Sam Cutforth (Associate Pastor) shares a quick devotional you could use with your family.

Sam Cutforth (Associate Pastor) shares a brief devotional from Psalm 103 you can use with your family or bible study group. ---------- Hey church family, Praying you are all well and prepared for our month on lockdown. God is good to us despite this trial and we will know His goodness over the coming months. That is what our Bible study from Psalm 103 will highlight, the blessing and benefits that God gives us each day. Because we are not able to meet in home groups, each Wednesday Dad and I will put out a short video and some questions to help you reflect on God's word. This you can do as a family, online with your home group, or over the phone with a friend. We want you to be blessed and encouraged by God's word despite not being able to meet together. Devotions for Psalm 103 Read Psalm 103 together. 1. What is the psalmist's desire in verses 1-2? What is he telling himself to do? 2. Looking at verses 3-13 what are the benefits which caused the psalmist to bless and praise God? What aspects of God’s character does he reflect on? - Which of these benefits have you experienced this week? Make a list. 3. Read verses 14-19 again. How are these verses particularly applicable for our current pandemic? - How can these verses bring comfort and encouragement to you in the month ahead? 4. What is the difference between the opening of the psalm verse 1-2 and the close verses 20-22? What’s changed and why? Prayer Points - Praise and thank God for all the benefits you listed. - Ask for forgiveness for times this week when you have forgotten them. - Ask God to help you bless and praise His holy name. And that all people in all places would praise Him. "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word..." - 2 Thess 2:16-17.

The perfect Son of God was born in a particular time and a particular place to live and die in an imperfect world for us. What love.

Jesus, the Son of God, our Lord and King, rules triumphantly. The future is his. The redeemed from every nation are his. We can trust him.

We must preach teh gospel to ourselves, least we become discouraged and begin to grumble about the circumstances God has given us in his sovereignty and grace through the cross.

Walk faithfully through these days of Corona Virus by looking to Jesus who sustains and keeps us.

Richard encourages us to trust in God in this difficult time: there is no need to fear because our lives are in God's hands. We must look beyond ourselves to Christ ... and to others, not tiring of doing them good.

In God we trust: if God be for us, who can be against us?

Wonderful news in hard times! We are called to be holy, but our holiness is from God himself, through Christ.

In everything God is working for good in the struggles and difficulties we face.

This Psalm is the song of one whose confidence was in God; even when desperation overtakes him, David's greatest hope is to walk in God's ways and to be in the presence of God for ever.

Seek Jesus, seek his righteousness, seek his kingdom! With reference to Hebrews 13:5,6 and Matthew 6:19-21, Richard Cutforth reminds us that where our treasure is, that is where our heart is.

There is a diversity of gifts of the Spirit for the service of the church, but one Spirit and one body. In this body, members honour, encourage and care for one another, regardless of the apparent value of gifts or prominence of position. Let us use the gifts God has given to serve God and his church. 1 Corinthians 12.

In this time of trial and difficulty, Psalm 2 affirms God's rule over the nations. It calls us to to pray for our leaders and nation, and assures us of our safety in taking refuge in the King of Kings.

Psalm 98 encourages us to return to worship together on Sunday with freshness and dynamism in our hearts and "new songs" of praise for God, our Saviour.

Richard Cutforth looks at John Chapter 6: what must we do in these uncertain times to endure with eternal life?

Only God knows the future, so let's trust our futures to him.

Worship God in Spirit and in Truth

Families: God's Idea and God's Ideal

Pastor Richard Cutforth encourages us from Isaiah 55.

Michael Drake talks about the glory of the day when the Sun of Righteousness will rise (Malachi 4:2).

Richard shares a Midweek devotional with an ANZAC Day theme.