Easter Sunday in Goldthorpe included updates about the India trip.
During the past week, the team have been involved in:
- meetings at Fredrick’s church on Monday evening, Good Friday and Easter Sunday
- meetings with the tailoring programme ladies on Tuesday
- work with the children’s club at Fredrick’s church on Monday evening and with the children in a slum area on Tuesday
- praying with church members in their own homes
- a meeting with local church pastors
- a Good Friday meeting at another church in a slum area led by Pastor Ruby.
Good Friday service at Fredrick’s church
Julie & Garry preaching at Pastor Ruby’s church
Ladies at the tailoring programme
Children listening carefully
J-P spoke on Jn 3:16 tonight, possibly one of the most popular Bible verses, asking if we have content with this verse rather than allowing its truths to transform us.
God promises eternal life, but many may think that that is not something to be coveted. Eternal life is not simply a continuation of this present life, however, but the start of a new life with God, defined by our relationship with Him (see Jn 17:3). In this life we can start sharing in the glory of God and all He has done for us. We can experience the presence of God in His fulness with us now
Belief is the next thing to be tackled. Belief is essentially trusting in something or someone. Examples of belief or faith in the Bible can be found in Matt 8:13 (the centurion’s faith) and Mark 11:23. Jn 3:14-15 points back to the Old Testament bronze snake which represents our need to look to Jesus for our salvation rather than trusting in our own ability to save.
Love is the motivating force for God. 1 Cor 13:1-3 shows the preeminence of love and we see we love because God first loved us (1 Jn 4:19). God’s love motivated Him to send Jesus to earth and Jesus was willing to endure the loneliness and pain of separation from His Father. God’s love is not biased, self-centred or selfish. It is a love which we remember not only at Easter, but in our everyday lives too.
It’s wonderful to realise that whether we have celebrated Easter in Bangalore or in Goldthorpe, we all proclaim the wonderful truth that Christ is risen!