Parish of Westborough – Guildford

 

6th October Saturday ST Francis

 

‘Monday 8th October at 1pm’

Everyone is very welcome to come to our FREE community lunches. Its a great time to meet people and enjoy a meal.

You may like to help by reading a Grace, providing a pudding, laying the table,doing the ‘Thought for the day’, providing a quiz or helping with the clearing up. All offers of help are very welcome, Do bring a guest if you can!

Please sign up for LUNCH on ‘Monday 8th October at 1pm’ ,at the back of the church or send an email to events@stfrancisstclareguildford.org.uk , with your name telephone number and any help offered.

If you need a lift please let val hot know and she will organize it. Any special dietary needs phone Val 0n01483 852764 or email on the above address.
If you have enjoyed yourselves please feel free to leave a small donation, it all helps for the next community event.

 

 

 

So, I was reading some old blogs and came across many reasons why go to church?

Some of these reasons are serious and thought provoking, others are just fun… they’re not in any particular order and perhaps

a portion of them won’t apply to you.

More than that – I pray it inspires you to not only attend church this weekend, but to serve and contribute. And let’s all

remember to invite others who may not know the incredible blessing that being a part of a local church can be.

Why go to Church? Here’s a list of 99 reasons you should go to Church this weekend:

1. The Bible indicates it’s what we should do. (Hebrews 10:25)

2. You will have the opportunity to worship God.

3. You will likely have some of life big questions answered.

4. The preaching of the Bible will help set direction for your life.

5. You will probably make some new friends.

6. You’ll probably see some old friends.

7. Being there is a sign of your discipleship.

8. Being there will encourage your pastors and leaders.

9. You’ll be encouraged in your walk with God.

10. You’ll likely encourage other people in their walk with God.

11. If you’re single, you may meet someone.

12. It will help you define what you believe.

13. It will help you understand the Bible.

14. If you have kids, it will teach them to value God and His Church.

15. People who attend church usually live longer (I didn’t make this one up… google it!)

16. It will give you an outlet for service and ministry.

17. It can help you develop personal leadership.

18. You’ll sing inspirational songs that will carry you during the week.

19. It will encourage you that God is good (if it doesn’t, it should).

20. It will help you to look outside yourself.

21. It will provide an opportunity to give financially to those in need.

22. You’ll receive love from other people.

23. You’ll be able to show love toward others.

24. You’ll hear about the great things God is doing in His Church locally and throughout the earth.

25. You’ll be prayed for.

26. You will be able to pray for others.

27. You’re likely to hear and be encouraged by answered prayers.

28. You will be able to give praise reports and share stories of God working in your life.

29. You will be able to worship God with other likeminded people.

30. It’s an opportunity to introduce a friend who doesn’t know Christ.

31. You’ve probably got nothing better to do. (Watching TV, or sleeping-in don’t count as better!)

32. Your family need you to go.

33. It honours God.

34. Because gathering is part of what it means to be a Christian.

35. Because it’s good to have your views and opinions challenged.

36. Because we all need regular reminders of our position in Christ.

37. It will help you acknowledge and confess your sins.

38. It helps you to be in the world, but not of it.

39. It will help you end one week, and starts the next, with the right focus.

40. It’s a break from work.

41. It will help you re-order your priorities.

42. It’s where your real friends are.

43. It will help you put your life story, into the grand narrative of scripture.

44. It will remind you that you have nothing to fear.

45. It helps take your focus off yourself and onto God.

46. It helps bring perspective and feeds the soul.

47. Because gathering strengthens your faith.

48. The discipline of going will help you be disciplined across all areas of life.

49. It will allow for support in times of need.

50. It promotes stability in your life.

51. It helps to promote a happy marriage.

52. It gives you something great to do with your kids.

53. It will help you to improve your self-esteem.

54. It will help your interpersonal skills.

55. It will help increase your ability to cope with the trials of life.

56. It will help you to be a happy person.

57. It will positively influence future generations.

58. It will provide you with an opportunity to share in communion.

59. It will allow you to take an active role in missions work.

60. It will help you be a better member of your local community.

61. It will help develop your children’s self-confidence.

62. Your children will learn the Bible.

63. It may keep you out of trouble.

64. It will help give you a sense of purpose.

65. It will shape your vision of the future.

66. It will give you eternal hope.

67. It will help you to know what you believe.

