35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[a]).

Who is Andrew, you might say. You vaguely know he’s a Bible character and you might even know he’s one of Jesus’s disciples, but, partly because he didn’t write a Gospel, or didn’t feature much in the Bible, you could be forgiven for thinking he was somehow less important. 

Perhaps you might think that of yourself. Because you’re not leading worship, or a Bible group, or not on any rotas at church, you might think you are less important than those who are. 

A story is told about a little known preacher named Mordecai Ham, who many years ago preached the Gospel in a small farming community in America. Few people have heard of Mordecai Ham, but one young man responded to the preacher, and became a preacher himself. His name is Billy Graham. Billy passed away a few years ago but he preached to millions in his lifetime and his legacy lives on through the organisation of Samaritan’s Purse, that reaches people all over the globe with the Good News about Jesus and with humanitarian aid, and through his son Franklin Graham, who this weekend preached to thousands in London’s Excel arena.

In this story from the Bible, the disciple Andrew met Jesus because of his friend John, but it was Andrew who brought Simon Peter to Jesus, and Peter became a significant leader in the early church. Andrew was as significant in the start of Christianity as Peter. Just as Mordecai Ham was significant in what became the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Just as you could be significant in the next thing that God does in your community today.

The thing is, God uses ordinary people.

Ecclesiastes 3, Isaiah 65:17 & 43:18-19, Ps 40:3, 2 Cor 5:17, Ephesians 4:22-24

For everything there is a season,

    a time for every activity under heaven.

2 A time to be born and a time to die.

    A time to plant and a time to harvest.

3 A time to kill and a time to heal.

    A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.

    A time to grieve and a time to dance.

5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.

    A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear and a time to mend.

    A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

8 A time to love and a time to hate.

    A time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3

I’ve been sorting out stuff, lots of stuff, because we are moving house. If you’ve ever done that, you’ll know it isn’t easy. It’s hard to throw the “old” away, even when you know the “new” is coming. We cling on to the old, and sometimes don’t make room for the new. I resist change, moreso as I get older, but am I denying what life has for me? Should I just “let go”?

One version of Ecclesiastes 5 says “A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together”. Is it time to cast away stone? Or stuff?

Yesterday, I decided to clear out some subscriptions. I actually cancelled one I’d had for 4 years and not used at all! I was keeping it “just in case”. It cost me over 300 pounds!

Life is cyclical, you say. And I agree but is it really worth holding onto something because it might “come back in fashion”, or “be worth something one day”? 

Change, and new things can be something to look forward to. Here are some things that the Bible says about change or getting rid of the old and changing for the new:-

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17)

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” Isaiah 43 18-19

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him” (Psalm 40:3)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Are you holding onto stuff that belongs in the past? Is it time to cast away some things so that new things can come?

We know He's coming back.., will you be ready or will you run out of oil?

Sometimes an encounter with Jesus becomes a great journey.

Message about peace from a Trinity Sunday scripture..

You Feed Them - Luke 9 verses 12 and 13.

For some reason Humans care for other Humans. Do you ever wonder why?

Acts 5:12-16

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

Absolute truth or relative truth? Tricky subject but there's comfort from the Bible about this as Pete Fryatt explains..

22 Now on one of those days, he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. 23 But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water. 24 They came to him, and awoke him, saying, “Master, master, we are dying!” He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Being afraid they marvelled, saying to one another, “Who is this then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”