10:30am
6:30pm
Communion on first Sunday in evening, and on third Sunday in morning
We’re a Bible-based (Evangelical) church grateful to God for saving us through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and trying our best to honour God in everything we do. We have two services every Sunday, and lots of other things going on throughout the week.
We’d love you to join us!
I’m off to a conference in Liverpool on Friday – really excited as it’s one of the few conferences in the UK that’s geared towards the sort of area that Oxlow Lane Baptist’s in. Hoping I’m going to be challenged about how God works in areas like ours. Lots of people from this area going along, so the discussion should be helpful.
Basically, we want to see as many people discover Jesus as possible, because he’s our Saviour and he’s awesome on so many levels. So the more we can do to get better at working together for the glory of God, the better. All prayers appreciated!
There’s a video about the conference, here:
Or you can read more about it here:
http://www.reachingtheunreached.org.uk/
Jesus has given his life for us. There’s nothing we can do to earn our own salvation, but because of Jesus’ sacrifice it can be ours if we will trust in him and accept him as our Lord and King.
So does that mean we can just sit back, leave everything the way it is, and wait to go to heaven?
On Sunday evening we looked at Titus 2:1-10 (listen to the sermon here), and saw that nothing could be further from the truth. You see, Jesus died so that we could be free from sin. If we can’t be bothered to make the effort to sweep our lives free of sin (with his help), it’s like saying “Thanks for the salvation, God, but I don’t want to be perfect.”
Instead, Christian discipleship is about allowing ourselves to be transformed into God’s likeness. But it’s not a matter of sitting back and letting it happen. Paul tells Titus that it’s about a conscious effort to change ourselves. Christian disciples (lit. followers of Christ) need to seek to change their lives because otherwise the word of God being called into disrepute.
So – will you actively work out your salvation this week? Will you seek to be holy as your God is holy?
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
(1 Peter 1:13-16, New International Version)
We’ve been having such amazing weather, haven’t we! And yet even as we enjoy the sunshine, we’re told that water levels are at a low level… we’re in drought.
If you’re like me, you’ll probably hear that and react with a certain amount of irritation because it’s going to be harder to water the plants and you’re not allowed to fill the paddling pool for the children. And I guess we react that way because we’ve never really been in a true, life-threatening drought. The nearest we get is when the supplies to homes gets switched off and the only access to water is through stand-pipes, or by bottles delivered strictly for drinking from. Something that very rarely occurs in our country. Perhaps a couple of times a century?
Yet in many parts of the world, drought is more severe than even that. It’s something that can take away lives. Water is so precious that even for such an exciting thing as baptism, oil drums are used instead of pools, or water is simply sprinkled instead of people being immersed as would be our tradition.
The ability to continue living is dictated by whether we have access to water. We take it forgranted, but we need a regular, clean, supply. And if it stops, the results are dramatic and alarmingly speedy.
I don’t say this to alarm anyone. I’m certainly not saying it to start a rush on the shops(!) but it’s helpful to see how crucial water is to life, because in John 7, Jesus says that if anyone’s thirsty, they should go to him and drink.
[John 7:37-38] On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
What’s more, if anyone does that, they will be so filled with water, that it will flow out of them. Thirst, utterly quenched.
Now, the gospel goes on to explain that Jesus isn’t talking about literal water. He’s talking about the life-giving power of accepting Him into our lives. But though the water is symbolic, the effect on our lives is just as real. We are alive with Christ, and dead without him.
As we enjoy the sunshine, ponder on that a little. Have you quenched your spiritual thirst at the fountain of life? Have you even realised you’re thirsty?
What a great time it was yesterday to look at Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey – the unexpected King… not that he should have been unexpected – (see Zechariah 9:9).
Thanks to everyone who stayed on for our meal and made it such a great success (and thanks to those who put so much effort into making it all happen).
Some of our young people spent some time colouring in flags and writing prayers for the countries that we’re connected with – Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, UK, Kenya, Holland to name but a few. There are a couple of pictures of what we did below.
We’ve got some really exciting things coming up in the life of the church over the coming few weeks. Starting with our church anniversary on Sunday (25th March). Terry Puttick’s coming to preach for us from London City Mission. Sadly, I’m away so I’m going to miss it, but I look forward to catching up through our online sermons.
Then the week after it’s Palm Sunday (1st April – no, seriously!), and we’re having a bring and share lunch. These are great opportunities to get to know people better than you would by just saying hello on a Sunday morning, so bring whatever you like to eat and join us. If you forget to bring food, don’t worry.. there’s going to be plenty to go round.
After that, we’
re in Easter week… Maunday Thursday (5th April) is our opportunity to remember the last supper. Harry Vallance is going to be taking that service. It’s at 8pm. Then Good Friday with a service at 10:30am, and Easter Sunday follow hot on its heels. All those services are at Oxlow Lane Baptist Church in the main hall.
It’s a profound time in the life of the church. We constantly look to the cross, but it’s great to go a bit slower. To take days to look at each part of Christ’s journey to the cross, and then his resurrection. We hope to see you there.
