You gotta have faith, faith, faith

We often enjoy hearing poetry during our services at Redeemer Church London, and this latest offering from STEVE PAGE was read last Sunday.

One of his prompts came from Romans 1:17 (‘the righteous shall live by faith’), where the gospel reveals that a righteousness from God is obtained by faith.

His second can be found in Joshua 3:13-17, where the path to the promised land was through the River Jordan – showing that sometimes, you have to get your feet wet!

You can enjoy Steve’s poem in full here:

FAITH

My faith is the certainty that gives me clarity to see

that there’s a path just beneath the current uncertainty.

My faith is a step, a one step at a time

not much of a leap, but me taking God's hand with mine.

My faith is a day-by-day hand-holding,

a minute-by-minute, front-foot treading of my boot in his footmarks

left for me as a blessing.

My faith is a choosing that needs repeated repeating,

a daily seating at his feet

It's no fleeting feeling,

it’s a morning-and-evening,

sometimes weeping

with both-knees kneeing.

Our faith is a decision

and decisions were made to be made,

so pray,

take him at his word and take the next step,

but don’t be surprised if you get both feet wet.

Because that is where you’ll find Jesus -

at the point where you're most at risk of getting out of your depth.

Our faith is the certainty

that gives us clarity to trust

that whatever our paths,

our God has gone before us.

Thoughts for the Week of Prayer and Fasting

We’re currently midway through our Week of Prayer and Fasting at Redeemer Church London, which began on Sunday and runs until this Friday.

There are meetings every evening at The Hub so we can pray for and with one another, while you can also get involved with virtual prayer meetings from home.

For a bit of inspiration from the past, take a look at these eight great quotes about prayer and fasting - which our pastor Pete Cornford mentioned in Sunday’s sermon.

• "If you want to humble a man, ask him about his prayer life" - Alexander Whyte

• "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?" - Corrie Ten Boom

• "Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means for getting something for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself" - Oswald Chambers

• "Fasting without prayer is hunger strike. Prayer without fasting lacks depth. But when both are combined, they create an altar of fire that the devil cannot resist." - Apostle E.H. Guti

• "God does nothing but in answer to prayer" - John Wesley

• "I have a very busy day today; must spend not two but three hours in prayer" - Martin Luther

• "Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food." - Dallas Willard

• "We can accomplish a lot with prayer and fasting" - Lailah Gifty Akita

Click here to read the full list of meetings for the Week of Prayer and Fasting this week, and how you can join us!

My testimony - Vince Wilkie

In the latest in our series of testimonies from Redeemer Church London members, VINCE WILKIE reveals how an extraordinary moment at his wedding saw the Lord reveal Himself when he least expected it.

I’ve been a born-again Christian for 11 years. One of my favourite songs is called ‘The Lord is Real’. The chorus is very pertinent to my testimony: ‘I know the Lord is real, this is how I feel, in time He will reveal.’

My testimony is about the time when the Lord truly revealed how real He was.

Time for me is going back to September 28, 2012. I'm sitting in a memory clinic at Central Middlesex Hospital with my mum and dad.

The doctor is telling us something we suspected for at least years, that mum had dementia, but we were also being told that she was showing early stages of Alzheimer’s.

As you can imagine for the family that was a very emotional blow, but as a family we would pull together and support our mum in her time of need as she had always done for us as her children and her husband. In holy matrimony we quote the lines in sickness and in health.

My mother and father were certainly true examples of that, and it was amid this time that I also sought to quote those lines as approximately two months after my mum’s diagnosis, I proposed to my then girlfriend and now wife.

In planning for our wedding one of the dreams I kept having and was so looking forward to, was my mum and dad being able to see me get married in a church and be there sitting alongside me at the head table as my wife and I would celebrate our union in front of our loved ones.

We know that mum’s condition would bring us challenges and we were ready to accept them, but even those challenges surpassed what we could ever have imagined.

Over the course of the next 11 months as we were planning for our wedding, unforeseen challenges with mum’s condition were coming to light as her physical mobility as well as mental capacity was decreasing.

Getting mum to physically attend routine health appointments became an impossible task, resulting in us having to arrange house appointments for her.

She had not left the house since that fateful day in September.

I came to the logical conclusion that mum was not going to be able to attend the wedding. The physical challenge and emotional trauma she was experiencing was too much for her to bear and the family to see.

