South Featherstone Gospel Hall

  If you watch television, and I’m sure all of us do, you may have noticed the seasonal increase in cooking, baking, and general culinary programs, most of which involve some element of competition. Gone are the days when Fanny Craddock just used to show us how to cook, and the dishes now become more and more exotic as chefs, amateur and professional, have absorbed dishes and cooking styles from all around the world. I don’t think I have seen steak and chips or roast beef and 2 veg cooked on TV for 30 years at least. Our taste and related smell senses are some of the most intricate and intimate that we have. All the other senses do not involve taking materials actually into our bodies, but taste does. So when the psalmist says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good”, he is talking about a very intimate relationship between ourselves and God our Saviour. It implies letting God into the most private feelings and emotions of ourselves and the implication is certainly there, that if we ...

  “Walk Carefully” – Redeeming the Time in Evil Days (Ephesians 5:15-33) Dear Friends, Paul now moves from general Christian living to very practical instruction on how we should walk as followers of Christ. He begins with a solemn and urgent appeal: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV) The word “carefully” means to walk with precision — like someone stepping through a minefield. We are not to drift through life thoughtlessly. Instead, we are called to live with deliberate wisdom, understanding what the will of the Lord is. Paul contrasts being drunk with wine (which leads to debauchery) with being filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit, it shows itself in several beautiful ways: • Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs • Singing and making melody to the Lord with our hearts • Giving thanks always and for everything to God the...

  Last night in our bible study we were reminded that facing adversity as a Christian involves trusting in God's sovereignty. We need to rely on the strength that the Lord will give to us. We can view our trials as opportunities for spiritual growth and maturity.  In Proverbs ch 3 vs 5 + 6, as Christians we are encouraged to lean on God rather than our own understanding using prayer and scripture to find peace and purpose.  In difficult times we need to rely on God’s strength. When problems expose our human weakness, we can allow Christ’s power to be made perfect in us. We can view our trials as growth. They are designed to produce steadfastness, mature faith, and perseverance, ultimately leading to spiritual maturity. We have a wonderful Saviour who walks with us day by day. We are never alone. I'm reminded of an old chorus which said "He holds my hand Jesus holds my hand, the road may be long, BUT my Saviour is strong and He holds my hand." What a wonderful Saviour...

  “If Your Presence Will Not Go With Us”: The One Thing That Matters Most - Exodus 33 Dear Friends, Exodus 33 is one of the most intimate and powerful chapters in the Old Testament. The children of Israel had just committed a terrible sin by worshipping the golden calf. God was angry and told Moses that He would send an angel to lead them into the Promised Land, but He Himself would not go with them because they were a stiff-necked people. Moses’ response is remarkable. He went to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp and pleaded with God: “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct from all other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15-16 ESV) Moses understood something vital: God’s presence was more important than the Promised Land itself. Without God’s presence, even the greatest blessing would be empt...

  Biblical Words & Their Meaning: παρατίθημι (paratithemi) One of the most powerful and tender words in the New Testament appears in 1 Timothy 1:18 when Paul writes to his young protégé:  “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy…” The Greek word behind “commit” (or “entrust” in many modern translations) is παρατίθημι ( paratithemi ). What does it actually mean? Literally, paratithemi means to place something alongside or to entrust for safekeeping. It carries the rich picture of depositing a valuable treasure into the care of a trusted person — like placing precious items in a secure bank or handing over something of great worth with the expectation that it will be guarded and stewarded faithfully. In everyday Greek it could simply mean “to give over,” “to commend,” or “to entrust.” But in Paul’s hands, it takes on deep apostolic weight. He is not casually asking Timothy to do a job. He is solemnly depositing something precious — the gospel, the care of the church at ...

  Led by Shaun Fereday, Leader @SFGH Church A Doxology, a Charge, and the Reality of Spiritual Warfare: 1 Timothy 1:17-19a Good evening, friends — there’s something deeply encouraging about opening God’s Word together week after week. Last week we were so caught up in the wonder of Paul’s testimony and the overflowing grace of Christ that we didn’t quite reach the end of Chapter 1. So Shaun picked up exactly where we left off, first finishing verse 17 before moving into the important bridge passage of verses 18–20. Shaun explained that verse 17 would have made a natural conclusion to the opening section of the letter. Although the chapter officially ends at verse 20, the chapter divisions we use today are artificial — added long after the original text. He read the verse: “To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.” The first thing that came to Shaun’s mind was the beloved hymn “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” (found in S...

  “My Sheep Hear My Voice”: The Wonderful Security of Christ’s Sheep- John 10:22-30 Dear Friends, it was the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) in Jerusalem. The weather was cold, and Jesus was walking in the temple courts in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jewish leaders gathered around Him and asked what must have seemed like a straightforward question: “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:24 ESV). Jesus’ answer was both profound and deeply personal. He told them that they did not believe because they were not His sheep. Then He gave one of the most beautiful and comforting descriptions of His relationship with His people in the whole Bible: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one....

