1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,300 We Are One church. We love God love. 2 00:00:04,300 --> 00:00:07,100 People love his mission and love his church. 3 00:00:07,500 --> 00:00:09,700 Welcome to the one Church podcast. 4 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:19,600 Hello, and welcome to the one Church podcast is so good to 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:24,100 have you tuned in with us. It is Monday, the 20th and in 6 00:00:24,100 --> 00:00:26,500 Leicester. Well, it's all right. 7 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,700 It's a little bit cloudy slightly gray full of drizzle, 8 00:00:29,700 --> 00:00:31,100 but let me tell you, the Lord is still on. 9 00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:32,500 The throne said everything's going to be. 10 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:34,800 All right, we have a phenomenal message coming up. 11 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,200 Shortly from Pastor, Susan, Green from our North site 12 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,700 recorded yesterday. You're going to be blessed by 13 00:00:40,700 --> 00:00:43,800 that and inspired by it. As we continue our series on 14 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,200 parekh leases. But before we get into that, let 15 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,300 me share this with you. This is from Philippians 1, and 16 00:00:49,300 --> 00:00:52,100 it's Paul's message to the church, but also, our 17 00:00:52,100 --> 00:00:54,500 encouragement for you, wherever you are right now. 18 00:00:54,500 --> 00:00:58,200 It says this from verse 3, every time I think of you, I give 19 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,100 thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my 20 00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:05,099 request for all of you with joy. For you have been my partners in 21 00:01:05,099 --> 00:01:08,200 spreading. The good news about Christ from 22 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,700 the time you first heard it until now, and we are so 23 00:01:11,700 --> 00:01:13,900 grateful. It's all of you listening in and 24 00:01:13,900 --> 00:01:16,900 those who make up our church, for being our partners in the 25 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:20,100 gospel, the full of joy. When we think about one another, 26 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,600 and we're excited to see what God is going to do in this 27 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:30,500 season ahead. If you don't know me, as I say, 28 00:01:30,500 --> 00:01:34,600 my name is Susan, I'm a part of the leadership team here in the 29 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,000 north sites. I'm married to Rob, we've been 30 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,400 married, almost 44 years. Sure how that happened but We 31 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,100 are Rob says, we were in nineteen year old couple with 32 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:48,100 over 40 years experience, I was like that. 33 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,100 It's like that. We have three married sons and 34 00:01:51,100 --> 00:01:55,800 we have seven grandchildren, six girls, and a boy, and the eldest 35 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,800 grand daughter she's now at Uni. Again, I thought how how did 36 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:01,400 that happen? But it did. 37 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,900 So I thought just some other facts about myself. 38 00:02:04,900 --> 00:02:08,500 We were playing some card games with three of our granddaughters 39 00:02:08,500 --> 00:02:12,100 recently and we played a game called Go Fish. 40 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,700 I think it's called and the idea is that you have a set of cards 41 00:02:15,700 --> 00:02:19,000 in your hand and you have to try and get as many sets of those 42 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,100 cards like four jacks or four Kings or something. 43 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,600 And you ask for a car from somebody else, nobody can see 44 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,900 your cards. And the idea is you try to form 45 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:30,800 a set and personally forms the most sets wins the game. 46 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,700 So I didn't quite catch on to this that quickly. 47 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,700 And I asked several times for a king, a king in my hand and 48 00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:41,300 anyway, nobody else had them. And anyway and then we get 49 00:02:41,300 --> 00:02:43,900 further down the car. And then Rob system me. 50 00:02:45,100 --> 00:02:47,100 Have you got a king hand? Me a king? 51 00:02:47,100 --> 00:02:50,800 I said, no, no, I said, no, I'm not giving you my king. 52 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:52,100 That's not good. I know. 53 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,300 I said, no, you know, you're not having my king so then the 54 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,500 children are saying nunny. You have to do it, it's the 55 00:02:58,500 --> 00:03:01,500 rules of the game. Anyway, eventually out to act to 56 00:03:01,500 --> 00:03:04,500 give in, and give him my king, didn't like it at all. 57 00:03:04,500 --> 00:03:07,100 And then we played the game called cheat. 58 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,900 And with that, the idea of that is that again, you have some 59 00:03:10,900 --> 00:03:15,000 cards and you You cheap I put in some cards down the ideas. 60 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,800 You get rid of the hand as quick as you can, and you say some 61 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:19,800 things that are probably not in your hand. 62 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,300 Disturbing thing is, I was very good at that, so it got a 63 00:03:25,300 --> 00:03:28,300 cheating. So but I what I like to think 64 00:03:28,300 --> 00:03:31,900 about myself is that I am determined and I'm creative. 65 00:03:31,900 --> 00:03:33,300 That's how I'd like to think of it. 66 00:03:33,300 --> 00:03:35,800 So there are two other facts about me. 67 00:03:35,900 --> 00:03:38,300 So anyway, we're going to continue our series called 68 00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:42,400 Pericles Isis, which is all about coming alongside It's all 69 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,100 about being others centered. And the call verse regarding 70 00:03:46,100 --> 00:03:48,200 this series is from 2 Corinthians 1. 