Ps 119:11 says ‘I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.’ There are a number of online apps designed to help us do just that!

Remember Me is an app that helps you memorise Scripture, using audio as well as word puzzles. Another useful site is Fighter Verses, which focuses 1) the character and worth of our great God, 2) battling against our fleshly desires, and 3) the hope of the Gospel as they give specific verses to learn. Again, a variety of methods help you memorise Scripture, including songs and games.

The Verses Project is another useful website for learning Bible verses, using musical and visual art to help people meditate on and memorise Scripture. Music seems to be a great way of getting God’s Word into our hearts and minds, so this is a really helpful way of absorbing God’s word!

Got Questions? is a website which has 439,557 questions and answers about the Bible, so is really useful for answering questions such as ‘Who was Cain’s wife?’ or ‘What does the Bible say about gambling?’ Great for parents or anyone who really does have questions about the Bible!

There are a whole host of websites which have commentaries on the Bible for those wanting to study the Bible in more detail. Some useful ones are listed below:

1. Step Bible
2. Bible Hub
3. Blue Letter Bible
4. Bible Web App
5. ESword

There is also a lot of sophisticated Bible software available, but some of this is expensive.

There are a host of different apps, websites and games which are available online to help us engage with the Bible, and as we prepare for Bible Sunday on 25th October, it’s good to have a look at some of these for all of you out there who are tech savvy…

Bible Gateway is a fantastic website offering free access to the Bible in more than 70 languages and 200 different translations. It’s a great way to find passages, look up quotations and generally find out more about the Bible. This is the site I really miss when my Internet connection drops out!

Bible Companion is an app which is designed to ‘bring us back to what is most important every day’, helping to ‘build healthy Christian habits of Bible reading’. The Bible Companion App helps create and maintain good Bible reading habits by tracking your Bible readings with consistency meters, progress bars, and reading stats displayed within daily, weekly & monthly charts. Other tracking features include setting goals for prayer, reflection, community, Bible Study, and other readings. For those whose phones seem to control their lives, this is a great way of monitoring what you read!

Bible In One Year is an app which offers daily Old and New Testament readings (along with a reflection on these texts.) A great way to be disciplined about reading the whole of the Bible.

She Reads Truth & He Reads Truth give reading plans in ‘manageable lengths’ for men and women with beautiful text and imagery. They can be read online or on a phone or by email subscription. You’re encouraged to reflect on the passages read by asking the following 5 questions:

1. What does this teach me about God?
2. What does this teach me about man?
3. What does this teach me about the Gospel?
4. How will I respond?
5. How will I pray?

The whole point of all these tools is to get us engaged in actually reading God’s Word. It’s never been easier to do this, when we can carry the Bible with us on a phone or tablet wherever we go. Let’s make the most of technology and dive in!

Bible Sunday 25th October

Bible Sunday is this coming Sunday (25th October), with both services (10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m.) celebrating the role of the Bible in every Christian’s life. Find out what our favourite Bible verses are and why and how the pieces of the Bible jigsaw fit together! Don’t forget that there will be a Christian bookstall on Sunday, with books, calendars, Christmas cards and devotional guides on sale.

Baptismal Service 7th November

On Saturday 7th November at 6 p.m. there will be a baptismal service at GPCC. Always one of our favourite celebrations, a baptismal service celebrates new life in Christ and gives the opportunity to hear about what God is doing in the lives of local people. If you’d like to be baptised, contact Garry or Julie for further information. After the service (which will use our new portable baptistery for the first time), there will be refreshments served, so come along to find out more about this important outward sign of God’s grace in our lives.

Mission Aviation Fellowship visit 15th November

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) will be visiting us on Sunday 15th November at 6 p.m. Come along to find out more about this amazing charity, which seeks to fly missionaries and medical help to remote areas of the world. Hear what God’s doing in other parts of the world and be encouraged as you learn about what a difference each person can make.

We also had a birthday to celebrate (the children keep getting in on these birthday photos!)

