Making Cakes for Children In Need

This year our toddler group had a cake sale to raise money for Children in Need.

First you mix the ingredients.
Put it into the cake cases.
Add decorations.
Then set out the tables and get the bags ready.Make sure you have your collection tin handy.And then the best bit! Well done to the toddler group who raised £32.30.

A shoe box full of joy

This morning (Wednesday) representatives from Operation Christmas Child came and collected 120 shoe boxes from church. These boxes will eventually find their way into the hands of needy children in South America, Africa, Asia or Europe. Many different people in the church have been involved in packing boxes. Some of the boxes came from the children in our local primary school. Some boxes came from other churches and some from members of the public. We pray that God will touch lives through these boxes. [On Sunday morning when the above photo was taken there were only about 60 boxes.]

Dealing with Differences

In Philippians 4:2 we read of two Christians, who, once upon a time, had worked alongside the apostle Paul in his church planting ministry, but who now have had a very public falling out with each other - and everyone knows about it. In fact, we still know about it today, 2000 years later! Just imagine how they'd feel, just imagine how you'd feel, if you knew that the only thing you'd be known for in 2000 years was the fact that you had a falling out with someone else in your church.

But these things happen, even in churches - because churches are not made up of super-spiritual people - they are made up of ordinary people like you and me, who are loved by God and who are trying to follow Jesus. But as we mature in our faith we should learn how to better handle our differences.

The cross is central to our faith, and as Christians we must keep coming back to the cross - that's why we have communion/breaking of bread/Eucharist. It is at the cross that we are reminded that Jesus gave up everything, even his life, because of his love for us. It is because of the cross that I can know the forgiveness of God. And therefore if I am claiming to follow Jesus - who gave up everything even though he was God - how can I demand my rights? If I accept God's love and forgiveness how can I refuse to forgive others for what they have done to me?

This attitude will help to put our differences in perspective. And these points may also help.

• Pray
• Talk to a mature, trusted, Christian friend who will be able to help us work through our side of the issue.
• Consider your motives - why do you think this - is it your pride speaking?
• Talk to the person involved, but

1. Give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume the best rather than the worst of them.
2. Be gracious and compassionate and forgiving and loving.
3. Keep your mind open and your mouth closed!
4. If necessary involve a trusted, mature Christian friend in your discussions.

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It's not what you know but who you know

On Sunday it was a real privilege to be able to invite one of my tutors from college, to speak at our morning service. Richard Harvey teaches Hebrew Bible, Hebrew language and Jewish Studies at All Nations Christian College. Richard tackled the next passage in our series through Philippians - 3:1-14, allowing his own experiences as a Messianic Jew to bring the passage to life.

This is such a rich passage that a life time of sermons will not unpack it all, certainly not a short blog! But there is this central theme of knowing Jesus. In comparison with knowing Jesus everything else is rubbish, worthless, and will count for nothing. No matter what our heritage, history and hopes unless we know Jesus they all count for nothing.

Someone said to me yesterday in passing - "it's not what you know but who you know that matters". That was in the context of getting hold of empty shoe boxes - and how much more true that is of Jesus. Unless we know Jesus what we know, who we are, what we've done...it all counts for nothing.

And so as disciples of Jesus our desire, our ambition, the thing that gets us out of bed in the morning should be this passion to know Jesus better, and so to become more like him (which involves suffering too!). For the glory of God.

Thank you Richard - I've had people asking when you're coming back again! I'll be in touch.

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