Springford Baptist Church

How do we make it our consistent practice to welcome Jesus into every part of our lives? As we look towards Palm Sunday this week and Easter Sunday the following, we know that there is a heightened emphasis on this truth of our faith that will be celebrated. We as followers of Jesus, recognize Easter as much more than a religious holiday. Welcoming Jesus into our everyday lives is more about relationship than religion. We see in Scripture that many of the religious people of Jesus’ day missed Who He is altogether. They did not welcome Him as the Promised King, Son of God. They rejected Him because the confines of their religious superiority blinded them to what was reality. Their being caught up in religion did not facilitate life changing relationship with Jesus. In reference to Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem that we celebrate on Palm Sunday, we read in Luke 24:37b,38a, “the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord.” Elsewhere in Scripture, we read that waving palm branches was part of this joyful expression of praise directed towards Jesus. It was those who had travelled with Jesus and had witnessed His miracles who initiated this exuberant welcome. It remains true today that those who have known the love of Jesus and have seen His miraculous answers to prayer will be those who will initiate WELCOMING JESUS. This can happen as we are praying and expectantly trusting Jesus and growing in our relationship with him. For our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER tomorrow March 29^th at 1 pm we will pray thanking God that welcoming Jesus is all about the gift of relationship with Him!

Praising God that when we welcome Jesus, we find Him welcoming us into ever deeper relationship with Him, Pastor Lola

Our Generous God, we offer praise to You right now! We thank You for Jesus the King Who has come in the Name of the Lord and is worthy of all our praise! We thank You that when we do choose to praise You and to welcome Jesus Your Son into every part of our lives that You do fill us with joy. God we are grateful that You have arranged for us to be in relationship with You through Jesus and what He has done for us. We think of those who travelled with Jesus and experienced His love and grace. They heard His wise teaching and witnessed His miracles. They were the ones who initiated praise and welcome for Jesus when He rode into Jerusalem. We too have experienced the love and grace of Jesus. We too have heard His wise teaching recorded in Your Word, the Bible and we have witnessed miraculous answers to our prayers that You have provided. May we also be those who initiate praise for You. We want our praise to be genuine. We want the praise of our hearts to flow from relationship with You. We want our faith to be centered in relationship, not religion. When we move so quickly from one prayer request to another and do not acknowledge Your provision and thank You, we pray that You will forgive us. Please help us to be in the habit of offering praise to You. We want to trust You that this will encourage others to recognize what You are doing and to also lift up praise to You. We know that what we say and do, can influence others. Our prayer is that our words and actions will influence others for good. As praise deepens our relationship with You, we pray that it will also inspire others to praise and welcome You into their lives. As many times as we have celebrated Palm Sunday and Easter, we are praying that the significance of wholeheartedly welcoming Jesus will be fresh for us again this year. It is our desire for this to be a personal experience and one that we then enter into with others who are also reminded of what it means to belong to You. Thank You God for the ways You revealed Yourself when Jesus was here on earth living among people. Thank You for all the ways You continue to reveal Yourself to us every day. We do pray for eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts to accept Your holy revelations. Those who travelled with Jesus were forever changed by Him and we long for that to be so for us as well. We pray for our faith to be vibrant and to extend life and hope to others who will also choose to welcome Jesus into their lives. Wherever we have lost sight of Who Jesus is, we look for a rekindling of faith. We pray that we will expect to encounter Jesus and to have Jesus accompany us in an ever growing dependence on You and Your plans for us. Thank You that this Easter season can be a time of renewed commitment to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in Whose Name we pray, AMEN.

I am thanking God that the calendar indicates that it is spring and that we are moving steadily in that direction. Last weekend, in anticipation of spring’s arrival, I removed the evergreen arrangements from our front porch and fixed up my spring arrangement. I had finished getting it in place and went back inside. When I came back out again, it was snowing. Soon the spring flowers in the arrangement were all covered with snow. There is a life lesson here. Even when it is spring, that does not guarantee exclusive warm weather and sunny skies. Neither does day to day life guarantee this. What we can absolutely rely on whatever the weather is God’s loving Presence with us and His ever present help for us. Everything that we experience reminds us how much we need to depend on God and to look to Him to help us. Our hope in Him is solid and reliable! Recall the encouragement from Psalm 46: God is our refuge and strength. An ever present help in times of trouble.” When we pray we can affirm our trust in God. We can thank Him that He is always available to be our refuge and strength whatever the weather conditions of our lives. In our prayers we can specifically name where we need help and expect that God will respond. Please plan to join us for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER tomorrow March 22^nd at 1 pm.

