John 4:1-26 True Worship

Jesus crosses boundaries of racial and religious divide and chooses to go through Samaria and talk with an immoral Samaritan woman. Jesus crosses all boundaries because He is Messiah for everyone, and He calls His people to do the same

Jesus ignores the political questions and makes an offer of living water. Only he can give new life and satisfaction through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus meets our deepest needs because he is the Messiah.

She was living with a man following 5 terminated marriages. Jesus knows all this about her, and more and yet he still makes an offer of life. Jesus knows all about you because He is the Messiah. He calls you to face up to who you are, so you can recognise who He is

Jesus avoids a diversion of talking about what was in the past the correct way and place to worship God. Now for her and for us it’s about Spirit (God’s life giving power) and Truth (personified in Jesus). We must worship God by trusting Jesus at the Messiah – God’s promised King.

He will completely satisfy you. Just ask and He will give.

To listen to sermons in the John series click here

Why Mission? Hmm Not Sure

So apparently we don't need to do global mission so God can save people. It's just so their lives can be better following God's way.

http://www.christianitymagazine.co.uk/asksteve/whatsthepointofmission.aspx

This doesn't sound right to me. Any comments?

Counterfeit Gods

We recommended this book on Sunday. If you want a longer introduction take a look a this video of Tim Keller speaking at Cambridge earlier this year.


http://vimeo.com/10952075

...and then buy the book.









Or have a look at his introduction on YouTube

BBC Nativity

Not making any recommendations either way about the programme or the organisation writing this review but I thought some of you might be interested in this:

http://www.cte.org.uk/Articles/231905/Churches_Together_in/News_Events/News/The_Nativity_on.aspx?redirected=1

Of course you could always go to Saltworkz Cafe and experience our own Nativity story time every Wednesday in December 2010 at 3.45pm.

John 3:22-36

This last Sunday we were studying the next section in John's gospel. We looked at two things, firstly John the Baptist's attiude that of Jesus becoming greater and him becoming less. John is content with the role that he has been given, He says I am not the Christ, I am the messenger, I am not the bridgegroom, I am the freind who serves and waits on the bridegroom. It is Jesus who is great and I am to become less. The question I posed on Sunday was whether we were content with the roles that God has given, content with the way in which God has called us to serve or whether we were secretly hankering after a greater role, a role with greater prestige, greater standing in the community. Furthermore were were we serving for our glory or to make Jesus great. John the Baptist's example is one we should certainly follow - to be those who are content with the role God has given us and to do all things for the glory of Jesus not ourselves.

The second point we looked at was why Jesus must become greater and we noted five things (listen to the sermon to see them all!). Ultimately though we saw, that he must become greater because Jesus is the only one who can give life, Jesus is the only one who can truly testify about God because He is the only one from above. Thus John concludes with the statement "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. Thus Jesus must become greater because it is only belief in him and him alone not John the Baptist, not us, that will grant someone eternal life. That is why we must become less and he MUST become greater. Who is it you are believing in? One who can give eternal life?

To listen to sermons in the John series click here

Do non-Christians go to hell?

Is what Steve Chalke says here correct? I agree with a lot of what he says, but look carefully at paragraph 8. Do you have to consciously acknowledge Jesus is Lord and Saviour to be saved?
http://www.christianitymagazine.co.uk/asksteve/DononChristiansgotohell.aspx


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Freedom of Private Worship or Freedom to Proclaim

What do you think about the article here from CCFON?
Is it an exaggeration to say we are losing the ability to freely proclaim?
What should be do about it?

Follow this link
http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/religious-freedom/proclaiming-jesus-roof-tops

New name for HHEFC? Updated with more suggestions

We at Haywards Heath Evangelical Free Church (HHEFC) are wondering whether a new name to coincide with our new building would be helpful. To be an improvement on what we have already the new name would need to be memorable, distinctive, shorter and easier to use; and be a more generally understood definition of what we are and where we are.

It should not be misleading, arrogant (e.g Haywards Heath Real Church), or an obvious barrier to new people attending.

Below are a few suggestions for names, updated with all your suggestions so far. You are most welcome to comment favourably or otherwise, and add suggestions of your own and we'll see where this leads.

Location based

Bentswood Church

Bentswood Community Church

Bentswood Evangelical Church

Community Church of Christ

Heyworth (Community) Church

Heath Evangelical Church

Mayflower Church or Mayflower Christian Church
New England Road Church
New England Road Community Church

New England Road Evangelical

New England Community Church
New England Church

Bible theme/idea/person

(The) Pilgrim(s) Church

Cornerstone

Saltworkz (Community) Church

The Ark

Christ Church

We welcome comments in the box below. Select the pull down "comment as" menu and you can choose to comment giving a name, or you can comment anonymously if you prefer.

Graham Nicholls

John 3 For God so loved...

Nicodemus was a powerful, intelligent and religious man. He came to talk with Jesus.

Jesus tells him immediately that he had to be born again. This was almost too much for Nicodemus. He couldn't get his head around the idea of becoming a baby again. But Jesus was talking about spiritual birth. When you start again with a new life. When you wake up and see that Jesus is your Lord and Saviour.

Jesus goes on to say that he is going to be crucified so that this new life can begin.

The reason God is doing this is simple and profound. In one of the most famous verses in the Bible we're told that God loved the world. He loved a world of people who oppose him. He loved people like you and me. In fact, he loved them so much that he gave up the most precious thing - his Son.

But there's another love in John 3. The love of darkness. Most people don't want to believe in Jesus. It's not for intellectual reasons. The explanation of the Bible is pretty reasonable. The proofs that Jesus rose from the dead are convincing. People don't really reject Christianity for those reasons, but for moral reasons. It's because people will not like admitting that they are wrong and God is right and that they need to have the death of Jesus for them to make them clean and right with God.

What about you? Do you love light or darkness?

To listen to sermons in the John series click here

John 2:12-25 Who do you think you are?

Some people when they hear the things Christians claim, respond by asking "who do you  think you are?"

Do Christians have the right to make statements about what is, what should be and what will be?

It's a question of authority, and in the end it's a question of the authority of the leader of Christianity - Jesus Christ. Does he have the right to say how things are, how they should be and how they will be?

In this text the Jews were indignant when Jesus threw all the traders out of the temple. They demanded that he did a miracle to prove he had the authority to decide what should happen in the temple courts.

Jesus reply was about the fact that his bodily temple would be destroyed and three days later it would be raised. He would be killed but he would return to life. That's the ultimate proof you need that
Jesus has the authority.

That's why you need to listen to him.

To listen to sermons in the John series click here