Author: Alex

When I was growing up, one of my favourite films was The Sound of Music. I think I watched it so much I could practically quote it word for word. Maybe I still could if I thought about it hard enough. One of the parts I liked best was when Maria left the convent – her safe place. All she’d ever wanted was to be a nun, and now she was being challenged with the possibility that perhaps this wasn’t god’s will for her after all. She begged to be allowed to remain but was firmly but lovingly pushed out of the nest by the reverend mother. And as she leaves the convent, she says: “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window,” before launching into a rousing song about confidence.
Continue reading “When The Lord Closes A Door.”

Have you ever opened a gift on Christmas Morning and thoroughly disliked it? True story: A friend and I swapped presents once. A fellow-classmate bought me … Well, it was shaped like a ball with sticky-up bits all around, and when you switched it on, it vibrated. I don’t mean just slightly; it jiggled about so much that if you put it on the floor, it would actually move. It was quite freaky, and my sister or my dad would put it in my chair when I was out of the room, so I’d come back in, sit on it and jump out of my skin! I wanted it out of the house as quickly as possible! She bought my friend a set of vanilla toiletries. My friend hates vanilla, so we swapped and all was well. To find that perfect Christmas gift, you need to get to know a person – their likes and dislikes. That’s why I think it’s so important to spend time with friends – because they’ll drop things into a conversation.
Continue reading “The Perfect Christmas Gift, By Sarah tummey.”

My theme for this devotional is “It will soon be Christmas!”, and I’ll be talking about all the lights that we put up – in our houses, in our churches, and we see up and down our streets. So I just want to share with you my inspiration for this particular devotional.
Continue reading “it Will Soon be Christmas, By Pastor Peter Norris.”

Our church has been heavily involved in the work of Operation Christmas child for many years. I wish to thank Miriam for writing this beautiful devotional.

Throughout the year we have been raising funds for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes. Collecting items to go into the boxes, thinking of the children who would receive our boxes and now, after shopping trips, Packing Parties, having shoeboxes dropped off, collecting them from Schools and Churches in the area and cartoning them up ready for collection, our shoeboxes have started on their journey.
Continue reading “Seen, Known, and Loved, By Miriam Corringham.”

Dare I admit that I’m the type of person who always likes having answers? I want to know the correct way of doing a job so I can do it to the best of my ability.
Continue reading “The Only Way.”

The book of Acts is a pretty exciting read. Once God sent his Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, his followers experienced miracles, healings, gifts of the Spirit, and many other fantastic manifestations of the living God present and moving amongst them.
Continue reading “lessons From A Prison Cell.”

Psalm23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
3 He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Continue reading “Psalm 23, By Pastor Peter Norris”

Last week, we began considering the Kingdom Of heaven, and we were looking at Jesus’ parable from Matthew 13 that likened his Kingdom to a mustard seed. We discussed how with Jesus, small things are valuable, whereas in contrast, we tend to focus only on the big.
Continue reading “Kingdom Of heaven (Part 2), by Rev. ernie Banwell.”

I’d like us to consider a phrase we often use in church. Perhaps or those outside of the church it might not be so familiar. That phrase is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Continue reading “Kingdom Of Heaven (Part 1), By Rev. Ernie Banwell.”

Leah had never truly been loved. It pains me to write those words, because I grew up in a family where I felt safe, valued and appreciated. Yet this Bible character whose story seems to be often overlooked clearly enjoyed none of those privileges. She was the eldest of two sisters, and the daughter of Laban, the brother of Abraham’s wife Rebekah.
Continue reading “Learning From leah.”