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I played football a couple of days ago. It is a long time since I did. It is even longer since my thighs felt the way they do now; as if they are hanging on to my torso by just a thread. It’s not that I am unfit; but no amount of long distance running or stretching can pepare you for the short, intense bursts of effort needed for football. I should have known because I’ve been rejecting many offers to start playing squash simply because I know my “fast twitch” muscle mass has simply wasted away over the years through non-use. Having said this, I enjoyed it and I will be back as often as I can with my own personal philosophy of gamemanship :if you can’t catch ‘em then trip ‘em.

What a great time we had at The House on Sunday morning as New Life did church together. It was somewhat emotive too. Fathers were honoured and it was exciting to see a young student speak very highly of his exceptionally humble dad and then pray for him in front of the whole congregation. Later one of our more senior members read the Rudyard Kipling poem “If” and I for one was moved to tears as he neared the climax of that most wonderful of verse.

The message, “A Father’s Advice” centred on the Godly advice spoken through a wise man in Proverbs 3:5-6. I suppose if the Holy Spirit inspires the wisest King who ever lived to pen words to his son, we should at least take careful note; and perhaps more so on Father’s Day.

This podcast then drops in on the message after I’ve finished the preamble which included reminiscences of my own father and his words of wisdom.

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This Sunday is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. It’s also Father’s Day. I’m really looking forward to the morning celebration at New Life when we can pay tribute to dads and fatherhood in general.

This week I’ve been thinking of the little bits of advice my dad gave me; some which have proven their worth, others which in hindsight have been lacking in substance but sounded good at the time. I may mention some of these as I bring the message on Sunday morning. Something I will definitely mention is the wonderful advice that God passes onto His children through his life-manual, the Bible. He is the wisest father of all and one that never gives dodgy advice and never has a suspicious motive. What a pity that the Bible is the most popular unread book in the world.

Pastor Russ and his dad around forty years ago.

I was privileged to have had a great dad, but many haven’t been as blessed. Let’s pray that this coming Sunday morning all around our country many people will begin a relationship with God the father of creation and the best dad in the universe.

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Russ

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For the third and final part of a trilogy of talks I spend a little time explaining just a couple of aspects of what it means to be a truly big church - big in every way. This talk follows on from the talks “Big God” and “Big People”, both available to listen to from this site.

To be a big church we must be a church which is valuable to God and invaluable to the community. Committed to becoming a church that Jesus celebrates not tolerates. Rejoice and revel in the fact that God doesn’t need us but chose us - we are truly wanted.

We should also be a church which finds it releasing to celebrate and even promote its own flavour whilst at the same time celebrating and encouraging other expressions of church. This is truly enjoying God’s desire for variety and diversity.

Enjoy as you join worshippers gathered on a Sunday morning at The House, the home of New Life in Scunthorpe, England

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Another great morning was had at New Life this morning. Lots of people just celebrating the bigness of God in them and the fact that they are gowing to be big people too. There were stories of wins and successes and joys and accomplishments.

It was in this setting that I felt compelled to tell the great people og New Life to “mind their own business”. Sounds rather rude and out of context I know, but actually its far from it.

We looked at the words of Jesus to his disciples described in a couple of places in the Bible to show how He wanted to protect their hearts and protect his investment within them. he did this by telling them to keep their eyes off other believers calls and focus on their own. In other words to “mind their own business”.

In this short 10 minute talk you drop in on me continuing a theme of being Big People. In particular this podcast begins as I’m explaining from the gospel of John chapter 21 how Jesus teaches his disciples to be bigger people by encouraging them to “mind their own business”.

Enjoy as you join worshippers gathered at The House, the home of New Life in Scunthorpe, England

Hi and thanks for visiting therevster.com.

I recently spent time away with some of the leaders of the church I pastor and as well as having lots of fun and enjoying each other’s company, we chewed over many of the various statements, mottos and axioms that we’ve used to describe our church. It was a helpful exercise and in the doing of it we arrived at an overarching phrase which we believe will express the whole scope of our flavour as New Life Church.

“Big God.. big people .. big church” is already becoming part of the language of New Life’s leadership. We believe in a Big God .. we build Big People .. who belong to a Big Church.

Heather Small, now a solo artiste was the lead singer of a band called M People when she sang the inspired song “What have you done today that makes you feel proud?”. What a grea song and what a great thought. I recently gave a challenge for the congregation of of my church to think of some things that they’ve done this year that make them feel proud. We know that the Bible teaches that having a proud heart is a sinful thing but being proud of personal development and achievement is not a self-exalting excercise - it’s a celebratory excerise. Perhaps if we find it difficult to list many things we’ve done which make us feel proud gives us a clue that we are not living life the way that Jesus intended; a life packed with lessons learned, battles won and successes earned.