This was a feeling of deep regret for me, I really wanted my mum to be there at the church. However I had to press on with the planning and preparation of the wedding.

The date was now Saturday October 5, 2013. It’s a mild dry autumn afternoon, it’s our wedding day. I am sitting alongside my brother who was also my best man, I’m looking around the beautiful church and constantly in my eye is the Christ on the cross in the altar.

As I gazed on the cross, my brother said to me: ‘Vincent, I need to tell you something. Don’t turn around yet, but mum is here, she’s made it.’

Tears of joy filled my eyes and I turned around and saw my mum with my dad walking hand in hand down the aisle.

I went to my parents, hugged them and made my way back to the altar, again I looked at Jesus on the cross.

The Lord had revealed to me when I least expected it, but when I most needed it, that He was real, and He had revealed this to me in time in his house. A whole 370 days later. My faith had now been sealed.

My logic was not God's logic. He works outside logic, He knew my heart’s desire and fulfilled my wish.  Trust in the Lord and He will reveal Himself to you and at the time you need it most.

Jesus had done the same thing to Peter on the banks of Lake Galilee when Peter - jaded and demotivated - had sought to find fish all night. Jesus spoke to him, revealed Himself and suddenly Peter was provided with a bountiful supply of fish and became one of his apostles.

‘I know the Lord is real, this is how I feel, in time He will reveal.’

My testimony - Esther-Maria Cornford

ESTHER-MARIA CORNFORD, who is part of Redeemer Church London, reveals in her testimony how God broke the shackles of her past and will never let her down.

Jesus Christ came into my life unexpectedly in 2017 and transformed me and my life in the most wonderful ways. Through Him, I have found love, freedom, and grace.

I grew up as part of an atheist family in Germany. My childhood and adolescence were largely marked by a series of traumatic events.

I witnessed the difficult breakdown of my parents’ marriage and several of their subsequent relationships, experienced physical and emotional abuse and neglect, and lost family members in a variety of different ways.

Often, I was left feeling hopeless, unworthy of love, lonely, and depressed. The lack of stability in my life caused me to be untrusting and confrontational. I felt that I could not possibly forgive the people who had hurt me. These negative feelings caused inner turmoil within me.

Yet, something changed when I was 13 years old. A friend invited me to go to church with her one Sunday and I went along, not expecting or wanting to meet God, but I believe I did. When I walked into this church, I felt a sudden rush of warmth flood my body.

In that moment, I felt secure and loved. I did not understand the feeling or Who or what was behind it, but I felt a clear presence.

From this day on, I took classes about Christianity for a year, got christened and confirmed in the Lutheran church, and started reading the Bible and praying sporadically.

This year was simultaneously one of the hardest years of my life, as I experienced abandonment and violence, got bullied at school, and lost my aunt and uncle in a car accident.

At 14 years of age, I stayed with my cousin, who had lost his parents in this accident, in hospital while he was undergoing operations and recovering from the crash. The hospital we stayed in had a chapel, which I visited to pray and ask God for help and strength, which he gave me.

But as the years went by I became more and more withdrawn. In order to deal with the memories, feelings, and more unfortunate life experiences, I turned to self-destructive methods, such as self-harming.

In 2017, I moved to London to study Musical Theatre. Within the first week of living here, I was once again invited to church by my dear friend, Reuben.

When I attended my first service at Redeemer Church London, I met Jesus Christ. For the first time, my eyes and ears were opened and I understood what I was actually saying as I was singing and worshipping.

I truly understood the Gospel. God revealed to me who He truly is: not some positive spiritual force, but a person who I can have a relationship with.

Jesus revealed Himself to me as a Brother and Friend. For the first time, I felt God the Father welcome me into His loving arms. More than anything, I felt grace, freedom, forgiveness, and love. I physically felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders and the shackles of my past breaking.

Jesus has changed how I view myself and my purpose in life because I no longer want to live for myself, but for Him. Firstly, entering into a relationship with Jesus has taught me that while humans have let me down, hurt me, and left me time and time again, He never will. Only Jesus can truly satisfy, heal, and make us whole.

Through spending time with Jesus, I have been able to start my healing process, grow, and forgive those I never thought I would be able to forgive.

Where I was once self-seeking, obstinate, and closed off, I am now open, humbled, and wanting to love everyone. I have found inner peace.

