Is there a deeper promise that you and I can hold onto when we pray for His will to be done? Or does it in fact mean presenting God with your needs, wants, desires, hopes, dreams, say ‘Amen’ and then simply throwing up your arms, walking away, and resigning yourself to an uncertain fate? Sermon by Calven Celliers
by Calven Celliers"God couldn't be everywhere, so He made mothers." While not theologically accurate, this old Jewish saying describes beautifully the significant, indispensable role mothers play in our lives.Have you ever considered that Jesus’ mother Mary, was the one who nudged Him into His public ministry? In the Gospel of John 2 we read how when the wine at the wedding in Cana was finished “3…Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”” (John 2:3NIV) Initially Jesus wasn’t prepared to turn the water into wine because He said that His time had not yet come. Mary wasn’t having any of that, however, and said to the servants, “5 …Do whatever he tells you.” (John2:5NIV) And we know the rest of the story – “6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” (John 2: 6 – 10NIV)Public speaker and Christian authoress, Jill Savage, makes the comment that ‘the profession of motherhood is all about influence. Mothers have an incredible opportunity to influence the next generation. Intentionality increases influence, and influence is something God asks us to be intentional about. We cannot underestimate the power of a mother’s love.’ One of life’s greatest blessings is to have a godly mother. And, thus, one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is to be a godly influence. An awesome, biblical example of the influence of a godly mother and grandmother, is that of young Timothy. Scripture tells us that his faith came to him through his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice. The apostle Paul’s preaching and mentorship may have been used by God to impact and grow Timothy’s faith, but the foundation of who Timothy became must surely be credited to the godly influence of Lois and Eunice. We cannot deny that through faith in God and by honouring His Word, godly mothers have great influence as they train their children in the way they should go.Charles Spurgeon made the following observation as he testified to the influence his own godly mother had upon his life, “Never could it be possible for any man [or woman] to estimate what he [she] owes to a godly mother … I have not the powers of speech with which to set forth my valuation of the choice blessing which the Lord bestowed on me in making me the son of one…
Guest Postby John Doyle“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in LOVE, as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma." Ephesians 5:1-2 DEARLY LOVED CHILDREN OF GODThe Apostle Paul’s encouragement from this verse to all followers of Christ should grab our heart strings, tugging them tight, when referencing our relationship with the Heavenly Father, all made possible because of the Sacrificial gift of His Son. I don’t know about you, but it blesses me to know that I am the Father’s dearly loved child! Therefore, I should feel compelled to walk in the way of His Love in an effort to bring Glory to Him. 1. PLEASING AROMA OF OUR FAITHPaul gives yet another stirring image to consider here when he said that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for us wafted up to the Heavens like a "sweet smelling aroma". This sensation and reality is true for every Christ follower when we respond in obedience to His Word. Walking the Jesus way of *Love* whilst the people of the World watches. We get to bless and please our Heavenly Father with the aroma of our Faith and Sacrifice that is on display itself through us in this dark World. 2. STAYING IN STEP WITH GODSo how do we walk Christ’s way of Love?I think it’s a lot like the way a toddler tries desperately to keep up with his or her loving Father so that they can grab Daddy’s hand and stay in step with him. My daughter Kimmie in Heaven sometimes would run after me as a little girl and grab my hand and say I want to hold your hand Dad. Likewise, every time you and I, as Christ followers, follow after Jesus and stay in step with our Loving Father, we walk out God’s way of LOVE for the people around us and they will see it and will be impacted by it and then we can trust God that they too will live their lives and walk in "Newness of Life" in Christ (Romans 6:4). Often that might mean being willing to lay down our comforts and preferences in our busy lives, so that Christ is honored by our devotion to Him and the precious family and friends He has given to us. This could also mean in these days forgiving and showing compassion to someone who may have purposely hurt us, doing so in an effort to follow Christ’s example of Forgiveness and Love toward us. Whatever opportunity God gives and walks you through in your life today and in the days ahead, be sure to stay in step with Him, knowing it will not only bless those you help and perhaps give to, but it will please your Heavenly Father by Him watching from Heavens Glory His child *Walking out His LOVE* As a Christian, Husband, Father and Grand Father I love helping my Loved ones and other people and seeing them grow…
by Graham Mol"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength," (Mark 12:30). This statement by Jesus was the focus of the sermon I preached on Sunday. Following the service I had someone asking about resources or courses they could make use of as they seek to "love Jesus with their mind". I thought that I would share some options here for the benefit of anyone reading this blog. These are just some of the resources that I have found helpful in growing my knowledge of the Lord and His word.Bible Thinker - website: https://biblethinker.org/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7u2HaYBKDaLPcWmldxgGEABible Thinker is a website and YouTube channel run by Pastor Mike Winger. I came across Mike's videos a few years ago and have found his careful study and teaching to be of great value. He has covered a wide range of topics from indepth Bible studies, tough theological debates and Q&A sessions. This is a very good place to start in growing your Biblical knowledge.Renewing Your Mind - https://renewingyourmind.org/Renewing Your Mind is "an outreach of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization founded in 1971 by Dr. R.C. Sproul." It comprises of a daily audio recording/podcast of about 20-30 minutes of Biblical teaching that is presented in a way that the average person can understand. Many of the teachings are by the late R.C. Sproul who had such a warm and engaging way of teaching the truth of God's word.Got Questions - https://www.gotquestions.org/Got Questions is a great quick reference resource for finding answers on Biblical questions. The content is well researched and the writers have a commitment to providing Biblically sound answers. If you are researching a particular topic this is often quite a good place to start looking.I hope that you find these resources useful as you seek to love the Lord with all your mind.God BlessGraham