Message:   Love in Action

Following on from last week's message, Raish discusses how Christians can be strengthened in their inner souls and be built up so that they may love

Our soul, Raish explains is who we are including our conscience and will

It is even more important to take care of than our bodies

• It needs a good diet - the Bible
• Personal trainers - the people that God has placed in our lives
• Exercise - reading our bibles, and prayer
• Encouragement

He presents, as an example, how Paul and Barnabas returned to the churches they had established when they were about to complete their first missionary journey

Readings:  Ephesians 3: 14-19
                        Acts 14: 21-28

Songs:          Light of the World
                        Great is the Love
                       Jesus Your Name

Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:27 to 13:13

Songs:  And can it be?
                From heaven you came
                How deep the Father's love

Message:  A most excellent way

The reading is the familiar "Love" passage that is read at many weddings

Raish, however, examines the first part of Chapter 13 and discusses how love for others, not just our partners must underpin everything in our lives.

It is immature to judge the spiritual health of a church by the existence of spectacular gifts such as prophecy.  Without love, they are useless noise

In the same way, love must be the foundation and motivation of everything we do.  If not, our lives are hollow

Message: The Promised Gift

Reading:  John 15:16 to 16:4

Songs: For I'm building a people of power
               There is power in the name of Jesus

Raish talks about Jesus' promise to His disciples that, after he leaves them they will not be alone in a hostile world.

Like good military commanders that look after their soldiers, he will send the Holy Spirit to equip and support them.

God knows our weaknesses but the Holy Spirit prepares us and provides the power to perform the tasks that He has for us

God's Plan to Prosper Us

Reading : Jeremiah19: 1-14 (Key verse #11)

Raish discusses how God is in control and has a plan for each of us
He will work his purpose out for our good

We must not make the mistake of thinking that we can expect easy lives with prosperity

God's plans are for our ultimate spiritual welfare, living lives close to him
He will, however, as a loving father, discipline us if it necessary to free our souls from sins that damage us

In these turbulent times resulting from the virus control measures and the currently unresolved American elections, we must also have concern for our non-Christian friends who do not have God as a shepherd to watch over them

This is a Remembrance Day service and the recording includes two minutes silence between 15 and 17 minutes after it starts

Message: Suffering is inevitable for Christians

Acts 13: 42 to Acts 14: 7 and Acts 14: 19-23

Raish discusses why the experiences of Paul and Barnabus are relevant to our lives today

We live in a sin-filled world and our faith places us in a spiritual battle

Suffering and pressure are inevitable when we try to live Godly lives

Christians in the UK are not subject to the persecution in other parts of the world but this must not allow us to become soft soldiers for Christ

Raish also warns us, when churches are closed, we must be careful with substitutes that we find on the Internet that have unsound doctrine or seek to deceive us.  We must, in particular, beware of searching for specific subjects and allowing ourselves to be immersed in conspiracy theories. 

If we don't allow obstacles to turn us from our faith but follow the example of Paul and Barnabus our perseverance will bear fruit

Reading:  Acts 13: 28-52

Message: The Enemy of Peace

Raish talks about the consequences of sin and there isn't a pass mark

Reading: Acts 13: 13-41

Message: The Word of Salvation

Reading:  Acts 13: 1-12

Message:  The Harvest of Mission

As a provocative message on a Harvest weekend, Raish talks about the harvest of souls and warns us of the existence of occult opposition and that we must be focussed on Jesus.  There is reassurance of the power of the Holy Spirit 

Readings

Psalm 96
I Corinthians 13: 4-13
Luke 23: 32, 39-43

Message:  Where there's life there's hope

This is a so-called open-mic service with contributions from a number of members, including a very moving testimony

Reading : Hebrews 3 1-6

Message: Jesus greater than Moses

Raish discusses how Moses was a servant in the God's house but Jesus is a son