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By SBC Webmaster, on May 21st, 2023
By SBC Webmaster, on May 16th, 2023
When we were at the local garden centre recently, I was reminded how much people enjoy planting and seeing plants grow and flourish. There was a man in front of us at the checkout who was getting some tomato transplants and he also had various vegetable seeds as well as some seed potatoes to plant. Clearly, he was willing to do the work to plant and tend and see these plants produce. There were also several people who were selecting various flowering plants for their gardens and to beautify their yards or porches or balconies. A drive down country roads at this time of the year gives opportunity to witness large tractors and equipment working up the fields and planting acres and acres of crops. After all the effort of planting, these plants need to be nourished and they need to be watered so that their roots grow strong and life is sustained. The same is true for us who have had seeds of faith planted in our lives. We need regular nourishment and watering in order to grow strong and healthy in our faith. There is Scripture in Jeremiah 17:7,8 thatconfirms this necessityin living productive lives of faith. 7“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Here we discover that the tree planted by the water sends out its roots by the stream and so is able to be sustained as needed and to never fail to bear fruit. This image of a flourishing tree is used to describe what the one who trusts in the LORD will be like. In order for us to be like the tree planted by the water, we need to keep our trust in the LORD firmly established. It is consistent prayer that keeps us focused on trusting in the LORD and having confidence in Him. This will be what we ask of God in our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER tomorrow May 17th at 1 pm
Praying that we will trust in the LORD and maintain our confidence in Him, Pastor Lola
Thank You God that you give us reasons every day to trust in You. We recognize the blessing that does come to us as we choose to trust in You. This does not mean that we do not have questions or times when we do not understand what You intend to do. Still we choose to secure our confidence in You. Our God we want to be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. When the heat of scorching adversity comes against us, we will not fear. Instead we will trust You. When we are parched in our faith and long for refreshment, we will trust You. We consider what You may have to teach us about what it means to trust You LORD. How easy to say that we trust You when the circumstances of our lives fall easily into place. We look to You God to enable us to trust You when there is a drought and You alone are the Source to keep our faith alive and vibrant. Leaves that are always green are what we request of You in our prayers today. It is through prayer that our trust in You sends out roots. We do pray for the ways that You prepare us for times of drought and hardship. And God we do not simply pray this for ourselves. We pray for Your cooling refreshment for all those who struggle to believe. We pray for those who witness hatred in our world and question those who claim to belong to You while promoting hatred. Please convict each of us of our inconsistencies. Where who we are does not match Who You are, please change us. For some it seems that life consists of just trying to get by. When this is the goal, it seems hard to imagine flourishing. We pray that we will never make the living of our lives of faith about comparing ourselves to others and concluding that we are better positioned than someone else. Use us we pray to bear fruit for Your kingdom. The fruit of Your Spirit comes to mind. How beautiful for our lives to produce the fruit of Your Holy Spirit. This can urge others to trust You and to surrender their lives to You. We pray that our trust in You will always invite others in a loving way to trust You. Place us where we need to be to access Your living water. We pray to be willing to move in order to be sustained by You. As much as we pay attention to the weather forecast when making our plans, Help us to consult You more to ensure Your heavenly forecast of what is coming and how we need to respond. We choose to trust You LORD and to renew our confidence in You so that the faith planted in us will bear good fruit. All this we commit to You and pray for grace to trust You more, in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
By SBC Webmaster, on May 14th, 2023
By SBC Webmaster, on May 9th, 2023
We know that Mothers Day is approaching. We are looking forward to a time planned to celebrate Mothers Day at our church. It is called, ‘Matching to a “T”’. For fun, those who attend are invited to dress alike with someone else (like twins). It can be friends; sisters; mothers and daughters; grandmas and granddaughters; aunts and nieces or whatever other combination. The idea is to look as nearly the same as possible through dress and jewellery and hairstyle. We used to have twin suppers at summer camp and it was always entertaining to see how much we could look the same as someone else. Mothers and daughters often do look very similar with similar features and similar gestures. In a group of people, it is usually possible to pick out who is related. This family resemblance is to be expected. The influence of a mother on her children is profound. We as followers of Jesus are intended to be affected by His profound influence on us. Our calling is to become more and more like Jesus. In Scripture we read, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…” Do we in the living of our lives remind people of Jesus? Does our attitude and appearance and way of living cause people to conclude that we are like Jesus? This outcome is only possible as we pray and ask God to work this process in us. This will be our expressed desire this week in our prayer time. We will thank God for Moms who introduce their children to Jesus and we will pray that this faith influence will cause people to want to be like Jesus. You can pause for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER tomorrow May 10th at 1 pm.