While I came to this country specifically to pursue a career which would allow me to act as someone else and entertain people with my abilities, I now want to always show others who I truly am in Christ Jesus, and use what God has given me to help others.

Therefore, I have even changed the career I am pursuing to fit my new purpose in life because God is worth it and my heart has been transformed completely.

No one’s life is perfect. Having Jesus in my life has not fully taken away all of my pain and grief. What He has given me though is a new perspective. He is my ever present help in trouble, my Lord and Saviour, who I can speak to and lean on.

However, more than that He is a holy and praiseworthy God. He has saved me from the disasters in my past because He is good and to bring glory to His precious Name.

Wherever you come from and whatever circumstances you have faced in your life, God can use them for your good and His glory, and He can bring healing even to the most broken of hearts.

Throughout the years since I've become a Christian, Jesus has continued to be faithfully at work in my life. Growing up I did not have positive male role models to teach me how men and women should relate to each other healthily. Yet now I get to give glory to God for the wonderful husband He has given me.

Together we have welcomed our first child and our expecting our second. Our daughters are a blessing and gift that I can only humbly praise God for.

God the Father has drawn me into closer relationship with Him every year - revealing Himself to me ever more graciously, sanctifying me, and showing me more of Who He is.

He has answered prayer upon prayer, He has been with me through some highs and lows, He has grown me, and He has blessed me.

I continue to give thanks to God for the way in which He has taken me out of brokenness into wholeness, joy, and a life I can live to the full through Him and by His grace alone for His glory alone.

My testimony - Mandy Hudson

Redeemer Church London member MANDY HUDSON shares her testimony on how God has helped her through tough trials in her life - and why her relationship with Him has given her purpose and meaning.

“I have made, I will bear, even I will carry and will deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:4b)

Mine was a difficult birth. I experienced lack of oxygen which resulted in Cerebral Palsy affecting my left side. The prognosis was bleak. At nine months, my mother was told I would be unable to walk, talk or really be able to understand, progress or learn.

God had blessed my mother with great determination and persistence. She set about a seemingly endless round of physiotherapy, speech therapy, ballet, horse riding and swimming.

I walked at 12 months, jumped waves at the seaside when I was three. At five, I went to the same mainstream school as my brothers. I still couldn’t speak very well, but I enjoyed learning, especially reading.

This is a story of how Jesus has transformed my life. In my family, that revolution began with my eldest brother becoming a Christian. The change in his character was extraordinary. He became much kinder and thoughtful towards his little sister.

When I went to secondary school, I started going to a Christian group my brother attended. I was given a booklet which explained how God had made the world perfect, but we had rebelled and wanted our own way. Sin had ruined our lives and the world. However, God had come into the world as Jesus. He had died on the cross for our sin and made it possible to be made right with God again and find our purpose in life.

There was a prayer at the end of the book which I said. It was the first time I felt the presence of God.

I discovered that Christianity is actually a relationship rather than a religion. My relationship with Jesus developed through long nights of pain as a teenager when my left knee was injured. This was the time God taught me about prayer. I found out prayer is a conversation in which I can pour out my heart to God. My circumstances don’t always change, but he always reassures me.

The years went by. I grew up, took exams, went to York University and I was even fit enough to get around by bicycle!

I’m writing about God’s continuing faithfulness.

God has not chosen to heal me physically but has instead used my disability to help others. I finished university, became a teacher and moved back into my parents’ home for 10 years. During these years I became a disability activist through the inspiration of the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP). God has put me in a unique position to campaign for the rights of disabled people from my own experience.

After completing a master’s degree, I was looking for the next phase of my teaching career. God opened the way for me to move to London. It was then the Bible verse at the top of this story came to my attention.

I began to realise that God had made me just as he wanted me – Cerebral Palsy included. He had borne me up throughout my life so far and would carry and deliver me the rest of the way!

I’d completely underestimated how physically hard I’d find living in London on my own. But no matter what, Jesus was there as my constant companion. This may seem strange to you, that a remote figure who lived thousands of years ago could offer us friendship, but it is true.

Life with Jesus isn’t always an instant cure to all the ills of life. In 2007 I found myself physically and emotionally exhausted once more. I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and had to take 16 weeks off work. There were times when I felt confused, sad and frustrated, as if I was in freefall. I found myself again having to endure long, dark, sleepless nights, this time with whirling anxiety as well as physical pain. Thankfully, slowly, God helped me through. He helped me find a new rhythm of life with more variety. He even helped me to train as a swimming teacher!

