South Featherstone Gospel Hall

In Psalm 122, the first verse says this, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go up to the house of the Lord’”. Today, we have, as it were, another opportunity to enter ‘The House of the Lord’. In the psalmist time, it was literally a designated building, and I suppose we have the Hall as the designated building but the house of the Lord in our time, which is different to the Old Testament arrangements, can be anywhere, even in the open fields and woods, so we don’t need a building to enter God’s presence. The difference today is that we have an opportunity for combined public worship as we gather round the Lord’s Table and we can all enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts and enter His courts with praise, together. And the hymn writer had it correctly, “At thy Table is our place”. Barring illness, holidays or legitimate occupations, we should be round the Lord’s Table and we should also, like the psalmist, “be glad” to be there because worship of God is our highest and...

  “Finally, Brothers” – 2 Corinthians 13:11-end Dear Friends, as Paul brings his second letter to the Corinthians to a close, he gives a series of beautiful, practical exhortations that are just as relevant to us today as they were to that troubled church. In verse 11 he writes: “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV) Paul longed to see the church united, restored, and at peace. He knew that division, quarrelling, and spiritual immaturity had damaged their testimony. His closing appeal is both a challenge and a promise: if they would pursue harmony and restoration, the God of love and peace would be powerfully present among them. Then comes one of the most beloved benedictions in the whole Bible: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV) This v...

  “The Walls Came Tumbling Down” – Joshua 6:1-20 Dear Friends, Joshua chapter 6 records one of the most famous victories in the Bible — the fall of Jericho. The city was tightly shut up because of the Israelites, yet God gave Joshua what must have seemed like a very strange battle plan. For six days the armed men, together with seven priests carrying trumpets and the Ark of the Covenant, were to march once around the city in silence. On the seventh day they were to march around it seven times, the priests were to blow the trumpets, and then all the people were to give a great shout. When they obeyed exactly as God commanded, the walls of Jericho fell flat. The people went straight up into the city and took it. What a powerful demonstration that victory comes not by human strength or clever strategy, but by simple obedience to the word of the Lord. This account is a wonderful picture of faith in action. The people had to keep marching even when nothing seemed to be happening. They h...

  The change that we just touched on yesterday is then made clear by the writer of the book of Hebrews and it is the most significant contrast that can ever be recorded anywhere and about anything! Because as the prophets and righteous men in the Old Testament could not find a permanent solution to the sin problem, we have now, through God’s intervention, the absolute solution. The verse goes on to say, after the reference God’s interventions in the Old Testament, which we looked at yesterday, “… (God) has, in these last days, spoken unto us through His Son”. What a word is this!!! Whereas the Law and all the sacrifices that were offered could never deal with sin, God, in the human form of Jesus, His Son, provided the final solution. And it wasn’t the words that Jesus spoke that dealt with sin but the very act of Him being the one-time sinless sacrifice that ’speaks’ salvation from sin to the whole of the human race. God will no longer reveal Himself to people in the form of an ang...

  Hebrews is above all a book on contrasts. The key thought is the word ‘better’, because a contrast inevitably compares one thing with another and one generally comes out better. So the very first verse of Hebrews which starts out so dramatically and which we considered yesterday has the very first contrast in it. So we will consider first what the old system of approaching God had to offer and the way God interacted with His people. “God, Who spoke to His people at various times and in various ways in the past.” If we go through the Old Testament and look at the ways and means God used to seek to get His People to listen to Him and to follow His commandments, we do have a multiplicity of occurrences and many times God physically appeared and took on the form of an angel or another human being. The people whom He appeared to were generally in awe of the vision they had seen but it never had a lasting effect. Always, the people lapsed into sin again and eventually God just spoke th...

“Rolling Away the Reproach” – Joshua 5:2-end Dear Friends, Joshua chapter 5 marks a powerful moment of transition and renewal for the people of Israel as they stand on the edge of the Promised Land. After crossing the Jordan, God gives Joshua specific instructions: the new generation of Israelite men, born in the wilderness, must be circumcised. This act of obedience was the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham. At Gilgal, the reproach of Egypt was rolled away, and the place was named accordingly. Following this act of consecration, the people kept the Passover. The very next day, the miraculous manna that had sustained them for forty years ceased. From then on they ate the produce of the land — a clear sign that a new chapter had begun. The most striking moment comes when Joshua encounters a Man standing with a drawn sword. When Joshua asks whose side He is on, the reply is profound: “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come ” (Joshua 5:14 ESV). Joshua falls ...

  “The Battle Is God’s” – 2 Chronicles 20:1-23 Dear Friends, 2 Chronicles 20 tells the remarkable story of King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah when they faced an overwhelming crisis. A vast army from Moab, Ammon, and the Meunites came against them. Humanly speaking, the situation was hopeless — they were outnumbered and unprepared. Instead of panicking, Jehoshaphat did something wise and godly. He called the whole nation together to seek the Lord. They fasted and prayed in the temple. In his prayer, Jehoshaphat openly acknowledged their weakness and helplessness: “We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (2 Chronicles 20:12 ESV). What a powerful declaration! God answered through the prophet Jahaziel with these wonderful words: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v.15). He told them they would not need to fight — they only needed to take ...

