On Sunday we welcomed Mike Shingler, a local preacher to lead our worship. The first Bible reading , taken from the Book of Samuel, told of the joy of Hannah at the birth of a most wanted baby, after she had prayed to God. Samuel later did great works for God. Mike explained that people need to have been taught about Jesus Christ throughout their lives, in order to then pass on this transformative knowledge to others.
The lectionary reading, Matthew 16: 21-28, tells of how Christ predicted his own death in Jerusalem. This angered his disciple , Peter, who wanted to stop this from happening. But Christ rebuked him sharply. Just like Hannah who had given up her child to God, Jesus too, understood his purpose on Earth was to give up his life to God on a cross, in order to save us all.
In conclusion Mike stated that our world is in great need of a rebirth, and asked if Christians are prepared to nurture and share their faith with new generations. Christianity is increasing rapidly throughout the world and so we need to be prepared to teach others about our faith. We need to pass on the good news that peace and strength come through a knowledge of Christ.