Today’s Communion service was slightly different in that members of the congregation each brought Scriptures which had proved meaningful throughout 2011. Here are the verses we shared:
Ps 133
God commands the blessing where there is unity.
Isaiah 43:5-8
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back. Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Romans 9:1-3
Garry spoke about the passion for the lost which was in Paul’s heart and which was an echo of the cry in God’s heart.
“Give me, O Lord, a passion for the lost.
Help me understand Your heart and Your unfailing love.
Your desire, O Lord, to pursue at any cost,
Give me, Lord, Your passion for the lost.”
1 John 3:1
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
Ps 33:6, 13-14
“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth…From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth.”
Eph 4:32
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
We are all different and need to accept each other as we are, learning to forgive and work together in unity.
Matt 6:31-34
Dave spoke about how these verses on the need to put God’s kingdom first and not to worry had sustained him through the church’s journey to the new building (looking back to December 2008 when the original application to CRT was written.) God has provided all we needed to purchase and renovate and maintain the building, including the sale of the building on Beever Street in December 2011.
Hebrews 13:5-6
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
We don’t know what the New Year holds for us, but we can have confidence that God will always be with us and that His grace will be sufficient for us (2 Cor 12:9)
John 1:16
“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.”
Rom 5:20
“But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”
Grace is a common theme, obviously!
Ps 121:1-4
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
1 Tim 6:12
“FIght the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Rev 2:7
“To him who overcomes I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”