Our God is a big God


I was sat amongst some friends this week and we listened to song called 'You are' by Bradford Church . We spent a few minutes thinking about the song and we were asked what the one thing was that stuck out to us . When listening to this song the words that stuck out to me was ‘You are’. In the song it talks about all the things that God is...

“You are the strength for the those in need , You are the defender of the weak Your everything we need, You are our God”

It can be so easy in our everyday lives to forget how big God is ! , We can forget that God is interested in the small things in our lives as well as the big. God is all the things above and so much more . I was challenged to try to include God in all parts of my life not just the big things.

Do we truly understand where God is or do we put Him in a box and see Him where we want Him to be. It is easy to see that God is there when we worship or when we sometimes pray, but do we see God when people are hurting or struggling? Let us show others that actually we see God in the smallest things like a baby smile or a hug to someone in need. Where will you acknowledge God this week and where are you going to take Him over the next few days?

Emily Swinburne / Richard Dawson

Warning: The Gospel changes lives

Since becoming a Christian I have been engaged with a transforming God and constantly developing myself. This has taken shape in many ways from dramatic changes like stopping self-harming to subtle ones like being patient. I have now finished the 2nd year of a 3 year degree studying for youth ministry I have loved the process. I was totally unprepared for the radical transformation I was setting myself up for. Before starting many people prophesied that peter pan must grow up. I knew exactly what this meant and so signed up for the course. I joined the course knowing that I have to open myself up totally to the transformation of the gospel and the learning I was about to endure.
Reflecting on my change I know that if it wasn’t for the course I would not have opened myself up so fully to the experience. What does this show me about how open I am to God and how much I expect the young people to open up to the transformation of the gospel?

A few months back I would have secretly been ok with people half-heartedly opening up to go, in part holding something back till “the time is right”. Even though God’s timing for enabling me to deal with something is perfect, it does not stop my openness toward God regarding what needs changing so I can share the gospel more fully.

“1 Corinthians 10:13
New International Version (NIV)
13 No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

I have found that God has given me the greatest recourse ever (well 2 resources including the Holy Spirit), people. If I am tuly honest and actively make myself vulnerable to people I see that lots of people have been transformed in a similar way or experienced similar things.
Trust God to transform you to be more like Jesus Christ because there is no other that understands better, God never gives us too much to deal with and has given us great recourses to be able to make our way through.

Ant Stevens

Sold out for the Gospel or Selling it?

When you become a Christian, you’ve been forgiven for all the things you’ve done wrong, you enter into a relationship with the living God, you’re loved and accepted, you’re destined for heaven. Amazing isn’t it? And I love sharing these truths with young people. I love giving them these gems of hope – telling them they’re loved when they feel like no-one cares about them. Telling them they’re accepted when they feel like they don’t fit in anywhere. Telling them they’re forgiven when they’re possessed by shame for the mistakes they’ve made. But that’s like showing someone half a photograph.

Do we tell them that when you become a Christian, you’re called to take up your cross and follow Jesus? To die to yourself. You’re called to serve others instead of yourself. You’re called to love the people who hate you. To forgive people who hurt you. My fear is we don’t. In making Christianity relevant to consumer culture, have we turned passion, love and community it into a cheap product?

And I find myself the head of this marketing committee. When asked how I changed when I met Jesus, my initial response was to say I became much more confident and happy in myself. I was no longer brought down by what girls said to me at school because I’d found love and acceptance in Jesus. But then I thought, when I met Jesus, I learnt to love the girls that bullied me at school, to try to think of others before myself, to be thankful for the good things in life – why weren’t these my first thoughts?

I fear that we’ve commercialised the gospel. That we’ve taken the radical out of history’s biggest movement. That we’ve religified an event that cut history in two. That instead of being sold out for the gospel, we’re trying to sell the gospel.

So what does it look like for you and me to take up our cross?

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Matthew 16: 24-25

Becci Raine

How do you spend your time?

I am currently sat on my net book listening to a football match which is making me extremely nervous. Play-off semi final between forest and Swansea. I don't know whether i am enjoying it or not, one comment i am sure a lot of Forest fans would appreciate in a play-off competition. Despite this feeling, i wouldn't rather be doing anything else. Why put yourself through it? i know plenty of people would say including my father in law who is a fair weather supporter. Thing is somethings are important and other things aren't. For me supporting Forest is an important part of my life, as is my faith and my family. I do know though that there are often times where i end up spending lots of time doing things that aren't important. In a world where technology can, and often does in my life, take over. My downfall is my phone, whether it is the internet on it or whether it is texting someone or playing some pointless game that i have completed 700 times. Whether it is something similar or television that really isn't that interesting, we can often try and fill our lives, but why? Are we scared of boredom, are we just trying hard to fill any space that doesn't seem to be filled. One of the things that i also love is my garden. There is a place that yes i want to do things in but also gives me time to think and pray. Unsurprisingly enough i find this use of time so much more refreshing that my eyes being glued to my phone. What i want to do is learn. Learn that somethings are healthy for me to spend my free time doing and that somethings aren't. To maybe learn somethings that you do can refresh and inspire you and other things drain you. It will be different for different people but i know that if a spent more time in prayer and in my bible then i wouldn't feel so lethargic so often.
Anyway it's half time, and it's still not a relaxing evening, but you know what, it is certainly passionate.

Richard

keeping optimistic

I think i am getting old. I used to love partying and staying out, or even being the life and soul of the party, but now, i know, i just want a chilled life most of the time. Is it age? (all of you younger than 35 say yes), or is it something else? I know that in many areas of my life where i can be pulled down. In both ministry and personal life, where i try to be creative and try to up my game... just make that extra effort, there is sometimes something that pulls you down, something that puts a downer on things. Let's face that something is often people. People who maybe say you can't do this, you can't afford that, what if it fails etc. We have to be very careful in our response to those people because not only can those words or their attitudes affect you and bring you down, it can also effect your attitude to others.
I was really challenged the other day when, in one of these moods, I read a few verses from Job. chapter 42: 7-11 what really jumps out at me is that after all his (so called) friends had done to job over the years he prayed for them. What an attitude, I know it says we are to love our enemies as well as our friends, but to pray for them? I tell you what though, it brings a different perspective to our lives, because not only does it impact your relationship with those that aim to drag you down, but it also helps those negative words bounce off you, and helps you get back to where you could be going. Being creative, taking risks and making a difference. So the question is where do you want to be? down in a hole or riding the wind?