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Put Your Faith to Work

21/06/2017
21 Jun 2017
But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”
Matthew 19:14

Jesus’ teaching in this passage is astonishingly simple and yet incredibly profound. The summary? Ok  …

Disciples of Jesus should remove all hindrances that keep children from coming to Jesus.

Did you get that? We should try, with all our might, to remove problems that stop children coming to Jesus. What are these hindrances? Well let me tell you just one: the hindrance of the lack of teachers.

I believe that God sent Richard and Bekah, Aaron and China, and now Joe and Jenni to Calvary for a very important role – to reach out to families through ministry to children. These six people have spearheaded and done great deeds for the Kingdom and their influence will be felt for eternity. We want to continue to see families transformed by the power of the gospel – from the oldest to the youngest! If we pray for our Family Ministry Leaders and cooperate with them, I believe God will do a mighty work through them to bring children to Himself and raise up a new generation of disciples who put their hope in the Lord. This absolutely excites me! This is one of the reasons why we exist isn’t it?

Our hands are for others and we demonstrate our love for each other by being the least, preferring others above ourselves and joyfully giving ourselves away.

So, here’s the situation with our annual Holiday Bible Club the moment: we need helpers. We know for a fact that, over the last two or three years, children and families have heard about Jesus Christ (and have had some amazing fun times as well).  We are passionate about continuing this valuable outreach, but we can only do it if we have the right people to help make it happen.  This is where you come in.  I don’t want to only encourage you to pray about it, I don’t want to encourage you to only consider helping. I want to exhort you to lend a hand, whether in practical service, planning or even in teaching and leading.  This is a great Gospel outreach opportunity, where unchurched children and families are hearing about the glorious grace on offer to them in Christ.

Put your faith to work!
Send Joe or Jenni and email and let them know that you can help!
0 Comments/in blog, Family Ministry /by

For Your Connect Groups – 18 June 2017

18/06/2017
18 Jun 2017

We’re continuing in our study in the Book of James.  We pray these notes will help you review and meditate on our text this week.

Pray Together

  • What are some of the church needs you’re aware of?
  • Who in the church needs your intercession?
  • What are you and your loved ones praying for at the moment?
  • What wider situations can you pray into?

Read Together

The title for our series in James is “Well Done is Better than Well Said,” and this week we looked at James 2:25-26 – a short text continuing his argument regarding the interrelationship between faith and works.  He’s still responding to the “someone” of 2:14.  Abraham has been offered as a demonstration that faith is always accompanied by works; this week Rahab is offered as a second example.  You may wish to re-read Joshua 2 to see the story of Rahab.

Gospel Power

This week, we reminded ourselves that the Gospel is “the power of God for salvation to all who believe” (Roman 1:16).  As people who have faith in the Gospel, we are transformed– and being transformed– by the Gospel.  James exhorts us to let our faith in the Gospel outwork itself.

Discuss:

  • How do you keep yourself grounded in the gospel?
  • How do you avoid the trap of doing works for other reasons?
  • Do you really believe that you need the radical transformation of the Gospel?  How can you stay focused on God’s sanctifying work?

Faith Risks

As we saw, Rahab had heard that The Lord – Yahweh – is working mighty works on behalf of the people of Israel, and she believed that He is One True God.  This faith led her to receive the spies, welcome them into her accommodation, and then protect them and send them out safely.  As a result, Joshua saved her and her family with her alive at the fall of Jericho.

Discuss:

  • We saw how Rahab eschewed the potential reward for betraying the spies to the authorities of Jericho.  However, this would have been for a fleeting reward indeed!  Do you sometimes feel tempted to favour the riches and recognition of the world, rather than Heavenly riches?  You may wish to read Mark 8:34-38.

Some people are more naturally “risk-takers” than others.  For us to take action we know God’s calling us to do can need courage.  However, what’s really needed is faith in God – to believe that God is more than capable of looking after us!

  • Can you refer to a time where you have taken a risk for God?  What happened?  Do you have any regrets?
  • Can you think of a time when you’ve NOT taken an opportunity that God presented to you?  What happened?  Do you have any regrets?

Hopefully, the discussion around this will be positive and fruitful, leading to encouragement to press on and trust God.  We should not hold onto regrets: by faith they are forgiven in Jesus’ name.  Paul would have us to “forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead.  To press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13-14).

Keep Each Other Accountable

Remember, your Connect Group is meant to be a place you can safely share your struggles and know your brothers/sisters who love you will pray for you.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Pray for One Another

Share your prayer needs and requests.  Commit to pray for one another, not just now but throughout the week.

