1. Jesus the Same (Israel & New Breed)
2. Me Without You (tobyMac)
3. Counted the Cost (Cory Asbury)
4. My Soul Longs (feat. The Neverclaim) (Vineyard Worship)
5. Running (Hillsong Live)
6. Mighty Fortress (Mary Kat Ehrenzeller)
7. I Call You Jesus (Israel & New Breed)
8. Forgiveness (feat. Lecrae) (tobyMac)
9. You Lead (Jamie Grace)
10. My Victory (Jimmy Needham)
11. I Surrender (Hillsong Live)
12. It's My Joy to Love (IHOPKC Worship & Sarah Edwards)
13. Desperate People (Micah Stampley)
14. Enough (Willow Creek)
15. King Without A Crown (Matisyahu)
16. Te Amo (feat. T Bone) (Israel & New Breed)
Hard to believe that September is almost over, and October will be here! Here's the plan for 4:12 so you can keep the dates free... Friday 5th October - 4:12 Friday 12th October - 4:12 Sunday 14th October - PGT (8:30pm after church) Friday 19th October - Ruptured Split night - [1-5year] [6th year+] Friday 26th October - Colossal Weekend
We live in a hurting world. Whether it’s struggling to survive in a time where unemployment, homelessness and poverty are at an all time high; struggling to find any joy in life when it seems to be over running them; or just struggling to fit in, feeling isolated and unwanted. People are hurting. Every day you’ll come across people who feel like there is no hope, no joy, and no comfort. Most of the time we notice them, feel sorry for them, and pray that someone will reach out to them and show them love. But haven’t we been called to ease the pain?
I mean Jesus when asked what the most important commandments are says “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:31) so even at that it’s obvious that we need to show love to people, but God has called us to reach out into the world and try to make a difference. In Matthew 25 Jesus talking to those he describes as righteous says, “For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you invited me into your home. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me.” The people go on to ask him why they did this to him and he replies, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.” You see Gods heart breaks for the broken, and he wants to show love to all people but sometimes we forget that it is us, the people of God, that need to supply that love to others.
We can reach out to people in the smallest ways, and it can make a big difference. How many times have you not known anybody in a room and just wished someone would come and talk to you? And if someone does, even just to check your ok, how awesome does it feel? And you are probably someone who is happy, has friends, and isn’t feeling alone. Imagine if someone is feeling isolated, alone, and unwanted, and you go over to talk to them. That tiny gesture could make them feel loved. What about the single mother, or the old couple, or guy down your street who just needs help with something? You’d be surprised how blessed you would be to be a blessing to them and give them the help they need. And what about the thing we see in movies, when someone’s car breaks down and people stop to help them out? Wouldn’t it be cool to be those people? Or maybe you have a bit of money spare and there is a homeless person who could really use a meal. Look those are just some simple suggestions, easy ways that we could reach out to people but what if God wanted you to do more...
We sing a song sometimes called Hosanna, which has the line “Break my heart for what breaks yours”, and most of the time we sing it without really meaning it but remember how much Gods heart breaks for people, and if we are truly striving to know more of God and draw closer to him we are going to have to get used to our hearts hurting for the hurt too...
Just think of the difference we could make in this world by just sharing Gods love one person at a time. So let us be people who rise up and take our place, called by God to be a light in the darkness through our actions. Let’s try to be people that want to reach out to others. And remember that God wants to show love to the outcast, the hurting and the broken, but that he wants to do it through us.
Post by James Oliver John 3:16, probably one of the most recognised, famous, used and quoted passage of the Bible, for it tells us "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (NIV)
And indeed this is true, for when we gave our lives to Christ we secured our place in Heaven and never needed to worry about anything ever again, in the way we lived or acted towards oneself and others, for we already knew we were heading to Heaven when we passed...wrong.
None of us are perfect, none of us can say that we abide by all our Lord God shares with us throughout the Bible, however just because we know we're going to Heaven doesn't mean we just sit back and wait, watch the world go by, sit in listening to news bulletins of war breaking out or natural disasters tearing whole cities apart, absolutely not. In Philipians 3:12 - 21, Paul speaks on Pressing on Toward the Goal. Verses 12 - 16 say the following "Not that I have already obtained all of this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I don not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained".
I wish to speak on verse 16 in particular, for we must live up to what we have already attained, now that don't mean packing a suitcase and booking the next flight to a thrid world country in order to help spread God's word (would be awesome if you did that, but first you're going to need a plan of action). We are not perfect, but that's why God took hold of us, so as to slowly sculpt and mould us into His image, if we were perfect then there would be nothing He could do with us as we would be flawless human beings, and how boring would that be becuase then we would be missing out on all God wants to share with us and reveal to us. Even through hardships, trials and troubles God still continues to shape us, He doesn't look at the situation and think "Oh he or she is going through a rough patch at the moment, I'll come back later". No, God stays with us always, and sometimes in times of trial is when God reveals Himself to us the most as we're reliant on His strength to carry us through the storm to saefty.
Philipians 2:12 - 13 says "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my prsence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out you salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose". Being a Christian is not an easy life, it is a life filled with constant trials and tribulations, but with the help of God's word, and prayer, and with the help of our fellow friends and family we can push on towards our goal and this goal can not be achieved by oursleves, for I myself have tried to go it alone but even in those times God found me and I thank Him and love Him for it. So it's not about and never will be about how far we've come on our journey. What matters is where we're going. It's not about trying to be the best or have the most intellect. What matters is what we're doing with what God's given us. It's not about looking back and all you've done in the past. What matters is looking forward towards the goal and smiling at what all God is going to do for you in the future. And remembering all He has done for you already.
Doesn't matter how long we have been saved, for we can have confidence in knowing (even through the hardships) that we are not who we once were thanks to God. But we are still to become what we've been called to be. God bless.