Placing our hope and confidence in God who is reliable when the weather is not, Pastor Lola

Our loving God, we do thank You for the promise of warmth of Spring after the long cold duration of Winter. While we cannot rely on the weather, we know that we can rely on You. Thank You God that everything we experience leads us to the realization of how much we need You. And as we pray together today we are deeply grateful that whenever we turn to You, we find that You are with us. You are for us our refuge and strength. Again today we take refuge in You. We know that You provide for us a place of safety and rest. You shelter us from the bitter winds of disappointment and distress. Our God, we also know that we can find our strength in You. We want to anticipate this new season ahead as a time when we will draw strength from You and keep growing stronger in our faith and dependence on You. We know so well the limitations of our own strength so we are greatly relieved to know that You Yourself are our strength. Today we pray for those we know who need the assurance of You being available to be their strength. For those who have not recognized You with them or have not been close with You, we pray that each one will come closer to You. In our prayers today, we acknowledge that we have come to know You as One who always welcomes each one who comes to You. We come as we are and receive Your much needed strength. We cannot know what this day holds or what the coming days and weeks hold. We are asking for Your grace for the succession of new days ahead. As we think about promising signs of the hope of Spring, we want to also be looking for promising signs of the hope of what You are bringing about for us. The fact that You are an ever present help for us in times of trouble, lifts us up. We know that we are not without Your help and hope. You lift us up and give us purpose and direction. When we have missed seeing where we need Your help, please show us. We want to be intentional about recognizing the ways that You have helped us and we want to make a point of thanking You. Please God, use us to bring strength and help to others who can also trust You to be ever present for them too. On our persistent journey towards the cross and the hope of Easter, we pray that we will be reminded that Jesus was determined to do Your will. We too want to be determined to carry out Your will for us every day. May this be so, in the Name of Jesus our Saviour. AMEN.

The shamrock is a symbol that we associate with St. Patrick’s Day which will be celebrated this Friday. Apparently,  St. Patrick used the shamrock as a way of explaining the Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we are living our everyday lives, how aware are we of the significance of the Trinity? When we pray, how do we invite and give thanks for the initiatives of God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit? We know that God the Father out of His intense love for our world and for us sent Jesus His Son. As we continue our journey towards Good Friday and Easter Sunday, we know that Jesus, God’s Son willingly came to give His life for us. Jesus chose to secure our salvation from sin by surrendering Himself for us. He overcame death forever when He was raised back to life. This is the triumph of Jesus the Son that gives us eternal hope. Then there is the Holy Spirit, Who was promised as a Counselor and Guide when Jesus was returning to heaven. The Holy Spirit is meant to remind us of Jesus’ teachings and to empower us to live for Him. We need all three of the members of the Trinity and we can appeal to them when we pray. Jesus emphasized the inclusion of all three expressions of God when He commissioned His disciples with these words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:18,19) This week when we share our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER tomorrow March 15^th at 1 pm, we will pray inviting the united and consistent work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Trusting that God will continue to reveal Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Pastor Lola

God our Father, we thank You for Your love for us that caused You to send your own Son Jesus into our world. You knew, God our Father, that Jesus Your Son was the only One Who could make it possible for us to be set free from our sin. You were willing to arrange this for us at great cost. We consider You knowing that this was the only way to overcome sin and death and proceeding with what would be so heart wrenching for You, Your Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are astounded at Your love for us Your creation. Father God, we think of You revealing Yourself to people through history leading up to the revelation of Jesus Christ. Over and over You compelled people to come to You and to live their lives for you, but they would not listen. We see that same pattern in our world today. As desperate as things have become, people still turn away from You instead of towards You. Thank You Father God, that whoever will turn to You is welcome. And Jesus, God’s Son, we think now of You entering our world as one of us. You became human and therefore understand us and our humanity. In facing the reality of the cross, You did not turn away from what was planned to bring about our salvation. Jesus, still today, we read Your teachings and are amazed at Your wisdom. You have given us a way to live that is completely contrary to the selfish pursuits of our world. You gave Yourself as an example of living in daily rhythms of love and grace. We fall short of this, but will keep asking You to bring to our minds what it means to follow You wholeheartedly. We are praying that in this season leading up to Easter that our hearts will again be transformed by the wonder of what You did Jesus in dying and being raised back to life. We pray that this miraculous event will never be taken for granted, but will instead increase in its intensity of importance to us and our faith. Lord Jesus, we want You to be more and more important to us with each new day. We want to understand how You intend us to apply Your teachings to our daily lives. And here God, the Holy Spirit, we are so grateful for Your purpose and mission in our lives. Thank You that You remind us of the teachings of Jesus. Thank You Holy Spirit that You are for us a constant Counselor and Guide. We need the power that You can give us to live faithful to God every day. We do pray that the evidence of being filled with Your Holy Spirit will be apparent in us. We long for the fruit of Your Holy Spirit to flourish in us. Thank You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that You work together to accomplish Your purposes and to transform us and our world. We want to be Your disciples and we want to fulfill Your commission for us. We openly admit that we cannot do this without You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit continually providing us with Your empowerment. As we see evidence of how You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist together and work cooperatively together, please enable us to work together with each other to accomplish the work of Your kingdom. All of this we commit to You as we recommit ourselves to You in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Sometimes we are surprised by the strength with which people going through very hard times, face each new day. Have you ever wondered how Jesus could live each new day knowing that what lay ahead for Him was the cross? It is apparent from Jesus’ conversations with His disciples that as He persistently made His way towards Jerusalem, He knew what awaited Him there. Still, He took time to pray; to teach; to heal; to express care and compassion; to rest; and to eat with and enjoy time with friends. Jesus’ life was not on hold as He prepared for what would happen on Good Friday. We know that difficult times could overshadow everything else. We could be robbed of the peace of trusting God as He extends to us the gift of each new day. When we feel uncertain about our strength to deal with what may come next, we can be strengthened by Jesus’ resolve. Our Lord Jesus continued to give of Himself and to engage fully in the days and the steps that led to the cross. Jesus received strength that was needed for His journey and so can we. Recall with me the words of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength.” We can claim this promise and look to our Saviour Jesus Christ as we pray and like Jesus receive strength for each day and each step of the way. We will pause tomorrow March 8^th at 1 pm for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER.