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This week at Calvary Family Ministry

18/06/2017
18 Jun 2017

For you to discuss and engage in the spiritual life of your children here is what we looked at this week at Calvary Family Ministry.

Topic:

Jesus met a Samaritan woman (John 4)

Synopsis:

Jesus offered the woman something no one else could give her—living water. Jesus wasn’t talking about water that she could physically drink; Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit who would satisfy her spiritual thirst. Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to those who come to Him by faith.

Talking Point:

At the time Jesus was on earth, the social food chain went like this: Jews don’t talk to Samaritans. The strife between the two groups stretched back hundreds of years, to the Babylonian exile.

When the Babylonians attacked Judah, they moved a large group of God’s people away from their homes. But some of the people—the poorest, sickest, least able to work—were left behind in the region that became known as Samaria. The exile lasted 70 years. During that time, those left in Samaria began to mingle with their neighbors to the north. They intermarried and practiced foreign customs. While the Samaritans still believed in God, they adapted their beliefs.

The Jews who returned home from Babylon to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem rejected this new way of life. They were dedicated to obeying and worshiping God, and they didn’t agree with the Samaritans’ practices. The Samaritans opposed the Jews’ efforts to reestablish their nation. In time, the Jews’ hate for the Samaritans grew—so much so, that a Jew traveling from Judea to Galilee would take a longer route to travel around Samaria rather than through it.

Jesus broke down barriers when He traveled to Galilee by way of Samaria. Even more surprising, Jesus stopped at a well around noon and asked a Samaritan woman for a drink. Jewish men did not speak to women in public.

But Jesus was kind to her, and He offered a gift—living water. The woman didn’t understand, but Jesus revealed His knowledge of her past. He even gave her a glimpse of the future. The Samaritan woman expected a Messiah to come and fix everything. Jesus said, “I am He.”

The living water Jesus offers is the Holy Spirit. (See John 7:37-39.) It is a gift that He is eager to give us when we ask Him. Those who receive His grace will never be thirsty again.

Questions to discuss with your child:

Q: Who did Jesus say He is?

A: Jesus is fully God and fully man.

Discuss: Jesus told the Samaritan woman He is the Messiah.

Key Unit Passage:

John 14:6

Next Week:

Jesus rejected in Nazareth (Luke 4)

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For Your Connect Groups – 11 June 2017

11/06/2017
11 Jun 2017

What a blessed time we had together this week!  We pray these notes will help you review and meditate on our text this week.

Pray Together

  • What are some of the church needs you’re aware of?
  • Who in the church needs your intercession?
  • What are you and your loved ones praying for at the moment?
  • What wider situations can you pray into?

Read Together

The title for our series in James is “Well Done is Better than Well Said,” and this week we looked at James 2:20-24.  We saw James continue his argument from last week regarding the interrelationship between faith and works.  He’s still responding to the “someone” of 2:14.

Faith & Works Continued

We spend time last week reviewing James’ key point: authentic saving faith necessarily results in good works.  This is because God responds to saving faith by causing us to be born again as a new creation, with a new heart and new desires.  It takes time to grow in this, but transformation and good works will always be the result.  Recall, we considered this verse on Sunday:

Titus 1:16 [The defiled and unbelieving] profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

In our text today, James puts Abraham forward as an example of one who shows that works were active in Abraham’s justification.

Read Genesis 15:1-6

  • Do we see works resulting from faith here?
  • What is the basis for Abraham’s righteousness in v6?

Remember, the word “believed” is the same as “faith”; the former being a verb and the latter a noun.

Read Genesis 22:1-12

  • Do we see works resulting from faith here?
  • Where is faith shown at work?

Recall from our study: Abraham’s response of “here I am” is one of submission and readiness to obey.

James brings it home in verse 22: “You see?”  Faith was active, and faith was completed by works, which fulfilled the Scripture from Genesis 15, where Abraham’s faith is counted as righteousness.  Thus, Abraham was called the “Friend of God”

Discuss

  • Do you think of yourself as a “friend” of God?  How would you describe your relationship with Him?
  • Do you want to cultivate a closer relationship with God?  What things contribute to this?  What things detract?

Relationship is Superior to Rule-keeping

We discussed how we are called not to sterile rule-keeping (dead works) but to a living relationship with God.  That’s why Paul said:

Galatians 5:22–23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

There is no law because the fruit is a by-product of relationship.  As he said further in Galatians 5:6, the only thing that counts towards justification is “faith working through love.”

