I was listening to an audio devotion written concerning Acts 16:6-10 this morning. It’s a wonderful section of Luke’s investigative journalism project to give certainty to his friend, Theophilus. Paul and his crew have been trying to preach the gospel throughout Asia, what is modern-day Turkey, but they haven’t been able to. Why? Because God wants them to cross the water to go into Europe.
What I noticed, was a desire in the author of this devotion to encourage us to seek special, direct revelation from God.
I can understand the desire to receive special words or direction from the Lord. To know without a doubt that you are doing exactly what is his will for you to do. After all, we worship a God we cannot see. We have been saved by a first-century itinerant Rabbi. And we claim to have a real, personal relationship with this God, with this Saviour. It can feel like there is something missing, like there ought to be more to our walk than what we currently have.
Quite often, what we want is relational. We want someone to tell us that we are loved, especially when we mess up. We want to know that our future is secure, even if things look a bit shaky.
But then I am reminded of John Rippon’s hymn, How Firm A Foundation.
What more can be said than to you He hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled
When you are tempted to seek more from God than he has promised in Christ, consider this:
What more can God offer you to prove his love for you than Jesus? What more can he say? How much closer can he get than his Spirit indwelling you from the moment of your salvation?
Yours in Christ, Pastor Dan
This week
A big thank you
First, many thanks to Janice for leading the team that has undertaken the job of painting and cleaning the Back Hall at the church. I wanted to share photos of the team together but they declined. It is a blessing to have people demonstrate their love for the Lord and for the church by giving up time and energy in order to help us be hospitable.
Teaching in May
For the month of May, we will be focusing on missions at local, national, and global scales. Look forward to hearing from Good News For Everyone, CARE, and Tearfund.
We will also be having a Baptism Service on 25 May. Please speak with Pastor Dan if you are interested in Baptism.
A service opportunity
YoungLife Greenock will be hosting Stage N Slam again at the Mount Kirk from June 24-27. This a great event, one which has led to more than one profession of faith. There are two ways that we can serve as a church:
Feeding the team
As a church, we provided a meal for the team last year and have been asked to do the same this year. We can choose either the Wednesday 25 June or Friday 27 June. Please email me at pastor@greenock.church (or reply to this email) to let me know if you can help.
Hosting the team
The team are also looking for host homes to provide a place for members of the team to stay while they are in Scotland. Hosts are asked to provide accommodation for 2 or more of the visiting team, preferably in beds so that the team are properly rested each night. The team are expected to arrive on Sunday 22 June 2025 and depart on Sunday 29 June. These dates will be confirmed nearer the time. If you would like to serve the team in this way, please get in touch with Charles Davey (Mobile: 07958 696005 Email: charlesdavey16@hotmail.co.uk)