‘Waiting For God’

 

In my early sixties I often contemplate what God is calling me to do in what some would say are my ‘Autumn Years’!

I am not as fit as I used to be, I'm overweight, my energy levels are much lower and my body is wearing out. You know that you have reached this time of life when you need a shopping bag to collect your prescriptions from the chemist.

It sometimes seems that I am living out a part in a TV sitcom like ‘One foot in the grave’ or ‘Waiting for God’.

I was reading the book of Job recently and came across a passage that says ‘as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent,’ (Job 29:4). Apparently the Hebrew can also be translated to ‘as I was in the autumn of my life’.  The commentator went on to make the comparison that autumn is a time for harvesting and picking the ripe fruit.

So as we grow older it is not a time to slow down and simply wait for God but an opportunity to get involved in the community and bring in the harvest. As Jesus once said, ‘I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.’ (John 4:35b).

 

Spring Conference Testimonies

The SBC Spring Conference was once again a great event with God moving in ways only He can. Many testimonies have come out from the weekend away, and below are just a few of them so far;

"God has blessed me through the words of someone else."

"Have been challenged to let God lead/decide on difficult future decisions."

"Prayed that upper back pain and itchy eyes would be healed and YESS!! Praise the Lord"

"I wasn't willing to live. I'm now willing to live my life in God, for God!"

"My welly boots were stuck in the mud, and the mud was right up the top of the boots. Praise the Lord he has released me and the mud has gone. Thank You God, I love you!"

"I received such clarity and fresh revelation. I feel renewed and complete again. Thank You Jesus!"

We really did have a great time away together and with God. Keep an eye out for the podcasts which will be available soon and also the blogs in the next few weeks which will include feedback and response to the Spring Conference.

God Bless

Spring Conference Countdown - 1 week to go

Intro

Just one week to go!  Soon 50 of us will be converging on the Ramada Jarvis in Wetherby full of excitement and expectation.  We are hoping, and praying, that the SBC Spring Conference is going to be a fantastic time together with one another and with God.  There are still numerous details to be sorted for those of us planning and organising, but everything seems to be on track.

Joining Instructions

These were being given out on Sunday, so most of you will already have your pack.  If not, then Helen will get them to you soon.  Remember that you will find a CD in the pack for you to listen to on the way to Wetherby.  Aim to start it as you leave and it should be just about the right length.

Conference Online

Don't forget that you can still keep up to date with the conference, even if you are not there.  This year there will be far more stuff happening on facebook, twitter and the blog, so don't forget to check up on us over the weekend.  Either check out the SBC Facebook page (link on our website) or search for the twitter hashtag #SBCuk.

Prayer pointers

This week we are asking people to pray for those attending the conference, as well as the weekend overall:

• Pray for safe journeys for everyone
• Pray against anything in the days preceding the conference which might distract from what God wants to do
• Pray for a sense of expectation
• Pray that the whole weekend would go well and that everyone would have a great time
• Pray for those 'left behind'

Looking forward to seeing you next week,

Rich.

Spring Conference Countdown - 2 weeks to go

Intro

It's getting closer all the time!  In just a fortnight we will be gathering together at Wetherby for the Spring Conference.  In this update I want to let you know about a couple of new things for this year.

Roadtrip Podcast

You may not have a clue what that title means, so let me explain.  This year we have produced a CD for us all to listen to on our way to Wetherby.  Whether you are coming in a car on your own or you are coming with others, put the CD on as you leave Scunthorpe.  The idea is for us to have a bit of fun on the way and also to get in the mood for a great weekend.  Tom and I discuss some highlights of previous years as well as our expectations for the coming conference.  We also talk about some of the innovations for this year and discuss some ideas of what to do on the afternoon off in Wetherby (though I wouldn't rely too heavily on our advice).  There are opportunities to pause the CD and have a chat with others in the car too, so don't worry about not having a chance for a chat.  You've probably never done anything like this before, but just give it a go!

Conference Team

One of the innovations we talk about on the CD is that we will be joined by a team from Mattersey.  The team consists of Tom and Debbie, whom we already know and Johnny and Louise, whom we don't.  They are going to help us with live worship and various other elements of the conference.  As you read this they are heading out on a mission trip and get back just in time to join with us.

As usual we will also be served by our awesome team of Helen, Steve and Kathy.  You might not see a lot of what they do, but their behind the scenes work makes the conference possible and results in an excellent conference.

