Sermon Starters

                                       

                                  Rev. E. Anderson

This is a simple outline for you to think about and meditate on. The introduction, main thoughts and conclusion need further material to be added. It is an outline for you to expand, develop more fully and fill in to spiritual profit and inspiration.

RISE ABOVE WORRY

From Word for Today

‘God… is the… controller of all things 1 timothy 6:15 PHPS

We all worry from time to time, but wise people have learned to avoid over-anxiety by following these guidelines.

1/.  DEFINE THE SITUATION CLEARLY.

What exactly is it you’re worrying about? Be specific. Often when we take time to clarify the problem, a way to solve it will present itself. 

2/. FACE THE WORST THAT MAY HAPPEN.

Would you lose your job? Your relationship? Your investment? In most cases even if the worst did happen, chances are it wouldn’t ruin you. It may be inconvenient or painful, but does it really warrant all the anxiety you’re giving it?

3/. RESOLVE TO ACCEPT THE OUTCOME, WHATEVER IT BY.

Most of the stress of worry comes from denial, from not being willing to face the worst that could happen. Once you make up your mind to e accept whatever happens, you’ll find worry loses its power over you. 

4/. WORK TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION

 

Renowned neurologist James H Austin said, ‘Chance’

favours those in motion’. Do all you can to ensure the best possible outcome, and ‘…after you have done everything… stand’ – Ephesians 6:13 NIV. Stand on God’s promises!

5) GIVE THE PROBLEM TO GOD. HE’S ‘THE… CONTROLLER OF ALL THINGS’. 

The Psalmist said, ‘Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, O Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you’ – Psalm 9:10 NlV. Remember, nothing can happen to you today, or any other day, that God is not aware of, in control of, and able to bring you through.

                                 

 

Focus

                                        

                                  Rev. E. Anderson

MISSION STATEMENT

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple. Psalm 27:4

A mission statement is like an organization’s North Star. It is the fifty-year goal a group always reaches for but never quite attains. A good mission statement inspires organizational leaders in their strategic and tactical decision-making. It keeps them on track when situations are difficult or ambiguous. It is the corporate marching orders.

Not many companies have a good mission statement. Most sound similar and are filled with meaningless language about quality, value, creativity, and diversity.

Few inspire and even fewer are actually known by leadership, let alone the employees of the company. All too often, creating a mission statement is little more than an empty exercise at an executive retreat.

But this does not mean the idea of a mission statement is bad. It just means that its execution is often sloppy or misunderstood.

In Psalm 27 we see a profound personal mission statement. David articulates that his chief aim is to dwell in God’s house forever. This passionate plea is more than just a request for life after death; it is an approach to life itself David’s goal was to reside in the presence of the Lord all the days of his life. He wanted to spend every waking moment gazing into the beauty and holiness of the Lord. He wanted his every effort and endeavor in life to bring him closer to God, understanding Him more, discovering Him more.

Is this our life’s mission? How can we integrate a passionate pursuit of the Lord with our sixty-hour workweeks? Is it possible? The answer must be yes. And figuring out how is a very good mission statement.

                             

Christian Testimony

                                 

                             Dr. John McMahon

LIVING WITH A PROBLEM DRINKER

Drinking alcohol is part of our national culture, and the amount we drink has become a national talking point.

As many as 33,000 people in the UK die from alcohol-related causes each year – ten times as many people as die on the roads annually. But in addition to the fatalities, the family and friends of problem drinkers are usually affected deeply.

Dr. John McMahon, a leading expert in addiction and recovery has set up on-line help for problem drinkers and those close to them.

The free website www247helpyourself.com, used throughout the English-speaking world by people with drink problems, has already attracted 1500 regular members. There is also a website for people living with problem drinkers – wwwbottled up.memberlodge.com – offering a network for practical help and support. Books with content associated to both websites are also in pipeline.

‘There are estimated 5.5 million people in the UK with alcohol problem, and for each each one of them their problem will affect roughly three other people. For those relatives and friends, there are few support services available,’ says Dr. John McMahon.

