Well it's Friday which means its shopping night. On our way home we picked up a curry from our new little takeaway. It’s very different to what I'm used too, but hey, it's nice to get a curry man!
God has clearly heard my prayers or should I say His heard me complain about not being able to get a curry in J'bay!
South Africa are hosting the twenty 20 cricket world cup, I've never really been much of a cricket fan, I just think that cricket tends to be too long. Still that said, I've been enjoying this world cup. Some of the cricket has been very exciting. It makes me think about my mate Nick from the UK who I'm sure will be watching as much as he can. England sadly lost to Australia today, but I think the Aussie's were particularly on fire. This format of cricket is going to pick up a lot of new fans like me.
It's a busy time for sports fans in South Africa, most people here are mad about rugby and the world cup is on in France. England have to play South Africa tonight, I'm pretty sure that most people are expecting England to lose. I guess I'll be keeping my accent low key for the weekend!
I'm preaching Sunday night on Galatians 6.11-18. I've done a complete series of sermons on Galatians. It's been a good learning curve for me as I've never preached a whole series before. I've found that because theirs been a number of breaks in my regular every second week preaching slot, that it's meant the flow has been lost to some extent. I think in future I will do one off sermons or a series that doesn't rely on keeping the flow. Maybe I'll preach a series on men in the bible or something?
I have enjoyed preaching from Galatians and do feel that I've learnt along the way. People tell me that my preaching is getting better and I want to give God the glory for that.
The closing paragraph in Galatians sees the Apostle Paul dealing with what's behind the Judaizers false teaching. They fear persecution and really have their focus completely wrong. They boast in leading the Gentile Christians to follow the ways of Judaism. Paul says he boasts in the cross of Jesus. I'm asking people where there focus is for there salvation. Is it in what we can do for ourselves or is it in the saving work of Jesus? Today we aren't lead to add things like circumcision to our salvation but do we add our own expectations to people who are getting saved. Things like, 'you need to be Baptists or to be able to pray in tongues etc'.
Do you try to add anything to your salvation?
Remember, we are saved by Jesus alone.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
(Galatians 2.20, NIV)
God bless all my readers.
