Coach House Talks and Beacons

Our problem is that there is nothing we can do to restore ourselves back to plumb. We are way off the intended plumb line and it is impossible for us to claw ourselves back in line – we are heading for disaster

1 Peter and 2 Peter

Why does anyone still bother with Christianity? Most people in the UK don’t, and that’s true most of all for millennials. So I want to offer you three crude, practical reasons why I’m a ‘bothered millennial’, who has, for some reason, remained a Christian till the grand old age of 26.

The world around us is complicated. As we go through school we get taught all sorts of different things about the world around us that attempt to explain what we can see. Do you remember learning about rain?

Now I’m going to be a little honest here. I have the absolute privilege to lead our church in Worship. It’s an interesting activity and vocation. You see, if you’re a worship leader, it may seem like you want to be the next rockstar but it’s not

Just like with all pain it’s a sign that something is wrong, that there is something that we need to fix. However, sometimes it goes too far or goes on too long. We can get caught up by it and it can hold us back and imprison us. Sometimes it’s not even real guilt it’s false guilt

One of the things that I find most annoying is the seemingly endless closed lanes marked out with thousands of glaring orange and white traffic cones – with no sign of maintenance crews, wagons, asphalt laying or lane marking going on at all.

...Yes, in the films it’s meant to be amusing and not particularly scary. But, you may have wondered how the transport system works in busy cities in other countries, India, for example, and be amazed at how there aren’t more collisions and disasters given that there doesn’t appear to be much organisation on the highway. It works for them somehow!

Boasting is something that we, as humans are very good at from a very young age. We love to have something better, to know something more, to be something greater than our fellow human beings. Humility and meekness does not come to us naturally.

God is unique because unlike us, he created everything. There is nothing outside the scope of his knowledge. Technically, he could explain any process in an incomprehensible amount of detail on any subject (like whether or not woodpeckers get headaches).

Now you might be wondering whether I am going to talk about separating the good from the bad, like the wheat and the chaff, or the sheep and the goats, but no, or maybe the seed on the good soil, but not that subject either. Today I am talking about belonging, and we will see where my garden story fits in later.

After having this battle in my life I have come to realise just how real it is. Choices have to be considered, I have determined that my will is of such a poor standing and that my way or the consequences that are attached to my choices are bad that I really need to make a positive stand.

Jamie and I went to watch Noah play football the other day. I ended up watching a match between two teams of kids that had no idea how to play football for a few minutes. They looked very different from a professional team as they would all crowd round the ball rather than finding space.

In our old house, Mel wanted some shelves putting up in a little alcove. No problem said I (on a rare ‘ready for DIY’ kind of day!) ‘It can’ be that difficult’ I thought to myself as I headed for the tool bag to retrieve the drill and screws.

There are so many elements to creating the great day, to making sure everything runs smoothly, that it is as good as it could possibly be, so that everyone is relaxed and can enjoy every moment, creating memories to last a lifetime.

They were chosen to share this message of salvation with everyone making it available regardless of social status and social rules. Jesus does not keep in high esteem what people keep in high esteem. The Bible tells us that our good deeds are regarded as dirty clothes in the eyes of God.

“Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge” – One liner’s tell us what we need to know without the faff. Here’s one from the Bible:

One thing that has not changed though is that this life is still “but a breath”, it is brief, whether we are godly or not; so we should take note of David's advice and Jesus example in the presence of the ungodly.

What a team effort. Matt and Rosie last weekend got married in one of the most intimate, cosy and fun filled weddings I have ever been to, and Ive been to a few.

In many of our beacons we have talked about the need to share the good news we have received with other people. We have said why it is important to let others know the message as their eternity depends on it. But how should we do it?

It was a fantastic occasion, even in these times of restricted numbers and masks. Nothing deterred us from putting on a good show and the Coach House family rallied around to turn the church into a stylised lounge with sofas and lights to create a homely, intimate feel.

When we turned a corner, my initial response was to counteract the lean into the bend which meant we stayed in a straight line and, consequently, caused some tension.

This game mimics dangerous circumstances from the life of Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible or James Bond. People like you and me would normally not have to get out of a lab before it explodes or find a code to disarm an atomic bomb before it destroys the world.

Verse 10 switches spices and adds in the action of seeking in it’s second half. Not only those who fear God lack nothing, but those who seek him out. He is awesome, but he is also to be known. Taste God, fear God, seek God lack nothing and experience goodness. That is the flavour of the passage.

The recent COVID emergency has brought some really difficult times. I don't think many of us can say that given a choice we would want to go through the same experience again. That said, there have also been some striking examples of service and, some well deserved recognition of that service.