When we press a switch on an electric socket with a device plugged in. if we have paid our electricity bill and there is no other interruption of service and the device actually is not faulty, then the device becomes active. If it is a light switch we see the result immediately. What has happened is that invisible electricity behind the switch has been allowed to flow into the device or light by completing a circuit and the potential power that electricity has in it, has been released with visible results. In 1 Corinthians 1 v 24, Paul writes these words, “Christ, the power of God”. Unless we are employed doing manual work, very little of what we do or accomplish in a day is actually visible. In the same way that electricity is invisible, the spiritual power that is in the Lord Jesus Christ is not visible, but its results are very visible. When we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, He changed our lives forever. His power cleansed us from sin. And as Shaun was talking about ...

  “Not Because of Your Righteousness”: The Humbling Grace of God - Deuteronomy 9:1-21 Dear Friends, as the new generation of Israelites stood on the plains of Moab, ready to cross the Jordan and enter the long-awaited Promised Land, Moses delivered one of the most important warnings in the whole book of Deuteronomy. He knew the danger that lay ahead — not from the powerful nations they were about to face, but from the pride that could easily rise in their own hearts. “Hear, O Israel: you are to cross over the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fortified up to heaven… Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.” (Deuteronomy 9:1, 6 ESV) Moses then took them back through their history of rebellion. He reminded them of the golden calf incident at Horeb — how, while he was on the mountain receiving the tablets of the covenant, t...

  “The Altar Before the Temple”: Getting Our Priorities Right in Restoration - Ezra 3:1-13 Dear Friends, after seventy long years of exile in Babylon, a remnant of God’s people had finally returned to Jerusalem. The journey home had been filled with excitement and anticipation, but the sight that greeted them was heartbreaking — the city in ruins, the temple reduced to rubble, and the land overgrown. Yet in the seventh month, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, they gathered together as one man in Jerusalem. Their very first collective act was not to rebuild their own ruined houses, clear the streets, or even begin constructing the temple. Instead, they rebuilt the altar of the God of Israel. Under the leadership of Jeshua the high priest and Zerubbabel, they set the altar in its place on its original foundation and began offering burnt offerings to the Lord — morning and evening — exactly as prescribed in the Law of Moses. They did this even though the foundation ...

  I have just finished watching the final of the Great British Menu, which took place at a banquet in Liverpool. 4 superb chefs had won through to the final and prepared 80 covers of the dish each of them had presented in the heats, to serve to the guests. Obviously, they were essential to the banquet. But without the waiting staff to deliver the food, it would have been wasted and just left in the kitchen. The waiting on staff were just as essential. Waiting can be a frustrating time, Hospital appointments don’t come, essential letters or phone calls that enable us to move on in our complex lives don’t arrive. A lot of this is due to human failure somewhere in the chain or in people’s minds which causes them to forget. When it comes to spiritual matters and lives, there is only one source of help, God our Heavenly Father. And he never forgets or fails to deliver, but in His time. We have so little time on earth, and all our human lives have timed events at their core and ‘immediat...

  The Heart of the Righteous Ponders: Wisdom in What We Say and How We Listen - Proverbs 15:28-33 Dear Friends, as we come to the closing verses of Proverbs 15, we are given practical, heart-searching wisdom for daily life. These verses contrast the way of the righteous with the way of the fool, particularly in the area of speech, listening, and the posture of our hearts. “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.” (Proverbs 15:28 ESV) A wise person does not speak impulsively. They pause. They ponder. They consider their words carefully. In contrast, the wicked speak without restraint, often causing harm. The chapter ends with this powerful summary: “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honour.” (Proverbs 15:33 ESV) Here is the key to everything: the fear of the Lord. When we live with a reverent awe of God, it shapes how we speak, how we listen to correction, and how we respond to...

  “Saul, Saul, Why Are You Persecuting Me?” – When Jesus Interrupts Our Lives... Acts 9:1-20 Dear Friends, few stories in the Bible are as dramatic or as encouraging as the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Breathing threats and murder against the disciples, Saul was on his way to Damascus with official letters to arrest any followers of “the Way.” He was zealous, determined, and convinced he was serving God by stamping out this new movement. But God had other plans. As Saul neared Damascus, “suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’” (Acts 9:3-4 ESV).  In that blinding moment, Saul discovered that persecuting the church meant persecuting the risen Lord Jesus Himself. Blinded and trembling, he asked the most important question anyone can ever ask: “What do You want me to do, Lord?” (v. 6). The Lord’s answer was simple yet life-changing: “Rise and enter the city, and you ...

  Even up to the middle of the last century, the main concerns of most ordinary people were physical – to have somewhere to live, i.e., shelter and enough food to eat, However society has moved on, not necessarily upwards, and while too many people still have these as major concerns, many people these days suffer from mental stress and pressures that are definitely not physical. Sadly, this still has not had the effect of turning people to the seek the Lord. Most people’s spiritual life is weak, if not non-existent. Television and social media drown out the need to have a deeper life satisfaction by having faith in God. There are some very precious promises in the Bible for those who look for and take God at His word and one of these is found in Isaiah 41, “Fear not; for I am with you”. To know God’s presence constantly and to rest in that presence is a blessing beyond expression. The mental concerns we have over the world, national and personal situations can be soaked up by our g...

  “You are my hiding place and my shield.” These are the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 119. It conjures up a vision in my mind of a person being hunted by an armed group and finding a cave that only has one entrance and in front of that entrance the hunted individual is able to set up a defensive barrier to prevent any harm coming to him. This speaks of security in the face of danger or conflict and it is easy to see the comparison that the psalmist was making to God’s protection, not from physical harm but from spiritual harm. It calls to mind also a mother hen shielding her chicks and also the spiritual armour that Paul refers to in his letters. God hasn’t just saved us from sin and then left us to fend for ourselves, He is always near to us and wants to protect us from spiritual harm. In addition, neither the cave, the hiding place, or the shield require our effort to put in place, they are always there. The world is a very perilous spiritual place, if we don’t ask God to prote...

  “They Overcame Him by the Blood of the Lamb” – Victory in the Midst of War - Revelation 12:7-12 Dear Friends, tucked into the dramatic visions of the book of Revelation is a short but powerful passage that lifts our eyes to a cosmic battle and then brings the victory home to our daily lives. John writes: “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. ” (Revelation 12:7-9 ESV) What a moment! The accuser of the brethren, who has slandered God’s people day and night, is cast out of heaven. The victory is decisive. Heaven rejoices, but the earth faces a time of intensified conflict because “the devil has come down to you in great wra...

  Yesterday we considered the humility of our Lord Jesus and its application to ourselves because our minds should be tuned to His. What is the opposite of humility? Pride! Listed as one of the 7 deadly sins, pride is actually encouraged today mostly under the guise of ‘self-esteem’ or ‘standing up for yourself’. True, we all need to respect ourselves as individuals in addition to respecting others, but pride takes it one step further because it has a tendency to look down on others as not being as good as ourselves. We might have skills or abilities but we need to recognise that these have been given to us by God so we have little to be proud of in our own right. Worse still is James’ condemnation of pride in God’s sight, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble”. This truly suggests that being proud puts us in opposition to God and that is “No contest”. God will one way or another teach us a lesson to remove our pride. But that same verse has a blessing associated wit...

  “Remember His Marvelous Works” – The Call to Recount God’s Faithfulness - Psalm 105 Dear Friends, Psalm 105 is a glorious hymn of praise that calls God’s people to remember. It begins with a ringing invitation: “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice!” (Psalm 105:1-3 ESV) The psalmist does not leave us to remember in vague generalities. Instead, he takes us on a journey through Israel’s history, recounting how God has been faithful from generation to generation. He starts with the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then moves through the story of Joseph, the plagues in Egypt, the exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and finally the giving of the Promised Land. What strikes us is the deliberate, repeated emphasis on God’s sovereign hand at every stage. When famine struck, God sent ...

  A Word That Overflowed Just Once: The Beauty of Hyperpleonazō Friends, during tonight’s study in 1 Timothy 1:12-15 we paused over one of the most powerful little words in the whole New Testament — and it only appears once in all 27 books. The word is ὑπερπλεονάζω ( hyperpleonazō ). In our English Bibles it is usually translated “overflowed” (or “exceedingly abundant” in the NIV). But the Greek paints a far more vivid picture.  Literally, it means super-abundance — to experience extraordinary abundance, to abound so richly that it overflows. It carries the image of a vessel filled to the brim and then running over, spilling out in every direction because there is simply too much to contain. Paul could have chosen any number of Greek words to describe God’s grace toward him. Instead, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he reached for this unique, never-used-again term: “And the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (1 Timoth...

  Led by Shaun Fereday, Leader @SFGH Church 1 Timothy 1:12-15... Grace, Mercy and Repentance Imagine sitting together in a warm room, Bibles open, hearts ready to marvel at God’s transforming power. That’s exactly the atmosphere we enjoyed as we neared the close of 1 Timothy chapter 1.  Shaun, our church leader, guided us through verses 12 to 15. Cecilia kindly read the passage for us (from the ESV translation): “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service. Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord overflowed for me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Chris...