Bideford Baptist Church

31/08/2026

Good Morning,

I know I said that Saturday's message was the last but Pam sent me another thought from her daily readings from the Pocket Testament League, so pass it on along with the songs from yesterdays service.

And on a Bank Holiday as well.
Enjoy

I cannot tell https://youtu.be/Y4u1gW8Acbg?si=_gj5D8DKtgWAmt9Y

This is our God https://youtu.be/lC_eI8B1qGI?si=TSmXw9uBoojBBNS6

At the Name of Jesus https://youtu.be/J7EnoCBQavQ?si=BB4-D9bDPzM6K77_

Build my life https://youtu.be/xh86R7_w1_8?si=_8KF5qOeV9qmMLJS

If the Lord builds the house https://youtu.be/d_Zysp5rtYE?si=6xxj_uX-3tVsqeub

The Blessing https://youtu.be/tNk_xCa7zaQ?si=9OGFHY6_Sa0ABQ8h

May we all listen to what is preached and consider it carefully before God.

Blessings,
Adrian

Getting Focused on the Teaching
Acts 10:29b-33

"May I ask why you sent for me?" Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."

Thoughts for Today:
Peter opens with a really good question: "May I ask why you sent for me?" Sometimes people forget why they come to church. Is it out of habit? Is it to see friends or make your wife happy? It helps every once in a while to stop for a minute and ask yourself that question "Why am I sitting here today? What do I hope to gain? What were the life events that led to me being here?" In our passage today, Peter asks Cornelius, "May I ask why you sent for me?" Cornelius stopped for a minute, and thought about why he was there -- he recounted to everyone present the events that led to Peter's arrival. As a result he made this statement: "Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."

How different would the Sunday morning sermon be for you if you began with this thought in mind -- "I am in church today in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded Pastor Ty to tell me." Too often we listen passively -- we even have difficulty remembering on Monday what was preached about on Sunday -- so what chance do we have to apply any of the teaching. We have a tendency to look at God's Word spoken through our pastor as simply "feel good" advice for the moment -- rather than God speaking directly to us.

Questions to Ponder:
Can you remember what was preached about this past Sunday morning? Did you take notes? Did you review your notes? Maybe it's time we paid closer attention to what God has commanded our pastor to tell us. Think about the sermon now -- what one thing sticks out in your mind? Could this be your personal message, your personal instructions from God for today, for this week? Make every effort to apply one thing you heard from our pastor this past Sunday?

'I Cannot Tell' from the hymns album PRAISE WITHOUT CEASING by Emu ...

26/08/2026

Good Morning,

Pam shares a thought from one of her morning readings by Geoff Lucas.

Thanks Pam

Tomorrow is our monthly day of prayer and fasting so I will send out some guidance later today.

Hope you will join us for prayer and communion at 7pm in the church at the end of the day tomorrow, Thursday.

Blessings,
Adrian

A stunning sight

It was one of those, ‘is this God speaking to me?’ moments that those who follow Jesus experience. A thought surfaces, seemingly from nowhere, and the persistent luminosity of it makes us wonder if the Holy Spirit is broadcasting on our personal wavelength. Some believers insist that their lives are punctuated with daily, even hourly revelations. I haven’t found God to be quite so chatty. And so when I do sense His nudge, usually I dash into crisis mode: is this thought that races around my mind just my wishful thinking, is it truly the Divine voice, or merely the aftereffects of last night’s Chicken Tikka Marsala? I wish God would speak with a louder, clearer voice, but perhaps He whispers because He wants us to draw closer that we might hear.

Back to my inner nudge. Half way through a Sunday morning service, I was just about to preach when the thought surfaced again: ‘Take a look at My beautiful people’.

And so I did.

I looked around at the sea of faces that was our congregation, and recalled some of their stories. Over there was John, who married after desperately longing for a soulmate for decades, only to lose his darling in a drunk driver caused crash. Towards the back was Sally, who poured her life out on a lonely mission field. Not many responded to her life of kingdom service, but she stayed the course until retirement. Now she feels somewhat lost, surplus to requirements. I look her way but she is unaware, for her eyes are shut tight, her hands raised in worship. Beautiful indeed.

