No.9 - Christ our saviour and Lord

My first time sharing Christ as an honorary school teacher.

Verse of the Week

'In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.'

1 Peter 1:6-7

I found it really helpful thinking about how our suffering doesn't need to hinder our peace. Our suffering can actually help our faith and to lead to praise, glory and honour when Christ returns.

Encouragements

What a joy it was this week to get the chance to share Christ with the children at our local primary school. I had the privilege of helping to lead two RE lessons to over 40 children. Praise God we were able to clearly and passionately share how Christ is our Saviour and Lord.

I also had a great time preparing for my TEAM presentation on Ruth Ch1. It was so helpful in developing my ability to understand the Old Testement. We have also been really enjoying getting to spend more time seeking to serve and encourage our church family during the week.

At the weekend we had the joy of celebrating a friends wedding. We were both so encouraged at how both the bride, groom and so many of the guests kept the focus of the whole day on Christ.

A Little Update

We praise God for what he has enabled us to do over the past week and we are especially looking forward to getting to learn together more about mission next week in Cambridge. Here are a few things we've been up to and some of what we've got coming up.

The Past Week

• Enjoyed meeting up to encourage members of our church family

• Helped out with JTD kids work

• 18th Nov - Men's Christian book group

• 20th Nov - Gave a presentation on Ruth at my bible training course in Cambridge (TEAM)

• 21st Nov - Taught, with supervision, my first two primary school RE lessons

• 21st Nov - 3rd Christianity Explored Evening

• 23rd Nov - Enjoyed celebrating a friend's wedding

• 24th Nov - Lead the music for our friend's baptism

The Next Few Weeks

• Sunday mornings - Helping with JTD Kids

• Wednesday mornings - Luci helping with an evangelistic Tots Group

• 25th Nov - Men's Christian book group

• 25th Nov - 121 looking at how to apply the OT

• 27th Nov - Luci and I both attending a Teaching Day on Mission in Cambridge

• 28th Nov - 4th Christianity Explored Evening

• 7th Dec - Carol Singing round Upton

• 14th Dec - Walkthrough Nativity

• 21st Dec - (Organising and attending) A Carol Service

• 25th Dec - Christmas Day!

  
  

Prayer Requests

We would really love prayer that:

• God would help us to find peace not in our lack of suffering, but in the knowledge of God's promises

• God would give us the humility to be quick to ask each other for help when we need it and grow in us a joy for serving one another.

• God would give us courage and wisdom to be able to encourage the various members of our Church family that we will meet over the next week.

A Final Word

Your faith in Christ, and your prayerful support are so valuable to us. We pray that you would continue to fix your eyes on the new creation to come and rejoice in all that God has done.

‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ - Revelation 7:16-17

Praise the Lord for he has done great things.

Love and prayers,

Joshua & Luci :)

P.S - Bonus present - 'Now I stand redeemed by the mercy of God' We hope this song helps you delight in God our Father and Christ our Lord <3.

P.P.S - For those who are interested here are some interesting points from my TEAM bible training course

TEAM Notes - Click arrow to view

Bible overview

Some highlights from Session 7 - Moses and the Law Part 1

• God had saved His people - To be with Him, like Him and to act for Him

• The 10 commandments are - The headlines of the Christians faith

• There were lots of barriers between God and his people because God’s people where constantly becoming unclean and unholy - Due to their sin and the brokenness of the world.

• Because of sin enslaving humanity, God’s work of creating a people for himself is now the work of purifying and sanctifying a people for himself.

Understanding Old Testament narrative

The Big idea / Purpose then - Tools To help

• Repetition / Key words

• Allusions - Something that makes you think of something else

• Dramatic irony - We know something they don’t

• Dialogue and direct speech

• What does God say and do?

• Context - This stories place in the bigger story

• Ask why is it being told here and now, within the bigger story?

• What’s the purpose for the first readers? What are they (insert verb)

Purpose now - Questions to ask

(This is one way of applying the OT)

• Where does this fit in salvation history?

• In what way does it point forward to Jesus and the redemption he brings?

• Who should we identify with in the passage?

• How do the New Testament writers refer to, allude to the passage?

• What differences and similarities are there between them then and us now?

• What’s the purpose for us?

Workshops

Helpful pointers

• Thinking about who the original reader were

• Asking the question - who’s story is it - Naomi, Ruth, Boaz?

• Asking how does my passage point towards the focus of the book?

  
  

Thanks so much for reading,

I hope it has helped point you to Christ.

God Bless xx