Hope in Him.

05/09/2026

Prayer requests

Brynley
Samson
Eddie.
Charlie
Alana
Mia.
Betsan
Harry
Emily
Bale
Maddie

Ladies, we have a list above of 11 little ones who are all going through something that children should not. Please pray for these children and their families.

In moments of exhaustion, His grace is our sanctuary. Let this song...

04/09/2026

God’s Timing Is Perfect
By Anitha Abraham

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Luke 1:45 (NIV)

Year after year, my dream opportunity kept passing me by. I worked hard, prayed, and trusted God, but I was growing weary.

In Luke 1:6-7, we read about a godly couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, who knew what it was like to dream and pray for something too: “They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years” (ESV).

In my mind, that’s not how those verses should end, especially not for people who seemed to do everything right. But for a while, that was their story.

Then Zechariah was visited by an angel, who said he and Elizabeth would have a son and name him John (Luke 1:13).

I wonder if, even in their happiness, they thought, Why now? It would’ve been nice if this had happened a little sooner. But Elizabeth didn’t ask questions.

If she were anything like me, Elizabeth might have traced back her steps to figure out why God chose to do this now. Had she been a little nicer to Zechariah that week? Was it because she spent less time chatting with the other ladies at the local water well and more time at the temple?

But the birth of John the Baptist was about more than Zechariah and Elizabeth. In fact, it was about more than John the Baptist himself.

John would prepare the way for the Messiah. Shortly after John was born, “when the right time came, God sent his Son” (Galatians 4:4, NLT). Jesus’ arrival was perfectly timed and part of God’s plan. And so was John’s.

As you follow Christ, you may feel you are doing everything right that you know to do … and still, like Elizabeth before she had her son, there is a “but” in your story.

Faithful but diagnosed. But unemployed. But bankrupt. But waiting for a spouse. But waiting for a child. But carrying unfulfilled dreams. But stuck.

Although God’s will for us may not be fulfilled how or when we expect, we can remain submitted to God and His plan.

That dream opportunity I had been waiting for finally became a reality. However, as life goes on, I may have different dreams that require waiting … again. It won’t be easy, but I can trust God every time.

Even if He doesn’t always give us what we hope for on earth, He has given us eternal hope in Jesus. As Elizabeth told Jesus’ mother, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45).

We pray, wait, hope, and believe. And in His perfect time, we see His faithful plan unfold.

Prayer
Father, help me to keep trusting You, even in long periods of waiting. Your timing is perfect. Please fill my heart with faith, peace, and joy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

https://youtu.be/aJeNUlNY7Iw?si=F2LmfwPa8dIKq3tB

Prayer bulletin.

Pray for those suffering with mental health issues. Pray that they would be able to access the necessary help that they need. Also pray for the families of those who are caring for or living with someone with mental health issues. Pray that they too will be able to have the help and support that they need.

Lyric Video for "In His Time" from The Praise Series by Maranatha! ...

03/09/2026

Prayer Bulletin
The growing conflict involving Iran and the wider Middle East continues to cause deep concern. While a temporary ceasefire has been announced in recent days, bringing a brief pause in fighting, tensions remain high and the situation is fragile. We ask you to pray that this ceasefire would hold and lead to lasting peace. Pray for those living in the midst of this conflict, for safety for innocent civilians, and for God to move in power to bring peace, reconciliation, and hope.
We also ask that you continue to pray for the ongoing situation in Gaza and Israel. Pray for protection for civilians, wisdom for leaders, and for God’s mercy and peace to prevail in this troubled region.
The war in Ukraine sadly continues, and many lives have been affected on both sides. We ask you to keep praying for this nation, remembering especially the families who have lost loved ones. Pray that God’s peace, comfort, and healing would reach those who are suffering, and that there would be a mighty move of God throughout the country.
Above all, let us pray that God’s kingdom would come and His peace would be known in every nation affected by war and conflict.

https://youtu.be/VURQuOr1bD8?si=i_uo9lhKGFbqsHIa

03/09/2026

Walking With God When You’re Overwhelmed

Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 6:9, NIV).

As we shift from the carefree days of summer into back-to-school mode, I feel it again. Overwhelm creeps in with the mountain of permission slips, class syllabi, and sports schedules. Now we have two daughters in a new high school and one in college. There’s so much vying for our time.

