What Jesus Says to a Complacent Church

“My days just come and go and at the end of the day; I do not have any hope”.

How is it possible that I am so depressed, filled with anxiety, hopelessness and despair if I claim to be a Christian?

On a scale of 1 – 10 how happy are you? Is happiness even possible?

In the book of Job, he answers the basic questions of life i.e., “Why do the righteous suffer if God is loving and all powerful”?

God is Lord: in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and good. As such, His ways are sometimes incomprehensible to men, but He can always be trusted.

Being a Christian does not mean there will not be suffering in our lives, but there is hope in Christ Jesus.

Heb. 4:15. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Christ is the believer’s Life, Redeemer, Mediator, and Advocate.

Over the last few weeks we’ve been talking about the power of God’s Word - alive + active - to help us live in victory over temptation and sin, so that we can each become all that God made us to be.

Amen + Hallelujah!

But … how does that actually happen? We all have our Achilles heel of sin, our entrenched behaviour, that one bad habit that try as we might, seems impossible to break.

Well this week ... this week is when the rubber hits the road. This week is when we lay hold if the truth and the power to break that one bad habit!

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. And yet that’s how many a Christ-follower lives their life. 

Believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Tick! 
Believe that He died to pay for my sin? Tick! 
Believe that He rose again? Tick!

But that’s where it begins and ends. 

Walking in that newness of life that the Bible promises (Rom 6:4)? Not so much!!

This week at Church in the Marketplace we’re going to dive deeper into God’s Word, specifically Hebrews 4:12, to discover the power to change; to lay hold of the power to change; to make that power our own. Because the Word of God is alive + active, amen?

Don’t miss out!

For many a Christ follower life seems to be falling short - well short - of all that Jesus promised. Where He promised an abundant life, things seem, well, flat. Something’s missing.

This week we’re kicking off a 3-part series called “Alive+Active” … because that’s what God has planned for us. And we begin in a surprising place … we begin by talking about the rest, the peace that God promises His people. 

Baptism is a really significant event.
 
Whether we were baptised as a child and our parents and the church stepped in for us and made some commitments that we picked up for ourselves later.  Or maybe you were baptised as an adult.  Doesn't matter.  Baptism is lining our lives up with God.  Baptism is saying "yes" to Jesus. And in the world we live in today, that's a pretty awesome thing to do.
 
Because the message of Jesus is a message of love, and redemption, and hope, and grace, and mercy, and compassion.  Many of us have experienced that love of Jesus.  And we know what it's like to a part of His family. But there are lots of people and many are our neighbours who don't know that message; they don't understand who God is and they've never experienced the grace and forgiveness of Jesus. 
 
So, what does that mean if we're baptised.  Jesus last words to his followers in Matthew 28:19-20 gave this charge: “God authorised and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you.”
 
Now there’s the challenge.  
 
Let’s do it!!

Join us this Sunday as we explore faith over fear. In the current state of the world, there are many things that instil fear. We are alive in the middle of a global pandemic that has completely changed the way we do things. It can be easy to fall into fear, but as followers of Jesus Christ we are called to have faith. We will be exploring what it looks like for us as believers to put our trust and to have faith in Jesus. 

2020 has been full of surprises. who would have thought that there would have been a global pandemic?

I have heard a lot of theories about why all these things have been happening, maybe God is judging us? Maybe the end is near? Maybe Jesus is coming back?

Join us Sunday 11th October as we explore the scriptures and look at what Jesus is saying to the church at this time.

Luke 4:14-30

We’ll take a look at the book of Mark, including its surprise ending.

We will be checking out some things that are in this book, and some things that have been left out ot it, to explore how Mark speaks to us as Jesus’ followers today.

It has a special message for people who are battling with difficult life circumstances.

Moving forward into God's future for us, with readiness to:

• Honour God
• Honour each other
• Reflect Christ's example

Trusting, hoping and loving