BallysillanPresbyterian

23/09/2026

RESOURCES / OUR FAMILY STORY VOL. #2
Each week we've resources for digging deeper into the passage and theme we were looking at on Sunday. There's a passage to read, a verse to remember and a song to rejoice with!

READING / WEEK 2 / DAY 2

Text - GENESIS 13:1-4
So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

Thought
In August 2014 Hilary Allen, an American skyrunner (that’’s extreme mountain running), fell 150 feet from a ridge during the Tromso sky race in the mountains of Northern Norway. She was knocked unconscious, broke 12 bones and had cuts that required hundreds of stitches. Five operations later it was thought that she would never run again.

Fast forward 10 months to June 2018 and Hilary was back racing, a week later won a 48km skyrace in the Dolomite mountains in Italy and then she returned to Tromso. Her story of return is one of sheer grit.

Abraham’s story is one of return…with the language of Genesis 13 closely matching the language of Genesis 12 as it notes Bethel and Ai and the altar and how Abraham called on the name of the Lord. Despite his forgetfulness and foolishness and failure in Egypt, he returns to the Lord and calls on his name.

But rather that Abram’s grit, this is all God’s grace. God’s grace welcomes returnees…coming back, coming home to the Lord.

Therefore
So maybe it feels like you’ve been, or even now are in Egypt, in the midst of forgetfulness and foolishness and failure in your faith life. God’s grace welcomes returnees…so turn…and return!

Come back and call on the name of the Lord..

REMEMBER
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
HEBREWS 11:1-2

REJOICE /
Step By Step / Worship Circle (original Rich Mullins)
https://youtu.be/zbbaDlEbsOo?si=KTG5aHRcnaf4yO-P

23/09/2026

RESOURCES / OUR FAMILY STORY VOL. #2
Each week we've resources for digging deeper into the passage and theme we were looking at on Sunday. There's a passage to read, a verse to remember and a song to rejoice with!

READING / WEEK 2 / DAY 2

Text - GENESIS 13:1-4
So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

Thought
In August 2014 Hilary Allen, an American skyrunner (that’’s extreme mountain running), fell 150 feet from a ridge during the Tromso sky race in the mountains of Northern Norway. She was knocked unconscious, broke 12 bones and had cuts that required hundreds of stitches. Five operations later it was thought that she would never run again.

Fast forward 10 months to June 2018 and Hilary was back racing, a week later won a 48km skyrace in the Dolomite mountains in Italy and then she returned to Tromso. Her story of return is one of sheer grit.

Abraham’s story is one of return…with the language of Genesis 13 closely matching the language of Genesis 12 as it notes Bethel and Ai and the altar and how Abraham called on the name of the Lord. Despite his forgetfulness and foolishness and failure in Egypt, he returns to the Lord and calls on his name.

But rather that Abram’s grit, this is all God’s grace. God’s grace welcomes returnees…coming back, coming home to the Lord.

Therefore
So maybe it feels like you’ve been, or even now are in Egypt, in the midst of forgetfulness and foolishness and failure in your faith life. God’s grace welcomes returnees…so turn…and return!

Come back and call on the name of the Lord..

REMEMBER
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
HEBREWS 11:1-2

REJOICE /
Step By Step / Worship Circle (original Rich Mullins)
https://youtu.be/zbbaDlEbsOo?si=KTG5aHRcnaf4yO-P

22/09/2026

RESOURCES / OUR FAMILY STORY VOL. #2
Each week we've resources for digging deeper into the passage and theme we were looking at on Sunday. There's a passage to read, a verse to remember and a song to rejoice with!

READING / WEEK 2 / DAY 1

Text - HEBREWS 11:1-2, 8-10
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Thought
When I was 7 or 8 I was commended in an Economy 7 (that shows my age) colouring competition. I can’t remember what the prize was, but my colouring was framed and hung in our house…my parents may well still have it!

Now does that mean that my colouring was always commendable before that (I’m sure I went outside the lines as a toddler) or even after that (I’m sure some of my art homework were disastrous)?

These ancients in Hebrews 11 were commended for their faith…but if you were to explore the stories of Abraham (as we are doing at the minutes) and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Moses and Rahab and Gideon and Samson, you would find lots in their lives that was less than commendable, before faith and after.

Yet it is their faith in God that covers over their past and confirms their future despite their lack of commendability at times. It is God who is working out his plan of salvation through his Son Jesus, who came to live with us, as us, and die and rise again to deal with our sin, and who will come again to make all things new.

In that hope we can have confidence, and we can have assurance about what we do not see…yet…because God also covers over our past and confirms our future through faith!

Therefore
Thank God, Father, Son and Spirit for his work if faith in your life, and ask him to strengthen it, giving you deeper confidence in what you hope for, and further assurance about what you do not see.

REMEMBER
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
HEBREWS 11:1-2

REJOICE /
Step By Step / Worship Circle (original Rich Mullins)
https://youtu.be/zbbaDlEbsOo?si=KTG5aHRcnaf4yO-P

22/09/2026

RESOURCES / OUR FAMILY STORY VOL. #2
Each week we've resources for digging deeper into the passage and theme we were looking at on Sunday. There's a passage to read, a verse to remember and a song to rejoice with!

READING / WEEK 2 / DAY 1

Text - HEBREWS 11:1-2, 8-10
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Thought
When I was 7 or 8 I was commended in an Economy 7 (that shows my age) colouring competition. I can’t remember what the prize was, but my colouring was framed and hung in our house…my parents may well still have it!

Now does that mean that my colouring was always commendable before that (I’m sure I went outside the lines as a toddler) or even after that (I’m sure some of my art homework were disastrous)?