For Abraham, this meant loving and obeying God over his son Isaac.  The trusting relationship he had with God meant he could unquestioningly obey his God.

Discuss:

  • What do you love above God?  What would you struggle to put to death, should God call you?
  • Are you allowing God’s Spirit to lead and direct you?

As you prayerfully consider these questions together, read John 10:10.

  • Do you really believe (faith!) that Jesus came to give you abundant life?  Is that belief playing out in your actions, or do you look for life’s fulfilment elsewhere?

Keep Each Other Accountable

Remember, your Connect Group is meant to be a place you can safely share your struggles and know your brothers/sisters who love you will pray for you.

Galatians 6:1–2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Pray for One Another

Share your prayer needs and requests.  Commit to pray for one another, not just now but throughout the week.

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Film & Theology – The Shack

08/06/2017
08 Jun 2017

A number of years ago William P. Young published the novel “The Shack” to critical acclaim. It not only won numerous awards and a lot of air time, it also sold over 20 million copies worldwide. I read the book. I haven’t seen the film, which is released in Southampton cinemas tomorrow. It was an easy read with a moderately powerful storyline:

Mack (main character) takes his family on a holiday to the lakes (not the Lake District) where every parent’s worst nightmare comes true, when a psycho killer abducts and kills his young daughter. At his wits end, he receives an invitation from God to visit a shack, enabling him to wrestle with and work through his anger.

What follows is not a critique of the book/film but, what I hope is, a helpful guide to those who have read the book or are planning to watch the film.

The Dark Side

The Shack exemplifies the dark side of human nature, at it’s worst, in the most powerful way. In a world where evil is thought of in shades of gray, types of films like The Shack are moral in their suppositions – heroes are heroes and villains and villains. Whether you are watching parents wrestle with the aftermath of the murder of a child, or thinking about specific characters from other films, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, man’s struggle with inner evil is clearly evident and not at all hidden.

“We’re not evil because of the evil we do .. we do evil because we are evil”

Casanova, The Addiction

One of the things that people find particularly troubling about Christianity – one of the hurdles to accepting the truth claims of the Bible – is its teaching that people are inherently sinful and need to be saved by the God they are rebelling against. This is a crucial point – without sin there is no need for salvation. At the heart of The Shack is an attempt to highlight the problem of sin and the problem of evil (and then the consequences and repercussions that these bring). The author makes an attempt to write about sin and evil and calls it for what it is. What we are.

What made The Shack a best seller? Well, it’s a best seller because Young understands that in order to write a best seller, our connection to the protagonist, in this case Mack, is what make stories work. The only way to make a popular story is to write a narrative that features characters who are dealing with universal issues. In short, the reason The Shack was successful is because we all share something of Mack’s struggle. We all live in a fallen and broken world where sin and evil reign too often. Our world doesn’t paint in black and white absolutes but in shades of grey that are relative. Young lives in that world too but points out that there is a thing called evil, and it’s absolute. This is the reason we connect with the story, this is what makes the story work. Mack is confronted with evil – and that’s a struggle that we all face. We should commend Young in his attempt at dealing with such a deeply difficult topic as the problem of evil.

The Invitation

This is, of course, where Jesus starts. He came into the same broken and fallen world – a world of universal sin and suffering – and says “Come unto me all ye who labour and are heavy laden”. There is no particular event to which Jesus speaks. His statement is not directed to any particular person and that’s because Jesus recognises that evil is a universal problem. The weight of sin affects all. “All ye” Jesus says – that is his tragic word to us. It is the word of pity to all those who are being crushed under the heavy laden burden of their lives lived without God. Young picks this theme up and in the midst of Macks struggle to come to terms with what has happened – coming face to face with evil – writes that Mack is invited by God to meet Him.

The cross that is a symbol of defeat before it is a symbol of victory speaks also of the absence of God. “My God, My God, why have your forsaken me?”. Jesus shares with us the darkness of what it is to be without God as well as showing forth the flow of what it is to be with God. The invitation to “Come unto me” firstly recognises the need, then the heavy burden … and then finally “I will give you rest”. This is the great promise that is alluded to in the Shack: the invitation to rest.

