The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,000 times in 2013. If it were a cable car, it would take about 17 trips to carry that many people.
David Farnham on Philippians 1:12-18 ‘Spreading and sharing the good news”
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/david-farnham-15th-sept-2013.mp3]Tim Carter on Philippians 1:3-11 “Thanksgiving and joy in Prayer”
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tim-carter-8th-sept-2013.mp3]On 14th July we held a special “Farewell” service for Steve & Maggie.
We wish them both well and praise God for the time they spent at River Community Church.
You can listen to the service below
On Saturday 29th June, a number of local speakers helped us to think about the challenge of making (and keeping) Christian disciples here in Telford, in our 21st century consumer culture. The conference focussed on 5 different facets and you can catch up on the presentations below by clicking on the ‘play’ button for each talk.
Mark Ireland: Committing to Discipleship – laying the foundations
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/29th-june-2013-mark-discipleship.mp3]Leslie Burke: Community Discipleship – Collective service of the local community
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/29th-june-2013-leslie-discipleship.mp3]Andy Smith: Keeping Disciples – avoiding losing the sheep
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/29th-june-2013-andy-discipleship.mp3]Keith Osmund-Smith: Incarnational Discipleship – getting disciples involved beyond church
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/29th-june-2013-keith-discipleship.mp3]Steve Kelly: Discipleship today – mixing old and new models [handout available here Workshop Handout – TCC conference – Making Disciples]
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/29th-june-2013-steve-discipleship.mp3]Further downloads available :-
Below, you will find Maggie’s talk from last Sunday based on Acts 1:1-8.
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/12th-may-2013-maggie-waiting-for-the-spirit.mp3]“On one occasion, while Jesus 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. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Today we looked at the story of the ascension in Luke 24: 36-53.
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/5th-may-ascension-day.mp3]Click on the play button above to hear a short talk based on this reading.
Steve gave three reasons for us to have CONFIDENCE.
1. CONFIDENCE in the truth of the resurrection
This really was Jesus, back from the dead, showing the disciples his wounded hands, eating fish with them. It affirms for us the truth of a bodily resurrection of Jesus. This was no ghost! This was no made up story. We can be confident in the eye witness accounts of those who met the risen Jesus!
“While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” v36
2. CONFIDENCE in the gospel we proclaim
Jesus himself opened the scriptures to those disciples and helped them to understand what was written there. The ALPHA COURSE is one of the ways we can find out the truth revealed in the bible for ourselves. As Jesus left his disciples, he gave them the job of passing on what they had seen and heard to others. They were to tell others what they had seen and they would have the help and the power of the Holy Spirit. We have the privilege of doing the same!
“repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” v47-49
3. CONFIDENCE in Jesus
The chapter ends with the account of the ascension of Jesus into heaven. The disciples should have been sad and dejected at his leaving but they were full of joy. Firstly, he promised to send them the Holy Spirit who would be with them. And secondly, Jesus is now in the place of glory and honour, at the right hand of the Father. The writer of the book of Romans tells us that Jesus is there praying and interceding for us. Steve encouraged us to take heart from that, knowing he is praying to the Father for us!
“He lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” v51-52
Like those first disciples, we have every reason to celebrate with great joy today that God sent Jesus to be the Saviour of the world.
On Sunday Nic gave an emotional talk about when Jesus returned to the disciples after resurrection and had breakfast. See John 21 v 15-25. He talked about Jesus ‘friendship’ with Simon and His need to be loved…
To listen to the talk, press play below.
On Sunday, Steve continued this terms theme of warming ourselves around the fire and talked about John 21: 1-14
21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way:2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Enjoy the talk by pressing play below…
[audio https://riverchurchtalks.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/14th-april-2013-steve-a-great-catch.mp3]
It was amazing to welcome new and old friends to River Church on Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Maggie spoke on the resurrection and also gave a personal account of her own act of faithfulness and ‘YES’ to Jesus. To listen to the talk, press play below.
[audio
River Community Church Talks 