And the whisper confirmed the truth that God who flings stars into being with a word, daubs drab skies with rainbows, and paints deep sea fishes in stunning colours that no human eye will ever see - this God of ours finds the greatest delight when He sees hearts that trust Him through mystery.

There was another day when I was treated to yet another dazzling sight.

Some dear friends of ours had just been given a terminal cancer diagnosis. A tearful oncologist delivered the dreaded news: our friend Steve had been given just months to live. There were hopeful possibilities with some radical treatment options, but he and his family trod a bewildering path: the possibility of a medical solution, their belief in a miracle working God who can heal in a moment, all entwined with an upcoming visit to a hospice to discuss end of life care.

And when life is threatened, life still goes on. The weekend after the dark diagnosis, Steve, a brilliant evangelist who uses comedy in his ‘tricks and laughs’ presentations, performed at four outreach events. Bekah continued to lead Restored, a non-profit dedicated to help victims of domestic abuse.

One morning, during a transatlantic phone chat, Bekah spoke of some of the good things that they were celebrating even as they passed through the valley of the shadow. “There is so much beauty to be seen, even in this horrible season”, she said. ‘We don’t want to miss the lovely things that God is surely doing’.

That’s when we had to pause for tears, because in celebrating treasure that can be found even in darkness, Bekah and Steve had themselves become quite beautiful in their persistent faith and faithfulness. In the intense and unwelcome roller coaster ride that suffering brings, they were clinging to God through the white knuckle ride. They were, in short, a stunning sight.

Often we get focused on what’s wrong with the world and with the church. Fixated on the failures of high profile Christian leaders, we sink into despair. Preoccupied with the picky pettiness that breaks out when someone suggests moving the pews, we wonder if there’s any future for a people so resistant to change.

But all around us, today, there are quiet yet glorious examples of tenacious dedication.

If you’re one of them, know this: your love for Christ surely turns His head.

If you will, please share a prayer for Bekah and her lovely family. Steve is now safely at home with Lord; He was cheerful, brave and faithful to the end. He died in faith.

And if we’re preoccupied with ugliness, in yourself, in others, in our broken world and imperfect church, then know this: there’s beauty to be found in the most surprising places.

Look again.

18/08/2026

Good Morning,

May you be aware of God's presence today.

I have attached some pictures of things we are planning to get rid of, so if you are interested in any of the items let me know. Sorry no delivery of the bigger items they will have to be collected.
There is also a bookcase with 6 shelves, in dark brown
91xms wide x 39.5cms deep x 180.5cms high

Blessings,
Adrian

Isaiah 61:4, 5

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and your vinedressers.



A time of refreshing and renewal, is pictured here. No doubt we have all seen barren or waste land. Often on these areas people take the liberty of dumping their rubbish or unwanted things. It was quite common in certain areas where we used to live, so called brown field sites in the middle of an urban area.

These lands will become areas of cultivation as they are ploughed by people of other lands and strangers will take care of the flocks. Is that a sign of people working together from many different nations? The previous couple of verses we looked at on Saturday talk of the time when the Lord will return to rule the earth. Here we see more images of the difference He will make. Just as swords will be turned into plough shares so too will the waste lands be restored.

I was talking to someone in Morrison’s recently. They were telling me about a flat they were looking to buy. What they had not realised was that it had a shared garden and although it was in the terms of purchase that everyone was responsible for the garden, no one had done anything and it was all overgrown. He loves gardening and has his own allotment but it struck him if he moved in and sorted the garden out then he could see the other people then using the garden and he was not prepared for that so wasn’t going ahead with the purchase of the flat, which is understandable. God will restore the waste lands and make good the cities too. May we look for that day and be ready!!



Every blessing,



Adrian and Catherine

17/08/2026

Good Morning,

Pam has sent us another of her daily readings from UCB. Thank you Pam.

Here are the song links from yesterday's service.