I like activity and busyness, but that is physically and emotionally challenging every day. I believe God has continued to use me to campaign for disability rights through a local care co-op. Being a Christian means that I have learnt to see such good causes with a deeper spiritual perspective. My relationship with God gives me purpose and meaning in life.

I have recently retired from 37 years as a classroom teacher. I am so grateful that God has continued to demonstrate His faithfulness by enabling me to continue to work as a swimming teacher. In all the ups and downs of life I am living proof Jesus is my hope. Every day, I am thankful for the breath God has put in me. I pray you will discover that joy too.

My Faith

We are in the midst of a preaching series based on Hebrews 11, focusing on faith, and our resident poet - Steve Page - has written a poem to go alongside the series. We hope that it blesses you and stirs your faith today.

---

My faith is the certainty that gives me clarity to see
that there’s a path just beneath the current uncertainty.

My faith is a step, a one step at a time
not much of a leap, but me taking his hand with mine.
My faith is a day-by-day holding,
a minute-by-minute treading
of my boot in his footmarks left for me as a blessing.

My faith is choice that needs repeated repeating,
a daily seating at his feet,
it's not a fleeting feeling,
it’s a morning and evening both-knees kneeing.

My faith is a decision and decisions were made
to be made,
so pray,
take him at his word and take the next step,
but don’t be surprised if it involves you getting both feet wet.
Cos that is where you’ll find Jesus
at the point you find yourself out of your depth.

My faith is the certainty that gives me clarity to see
that whatever my path,
my God has gone before me.

Hearing God - Logos and Rhema

Sometimes when we are waiting for direction or answers to prayers, we can become frustrated by the seeming silence from God. It is challenging to continue to seek him with a right spirit when we feel like we are getting nowhere… waiting and waiting for enlightenment, a green light or for that matter a red light-just any light to illuminate what can sometimes feel like despairing darkness.

In an Insta world we often mistakenly act like we believe our communion with God should result in Insta- communication as we see fit, according to our timelines. When the Almighty God doesn’t bend to our iron wills and unrealistic expectations – we are often weigh laid with worry or indignant: Asking - Where is God? Why isn’t he answering my prayers? Doesn’t he care?

We of little faith!

The God who said and there was, who spoke the very universe into being, is always speaking.  Everything that exists has its origins in the Word of God. 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.”
John 1:1-3 

Since he changes not and is the same God yesterday, today and forever more- we can expect and should expect that he will continue to speak over his creation and especially to his most valued creation: mankind.  Psalm 8 says, 

“3When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place— 4 what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? 5You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor”
Psalm 8:3-5

We are his masterpiece, which is why Jesus the Word made flesh, came down to earth, to live and die as a human in order to make atonement for our sins so that we could once more be reconciled to God. 

“1 On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. 2But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.” Hebrews 1: 1-2 

Restored Communication

Jesus’ life, death and resurrection has resulted in restored fellowship and communion with God. So that once again like Adam, we can walk and talk in the cool of the day with God- our spirits connecting with his Spirit. Amazing, isn’t it? Direct access to God- anytime, anyplace, having the ability to both speak to and hear from him.

While God primarily speaks to us through the written word (the Holy Bible) which is ‘alive and active’ and capable of judging the thoughts and intentions of the heart’. he also now speaks to us through the Holy Spirit!

“… when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come”
John 16:13

Thankfully, in those times when we need clear guidance from God we can turn to his written Word which is useful for, “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” and then we can also wait before him listening and paying attention to how the Holy Spirit will reveal to us what the Father is saying in the present, for the specific situation or concern we are seeking him about- a Rhema word: a particular insight into a portion of Scripture relating to our lives and circumstances. 

Becoming Familiar

If we are patient, alert and expectant, we will find that God speaks through nature, through people- like the prophets of old, through dreams and visions, through signs and wonders, through events. Ultimately, we must return to the written Word: Logos, to test these revelations. But as we abide more and more in his Word and presence, his voice will become increasingly familiar. We will soon realise that he is continually speaking if only we will have eyes and ears to hear him.

