-

Whilst Phil was with us yesterday among the other subjects he talked about was love. Essentially, it is a very rare occasion when the subject of love or reference to love is NOT mentioned when we have our meetings on a Sunday. Today we hear some weird ideas about what love can mean and how it can be expressed and if we were to conduct a survey on the street about the meaning of love, we would probably get a wide variety of answers.

The Bible is quite clear about love, its meaning, and the way it should be expressed, and it is based purely on the definition within the Bible that “GOD IS LOVE”. Any definition or expression of love must be based on that undeniable truth. And any love that we are capable of must likewise be a gift from God through the nature He has given us because we are His creation, in His image.

One of the characteristics of love is that it must have an object. Love cannot exist without something or someone who is loved. Probably the most well known verse in the Bible is John 3 and verse 16 which begins with these words, “For God so loved the world….” There we have the source of love, God Himself and the object of His love is the whole of humanity, the world. But the little word ‘so’ begins to define the intensity of God’s love, and we shall see in the rest of the verse just how intense and all-conquering is God’s love for us.

The first question for all of us has to be, “Have YOU personally realised how much God loves you?” and the second question that comes from the experience is, “Have YOU personally responded to that love?”

Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bible Study Recap – 2 Thessalonians 2

-
Image
Led by Shaun Fereday, Prison Chaplain (Sessional) & Leader @SFGH Church  (Transcribed from Tuesday's Bible Study Group) This week marked the first time we’ve begun transcribing our Tuesday night Bible studies. We’ve been recording sermons for a while and putting them online, but the Tuesday teaching has always stayed within the walls of the chapel. That means people like Stacey and Donnna (who can’t always come because of child care commitments), or Liam (who lives further away) often miss out. It also struck me that it would be a real blessing if we could build a written library of what we’re learning together. Something new members, like Jamie, could dip into when they want to catch up on what we’ve already covered—whether it’s repentance, salvation, or other key topics. So tonight, with a little help from what Joehana my wife affectionately calls my “old man’s dongle” (a small AI recorder), we began doing just that. The device listens, transcribes what’s said, and gives me...
Read more

The Baptism Testimony of Alfie

-
Image
Alfie Cox Alfie has had a strong faith from an early age, eventually getting baptised at South Featherstone Gospel Hall at the tender age of eight on 6th April 2025. And what a day it was with all the worship music being chosen by Alfie himself, a full immersion baptism (it's a good job he can swim - lol), and Alfie's personal Testimony about his faith in Jesus Christ, which he gave to a packed Chapel. What a brave young man. And the whole proceedings were recorded for others as a witness to his faith, which he allowed us to post on our Church YouTube channel.  You can click on the link below to watch the whole thing and I'd encourage you to do so as it's well worth viewing. Then ask yourself the following two questions.  1. Do I believe in Jesus Christ? 2. If the answer is yes and you've never been baptized then ask yourself - why not! As the very first post on our new Youth Circle Page, there could be no better tribute to Jesus Christ than Alfie's own words f...
Read more

Worship in Action...

-
Image
The Joy of Live Music in Worship There’s something truly powerful about live music in worship. It’s more than notes, chords, and melodies—it’s a way of drawing hearts together, lifting voices in unity, and directing all our praise to the Lord. This week at our Family Service , we were blessed once again to see the Worship Team expanding for the second week in a row . Donna, our faithful pianist, was joined by Danny and Cameron on guitar , and Emily on vocals . What a joy it was to hear them blend together in worship, each offering their gifts to the Lord and to His people. Moments like these remind us that worship isn’t just performance—it’s participation. Every instrument, every voice, every strum and chord helps lead us deeper into the presence of God. As Psalm 150 says: “Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the strings and pipe, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resoun...
Read more

Artwork with a Story

-
Image
A Lost Sheep, A Loving Shepherd 🐑✝️ This past Sunday at our Family Service, we were given a real treat. Brian Preston shared his testimony (which you can watch on our YouTube channel ), and alongside it, he used a set of hand-drawn illustrations that carried both spiritual weight and a touch of nostalgia. These weren’t just any drawings—they were lovingly created by Sandra, Brian’s wife, more than 40 years ago when she was working with children. The artwork is big and bold, all drawn on A3 sheets of paper, and they brought Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3–7) vividly to life. The story, of course, is simple yet profound: a shepherd leaves his 99 sheep to go after the one that’s wandered off. It’s a picture of God’s relentless love for each of us—that none are too lost, too far gone, or too insignificant to be pursued by Him. What made these illustrations so captivating wasn’t just their age or their size, but their heart. You could see the sheep lost in the wilderness, the...
Read more