Tag: 2020

Sharing God’s Word – a short course

‘Sharing God’s Word – what can we learn from the early church in Acts?’ Led by Jared Hay

This short course is intended to complement the Sunday studies in the Gospels on ‘Sharing God’s Word,’ and the aim is to try to understand how the Early Church shared the Good News in their cultural context. That means investigating the context in which they lived, what they said and did, who said it and did it, and what intentional strategies they adopted to make sure the message was disseminated as widely as possible.

The course will run on Zoom over four Thursday evenings (7.30 – 9pm) spaced out to allow Link groups to meet between sessions to discuss what they’ve learned and how it might be applied in our cultural context. Some discussion questions are provided to help facilitate exploring and applying what has been learned. Members of the congregation are encouraged to join both the course and also a Link group for the follow-up discussion. Please do contact Caroline Barlee, John or Jared if you need help finding a group to join.

15 October – The world they lived in – honour and shame, money, sex and power in the First Century.
What are the major things that shape our cultures today?
How have they influenced the Church’s relationship with others?

29 October – The Word they shared – what was the message the Early Church took to the world?
What actions accompanied the message?
Does the word and action we share reflect the breadth of the activity of the early church?
Are there special emphases that might be useful to highlight when sharing with different groups and cultures?

12 November – The people who shared the Word – who were they and what were they like?
What qualities are needed to share the good news?

26 November – The strategies they used to share the Word – big pictures and jig-saw pieces.
Thinking of our context, what strategies might we adopt for sharing the good news, and how would we need to change to fulfil them?

Daily Devotions for Tuesday 8th September, 2020

Upper Room day – time out with God

Morning
Look Upward and Pray to hear and receive from Father God

Reading : JOSHUA chapter 6

Meditation : consider all that happens here… at the start of your day.
The Fall of Jericho!
What images or words stay with you?
What is God saying to you from His Word?
Is there a Jericho in your life?

And then Pray in response to what you have read
Taking time to wait before God
Invite the Holy Spirit to knock down walls
In your life
In the lives of others
In our world

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
I have read these words
And now I pray for you to work them out
as a living reality in my life – even today
Thy Kingdom come
Thy why will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Midday
Take time to listen for God to speak with you at this time of day
…..and respond to His voice….
Invite Him to point out any Jericho in your life at this time
And ask His help to knock them walls down!
Father God…thank you.

Evening
Reading : read the verses again from JOSHUA 6
Reflect prayerfully on these words…. And then pray as your day closes

LORD God, our great God,
For all of today
I thank You,
Even for those things that have caused me fear and concern.
Help me to rest in Your unfailing love and on Your faithful Word
As I wait for tomorrow.
As I look around at this world
In these days.
Have mercy O Lord!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.