Now that the intensity of preparing and delivering Sundays preach is over I want to live in the good of what God said. “Nothing will be impossible for those who believe”! I want to see my faith raised, not only for God to move mountains sickness and oppression but for those little day to day hills that so often give me such a bumpy ride.
The thing that sticks in my mind most is the idea that “Mountains can grow faith”. It’s like when you try to split a log with an axe. Several split just fine and then you bring the blade down on the next one and it just gets wedged in the top. Suddenly you have to ask “can I really split this log?”. You have to be sure you can because no timid tickling of the wood is going to work. To stand any chance you have to commit your whole body into it and aim through the wood. The next swing requires more faith rather than less. The resistant log must provoke us to a greater conviction that its going to be split.
It can be like that with faith. When something proves resistant to our expectations and doesn’t yield to the power and authority we have in God it can provoke us to greater faith. It can take us back to the bible, back to prayer, where we become increasingly convinced that not only has God spoken but he is who is says he is and that therefore the mountain just has to move. I want to live my life confident in the God who is my healer, my provider and my saviour.
“Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” Jeremiah 32:17
Tuesday 8 September 2009
Wednesday 2 September 2009
Moving Mountains
Well, I thought as I’ve asked others to do some blogs on this site it would be good to do one myself. Just got back from a brilliant holiday in France and beginning to take hold of things again here at Kings.
We are starting a new mini series “A call to action” on Sunday before embarking on the main terms series “New beginnings”. We are feeling a real sense of the battle we are in at the moment and so will be preaching into that strong biblical theme for a few weeks.
It is of course a fight of faith and so I’m thinking of kicking off looking at faith. I have been especially drawn to Jesus’ provocative statement about how a tiny faith can move a massive mountain and been surprised to find he says it several times in slightly different contexts.
At the moment just trying to get my head around the magnitude of what he is saying. As I read these familiar verses again they seem to come to life and transform from a friendly Ford focus into a devastating killer robot. Or imagine (as I’m sure you can) looking at a tiny speck in the sky and watching spell bound as it comes towards you and grows and grows until you realise it’s a massive skyscraper sized space ship that crashes down to earth and screeches to a halt just inches away from you. Well it’s a bit like that too! Is Jesus really saying what he seems to be saying? Should we tame this or be transformed by it?
Early days yet, but very exciting. I love this bit of preparation. Encountering God’s living and active word. I want (no I need) my life to change in light of this and I want to see it strengthen and enrich us as a church too.
We are starting a new mini series “A call to action” on Sunday before embarking on the main terms series “New beginnings”. We are feeling a real sense of the battle we are in at the moment and so will be preaching into that strong biblical theme for a few weeks.
It is of course a fight of faith and so I’m thinking of kicking off looking at faith. I have been especially drawn to Jesus’ provocative statement about how a tiny faith can move a massive mountain and been surprised to find he says it several times in slightly different contexts.
At the moment just trying to get my head around the magnitude of what he is saying. As I read these familiar verses again they seem to come to life and transform from a friendly Ford focus into a devastating killer robot. Or imagine (as I’m sure you can) looking at a tiny speck in the sky and watching spell bound as it comes towards you and grows and grows until you realise it’s a massive skyscraper sized space ship that crashes down to earth and screeches to a halt just inches away from you. Well it’s a bit like that too! Is Jesus really saying what he seems to be saying? Should we tame this or be transformed by it?
Early days yet, but very exciting. I love this bit of preparation. Encountering God’s living and active word. I want (no I need) my life to change in light of this and I want to see it strengthen and enrich us as a church too.
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