‘What constitutes an alcohol problem will be different for each person,’ he explains. ‘Someone might not be drinking themselves to death, but they might be spending every night in the pub and not putting anything into their relationships with the people they live with. For the people at home, that’s a problem’.

John speaks from experience. Drink and drugs once rules his life and nearly destroyed him. He was only months away from death. He took his last drink 25 years ago. He turned his life around, went back to education and specialised in  alcohol and drugs, including in teaching the UK’s biggest university masters programme on alcohol and drug misuse.

‘So many people just want to get their problem drinker into treatment,’ he says. ‘But unless the person with the problem wants help, they can’t. Many relatives and friends base their whole lives around the drinker – waiting for them to come home, waiting to see what mood they are in etc. They need support in order to start their own lives’.

John and Lou Lewis, his wife, who has worked alongside him on the new resources, are currently leading seminars across the country. Lou is an experienced counsellor and successful singer/songwriter. They first met many years ago when John was travelling the country as a hippy.

‘She literally picked me up and saved me,’ he says. ‘I was probably halfmad/half dying through drink and drugs.

Her father, a Christian minister, brought me to the church. Lou ad I had a relationship for a while. I then went off on my merry way back to alcohol and drugs’.

Years later he contacted her. Now they shared a faith and purpose. They married over a year ago. They have a rare perspective on the subject. Lou had a close relation who had alcohol problems too. Together John and Lou speak with authority and experience. See their websites for details of events and support.

                                  

Leadership Factors

                                       

                                       Rev. E. Anderson

SERVANTHOOD: LEADERS LOSE

THE RIGHT TO BE SELFISH 

How can leaders increasingly gain a servant’s heart? This passage serves as another reminder that leadership is about serving others, not wielding power.  Notice how Paul describes a servant:

1/. Denies self - we are to please others, not ourselves – v. 1.

2/. Develops others - we are to add value to others – v. 2. 

3/. Accepts mistreatment - we are to forgive wrongs – v. 3.

4/. Imitates Christ - we are to look to Jesus as our model – v. 5.

5/. Takes the attitude of a student – we are to remain teachable – v. 4.

6/. Pursues the harmony of relationships - we to pursue unity and peace vv.5, 6.

                             

A Time to Laugh

                                   

                                 Rev. E. Anderson

BRAINS

In the hospital the relatives gathered in the waiting room, where a family member lay gravely ill. Finally, the doctor came in looking tired and sombre.

‘I’m afraid I’m the bearer of bad news,’ he said as he surveyed the worried faces. ‘The only hope left for your loved one at this time is a brain transplant.

It’s an experimental procedure, very risky, but it is the only hope. Insurance will cover the procedure, but you will have to pay for the BRAIN.’

The family members sat silent as they absorbed the news. After a time, someone asked, ‘How much will a brain cost?’

The doctor quickly responded, ‘$5,000 for a male brain; $200 for a female brain.’

The moment turned awkward.

Some of the men actually had to ‘try’ not smile, avoiding eye contact with the women.

A man unable to control his curiosity, finally blurted out the question everyone wanted to ask, ‘Why is the male brain so much more than a female brain?’

The doctor smiled at the childish innocence and explained to the entire group, ‘It’s just standard pricing procedure. We have to price the female brains a lot lower because they’ve been used.’

A DOGGY STORY

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.

He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar: ‘I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.’

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar: ‘He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 – he’s trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?’

ARCHICHOKES

Murder at Tesco

Tired of constantly being broke and stuck in an unhappy marriage, a young husband decided to solve both problems by taking out a large insurance policy on his wife with himself as the beneficiary, and then arranging to have her killed. A ‘friend of a friend’ put him in touch with a nefarious dark-side underworld figure who went by the name of ‘Artie’.

Artie then explained to the husband that his going price for snuffing out a spouse was £5,000.

The husband said he was willing to pay that amount, but that he wouldn’t have any cash on hand until he could collect his wife’s insurance money.

