A new film about Noah is due to be released in March 2014, featuring many ‘big name’ Hollywood actors, including Russell Crowe in the title role, Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson. I am always interested in films which tackle Biblical themes (and films that don’t overtly tackle these themes but often approach them more obliquely), for I think it is vital that Biblical stories are re-told in such a way as to engage the imagination and help people to understand the stories in a fresh way. We often forget just how few of these major stories are actually known in our post-Christian modern society and so it is good when they are re-told. I have no idea how faithful to the Biblical text this film will be, but if you watch the trailer below, it is very interesting to me that one of the songs used there is the modern worship song ‘Spirit, Break Out’, written by Luke Hellebronth and the title track of a Worship Central album released a few years ago. I find it exciting to think that these lyrics – which are essentially a prayer – will be heard nationwide in cinemas next year!

‘Spirit, break out,
Break our walls down.
Spirit, break out,
Heaven come down.

King Jesus, You’re the name we’re lifting high
Your glory shaking up the earth and skies
Revival we want to see Your kingdom here
We want to see Your kingdom here.’ (‘Spirit, Break Out’, Luke Hellebronth, Tim Hughes, Ben Bryant, Myles Dhillon)
‘Noah’ film trailer
‘Spirit, Break Out’, Worship Central

Dave spoke from Isaiah 6:1-8 TNIV and Luke 5:8-10 TNIV, two different passages which nonetheless both deal with God’s commissioning of His disciples. Isaiah and Peter were both confronted by the Holy One and as a result were conscious of their own sinfulness; both were called by God to speak of all they had seen.

During November, we are praying for boldness in our everyday living for God. People are often very excited about their hobbies and interests (think of the enthusiasm shown by sports crowds), but many Christians don’t seem very excited about sharing their faith. Perhaps they don’t feel worthy enough to do this or experienced enough, but when we have experienced God’s love and power in our own lives, we have a testimony to share. We need to speak to God, speak for Him and speak of Him. It’s not enough to think our actions are enough, for actions need to work alongside our words. The testimony of the Salvation Army church is that eighteen people have come to know the Lord through their food bank, but only because they have been willing to share the reason for their actions. Faith and action have to work together. Romans 10 reminds us that salvation is always linked to the spoken word and we need to be willing to speak of the reasons for our actions and how our faith fuels our actions.

In order to share our testimony, we have to be sure of what God has done for us and need to be engaged in holy conversations with God’s zeal burning within us. We have to consider the basics of what God has done for each one of us and be prepared to share the reason for the hope we have. A revelation of the Holy is necessary for us to be motivated (as Isaiah was) and then we can be like the first disciples, willing to say ‘come and see’ to those we meet (John 1:45-46 TNIV).

“Behold the Author of our salvation,
Behold the wonder of grace so free,
Behold the blessing of true forgiveness at Calvary.

God, it’s Your love
Here on display.
We stand in awe
It takes our breath away.” (‘Come and see’, Matt Redman)
‘Come and see’, Matt Redman

Stephen spoke from 1 Peter 2:4-6 TNIV this morning, reminding us that we are all ‘living stones’. It was a message to each one of us individually and collectively, for this passage describes what every Christian is in Christ.

Stones are generally thought of as inanimate objects. I love stones. Being on a beach full of pebbles and stones is a great experience, for there is so much diversity there. When we were in Laxey, Garry and Stephen both spent hours skimming stones into the sea; we discovered subsequently that there is actually a stone-skimming championship held annually in the UK!

God calls us ‘living stones‘, however. A stone generally is not living; it doesn’t fulfil the MRS GREN category for life (to be classed as living, things have to have Movement, Respire, have Sensitivity, Grow, Reproduce, Excrete and need Nutrition). God gives life to the dead, however, and we have been brought from death to life (Eph 2:1-7 TNIV). We are no longer passive or inanimate, for God, the Giver of all Life, has breathed life into us. Our God is alive and makes us alive!

We all matter to God and are important to Him. We all have purpose in Him, purpose which is growing and ongoing. Again, we tend to think of a building as being lifeless and some buildings don’t even seem to have any purpose, but we are being built into a holy house. If God lives within us by His Spirit, then there is life within the house! We are chosen by God and every day of our lives can know purpose and meaning, our lives shining forth with vibrancy and colour because God is like that! We need God to keep the fires burning in our lives so that we do not become jaded and lifeless, but instead let God’s light shine through us.

Every Saturday morning from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, our church is involved in a coffee morning. A rota of willing volunteers help to make drinks for people which we sell at modest prices (where else could you get a hot drink for 50p these days?) People from our church, other churches and the general community out doing their Saturday shopping drop in to have a drink and a chat. It’s a great opportunity to get to know people and to be the first point of contact some of them have with a church. We take drinks to the market stall holders and try to build relationships with people. It’s a great ministry, rooted in everyday conversations and practical love. Our thanks go to all who selflessly give up their time to help with this and to all who make it worthwhile by coming along and sharing with us!

Tonight members of our church and the Methodist church at Great Houghton attended a meeting at the Salvation Army to reflect on the work being done in the food bank. We are so grateful for this opportunity to help serve the poor and needy in our community and it was exciting to hear testimonies of how God is blessing this work and using the outreach to bring people to know Him. We enjoyed the hospitality of the Salvation Army who provided tea for us and then listened to testimonies of all God is doing locally as well as worshipping and praying together.

It is humbling to see how God is working in all the local churches in Goldthorpe and to know that we are part of a much bigger something that God is doing. As Matthew West sings below, if we are God’s hands and feet, we need to be doing something to reflect His heart and this is one way of doing something! Please continue to pray for the many people in real need whose lives are being touched and blessed by God through the generosity of local people.

‘Do Something’, Matthew West
The story behind the song

New blinds have just been fitted in the kitchen and in the rest of the community hall: