The Daily Word

-

I would like to spend some time looking at Romans 12. It is a chapter packed full of the practical outworking of our Christian faith. We sometimes look at the book of James as a very practical guide to living for our Saviour and in that respect, Romans 12 is Paul’s vision of what practical Christianity means. The two books are never in conflict with one another but rather complement one another. And one thing is clear in both books, without the Holy Spirit’s power coming from within as an intrinsic benefit of our salvation, what is contained in Romans 12 would be impossible to achieve.

In some respects verse 1 of Romans chapter 12 summarises the rest of the chapter and all the practical outworking that is contained in it. The 10 Commandments said, ‘You shall, or, you shall not’ . It was an imperative to obey but Paul commences Romans chapter 12 by saying “I urge you or I beseech you”. This is a totally different tone, because Paul is not saying our salvation depends on what he has to say but that our greatest blessing and joy in Christ comes from a free offering of ourselves to God. And that advice or encouragement comes from Paul’s own experience. That is something to keep in mind whilst we scan Romans 12 over the next few days. This is not theory, this is the way we receive most blessing and our service for God really counts.

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