Advent Challenge Day 4

Luke 4

By now we have the full picture of Jesus and his divine heritage, and in this chapter, we start to see Jesus enter his full, public ministry.

Firstly, we have the temptations from the devil. Jesus had to endure the full onslaught of physical, mental and spiritual temptations, yet possessed a strength never seen before. Many people claim that Jesus’ knowledge of the Holy Scriptures gave him the answers – but don’t forget that the devil knew the Scriptures too! Having defeated the devil, Jesus returns from the wilderness to start his Father’s mission to bring redemption to the world.

Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee, and immediately the news spreads throughout the region. He eventually arrives at his hometown of Nazareth; that Sabbath he chooses a passage from the prophet Isaiah to read. He reads the passage that could well be his “mission statement”, and upon uttering the words that his listeners decide his words are blasphemy and try to kill him!

His ministry continues in Capernaum, and he casts out demons, heals Simon’s mother-in-law before starting a healing tour of the region. It’s interesting that it’s the demons who recognise him crying out “You are the Son of God!” Crowds sought him out, but Jesus is on a mission – once more “about his Father’s business”.

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Summer Readers

Hi folks As we enter our summer period, please find our readings and hymns for July 2025. Each Sunday there will be a selection of parishioners reading our lessons - as shown on our list. If you're not available for the given Sunday, please feel free to ask someone to cover - and our church wardens and clergy are always available as a backup on the day. Alternatively, if you would like to read a lesson in Church, drop me a message, comment on Facebook, or speak to us at the services. We would love to add new readers of all ages, Gid's Word is for us all. Blessings Johnny

August Hymns and Readings

Hi folks Here's the next list for the readings, readers and hymns for our services throughout August. There are five Sundays this month, and in our normal pattern, our fifth Sunday will be a Cafe Church service in the Parish Hall. As ever - this is just a guide, if you need to swap your date - just let someone know. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to read each month, and if you'd like to join the list, please let the church wardens or the Rector know. If we need to do so, both David and the Rector are more than happy to fill in for any given reading!

AccessNI Check process

Hi folks Please see the following pages for the process of getting our AccessNI accreditation for our Sunday School and GFS leaders and helpers. You will need to print out the pages and keep a special note of the long number provided to you by email and let me know as soon as possible. We require an Enhanced check for everyone - and use the PIN number 918066 as detailed on the first page. The second page details the forms of identification you will need to provide - one from the first group, and two from the second group. The quicker we can all get the checks completed, the sooner we can get everything back to normal and put this whole process behind us for another three years! If you can photograph yourself (by smartphone or tablet) and email (revdjohnny@gmail.com) or WhatsApp (07488371680) them to me, that'd be great. I will also be available at the Parish Hall on Monday evening from 7pm to 8pm to help you with anything you would like assistance with! If you need any help at all...

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