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The first Porterbrook course in the north of Scotland begins this weekend in Inverness.

Led by Rosskeen assistant minister Rev Calum MacMillan, the Porterbrook course is aimed at Christians of all ages and stages who wish to develop their character, mission-focus and persuasive evangelism skills.

The Highland group will meet in Inshes Church of Scotland in Inverness on Saturday (5 October), meeting from 10.30am-3pm.

Calum said: “Porterbrook Learning is a tool to help equip ‘ordinary’ Christians for the mission God has given us. It’s a course of study aimed especially at those who wouldn’t normally consider theological training and is intentionally flexible to fit round our busy schedules. At its heart are two things – character and mission.”

He added: “We have used it for a couple of years at Rosskeen and have had a wide range of learners from 70-year-old elders to 17-year-old students. Mature in Christ or new to faith all have grown in their understanding of the gospel and how to live missionally in our modern world.”

There is still time for last-minute applications – please contact Fiona Doolan for more details at fiona.dolan@rosskeen.freechurch.org

The course is by distance learning and people are split into local study groups as well as gathering for four conference days throughout the year.

Calum will be supported in the Highland group by Rev Chris Smart, Joe Barnard and Pete Rennie.

Porterbrook was set up in 2007 by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester, and was designed as a contemporary way to serve the need for new gospel-centred churches to be planted, and existing churches to become more gospel-centred.

It is now a growing network of over 45 learning sites worldwide, serving hundreds of churches, many in pioneering mission contexts.

If you wish to find out more you can visit the Porterboork website at http://porterbrooknetwork.org/

Irene Howat’s Story-a-Month Club introduces seven to thirteen-year-olds to real heroes and heroines, men and women who started life as ordinary children, but who grew up to be used by God in interesting, courageous and life-changing ways. It aims to set imaginations on fire. People such as the world renowned scientist James Clerk Maxwell and the missionary Mary Slessor are included.

None of those whose stories are told are perfect, but all are inspirational. None are glitzy, but all are truly great.

The web-based Club’s annual subscription is £12, however many children are in a family. On the first of each month members will receive their new story by email along with the same story in pictures to be coloured and an activity sheet based on that month’s character. If provided with an A4 folder, they can make their own totally unique illustrated books of heroes and heroines. Members will also be sent a birthday greeting.

Find out more at the Story-A-Month club website.

Overview of the Book of Leviticus

Purpose:
To guide the Israelites in the ways of holiness, so they would be set apart from the world and receive blessings instead of judgment as they lived near the special presence of their holy God.

Key Truths:
• God is holy, and he requires holiness from his people.
• God’s people invariably failed to keep the requirements of holiness, but temporary atonement could be found in the sacrificial system.
• God called his people to pursue holiness in every aspect of their lives out of gratitude for the mercy he had shown to them.
• God offered wondrous blessings and threatened judgment so that his people would repent and offer vows of commitment to him.

Purpose and Distinctives:
Perhaps no other Old Testament book represents a greater challenge to the modern reader than Leviticus, and imagination is required to picture the ceremonies and rites that form the bulk of the book.
1. The divine presence. Every act of worship took place “before the LORD” (e.g. Lev. 1:5)
2. Holiness. “Be holy, because I am holy” (Lev. 11:45) is the theme of Leviticus.
3. Atonement through sacrifice. Since no one was able to live in perfect accordance with God’s law, a means of atonement was essential so that moral lapses and physical failings could be pardoned.

The RBT community group question sheet and also a full copy of the outline for Leviticus can be found on the downloads page.

Ezekiel can be a fairly confusing book. It contains some wild sounding visions and symbolic actions. It also ends with a detailed description of the temple and the land of Israel. It can leave the head of a modern reader spinning.

This historical background gives important background for Ezekiel 1-32. These deported Israelites hoped that their captivity would be short, and dreamed of a speedy return. They assumed that Jerusalem would be safe, for it was “God’s city.” However, Ezekiel had a very different message. Their exile would not be brief or easy. And worse yet, their prized capital Jerusalem would be devastated. Thus, Ezekiel spends the first twenty-four chapters of his book addressing the sins of Judah and the coming judgment on Jerusalem. He then turns in chapters 25-32 to announce judgment against foreign nations.

For the setting of the rest of Ezekiel’s book, we must return and finish the historical background. After King Jehoiachin was exiled to Babylon with Ezekiel, his uncle Zedekiah was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. When Zedekiah proved to be unfaithful to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem and finally conquered it in 586 B.C.

With that as the “big picture” to Ezekiel, what can we say about modern application? Many things could be said here, but I will mention four:

First, notice the greatness of God and our need for repentance. Ezekiel describes God in ways that stretch our imagination. For example, in Ezekiel 1 we learn that God is incomprehensible to us. He is holy and transcendent, separate from sin and calling sinners to repentance. The same is true today.

Second, notice Ezekiel’s “remnant theology.” Although God is a Holy Judge, he is calling individuals to himself, creating a remnant that will endure through judgment (Ezek. 6:8;9:8; 11:12,13; 12:16; 14:22,23). God is doing this today as he calls men and women to himself.

Third, as with other prophets, we see that God is in control of all things. He is in control even of the bad things that happen to his people. Chapters 25-32 also tell us that he is in control of every nation, all of the world.

Fourth, we presently are living in the time of the restoration about which Ezekiel prophesied. Jesus has brought the restoration. It is not seen in its fullness yet, but it is breaking into the world in subtle ways now. For example, Ezekiel called for a time when there would be a “new heart” for God’s people (Ezek. 11:19; 18:31; 36:26). Jeremiah 31:33 tells us that this new heart comes under the New Covenant which Jesus inaugurated.

The RBT community group question sheet and also a full copy of the outline for Ezekiel can be found on the downloads page.

John Nicholls and his wife Sarah are moving up from London where they have been living for over 25 years, to their new home in Westhill this week. John will take up his post as our new associate minister next week. John will be working 3 days a week and part of his duties will be working with older people in the congregation. John had worked for 20 years at London City Mission which he joined as training director in 1993, a position he held until 2005 when he became Chief Executive. Prior to that he was minister of Cole Abbey in London and also Ardnamurchan. John will also be lecturing in Pastoral Care as part of the Practical Theology Course at the Free Church College in Edinburgh.

The Community Bible study groups will recommence on Wednesday 18th September.
Please also note that we plan to have the Wednesday Fellowship meal on Wednesday the 4th of September.

Who wrote the book?
The writer was Luke, a Greek Christian doctor.
Luke was a companion of Paul and also wrote the book of Acts.
Luke wrote to a man named Theophilus who was most likely a Roman official, since Luke addresses him in his opening dedication as ‘most excellent Theophilus’, using the title generally reserved for such officials. Luke speaks of him as someone who’s been instructed in the Christian faith and says that he has written ‘an orderly account’ (1:3) so that Theophilus might ‘know the certainty of the things’ (1:4) he had heard.

Luke wrote to help Theophilus – and all people – know what is true about Jesus.

What is the purpose of Luke?
to assure followers of Jesus that what they had been taught about him was true and completely trustworthy
to show that the true God is faithful and can be trusted completely
to show how God invited non-Jews (Gentiles) to follow Jesus as well

Luke was probably written about A.D. 60.

What is the big idea?
Luke is the third of the four gospels. Matthew, the tax collector, wrote to show us Jesus was the King of the Jews. Mark wrote to convince us that Jesus was a servant and Luke wrote to show us that Jesus was God but was also fully and completely human.

From a doctor’s viewpoint, Luke gives us a lot of details about things doctors care about.

The RBT community group question sheet and also a full copy of the outline for Luke can be found on the downloads page.