71 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,700 And this is what we read, all praise to God. 72 00:03:51,700 --> 00:03:53,900 The father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 73 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,900 God is our merciful father and the source of all comfort. 74 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,400 He Comforts Us in all our troubles so that we can Comfort 75 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,000 others. When they are troubled, we will 76 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,600 be able to give them the same comfort that God has given us 77 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,100 for the more we suffer for Christ. 78 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:14,600 The more God will show showers with his comfort through Christ. 79 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,800 Even when we are way down with troubles, it is for your comfort 80 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,500 and salvation. For when we ourselves are 81 00:04:21,500 --> 00:04:24,100 comforted, we will certainly comfort you. 82 00:04:24,700 --> 00:04:27,700 Then you can patiently, enjoy the same things we suffer. 83 00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:31,800 We are confident that is you share in our sufferings, you 84 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,300 will also share in the comfort that God is giving us. 85 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,000 Mary spoke last week about journeying together. 86 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,800 How we come alongside one another listen to one another. 87 00:04:42,900 --> 00:04:46,800 We carry one another's burdens and we go the extra mile and 88 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,700 have empathy for one another today we still on this theme of 89 00:04:50,700 --> 00:04:54,500 perak leases and we're going to look at the subject of Tuesday. 90 00:04:55,100 --> 00:04:57,900 We've already made choices this morning survivors. 91 00:04:57,900 --> 00:05:00,500 Haven't we with this? We chose to got up. 92 00:05:00,700 --> 00:05:03,200 We've chose maybe chose something for breakfast. 93 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,100 Toast, with peanut butter on it. Be not everybody's choice. 94 00:05:07,300 --> 00:05:10,500 I chose what, you know, what to wear, whatever it might be. 95 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:13,100 And we've chosen to be here which is all a good choice. 96 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:15,500 And we're going to look at a story in the Bible today. 97 00:05:15,900 --> 00:05:19,100 Where Jesus gives a lame man, a choice. 98 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:23,500 It's in John 5 verse 12 13 and I'm going to read it from The 99 00:05:23,508 --> 00:05:26,400 New International Version. And this is what we read 100 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,300 sometime later. Jesus went up to Jerusalem for 101 00:05:30,300 --> 00:05:33,800 one of the Jewish festivals. And now, there is in Jerusalem 102 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,200 near the Sheep gate, a pool Which in Aramaic is called 103 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:42,500 Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered Colonnades one, 104 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:46,000 who was there, had been an invalid for 38 years. 105 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,300 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in 106 00:05:50,300 --> 00:05:52,900 this condition for a long time. He asked him. 107 00:05:52,900 --> 00:05:57,400 Do you want to get? Well, sir, the invalid replied. 108 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,200 I have no one to help me into the pool. 109 00:06:00,300 --> 00:06:04,700 When the water is stirred, while I am trying to get in, somebody 110 00:06:04,700 --> 00:06:06,800 else goes down. Down ahead of me. 111 00:06:07,300 --> 00:06:12,100 And then Jesus said to him, get up, pick up your mat and walk at 112 00:06:12,100 --> 00:06:14,800 once. The man was cured, he picked up 113 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,800 his mat and walked the day on which this took place was a 114 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,300 Sabbath. And so the Jewish leaders said 115 00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:24,800 to the man who had been healed, it is the Sabbath of the Lord 116 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,900 forbid you to carry your mat. But he replied the man who made 117 00:06:28,900 --> 00:06:32,100 me well said to me pick up your mat and walk. 118 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,300 So they asked him, who is this fellow who told you to pick it 119 00:06:35,300 --> 00:06:37,500 up and walk? Walk and the man who was healed, 120 00:06:37,500 --> 00:06:39,800 there had no idea who it was for. 121 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,100 Jesus had Slipped Away into the crowd, that was there. 122 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,400 And so what can we learn from this story about choosing about 123 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,400 making choices? Here are three things, I believe 124 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,100 that we can we can see from this story. 125 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:58,400 First of all that we can choose to bring life to one. 126 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,600 Another Jesus was aware that this man had been sick for a 127 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,000 long time. He recognized that the Manda 128 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,300 probably lost all hope and he saw that he was in need of a 129 00:07:08,300 --> 00:07:11,200 miracle. The man had been an invalid for 130 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,800 38 years. I find it interesting, we put 131 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:19,200 this into context that Bethesda means House of Mercy. 132 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,300 I would like to think that we are House of Mercy and the 133 00:07:23,300 --> 00:07:26,700 belief was that his people lay by the pool, an angel, would 134 00:07:26,700 --> 00:07:30,400 periodically disturb the waters and whenever they did, whoever 135 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,700 got to the water first would be healed, they'll be many sat 136 00:07:33,700 --> 00:07:36,900 around there, that would be there would be blind, lamed 137 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,300 paralyzed in some way disadvantaged. 