Our Meeting on Sunday 20th October was led by Territorial Envoy Tony McClure
Theme: Sin in the spotlight
Following the announcements from Paul Scoulding Tony led us in an Opening Prayer:
Our first song of the morning was Song: 466 TB 769 ‘I stand amazed in the presence’ and following this we had a time of Open prayer . where several prayers from the congregation we made.
The Singing Company message this morning was ” Run The Race ” , they sang really well .
YP Talk:
Tony related a story from his childhood, and explained he was not always as good a person as he should have been . It seems that , despite being warned by every adult in the house not to touch some china figures on a shelf , Tony picked them up one day when he was alone in the house, and ended up breaking one of them . He compounded the situation by hiding the evidence & subsequently laying the blame elsewhere when questioned . It took 30 years before he confessed to his Mother that it was his fault . He did wrong and he Lied, but was forgiven when he admitted it. As Christians we can go to God and ask forgiveness
Our next congregational song was Song: 722 TB 459 ‘Lord, through the blood of the Lamb’ and this was followed by an old song , that many of us had not sung before Song: 462 TB 670 ‘I am not under Law’ . – Which according to Allan Jones was often sung while marching along .
Corporate Reading: Psalm 51:1-19
Songsters Message for this morning was ” Carry the Light ”
Reading: 2 Samuel 11:1-17
The message Tony gave us this morning was taken from the Bible reading above , but Tony told us that for Christian Leaders their are statistically two issues that can make them fail Money & Morals , in other commentaries it is listed as Money Sex & power , and as an example Tony told us of the recent case about William Hybels Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois . a very successful Church , where the Leader is under investigation .
Referring back to the Bible Reading Tony explained that David was bothered by sex , and was in the wrong place during a time of war . He was in his Palace , not with his Army, and therefore had leisure time and opportunity. if you read the passage , Uriah the Hittite had a much stronger moral compass, and it shows the depths of David’s lack of Morals, that he would order Uriah to carry a letter to the army commander , a letter that was Uriah’s death Warrant .
Psalm 51:1-19 Is the result of David asking forgiveness , if we allow Sin to remain un resolved it can fester and cause further problems . We are required to say sorry to God. David was forgiven by God , However the previous King , Saul , did not ask forgiveness and he died .
David went on to be known as a man after Gods own heart . We need to allow the person of Jesus to be seen through us in our daily lives
In closure we sang the beautiful General John Gowans song , Song: 490 TB 656 ‘Don’t assume…’
Thank you to all those that made worship possible today .
THIS WEEK AT THE HALL
MONDAY
10am – 1pm Employment +
10:30 – 1pm Medway Foodbank
TUESDAY
7:00pm L.I.F.E. Dinner
WEDNESDAY
1:30 Oasis Fellowship
8pm Bible Study
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
12 Noon Prayer Fellowship
10:30 – 1pm Foodbank
NEXT SUNDAY 27th October
10am Major Ian F Payne
10:30 Sunday School
1pm Band Learners
5pm Special Guest: Billie Jo O’Leary
from ‘Home for Good’ charity
FOODBANK APPEAL
Medway Foodbank, of which we are a part, is desperately short of supplies. If all of us are able to bring two tins a week we have the potential of giving over 150 tins a week to this worthwhile project – a box in the foyer will be provided – Thanks for your support.
Coming Events
Sunday 27th October
Our 5pm meeting will be a Guest service with Billie Jo O’Leary from ‘Home For Good’ – a Christian Charity that looks for homes for children to be adopted. Billie is a local lady with a remarkable story.
Sunday 3rd November
The 146th Anniversary of Chatham Citadel Corps will be led by Major Marian Parker (Worthing Citadel) at 10 am and at 5pm with an ‘On the Sofa’ with Major Marian.
Sunday 17th November
Mike Dare from the Church Army will be leading our morning worship. Mike is one of the team of church leaders in Chatham Town Centre focusing on Youth.
Saturday 2nd November
Bacon Butty and Natter morning in aid of the Homeless Dinner Life Project on Tuesday nights.
Christmas Day Volunteering
If you (friends or neighbours) wish to volunteer for the Christmas Day programme of activities please see Major Ian or contact Grace, who is
co-ordinating the day on 07870 636451
Community Christmas Celebration
A time to invite friends, family, neighbours. Let’s fill the hall and enjoy this event. Invitations will soon be available.
DAILY READINGS
Monday—Romans 12:1
I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
Because God went first and sacrificed what is most precious to him to save us, he can ask us to surrender ourselves to him. Only one problem: The sacrifice wants to keep crawling off the altar. But, since we are that sacrifice, let’s offer ourselves fully to God!
Tuesday—Ephesians 2:8-9
It is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
Don’t you love gifts! When they’re truly given, with no strings attached, all we have to do is receive them. The greatest gift we’ve ever received has nothing to do with our efforts. It is a gift from God. We didn’t earn it, deserve it, or purchase it. God gave it through his sacrificial gift so our salvation would not be our boast, but his kindness.
Wednesday—1 Peter 5:8-9
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Satan is real. He and his power are intended to harm. But rather than spending our time worrying about him, let’s resist him when we are tempted and focus on Jesus. He’s the one who won the big showdown at Calvary, triumphing over Satan. He took Satan’s greatest tool and disarmed it. Now we can resist and Satan will flee.
Thursday—Ephesians 1:18
Pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.
Heaven is something we see with our heart. When we are discouraged, doubtful, and depressed, we need to have the eyes of our hearts “enlightened.” The dawn needs to rise in our darkness, and then we will see the dawn of hope and the riches of our inheritance. But when things look bad, the only way to remember these things is to sing them, pray them, and read God’s promises of them.
Friday—1 Peter 2:9
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
We’ve been picked to be on God’s team, and we were picked first! We have an important role to play in the unfolding of the world’s history. We’re here to declare God’s praises to those who don’t know him so they can find his marvellous light and leave their world of darkness.
Saturday—Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Yes, there are things we don’t like about our government. But God has truly blessed us to enjoy the protection of the authorities. But we also live in the time of some of the greatest persecution ever known in the Christian era. So, as we pray for our leaders and thank God for our freedoms, let’s not forget the persecuted church all over the world.
Sunday—2 Corinthians 3:6
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
A new covenant — God willingly entered into a new agreement with us, his creatures, sealed it with the blood of his Son Jesus, and sent the Spirit to give us the power to live the life of this new covenant. God has made a covenant of love and grace with us. The Almighty has then turned around and made us worthy and competent to share that covenant with others. No wonder it is life-giving: it brings life to us and through us!