Praying for all families that we will be loving like Jesus in our relationships with each other, Pastor Lola
Thank You God for the gift of families. We know that every family is different. It has been your design for families to be places to experience love and acceptance and to learn about faith in You. Thank You for mothers who prayed and did not rely on their own capacity to raise us. Thank You for Your answers to those prayers that we continue to experience today. We think of resemblance to mothers and pray that the good and helpful things we learned from our mothers will stay with us always. Thank You God for the courage You give to mothers to persist in teaching important life lessons. We are grateful that as we have learned about faith in You, we have learned to trust Jesus and His influence on our lives. We do want to become more like Jesus. We want our attitude to be the same as that of Jesus. We recognize in Jesus His humility and willingness to serve. This same kind of attitude is often reflected in mothers. We offer our prayers for mothers who give so much of themselves and can at times feel depleted. We pray that you will energize and equip mothers for the essential task they have and trust You that the influence of their love will cause those around them to encounter You and Your love. We think of the impact it has had on us to know that we are loved unconditionally. Our love is imperfect, yet we still strive to love as Jesus loves. Our God these days there is a great deal of pressure on homes and families. We think of mothers who feel like they are moving in several different directions all at once. They are trying to balance multiple responsibilities. Please show us how we can support mothers and families. We know that mothering relationships continue into adulthood. Please guide the changing relationships as younger children become adults. We pray that children at any age will feel at ease to come to parents and to be able to talk over their thoughts and feelings and to know that they are deeply loved. Where there have been family break ups, we pray for those affected and ask for wisdom in navigating a way forward that is respectful and caring. We pray for young parents who are eager to raise their children well and ask that You God will show us how to be available to encourage. And God where there is a need for forgiveness and new beginnings in our families, please make this possible. We do want to see evidence of our resemblance to You and we want others to be able to say honestly that our lives are becoming more like Jesus. We trust You for this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
By SBC Webmaster, on May 7th, 2023
ACTS 1:1-11
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach2 until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.3 After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”6 Then they gathered around Him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority.8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”9 After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:1-11 TRUSTING GOD’S TIMING LIKE JESUS
Springford Baptist Church: May 7, 2022.
Waiting, an inevitable and even necessary aspect of human life, is not something that most of us like to do. We wait in lines: in order to purchase groceries; to get gas for our vehicles; to be served at a restaurant; to be attended to in a bank; at stop signs and traffic signals; at amusement parks; to see a play or movie. We must also wait for flowers to grow and bloom; for babies to be born; for wounds to heal; for bread to rise and cheese to age; for children to mature; for friends to call; for love to deepen. It has been estimated that in a lifetime of 70 years, the average person spends at least three years waiting!?
So what do we do while we are waiting?
This becomes a very important consideration for us as followers of Jesus Christ!
Jesus’ disciples like other Israelites were waiting and looking for the deliverance of the people of Israel from foreign domination (Roman) and for the establishment of an earthly kingdom.
Question: “Lord are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel”? (Acts 1:6)
Remember these same people had seen Jesus die on the cross and then be raised back to life. Anything was possible and so they looked toward a pressing concern on their minds. They wanted to be liberated from the control of the Romans. They wanted Jesus become their King and establish His rule right here, right now! No more waiting.
vs. 7 “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. God has the authority over the timing of things. Not only is it not for us to know every detail, but there’s something more operating. We need to trust God. This is what Jesus did.
This is a key aspect of what they needed to do and what we need to do while we wait-Trust! We need to trust God!
vs. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This is again repeating what they are to do when Jesus leaves. Matthew 28-Great Commission-Go into all the world and preach the gospel-communicate the good news of Jesus. This is what they are to do while waiting for Jesus to return. Now Jesus restates that their job, their responsibility, is to be His witnesses. And notice, they will receive power from the Holy Spirit for what they are to do!
