Alex Macdonald, Minister of Buccleuch Free Church in Edinburgh, will be performing a charity fundraising concert at Smithon Church on Saturday 16th February at 7.30 pm. He will be playing songs from his latest album “A9”.
For more about Alex and his music vist his website.
Proceeds will go to a local project headed by Elsie Normington to provide respite care for parents of children with special needs.
We are delighted that new elders and deacons will be ordained during the morning service at Smithton on Sunday 13th January. The sermons both morning and evening will reflect the occasion.
Elders
Neil Angus
James Chalmers
Will Hardie
Iain MacKay
Bill Maclelland
Angus MacLeod
Donald Morrison
Vince Tough
Deacons
Douglas Campbell
Dave Crowe
Neil Fraser
John MacArthur
Alastair Matheson
Roddie Nicholson
Here are just some pointers as you read the Psalms;
The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance. – C.S. Lewis
With the new website design we’ve moved to Vimeo to host the Smithton sermon video. All future sermon videos will appear here on the website as usual on the Sermon Video page, but currently you will only see two sermons from August of last year.
All of the previous sermon videos from 2010 to 2012 are now on a separate page on the website – Video 2010-2012.
Also all the sermon audio continues to be available here on the website.
Church Cookery Books (£6.00) and Christmas Cards (3.50) – are available from reception.
All proceeds go to the Disaster and Relief Fund of the Free Church of Scotland.
Comments on Joshua
The people of God have now inherited the land but that’s not the end, there are many battles. God is faithful but we must also be faithful to God. It’s a story of God’s continual faithfulness to us.
Christ is the great warrior who leads His people to take possession of the new heavens and the new earth. What Joshua began, Jesus completed.
The conquest of the Promised Land: chapters 1 to 12 – God fulfilled His promises to give Israel the land. Israel learned how to fight for the land from Joshua’s actions in a variety of battles.
The distribution of the Promised Land: chapters 13 to 21 – God directed Joshua in the initial distribution of the land and indicated that the land was not to be violated.
Covenant loyalty in the Promised Land: chapters 22 to 24 – Joshua led the entire nation in exemplary covenant renewal.
The RBT community group question sheet and also a full copy of David’s outline for Joshua and Judges can be found on the downloads page.
Yes, our minister David Meredith now tweets under the handle @DCMeredith. Thoughts, reflections, meditations and conversations, all in under 140 characters. But unlike another religious leader who recently joined Twitter, David’s tweets are not in 8 languages but all in English (with maybe a bit of Gaelic thrown in).
Join the new social media on Twitter.
Comments:
Genesis is literally ‘a foundational book’. It reveals how the children of God were to be different to the surrounding nations – circumcision and Sabbath observance are especially noted. Covenant is important, how they will be a great nation, blessed by God.
We see a lot of Christ in Genesis, he is the one who would bruise the head of the serpent, he is the ultimate offspring of Abraham. The paradise lost by Adam will be restored by the last Adam.
Resources:
Some great videos online from Richard Pratt and our friends from Third Millennium ministries;
http://thirdmill.org/seminary/course.asp/vs/prh
http://thirdmill.org/seminary/course.asp/vs/fa
From Eden to Egypt, Peter Williams, Day One Publications.
The Bible Speaks Today (IVP), 2 volumes on Genesis are also recommended – BST commentaries are a great resource for any lay person who wants to understand the Bible more.
These books are all available on the 10 of Those website.
The RBT community group question sheet and also a full copy of David’s outline for Genesis can be found on the downloads page.
Comments
Romans: It’s a tough book with some big ideas e.g. justification, sanctification, glorification. These ideas come from a big God and are at the heart of our faith. If you can grasp Romans you will have a massive understanding of the Christian faith. Remember that this book was written for a church and for people just like us.
There are some fantastic resources on Romans;
Romans by RC Sproul in Focus on the Bible series published by CFP
The Message of Romans by John Stott, published by IVP in The Bible Speaks Today series
The Power of God by James Philip, published by Gray – quite rare but outstanding
Third Millennium Ministries is thoroughly excellent for all bible resources
The Gospel Coalition website is also outstanding!
The RBT community group question sheet and also the outline for Romans can be found on the downloads page.
RBT (Reading the Bible Together) was launched at the beginning of September. It is such a simple idea: the whole congregation read the same part of the bible at the same time and talk about it! There really is nothing more to it.
The aim is to facilitate a culture in which the Bible is spoken about naturally in all church groups and when we meet informally and ‘accidentally’ during the week. If we listen to God speaking to us through the Bible then we will be changed as individuals and the church at Smithton will change.
We will do some things to help:
• Set the Bible book, e.g. September is Matthew, October is Romans
• Give an outline of the book each month
• Supply a sheet each month with 7 questions which we ask ourselves
These questions are:
Through God speaking to you through the Bible:
1. What did you learn about Jesus? (Luke 24:45-47)
2. What did you learn about yourself? (James 1:23, 2 Tim 3:16-17)
3. How were you corrected and rebuked and how do you feel you need to change to be the woman/man of God, thoroughly equipped for every good work? (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
4. What did you learn from the scripture that will help you to endure and be encouraged? (Romans 15:4)
5.What did you learn that will teach you to do works of service to build up Smithton church? (Ephesians 4:11-16)
6. What have you learned that helps you to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind? (Matthew 22:37–40)
7. What has helped you to love your neighbour as yourself? (Matthew 22:37-40)
Preach from a passage in the book on the first Sunday of each month (when possible).
Focus community group teaching and discussion on the relevant book
Dedicate a community group to listening to what God has said to us all through the scriptures that month.
Simple really!
You can download the questions from the download page of the website.