68. It will help you to know what you stand for.

69. It will encourage creativity.

70. It will allow you to be disciplined, mentored and pastored.

71. Because you’ll learn about Jesus and have the opportunity to get to know Him.

72. Because you want to go.

73. It’s a pleasant experience.

74. It will give you the opportunity to express yourself in song.

75. It beats staying at home and being alone.

76. You get to put your Sunday best on… (or your skinny jeans depending on the church).

77. You’ll find acceptance.

78. You’ll be loved.

79. You can love others there.

80. Real forgiveness is found there.

81. The gathering of God’s people will help draw you closer to God.

82. You’ll meet likeminded people.

83. Jesus will be there.

84. It will remind you that you’re not alone.

85. It will help the process of sanctification.

86. You’re likely to learn something about God, the Bible, yourself, or others.

87. Growth of the fruit of the Spirit will likely happen.

88. It will bring with it tangible and intangible blessing.

90. It’s a declaration that you’re a Christian.

91. It will give you something interesting to talk about on Monday at work.

92. Because being planted will help your life to flourish.

93. It reflects a life lived beyond yourself.

94. It will bring joy to your life.

95. A miracle you need may come to pass.

96. You’ve been promising someone that you’d go and it’s time to make good on your word.

97. Because it’s the right thing to do.

98. Because faith without works is dead.

99. It will literally change your life for eternity!

Why go to church this weekend? You’d be crazy not to go, especially with all these reasons to be there!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken Foot Night & Supper

StFrancis Hall

Chicken Foot evening is on Saturday 1st September at 7.30pm

Please come along its great fun if you can play domino’s you can play Chicken Foot

Please invite friends, family and neighbours – a perfect opportunity to invite new students who have moved in next door.

Chicken and Chip supper
£8 adults

£3 for under 10’s

Sign up at the back of the church or email events@stfrancisstclareguildford.org.uk

with your name and how many people you would like to bring.

 

 

Unbiblical Statements

I have often had people quote statements that they claim to

be biblical truths. These come from non believers as well as Christians.

Over the next three weeks let’s look at some of them. What do you think?

 

One of the greatest gifts that God gave mankind was the Holy Bible because the Bible is literally God revealing Himself, and communicating Himself to mankind in written word. Anything and everything that we know about God comes from these Holy Scri ptures, and they contain the totality of what we need to know about becoming a Christian, and everything that we need to know about living the Christian life.

Orthodox Christianity teaches that the Bible was inspired and authored by the Holy Spirit of God using human instruments. It also believes that in its original languages of Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic; it is without error and fault.

However, there are many things that Jesus-following, church-going, Bible-believing Christians believe that are completely unbiblical. How does this happen? Often, we’ll hear someone quote a statement that sounds nice to us, and we’ll begin repeating it as though it’s biblical truth without ever researching it in the Scriptures.

Not only are the statements unbiblical; most of them teach the opposite of what the Bible teaches.

Here is a list beginning with 3 popular unbiblical statements that Bible-loving Christians tend to believe:

 

1. God helps those who help themselves.

This statement is actually anti-Gospel. Self-reliance and self-righteousness, or the attitude of trying harder and doing better, actually gets in the way of the work of God. Jesus saves those who die to themselves: “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24).

2. God wants me to be happy.

It’s a common belief that God exists to be our “personal genie,” waiting to give us our every wish. It’s amazing how we will justify our sinful actions by saying, “God just wants me to be happy.” Happiness is tied to feelings and emotions that are often based on circumstances, and those change all the time. God wants us to be obedient to Him, trust Him and know that everything He does is for our good, even if it doesn’t make me feel “happy” in that moment. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

3. We’re all God’s children.

Although God has created everyone…not everyone relationally belongs to Him. Only those who have repented of sin, placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and possess the Holy Spirit of God inside of them can claim Him as their Father: “But you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:15b–16).

However, those who don’t have Jesus as their Saviour, nor have the Holy Spirit of God inside of them, how can they actually belong to him. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1 – 2). “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10).

Encouraging our neighbours friend and family the joy and significance of prayer drawing us closer to the one who ‘listens to our every concern’