How great Thou art https://youtu.be/Cc0QVWzCv9k

How great is our God https://youtu.be/MhrB_KTUwaI

Great is Thy faithfulness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EbG5Ffqrmk&pp=ygUZZ3JlYXQgaXMgdGh5IGZhaXRoZnVsbmVzcw%3D%3D

Whom shall I fear https://youtu.be/R0gu0nOaFsI?si=qprp7lbglNIffmhU

I am not my own https://youtu.be/ImRBL8lu2RY?si=1TvTnxYYqk1ItYlu



Blessings,
Adrian

You must know who you are

28 July 2026

‘‘He has created us anew in Christ Jesus…[to] do the good things he planned for us.’’

Ephesians 2:10 NLT

A farmer once caught a young eagle in the forest, brought it home, and raised it among his chickens and turkeys. Five years later, a naturalist came to visit him and saw the bird. ‘That’s an eagle, not a chicken!’ he said. ‘Yes,’ said the farmer, ‘but I’ve raised it to be a chicken.’ The naturalist said, ‘It has a wingspan of fifteen feet. It’s an eagle!’ The farmer said, ‘But it will never fly.’ The naturalist disagreed, and they decided to put their argument to the test. First, the naturalist picked up the eagle and said, ‘Thou art an eagle; thou dost belong in the sky and not to this earth; stretch forth thy wings and fly.’ The eagle saw the chickens and jumped down. The next day, the naturalist took the eagle to the top of the house, said the same thing, and let the eagle go. Again, it spotted the chickens below and fluttered down to join them in feeding. ‘One more try,’ said the naturalist. He took the eagle up a mountain. The trembling bird looked around, and then the naturalist made it look into the sun. As he spoke its true identity once more, suddenly the eagle stretched out its wings, gave a mighty screech, and flew away, never to return. You must know who God created and called you to be. And that takes place in the right environment, the right company, and with the right input – God’s input! ‘He has created us anew in Christ Jesus…[to] do the good things He planned for us.’

Bible in a Year: Job 8-10, Romans 15:14-33

How Great Thou Art with lyrics

13/08/2026

Good Morning,

Look forward to seeing you at the Prayer Meeting tonight 7pm in the Top Lounge.

Blessings,
Adrian

Isaiah 61:1, 2

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;



I used to think that this was a special calling for the chosen few, those who had become ministers, church workers or missionaries in another land. Now I think it is far from something for the select few but rather something for everyone. Just as Jesus said to His disciples at the end of His time on earth “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Jesus said those words to all of His disciples and in the same way I think that the verse from Isaiah is for all disciples of Jesus. The things that are mentioned are all things that we should be doing. We may not do it to a lot of people but even if it is only one person what a difference it will make to them. Again, Jesus said And, if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” (Matthew 10:42). We all need to be faithful and do want we can to share the Good News of Jesus with others, in whatever way we can, knowing that whatever we do in His Name will have an impact.

You are probably familiar with the story of 100’s of star fish being washed up on a beach after a storm. One little boy was walking along the beach throwing them back into the water one by one. A man walking on the beach said you will not make much difference there are too many of them. The boy picked up another star fish and as he threw it back into the sea, said it made a difference to that one. Even if we give a cup of cold water…… but surely, we can all do that and more?



Every blessing,



Adrian and Catherine

05/08/2026

Good Morning,

May you be refreshed by God as you go through this day.

Blessings,
Adrian

Isaiah 58:9b-11

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.



The theme is continued from the verses we were looking at yesterday. Doing what we can to make the society in which we live a better place for all. The points of yesterday are touched on but pointing the finger and malicious talk is also commented on. Pointing the finger, accusing others. As Jesus said take the log out of your own eye before you try to take the spec out of someone else’s. How easy it is for us all to point the finger at others and not realise that we are no different. I am sure at times we have been guilty of malicious talk. Whether it is in spreading rumours or things we have heard that we do not know if they are actually true. Or there may have been occasions when we have instigated things about others. It is so easy to get drawn in rather than being like a lady I knew who upset her boss because her boss could not get her to gossip about anyone or anything?!

