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of Lords. But non of us are born his subjects. Like a friend of mine has recently rejoiced in becoming a citizen of this country, we have to accept his rule, and say, “My citizenship is in heaven.’ That’s […]
This month's most popular posts
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Pete Greig: Prayer that’s Faithful, Faith-Filled, and Fully Awake.
I was privileged to attend this year's Wildfires event. My first reflection is no wonder it's grown every year. I was invited in previous years and thought 'it's too far from Manchester' but I've realised it's not going to get ...
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Sheep and Shepherds
Preparing for next Sunday's Video talk, which we're filming later today, I found a great deal of interesting detail from this source, reproduced at www.baptistbiblebelievers.com Manner And Customs of Bible Lands by Fred H. Wight Copyright @ 1953 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Shepherd ...
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Katia Adams. No Fake Fires – Let Wildfires Burn!
"The Holy Spirit has been made like a drunk uncle at a wedding: still technically invited, but stuck in the corner in case he embarrasses us."
Our Vision
Imagine there’s no Heaven
Next Sunday we start a series of talks (me first) based on John Lennon’s song, Imagine. I do like the song musically etc., grew up with it – but it just says so many things that I don’t think of as actually utopian. CS Lewis had entirely the opposite view: Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. I’ve been to the top of some impressive mountains, sat on idyllic beaches in various places, bought some cool stuff. But you always end up after the latest adventure or acquisition with the same question – “What’s next?” That longing for something more, better, above…where/Who does that come from? We’re not home yet. Where’s John Lennon now? Lewis said in Mere Christianity something to the effect that if people have no desire for heaven, then their presence there would only spoil it so why would God force them to go? (pg 63) The point is not that God will refuse you admission to His eternal world if you have not certain qualities of […]
Why is fat so easy?
Just been out on my cycle for 23 miles. No, the picture above isn’t me – but I want to get some of the weight off that’s so quickly accumulated over this festive season. A very western ‘disease,’ – creeping chubbitum. Why is it so easy to put weight on? I can usually take it off okay (blood, sweat and tears), but as you get older it seems to get harder not to end up looking like you’re wearing an inflatable rubber ring under your shirt. that stuff about turning 40 was true for me! Now I’m not paranoid about it. I know God loves every inch of me (so if I put on some more inches will he love me more?). I like the fact that God looked on the fat portions and was pleased… and nobody’s ever going to mistake me for an anorexic, but I just feel so much better when I’m not carrying around Christmas pudding. So tomorrow, I’ll start the New Year running.
Catalyst 2007 Francis Chan
I was at this conference. That’s me at the back somewhere. Why do I go all that way across the pond? Because of the fantastic teaching. Here’s one of the best bits from this year. It’s longish, but worth a watch. Thanks to http://floatingaxhead.com
A Baby New Year
Why is a baby the symbol for the New Year? Why will we very soon say goodbye to the OLD year, and welcome a new baby 2008? Well if there’s one thing you can say about babies that you can’t say as we get older – it’s that babies (especially in nappies) like changes! Someone said to me the other day they think 2008 will be a bad year. I think you get what you believe for. I think the new year is like that baby who’s just entered the world and I want to be ready to celebrate and live life anew. A New Year presents another chance to grow, to develop, to learn:How do feel as you look toward 2008? Will next year be better? What about you? Will you be a better version of you in 2008 than 2007?Sometimes adult children of God can think we’ve grown enough. Like when they measure Mary Poppins and it says, “Practically perfect in every way!” And we can make all kinds of excuses for stagnating…. An old man of 100 […]
Rubbish, Christmas and kids
The Daily Mail says we Britons will chuck out 736,571 tonnes of refuse – just because of Christmas. Or, according to official sources, 3 tons (someone’s talking rubbish). Anyway – it’s a lot. Just look at my drive this morning. A family of 5 with relatives stopping over can generate a lot of junk. I’m glad we can recycle a lot, but it makes me ashamed to be putting out so much empty wrapping/ bottles/ food containers to celebrate that God came to a stable. This, in a world where more than 58 million kids are suffering acute malnutrition and 146 million are malnourished (a nice way to say they’re slowly starving to death). Starvation is the leading cause of child death in the world at the beginning of the (21st. Many of those who don’t actually die in the first couple of years will instead grow up stunted and deformed because of the deprivation of their early years. In 2000, our government and other world leaders promised to halve child poverty by 2015, back then it was at 29%. […]
Why buy?
Books. I spend too much money on books. I love them. Especially new ones. The promise of learning something new. I wish I had the patience to get them from the library (or the discipline to take them back on time when I do). Yesterday I was thinking I either: 1) Buy less books 2) Buy a new bookcase. I think option 2 will prevail. Why can’t I just go (locally) somewhere like those Barnes & Nobles in the USA / Canada where I’ve happily spent half a day reading books I’ll probably not buy while drinking coffee? I’m marginally interested in Russell Brand’s ‘Booky Wook,’ mainly because I can’t understand why so many people are buying it (whether they actually read it is, of course, another thing entirely). I won’t buy it – unless it’s in 3 or 4 years in a charity shop for 50p, but I’d like to read it.
Best of Intentions
I want to be faithful to God. I want to go closer to him in prayer and obedience. I can’t do this in my own strength. This Sunday I stand before His people to speak about the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge (Lk 18:1-8). My questions – in what way am I like/ not like the widow? In what way is God like/ not like the judge? Is it saying I have to hammer on at God to get an answer? Why should this story encourage me to pray?
Boxing Day
Never feel like doing too much on Boxing Day. Bought a spare hard drive that doesn’t work. 750 GB of nothing! What’s the point of having memory, if it doesn’t work? What’s the point of starting one of these blogs if I don’t remember to do anything on it? What’s your happiest memory? Mine – probably lying on my Dad’s chest when I was a little boy, hearing his heart beat, surrounded by unconditional love. It does NOT get better than that. Good to remember….