We have to discern anew where God wants us to say yes and when God wants us to say no to opportunities. This summer, I spent time walking through my neighborhood and seeking counsel from God about my yeses and nos, as well as our family’s commitments.

We see many people in the Bible who sought wisdom from God. Genesis 6:9 tells us “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”

I like to imagine Noah going for a daily stroll with God on a local trail that meanders through lush ferns and along the sparkling water’s edge. According to the Scriptures, Noah listened to God (Genesis 6:13-21) and obeyed God’s instructions (Genesis 6:22). He was protected and provided for by God (Genesis 7:7). He waited on God (Genesis 8:10-12), and that made all the difference.

Walking indicates a moderate pace. Nothing hurried or harried. In a spiritual sense, walking with God means to abide with Him, obey His commands, and move deliberately, following His lead.

That’s what Noah did. God gave him very specific instructions about building a huge boat out of gopher wood. He told Noah (who happened to be standing on dry land) that He was going to “bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven” (Genesis 6:17, ESV). Noah moved forward with the ark-sized assignment.

Noah wasn’t perfect, but we can learn from his example of how to gain discernment. Our circumstances may be different, but if we walk with God, listen for His voice, and obey His instructions when He tells us to move, we can trust He will provide for us and protect us.

If we rush ahead with our own designs for boat building or dawdle behind in our insecurities, we might get caught in a rainstorm.

Sometimes we have to say no to opportunities so that we have space to step into the specific assignments God has designed for us. Other times, we have to say no to create space for rest, but God may call us back to those opportunities later.

Like a dove with a freshly plucked olive leaf in her mouth, I feel like God is inviting us back to dry, verdant land this fall. We are each called to walk courageously with Him. This is a powerful antidote to burnout and overwhelm.

Dear God, I desire to walk with You and to allow You to be my pacer. I don’t want to run ahead or dawdle behind. Open my eyes to see what You have for my family and me in this season. In Jesus’ name, amen.

02/09/2026

🙏 Prayer Requests 🙏

Thank you for your continued prayer for all those on our prayer list. Please continue to
pray that needs will be met and thank God for answered prayers.

Cheryl
Lena, and the family.
Val.
Kingsley
Karen
Peter
Billy
Andrew
Peter J
Paul
Cameron
Kyle
Nikki
Dave

When life feels uncertain, God remains faithful.“You Hold Tomorrow...

01/09/2026

The Unconditional, Undeserved Love of God
By Rebecca Asi

When we were younger, my sister would copy various poems and quotes and pin them on a cork board in our room. I remember one quote in particular that read, “love is a choice, not a feeling”. Those words stuck with me and left me wondering if love really could be a choice.

At the time I didn’t think so. The love I knew was very emotional and very conditional. It was always, “I love you if__.”

In my mind, love was never guaranteed, and it always had to be earned. I couldn’t understand the idea that anyone would choose to love, much less choose to love unconditionally.

My perspective was born mostly from what I saw in my own home. I watched my parents, who said they loved each other, fight, argue, hurt each other, and in the end divorce over ‘irreconcilable differences.’ For me, unconditional love was a fantasy.

Much of my early life I carried a weight stemming from lies I allowed myself to believe, lies I brought into my walk as a Christian.

Lies that said no one would love me unless I was perfect.

Lies that said love always walked away in the end.

Lies that said God only loved me if___.

Love is Unconditional

We often use the word “love” the same way we would use the word “like”, to describe an emotion, an affinity towards something, or a fleeting experience.
Biblically, however, love is a commitment. It is an unbreakable covenant.

In 1 Corinthians 13, perhaps the greatest passage ever written on love, Paul tells us love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

It is unconditional, undeserved, and unrelenting.

Growing up in church, I’ve known John 3:16 and “Jesus Loves Me” for as long as I can remember, but as a young Christian, I struggled deeply with the idea that God loved me.

The only love I knew had to be earned, and I was a filthy wretch who did not deserve to be loved by a holy God.

In part, I still believe that, because truly I don’t deserve to be loved by a holy God. But how wonderful is the knowledge that despite my sin, despite my failures, God does love me. Not because I earned it, I can’t. Not because I’m worthy of it, I’m not. But because love is in the very nature of God.