Timali Ebanks is a follower of Jesus, cherished wife and mother of a beloved motley crew. When she is not enthusiastically expounding on the joys of delving into literature and engaging students in copious amounts of reading and analysis, she enjoys bouts of writing and adventures of all sorts.

Wednesday Prayer - November Lockdown

Over the past several months, we often met as a church community on a Wednesday to pray together. As meetups have started, and many of us are now meeting regularly to study Ephesians together, we are no longer meeting together as a church to pray. This doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop praying! So over here on the blog we’re starting a new series on Wednesdays, giving you a few ideas of what you could be praying for today and for the rest of this week.

Today we’re praying for…..

The Lockdown

I know! It’s an obvious choice, but it seems silly that something would be dominating our conversations with one another and yet not our conversations with God!

So let’s join together in prayer today, focusing on the next 4 weeks, and fixing our eyes on the one who will be unchanging through it all, and who has plans to continue to bless us and help us grow in our faith during this time.

Some key prayer points to help you are listed below.

1. Worship God! It is always crucial to begin times of prayer by reminding ourselves just who it is that we are coming to! We pray to a God who is mighty and more powerful than anything in the universe, he is our creator, our Father, our protector, our peace, our firm foundation. He is greatly to be praised! Before you start to present your requests to God, make sure you first and foremost give him the glory he is worthy of, and in the process stir your faith for what he might do over the coming weeks.

2. Pray for God to grow your personal faith during this time. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be at work in you, to help you establish disciplines of prayer and reading scripture over lockdown. Pray that God would continue to speak to you as you join us for our online services.

3. Pray for your fellow members of the Redeemer family. Pray that God would continue to sustain them during this difficult time. Pray especially for those who might be dealing with loneliness. Pray for opportunities to build community with others in the Redeemer family, be that through one on one outdoor exercise, or calling, texting and meeting together on Zoom. Pray that God continues to move powerfully in our midweek Ephesians meetups! Pray for protection for the vulnerable and healing and rapid recovery for those who contract the virus

4. Pray for those around you that don’t yet have a personal relationship with God. Pray that this time might stir them to ask questions and begin to seek God. Pray for opportunities for gospel conversations with your neighbours and colleagues over the coming weeks. We believe that Jesus will continue to build his church, regardless of the circumstance, so let’s be expecting him to include us in that process even during this time. Pray for healing for those who contract the virus, and for the NHS who are treating those who are critically ill.

There are of course many other things that we can be praying for over the next 4 weeks of lockdown, and I would encourage you to make prayer a priority in this time! I will leave you with a few verses which I feel are a great starting point for us all right now.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

A Lent of Greater Faith

As you will no doubt be aware, the recent covid-19 outbreak has changed everyone’s lives to a greater and a lesser extent. As a church we know that many members of our family will be self-isolating, working from home, or practicing social distancing over the coming weeks. We are hoping that through a series of blogs we can encourage you, and others who might be reading these blogs, to fix your eyes on Jesus, and respond to the crisis in a way which honours his will for our lives.

---

I didn’t plan to write this blog.

I began writing a piece for Lent about us not just focussing on what we are giving up, but also asking ourselves what we are taking on this Lent - what challenges, changes, crosses and contributions we’ll be taking on to serve our households, church family, community and God.

But then COVID-19 happened.  

And as I wrote this new blog, I think God brought me back to the same place. 

Our prayer and God’s protection

During such testing times as these, I’ve found it helpful to listen to on-line bible studies, encouraging us to pray with confidence, exercising our faith and trusting God like never before.  We don’t know what the future holds for us, but we know a God who does.  

The Psalms provide powerful words of faith as well as heart-felt cries to God.  In the face of current public health crisis Psalm 91 is perfect, particularly because it calls upon the Lord for protection over pestilence and I highly recommend that we take those promises and incorporate them into our prayers for ourselves, family, friends & neighbours.

We are not immune, it’s true, but God makes all things possible. If Christ can raise the dead, if the Apostles can cast out demons, if my faith can move mountains, then our God through the Holy Spirit, in the Name of Jesus, can protect us.

Fear or faith 

Jesus was very clear: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).  So, now, as never before, ask, seek, knock – be persistent in prayer with faith in God, who stands with us.  