138 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,400 And so they were all trying to get to the water and it would be 139 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,800 the first one. Who got there, that's what they 140 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,500 believed would get the miracle, but you see? 141 00:07:47,500 --> 00:07:49,900 Then Jesus, he walked into the scene. 142 00:07:50,500 --> 00:07:54,300 He notices this man above all the others and goes over to him. 143 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,900 Jesus came alongside the man despite his condition. 144 00:07:58,900 --> 00:08:02,900 Despite his appearance and said to him, do you want to be 145 00:08:02,900 --> 00:08:05,400 healed? He gave him a choice. 146 00:08:06,300 --> 00:08:08,600 Interesting. The man didn't answer his 147 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,700 question, really. He just he gave an excuse. 148 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,500 He just said why I couldn't get to the water. 149 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,600 He says there's no one to help me. 150 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:22,200 The man chose to give an excuse. Fortunately for the lame man. 151 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,600 Jesus chose not to listen to the excuses. 152 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,000 He chose to bring life. He chose to bring healing 153 00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:32,600 instead. There's a story in the Old 154 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,299 Testament where the people of God and there are about to enter 155 00:08:36,299 --> 00:08:40,600 the promised land and Moses, the leader says to them today. 156 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:44,400 I set before you said before your choice, really of life and 157 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:48,200 prosperity, death or destruction, I command you today 158 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:51,700 to love the Lord, your God to walk in obedience to him and 159 00:08:51,700 --> 00:08:55,500 keep his commands, and then you will live and you will increase. 160 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,200 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient. 161 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,700 If you bound down to all the gods that If you worship them I 162 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:05,700 declare you will not live long in the land that you are about 163 00:09:05,700 --> 00:09:08,800 to enter. I have set before you life, I've 164 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:13,800 set before your death blessings and curses now choose life. 165 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,400 You know which obviously which is the better choice. 166 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,900 We should choose live, shouldn't we Jesus in this story? 167 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,900 When we look at this was offering Life To The Man in the 168 00:09:23,900 --> 00:09:27,000 form of healing. The man was honest with Jesus 169 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,100 about he how he felt he obviously told him how he felt. 170 00:09:30,100 --> 00:09:33,300 I can't get there, you know, and all that he gave excuses but 171 00:09:33,300 --> 00:09:35,200 Jesus didn't lose listen to that. 172 00:09:35,300 --> 00:09:39,100 Instead he offered life. You know, when we're seeking to 173 00:09:39,100 --> 00:09:42,900 help one another coming in, at alongside one another we also 174 00:09:42,900 --> 00:09:44,700 need to be christ-like and listen. 175 00:09:45,100 --> 00:09:49,700 But, at the same time, we after offer life be prepared to listen 176 00:09:49,700 --> 00:09:51,500 to people, listen to their story. 177 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,700 Everyone has a story and their story to us affect them. 178 00:09:54,900 --> 00:09:58,500 We understand that this past week, I went to visit her a 179 00:09:58,500 --> 00:10:02,300 young woman whose husband had recently, been tragically killed 180 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:05,100 and had never met this lady before. 181 00:10:05,100 --> 00:10:08,400 And I found out that she was in another site and the part of our 182 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:12,300 church and I went to visit her and when I went into our home, I 183 00:10:12,308 --> 00:10:14,700 said, I don't know what to say to you. 184 00:10:15,100 --> 00:10:17,900 So what do I say to someone who's just in their 40s? 185 00:10:17,900 --> 00:10:22,000 Who has lost a husband? She had children, but then I 186 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,000 thought, what I did, I just listened to her and then I said 187 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,700 we now have you got a photo of him and and we just talked about 188 00:10:27,700 --> 00:10:30,800 the man who was her, husband, the man who was the father? 189 00:10:31,300 --> 00:10:34,300 And then we pray together. And I'd like to think that I 190 00:10:34,300 --> 00:10:38,500 brought life in some way by bringing comfort, you know, we 191 00:10:38,500 --> 00:10:41,800 bring life to one another and it looks different in different 192 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,500 ways, but we still choose to bring life. 193 00:10:45,100 --> 00:10:48,200 I choose to listen, we choose to spend time with people, we 194 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,700 choose to bring love and we choose to bring life, Susan, I 195 00:10:51,708 --> 00:10:55,000 listen to her message again. Recently about Pericles this 196 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,300 about be having a culture of that having a culture of care 197 00:10:58,300 --> 00:11:02,600 and a culture of helping people to make the right choices, you 198 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,900 know, fortunately for the lame, man, Jesus offered life and you 199 00:11:05,900 --> 00:11:10,500 chose to accept it even though it didn't make sense, choosing 200 00:11:10,500 --> 00:11:13,600 what God asks us to do, does not always make sense. 201 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:16,700 It doesn't always make sense. And if you have been lame for. 202 00:11:16,900 --> 00:11:19,400 So for instance, if you blame for 38 years and someone tells 203 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,000 you to just get up, that doesn't make sense. 