On Sunday we continued our series on Risk and looked at this question:

Is it right to risk our riches for the cause of God?

We sought to answer it by looking at three stories: 1) the risky widow (Luke 21:1-4), 2) The Stingy Farmer (Luke 12:15ff) 3) The Transformed Tax Collector (Luke 19:1-10)

Let’s let these stories spur us on to risk our riches for the kingdom, letting our giving be goverened by the cause of Christ!

To listen to Riley’s sermon head to our Sermons page or on your favourite Podcast app.

Join us this Friday Night to pray.

Nothing fancy. Nothing professional.

Just humble, dependent, and hungry prayer.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

Eph 6.18-20

FAILING FORWARD IN EVANGELISM

The first month of “Who’s Your One?” is behind us. It’s a good time to stop and ask: how can I fail forward at evangelism? We’re going to make mistakes. Perhaps, you made some in 2022 already. We’ll speak when we should listen and listen when we should speak. We’ll forget to pray. We’ll get too busy and never meet with the person we intended to share the gospel with. We’ll lose courage and decide not to share the gospel because we’re afraid of their response. We’ll offer Christ to people who say, “No thanks.”

Charles Spurgeon, who described himself as “addicted” to leading people to Christ, had this to say about responding to evangelism failures:

“I may be speaking to a few who have not succeeded; if so, I would recommend them to look steadily over their motive, their spirit, their work, and their prayer, and then begin again. Perhaps they may get to work more wisely, more believingly, more humbly, and more in the power of the Holy Spirit. They must act as farmers do who, after a poor harvest, plow again in hope. They ought not to be dispirited, but they ought to be aroused. We should be anxious to find out the reason of failure, if there be any, and we should be ready to learn from all our fellow-laborers; but we must steadfastly set our faces, if by any means we may save some, resolving that whatever happens we will leave no stone unturned to effect the salvation of those around us.”

What should we do when we fail at evangelism? Consider how we could improve next time. Remember that God uses imperfect messengers to convey His perfect message. And try again expecting God to bring in His harvest.

NEXT STEPS

1. Decide who your “one” is for March and prepare to share about them with your Lifegroup. If you failed to share the gospel with your “one” from February, feel free to pick them and try again this month!

2. Think through ways you’ve failed in evangelism and what you can do to improve next time. Prepare to share your thoughts with your Lifegroup.

3. Review the ‘Two ways To Live’ booklet (Two Ways To Live) OR re-listen to the clip viewed during Lifegroups last week on ‘how can we make sure that we have a good idea of what to say when sharing the gospel?’ (apassionforlife.org.uk/fw4-view)

May God bless our efforts this month to share the gospel with those who are lost and need to be found!

-Richie-

This Sunday we will be having Open Doors join us to help us know more about the persecuted church, share stories, and join us for our monthly mission prayer!

If you missed out on our Envision 2022 please email me and I will send you the key notes and a link to the Zoom recording.

There was a lot of exciting and important announcement shared that I do not want you to miss.

We are back with Life Groups this week! Your LG leaders will send you all the information you need for your first week back in person!

On Sunday we launched a new series for a new year to set the vision. It is entitled: ‘Risk Is Right’. This title is creatively stolen from John Piper’s book: ‘Risk is Right’! You can read his book for free here: https://www.desiringgod.org/books/risk-is-right or listen to John Piper’s awesome sermon here.

To listen to Riley’s sermon head to our Sermons page or on your favourite Podcast app.

Let us join with the risk takers of old for the cause of God and say:

“Therefore, it is right to risk for the cause of Christ. It is right to engage the enemy and say, “May the Lord do what seems good to him.” It is right to serve the people of God, and say, “If I perish, I perish!” It is right to stand before the fiery furnace of affliction and refuse to bow down to the gods of this world. At the end of every other road—secure and risk-free—we will put our face in our hands and say, “I’ve wasted it!” But at the end of the road of risk, taken in reliance on the blood-bought promises of God, there will be fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.” John Piper

On Sunday Joel Seric helped us see the important place the lament song of Psalm 88 has in our understanding of how to suffer and to be (or sing!) with those who are suffering. As we looked at the three cycles in the psalm we saw how to press into God in dependence and trust, taking our cries to Him and wrestling with Him - even when it feels like approaching death or abandonment of friends is causing a great darkness in our soul. If you missed it, you can listen to the message here.

May it bring you comfort and give you words to cry out to God when life hurts, and may it remind you of the hope we have in Christ that God is present and working for the good of those who love Him, even in the darkest moments of our days.

On Sunday we were challenged and encouraged by Sam Davidson’s great sermon on Psalm 137. In what at first appears to be a psalm so removed from our time and circumstances, we saw how applicable God’s living Word still is to us today. Sam helpfully unpacked how this psalm paints a picture of how to live as faithful exiles in this world - with godly grief, a commitment to joy and a cry for justice. May we continue to spur one another on as we live as exiles in this world and look forward to our true eternal home that awaits us!

Listen to the message here

There is a training night coming up on 22nd of February for all the SG kids leaders - a great time to learn, pray and grow in leading the precious children in our care at church each Sunday. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us if you serve at SG kids.