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8, emphasis mine)

Love Undeserved
It irks me tremendously when I hear Christian authors or speakers telling people that they’re worthy of God’s love. My friend, the truth is just the opposite:

We don’t deserve God’s love.

At first glance, such a statement may appear discouraging. But in truth, that should be the most freeing thing you’ve heard all day, maybe all year, or perhaps in your entire life.

I believe the Bible clearly teaches that God’s love is undeserved. Consider Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Did you catch that phrase “while we were still sinners”? God epitomized His love for us while we were still His very enemies.

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

We were dead in our sins and had done, can do, nothing to earn God’s love, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love…” saved us. Read that again. God saved us because He loves us, He doesn’t love us because we are saved or sanctified.

We can’t earn His love because we already have it. And we can’t lose His love because we don’t deserve it in the first place.

Romans 8:38-39 reveals the magnitude of God’s love for us. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

To be clear, I’m not saying God won’t punish those who reject His Son. Because of God’s holiness and justice those who reject Christ are already condemned (John 3:18). However, the idea that we can earn God’s love is extremely dangerous, and unfortunately, extremely prevalent.

Earning God’s favor shouldn’t be our goal as Christians. Instead, we ought to be seeking ever increasing conformation to the image of Christ, and we are made into the image of Christ by God’s power because of His love for us.

We Can Rest in Love’s Arms

Why do so many people struggle to accept God’s unmerited love?

I believe it partly has to do with the fact that we live in a broken world that so very rarely sees God’s kind of love.

Our world has come to accept conditional, inconsistent love as normal, and it truly breaks my heart. Consider marriage and its now almost inseparable companion, divorce. People cheer when a couple says they’ve been married for more than 10 years because such commitment has become a rare occurrence.

Marriage was designed to be an earthly representation of Christ’s unfailing love for His bride the church (Ephesian 5:22-33), but our world has turned it into a twisted mockery of the unconditional, faithful love God intended.

We are now left with such a distorted view of love that we cannot fathom God’s love that sees our sinfulness, our failures, our filthiness, and says, “come anyway.”

In his first epistle, John records the sacred truth that God is love. In his gospel, John demonstrates that Jesus is God incarnate. This makes Jesus love incarnate. When Jesus said, “Come to Me”, Love was beckoning with open arms.

We can rest assured that Love is faithful, committed, unchanging, and wholly unconditionally, undeserved.

https://youtu.be/-KicvBB2L68?si=Xtkt5SNwaAHyh2IX

Prayer Bulletin
Please continue to pray regarding the assisted su***de bill, which has been reintroduced and is due for its second reading on 11th September. Pray that God would guide those involved with wisdom and compassion, and that His will would prevail.
Please also pray for our nation during this time of political and social unrest. Lift up our government and all those in authority, asking the Lord to grant them wisdom, discernment, and integrity as they make decisions that will shape our country's future.
Finally, pray for unity and peace within our communities amid divisions over faith, race, and political beliefs. May our churches be a visible witness to the love of Jesus, bringing hope, grace, and reconciliation wherever there is conflict.

Chris Tomlin ~ Nobody Loves Me Like You (Lyrics)Download or list...

31/08/2026

Prayer requests

Brynley
Samson
Eddie.
Charlie
Alana
Mia.
Betsan
Harry
Emily
Bale
Maddie

Ladies, we have a list above of 11 little ones who are all going through something that children should not. Please pray for these children and their families.

This worship song is inspired by Psalm 121:1–2, a powerful reminder...