Looking to Jesus who gives us strength to live each new day, Pastor Lola

Our God of grace who knows us completely, once again we turn to You. We find hope in Your Son Jesus and the living of His life. This gives us hope for what our lives can be. When we are facing difficult times and when family and friends are facing difficult times, we choose to trust You. The warmth of the sun breaking through on a cloudy day is that for which we pray. When Your Son breaks through and shines light and warmth into our cloud covered days, we are grateful. Whenever we consider that Jesus knew that the cross was before Him, we are astounded by His courage and strength. We see that Jesus kept building relationships and responding to human need. He did not become so obsessed with the reality of the cross that He could think of nothing else. Jesus chose to give Himself fully to those around Him and we want to do the same. At this time, we name before You again those for whom we are praying. We think of their needs and invite Your strength to be sufficient for them. We want to learn more of what it means to trust You for the path ahead. Thank You God that endings can lead to new beginnings. We pray that we will not limit our expectations of what You can and will do. When we reminisce about the past, we find You there. When we look for sufficient strength from You God for today, we find You there. And when we wander down the unknown path of what could be ahead, we also find you there. Never for a single moment do You abandon us. With all the people in our world turning to You in prayer, it is remarkable to us that You hear every whisper and You move with love and grace to answer each prayer. We choose to cling to Jesus for the kind of strength He displayed in living each day with determination on His way to the cross. We utter these words in response, “Hallelujah, what a Saviour,” in Whose Name we pray. AMEN

In the recent snowstorm, we were very grateful to know that our prayers were answered as we hoped, when our older daughter arrived safely at her destination. It took much longer than usual because the roads were not ploughed and the visibility was limited. We were reassured because she could update us along the way over her car phone that she was making progress. I remember before we had this technology that there were urgent prayers and anxious thoughts until there was confirmation that a loved one had arrived safely. It can seem like an eternity when you are waiting to hear that someone you love who is travelling has got safely to where that person is going. We pray many prayers for safety and protection. When we do pray, we are choosing to place someone or something in God’s capable and loving care. Still, we do not feel at ease until we know that our prayers have been answered. God understands our anxious thoughts. God can speak His peace into our hearts when we are waiting for the outcome of our prayers. Consider this Scripture, “He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. “ (Isaiah 40;11) We long for God to gather us in His arms and to hold us close to his heart. When young children are feeling upset and troubled, we will hold them in our arms to reassure and comfort them. It is consoling to be embraced by love. Our God wants to embrace us and those for whom we pray with His love. This is why He sent Jesus to be our Saviour. As we continue to prepare our hearts for Good Friday and Easter, we can be praying to experience God’s loving and tender arms holding us while we wait for His answers. We will, with this confidence in God’s love for us, join together tomorrow March 1^st at 1 pm for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER.

Praying for our awareness of God holding us and those for whom we pray in His loving arms, Pastor Lola

Our God we come to You confident of Your loving care for us and for those for whom we pray. You do respond to us with tender understanding. Your tending of us is like the way a shepherd looks after a flock of sheep. We sometimes stray away from You and You bring us back. Thank You God that You gather us in Your arms and hold us close to Your heart. This is where we can feel safe. This is where we can be assured of Your love and Your protection. We think of the times that we pray for safety and protection from harm. The waiting for Your answers can seem to stretch on and we do want to keep our faith in You. When we can know that You are holding us close to Your heart, our fears are stilled. Sometimes we admit that we think we can only be okay if the outcome of our prayers is that for which we hope. God, we recognize a much deeper dimension of faith that trusts You whatever the outcome. This trusting does not come easy and is only possible when you hold us in Your everlasting love. Where we have assumptions about Who and how You are and how You will take care of our needs, please remind us to seek the truth of the way that you reveal Yourself to us. We want to be open to fresh insight into how You love us. We consider this time approaching Easter to be a gift. It is a time for us to acknowledge the degree of love that You have for us. Jesus, You were willing to give Your life to make us safe forever. Our ideas of safety can be so immediate and connected with here and now. We invite a view of being safe that encompasses the salvation that is only possible through Your Son Jesus. We think now of those dealing with health issues and test results that have been unsettling and pray for them and their families. God, please give us words of love to reassure people of their safety in being gathered in Your loving arms. In the Name of Jesus our Saviour. AMEN