204 00:11:22,300 --> 00:11:24,400 It doesn't make sense. If someone is struggling 205 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,000 financially and maybe they speak to you and tell you if their 206 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:28,700 struggles, it doesn't make sense. 207 00:11:28,700 --> 00:11:32,000 But the word of God says, if you will bring your ties and your 208 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,600 offerings into the storehouse test me, that's what John says, 209 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:37,900 test me. It test me in this and I will 210 00:11:37,900 --> 00:11:41,000 prove to you that I am the God who provides, that's what the 211 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,600 word says, that's what the scripture says, and that is 212 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:45,800 life. And we have to To choose to 213 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,700 bring life to people. And sometimes that is not easy, 214 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:51,900 you know, when we pray for one another, when we speak the word 215 00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:55,000 one another, when we challenge one another, in a positive way 216 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:58,600 we are bringing life. And as I say, that's not always 217 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,000 easy. But Jesus always brought life. 218 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,400 People didn't always like it but he brought life into a 219 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:06,800 situation, you know, the religious people in the 220 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,500 background and they were just more concerned, that it was a 221 00:12:09,500 --> 00:12:13,100 Sabbath that this was going on on a Sabbath rather than the man 222 00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:15,000 being healed. You know, let us know. 223 00:12:15,100 --> 00:12:17,400 Not be like that. Let us make sure that we are 224 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:19,800 choosing life. We are choosing life. 225 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:23,100 We're choosing to focus on Grace, with choosing to focus on 226 00:12:23,108 --> 00:12:26,600 bringing life to one another and not being judgmental. 227 00:12:27,900 --> 00:12:32,400 And so we choose to bring life and then we choose I believe to 228 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,500 make an effort with one another Jesus gave this man, The Power 229 00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:39,100 of Choice, he said to him, he can eat. 230 00:12:39,100 --> 00:12:42,500 You can either act in obedience and Obey what I'm saying to you 231 00:12:42,500 --> 00:12:45,800 or you can stay there and the man had to make an effort, he 232 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,300 had to get up. Basically, you know, if we want 233 00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:51,400 to come alongside one another and allow others to come 234 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:55,100 alongside as well, then we have to make an effort of some kind. 235 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,500 We have to choose to be proactive. 236 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,600 Active. I like gardening. 237 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:03,000 And I know many of you probably, not keen on it, but we have a 238 00:13:03,008 --> 00:13:07,300 big garden and I remember asking God at least 20 years ago. 239 00:13:07,300 --> 00:13:09,900 Now, I remember asking God, I want you to house, when we're 240 00:13:09,900 --> 00:13:12,900 about to move, I wanted a house with a mature garden. 241 00:13:13,300 --> 00:13:16,500 I remember asking him and, and I did, we got a house with a 242 00:13:16,508 --> 00:13:21,000 mature garden, but a mature garden requires effort just as 243 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,300 much as a minimalist God, and it still requires effort. 244 00:13:24,300 --> 00:13:27,200 I remember some of you don't know who Alan titchmarsh is, who 245 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,100 does the Learning programs. And I remember him saying once 246 00:13:30,100 --> 00:13:33,900 that there's no such thing as a low maintenance Garden, you 247 00:13:33,900 --> 00:13:36,600 know, our lives, our relationships with God, can be 248 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:38,600 likened to the maintenance of a garden. 249 00:13:38,900 --> 00:13:42,200 We have to look after it just as a God and we have to tend it 250 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,400 sometimes. We have to prune things back and 251 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,200 sometimes we have to get rid of. What I did things, anything 252 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,400 that's out of control, we have to deal with it. 253 00:13:49,700 --> 00:13:52,500 That's what our spiritual lives. Look like, that's what actually 254 00:13:52,500 --> 00:13:54,600 are lies with our relationship with God. 255 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,500 Looks like we have to tend it. We have to look after it. 256 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:01,500 If we do and you and I have a choice, we have a choice as to 257 00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:05,000 how much time we give to our relationship with God and it's 258 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,700 just the same with our relationship with one another. 259 00:14:08,100 --> 00:14:11,900 We have to choose to make an effort, if we're going to have a 260 00:14:11,908 --> 00:14:15,900 culture of Pericles in this house, a culture of care where 261 00:14:15,900 --> 00:14:19,400 we notice others, then we have to spend time with one another, 262 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,900 in some way, we have to, have time to listen, time to Tech, 263 00:14:22,900 --> 00:14:24,900 maybe just send a text sometimes. 264 00:14:24,900 --> 00:14:26,300 It's think I just think of somebody. 265 00:14:26,300 --> 00:14:31,200 And then I just send a text We have time to visit them, maybe 266 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,500 send them a card, maybe cook them a meal. 267 00:14:33,500 --> 00:14:35,800 You know, if they're in a certain set of circumstances 268 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:40,400 that's all a choice on our part. It says, in Philippians, do 269 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:45,400 nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, rather in 270 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:50,100 humility value, others above yourselves in your 271 00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:52,400 relationships. One another have the same 272 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,900 mindset as Christ Jesus. What did Jesus do? 273 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,100 Jesus noticed people. People Jesus looked out for 274 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:01,300 people. Jesus went over to people. 