The Elephant in the Room

This all sounds good so far. Sin is sin. Evil is evil. God is in pursuit of mankind and offers rest to those who are weighed down by the load of sin. So what’s the problem. Well, meet meet Young’s God: a God who isn’t offended by sin (even the murder of a child). What? That’s right. The Shack effectively disavows God of His holiness and in it’s place is universalism. There is not a hint of trying to reconcile divine love with overwhelming holiness. Simply stated: Young’s view of orthodox Christianity wanes terribly.

If the Bible is what it claims to be – the very Word of God  – then there are two things that must be true: God exists and God has spoken. Yet, in a more recent book, where Young outlines his theology, he makes the claim that the idea that human beings are separated from God and need saving are “fundamental lies”. He claims that everyone is a child of God regardless of their spiritual status.

 

Young claims:

“Jesus did not come to build a bridge back to God or to offer the possibility of getting unseparated,”

Lies We Believe About God, Young, p232

In answer to this:

“Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you”

Isaiah 59:2

Sadly there are many more examples like this of Young’s poor theology. So, don’t read the Shack and let it inform your theology. Read the Bible and let it inform your view of The Shack.

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For Your Connect Groups – 4 June 2017

04/06/2017
04 Jun 2017

Here are some study notes and questions for discussion in your Connect groups this week.  We pray they will be beneficial to you.

Pray Together

  • What are some of the church needs you’re aware of?
  • Who in the church needs your intercession?
  • What are you and your loved ones praying for at the moment?
  • What wider situations can you pray into?

Read Together

The title for our series in James is “Well Done is Better than Well Said,” and this week we looked at James 2:14-19.  What a powerful text we must wrestle with!  And we should wrestle with it: this is evidence we are alive to God.

I’ve outlined below some of the key points this week, with some verses to review and questions to ponder.  Ensure you leave time to share and pray into these topics.  God’s committed Himself to work in our hearts and change us.  So ask Him to do what He’s promised!

Faith & Works

We spent some time talking about how this text stands in sharp contrast to Paul in verses such as Ephesians 2:8-9.  Paul says in Galatians 2:16 that “… we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ … because by works of the law no one will be justified.”  But James says in 2:24 “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”  No wonder theologians have wrestled for centuries!  Who is right?

As you will recall, and as you would expect as the Bible is the very Word of God, James and Paul are both speaking the same truth, but emphasising two different aspects.

It’s important to ensure we understand this to the greatest extent we can, because as Christians there are various traps we can fall in.  Consider:

  • Have you ever tried to “make amends” when feeling the conviction of sin by “doing good”, reading your Bible or some such thing?
  • Have you felt that God’s love for you must be greater when you’ve done something good, and less when you’ve sinned?
  • Have you talked yourself out of good works because you know they aren’t “necessary for salvation?”

Read Romans 4:1-8

  • What was the basis of Abraham’s righteousness?
  • Compare this to James 2:21-23, which we’ll cover in detail next week.

Read 1 John 2:3-6

  • What does John put forward as the evidence we know Jesus Christ?
  • What does John put forward as the evidence we’re IN Jesus Christ?

Hopefully, where you’ll end up is to see that:

  • Paul is denying the efficacy of dead works to save.  Merely trying to “do good” will never allow us access to God, and doing good does nothing to increase our favour with God, compel Him to answer our prayers, or any such thing.  We have only done our duty (Luke 17:10)
  • James is denying the validity of dead faith.  Claiming to have believed in the Gospel and be “saved” is invalid if life-transformation is not apparent.  Good works are not optional for believers.

The Life of God

The key point we’re making is that good works are a naturally occurring phenomenon for a Christian.

Read Ezekiel 36:26-27

This is written to Israel but clearly referring to spiritual salvation here.

  • What is removed?  What is replaced?
  • What causes us to carry out God’s will?

Read Philippians 2:13

  • Again, what causes our will to be God’s good pleasure?

Read 1 Timothy 6:18-19

  • How will Timothy’s charges “take hold of that which is truly life?”

Jesus said in John 17:3 that eternal life is to know God, and Jesus Christ.  It’s God’s will and purpose that we abide in Him now, which is the pinnacle of joy and results in good works.

Discuss:

  • Can you testify to the joy of walking with God in obedience?  Any specific examples to share?
  • What other things vie for your attention, claiming to bring joy?  Can you see how they fall short?  What support do you need from your brothers/sisters?

Keep Each Other Accountable

Remember, your Connect Group is meant to be a place you can safely share your struggles and know your brothers/sisters who love you will pray for you.

Galatians 6:1–2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Pray for One Another

Share your prayer needs and requests.  Commit to pray for one another, not just now but throughout the week.