Now, spiritual faith can work with practical common sense, so yes, we take precautions, we are careful to not socialise, we wash our hands, we follow government and health guidelines, but we do it with faith not fear – that’s the difference! “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

A Lent of greater faith

So how does this relate to what we give up for Lent and what we take on for Lent? Well, I say that we let go of fear and take on even greater faith. I advise prayer over panic, declaring life over accepting death. Choose to live in truth rather than live overwhelmed by the daily news. 

People may well continue to fall ill – fact.  The truth is that God is with us in times of trouble, He delivers us and honours us. With long life He will satisfy us and show us His salvation (Psalm 91).  

Daily life has been thrown off course – fact. The truth is that we have life from someone who is life (John 11:25).

It is evident in the Bible that our God is incredibly intentional; everything serves a purpose, there is a plan and His timing is unique, critical and perfect, whether we understand it or not. He is faithful! So let us be too.  Let us sing Hosanna on Palm Sunday, sing thanks to Christ on Good Friday and raise the roof with the Holy Spirit come Easter Sunday - without fear, but with courage, love and truth.  

The cross came before the crown and I hope that we all feel encouraged at this time, and at all times, because though there may be weeping in the night, rejoicing comes in the morning (Psalm 30) and God will make our cause shine like the noon day sun (Psalm 37) – God’s words, not mine.

Lent’s soundtrack

If this blog had a soundtrack, it would feature:

• Yes & Amen - Housefires

• Way maker - Sinach

• Take a moment – United Pursuit

Now, let’s end with some hashtags shall we… it’s a blog after-all

#FaithOverFear 

#PrayerNotPanic 

#YesAndAmen

Peace be with you & God bless you,

Pamela 

#RedeemerRecommends - Not Too Poetry

If you’re a regular reader of the Redeemer Blog, or you are part of the Redeemer family that meet together on a Sunday, then you will no doubt be aware of the talents of our resident poet - Steve Page!

It is with great excitement that I get to present to you this week’s #RedeemerRecommends, which features Steve’s second published poetry anthology!

Following on from his first book, ‘Not Too Big to Weep’, Steve’s second book is entitled ‘Not Too Old to Dance’.

Steve’s poems speak about and draw inspiration from his faith, his life in London, and his vast imagination. The book is split into sections, each described as having a slightly different ‘mood’, whether that be observing, writing, or dancing! Some of the poems will be familiar to readers of this blog, but I would encourage you (as Pete Cornford does in the foreword) to grab a coffee, dive in, and discover the joy, laughter, sorrow, excitement, and many more emotions hidden within the pages of this book.

Steve, you are such a blessing, and we thank you for sharing your gifting with us!

Breakthrough - Men's Prayer Brunch

The 9th of February marked the first Men’s brunch meetup. A new ministry from Redeemer with a vision to bring men together to discuss one simple but important question; what breakthrough are we waiting for God to do in our lives? He is a God who can do anything, and often we simply need to hold onto faith and trust that He will provide what we need at the right time.

The first meetup saw twenty-two men from Redeemer church devour an insatiable amount of eggs, sausages, bacon and coffee whilst catching up for those with those we haven’t seen in a while. But the event also provided a friendly atmosphere for new people to make new friends. It was great to see the coffee pouring and the conversations flowing with outbreaks of laughter from one end of the table to the other.

After the mighty-meaty brunch, we all gathered around in the spacious living room to listen to our very own Francois share his testimony – a vulnerable and honest account of how he grappled with an addiction to pornography, and the way it affected his marriage. It was so encouraging to hear that despite the bondage to sin that only seemed to tighten with the passage of time, Francois learnt to lean on God and His abundant grace. God has set him free from this; providing the much needed breakthrough that Francois required, as he was able to bring himself, his marriage and his family unilaterally out of difficulty under God’s light.

The session concluded as we broke into small groups to discuss addictions that we wrestle with but focus on a real and tangible way out – by lifting our voices in prayer, and beginning to lean on God; trusting Him for the breakthrough that he ultimately provided for Francois.

Chris Sutton was then given some time to discuss the ministry he is putting together called ‘caring for ex-offenders’ before the day ended in a final prayer.

The men’s ministry will be running these brunches every two to three months and we would love to see you at the next one on 13th April. Come along and please do bring any men you know who would benefit from the fruits of this ministry (inside or outside of Redeemer).

Details of the next meetup will be given nearer the time. – Please speak to Barny, Francois or Sunny for more info.

Review by Sunny Gill