(SERMON) John 14 -- Our common purpose and mission, a Mother's Union service of New Beginnings

Life is full of new beginnings, great and small, temporary and long term.

We should use such new beginnings to re-dedicate ourselves to our purpose and mission.

As individuals, and as the Mother's Union, our purpose and mission is

1.) to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth - we were saved by Jesus and must tell others about this.

2.)to be united with other Christians in prayer, in worship, and in service.

If these are not the things for which we are known in our communities then perhaps the need to rededicate ourselves to them is all the more urgent.

(SERMON) Matthew 25.14-30 The Mission of the Church

The parable of the talents not only contains the words we should most long to hear but also tells us about three grand truths

1.) The nature of true faith
2.) The relationship between Creator and Creation
3.) The mission of the Church and our role in it

(SERMON) Matthew 18.21-35 "Revenge might make a good film, but forgiveness makes the greatest story"

"Revenge might make a good film, but forgiveness makes the greatest story"

Revenge and Forgiveness are key themes in Scripture.  Here Jesus shows us that Christians are to turn the natural way of things upside down and in the place of unlimited vengeance offer unlimited forgiveness.

This isn't easy -- it can even seem impossible.

What we need to have is new hearts; hearts which recognise how much of a debt of sin we owed to God, how great His mercy was in Christ, and  that because we have been so miraculously and undeservedly forgiven we too are moved to forgive.