Children’s Church: I Am The Way, The Truth, The Life

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This past Sunday we looked at one of the most important ‘I Am’ statements made by Jesus. In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one can come to the Father except through Him. We had fun this Sunday in trying to help our children understand what Jesus means in this verse.

Our Part
We sent our children treasure hunting. We confidently told them several times where the treasure could be found. Sadly, despite the supposed honesty of our instructions, our children were misled and the treasure proved harder to find. We also asked our children to guide a blindfolded partner through a tricky obstacle course. The problem here was to discern your partner’s voice from the many others shouting out directions and instructions.

Our children are being told many “truths” day after day. Life Orientation teaches some values, parents teach too, whilst television and media can teach other values. Some of these are great truths but too many “directions” from other sources can be misleading, as our games emphasised. Our belief in what can lead us to salvation – good works, money to the church, church attendance – can also be wrong. Jesus’ statement then brings all the surety we need. Jesus alone is the way, He alone is the truth, and He alone is the life. He is the only way to the Father. We need Jesus.

Your Part
Spend this week exploring John 14:6 with your children. Discuss with them some of the other ways or truths that our children may think of following. Then, talk about Jesus. Talk about what Jesus did, and how He proved to be our way and truth and life. In the future, keep this verse on hand to remind our children when they feel lost or unsure that Jesus alone is our answer.

BIG WEEKEND LESOTHO

Our team returned from the Big Weekend in Lesotho and have incredible stories to share of all the things God did with the leaders and children there. Thank you for your prayers. Check out a video of our time there below.

– The Children’s Church team

The River: The Reach of the Gospel (Bedfordview AM)

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Sunday morning at Bedfordview, 10 September – Craig Herbert speaks about the opportunities we have, as a church and as individuals, to reach the nations with the gospel.

 

The River: The Reach of the Gospel (Bedfordview AM)

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Sunday morning at Bedfordview, 10 September – Craig Herbert speaks about the opportunities we have, as a church and as individuals, to reach the nations with the gospel.

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The River: Salvation and Inheritance pt 2 (Rosebank)

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Sunday morning at Rosebank, 10 September – Nathan Gernetzky finishes off our River series with part 2 of Salvation and Inheritance.

 

The River: Salvation and Inheritance pt 2 (Rosebank)

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Sunday morning at Rosebank, 10 September – Nathan Gernetzky finishes off our River series with part 2 of Salvation and Inheritance.

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Being Salt and Light

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Sunday evening at Bedfordview, 3 September – Richard Preston from the Storehouse Church in P.E. (and part of the NCMI translocal team) shares on how we are salt and light to the world (Matthew 5:13 – 16).

Being Salt and Light

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Sunday evening at Bedfordview, 3 September – Richard Preston from the Storehouse Church in P.E. (and part of the NCMI translocal team) shares on how we are salt and light to the world (Matthew 5:13 – 16).

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The Simplicity of the Gospel

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Sunday morning at Bedfordview, 3 September – Richard Preston from the Storehouse Church in P.E. (and part of the NCMI translocal team) shares on why the gospel works so well.

 

Trusting in God’s Provision

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by Christopher Bompas

It is easy to get accustomed to a mentality based on scarcity and worry. We worry if our debit orders are going to go through, whether we will have enough cash to check out of the shops, if our transport money will last till the end of the month, and many other things.

Christ knows our needs. The simple words ‘give us our daily bread’ in the Lord’s Prayer lay out a pattern by which we should position ourselves in relation to God. When we place our dependence in God, we also open ourselves to receive and share his blessings.

So how can we open ourselves up to receive and share God’s provision?

Surrender to Jesus. Fear is such a dangerous emotion because it opens the door to greed, vanity and pride. Jesus offers us eternal peace in him (John 14:27). Does it mean that our problems are going to disappear overnight? Obviously not. What we will have instead is the spiritual reserves to push through them.

Avoid debt. While it is not a sin to borrow money, it is that much harder to serve Christ and service a debt (Romans 13:8) at the same time. Read this useful article on how to pay off your debts faster!

Sow seeds. The Father is our model for radical generosity. He held nothing back, not even his Son (John 3:16). Giving is essential to the spiritual principal of sowing and reaping. God always rewards the little faith that we show when we give unselfishly (2 Corinthians 9:10-15) in time, energy and finances.

Be patient. Unlike Debonairs, God’s provision doesn’t come with the promise “if it’s late, it’s free”. In fact, you can’t buy it, much less deserve it. Just as a farmer plants a field, blessings take time to reap a harvest. God’s timing is perfect. He knows exactly what we need and when (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Seek Christ first and what you need will be added unto you. Stay connected.

One on One with Joe Muthee

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by Christopher Bompas

If you are part of Yeoville, you will know that Joe Muthee often starts his sermon by introducing himself as the proud husband of Cathy and father of two beautiful kids. We caught up with Joe to find out more.

Chris: Tell us about your background, for example, how you came to South Africa, where you went to school and your family?

Joe: I came to S.A. from Kenya at the age of 11 with my mom by road. It took us five days to get here. Soon afterwards, I enrolled in Hillcrest Primary School and then completed my secondary education at Jeppe High School for Boys. I have three sisters and a brother. My youngest sister lives in Kenya while the rest of my siblings live in Joburg. Both my parents are alive and they live in Kenya.

Chris: What are your hobbies and interests? How do you relax?

Joe: I enjoy reading books, watching sports (soccer in particular), listening to good music (Deep House takes the cake) and connecting with people. I also enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities.

Chris: How did you come to know Christ? Was it in Cornerstone Church?

Joe: Jesus Christ drew me to himself at a yearly NCMI Equip in September 2006. This was after two years of floating around.

Chris: Tell about your journey into eldership?

Joe: The call to eldership came after seven years of faithfully serving in any and every role possible. It was a surprise at first but I knew it was right as I had desired it. But along the journey I had to come to terms and understand that I do not need a title to serve Christ. Once this settled in my heart, it wasn’t long before I got ordained. What a journey! Being an elder is a function, not a title.

Chris: Who are your spiritual mentors or the people that inspire you?

Joe: RT Kendall is one of my favourite modern-day spiritual heroes. The late Michael Eaton is another one who has influenced or shaped my Christian life. As this is a journey, I have other names within our ranks that I have great respect for and some are not even ‘elder’ than me. For me, a hero is someone who you know – you have seen their weaknesses and their strengths, and not just their strengths (their high moments).

Chris: Long before our site was started you were involved in evangelisation in Yeoville. Why did you choose this community?

Joe: I didn’t choose Yeoville; God gave me a love for the people in this beautiful community. Planting this site was not difficult as I loved the people. Interestingly, Yeoville was the first place I lived in when I arrived in S.A.

Chris: What are the challenges and opportunities that you and Ken have in ministering in Yeoville?

Joe: Challenges: Spiritual immaturity and prevalent socio-economic problems. Opportunities: Many Yeovillians feel they have no hope. We have the opportunity to bring hope to them through the gospel. We also have opportunities to up-skill people in various ways in order for them to provide for themselves.

Chris: As a market-place elder, how do you balance your business with your ministry?

Joe: The simplest answer is by the grace of God. I am not being ‘super-spiritual’. I have no idea how I balance everything, it just happens.

Chris: What kind of legacy would like to leave for your children?

Joe: I would love for my children to impact their respective communities with the gospel: the love of Christ, first and foremost – and also open doors for others to succeed in different industries.