As I write we are going through a very dry period for this country. There have been ariel pictures of the brown land. One I saw was of a golf course. It was very brown with patches of green. The green were the greens that were being watered. An example of the difference water makes to the ground.

God will see to it that we are like a well-watered garden, not a brown and barren one. He will bring refreshment to our very beings. We will have our own water supply as it were, one that will never fail.

May we know what it is to be refreshed by God and to drink from the well that will never dry up.



Every blessing,



Adrian and Catherine

04/08/2026

Good Morning,

May you have a good day.

Blessings,
Adrian

Isaiah 58:6-9a

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to lose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I.



God lets the people know what He actually requires of them. It is the same things that He mentions in other parts of the Bible. He wants the people of Israel to be an example in the way that they live. He said earlier in this chapter that they were not doing the right things and now He makes it perfectly clear what it is He requires of them.

To work for justice. Wherever they see injustice they are to do what they can to put it right. To set the oppressed free.

More than that they are to share their food with the hungry even providing the poor wanderer with shelter. If you see anyone naked clothe them. Basically, be a good citizen looking out for those who are less fortunate that yourself. While you are doing this do not forget your own family!!

These words are not just for the people of Israel all those years ago but they are for us too here today. As followers of Jesus we are to do these things, help others and play our part in making society a better place for all concerned. If everyone lived by these guidelines, what a different society we would live in. There would be no more pain, exploitation or poverty. Yet in reality we are all pretty selfish at heart. Yes, we may do a bit here and there but do we live as God was instructing the Israelites to live?

It is not only for their benefit but for ours too. Look at what will happen when we do live in this way. Our light will shine, healing will happen, righteousness will become evident and the glory of the Lord will protect us, watching our backs. Then our prayers will be answered, the Lord will reply here I am.

May we do all we can to make sure that our prayers are answered and we are aware of God’s presence and blessing on our life. Knowing that we have to do things His way and not ours.



Every blessing,



Adrian and Catherine

01/08/2026

Good Morning,

Look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the time of prayer 9:30am in church and then at the morning service at 10:30am where we will have the opportunity to share communion together.

Blessings,
Adrian

Isaiah 58:3b-5

Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?



The message from God through Isaiah particularly focuses on their fasting. It gives clear pointers as to why their sense that God was not listening to them is actually what is happening. It is because in effect they are only making a show of their fasting and not doing it properly or taking it seriously. They may put on sackcloth and ashes, bow their heads and assume the position but again their behaviour is wrong. Also, their attitude to prayer and fasting. They say they are doing it but in reality, they are not. How many times do we read in the Bible that it is not about the outward appearance but the heart that is important?

The people are actually doing wrong. It is not just that they are not fasting properly but they are actively exploiting others, arguing and fighting.

We may not be doing such things but the question still remains are we behaving in the right way. The way that pleases and honours God. We cannot just carry on doing our own thing and expect God to hear and respond to our requests and prayers. It is a warning to all of us that it isn’t just about being seen to be doing the right thing but to actually be doing it and honouring God in every way. As we said yesterday, He knows!!



Every blessing,



Adrian and Catherine

31/07/2026

Good Morning,

Trust you are able to have a good weekend.

Blessings,
Adrian

Isaiah 58:1-3a

Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins. For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed?’



Who sees what we do? Who knows all about us? Who is it that we cannot hide anything from even our inner thoughts? God knows it all. I am sure we all know that but yet we still act, at times in ways that don’t show it. I am sure we all have done, or, do things that we are not proud of and things we would not want others to know, especially in our thought life. But the reality is God knows everything and often we act as though that does not matter!! We make excuses about these things rather than realising how important it is to God that we conduct our lives in a way that honours and pleases Him.

Here Isaiah was being told to point things out to the people of Israel. He was told not to hold back. Point out their rebellion, their sin. We should all be open for God to point these things out to us as we are all guilty of sin. But there are also times when God prompts others to point things out to us. When He does, we need to listen rather than get all defensive.

