Gary Grant

 Colossians 2.... The Message bible... My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been give n. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith.     Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, ...

It wasn't  one of the easiest sermons to deliver. There is opposition. It's probably not one of my best. Not everyone present experienced the same as what some did. Nevertheless, God was here, and He did some amazing things in some of our people. No doubt some also will have thought, are you serious ? I didn't see anything.... I knew God was there... And I nearly stuffed it up at the end when one of our ladies spontaneously wanted to testify, off the cuff, as to what God had done in her, ......and me, thinking she was about to prophesy, and I wasn't feeling comfortable about that, tried to stop her...even said "no" publicly.... Sigh.... Anyway we got through, I do feel a new sense of boldness and openness.... God can do whatever He wants in me, through me, with me. I am having trouble listening to it on my ipad, and expect it should work ok on the desktop computers, but if you want to hear the message from Ringwood yesterday, and hear what ...

Is there really enough time in our lives to live offended ?   We seem to be offended so easily.   I wonder why ?   When something happens that offends, we all get a bit uptight... Yes I do too. We cry out our complaint, and anger and hurt and in these times we ought be very careful how we react and respond.   Injustice and lack of courtesy are often the main causes of our personal offence.   At times though, I must confess, I don't really have anything to be offended by, especially when you view things from a different perspective.   Try looking at your next offended session through the eyes of Christ.   He had a few more reasons to be offended than any or all of us ever will. Yet, humbly, willingly, he went to the cross.   If you and I viewed things with a wider view of the world and the Kingdom, maybe we just wouldn't get so offended so easily.   For some, this offence takes root in the persons so...

I got thinking today that most people, and churches have a reputation. It is either a good reputation or a not so good one. Of course a lot of this has to do with other peoples opinions. (rightly or wrongly). rep·u·ta·tion [ rep-y uh - tey -sh uh n ]   1. the estimation in which   a person or thing is held, especially by the community   or the public generally; repute : a man of good reputation. 2. favorable repute ; good name : to ruin one's reputation by misconduct. 3. a favorable and publicly recognized name or standing for merit, achievement, reliability, etc.: to build up a reputation. 4. the estimation or name of being, having, having done, etc., something specified: He has the reputation of being a shrewd businessman.   (thanks dictionary.com)  a church can have a reputation of being boring, or alive.... a friendly church or not so friendl...