Artie insisted on being paid at least something up front, so the man opened his wallet, displaying the single £1 coin that rested inside.  Artie sighed, rolled his eyes, and reluctantly agreed to accept the £1 as down-payment for the dirty deed.

A few days later, Artie followed the man’s wife to the local Tesco Super Store. There, he surprised her in the produce department and proceeded to strangle her with his gloved hands and as the poor unsuspecting woman drew her last breath and slumped to the floor, the manager of the produce department stumbled unexpectedly on to the murder scene. Unwilling to leave any living witnesses behind, ol’ Artie had no choice but to strangle the produce manager as well.

However, unknown to Artie, the entire proceedings were captured by the hidden security cameras and observed by the store’s security guard, who immediately called the police. Artie was caught and arrested before he could even leave the store.

Under intense questioning at the police station, Artie revealed the whole sordid plan, including his unusual financial arrangements with the hapless husband, who was also quickly arrested.  

The next day in the newspaper, the headline declared …
(You’re going to hate me for this …. )

‘ARTIE CHOKES 2 for £1.00 AT TESCO

                                  

Powerful Quotes

                                   

                                Rev. L. Goodwin

PURPOSE AND VISION QUOTES

“What we notice is what resonates with our inner perspective. We tend to overlook what does not connect with our current attitude or sense of awareness. When it comes to a tragic occurrence, do we focus on the horror stories or on the stories of courage and support? Both are available to us” – Gail Pursell Elliott

With love and patience, nothing is impossible” – Daisaku Ideda

“Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress” – Nicholas Murray Butler

“The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It’s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun” – Napoleon Hill

“The poor, the unsuccessful, the unhappy, the unhealthy are the ones who use the word tomorrow the most” – Robert Kiyosaki

“The first virtue of all really great men is that they are sincere. They eradicate hypocrisy from their hearts” - Anotole France

                                 

Meet the Ministers

                                       

                       Rev. Matthew and Christine Wright

Matthew and Chris jointly and enthusiastically pastor the church. They were married in 1991 and have two children Kristina and Sophie.

They work tirelessly to serve the community of Alsager, valuing the support of the volunteers and leadership team that help to run this growing church.

Bible Explorer is an educational program that is taught exclusively in schools. We teach R.E. lessons in accordance with the Locally Agreed Syllabus and individual schemes of work. Bible Explorer aims to inform school children aged 9-11 years old (Key Stage 2, P6 and P7 in Scotland) to enable them to discover the Bible for themselves. We do not preach or try to convert, but simply teach the storyline – the BIG PICTURE – of the Bible.  

Continuous positive teaching can bring about positive reform in society. Citizenship, community, care, loving your neighbour, and integrity are in the R.E. syllabus and are all basic Biblical principles. If YOU are looking to make a contribution to YOUR local junior schools, why not get more information about how you can teach Bible Explorer or support someone else to do it.

Alsager Community church is committed to supplying this program to local schools. For further information on the program

Alsager Community Church support a number of organizations around the world in a practical as well as spiritual manner.

 We encourage you to check out their web sites for further information. The Church Mission society is an evangelistic mission working to see a world transformed by the love of Jesus. Members of our church have been called by God to serve this organization and have left to join them in various missions around the world. Please click the icon on the left for more information.

Hope Destitute Children’s Centre (HDCC) is a charitable organization in Uganda; it is devoted to the emancipation and empowerment of destitute young people and children.

                             

Messages of Note

                                

                             Rev. Tim Robertson

LAST WORD

SOUNDS A LITTLE MORBID, BUT have you ever thought what your last words might be at the end of your life? I guess it depends on the situation, but here’s a few that may well have been uttered: ‘I wonder where the mother bear is?’  ‘Pull the pin and count to what?’ ‘I’ve done this a million times before – chill!’ ‘You turned the power off, right’.

Some epitaphs tell us a lot about a person’s story.

‘Here lies the grave of Jonathan Blake, who stepped on the gas instead of the brake!’’

While others sum up a life’s purpose and theme:

‘Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty I’m free at last’ says Martin Luther King’s gravestone; Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you’ is the inscription on Mother Teresa’s tomb.