Our waiting is not a time to just sit back and do nothing. Not at all! There is work to be done!! There are so many people who need to know who is Jesus. They need to know how much He loves them. They need to know how they too can know for certain that they will go to heaven to be with Him forever!
vs. 9 Can you imagine what this would have been like? They have just had Jesus come back among them and now He leaves, but this time He actually ascends up into the clouds. Incredible!
No wonder they were standing there staring up into the clouds-Wouldn’t you have been?
-thinking, “Maybe I’ll get just one more glimpse of Jesus my Saviour.”
-thinking, “Now what”?
-probably thinking, “How long will we have to wait for Him to return”?
Angels address them, “… why do you stand here looking into the sky”? (vs 11a)
This is not a time to stand around.
This time of waiting is meant to be a productive time!
Waiting for Jesus’ return is a time to trust God!
Waiting for Jesus’ return is a time to carry out the work He has left. It is a time to share His message in practical ways that provide love and support.
vs. 11b “This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven , will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
Matt. 24:30 “… They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
This is a certain promise that Jesus will return!
This is a certain promise that heaven is waiting for us!
At the right time that God has decided this will happen.
How can we best use the time that we are waiting for the return of Jesus?
Waiting is a time for trusting God! Jesus trusted God’s timing.
Waiting is a time for doing the work He has called us to with the power of the Holy Spirit available!
Waiting is a time to encourage and support each other.
Waiting is a time to spend praying, listening to God and for God, growing ever closer to Him.
You know how it is when you are waiting for the guest of honour before beginning a birthday party. While waiting other people arrive and are able to be part of the celebration.
The longer we wait, the more people can come to Jesus!
For loved ones who have already gone on to heaven to be with Jesus, there is no more waiting. They are already there face to face with Christ our Saviour.
Every day we are waiting, we are that much closer to the return of Jesus, just as He promised!
As we wait for Jesus, heaven is waiting for us! While we wait, as the hymn says, “Let us labour for the Master from the dawn ‘til setting sun. Let us talk of all Hs wondrous love and care.
Then when all of life is over and our work on earth is done and the roll (in other words attendance) is called up yonder (in heaven) I’ll be there”!
By SBC Webmaster, on May 2nd, 2023
Apparently, the average person speaks about 300 words per minute. Some people speak more quickly, so may utter more words per minute than that. Others speak more slowly and would obviously have fewer words per minute. The important consideration for any of us is not how many words we speak per minute, but rather what is the motivation and content of the words that we choose to speak? Do we choose to speak words that matter and have significance? Do we select carefully words that will build up another person? Do we speak words that bring people closer to God and His infinite measure of love? In the time that Jesus had with His followers following being raised back to life, we read in Scripture what Jesus spoke to them about. This would have been what Jesus considered vital for them to know. In Acts 1:3b, we read, “… He (Jesus) appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” Jesus spoke often of the kingdom of God during His earthly ministry. Now that He will soon be returning to heaven there are still things about the kingdom of God that Jesus wants to speak about with those He will leave behind. When we feel rushed, it can be difficult to choose what to say. Sometimes our thoughts become jumbled. Jesus confidently used the time He had to say what needed to be said to His disciples. This helped to equip His followers well for what lay before them. We too can choose to speak about the kingdom of God. We can trust God to guide the words that we speak in conversation and in prayer. When we are speaking about the kingdom of God, as God gives us the words to speak, others can be encouraged to pray for God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. Tomorrow for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER, at 1 pm, we will invite God to keep on teaching us about the kingdom of God and we will pray for the coming of His kingdom in and through us.