These ancients in Hebrews 11 were commended for their faith…but if you were to explore the stories of Abraham (as we are doing at the minutes) and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Moses and Rahab and Gideon and Samson, you would find lots in their lives that was less than commendable, before faith and after.

Yet it is their faith in God that covers over their past and confirms their future despite their lack of commendability at times. It is God who is working out his plan of salvation through his Son Jesus, who came to live with us, as us, and die and rise again to deal with our sin, and who will come again to make all things new.

In that hope we can have confidence, and we can have assurance about what we do not see…yet…because God also covers over our past and confirms our future through faith!

Therefore
Thank God, Father, Son and Spirit for his work if faith in your life, and ask him to strengthen it, giving you deeper confidence in what you hope for, and further assurance about what you do not see.

REMEMBER
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
HEBREWS 11:1-2

REJOICE /
Step By Step / Worship Circle (original Rich Mullins)
https://youtu.be/zbbaDlEbsOo?si=KTG5aHRcnaf4yO-P

20/09/2026

Here’s our service from this morning. A great time worshipping together as Dave continued the teaching series in Genesis and today we thought about the faithfulness of God. Have a listen and be encouraged - come and join with us next week, you’d be most welcome.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

20/09/2026

// THIS SUNDAY AT BALLYSILLAN

/ DEVOTED / 10:45-11:15am
We gather together to pray ahead of the service. We'd love you to join us

/ SUNDAY WORSHIP / 11:30am

/ We're reading our way through the story of Abraham in our "Our Family Story" teaching series in Genesis ...learing abouts faith and the faithfulness of God. This week we're looking at Genesis 13

/ We've Creche (babies and toddlers), Sunday Club (P1-P7) .They all start in church, head out part way thorugh and come back at the end.

/ Sunday Youth AM (Y8-Y12) will stay with us in church but there is Sunday Youth PM this evening.

**PLEASE NOTE that we need registration/consent forms for all hcildren and young people attending these programmes. If you haven't filled one in, please aim to do so today!

/ TEA AND COFFEE / after church
Do hang about for a bit over a cuppa for a chat!

/ GROW / 5:45-7:15pm
Grow is a chance to get together with a group to read through the bits of the Bible we're looking at on Sunday mornings and try and help each other learn how they could make a difference to our day to day lives.

/ Tea and Coffee at from 5:45pm, we start the study at 6pm sharp and we'll have a short time to pray for each other at the end.

/ SUNDAY YOUTH PM / 7:30-9pm
It's the first Sunday Youth of the year, so we'll be looking ahead to the year and thinking about what we might get up to in terms of food, fun, friendship and faith.

19/09/2026

// GROW SUNDAY

/ If you'd be interested in coming along to Grow Sunday just get in touch

19/09/2026

RESOURCES / OUR FAMILY STORY VOL. #2
Each week we've resources for digging deeper into the passage and theme we were looking at on Sunday. There's a passage to read, a verse to remember and a song to rejoice with!

READING / WEEK 1 / DAY 5

Text -GENESIS 12:17-20
But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Thought
If you had to grade Abraham on his performance in the second half chapter 12 of Genesis, an F would be generous. Failed as a husband, failed as a follower of God.

Yet what happens to him…he’s protected from the wrath of a very angry Egyptian king…he get’s his wife back…and he keeps the animals and servant.

He does not get what he deserves based on his grade. He get’s what he doesn’t deserve based on God’s grace and based on God’s great faithfulness to his promise.

Which is a great summary of the Gospel…sinful people do not get what they deserve based on their performance grade, but rather they get what they don’t deserve based on God’s perfect grace and his great faithfulness to his promise that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Therefore
This week has probably been a bit weighty thinking about how Abram points us to our faltering and foolishness and failures…but ultimately the story of Abram is the story of God’s faithfulness to his promises despite Abram’s faithlessness. So as we head towards worship on Sunday, rest in God’s faithfulness to you and his promise to bless you and use you to be a blessing in the world.

REMEMBER
if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

2 TIMOTHY 2:13

REJOICE /
His Glory and My Good / Cityalight
https://youtu.be/d5nUTO4m9oA?si=P3Ry5Hgvfs1-bvrs

19/09/2026

// SUNDAY YOUTH

/ Sunday Youth meets across Sunday mornings during church and Sunday evenings in the coffee lounge. We wat it to be a pace where young people can explore, come to and grow in faith in Jesus

Get in touch for more info if you're interested in Sunday Youth

19/09/2026

RESOURCES / OUR FAMILY STORY VOL. #2
Each week we've resources for digging deeper into the passage and theme we were looking at on Sunday. There's a passage to read, a verse to remember and a song to rejoice with!

READING / WEEK 1 / DAY 5

Text -GENESIS 12:17-20
But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Thought
If you had to grade Abraham on his performance in the second half chapter 12 of Genesis, an F would be generous. Failed as a husband, failed as a follower of God.

Yet what happens to him…he’s protected from the wrath of a very angry Egyptian king…he get’s his wife back…and he keeps the animals and servant.

He does not get what he deserves based on his grade. He get’s what he doesn’t deserve based on God’s grace and based on God’s great faithfulness to his promise.

Which is a great summary of the Gospel…sinful people do not get what they deserve based on their performance grade, but rather they get what they don’t deserve based on God’s perfect grace and his great faithfulness to his promise that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Therefore
This week has probably been a bit weighty thinking about how Abram points us to our faltering and foolishness and failures…but ultimately the story of Abram is the story of God’s faithfulness to his promises despite Abram’s faithlessness. So as we head towards worship on Sunday, rest in God’s faithfulness to you and his promise to bless you and use you to be a blessing in the world.

REMEMBER
if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

2 TIMOTHY 2:13

REJOICE /
His Glory and My Good / Cityalight
https://youtu.be/d5nUTO4m9oA?si=P3Ry5Hgvfs1-bvrs