275 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:04,500 Let us be like, let us be christ-like in the way we do 276 00:15:04,500 --> 00:15:06,800 things. I didn't want to encourage you 277 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,900 to be a part of a small group that requires effort. 278 00:15:11,100 --> 00:15:14,100 Especially if you've been at work all day, we understand 279 00:15:14,100 --> 00:15:16,900 that. But we're encouraged you to make 280 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:19,900 the effort to do that. I do honestly believe that it is 281 00:15:19,900 --> 00:15:23,200 worth all the effort to do that. We get to learn from one 282 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,000 another. We get to encourage one another 283 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,500 and are a great believer in eating together. 284 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:30,600 I think that's great and it's a great source of life. 285 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,900 We had life through this week and at the moment we are, we are 286 00:15:33,900 --> 00:15:37,200 talking about prayer and we're doing the prayer course by Pete. 287 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,200 Greg, which is a great course. I do believe when we were 288 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:44,200 talking about unanswered prayer and you know, we've all got 289 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:48,200 unanswered prayer in some way things, we do not understand and 290 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,800 we were sharing about that and then we were sharing about here, 291 00:15:51,100 --> 00:15:53,200 what was it? One time was called a campus 292 00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:54,700 somewhere. You don't know what's called a 293 00:15:54,700 --> 00:15:57,200 bone motley's campus. And we talked about some things 294 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,200 that we Look to God, some healings and things that they 295 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,900 didn't happen, but we don't know why they don't happen. 296 00:16:02,900 --> 00:16:06,100 And I dare say, we will never know why, but we were just 297 00:16:06,100 --> 00:16:09,300 talking about that and I believe we helped one another, I believe 298 00:16:09,300 --> 00:16:11,900 we encourage one another. And so, let me say to, you know, 299 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:16,100 do do make the effort, do you find out about small groups? 300 00:16:16,300 --> 00:16:18,300 You know, you've not been for awhile for whatever. 301 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:21,900 Reason, let me encourage you to get back into the habit of being 302 00:16:21,900 --> 00:16:26,200 a part of a life group. As we look at this subject of 303 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,000 Pericles is of Together. Let me just encourage you to 304 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:34,000 make the effort connect when one another and be a part of a small 305 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,400 group. And so we choose to bring life, 306 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,200 we choose to make an effort and then we choose to believe the 307 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:45,500 best for one another. Jesus said to the man get up and 308 00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:48,900 walk, I believe he did that because he wanted the best for 309 00:16:48,900 --> 00:16:51,600 the man. You know for those who are our 310 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,300 parents or maybe your grandparents or maybe work for 311 00:16:54,300 --> 00:16:56,400 children in the room, we have to choose. 312 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:58,600 We do we want to choose. What's best for our kids? 313 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:01,900 Don't way even if at times. They don't like it. 314 00:17:02,500 --> 00:17:04,599 Tell you what, you know, our children are grown up now. 315 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:07,099 Remember one that I could remember where one of our sons, 316 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,800 I can remember the day he said to us, you know, mum you were 317 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,099 right. So many things I say that that 318 00:17:14,099 --> 00:17:15,099 does. You got it? 319 00:17:15,099 --> 00:17:16,800 Don't you God. So any of you probably got 320 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,900 teenage children or whatever just hang on in there because 321 00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:23,700 most of the time you are right. But you know God gives us all 322 00:17:23,700 --> 00:17:27,099 free will doesn't lie. So, but just believe in your in 323 00:17:27,099 --> 00:17:31,500 your So whoever children are in your life, you know, some weeks 324 00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:35,400 ago, we chose should I say, we chose to pick up one of our 325 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,800 granddaughters from school on a Friday. 326 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,800 She came for dinner and then we took her to real which is the 327 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,100 youth group and then go back again and pick her up at 10:00 328 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:49,900 at on a Friday evening and we started to do that. 329 00:17:50,700 --> 00:17:55,200 And then some weeks ago sister came along as well and went ice 330 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,600 skating. And so now I sisters go in as As 331 00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,600 well. So now we're picking up two of 332 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,500 them and they come for dinner and we watch a film or 333 00:18:02,500 --> 00:18:04,500 something. Then we go and we take them to 334 00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:06,900 Youth and then we go back and we pick them up and then we take 335 00:18:06,900 --> 00:18:09,300 them home. Why do we do that? 336 00:18:09,900 --> 00:18:12,200 We do that because we believe that's a good choice. 