Welcoming the kingdom of God expressed by Jesus through us, Pastor Lola
Our God, we thank you that in Your mercy You sent Jesus to speak the words that would bring life and hope. We also want to speak words that bring life and hope. It is our prayer that the living of our lives will help to usher in Your kingdom. We want to see evidence of Your kingdom being established in the world around us. While there are those who try to build their own selfish empires, we pray that we will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. God, we think of those today who need to hear words of forgiveness that are consistent with Your kingdom and we ask that we will speak those words of forgiveness that are needed. It is our desire for us to express more than just words of forgiveness. By Your grace, we pray that the attitudes of our hearts would also speak forgiveness. Many people these days wonder what the future can hold when our world is in such a disordered state. We pray oh God that we will speak words of hope that come from You. May these words of hope be centered in You as King and the kingdom that You intend to establish. Thank You God for the words of love that You speak to us. We also want to speak words of love. And we pray for these words to be confirmed by our actions. It is our prayer today that we will understand more of Your coming kingdom. God, when we see needs around us, we pray that we will not turn away from those needs. Instead, may our recognition of need draw us to ask You how You want us to respond. We know that this matter of the words that we choose, gives the potential for us to represent You well. Our ongoing prayer is for more of You and less of us. Jesus, we really do want You to become greater and for us to become less. We think of times when someone speaks and a particular accent is recognized. Please God give our words Your accent. When we are speaking about and living Your holy kingdom, we long for our lives to be transformed and for the lives of others to also be transformed. God we wonder how things can be made right in a world and in our communities where much seems wrong. We are praying that we will persistently pray and expect to encounter You among. Thank You God that even small steps can advance kindness and respect in our interactions. We do pray for healing in our relationships where that is needed. We pray for concern for the feelings of others and a desire to treat others as we would want to be treated. Please God change us and change our world. In the Name of Jesus. AMEN
By SBC Webmaster, on April 30th, 2023
By SBC Webmaster, on April 25th, 2023
When I was setting out for my regular morning walk, I thought to myself, “I am going to go in a different direction today.” We can get so used to always walking the same route and always doing the same things in the same way. With our faith in God, we can take the risk of doing something different in a different way,. This could lead to a whole new understanding of God and His Presence in our lives and His will for us. The choice to be willing to walk a different route could result in a fresh encounter with our God, the Living God. In order for us to trust God for the possibility of walking in a new way and on a new way, we will need the assurance of His Presence with us. We can find this assurance in Scripture: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) When we pray, we can claim this promise that the Lord our God will be with us wherever we go. Knowing that God accompanies us always can give us the courage to walk a new path that we had not considered before. This week our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER tomorrow April 26th at 1 pm will affirm our trust in God when we are not sure where a new path may lead.
Praying that we will be strong and courageous for the possibility of a new path that God has for us, Pastor Lola
Thank You our God for this gift of faith in you. Throughout our lifetimes, we have seen and experienced that You have been with us wherever we have gone. We admit to You that it is easy for us to fall into familiar patterns of repeatedly doing the same things in the same ways. This can be good, yet we do not want this to keep us from openness to new ways of living for You and new experiences of You and Your loving Presence in our lives. Sometimes our hesitation to consider a new path has to do with our uncertainty of what that will mean for us. We wonder how we will respond to new challenges. We do want to trade being afraid and discouraged for being strong and courageous. The only way we can do this is if we claim Your promise and recall that You are with us wherever we go. We rest in the assurance that You are available to lead us and to guide us. As springtime is introducing new signs of life all around us, we want to see new signs of life in us. We invite You God to bring these about as You continue Your holy work in us and through us. Where there is faith that is ready to blossom in fresh ways, we invite that. Where there is new growth in becoming more like Jesus, we long for that. God, there are times when the world we live in seems like such an unlikely place to find strength and courage. There are multiple circumstances that could stifle growth in faith. We know that wanting to walk in the way You have for us will require continued dependence on You. Our God, we pray that we will not limit our expectations of what You can do. As we walk new paths of commitment to You and Your direction for our lives, we do want to be strong and courageous. We are well aware of our weaknesses and lack of capacity for the challenges we face when we move into new territory. If it were not for you and Your promised accompaniment, we cannot imagine taking the risk to step onto a new and unexplored path. And God we do want to be aware of others that we