Tonight’s ‘Churches Together’ meeting looked at the topic of thankfulness and gratitude. We made crosses where we wrote our own reasons to thank God:

Our reasons were varied, including thanks for our families and friends, pets and animals, food and places. On the notice board, we also looked at things we are thankful for:

A taster session is meant to give you an idea of what something is like; it provides (to continue the food analogy) a flavour of what is to come. Universities run ‘taster sessions’ for would-be students, giving them the opportunity to attend lectures and visit departments so they can decide if a particular course is to their taste. Leisure centres may offer taster sessions so that you can discover if you would like to do particular sports. Slimming World classes sometimes hold taster sessions when people can try out the recipes they recommend to decide what they would like to eat in future.

This is a ‘taster session’, so to speak, for next week’s Bible study, when we will be looking at 1 Cor 15:12-34. In this passage, Paul is looking at the certainty and hope of the resurrection of the dead because of Christ’s resurrection. A key verse is ‘But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.‘ (1 Cor 15:20)

‘But God…’ is a phrase found in many Bible verses, some of which I looked at at the start of 2013 (see here.) It’s a phrase which completely turns the situation around. ‘But’ is a ‘conjunction which is used to introduce a phrase or clause contrasting with what has already been mentioned.‘ Paul has been looking at the dire situation we would be in if Christ had not been raised from the dead (a situation which includes still being in our sins and being pitied above all) and affirms categorically that we are not in this position because Christ has indeed been raised from the dead! A similar phrase can be found in Acts 3:15 and Acts 10:39-40, where we see the contrast between the hopelessness of death and the hope of the resurrection.

Last time in the Bible study, we looked at the foundations of our faith and how to explain the gospel to those who do not yet believe, determining what is really essential to be saved rather than simply interesting to know about. The picture below goes even further: ‘defining the gospel in two words – but God.’ God’s intervention in history in the person of Jesus Christ is what the gospel is all about.

Don’t forget the ‘Churches Together’ meeting this Saturday (17th September) at 6 p.m. at Goldthorpe Pentecostal Community Church on Market Street, Goldthorpe. It’s a great opportunity to get together with Christians from local churches and find out more about what’s going on in the area. We are focussing on thankfulness and gratitude at this service and we have so much to be grateful for! God’s goodness and love are the bedrock of our lives, giving shape and definition to all we do. Please let others know of this service and come along if you can. Refreshments will be served after the service.

On Saturday 24th September from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, we are having our Macmillan Coffee morning, supporting the work of this wonderful cancer charity. Come along to ‘spot the cake’ and enjoy home baking and other treats!

Don’t forget our usual services, either. On Thursday (15th September) we’ll be prayer walking in Goldthorpe, leaving the church at 7.30 p.m. Sunday services are at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. and our Monday night youth is running again (6.30-8.30 p.m. for 5-11 year olds) and Parent & Toddler group on Fridays (9.30 -11 a.m.) Coffee mornings are every Saturday from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, with badminton for adults on Friday evenings (7-9 p.m.)

I subscribe to an email called ‘Moodscope’, which offers thoughts on dealing with depression and mental health issues. Today’s thoughts were entitled ‘the garden of your mind’, and said  our minds are like a garden, protected by a wall, continuing, ‘Within that wall is a fertile garden, open to nurturing and growing any thought, idea or imagination that takes root there. The Garden of the Mind does not discriminate but rather multiplies anything that is sown – good or bad, resourceful or unresourceful, positive or negative. Which is why it is wise to guard the garden.’

The Bible, of course, has much to say about guarding our thought life (see 2 Cor 10:5, Phil 4:8-9). I have been contemplating gardens recently, as I have been making chutney from the tomatoes grown in a garden. It’s almost impossible to believe how many tomatoes have been grown from a few tomato plants, giving us the positive side to growth. But growing good things requires vigilance against the slugs that would eat the tomatoes, against the weeds that would choke life and so on. Growth requires pruning. Fruitfulness generally needs a gardener to make the most of growth.

We are the gardeners of our mind, responsible before God for getting rid of the weeds of thoughts that are not tamed by Christ, refusing to let our eyes and ears dwell on things that do not reflect His beauty and goodness. The reverse is also true; as we allow good thoughts and positive images to grow in our minds, we become more like Christ. The email goes on to say, ‘The great news is this stuff just works! What you look at will grow in the garden of your mind. What you listen to will grow in the garden of your mind. Who you mix with – their behaviours, attitudes, habits – all are infectious! Do you know someone with an infectious sense of humour? You’ll catch it if you spend enough time in their presence! Do you know someone with infectious joy? It’s catching!’

As I eat the chutney I made, I’m reminded of the need for vigilance in gardening, but when we guard the thoughts in our mind, the fruit is worth it!

When we take out insurance, it always pays to read the small print and discover if we are fully covered for all eventualities: quite often, there are ‘get-out clauses’ or excesses to pay before we can receive anything from the insurance company in the event of a claim. Stephen spoke tonight about the differences between insurance and assurance.

Jesus is the light of the world (Jn 8:12). Unlike insurance policies which may well leave us in the dark over what level of cover we truly have (or at least, require us to read the minuscule print in order to know our full rights!), Jesus gives us the security we yearn for. Job 24:22 reminds us that the ‘mighty’ often have no assurance, but God’s people know the protection God gives and that makes a difference to us. There is a clear distinction between light and darkness and Jesus is able to bring light into all situations and to give us ‘great assurance’ in our faith in Him (see 1 Tim 3:13).

Matt 6:26 reminds us that we are more valuable than the birds of the air; because of the value God places on human life, we find His evaluation of our worth and situations enlightening and life-changing. When God is in charge of our lives, we have ‘total cover’, total protection and assurance, and His light is able to shine into every aspect of life and transform our lives to His glory.

Dave spoke this morning from John 14:27 this morning at Cherry Tree Court about the peace Jesus promised to leave His disciples. In this passage, He was bidding farewell to His disciples, for He knew that crucifixion awaited Him, but despite the coming pain and suffering, Jesus knew peace and was able to promise a peace that does not depend on favourable circumstances.

We desperately need access to a peace that is not dependent on external circumstances (which inevitably will vary) but which can last through turmoil and trouble. True peace – shalom! – is more than an absence of fear or anxiety, however; it is a wholeness that comes from being at peace with God. Jesus did not simply plaster over the wounds of mankind, but suffered on the cross to remove the problem of sin once and for all.

The world has no true answer to sin and turmoil, offering sedatives and medication or a ‘pull-yourself-together’ attitude. Jesus cures the problem and therefore gives us peace with God which cannot be disturbed by adversity or trials.