Monday, May 5, 2008

The Healing Congregation - An Up-to-date Testimony

Click here for the story
of someone who received healing

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Groan, Groan, And Groan Some More! - Worship activity

Activity During Morning Worship for everyone including children!
Ascension Sunday
(Based On Idea By Sue Relf)

Ask children to come out and stand in a line facing the congregation

Ask them to moan and groan as if feeling very cold - are they convincing?
as if feeling hungry - give them sympathy!
as if having a tummy ache - all girls together to groan
as if being bored - all boys together to groan

When do adults groan?...
when hearing a bad joke
when listening to a politician speak
when at a pantomime
when running in a marathon

We usually moan and groan when things are bad or difficult,
when as we said earlier we are in pain or suffering.

Romans 8:22 says We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time

The Bible says that not only the world around us is decaying physically but spiritually it is also infected with sin.

When we are in any kind of trouble we have two choices, either we do something about it or we don't! As you listen to the story of how Jesus, after his resurrection, was taken up to heaven notice how the disciples go about their predicament - having to live without living with Jesus anymore.

In Acts 1:11 we see a scene where the disciples are told off by angels for doing something daft...they stood looking at the sky trying to see Jesus! In verses 12 and 13 they do something more sensible, they are recorded as going back to Jerusalem and praying together as Jesus had asked to do anyway.

When you face a dilemma, a difficult task, don't stand around hoping it will all get sorted but make sure you pray about it.

John will speak to us more about it later but for now, lets remain firm in the faith for one day Jesus will come back for us and then he will turn our tragedies into triumphs, our poverty into riches, our pain into glory, our defeat into victory. We who love Jesus will be reunited with him and will be safe and secure for ever.