Talks

Good morning Ashwood Family!
In the final of our “Summer Sundays” series Gareth and Rachael shared with us what it looks like for them to serve the Lord in their situation.

Rachael described how 20 years ago at the Grapevine Celebration (now called Awaken) she felt inspired by God to respond to his “calling” on her life, as she read the words of the prophet Isaiah.  Her response “Here I am send me!”
Serving God for Rachael finds her in the classroom bringing God’s kingdom to the lives of the children.

What does it mean to serve God in Education?
Striving for excellence for all children.  Helping to meet their holistic needs.
Hospitality in the classroom - All children to feel welcomed, valued, safe and appreciated – and have fun!
Being a role model for the children – Demonstrating truth and positivity, resolving issues with patience and kindness (And other fruit of the Spirit) Modelling compassion and love!
Prayer – So important!
We prayed together for everyone involved in education.  So many challenges faced these days!  Lord Jesus would you give all those people involved in our education system, extra grace, kindness, resilience and courage. May they bear your image and bring your love to every child in their care. Amen!

Gareth explained that he serves the Lord firstly in the HOME as a husband, a father and a son.  He then described his several roles all connected to football and what it means to serve God in such a competitive environment.

Gareth told a great story of when he was younger and he and his brother met someone in the street who asked them a question: “Who do thou belong to?” (in other words “Who are you parents?”) When Gareth gave the answer the person said “you must be good at football then!” because the family had a reputation in the town!  Gareth explained that it’s so important that we know “who we belong to”.  We are “Children of God” which impacts every area as we seek to serve him!

He outlined his philosophy – serving God in the coaching / sporting environments:
Serve – In the same way that Jesus did. “Foot washing” with kindness and compassion.
Inspire – inspire his players and colleagues to build their lives on a solid foundation.
Drive – Sometimes “tough love” discipline and even correction is required!  “I want the best for you! Not just average!
Unite – Remember there’s something bigger than just us!

In the third of our Summer Sundays, Linda and Denny told us how they serve the Lord in their daily living.

Linda who is a nurse highlighted 3 areas by giving us examples in her everyday working life::
Rely on God
Be kind and empathetic. Gal 5:22-23
Be dedicated to your work
Ending her talk, Linda left us with three quotes:
Brighten the corner where you are. Matthew Chapter 5 verse 16
Leave a legacy behind. How would you want to be remembered?
“Aspire to inspire before you expire.” Eugene Bell Jr
Denny started with an opening verse “Serve the Lord with Gladness”. Psalm 100 verse 2 and gave us a few pointers as to how we can represent Jesus at Work (actually good advice whether our “work” is out or at home):
Don’t complain
Watch your language
Encourage others
Pray for your co-workers
Shut down conversations that are centred around gossip or just walk away
In everything you do, do it as a form of worship unto God
And above all: “Give thanks in all ;circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

How do you serve the Lord?

To hear the full inspirational talks and personal stories, please click on the button below:

In the fourth of our wonderful Summer Sundays, Alice and Janet told us how they serve the Lord in their daily lives.

Alice works in a charity, supporting survivors of domestic abuse and is not allowed to talk about Jesus at her work place.
Does that stop her from spreading Jesus’ love around her? Not at all!
Alice highlighted three areas in which she brings her passion for justice and people in through her work.
Justice: More than 2000 scriptures in the bible talk about justice and calling us to address injustice, one of them is in Isaiah 1:17: ‘Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed’.
Kindness: John 15:12 says: ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’ and Mark 12:31: ‘…Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ Don’t just be kind with your actions and words, It starts with our attitude.
Prayer: And last but not least, pray for your workplace and for the people in it.

Janet gave her talk the title “I didn’t see that coming!”.
When Janet realised as a teenager that being a Christian had more to do with a relationship with Jesus than following traditions, her life changed. She took the verse in Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV) to heart and has learned to live it out ever since:
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 
Over the years, Janet has learned to look to God, not the lack in her life. If Jesus said “do it”, then it must be possible. Having an open attitude to what God’s doing and little nudges has led her into many experiences and situations that she hasn’t seen coming. She encouraged us to have a listening ear, a loving heart and a readiness to pray. Then just be you and see what God can do!

What an amazing Sunday! Led by “Elevate” - our amazing Young People!
Katie Hay and Maisy Bell inspire us with how they “serve the Lord” in their lives following our Summer theme from Joshua 24:15: “As for me and my home, we will serve the Lord.”

Katie highlights 2 areas how she shares her faith:
1) Don’t overlook the small things!  A comment to someone, or a post on social media can make a difference in people’s lives.  David was only small but he killed Goliath! Sometimes small things can make a massive difference!
2) Share your faith with friends and in youth ministry. People cannot believe in Jesus unless they hear about Him. (see Romans 10:14&17)
In both areas she said: “Stay excited about your faith as you serve the Lord!” Romans 12:11

Maisy tells us how serving God in everything leads to breakthrough. She shares a great example of how things have changed in her School in the last couple of years.
First, Maisy and Esther (her sister) were allowed to start a Christian Union in School, then they were allowed to bring a Message Trust team into the school to speak to 400 children and only this week they just received the go ahead to bring them back for a large event in the autumn! Praise God! 
In Romans 12:1-2 (Message paraphrase) we read: So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life — and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.
Maisy explained how she puts this into practice in some really practical ways: Bible verses stuck on the walls in her room remind her of God and His love daily and a scrap book where she lists bible verses that speak into specific situations.

How do you serve the Lord?

Sam Hay and Phil Lakin kick off our Summer Sundays Talks!  They are linked to the bible verse in Joshua 24:15:
“.. as for me and my house, (or HOME) we will serve the Lord.”  How do I serve the Lord in my situation?

Sam Hay works in Retail and he has 3 things that “serving the Lord” in his context looks like.
Pray! -  For those around us: Pray for fruitful conversations and Pray over specific people (Sam said he prays for his colleagues, superiors and even customers!)
Whatever we do – do it well! Colossians 3 verse 23 says: ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters’
Don’t limit the space to where you work! God puts us in a certain place, at work, at home, in school etc.. Even with our feet set, we can still reach!. Be God’s light wherever He has placed you.

Phil Lakin shares how he has learned to trust the Lord over the years and that God could use him whatever the circumstances were.
He learned that we don’t have to be somewhere specific to serve the Lord best, we can do it right where we are. It doesn’t need to be hard either: God has given us gifts He wants us to use and enjoy doing so. Phil had to learn to trust the Lord and be patient through anxiety and potential redundancy. Because Phil was forced into a new role, God could open his eyes to areas he was blind to before, which allowed him to serve in many new ways. If we let God work in us and through us, we can grow and change the world around us too!