Guest speaker Yan Hadley spoke tonight on the questions God asks us. Often, we may be puzzled by these questions, since God is all-knowing (John 2:25 reminds us that Jesus knew what was in people’s hearts, so we might think His questions were irrelevant or unnecessary.) We are all too familiar also with Satan’s devious questions (see Gen 3), but God’s questions, however initially baffling to us, are completely different in purpose.

God’s questions set us free from sin and shame. In Gen 3:9 when God asked Adam, ‘Where are you?’, He wanted Adam to realise their relationship had been broken by sin, causing him to stop and reflect on what he had done. Effectively, God’s question was intended to draw Adam out of the shadows of shame into the light of life. John 8:3-11 reminds us that no one can accuse us; Rom 8:33-34 asks us ‘Who shall condemn us?’ with the clear answer that no one can condemn those whom God has justified.

God’s questions also lead to healing from emotional pain. Jesus asked Mary ‘Why are you weeping?’ (John 20:15), showing an interest in and care for her wellbeing which led to her healing. Questions can show us that someone cares about us, which can be the first step to healing. God is close to the broken-hearted and is able to turn our weeping into dancing (see Ps 30:11).

God’s questions restore us from failure. John 21:15-17 shows us Jesus questioning Peter after his betrayal, leading Peter to understand that God had a plan and purpose for him even after his calamitous betrayal. No matter how many times we fail God, He is able to restore us; He is able to set us free from the hold failure would exercise over us so that we can be set free.

God’s questions liberate us from self-doubt and insecurities. Ex 4:2 shows us God asking Moses ‘What is that in your hand?’, but the ordinary staff could be turned into a snake at God’s command. God is able to use the ordinary to do extraordinary things; all He requires from us is our willing obedience. He is the one who blesses us with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3) and therefore He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ever imagine or dream! (Eph 3:20)

God’s questions can help us to conquer shyness and lack of self-confidence. Mark 5:21-34 tells us of a woman healed by touching the hem of Jesus’s cloak; when He asked ‘Who touched me?‘, she wanted to remain hidden. His question was not intended to humiliate her, but to give her opportunity to testify what God had done for her. Questions can be a powerful doorway to testimony.

God’s questions encourage overcoming faith (see 1 John 5:4). In Mark 10:51, Jesus asks the question ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ His question encouraged Bartimaeus to articulate his longings. God hears our cries and wants us to keep on believing that He is not only able to do all we ask of Him but willing to answer our deepest longings.

Mark spoke this morning on the subject of anointing. A petrolhead is a car fanatic, someone who is obsessed with cars, motorbikes and other petrol-related equipment! All Christians are, however, oilheads, for they receive God’s anointing for blessing and service.

Gen 28:10-22 tells the story of how Jacob had an encounter with God through a dream as he slept. When he awoke from this vision of angels descending from and ascending on a ladder from heaven, he realised ‘surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.’ (Gen 28:16). The stone pillow he had used became part of an altar on which he poured oil; Bethel (the house of the Lord) became to him a consecrated place.

God reaffirmed His presence and promise to Jacob (Gen 28:13-15) and thus we see how blessing and anointing go hand in hand, with God giving us what is needful, even when we are tired and at the end of ourselves.

A personal anointing from God is needed by us all. Ps 23:1-4 reminds us how God is our Shepherd and leads us and guides us in all circumstances. Even in the midst of trouble, we can know God’s provision and presence as He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies; God can provide a table of blessing for us in the middle of fear, rage and uncertainty. When God pours the oil on us, we receive more blessing than we can possibly contain; our cup runs over; there is an overflow to others.

This personal anointing leads to a family anointing (see Ps 133). When we live together in unity, God commands His blessing to remain on us, overflowing as the anointing oil did (covering Aaron’s head, beard and clothes.) This blessing from God enables us to bless others; it is something which draws people in to God’s presence and the cycle of blessing thus continues.