Northfield Methodist Church

Dear Friends

Our theme today reminds us that God has given every person gifts and abilities no matter how humble we feel we are. We are all different. Some have a lot, some have a little. But we all have a unique contribution we can make to the church and the work of God.

Dear Friends

Today we will be exploring the theme, "Is Prayer any use?". Below you will find some useful guidelines to prayer:

Dear Friends

The human race has made huge progress in many areas, yet we are still surprisingly bad at getting along with one another. We seem to spend much time and energy hurting one another - from family quarrels to wars and often we carry, dee, unresolved guilt and pain in our heart.

Dear Friends

God wants all people to have good, life-giving, love-filled relationships. Most of the teaching and laws of God's Word, the Bible, are designed to ensure that our relationships, at all levels, are healthy and strong.

However, as human beings we all experience conflict. In fact, some of the hardest and most painful things we ever have to deal with in life are due to conflict. Conflict in our personal relationships, in the family, in marriage, at work, in the church, in society. The porcupine factor (prickliness!)

Dear Friends,

May this time of Lent be a time of deep spiritual blessing for you.

This last week on Ash Wednesday we began our journey through this time of preparation for Easter. The word Lent comes from the German/Dutch "lente" meaning Spring - because it more or less co-incides with springtime in the Northern hemisphere. It's a lovely image really because we associate Spring with new life, renewal, re-birth.

Dear Friends

In our journey through Romans so far, Paul has focused mainly on trying to understand what Jesus has done for us. Now in Chapter 12 he focuses on the practical. If this is what Christ has done, THEREFORE, this is what we should DO, what we should BE, how we should BEHAVE. Chapter 12 is well worth reading and studying because it is one of the best descriptions in the New Testament of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

A "disciple" is a learner of pupil of Jesus. Discipleship does not begin with intellectual assent to a set of doctrines or obedience to a list of rules. At its centre it is a living relationship with Jesus. All we have to do is respond to Jesus two commands, to "follow me", and to become "fishers of men & women". (Luke 1:17)

We do this by

Dear Friends

Xenophobia, one of the few words in English that begins with X, means "fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers, or of foreign or strange things." Certainly xenophobia is not an option for Christians. Jesus Christ calls people of "every nation, tribe, people and language" into fellowship with himself (Rev 7:9, Gal 3:28).

The recent spate of xenophobic violence against people from other countries in Africa has shocked and horrified all decent South Africans. Ironically these were the same countries that gave shelter to South Africans during the apartheid regime!

Of course we need to analyse the causes of what has happened and put measures in place to see that this does not happen again. In the meantime we have a huge humanitarian crisis on our hands and as Christians we need to respond with love and caring.

Dear Friends

The theme we will be following for the next six weeks leading up to Pentecost (11 May) is "Come, Holy Spirit". Each Sunday we will examine various aspects of the work of God's spirit in us.

This week we focus on the strength which the spirit gives us to help us in our weakness. One of the words Jesus used to describe the Spirit was, "Comforter". Sadly it is a word which has changed its meaning over the years. Today it has come to mean something like, feeling sorry for someone, or cheering them up. But originally it had a much stronger meaning. It meant "a power which comes alongside us when we are weak or in need."

Dear Friends

On that first "Palm Sunday", Jesus as he so often did, did something totally unexpected. He came riding into the city on a humble donkey. Let's think about that donkey for a moment.

It may only have been a donkey, but for those who had eyes to see, Jesus was claiming to be a king! A very different king of course. A king of peace. A king of love and truth. A king of the heart and soul. A king of resurrection life. A shepherd king. Not a king of war or political power.

It was only a donkey, just an ordinary means of transport in those days, but somebody gave it. I am constantly amazed at how God's people give, of their time, gifts, money and themselves. When God changes our hearts he opens them and we begin to have a new view of our possessions. These things are no longer "ours", they are God's and we need to pass them on to help others in need. To reach out with his love, to build his church and his Kingdom.

Dear Friends

2007 has been a busy year it has flown past, certainly for me. I am always so grateful when December comes around again because it is a time when we can slow down a bit. Many businesses close for a few weeks. Followers are in recess. Some are fortunate enough to go on holiday. Some stay home and relax. Whatever this time holds for you, may it be a special and a blessed time.

Peace, Love, Giving and Joy are words we have focused on during Advent. These are central words at Christmas-time, but most important of all is that the living God became flesh and came to live amongst us in order to make it easier to find him and be drawn into a deeper relationship with him. As Charles Wesley's wonderful hymn says, "Our God, contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man." He became like us in order to open the way for us to come to God. This is the greatest gift of Christmas.