337 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,500 We believe that's one of the best things we can do for them 338 00:18:15,500 --> 00:18:18,000 amongst many other things that we seek to do for them. 339 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:21,900 But we do think that is a good choice, we choose to do it and 340 00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:24,300 they enjoy it and it's great. And I just want to say to you 341 00:18:24,308 --> 00:18:27,300 again, you know, get your kids to the groups. 342 00:18:27,700 --> 00:18:30,700 You know, find out about them, get that, it's a great choice, 343 00:18:30,700 --> 00:18:33,800 you will make by getting them to these different groups. 344 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,600 And then some weeks later we have one of them will embarrass 345 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:40,700 the but one of our granddaughters is here with us 346 00:18:40,700 --> 00:18:42,300 today. And I thought, then there now 347 00:18:42,300 --> 00:18:44,600 started to come Church. Some of the times and I just 348 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:48,700 think to myself make the right choices that is a good choice 349 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,300 and so it, you know, whatever that might be just do. 350 00:18:52,300 --> 00:18:54,100 What is best? We think that it's, one of the 351 00:18:54,108 --> 00:18:55,900 best things we can be doing for them. 352 00:18:56,900 --> 00:19:00,500 We all have a choice, don't know what we do and we all want the 353 00:19:00,500 --> 00:19:03,800 best. For whoever is in our life in 354 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:05,600 this is a choice, we have to make. 355 00:19:05,900 --> 00:19:09,200 If we truly are going to have what we call a Pericles culture, 356 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,600 a culture of care, then we have to make the effort, we have to 357 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,900 get alongside one another and we have to seek to do what we 358 00:19:15,900 --> 00:19:19,300 believe is best for that person and keep going. 359 00:19:19,500 --> 00:19:21,800 We have to keep going. We doing what is right? 360 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,800 We have to keep going with the effort, we have to keep doing. 361 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,400 We have to keep choosing To do what is right and believe for 362 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:32,000 what is best for one another. And I just have to say to you 363 00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:36,800 anyone who picks, anybody up, to get them, to any group of any 364 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,600 description, bring them to church, maybe on a Sunday, or 365 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,500 maybe a midweek group, or whatever it is. 366 00:19:41,500 --> 00:19:44,800 I just want to say thank you and what you are doing is a great 367 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:46,800 thing, you might not. You might think it's a very 368 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:50,300 small thing, but I think it's a huge thing that you are bringing 369 00:19:50,300 --> 00:19:53,600 somebody to one of those groups. And I just want to say thank you 370 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,700 for that. We were driving the other day by 371 00:19:56,700 --> 00:19:59,200 John Lewis, and there's a big advert. 372 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,500 And he said, click today, collect tomorrow. 373 00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:05,800 And I said to Rob, I said, really in some respects. 374 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,000 We tend to think. If we're not careful, we're a 375 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:11,000 society of Click today, collect tomorrow. 376 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:15,300 And I thought he's not like that necessarily in the kingdom of 377 00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:18,700 God, we don't necessary. Click today, ask for something 378 00:20:18,700 --> 00:20:21,900 and collect it tomorrow. It doesn't always happen like 379 00:20:21,900 --> 00:20:24,100 that. Jesus didn't promise US that I 380 00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:26,900 do believe that there are Suddenly I do believe that there 381 00:20:26,900 --> 00:20:29,200 is a God of Miracles and a God of Wonders. 382 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,500 But often it's not like that often. 383 00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:35,600 It's that we have to. We have to put in time and we 384 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,800 have to put in effort. I just want to ask you to keep 385 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,400 believing for one another. Keep doing the best, for one 386 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,400 another, keep contacting those who maybe are not with us. 387 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:47,000 Maybe they're not well, or whatever. 388 00:20:47,100 --> 00:20:50,100 Keep noticing people, keep making the effort. 389 00:20:50,100 --> 00:20:54,200 Keep reminding one another, what the word of God says, I thought 390 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:55,900 it's interesting to you. This didn't give up. 391 00:20:55,900 --> 00:21:00,200 When the man brought his excuse, you still offered life is still 392 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,500 kept going to still believe for the best outcome and sometimes 393 00:21:03,500 --> 00:21:05,300 that's how we have to be with one another. 394 00:21:05,500 --> 00:21:09,000 Even if people will give excuses, we have to remind them 395 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,400 of what the word of God says. We have to remind them of what 396 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,700 is best for them. I am grateful that God wants the 397 00:21:15,700 --> 00:21:19,100 best for me and other people in my life on the best for me and 398 00:21:19,100 --> 00:21:22,700 they keep encouraged me. God believes in each one of us 399 00:21:22,700 --> 00:21:24,500 and he wants the best for each one of us. 400 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,700 Rob and I we've been brought up in a church that really didn't 401 00:21:29,700 --> 00:21:33,400 really believe in women in leadership really, the man was 402 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:37,300 expected to be the strong leader and then we came to what was 403 00:21:37,300 --> 00:21:42,900 then called Trinity Life church and we were asked to become 404 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:45,800 after a period of time. We were asked to be the leaders 405 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:50,800 of what was then called Beaumont leaves campus our 60 at the 406 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,200 time. And that particular year, I went 407 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,100 to the Assemblies of God conference because this church 408 00:21:57,100 --> 00:22:00,100 is a part of the Assemblies of God movement. 