Castle Elim Church

Castle Elim Church Castle Elim Church is an Elim Pentecostal Church in Weoley Castle and California, Birmingham

Curious about faith?Join a series of group conversationsthat freely explore the basics of theChristian faith in an open,...
22/04/2025

Curious about faith?
Join a series of group conversations
that freely explore the basics of the
Christian faith in an open, friendly
environment. At each Alpha session,
you’ll be hosted in a small group
and watch an episode on a different
question of faith – then you have a
chance to share your thoughts and
hear what others think. You can say
anything you like, or nothing at all.
Everyone’s welcome.

Wednesday 23rd April 2025 for 8 weeks
7:15pm at Castle Elim Church
119 Weoley Castle Road, B29 5QD

Today we sadly said ‘goodbye’ to Pastor Lynette who leaves us this weekend. We shall miss her for many reasons but today...
13/04/2025

Today we sadly said ‘goodbye’ to Pastor Lynette who leaves us this weekend. We shall miss her for many reasons but today we discovered one more of her many talents!!

Good to have the Moore family with us this morning, sharing their journey in North Macedonia
02/02/2025

Good to have the Moore family with us this morning, sharing their journey in North Macedonia

18/01/2025

Day Seventeen
Reading
Colossians 4 v. 10 - 18
Scripture
11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.
Observation
It’s easy to look at someone like the Apostle Paul and, knowing his contribution to the New Testament, see him as some sort of superhuman Christian who had everything together.
Yet at the end of the letter of Colossians Paul continues to list friends, co-workers and brothers who send greetings to the church. Paul’s ministry is definitely a team effort. Paul needs people, the people he lists are a comfort to him, they labour with him, they prayer for him.
We are not supposed to be islands, we are meant to be together with our Christian brothers and sisters, we are meant to hold one another up in prayer, we are supposed to support and encourage.
Application
Do you feel isolated as a Christian believer? If so maybe it is time to look at the Christians around you. Are you doing life together? Are you committed to a local church?
Who are you encouraging? Who are you praying for? If someone in your church was writing a modern day version of this passage, would your name come up in the list of faithful encouragers?
Why not think about who you could pray for and encourage today, and let them know.
Prayer
Father I thank You for the church, I thank You that You designed us to be together in a holy family, faithful brothers and sisters. Help us to all be encouragers of each other, help us to remember to uphold one another in prayer. Father I pray that You will place someone on my heart today who needs an encouraging word.
In Jesus Name AMEN

This is the end of our devotions from Colossians, I do hope that you have found them useful. If these devotions have helped you to develop a rhythm of spending time with God and you’re not sure where to go next please speak to Pastors Rachel or Lynette and they will give you some ideas.

17/01/2025

Day Sixteen
Reading
Colossians 4 v. 7 - 9
Scripture
7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.
Observation
Remember that the Book of Colossians is actually a letter that Paul wrote and sent to the church in Colossae. Tychicus is possibly the person who delivered the letter (no postal workers of email back then). Note how Paul describes him, a dear brother, a faithful minister and a fellow servant. Paul sees Tychicus as a brother, someone he regarded as family (although they almost certainly weren’t actually related). Tychicus was faithful in his ministry in the church, but he didn’t have ideas of power, he recognised himself as just a servant of the Lord.
Application
Church is not a club where we go to have a nice time (although I hope that we do!). Church is a body or a family that we belong to, we should recognise others as our brothers and sisters (including all the challenges that family life can bring at times). Do you have a ministry within the church, that doesn’t mean you necessarily preach on a Sunday or stand at the front to lead worship, there are many other areas of service, and they are all ministries. Are you faithful to the ministry that you have? Finally, do you recognise that you are a servant of Christ, He is the head of the body not us. Whatever part you play in church we are all equal before God, no one is more important than anyone else.
Prayer
Father God I thank You for the examples of Godly people that we read about in Your word. Thank You for the testimony of Tychicus, the dear brother, faithful minister and servant. Help me to recognise the part that You have given me to play within Your body. May I fulfil my purpose, always remaining faithful and servant hearted.
In Jesus name - AMEN