meet on a new path. If we had not taken that risk and trusted You to guide us, we would have missed meeting with and sharing life with others who are also earnestly seeking You and looking for Your presence on an unfamiliar path. Sometimes those who travel with us on a different path than usual are struggling. They do not know that You are available to walk with them and to give them strength and courage. How can we be those who generously share our faith in You? If our willingness to walk on a new path leads to encounters with those we have not yet met and those who have not yet known You then we welcome that. Please guard us against resistance to change. Please guard us against putting off the inclination to explore a new direction. We are asking God that every day You will prompt us and show us what our lives could be for You. Please set us free from regret over wasted time and move us to embrace the possibilities of the time we have in today and each coming day. As you show us the way, we want to walk in it. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
By SBC Webmaster, on April 23rd, 2023
By SBC Webmaster, on April 18th, 2023
While we were really enjoying the warmer temperatures and lovely spring breezes just recently, did you notice something? Many of us in the same breath as we were being grateful for the pleasant days, were speaking of it not lasting. We were anticipating a return to colder days and even the possibility of snow again. When we are experiencing good things, sometimes the anticipation of the less desirable things to come can rob us of “at this moment” gratitude. If we bring this kind of attitude and outlook to our prayer life, it will mean that we miss the awareness of and appreciation for God’s blessings because we are already expecting that what is good now will not continue. I am reflecting that we can choose to enter into an “at this moment” kind of thankfulness to God. We are not guaranteed that what we now find satisfaction and pleasure in will be sustained, but we can know for certain that God does keep bringing blessings into our lives that we will have reason for which to thank Him. In Psalm 107:1 we read, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.” While our preferences for weather or for good things we hope for do not endure, the love of the LORD our God does endure and gives us reason to thank Him. Our gift of “at this moment’ gratitude will be the focus of our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER tomorrow April 19th at 1 pm. We can choose to thank God for what is good in our lives right now and we can choose to trust Him with what is to come.
Thanking God for what is good right now, Pastor Lola
Our LORD, we do thank You because You are good and Your love does endure forever. Thank You God for the constancy of Your love whatever is happening in our lives. We do not want genuine gratitude in our hearts directed towards You to be on hold because we are waiting for the next thing to go wrong. We do now review in our minds reasons we have to give You thanks at this moment. Thank You God that when we are faced with the hard experiences of life that still Your love endures forever. Thank You God for the health we currently have. Thank You for the ways we are able to live our day to day lives and to find renewed strength for each new day. Thank You for those who care for and support us in wanting to be well. Thank You God for our families and what they mean to us. Thank You that we can figure out life together even when we do not agree about everything. Thank You for meaning and purpose you give to our lives in caring beyond ourselves. Thank You for ways that our compassion and concern can bless others. Thank you for the comfort and shelter of where we live. Thank You that while we are grateful to live in peace here in Canada, we can pray for those who do not live in peace. Thank You for wisdom gained as we grow older. Thank You God for friends who make our days brighter. Thank You for lessons in trusting You. Loving God, we thank You for fresh mercy from You for each new day. Thank You for evidence that You are with us always. Thank You that our faith in You can grow ever deeper and stronger. Thank You for helping us to find things that have been lost. Thank you for courage from You for challenges we face. Thank You that as we are willing, we keep having life lessons to learn and that You are our Teacher. Thank You God that when we are focused on gratitude to You at this moment that at this moment we can be content. And God we thank You for all our prayers You have answered before. Thank You for Your care for those whom we are concerned about. Thank You that prayers we have not yet seen answered are not forgotten by You. Thank You for the solutions You have for what we have not yet figured out. Thank You God that when there is change in our lives, You do not change. Thank you that endings can bring new beginnings. Thank You God for conversations that are meaningful. Thank You for ways that You arrange for us to know each other more and to understand each other more. Thank You God that each new day is a blank canvas that You are willing to paint for us. Thank You for this gift of prayer that permits us to bring everything to You. Thank You that when we lose sight of You, You do not lose sight of us. Thank You for all the other reasons for at this moment gratitude directed towards you that we have not even mentioned. Thank You that You are worthy of all our praise and thankfulness. LORD, Your love does endure forever and we will always be thankful for this truth that we have discovered. We rest in Your enduring love and pray that through us others will also discover this gift of You and Your enduring love. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
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