Today we celebrate the birth of the most amazing man who ever lived. The man who is more than just a mere man. The man who changed the world. The man who changes lives. The man who taught like noone else ever taught. The man who did things noone else ever did. The man who loved. The man who served. The man who forgave. The man who healed. The man who challenged. The man who spoke truth. The man who was truth. The man who is truth. The man who suffered. The man who died. The man who rose again. The man who defeated death. The man who showed us what God is like. The man who was God-in-flesh. The man who gives life. The man who lives in us today.
The man who we follow. Jesus Christ.
​Happy Christmas everyone!

Next one - 6pm on 29th November. A feast of food from different countries. What will you bring?

Here's a three minute catch up on 1 Corinthians 14 and 15 from the last couple of weeks. 

Mike led us in this song - a new version of the old hymn from Psalm 23. LIsten again.
Never failing ruler of my heart
Everlasting lover of my soul
On mountain high
Or in the valley low
The king of love my shepherd is

Love is patient and kind. 
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice in injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
​(1 Corinthians 13 v4-7 NLT)

Lord
Give me increase and progress in grace
so that there may be
more decision in my character
more vigour in my purposes
more elevation in my life
more fervour in my devotion
more constancy in my zeal
Amen

(from Valley of Vision)

This is a strange chapter in the bible. But basically the issues are the same as in other weeks...
Love for others? Or my right to do what I want? Which is more important? Which is more like Jesus?
In chapter 11 there are two issues. A man and woman issue. And a rich and poor issue. In both situations people were thinking of themselves rather than others and it was causing huge problems. 

We should be big-hearted not small-minded! Loving others and wanting to see them know and grow in Jesus often means giving up rights, preferences and what we find comfortable. And that requires effort!
There are traps that kill off big-hearted faith!

Last time we watched the whole film, below. These coming weeks we re-watch a small clip to focus on. Here's todays:

Here's the video from Sunday. Over the summer weeks we will use a short clip from this film and learn about that aspect of the parable in more depth.

We're starting a new series for the summer weeks - the Prodigal God, with Tim Keller's guide on the famous parable of Jesus from Luke chapter 15. We meet most Sundays over the summer at 4pm at St Chads.

1 Corinthians 15 - click here to read it.

Interesting video this. Part interview, part biography, part theological discussion.