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Events, Talks, News Sheets and more
Events, Talks, News Sheets and more
God’s plan for our financial wellbeing
There is a highway called ‘God’s plan for your financial wellbeing’, and on either side are two ditches: ‘Poverty Perspective’ and a ‘Materialistic Mindset’. The first one sees life through a lens of scarcity and is afraid of lack. There is a theme going through the Bible that God provides for his people (Read Matthew 6.25-33).
A materialistic mindset is about an unhealthy concern for our physical comforts and the acquisition of material possessions and wealth. This mindset can be found in all income brackets!
Jesus invites us to trust in God and to first seek his kingdom – that way lies freedom! When we live in the will of God we can expect the provision of God.
Think about the picture of the highway and two ditches. Are you prone to one of these mindsets or maybe a combination of both? Re-read Matthew 6.33 and consider how Jesus’ teaching can and will set you free.
(Excerpt from: Dave Smith, God’s Plan for your Wellbeing.)
Stewardship, not ownership
Did you know that 16 of the 38 parables Jesus told were concerned with how to handle money and possessions? True wellbeing includes the financial and material area of our lives. Worries about money are one of the main causes of stress. God wants us to live in financial peace (“shalom”) – having margin each month, with opportunities to save for the future and to give to help others.
As Christians we believe that all things come from God – we don’t own them, but God wants us to steward them. That is a crucial difference if we want to enjoy internal freedom from fear and worry. Once we have settled that God is the owner, we can begin to learn how to manage our finances his way!
Where is your financial dial – red, amber or green? How might knowing God is the owner and you his steward help you grow in financial peace and wellbeing?
(Excerpt from: Dave Smith, God’s Plan for your Wellbeing.)
You can’t win a Rolls Royce in today’s service, but it is full of helpful contributions about our financial wellbeing! We’re showing off the second batch of your beautiful mugs during the countdown. Edda and Christoph are leading the service live from the Rectory as we continue The Wellbeing Journey. [Find all the links below this video]
11.15am after this service:
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES:
Open the Book Bible story (Elijah part 3)…
Bible puzzle colouring in sheets…
Saturday 6 March
Desire, discipline, delight
Three key stages in our relationship with God:
Desire: A thirst for God, often after we first become a Christian. But desire is not enough – we need to embrace…
Discipline: This includes thanksgiving, slowing down, being present, celebrating Sabbath, praying, reading the Bible, solitude and silence. Jesus is our supreme example: Often he withdrew to lonely places to be with his Father. Focus on finding the time, the place, the way. Two foundational ways are reading and reflecting on Scripture and speaking to God in prayer and worship. In addition to these two, it is essential to include a regular rhythm of meeting with other Christians to worship, learn and grow together.
It is important to remember that spiritual disciplines are not an end in themselves. They are like a trellis for the vine to provide structure and stability with the goal of producing great grapes. The more we embrace discipline, the more we will experience…
Delight. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37.4).
This continual, even daily progression from desire to discipline to delight will help you grow spiritually, no matter how long you have been a Christian.
> How can you start to increase spiritual disciplines in your life?
Amen
Friday 5 March
The still, small voice
“My sheep listen to my voice.” (Jesus in John 10.27)
We are unlikely to hear God’s voice audibly. Rather, the God who has come to live in us wants to communicate to our spirit by his Spirit.
If we want to learn to listen to God we need to cultivate the spiritual discipline of silence (‘listen’ and ‘silent’ are anagrams!). It begins as an outward discipline but the goal is that it becomes an inward reality. Once we embark on silence we will notice the noise in us, which John Mark Comer describes as ‘a wild beast in desperate need of taming’.
Slowing down, Sabbath and solitude are essential for learning silence so we can hear the ‘still small voice’ of God.
Sometimes we can struggle to hear him because we haven’t yet learned to discern his still voice. At other times, God may have spoken to us, but we haven’t been listening! Perhaps we are looking for him to say something new, when he wants to bring us back to a previous statement we have ignored.
> Take some time to be silent. Welcome God’s presence. Notice if he is saying anything. If not, don’t worry – just enjoy his company.
Thursday 4 March
Listen and learn
The foundational way of God speaking to us is through the Bible (read 2 Timothy 3.16-17). When we read the Bible, we read the Word of God!
Wayne Cordeiro suggests we read the Bible with the SOAP method:
S: Scripture – deliberately pause on a verse or passage.
O: Observation – ask questions about what it’s saying.
A: Application – consider how this Scripture applies to you.
P: Pray – talk to God in the light of what you have found.
God speaks to us personally through the Bible, by his Spirit! Let’s take the time to immerse ourselves in it.
> Take a look at the Youversion Bible app (bible.com) and start one of the many reading plans. We also recommend the Lectio 365 app for daily Bible reflection and prayer.
Wednesday 3 March
God’s not in a box!
There are so many ways in which we can communicate with God! We will always discover new ways to pray, because can’t box God in!
Elijah was used to seeing God reveal himself in great power. Now, on Mount Sinai, God comes to him in a gentle whisper or a ‘still small voice’ (1 Kings 19.12).
Here are some ways that might help you develop your relationship with God:
> Discover a different way of connecting with God this week!
If you’d like to explore the Christian faith, we’d love to be part of your journey of faith. There are also some helpful websites as a starting point:
St Mary’s Church Office
Village Road
Denham UB9 5BH
Tel: 01895 832771
Monday 09:30am – 12.00pm
Tuesday 09.30am – 12.oopm
Wednesday Office Closed
Thursday 12.30pm – 3.00pm
Friday 12:30pm – 3:00pm