31/08/2026

I have long wanted to do a study on the subject of God’s love. This little offering will not be it! Why have I not done it yet? The honest answer, is that when I try to apply myself to thinking about God’s love, or meditating on Scriptures where it is spoken of, I very quickly become overwhelmed and wonder if I can do anything but scrape the surface.
But repeatedly I find myself faced with scriptures which urge me to undertake such a study. Maybe this is a way to approach it - just take a couple of scriptures at a time and see where that takes me!
I’m going to start with a beautiful portion from Ephesians chapter 3 : 14 - 21. I am focusing on verses 17b - 19, but I would encourage you to read the whole portion.
Ephesians 3:17-19: “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
The first phrase that grips me is: “being rooted and established in love.” I like the version which uses the word grounded- being rooted and grounded in love. Dictionary definitions for both words convey the sentiments clearly: to be established is to be deep rooted, deep seated, entrenched. To be grounded is to fix firmly and steady, to anchor.
You know when weeding the garden, there is a big difference between weeds whose roots are flimsy and superficial and those whose go down deep and resurface very quickly despite all your efforts! We are encouraged here to be those tenacious, stubborn roots which go deep and grip tightly in the soil, refusing to let anything uproot us completely!
In this phrase though, we are not being encouraged to be fixed firmly in just any old soil, we are being encouraged to be deeply rooted in the love of God! One commentary puts it like this:
Through Christ’s Spirit within us, our hearts are filled with his love. If Christ dwells within us, we indeed shall be rooted and established IN LOVE.
Now, what does this mean – being rooted and grounded in love? What does it do for us? It means we are nurtured by this love, it means we are sustained by this love, it means we are protected by this love, - the immeasurable love of God! To know the love of God, to be so sure of His love for us, this is where we get our stability! This is where we get our boldness from to witness to others. This is where, even in the deepest trial, we can say – “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” (Job 13:15
Last week in church we sang the most simple song and it was beautiful! “Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me – the Bible tells me so!” As we sang it over and over, our hearts just seemed to drink in His love!
This is where I lose it. This is where I begin to feel overwhelmed as I begin to explore God’s love. Even Paul didn’t have the exact right words! His best efforts are in verse 18: “…. to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…”. His choice of words don’t exactly give us absolute measurements – because it just isn’t possible with our limited vocabulary!
We can’t fully grasp it – it is immeasurable! Again, from the commentary: “Christ’s love is WIDE ENOUGH to embrace all men. His love is LONG ENOUGH to last forever. It is DEEP ENOUGH to reach down to the lowest sinner, and it is HIGH ENOUGH to lift that sinner up to heaven.”
This leads me to think of God’s love not as an intellectual fact we read here, BUT - it surpasses knowledge! One meaning of surpass is to exceed, to go further than. This love of God which we are encouraged to be rooted and grounded in, is not simply a known fact, it is something which needs to be experienced if we are to have any chance of understanding it.
And why do we need to be so aware of God’s love for us?
I’ve said already that it is in the power of this love that we are nurtured, sustained and protected, and again from the commentary: “God’s love is so great that it surpasses knowledge - however, we can each experience this love in our hearts. And having experienced it, “we shall be filled to the measure of the fullness of God”.
I think I should stop here and just encourage you all to meditate on these verses.
I will close with the words of verse three of a much-loved old hymn because it kind of sums up how I feel about this topic of God’s love.
“Could we with ink, the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.”
I recommend finding this song on YouTube and just soaking it in!
God bless.

Sandra Skene.

30/08/2026

Prayer bulletin.

Pray for those suffering with mental health issues. Pray that they would be able to access the necessary help that they need. Also pray for the families of those who are caring for or living with someone with mental health issues. Pray that they too will be able to have the help and support that they need.

"O My Soul Will Rest On Jesus" by Brook Hills Worship from our new ...

29/08/2026

Prayer Bulletin
The growing conflict involving Iran and the wider Middle East continues to cause deep concern. While a temporary ceasefire has been announced in recent days, bringing a brief pause in fighting, tensions remain high and the situation is fragile. We ask you to pray that this ceasefire would hold and lead to lasting peace. Pray for those living in the midst of this conflict, for safety for innocent civilians, and for God to move in power to bring peace, reconciliation, and hope.
We also ask that you continue to pray for the ongoing situation in Gaza and Israel. Pray for protection for civilians, wisdom for leaders, and for God’s mercy and peace to prevail in this troubled region.
The war in Ukraine sadly continues, and many lives have been affected on both sides. We ask you to keep praying for this nation, remembering especially the families who have lost loved ones. Pray that God’s peace, comfort, and healing would reach those who are suffering, and that there would be a mighty move of God throughout the country.
Above all, let us pray that God’s kingdom would come and His peace would be known in every nation affected by war and conflict.

I BELIEVE (THE CREED) | Original Worship SongAt the heart of ever...