Prayer pointers

• Pray for the Mattersey Team
  • On mission, that they would be blessed and be a real blessing
  • As they serve us, that they would feel really at home among us
  • Worship times - that there would be dynamic encounters with God
• Pray for the usual conference team
  • For all the details and preparations
  • That they would have a great conference too

Just quickly ...

If you use Twitter, why not follow the hashtag #SBCuk to keep up to date on what we are up to?  If you tweet during the conference, please use this hashtag to let everyone see what is going on. 

 

Spring Conference Countdown - 3 weeks to go

Intro

A time for renewing, refreshing, and much more, our Spring Conference take place over most of a weekend.  This year it is 8-10 April.  This series of blog posts is designed to keep people up to date with the news in the build up to the conference as well as helping us know how to pray in a specific way for what we are trusting will be a great weekend.  Even if you are not able to be with us, you can still find out what God is doing among us by keeping an eye on Facebook and Twitter (more on that next time).

Update

Not a lot has changed since last time.  However, I am pleased to say that the teaching material is coming along well, so thank you for your prayer.  After 3 conferences I was wondering what was left to talk about, but I am excited about what the Lord has led me to and I hope you will be too.

Prayer focus - Administration and Hotel team

We have been struck in previous years how strange it must be for the staff team at the hotel to have us worshipping and praising God right in their midst.  Let's hope it is strange in a good way!  The hotel staff have helped make the conference a real success in the past.

Another key element in making the conference great, is outstanding administration.  It might not seem very exicting, or even very spiritual.  However, having everything organised really well makes such a difference and removes possible distractions.

Here are the prayer points:

• That the people of SBC might be a blessing to all the hotel team and to any guests we meet
• That the hotel staff might be impacted by who we are and what we do
• That we might have significant conversations with those around us during the weekend
• For the admin team (Helen, Steve and Kathy)
• For all the details, equipment, supplies, printing, etc.

Thank you again for taking the time to pray.

Rich.

Spring Conference Countdown - 4 weeks to go

Intro

For some the wait has been a long one, for others the weekend is coming closer faster than expected.  Either way, we are just four weeks away from the annual SBC Spring Conference.  This will be our fourth spring conference and if the previous three are anything to go by, it will be an amazing time.

Perhaps you are not going to be with us at Wetherby and are already beginning to zone out of this blog.  Wait!  Don't go just yet, because we want to involve you too.  Even if you are not coming to the conference you can still be involved.  We are going to do a blog post each week on a Friday giving some specific prayer requests.  Even if you can't be there, I would really appreciate you praying.  We are also going to have updates, book reviews and perhaps some testimonies on Facebook and Twitter during the conference, so you can join in with what we are up to.

Conference Overview

This year we are going to have the usual input regarding the kingdom of God; a great chance to remind ourselves what we are all about.  We are also going to be running some 'Toolbox' sessions again.  Included in these sessions will be a wider launch of a fantastic programme we have run at SBC for some time, and which has a huge potential to change lives.  We are also going to consider how we go deeper with our bible reading.  In addition to this we will have book reviews, this year including blogs and podcasts for the first time.  Of course, we are also hoping for some testimonies too!  

As ever, we are hoping that:

• Our expectations will be raised
• We will be released from being held back
• We will be renewed and refreshed
• We will be resourced and equipped

Prayer Request - Teaching Sessions

For the coming week I would like you to pray for the development of the teaching material.  Naturally, God is in charge and has it all planed out!  However, we have to work out want He wants.  In total there are six sessions throughout the weekend and we want each one to be top-notch.  Please pray for the Holy Spirit to speak clearly to Rich and Mike as they prepare the material, in particular for:

• The right balance in the material (e.g. information vs. practice, challenge vs, encouragement)
• The right amount of material
• The specific points that God really wants us to hear

Many thanks for praying,

 

Rich.

The Missional Message

John 4

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

It is difficult to put this story in to context in a 21 century Britain, but the cultural barriers that Jesus confronts here in this passage are staggering.
Jesus speaks to a woman in public. A totally unacceptable thing to do.
Jesus approaches a Samaritan. A totally unacceptable thing to do.

Of course, it was only unacceptable because of the culture present at the time. Jesus smashes the cultural barrier, because for him the culture of God's kingdom is much more important. There are a years worth of sermons in this passage, but I want to suggest the following;

- The kingdom of God is inclusive of everyone.
- We are called to be the 'incarnation' and go to those on the edge or outside of society.
- A missional message transforms culture and community.

If that is true of Jesus, let it be true of our lives and ministries.

Let it be true of our church.