Archive for October, 2007

It’s Easy – Romans 7 13-25

Posted by aftershock.org.uk on October 17th, 2007

Wow these people are in a bad way. They decide to do the right thing, but when it comes down to it they stuff up and do the wrong thing. It’s a good job that we would never do that. I mean we would never decide to help our family out and not get mad with them, and then the next minute shout at our brother or sister, would we? I don’t know about you but I would never decide to read my Bible every day and then wake up in the morning too tired to get out of bed. Ok, ok I hear what you are saying. Yes I know I frequently decide to do the right thing, but when it comes down to it I am too scared, tired, frustrated or plain lazy to do it. That’s because I like you have a natural tendency to take the easy path, and doing the right thing isn’t the easy path. Chatting to someone at college who everyone else ignores isn’t the easy thing to do. Praying for someone when they tell you about their problems isn’t the easy thing to do. But these things are the right things to do, and often we need more then our own strength to do them. Just as we are told here, it doesn’t matter that we find it hard to do the right thing, that’s why Jesus came. When you are offered drink or drugs that you know you shouldn’t have and you feel that you are going to do the easy thing, cry out at that moment and ask for his help. Whenever you face a decision that is hard to resist, the good news is that you have help from the creator of the universe. Now that makes making the right decision the easy thing to do.

MP3: 00229_Romans_7_13-25.mp3

PDF: 00229_Romans_7_13-25.pdf

Finger Wag – Romans 7 1-12

Posted by aftershock.org.uk on October 16th, 2007

We have an incredible ability to take what God intends for our good and twist it so that it becomes bad. God gives us marriage as a gift and says that we should save the extra gift of sex for marriage. What do we do? We twist what sex is and say that God is being a spoil-sport, telling us to wait until we are married. We take Gods gift of the Bible and the exciting message that it is and make it as boring and mundane as possible. We take the guidance that God gives us in the Bible and use it to beat people over the head with saying that they are sinners, conveniently forgetting that God did not make us the judge. That’s what Paul is on about here, these guys have taken Gods instruction book, otherwise know as the Bible, and created so many rules around it that no one could possibly live up to them. So what happens? People feel guilty when they fail and eventually stop trying. That’s not what God wants; God wants us to understand that he loves us so much he sent Jesus to die for us. When we look at people at school or college who are doing things that we know isn’t what God wants for them, what do we do? Do we say things like you should do that; you will go to hell if you do that? Or do we pray for that they might just receive a little of Gods love today? Judging isn’t down to us, that is done by someone else later. Our job is to stretch out a helping hand and help people do the right thing next time. So when you next see that boy or girl that you judged in the past, maybe you can be the answer to you own prayer and stretch out the hand of friendship, not the wagging finger of Judgment.

MP3: 00228_Romans_7_1-12.mp3

PDF: 00228_Romans_7_1-12.pdf

Come On You Can Do It – Romans 6 15-23

Posted by aftershock.org.uk on October 15th, 2007

What is your vision of God? Is it a like a head teacher that when you pass them in the hall, you can’t help but think they know everything you did wrong? Do you believe that God is sitting up there in Heaven with a big score sheet just waiting for you to muck up? Picture it now, God is sitting there watching you and just as you shout at you Mother he takes another 10 points away from your Good Guy score. All too often this is the picture that many of us have of God. I have spent years looking at God in that way, and this morning God reminded me that this idea of him is a load of rubbish. As I was taking a shower, from nowhere God said “I want you to win, I have never been looking for you to fail.” Funny how God chooses the strangest places to talk to us. But he did, and now we see from this passage more confirmation that God wants us to win. Our God is more like a Kindly Father who when he sees us make a mistake and fall down, he shouts “Come on get up, try again, you can do it.” God wants us to win, our past life is done and dusted and we don’t have to listen to the old stuff we did anymore. God wants us to win, that is why he wants us to understand we now have a free life because of Jesus. God wants us win, that is why he is shouting at you “come on get up, try again, you can do it.”

MP3: 00227_Romans_6_15-23.mp3

PDF: 00227_Romans_6_15-23.pdf

Jesus Impacts – Romans 6 1-14

Posted by aftershock.org.uk on October 14th, 2007

Well that’s clear enough. Just because we have this amazing God who is willing to forgive us, it doesn’t give us the freedom to do what we want and then say oops. Paul tells us clearly, look when you gave your life to Jesus that’s when things changed for you. You have a new life, and that new life is the evidence that Jesus is your King. If you go to school or college tomorrow and swear and bully then what do people see of Jesus in your life? As far as they are concerned, Jesus is nothing special because look how little difference he makes in your life. No Jesus has to impact your daily life. We have this massive banner in our church. It has the hand prints of all the members of our church on it in different colours. The hand prints range from the youngest toddler, to the oldest grandparent, and right across the banner in massive letters are the words “Jesus Impacts.” Yes when you go to school or college tomorrow, you can know that you have left your old selfish ways behind you, they are not an issue anymore. You can know that as you make decisions throughout the day, that you can make the right decision because of Jesus. Yes, Jesus impacts you at school, Jesus impacts you at college, Jesus impacts you at home, and Jesus impacts those around you through the way you live your life.

MP3: 00226_Romans_6_1-14.mp3

PDF: 00226_Romans_6_1-14.pdf

Invitation To Live – Romans 5 12-21

Posted by aftershock.org.uk on October 11th, 2007

The devil may seek you out and condemn you. You might hear whispers in your head that say things like “you can’t do that”. As you are about to invite someone to youth group you might hear the voice say “you’r rubbish, they will laugh at you”. That’s all the enemy can do, is to tell you how bad you are and how what Jesus did wasn’t for you. Jesus says that’s rubbish, and he thinks you are brilliant, so brilliant he was willing to give up his life for you. That is the grace that is talked about in this passage. Jesus’ answer is come follow him and live life to the full. He doesn’t say come and follow this great big list of rules I have created, no that’s not the Jesus way. The grace that Jesus brought says, you want to be on the winning team, you want excitement, you want life to the full then lets do it together. So I don’t know about you but we at Aftershock are about living this life that Jesus gave us to the full, are you coming.

MP3: 00225_Romans_5_12-21.mp3

PDF: 00225_Romans_5_12-21.pdf