The Lord Jesus said some incredible things right through his ministry years that were full of direction, purpose, wisdom and understanding. So much so that the crowds who heard him were amazed at His teaching.

Even as He hung on the cross, significant and powerful words came from His mouth that expressed care and comfort, hope and completion. It is, however, the very last words that Jesus spoke before He ascended to heaven that I want to focus on right now: ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything l have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ – Matt 28:18-20.

The last thing someone says is very often designed to shape the behaviour of those it was spoken to. For instance, parents to a teenager as they go off for the weekend say, ‘No parties while we’re away!’

Or maybe it’s words of instruction that are given regarding work and purpose. It’s a bit of a cliche, but any soldier will continue to obey the last order he hears until fresh orders are given by his captain. The fact is, our Captain hasn’t changed the order that he last gave 2,000 years ago.

It constitutes four things:

1/. All Authority. Jesus has commissioned his church to go! He hasn’t commanded us to stay! Heaven has ordained it, we don’t need to apologise for it or ask permission to do it. He has equipped us with his name, his word and his power. When Moses argues with God at the burning bush, the Lord said, ‘Tell them “I am” has sent me to you’. That’s authority!

2/. All nations. He has sent us into all the world to reach every nation – people group, tribe and tongue – from the pregnant teenager on the tough council estate to the village elder in a rainforest. To all who receive Him, who believe in His name, to them He gives the right to become children of God. Who is unreached in your world right now, and what worlds do you need to be reaching?

3/. All things. We make disciples of people by helping them and teaching them to understand and obey everything Jesus has commanded. As we live a God-pleasing life and demonstrate the living Word in our own lives, it will impact on others and disciple them to a place of encounter and ongoing relationship with Christ. The more we know of Jesus, the more we can share with others. ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him’.  His word is a map, a guide, a mirror and a love letter, full of directions, commands, foundations for living and words of hope and encouragement. Who are you influencing and discipling today?

 

4/. Always. The one who sends us also goes with us. In fact he prepares the way, creates opportunities, leads us into divine appointments, gives us words to say, backs us up with signs and wonders, covers us with his love and promises never to leave us and never to forsake us.

Emmanuel is not just for Christmas – His presence is for always!

                                

Points to Ponder

                                          

                                        Rev. E. Anderson

KEEPERS

One day a woman’s husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t “anymore”. No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more “just one minute.”

Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say “I love you.”

So while we have it, it’s best we love it, care for it, fix it when it’s broken and heal it when it’s sick.

This is true for marriage…..And old cars… And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep — like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special.. And so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thought I was a ‘keeper’! Then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way… Now it’s your turn to send this to all those people who are “keepers” in your life, including the person who sent it, if you feel that way. Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don’t love you back.  And… just in case I’m gone tomorrow:

Live today because tomorrow is not promised.

                             

Illustrations that Light up Life

                                                              

                                  Rev. E. Anderson

HARD WORK

BY the time she was 18, Romana Banhuelos had been deserted by her husband and Ieft to raise her two children alone. Living in Mexico, she was poverty-stricken, untrained in any profession and unable to speak English. But that didn’t stop her. She had a dream – one she refused to let go of. With only a few dollars in her pocket she headed for Los Angeles, where she used her last seven dollars to take a taxi to the home of a distant relative. Romana refused to live on the charity of others. Immediately she found a job washing dishes, followed by a second job making tortillas from midnight until 6 am.

From her two jobs she was able to save $500 , which she used to invest in her own tortilla machine. Overtime, and with a great deal of hard work and study, she became the owner of Ramona’s Mexican Food Products, the largest Mexican food products business in the world. And that’s not all. She was hand-picked by President Nixon to become the first Mexican-American woman United States Treasurer. Romana bachelor exemplified what Eisenhower had to say about dreams and discipline propelling future: “We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective’. Whether you flip burgers or trade futures, remember these words: “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper’ – Proverbs 13:4 NLT. God will only add His blessing to your best effort, so today, give it all you’ve got!

                                 

« Older entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 29 other followers