Monday Morning Mail, 6th Jan 2014

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Happy New Year!


I love it when the same theme comes out again and again on a Sunday, and I know I had nothing to do with planning it! So it was yesterday, and the theme was the importance of searching and waiting for God.


It came out in the 9:15am service, where Dom preached on the story of the Magi from Matthew 2. They travelled for maybe a thousand miles looking for Jesus, not knowing exactly where they were going, and when they found him they worshipped him and gave him gifts.


It came out at the 11am service, where we were thinking about how trustworthy God's promises are, even when it's tough to keep on going as a Christian, living as a Christian and telling others about Jesus.


It came out too at the Songs of Praise service in the evening. We thought about how God will never ever forget us or let us go – it's like he's engraved our names on the palms of his hands (Is 49:16). Of course, that isn't just a picture. God showed us how much he loved us, and how committed he is to us in Jesus, whose hands were literally pierced by nails as he died for us on the cross.


So in 2014, let's remember God's promises! When times are good, let's keep on trusting God and his promises, and when times are bad, let's remember God's promises, hold onto the God who will never let us go, and keep on praising him.


Here's one of the songs that Lydia requested last night that really fits all of this:

http://youtu.be/b61wsBdqrKM


May you know God's transforming and empowering love with you more and more in 2014!

God bless,


John







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