Knighton Evangelical Free Church

Creating Community

November 28th 2011

There are many natural rhythms in our culture and on our calendar, such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s/Father’s Day, Bank Holidays, Bonfire Night. But the event that eclipses all of the others in our culture is Christmas. It appears that the adverts on TV start earlier every year and every shopping centre has carols playing from mid-November!

For many, Christmas is just a time for family, to take some time off work, to have parties and to have fun. Christians can sometimes be seen as killjoys and yet haven't we an even greater reason to celebrate? We are God’s chosen people, His holy nation, adopted into His family by grace alone through the atoning death of Jesus for our sins. The birth of Jesus into our history is a natural opportunity to celebrate who God is and what He has done for us in Jesus.

Why not use this time to celebrate Christmas with friends, family, colleagues, and neighbours? It doesn’t have to be extravagant or costly. It can simply be singing carols and drinking coffee. You don’t even need to have a ‘speaker’. Sing some carols and ask people what they love about their favourite choice – it could lead to all manner of opportunities to build relationships and share the gospel. You don't even need to sing carols, just create a simple party that will bring people in your road or office together.

Let’s celebrate together, in the communities in which we are placed and enjoy what God has done for us in Jesus. Happy Christmas.

Warran Fawcett

The legacy of a life

October 25th 2011

A funeral may not be one of the most inspiring and visionary subjects to write about for a blog. Yet that is precisely what the Thanksgiving Service for the life of Cynthia Medhurst was inspiring and visionary.

In 1 Timothy 6:7 Paul says that we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. A funeral really reminds you of that truth. To my knowledge

Cynthia didn't leave behind pots of gold or academic accomplishments or celebrity status - but then what good are they now? She did leave behind lots and lots of good friendships.

I asked different people how they knew Cynthia. There were lots of family and friends from church of course but others were neighbours, some old work colleagues, ladies from the tapestry and needlework society, and friends from Guide Dogs for the Blind.

The list went on and on and all of them wanted to be there as a mark of their respect and love for Cynthia. I'm sure that she’d told them that she was a follower of Jesus Christ but then she also showed them by her love.

What do you want to give your life for? Things that cannot last or a lifetime serving the true King by building good friendships, loving those around us and pointing them towards Him.

Just talking about Jesus

May 25th 2011

A friend of mine was giving the low-down on this year’s New Word Alive.

I asked him about the talks and whether there was one that stood out. He said that David Cook was speaking on evangelism:

“It was brilliant but really obvious. He told us that evangelism is telling people about Jesus.’ I must have looked a little surprised so my friend explained. ‘A lot of people seem to think that in order to do evangelism you need a degree from a Bible College or you have to have read lots of books on apologetics. David Cook told us that evangelism is just talking to people about Jesus, and anyone can do that.”

That's what happened on Monday night (18th April) in the Cradock.

Judy Pyrah had arranged for over 35 people to come to the pub, eat, drink and hear a simple talk on 'Why does a good God allow suffering?' It wasn't complicated or difficult, it wasn't cringe-making or embarrassing. And as I sat there afterwards listening to people talking about anything from suffering to football I thought. “Why don't we do this more often?” We could run this event again, but what about joining up, getting some friends together and having a discussion?

We could have an evening on what's gone wrong with the world? Or, how can human beings change? Or, what happens after death? Your friend could share their view and, as part of the discussion, you put yours, and simply talk about Jesus...

Now I just need somebody who would arrange it :-)

Meditation and Prayer

January 30th 2011

As part of the Growing in Prayer series we looked this morning at Christian Meditation from Psalm 1.

Here is an excerpt from what Tim Keller writes and it includes the questions to use in meditation

"There is no better 'Beginner's Guide to Meditation' than the model that Martin Luther gave in his letter "A Simple Way to Pray" written to his barber, Peter Beskendorf, in 1535. Luther directed that we should "warm the heart up" through meditation before we prayed. Based on Luther's insights, I use the following outline for a short (30 minutes or less) time of Bible reading, meditation, and prayer. After reading a portion of the Bible slowly, and choosing one or two things or insights that especially helped me, I take each insight and ask the following questions:

1. Adoration - How can I love and praise God on the basis of this? What do I see here that I can praise him for?

2. Repentance - How do I fail to realize this in my life? What wrong behavior, harmful emotions or attitudes result when I forget this?

3. Gospel Thanks - How can I thank Jesus as the ultimate revelation of this attribute of God (#1) and the ultimate answer to this sin or need of mine (#2)?

4. Aspiration- How does this show me what I should or can be and do? How would I be different if this truth were powerfully real to me?

After I have thought out and at least sketchily written out answers to each question, then I proceed to pray my praises, confessions, and supplications to God directly. Often, as you are meditating, or as you are praying, you may feel your heart warm or even melt with a spiritual sense of the reality of God. Sometimes, of course, nothing happens at all! And very rarely, you can have life-changing experiences of the presence of God that you never forget. The number and power of these encounters are completely out of your control. The Spirit blows wherever he pleases (Jn 3:8). But it has only been with the practice of meditation that my own experience of God's reality has become at all regular and progressively deeper.

"Blessed is the man [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:1,3)

If you want to look further there are some great resources here

http://www.redeemer.com/connect/prayer/resources.html

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