16/01/2025

Day Fifteen
Reading
Colossians 4 v. 5-6
Scripture
5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
Observation
Years ago, it used to be thought that when you were a Christian you should keep yourself as far away from non-believers as possible. I’ve also known Christians sadly treat non-believers with distain which is shocking. Whilst we do need to be careful about what we allow into our lives Paul does not encourage separation here. Instead, he teaches us to live wisely among non-believers and to speak to them with grace.
We are not called to be judgemental, neither are we to expect non-believers to live lives that are honouring to God. Who knows if God might grant us the wisdom to speak well to non-believers so that they are interested in what we have to say?
Application
Think about the people you come across in your everyday life who don’t know Jesus. How do you speak to them? Do you find it easy to be judgemental? Spend sometime asking God to grant you wisdom to live well among those who don’t know Him. Pray through any specific situations that you are struggling with right now.
Prayer
Father God I thank You that I am called to be in the world, but not of it. Help me I prayer to treat those around me with respect, praying for them and seeking the right words to say to them. May I represent you well in the world that I am a part of, in Jesus name AMEN.

15/01/2025

Day Fourteen
Reading
Colossians 4 v. 2 - 4
Scripture
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Observation
Devote yourself, continue earnestly, pray diligently, depends on which bible translation you read. All are saying one thing, prayer is vital and you have a responsibility to keep going at it regularly. Why do we find prayer so difficult? I think that one reason is that we think mostly in terms of answered prayer, and we think of answered prayer as what happens when God does things the way that we think He should. Of course this does happen sometimes, and some of the time it doesn’t.
Prayer is a conversation with God, no fancy words are required. There are many ideas for patterns of prayer given to us in scripture, the Lord’s prayer being the most famous (Matthew 6 v. 9 – 13). There isn’t space to go into the details of prayer here, but there is space to send out the reminder again – devote yourself. No one can devote you for you, you have to do it, you have to make that commitment.
Application
How is your prayer life? Is it regular, is it ‘as and when’ and hope for the best? Do you have some prayer ‘disappointments’ which have caused you discouragement? Put aside sometime today to think about things, talk to God about any disappointments you may have and ask for His healing. God promises us that in everything He is working things out of our good (Romans 8 v. 28) and that includes our unanswered prayers.
Can you follow Paul’s encouragement today and devote yourself again to prayer?
Prayer
Don’t rush off, spend sometime here talking and communing with God. Devote yourself again to prayer.

14/01/2025

Day Thirteen
Reading
Colossians 3 v. 18 - 25
Scripture
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Observation
Today’s reading can be a difficult one for us to process. It is all about submitting ourselves to other people whatever your position in the world. If you’re a wife, a husband, a child, a parent, the mention of slavery is a difficult one for our modern ears and we may wonder why Paul does not condemn the practice as we would today. However, the point here isn’t about whether a position is right or wrong, or even ‘higher or lower’ than someone else’s. The point is that whatever position we find ourselves in in the world, we are to remember that we serve Christ, not man. Imagine the outcome If everyone lived their lives in this way.
Application
Think about the positions you hold in your life, there are probably several. You might be a mother, father, husband, wife, employee, friend. This about the positions of the other people in your life. How do you see the idea of voluntarily submitting to them? If you find this difficult imagine that you are doing it for Christ and not for them, how does this change things? (Please note that this doesn’t mean submitting to abuse if we are in an abusive relationship).
Prayer
Father God I confess that it is sometimes difficult to put the needs of other above my own. Help me in the relationships that I find challenging I pray. Thank You that ultimately, I am living my life for You alone. AMEN

13/01/2025

Day Twelve
Reading
Colossians 3 v. 12 - 17
Scripture
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Observation
Paul continues to talk about putting on the new set of clothes, a new way of being. The ‘overcoat’, if you like is love for one another. The result of all this will be the ability to allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts. When the peace of God rules in our hearts we will bring peace into situations. Peacemakers build bridges between people; peacekeepers build walls to keep warring factions apart. We are called to be peacemakers, as members of one body, the body of Christ.
Application
Are there any situations in your life where you are trying to keep the peace, maybe in church, amongst friends or family? Is there a way in which you can move from being a peacekeeper to being a peacemaker? Think about your relationships within the Body of Christ, are there any which are especially challenging at the moment? Do you need God’s help to put on the overcoat of love?
Prayer
Father God, I thank You that You have called me to live a life that demonstrates Your love and peace. Help me, I pray to deal with any situations in my life where I am called to bring your peace and love. Help me, in all that I do, to do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN

12/01/2025

Day Eleven
Reading
Colossians 3 v. 1 - 12
Scripture
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Observation
There is a practical outworking of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and there is a practical outworking of loving others as we love ourselves. This practical outworking is not to follow a set of rules, but to move from one way of life to another.
When I was a child, I wore a uniform to school. Anyone who saw me during the hours of 8am – 4pm would have known, without asking, that I went to school and which school I attended. However, when I returned home from school I took of that uniform and put on different clothes. I took of the clothes that identified me as a student and put on the clothes that identified me as a child. When I wore uniform I did certain things like study, sitting in a classroom etc. When I wore the cloths of a child I did other things such as play.
Paul encourages us to put off our old lives, to stop doing the things that we associated with that life, and to put on our new lives. He wants us to change our clothes. This is not just a new set of rules but a new way of life to live. This is what being connected to the ‘head’ (Jesus) means.
Application
Read through verses 5 – 8. Picture yourself getting dressed in the morning. Are there any ‘items of clothing’ that you need to take off and put to death? This is not the same as making a new year’s resolution. If we confess our sin and repent then Christ will help us to do this, to change our ways. We are never going to be perfect, we will always slip up and need to seek forgiveness again, but we can commit to choosing the things that we do and don’t do daily.
Prayer
Father God I thank You that You have designed a new life for me to live. I pray that You will help me to choose carefully the things that allow, and don’t allow, into my life. I confess where I have done wrong and ask for Your forgiveness. Help me I pray to live this new life to the fullest. In Jesus Name AMEN

11/01/2025

Day Ten –
Reading
Colossians 2 v. 16 - 23
Scripture
19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
Observation
The Jewish people had grown up with rules and regulations, eat this, don’t eat that, don’t work on the Sabbath etc. Although the original foundations of these rules (The Ten Commandments) had been put there to help them, the reality had been an ever-expanding list of dos and don’ts. These rules produced pride in those who kept them as they believed that they were, somehow, better than others who didn’t.
The death of Jesus put an end to the law, remember Jesus summed up the ‘rules’ as ‘Love God and love people (Mark 12 v. 30-31). Some of the Colossians were being taught that the rules were important rather than their freedom in Christ.
Application
Loving God, others and ourselves means treating God, other and ourselves with respect, kindness and goodness. If we’re going to do this it does mean not just doing anything that makes us happy and fulfils the desires of our flesh, as these things may not lead to our good and the good of others. However, as Paul points out in verse 23 just trying to do this from our own sense of religion or bodily neglect doesn’t actually help.
The only way that we can love God, others and ourselves in the best way is through the Holy Spirit at work within us. Paul said that some of the Colossians had lost their connection with the head (Christ).
Have you lost your connection? Are you more focussed on try hard to do the right things or letting the Holy Spirit change you from the inside?
Prayer
Father God I pray that I will never lose connection with Christ. I pray that I will always be full of the Holy Spirit, guiding, leading and changing me from the inside out.
In Jesus name AMEN

10/01/2025

Day Nine
Reading
Colossians 2 v.11 - 15
Scripture
14 having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Observation
Have you ever broken the law? Most of us would probably say no until we remember that the speed limit is often 30 miles per hour. When we break the law there are consequences. In our nation these consequences will depend on two things. Firstly, getting caught, if we manage to drive along the road doing 40 in a 30 and there are no cameras or traffic police around then it is likely that we will get away without penalty. Secondly the consequences depend on how we break the law. A few miles an hour over the limit may result in a fine, points on the licence or a speed awareness course, taking the life of another person can result in many years spent in jail.
Things are different with God. The consequences of our breaking God’s law lead to spiritual death and separation from His presence. It doesn’t matter if you break a ‘small’ law, or a ‘big’ law, sin is sin. God is also omniscient, which means ‘all knowing’, He knows everything, we can’t ‘get away with it’, He knows.
The good news is that through Christ, God has cancelled our debt, taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
We have been given a gift of freedom that we don’t deserve.
Application
It is easy to see sin in terms of ‘big sins’ and ‘little sins’ and forget that all our failings separate us from God. In fact, the Bible says that if we say that we don’t have any sin then we are deceiving ourselves (which is, of course, a sin!) 1 John 1 v. 8. It is only when we recognise the depth of our failings that we realise the depth of God’s mercy and grace. Remind yourself of this today – summed up in this great hymn.
My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Prayer
Father God I am so grateful today. In Your mercy You haven’t given me what I deserved but by Your grace You have given me so much more than I deserved. Help me to realise, and live in, the freedom that I enjoy in You today. AMEN

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119 Weoley Castle Road
Birmingham
B295QD

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