The people of Israel were making the right noises and doing the right things, seeking God, wanting to know His ways but it appears as though they were reluctant to follow them through.

As we will see tomorrow there is a great difference between being seen to do the right thing and actually doing the right thing in the right way.



Blessings,



Adrian and Catherine

30/07/2026

Good Morning,

Today's message comes from Pam and one of her daily readings, Going Deeper by Geoff Lucas. Thanks Pam

Blessings,
Adrian

Legacy

When we hear the word legacy, perhaps our minds immediately think of an inheritance, a bequest, something left to somebody in a will. And obviously those are correct uses of the word. But the word has much broader meaning.

Legacy is not just about money, it’s about impact, an impression made - being an example.

In his letter to a young Pastor called Timothy, Paul told him to live life as an example. The Greek word used there is tupos, a word used to describe a stamp that makes an impression in wax. We are called to leave a lingering mark on others for the glory of God. That way our lives will prompt enquiring questions, as people seek to know why we care, why we serve, and why we make the choices to live in obedience to Jesus.

Making an impression isn’t actually an option. We all leave a legacy, whether we choose to or not. Some lives leave a mark, others leave a stain….

J.R. Miller (1840 – 1912) was an American Presbyterian minister and author who sold over 2 million books in his lifetime: ‘There have been meetings of only a moment which have left impressions for life, for eternity. No one can understand that mysterious thing we call influence . . . yet . . . every one of us continually exerts influence, either to heal, to bless, to leave marks of beauty; or to wound, to hurt, to poison, to stain other lives..’

His book is no longer in print, but is available as a kindle product.

And legacy is not just about what we leave when we’re old, or when we die, and it’s not just about a life - it can be a moment, an action, a word spoken that leaves a lingering mark.

Can we make a difference in the world? One man did. I’ve talked about him before, but his story is really worth repeating. Telemachus, a fourth century monk, travelled to Rome and was appalled by what he saw. As he sat in the Coliseum, he was traumatised to see gladiators hacking each other to death. In the end, he could take no more and he stood to his feet. ‘In the name of Christ, forbear’ he cried. ‘Stop!’ He was a solitary voice among the bloodthirsty cheering. The crowd bristled and told him to shut up, but he refused and raised his voice again.

Finally, one of the gladiators made his way to where the monk stood and ran him through with his sword. Telemachus was murdered by a man whose life he was trying to save. But as the monk lay dying, someone decided to leave the Coliseum in disgust. Others followed suit and soon a massive exodus took place. There would never be gladiatorial games held at the Coliseum again. Telemachus had no idea – he died on the ‘grandstand’ – but his legacy was a final ending to the blood-letting.

Life is painful. But if we live by faith boldly and beautifully, we can leave a wonderful legacy - making an impact today, and in the future as well.

One example of this can be found in a marvellous, heart-warming book: People like Us, by Sandra Lacey. Get a copy if you can. Sandra chronicles the poignant and at times heart-breaking story of her life with Rob Lacey, a British actor and writer who was renowned for his brilliance and creativity in communicating the Christian message. Rob died after a lengthy battle with cancer. At his funeral, as the service came to an end, the hundreds who gathered to celebrate Rob’s life stood in a spontaneous standing ovation - the ultimate accolade for a performer, applause for a job well done, and, in Rob’s case, a life beautifully lived. How did he stay faithful until the end, in the midst of such terrible pain and ongoing uncertainty? He built friendships. He called for prayer. He invested into his family. And he never gave up trusting God, and seemed to face one day at a time, with courage and resilience. It’s been said that death is the final test of faith: as we face it, will we believe that its sting and victory have truly been removed? Another great British Christian leader, David Watson, confessed that his faith wavered and fear temporarily conquered him during his to-the-death battle with cancer - but in the end, he died peacefully and with firm faith in Christ.

What will our legacy be like? Whatever our sphere of service, may we be found worthy of a standing ovation, not only on this side of eternity, but on the other side too.