Home - GRACE COMMUNION CHURCH CAMBRIDGESHIRE

SPEAKING OF LIFE

A weekly web programme from GCI commenting each week providing a biblical perspective on how we live in the light of God's love.

Speaking Of Life 1052 | Anticipating the Anticipation

1052 | Anticipating the Anticipation

Speaking Of Life is a series of short devotions that share Jesus’ love for all of humanity.

Jesus says “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE…” – John 14:6

You can view other Speaking Of Life episodes here:
https://www.gci.org/videos/media-spea...

Thought for the Week

Hello,

When was the last time something made you smile?
This week the BBC launched its Christmas line-up of blockbuster movies that they hope will enhance the festive season with a number of feel-good and fun-packed stories.

There is a saying that laughter is good for the soul and we are frequently looking for some good news stories or a distraction so we can smile for a while and lift our spirits.

Jesus came with Good News – loving to tell stories that challenged, provoked, encouraged and made some people laugh but always with a moral point. So, let’s have a little fun renaming some of the movies that will be on over Christmas. Instead of Finding Dory we could have Finding Jesus. Paddington 2 could be reworked as Hidden Treasure or the Pearl of Great Price. Alice Through the Looking Glass could be Jesus and The Great Banquet. Ok, enough!

Why not take a fresh look at some of the parables that Jesus gave. Have a little fun with them and give them a reboot for our context today. Discuss them with some of your friends and see what you can come up with. Laughter and storytelling are important because they draw people together and are good for the soul.

Lift your spirits with the stories of Jesus,

Best regards,
David

David Gibbs is an Elder and Pastoral Worker for Grace Communion International in Northern England, the Midlands and Wales.

29th November 2019

Taken from - Day by Day - Growing Together in Life and Faith http://www.daybyday.org.uk/

Friday Bible Study

29th November 2019

A Sure Promise

“’The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfil the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. “In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.”’”
Jeremiah 33:14-15 (NIVUK)

Have you ever been the recipient of a broken promise? Perhaps a parent said they would buy you the toy you’ve always wanted but they never did. A classmate at school says they will let you play football with their mates but never does. Maybe you’ve arranged to meet a friend for a date, and they failed to show up.

Have you ever broken a promise you’ve made? ‘I’ll call you next week,’ but you never do. If you’re like me it will be ‘I’ll do the washing up,’ and it’s still waiting to be done in the morning. How about ‘I’ll pray for you’ and then you’ve failed to do it? Some promises are made at the drop of a hat with no real intention of keeping them, like ‘I’ll be ready in five minutes.’ Other promises are more serious, such as ‘till death do us part.’ But whether our promises are casual and flippant, or hugely significant, the sad thing about human beings is that we all break promises and have been let down by broken promises.

Being the brunt of broken promises can leave us feeling disappointed, frustrated, and deceived. Sometimes we can become cynical or develop significant trust issues with people which can spill over into our relationship with God. Can he be trusted? Will he let us down? Are his promises reliable?

As human beings we might make promises and have promises made to us that are not followed through, but the good news is God will never let us down. As the Psalmist says, “For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does” (Psalm 33:4 NLT). This is the case regarding the promise made in our header scripture that a righteous branch will sprout from David’s line doing what is just and right.

This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He came from the lineage of King David, is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30) and proclaimed justice for the poor and marginalised.

What God says comes to pass because he is the God of the sure promise not the broken one. We mustn’t allow our negative human experiences to adversely affect our relationship with God. He is willing and able to do what he says he will do, so let’s trust him and live in the belief that his promises are sure and secure. What a blessing that will be when difficult times come our way.

Prayer
Father, your Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating even to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Help us to use it to judge the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. In Jesus’ name.
Amen

Study by Barry Robinson - member of the National Ministry Team for Grace Communion International in the UK

You're Included

https://www.gci.org/videos/youre-included/

Author William Paul Young is a friend of Grace Communion International whose book, The Shack, has sold over 20 million copies worldwide since it was first published in 2007, making it one of the best-selling books of all time.

Below are two interviews from the GCI web programme "You're Included" with writer Paul Young and theologian Dr. C Baxter Kruger.

Dr. Kruger uses William Young's book The Shack to discuss the triune God's love for all humanity.
Dr. C. Baxter Kruger is the founder and the president of Perichoresis, Inc. and of Mediator Lures. He obtained his doctorate working with James Torrance in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is also the author of "The Shack Revisited."
Copyright 2015 - Grace Communion International
All Rights Reserved

Paul Young talks about how "The Shack" was written, and he discusses how the nature of relationship is embedded in the Trinitarian character and nature of God. William Paul Young is the author of the best-selling novel "The Shack" and "Cross Roads." Copyright 2015 - Grace Communion International All Rights Reserved

The God Revealed in Jesus Christ

A collection of articles outlining Trinitarian theology

The series begins with Jesus Christ. As God in the flesh, he reveals to us what God is; he teaches us that the Father is in character just like Jesus. Other doctrines flow from that point. Jesus reveals that there was, even before time began, love between the Father and the Son.

There are relationships within God, yet there is only one God. Humanity was made in the image of God, and we are made for the purpose of having eternal relationships, based on God’s love, with him and with one another. Yet we fall short of this divine purpose; we are unable to qualify ourselves for the kingdom of God. This brings us back to Jesus, the incarnate God.

As our Creator, he could represent us all, and so he became human as our representative and substitute, to atone for the sins of all humanity and to reconcile all humanity to God. He extends unconditional love and grace to us. Humans, however, do not always return that favour, and so there is a growth process toward the goal God has established for us. It is tremendously good news, and the more we learn about the God revealed in Jesus Christ, the more that we desire a relationship with him. We have not earned his love, but he has earned ours. It is all built upon the unity of the Father and of Jesus. And yet the Bible says that there is only one God. How can we have plurality within one Being?

The doctrine of the Trinity was formulated to say how Father and Son are one God: two Persons in one God. As we discuss in another book, the Holy Spirit is likewise a Person in the Triune God. God is love, and we are invited to join him for eternity!