This Saturday (20th November) we are hosting a family fun event called ‘Safe As Houses?’ as part of National Safeguarding Week, where between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. we will be looking at the idea of building on strong foundations. Using stories (‘The Wise & Foolish Builders’ and ‘The Three Little Pigs’) to show us how (and how not!) to build, we’ll be exploring what it means to build your life on something solid and enduring. There’ll be lots of building crafts (including making houses out of dominoes, Jenga blocks, Duplo, biscuits, straws and marshmallows!), the chance to decorate pre-made houses and the opportunity to decorate playhouses to explore!

Entry is free, but please do let us know you’re coming by contacting Julie on 07729 421405 or emailing julie@gpcchurch.co.uk.

We have free goody bags to take home with more craft ideas and information about safeguarding and will be serving drinks throughout the day! Come along to get out of the house and keep your children entertained and informed!

In Matt 5, Jesus gives a long sermon (‘The Sermon On The Mount’) teaching His followers about the values of the kingdom of heaven and what it meant to live as children of God. This teaching is revolutionary because it returns to the heart of God’s word rather than following the embellishment of years of tradition. He looked at topics such as murder, adultery, divorce, revenge and justice, and shows us that the additional ideas adopted by the Pharisees and other religious leaders had actually gone beyond what God said to the point where they had nullified God’s word. He gets back to the heart of these matters, to the attitudes and beliefs which lie beneath our actions, pointing out that hatred is what leads to murder, lustful thoughts are what lead to adultery, hard hearts and an unwillingness to love and forgive are what lead to divorce and injustice.

In this chapter, Jesus teaches about our identity as salt and light and maintains that His followers have the capacity to influence the world by how they live. (Matt 5:13-16) One of the most revolutionary ways to do this is by loving not only your neighbour but also your enemies (Matt 5:43-48). Naturally speaking, this is impossible, but as God’s identity is outworked in us, we are given the capacity to love even those who actively persecute us – for whilst we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

The questions Jesus asks His disciples show us that loving those who are like you is nothing special – even the tax collectors and pagans were capable of doing this! To love those who actively oppose us, however, requires a participation in the divine nature and a dependence on God’s strength (2 Pet 1:4, Phil 4:13). As we learn to live out our new nature (2 Cor 5:17), we will be able to witness to the world through God’s love – a love that encompasses even enemies!

Dave spoke this morning from Gen 4:1-16, a chapter which describes the relationship between Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve’s sons. Cain, the older, means ‘brought forth’, and it is possible that Adam and Eve expected him to be the one who would break sin’s curse. Abel’s name means ‘vapour’, perhaps indicating a sense of failure or ‘nothingness’, but the fact remained that Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted by God whereas Abel’s was. We don’t entirely know why this was the case, but it does seem that God tests people. He does not always act as we expect and our reactions matter enormously.

Cain did not respond to God’s reproof or analyse his anger. He continued in a path which led to disastrous consequences: the murder of his brother and Cain’s banishment. God gave him the opportunity to repent and turn back to Him, but we see how atttitudes harden and actions mushroom as a result.

How we deal with disappointment, frustration and anger is very important. We need to bring such emotions to God and allow Him to deal with these things so that we do not end up in ever-worsening situations. It’s not easy to face the challenge of motives and emotions, but we have to understand the consequences of unresolved anger and allow God to shape us so that we are not led further into sin.

We’re planning a fun day on Saturday 20th November called ‘Safe As Houses?’, looking at the theme of building our lives on solid foundations. We’ll be exploring the stories of The Three Little Pigs and The Wise and Foolish Builders and having lots of hands-on activities to do with building, including building with Jenga blocks, Duplo, dominoes and colouring cardboard houses and having a go at painting our own little houses to take home! You can build houses out of biscuits to eat, make them out of lollipop sticks, or just have a great time making dens and experimenting with different materials.

The event will run from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.; refreshments will be served and it’s free to come along, but do book in by contacting Julie on 07729 421405 or emailng julie@gpcchurch.co.uk

God’s questions to Isaiah at the end of his vision show us that He longs to work in partnership with people: ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ (Is 6:8) God does not need to work with people; His work of creation shows us that. (Ps 33:9) But the truth is that He chooses to invite us into partnership with Him. Atonement is made for Isaiah (Is 6:7) and has been made for us through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (2 Cor 5:21); the impossible and impassable chasm between the holiness of God and the sinfulness of mankind has been bridged. Because of this, we are invited to join in God’s mission to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18-20) and to pray for labourers to go into the harvest fields (Matt 9:37-38).

It’s a terrifying thought that God has no Plan B, other than seeking to continue the mission of Jesus through His church by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are His answer; we are the means by which He seeks to pass on the message of salvation. There is no greater question than ‘who will go for us?’ May we, like Isaiah, be so filled with a vision of God that our response is the same as his: ‘Here am I. Send me.’