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Baptisms

04/06/2017
04 Jun 2017

Thinking about being baptised? Well here’s some really exciting news: we are hoping to hold a baptismal service in June or July and would like to invite any who has made a profession of faith in Jesus to think about being baptised. We are still looking at some dates so at the moment this is a call for us to start talking about it! Once you let us know that you’re interested in being baptised one of our leadership team will contact you.

What is Water Baptism?

In summary water baptism:

  • is not a personal choice, but a command for believers (Mark 16:16).
  • is a public, outward testimony that indicates a personal, inward faith. It gives evidence of the inner change that has already occurred in the believer’s life.
  • identifies the believer with the message of the Gospel, the Person of Jesus Christ and other believers. We’re in this together!
  • associates the believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
  • signifies that the believer has “died” to the old life and his or her has been “raised” as a new creation in Christ (Romans 6:1-8; Colossians 2:12).

Who Should Be Baptised?

All believers in Jesus Christ-and only believers-should be baptised (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 8:12, 36-38, 16:31-33, 18:8).

What about Babies and Children?

In this country we have a long history of baptising (or Christening) babies and children. However, this is not our conviction. Here’s why: after Peter spoke at Pentecost, Luke records:

those who gladly received his word were baptised.

Acts 2:41

In the New Testament, every instance in which a person was baptised and his or her identity was given, that person was an adult. In light of Scripture, infant baptism must be ruled out, because infants cannot receive the Word of God and understand it. However, babies can to be dedicated to the Lord just like we see in 1 Samuel 1:26-28 and Luke 2:22-38. Children, or young adults, may be baptised if they are able to receive and understand God’s Word.

In Whose Name Should We Be Baptised?

As part of the Great Commission, Jesus instructed the disciples to baptise

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19

 Is Water Baptism Necessary For Salvation?

The Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and according to God’s mercy (Titus 3:5). Water baptism is not an act of salvation, but an act of obedience because of salvation.

How Do I Get Baptised?

If you would like to be baptised, please contact one of the elders by completing this form.We would love to chat to you about your reasons for wanting to be baptised and how we might facilitate as many of your friends and family members being there as possible

 

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Father give me strength for ….

01/06/2017
01 Jun 2017

Father, give me strength for …. facing the unknown without flinching in faith of the One who does know.

Father, give me strength for …. facing the battle and to giving glory to You for the victory.

Father, give me strength for …. confronting those who oppose me, without losing the grace that you’ve shown me.

Father, give me strength for …. obeying to do what is right, not what is easy.

Father, give me strength for …. another day with hope filled eyes.

These are worthy prayers. These are prayers I’ve personally and humbly prayed this week … Father, give me the strength to …

I wonder how you would end that sentence. What do you need strength for today? Go ahead, take a moment to think about it, then quietly submit your heart to the Lord and ask  … “Father, give me the strength to ……. in your precious Son’s Name, amen.”

I’m writing to encourage you today, but also to remind my own heart that this strength comes from God. Isaiah writes:

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31

and

fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Can I encourage you today to rely less on yourself, or others around you, and to rely more on God. As you do this you will become more and more confident that

…If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Getting Strength

Now you might be asking .. “sounds great. How do I get this strength?”. Great question! Here’s how the psalmist answers:

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

Psalm 31:24

How do weak people become strong people? The Psalmist answers: those who wait on the Lord”. Why? because it is the Lord who gives strength:

and

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27:14

So the way to be strong is to be strong with a strength that is received from the Lord. That seems to be the gist of what is being said. Wait for the Lord to give the strength. Next question: what does “waiting” look like? Well, let me say this first: Waiting on the Lord seems to be an expression of the healthy heart’s desire.

O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul

Isaiah 26:8

Waiting on God

Paul prays for Christians that they may be

strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light

Colossians 1:11–12

Did you notice the phrase “patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father”? It seems that patience, or waiting, is linked somehow to “joy”, and this in turn is linked to “giving thanks”. So how about this: giving thanks to the Father, increasing your joy whilst you are waiting for the Lord. Does that phrase work for you? How about I re-phrase it a little: waiting for strength means counting your blessings, naming them to God and being filled with joy.

Isn’t this what the Ezra told the people when he said to them:

…“ the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10

We must be a people who know that

The Lord is my strength

Exodus 15:2

and the way we are to gain strength (that is not our own) is to take pleasure in the things of God, and even in God Himself. We do that as we remember the blessings and count them back to God and give him thanks for them.

