Sandyhills Parish Church:Reaching out to the community.

Christmas imPOSSIBLE - First Sunday in Advent

Micah 5:2 - Also Matthew 2:1-6

This is one of those places in the Old Testament where we see a specific promise that one would come from ancient days to be born in Bethlehem. This is a clear picture of the promise of Jesus. And not just that he would come, but where he would be born.

Dealing with temptation

Mattherw 4:1-11

describes Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. After 40 days and nights of fasting, Jesus faces three temptations from Satan. Each one attempts to lure Christ into abusing His power; to take immediately what God the Father has promised to provide later.

Turning stones into bread, bowing to Satan, and putting God to the test were the three temptations with which the Evil One thought he could win over Jesus. Scripture records that Jesus never gave into the temptations and Satan was defeated.

Nov19

Bearing shame and scoffing rude

Genesis 3:1-13, Matthew 27:27-31, Genesis 2:16-17,Genesis 2:25

Satan disguises himself and waits for opportunities to tempt us to sin. Knowing the Word of God is essential to defend against Satan's lies. Adam and Eve were tempted because they desired to experience more than God had allowed. Sin and shame breaks fellowship with God and separates us from His presence.

Matthew 27:27–31 describes Roman soldiers abusing Jesus inside the governor's headquarters. Most of this mistreatment occurred before His final sentencing, but Matthew continues to group events by theme more than by time. The soldiers strip off Jesus' clothes and dress Him as a mock king.

The God who remembers

We will remember them. 'Lest we forget'
On this Remembrance Sunday in 2023 - The ministers uses Exodus 2:23-25 to remind us of God's Covenant. The passage (2:23 – 25) also introduces the account of the preparation of Moses. God responds to the cries for help from His covenant people who are in bondage. Of Moses' life among the Midianites, little is known.

Our greatest need

Luke 5:17-26
Jesus is teaching a large group of people in His home in Capernaum (Mark 2:1). Although Luke already recorded the conflict Jesus experienced in His hometown (Luke 4:16–30), this is the first time he mentions antagonism between Jesus and the religious leaders, specifically Pharisees and scribes.

Pharisees asked the crucial question about Jesus: “Who is this man?” (5:21). The fact that He could speak the word and heal this paralytic should have answered their question: He is God in human flesh.

Certainty amidst uncertainty

1 John 5:6-15 

(14-15) This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. These verses offer one of the Bible's best definitions of prayer.

Wisdom

Ephesians 1:16-20, Jeremiah 29:11-14

In Ephesians, Paul provides significant teaching on salvation, reconciliation, the nature of God's family, and the Christian identity. Paul's goal for all of this teaching was to encourage and energise believers in their faith.

What faith

Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus reveals himself — not simply as Jesus, their teacher, but as “I AM.” A more literal translation of this sentence would be, “Take heart, I am, do not be afraid.” This self-revelation is a disclosure of Jesus' source of power.

The harvest is plentiful

Luke 10:1-12

This is a warning for those who hear the truth yet do not receive it. There was a Jewish custom whenever Jews returned home from a Gentile country; they were to shake off the dust from their feet to signify the breaking of their ties with the Gentiles. This is exactly what Jesus is referring to here and again in Luke chapter 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases .....

The scandal of grace

Scripture Mark 15:6-20
After sham trials, Jesus is taken to the local Roman governor, Pilate. This is the only person in Jerusalem with the legal authority to have Jesus executed. Pilate is not fooled, and he attempts to arrange for Jesus' release. But the ruler's ploys fail, in part because Jesus will not defend Himself, and partly because the mob is intent on His death. Pilate offers a prisoner exchange in Barabbas, and even has Jesus brutally beaten in order to pacify the crowd. Eventually, he caves in and Jesus is crucified. Thanks to His prior abuse, Jesus survives only a few hours on the cross before dying. Jesus is then buried in a tomb belonging to a secret follower among the Jerusalem council.