Sunday 19th April 2020
Welcome to this week's online service. Please watch the following videos and YouTube links from top to bottom and be blessed.
Welcome - Esther Rowe
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Worship Song #1 Worship Central - The Cross Stands
Worship Song #2 Rend Collective - My Lighthouse
Bible Reading - Malcolm Douglas
2 Timothy chapter 1 verses 1-7
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Message - Paul Bowgett
This was the Apostle Paul's last letter which he wrote when he was imprisoned in Rome. Paul and Timothy were great friends, they had a good and special friendship with each other. Paul looked out for Timothy, they had worked together for a long time preaching the gospel and establishing churches and ministry, so their parting had been painful. But Paul sitting in a damp prison cell, knowing he could not preach or travel, knew he still could pray and encourage his friend and Christian brother in difficult circumstances. Paul longed to see Timothy again and encouraged him to go and see him because he knew he would be filled with joy when they were together again.
You may feel a little bit like that in the situation we are in right now, not being able to gather together as a body of God's people as church in this shut-down and no church services for a while.
We may not be in prison but we are isolated physically from each other at this time, which is tough, talking on the phone or texting is good, but being with someone physically and talking is much more relational.
In 1918 in America when there was the Spanish flu outbreak all churches where closed then and they used that time to pray and seek God. They would not have been blessed with all the technology and communication systems we have today to connect with each other.
I have been greatly encouraged by our church at KCC coming together in various ways caring and connecting with each other in these difficult days.
I think when the dust settles we will realise how little we need, how very much we have, and the true value of human connection.
You can have live-steaming and online services, DVDs, YouTube, home church etc, and these things all have their place and timing, BUT you can never replace the gathering together of God's people physically and spiritually even though we are all so different (that’s how God made us) and that’s Gods best for the church.
I long to see you again, we all long to see each other again and we will be filled with joy when we are together again PRAISE GOD. When we meet together again we will worship and praise this amazing JESUS.
So let us continue to pray and encourage each other as the Apostle Paul did, while in prison in this lockdown situation.
Encouragement from Neil Johns
1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Closing Worship Song #3 Darlene Zschech - In Jesus' Name