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Summer Missions

31/05/2017
31 May 2017

Make your summer count this year with opportunities to serve God and His people in Summer Missions.

On a Summer Mission, you will:

  • Work with a team
  • Grow Closer to God
  • Have some extreme fun
  • Bring the Gospel to people who need Jesus
  • Learn to articulate the Gospel to anybody, anywhere

Two missions opportunities this year:

Creation Fest UK

  • 5-11 August
  • Royal Cornwall Showground
  • The aim of Creation Fest UK is to a) be a evangelistic outreach to Cornwall b) a Bible teaching week for Christians c) a Christian Music Festival.
  • Working as part of the Calvary Southampton team (or on another team if you wish) you’ll be responsible for the smooth running of the Showcase Venue (a multi purpose music and bible venue housing a busy cafe and stage). There are plenty of opportunities to chat to people as they wander in and get to know people from near and far.
  • Visit the Creation Fest website to register to volunteer.

 

Holiday Bible Club

  • 17-19 August
  • Great Oaks School
  • The aim of our Holiday Bible Club us to engage children with the good news of Jesus!
  • You”ll be working as part of a team – responsible for the smooth running of the Holiday Club. Having lots of energy and up for anything is a must! The Holiday Bible is alwasy exhausting but always so much fun!
  • Speak to Joe and Jenni Connelly to register to volunteer.
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For Your Connect Groups – 28 May 2017

28/05/2017
28 May 2017

Here are some study notes and questions for discussion in your Connect groups this week.  We pray they will be beneficial to you.

Pray Together

  • What are some of the church needs you’re aware of?
  • Who in the church needs your intercession?
  • What are you and your loved ones praying for at the moment?
  • What wider situations can you pray into?

Read Together

The text for our study this week is James 1:26 – 2:13.  The title for our series in James is “Well Done is Better than Well Said,” and this week we discussed the subject of “provenance” – the documentation or other proof that shows the true value of something.  What is the provenance of our faith?  What shows its value?  Three things are in our text:

  1. To bridle our tongues
  2. To love as Jesus loved
  3. To remain unstained from the world

The Tongue

We’ve already spoken about the importance of keeping watch over what we say.  If we don’t, here James says all of our sacrifice and service for God is worthless!  We deceive ourselves if we think otherwise.

Discuss:

  • Why do you think God puts such a heavy weight on this?  Read James 3:1-12 if you need insight.
  • Have you been wounded by someone else’s speech?  Did you forgiven them?  Have you resolved the matter?

Love

In 1:27 James reveals the heart of our Father God: He has compassion on the weak and helpless.  See Psalm 68:5 to see this again.  Another provenance for our faith: loving in the same way as Christ.

Discuss:

  • Be honest, how high of a priority is this for you?
  • If this is a priority for God, how can you make it a higher personal priority?

Unstained From the World

By the term “world”, James means the godless world system.  Christ Himself came to this world, spent time with sinners and rebels, yet was without sin.  He was unstained.  We have the same call: to be in this world, but not of it.  We’re residents here, but we are citizens of Heaven.  We are Christ’s ambassadors.

Discuss:

  • How does this work out in your context?  For example, in the workplace it might look like joining your colleagues in conversation and for a meal, but remaining sober while they drink.
  • Do you find this a challenge?  What helps?  What hinders?

Partiality

In the early part of chapter 2, James zooms in on the subject of partiality.  Literally, “judging according to the face.”  It’s where you and I make decisions and show bias based upon what we see.  James covers the more common case, where we might show favouritism to a rich person, but Exodus 23:3 shows that there is potential for the inverse too.

There are other outward reasons we may show favouritism and partiality.  We think a person may be good for our career.  We think a person is attractive.  And so on.  We sinfully relate to people because we perceive we may receive some benefit.

Discuss:

  • Do you recall how Christ’s title “the Lord of glory” speaks into this sin?  It may help to read back in James 1:16-18.

Keep Each Other Accountable

Remember, your Connect Group is meant to be a place you can safely share your struggles and know your brothers/sisters who love you will pray for you.

Galatians 6:1–2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Pray for One Another

Share your prayer needs and requests.  Commit to pray for one another, not just now but throughout the week.

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About Us

Calvary is a Christian church in Southampton. We meet every Sunday morning at 10:30 at Great Oaks School, Vermont Close, Southampton SO16 7LT. There is a fairly informal atmosphere, people wear casual clothes, the music is modern in style but traditional in substance. Calvary has a strong emphasis on preaching the gospel and living it on mission.