409 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,700 And I went, and I heard a lady there, I went to particular 410 00:22:03,700 --> 00:22:07,700 seminar and she talked about women in leadership and she said 411 00:22:07,700 --> 00:22:09,900 that she, she said it, she really. 412 00:22:09,900 --> 00:22:14,000 She was a stronger leader than her husband and she thought to 413 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:15,600 herself. She would think to herself. 414 00:22:15,900 --> 00:22:19,300 I should have been a man. Now, that might sound funny to 415 00:22:19,300 --> 00:22:22,800 some of you but I remember thinking as a Do the same thing 416 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:26,700 and I heard this lady say that and I thought to myself that 417 00:22:26,700 --> 00:22:31,000 that is me. I have thought to myself, I 418 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,800 should have been a man but it wasn't, God made me the person 419 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,000 that I am, you know, and you might think the stuff I should 420 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,800 have whatever it might be and I should have a different 421 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:43,800 beginning at the start of my life, I should have had more 422 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,200 opportunities. Maybe you think things like 423 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:48,600 that. But you know, God has got the 424 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,200 best for you. He's got a good plan for your 425 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:54,200 life. He Leaves in you wholeheartedly, 426 00:22:54,900 --> 00:22:58,700 while I was still at work. I remember, we used to have tea 427 00:22:58,700 --> 00:23:01,400 break and have that time used to read a newspaper in those days 428 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,100 of newspapers. And I used to read it. 429 00:23:04,100 --> 00:23:06,800 And one day, I read an article and it was about people that 430 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,700 have become successful in their sixties. 431 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,000 And he's had a little article at the bottom. 432 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,600 It said, it's never too late to be what you might have been and 433 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:21,100 I wrote that down and I've put I wrote it down and I kept it in 434 00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:24,300 my drawer. Work and every day, I would see 435 00:23:24,300 --> 00:23:29,500 that I kept when I left work to take on the leadership here, I 436 00:23:29,500 --> 00:23:33,000 took that piece of paper out of my drawer and I put it in the 437 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,200 study and it's still on the notice board there. 438 00:23:35,700 --> 00:23:39,600 And he's never too late to be what you might have been. 439 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:43,600 I know it's not necessary scripture, but for me, I felt it 440 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,600 was something that God was saying to me. 441 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,500 It's never too late, you know, and I stepped into leadership 442 00:23:48,500 --> 00:23:51,500 when I was 60 and I want to say to some of you in the house. 443 00:23:51,500 --> 00:23:53,400 Whatever. Be in your heart. 444 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,500 Don't don't give up. Don't give them the thing that 445 00:23:56,500 --> 00:23:59,800 maybe is in your heart, or maybe it's a change of career, a 446 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:03,700 change of Direction, you know, whatever's in your heart is 447 00:24:03,700 --> 00:24:07,800 never never too late. And I just want to say to God 448 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,600 believes in you, he who believes in me and also the senior 449 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:16,300 leaders believed in me and they also believe in you here at one 450 00:24:16,300 --> 00:24:18,400 church. We do believe, I honestly do 451 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,400 believe that. We all believe there is. 452 00:24:20,700 --> 00:24:24,400 There's a purpose and A place for everyone, whatever might be 453 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:28,000 your age, whatever might be your background, whatever might be 454 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,000 your nationality, you know Robin, I will now leave the 65 455 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:37,700 plus Ministry and we believe they're very best for every one 456 00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:39,700 of them. We believe that they are still 457 00:24:39,700 --> 00:24:42,900 have a purpose for them. And one of our key verses is 458 00:24:43,100 --> 00:24:45,200 there is still much work to be done. 459 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,300 There's still much land to be conquered so it doesn't matter 460 00:24:48,300 --> 00:24:50,700 what age it, it you are, it doesn't matter what background 461 00:24:50,700 --> 00:24:53,300 you have. There is still Mulch to do in 462 00:24:53,300 --> 00:24:56,300 the kingdom of God. As a church, we choose to 463 00:24:56,300 --> 00:24:59,700 believe in each. One of you says, in Ephesians. 464 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:03,900 We are God's Masterpiece. He has created as a new in 465 00:25:03,900 --> 00:25:08,000 Christ, Jesus, so that we and that's all of us can do all the 466 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,500 good things that he has planned for us long ago. 467 00:25:11,500 --> 00:25:15,500 You and I are God's Masterpiece, you know, even right down to 468 00:25:15,500 --> 00:25:18,500 little Ethan. There we are all God's 469 00:25:18,500 --> 00:25:20,900 Masterpiece. I don't know whether we're the 470 00:25:20,900 --> 00:25:21,900 oldest. I'm not sure. 471 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:26,400 Yeah, but we are all, we are all God's Masterpiece and then I 472 00:25:26,408 --> 00:25:29,400 thought about choosing, I thought himself ultimately. 