To start of the year on a good note. Let us reflect and meditate and hear what God wants us to strive for in 2021

You can watch the video version here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJTt9K4_OlU&t=106s&ab_channel=TheGraineryChurch

Ps Sue speaks for the final time in 2020 on what do you see when looking back on this year. Was it a good year or a bad year for you?.

We never expected 2020 to be the year it was. Even before reaching 2020, people and businesses had a 2020 vision for the next decade which changed very quickly.

A quick lookback on the year at Grainery Church

Naomi Fraser talks for the final sermon in our final topic for 2020 "God With Us" on the topic of unity within us and how we all need to be united under God.

Matt unpacks this psalm as words of lament, a cry from an anguished heart, an un-sanitised account of emotional pain.

This is not a pain associated with guilt and shame due to our own sin and failings. It is rather a spiritual dryness for which we can see no reason -“Why so downcast o my soul?”

Applying this to a “spiritual triage” of our lives, we are brought to a realisation that life can be tough and we don’t have a “sure fire to do list” which is guaranteed to snap us out of our desperate state. Neglecting our physical needs for sleep, exercise etc can add to our downcast position.

But all is not helpless. Matt suggests several things we can do to help us to climb out of disillusionment and into God’s plan for us, and several inner stories to avoid if we want to hold a realistic view of life.

Beginning with a beautiful poetic metaphor about a mother’s heart for her disabled baby, Sue talks about the frustrations and losses of our lives.

They are an indication of the cry of our soul for something better - for salvation. God sent Jesus to earth to be Immanuel - meaning “God with us”.

We can experience God personally - as a loving father who is provider and protector, saviour and sacrifice.

This is the cry of our souls to know God, who frees us from condemnation. Sue shares the good news of “God with us” and all that is brought by experiencing him.

Matt Madigan continues on the topic of God With Us.

Was recorded during the PM service on 6th December 2020

Why is the human heart so inclined to the supernatural? Astrology, magic, telepathy etc are popular elements of western culture.

Asher explains the human need for connection with the transcendent dimension in terms of humans being created by God, for relationship with him, and with the opportunity to actually, through a relationship with Jesus, be filled with the breath of God - his Holy Spirit. This will renew your character and bring your life into alignment with God’s will for your life.

Ps Sue Irwin continues the topic of "God with Us" talking about "The Incarnation" where it was not the beginning but what was the beginning was the Word. She goes through these bible passages throughout her sermon:

John 1:1-3, John 1:14, Mark 10:45, Philippians 2:6-8, Isaiah 9:6, Deuteronomy 29:29, Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 2:17 & Hebrews 12:1-2

This podcast was recorded on 30th November 2020

Josh Irwin kicks off the Advent season with "God With Us" and the look at the incarnation of God and what the purpose of what God's plan was.

Podcast recorded on 30th November 2020