This podcast features the bulk of a talk I gave entitled “Big People”. It was a call to the great people of New Life to listen again to the CALL of Jesus to “follow Him”, to take advantage of the consequence of followship which is a “life to the full” and then to take seriously the commission to become a true disciple.

You see the belief in a Gig God will cause a deep longing to see people become all they can be; for them to live life large and experience it to the full. For them to place body, soul and spirit into the service of God … to become Big People.

My team of leaders are committed to growing people in love displayed through our values, see them experience forgiveness, overcome weaknesses, resist the enemy and find freedom in God. We will join with the angels in celebrating every success and rejoice with everyone who is growing big on the inside.

In this second talk of a series you drop in on me talking about our need to be Big People. Enjoy as you join worshippers gathered at The House, the home of New Life in Scunthorpe, England

 


Hi and thanks for visiting therevster.com.

I recently spent time away with some of the leaders of the church I pastor and as well as having lots of fun and enjoying each other’s company, we chewed over many of the various statements, mottos and axioms that we’ve used to describe our church. It was a helpful exercise and in the doing of it we arrived at an overarching phrase which we believe will express the whole scope of our flavour as New Life Church.

“Big God.. big people .. big church” is already becoming part of the language of New Life’s leadership. We believe in a Big God .. we build Big People .. who belong to a Big Church.

We believe in a God who is who He says He is and does what He says He does. The God who is revealed in every page of scripture. A Big God!  Only by believing in a big God can we begin to successfully raise strong disciples; big people. The followers that Jesus wants are ones who pursue wholeness, learn to live life sold out to him and therefore learn to live life large, to the full. Only then can we build and belong to a big Church. A church that Jesus celebrates not tolerates. A church that is valuable to God and invaluable to the community.

In a series of three talks, I unpack aspects of this phrase to the church for the first time. “Big God .. big people .. big church”.

———

In this first talk you drop in on me talking about our need to believe in a Big God. I use visual examples of us straightjacketing God to make him more palatable to society and later I literally tear the bible apart to make the point of how subtly we learn to compromise the God of the bible. Enjoy as you join worshippers gathered at The House, the home of New Life in Scunthorpe, England.

• home from the Dales, bn 2 expensive rstrnt 4 Sarah’s bday, (won’t hrry back), tidied up sermon 4 2morrow, off 2 bd. It will be gr8 at Ch … #
• Stuck on narrow country road waiting for articulated truck to squeeze by. #
• In coffee shop in Clitheroe with grown men singing Claire de Lune badly. #
• About to visit Gordale Scar with friends. #
• Setting off for a great few days with some brilliant men. Nothing like trekking through the dales knee deep in mud. #
• Coraline has great 3d graphics. But story a bit creepy. #
• Bad weather ruins plans 4 theme park. abt 2 don sum 3d specs & take boys 2 C Coraline at Vue/Meadowhall. #
• rlly shouldn’t have stayed up 2 late writing ; I think the boys R expecting a theme park 2morrow. Will i have the energy? #

• 1st involv’t in New Life 4 a long while. Felt gd. Looking forward 2 a few days w/ sum gr8 leaders of men. Missing my wife who’s away w/ … #
• About to see my wife off as she takes some leaders to Yorkshire Dales. #
• An inordinate amount of writing done today. My mind enjoys it but my eyes aren’t so sure. #
• Went to York today with friends to ride on the Yorkshire Wheel. They’ve only gone and moved it to Harrogate! #
• Relaxing with African bound friends in York. #
• A global climate issue, a global financial crisis and a global influenza scare. Sounds like someone is trying to get our attention. #
• Headed out with my wife for a lovely relaxing day. Summoned back to pick up poorly boy from school. Best laid plans and all that .. #
• Been to auction / Didn’t come back with anything #
• Home. Slept reasonably well. Pulse seems OK. Had a massage. Going to an auction. #
• Strange to be in here. Slimmer and fitter than been in 10 years. #
• In A and E. Had a little heart scare but seems all clear. Bit of Arythmia and low blood pressure. #

• At the Humber Bridge Country Park or should it be called Dogpoopville. #
• Church will be great tomorrow morning. Part of our Encounter weekend. #
• Another great day for the taking. #
• Good catching up with friends today. #
• At swimming lesson with youngest son. It’s amazing how he can fool the instructor into believing his feet are not touching the pool bottom. #
• done a good morning’s writing - now for a stroll and an expresso. #
• Dear Lord. Please let Everton and Portsmouth win tomorrow. #
• I need a blood pressure tab now. #
• Liverpool are without doubt the most entertaining team in football. #
• Now we’ve started passing to the opposition. #
• Benayoun has blessed feet. He has Maradonaesque control. #
• Does run of play count for nothing? Where did Arsenal dig that goal out of? #
• Come on LFC ! #
• Just listened to a Radio 4 prog on iplayer called ‘Beardyman and the mimics’. Awesome #