473 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:35,700 God made a choice and he chose and he says in John 3, it says, 474 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:39,100 for God. So loved the world that he gave 475 00:25:39,100 --> 00:25:43,600 his one and only son that whoever believes in him, shall 476 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,100 not perish but have eternal life. 477 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:51,300 And so just as I summarized as it were, I just want to say to 478 00:25:51,300 --> 00:25:54,200 you, we are talking about a culture of Pericles has a 479 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:58,300 culture of care. And so I want to say let us make 480 00:25:58,300 --> 00:26:02,700 the right choices. Let us choose to bring life to 481 00:26:02,700 --> 00:26:06,000 one another. Let us choose to make the effort 482 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,600 with one another, you know, even today, you know, when when we 483 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:13,700 meet for tea and coffee, choose to, to maybe speak to somebody 484 00:26:13,700 --> 00:26:16,000 who don't know. So well, especially if somebody 485 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,500 is on their own. You know not everybody finds it 486 00:26:18,500 --> 00:26:23,200 easy to talk to one another. Let us choose to believe in one 487 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:27,800 another and then really God chose to Believe in Us. 488 00:26:28,500 --> 00:26:32,600 You and I are God's Masterpiece just want just for just a 489 00:26:32,608 --> 00:26:35,500 moment. I want you just to think about 490 00:26:35,500 --> 00:26:38,800 what I have said and in your heart I just want you to think 491 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,200 to yourself. Is there anyone or are for 492 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:44,900 anybody that I need to be making an effort with is you know maybe 493 00:26:44,900 --> 00:26:46,700 just for one moment just think Lord. 494 00:26:47,100 --> 00:26:48,900 Is there anybody you're saying to me? 495 00:26:49,300 --> 00:26:51,700 I want you to make an effort with that person. 496 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:54,300 You know? Is there some one or some 497 00:26:54,300 --> 00:26:58,000 situation where God is saying to you, I want you to bring life, I 498 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:01,600 want you to be life into that situation into that person. 499 00:27:02,900 --> 00:27:06,500 And if you've never asked Jesus into your life, if you've never 500 00:27:06,500 --> 00:27:11,900 made that decision, like I just I just I made that choice when I 501 00:27:11,900 --> 00:27:15,900 was 11 years old and here I am now in my 60s and it's the best 502 00:27:15,900 --> 00:27:19,400 choice I ever. I've made and just choose it 503 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:23,900 because it's a choice of life. And if you have never done that, 504 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,800 I really can't ask you to speak to somebody at the end of this 505 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:29,000 Gathering. Okay? 506 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,000 Don't don't go away thinking. I've not done that. 507 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,100 Nobody will be interest. I'm telling you now, somebody 508 00:27:35,100 --> 00:27:37,600 will be interested. If that is something you want to 509 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:45,400 do. Thank you, Susan for that 510 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,400 phenomenon message and I pray that you would be blessed in 511 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,400 hearing it and taking it in, letting it affect your week from 512 00:27:52,500 --> 00:27:55,900 now on as we love and care for one another, as a body of 513 00:27:55,900 --> 00:27:59,800 Christ, just a couple of bits of family news for us as we're 514 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:04,100 listening in this Sunday evening, the 26th of March 7 515 00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:07,300 p.m. we have an encounter night at 12. 516 00:28:07,300 --> 00:28:09,000 Frog Island. The would love to see you. 517 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:13,300 So excited and expectant for what God's going to do the last 518 00:28:13,300 --> 00:28:14,700 few. We've put on have been well 519 00:28:14,700 --> 00:28:18,100 attended and people have met with Jesus in a very powerful 520 00:28:18,100 --> 00:28:19,900 way. So come along and join us, would 521 00:28:19,900 --> 00:28:23,000 love to have you there. Other than that, from the 5th to 522 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,200 the 7th of April, in the lead up to Easter. 523 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,600 We are calling three days to pray and fast together. 524 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:31,700 We were praying on zoom in the morning and then in person in 525 00:28:31,708 --> 00:28:35,100 the evening and on Good Friday, the 7th will break bread 526 00:28:35,100 --> 00:28:38,200 together and will worship and encounter the Lord before 527 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,400 leading in to Easter Sunday on the 9th of April. 528 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,900 I'm a question for you. And I, as part of, Of one 529 00:28:43,900 --> 00:28:47,900 churches who you bringing to church on Easter Sunday. 530 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,900 Let's not miss an opportunity to invite our world to hear the 531 00:28:51,900 --> 00:28:54,400 good news of the resurrection of Christ. 532 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:57,900 Be blessed this week. Be encouraged be strengthened in 533 00:28:57,900 --> 00:29:00,400 the Lord and will see you very soon. 534 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,600 The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord. 535 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:09,000 Make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. 536 00:29:09,300 --> 00:29:12,800 The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. 537 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,600 The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord. 538 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:09,000 Make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. 539 00:29:09,300 --> 00:29:12,800 The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.