Rejoicing in Christ

1 Peter 1:1-12

  

We are not home…

 …but this should be a source of hope and joy!

  Jesus has already paved the way forward

Preacher: Stephen Young

Only God Gives True Meaning & Purpose

Ecclesiastes 1-3 & 12 (Reading: 1:1-2:3)

 

1.    The frustrating and futile search for ‘meaning’ in a 

life without God

 

       The conclusion at the beginning

                   “everything is meaningless”

 

       The conclusion after various tests

                   “everything is meaningless”

 

 

 

2.    It is God who gives true meaning and significance to all we do

 

       The burden …

 

       The conclusion at the end

                   “Fear God and keep His commands”

 

 

 

3. Some implications:

                        

THE ‘PROBLEM’ OF SUFFERING

Job 1-42 (Reading: Chapter 1)

1. The pain of suffering – Job’s suffering (Job chapters 1-3)

2. ‘Foolish’ attempts to answer the unanswerable question – why me? (Job chapters 4-37)

Life is a mystery to us – so if we try too hard to know why things happen we’ll end up getting it wrong. And getting it wrong only hurts more.

3. The ‘wise’ response to pain and suffering! (Job chapters 38-42)

The wise person can’t necessarily explain why everything happens, but the wise person will want to know God and to trust Him, because God knows why things happen, and He can be trusted.

4. If only Job had a friend who could understand (Hebrews 4:14-16)

(Preacher: Steve Blencowe)

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, 54-58

What if dead men don't rise?

How do we know Jesus was raised?

The glorious resurrection of believers?

(preacher: Rayk Platzek)

The Foolishness of the Cross 

1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 & Luke 23:35-43

  

 

Why preach an unpopular message?

 

 

 

Because it’s the most crucial event in human history

 

 

The cross highlights:

 

–       The seriousness and severity of our rejection of God

            

 

 

–       Our inability find God on our own terms

 

 

 

–       Jesus’ death in our place, as the only answer

 

(Preacher: Steve Young)

 

 

 

 

Like the thief, you can be forgiven and saved through Jesus’ sacrifice in your place…

 

 

…will you accept this unpopular message?

Tremble at His Word

Isaiah 66

 

 The conclusion of the vision of transformation (1:1) 

 

 

What God wants is people who are humble, contrite and tremble at His word…                       (66:2)

            

 

  …and that is what God will ultimately have  

 

 

We’re either in or we’re out…

                                                            …are you in?

                        

(Preacher: Steve Blencowe)

Church: Order and Worship

(1 Corinthians 14)

  

The best thing we can do is build up the Church

 

Paul uses the Corinthians’ obsession with gifts to make this point clear (v. 12)

  

If we love and build in an ‘orderly way’, we reflect the nature of God himself

Preacher: Stephen Young

Trust and Prayer

Isaiah 36-39 (Bible Reading 36-37:4)

Isaiah shows us the importance of trusting God.. 

.. by recounting two parallel situations

Two situations where trust led Hezekiah to pray

Hezekiah was not perfect, but he knew to pray.. 

.. do you?

(Preacher: Steve Blencowe)

Church: Love

(1 Corinthians 13)

 

What love isn’t…                            (vv. 1-3)

 

What love is…                                (vv. 4-6)

   

What love does…                          (v. 7)

   

How far love goes…                       (vv. 8-13)

Preacher: Stephen Young