   Led by Shaun Fereday, Leader @SFGH Churc h Prayer as the Bedrock: 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Good evening, friends — there’s something wonderfully grounding about returning to a passage together and digging a little deeper. Shaun led us back over the opening verses of 1 Timothy chapter 2 that we had begun the previous week, drawing out fresh insights and practical applications for our own lives and church. Shaun read from the ESV:  “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all those who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” He noted that while the NIV wording is similar, the core message remains clear. In context, Paul is writing to Timothy, who was pastoring the church in Ephesus amid false t...

  I am just spending a short while considering what God wants us to do, and today we come to the last exhortation in Micah 6 v 8, which covers our responsibility towards God, having covered our other responsibilities towards other people and our own actions. This final requirement says, “…. And to walk humbly before your God”. You might ask, in the light of God’s character, how else should we live our life except in awe of God? Well, to ‘walk’ is an action word, it refers to our life style and all the many areas of our daily activities, so just a mental commitment to ‘walk humbly’ is nowhere near what Micah has in mind. Apart from acknowledging God as the absolute authority and worshipping Him for Who He is, to ‘walk’ means referring all thoughts, words, and actions to Him as a matter of course, because the word ‘humbly’ means to take no pride in doing things our way. If we read the book of Esther, anyone who entered the king’s presence, even his wife, without the king’s permission...

“The Waters Parted” – Joshua 3 Dear Friends, Joshua chapter 3 records one of the great miracles in the Old Testament and a defining moment for the people of Israel. After forty years in the wilderness, the time had finally come to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land. The river was in full flood at harvest time, making the crossing humanly impossible. Yet God was about to show His power in a dramatic way. God gave Joshua specific instructions. The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant were to go first and step into the river. As soon as their feet touched the water, the flow stopped upstream at Adam and the waters piled up in a heap, allowing the whole nation to cross on dry ground. The Ark, which represented God’s presence and glory, went before them. Joshua told the people, “Come here and hear the words of the Lord your God” (Joshua 3:9), reminding them that the living God was among them. This event echoes the crossing of the Red Sea under Moses, but with an importan...

  “The Wrath of God Revealed” – Romans 1:18-32 Dear Friends, in the second half of Romans chapter 1, Paul paints a sobering and honest picture of the human condition when we turn away from God. He begins with a powerful statement: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18 ESV). Paul explains that God has clearly revealed Himself to all people through creation. The beauty and order of the world around us declare God’s eternal power and divine nature, so that no one has any excuse for not acknowledging Him. Yet humanity has chosen to suppress this truth. Instead of worshipping the Creator, people have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of created things — idols of every kind. As a result, God “gave them up” to the desires of their hearts. This is not God actively forcing people to sin, but rather Him withdrawing His restraining hand and allowing the ...

  We must have asked the same question of the Lord many times in the past when faced with a problem, which way do you want me to go? It is a subset of a a broader question that we also must have asked of Him, what do you want me to do with my life? The Book of Micah is not one with which I am most familiar but like all the Old Testament prophets, it has in it little jewels for our spiritual benefit, and in Micah 6 v 8, Micah himself asks a similar question and the provides us with the answer in general terms, from which we can all work out our response to more detailed issues, “What does the Lord require of you?” And Micah provides the answer which we will look at over the next few days. The first part of the answer is “To do justly…”. This covers our relationship with others. ‘Justly’ means to deal with everyone with whom we come in contact in a truthful and correct manner. To do what we say and not to judge or act as we see people in world acting. We should be known and trusted b...

  “Be Strong and Courageous” – Joshua 1 Dear Friends, Joshua chapter 1 is a pivotal moment in the history of God’s people. Moses, the faithful servant who had led Israel for forty years, has died. The mantle of leadership now falls on Joshua, and the enormous task of taking the people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land lies before him. At this critical time, God speaks directly and personally to Joshua with words that are full of both command and wonderful promise. Three times in this chapter the Lord tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.” This was not just a general encouragement — it was a divine command because the challenges ahead were immense. The people were many, the enemy nations were strong, and Joshua was stepping into very large shoes. Yet God does not leave him to face this alone. He gives him several powerful promises: every place Joshua’s foot would tread would be given to him, no enemy would be able to stand against him, and most importantly, “I will n...

  Firstly, I want to thank everyone who has expressed their love and best wishes on my birthday yesterday! Today, due to several circumstances, I won’t be able to gather round the Lord’s Table with you all, it won’t stop me remembering Him in a quieter way, but I will miss the fellowship and joint worship. To miss that gathering together is to miss the greatest occasion of the week and nothing else will compensate. The meeting of our church members together is like fuelling a spiritual fire, in addition to obeying our Lord’s command.  It has been said many times before, that a piece of coal which is on a fire with other pieces of coal will burn brightly and produce benefit to everyone in its vicinity, but if it falls out on its own, it will soon go out and be of no value to itself, its fellows or anyone else. So it is with church fellowship, to keep meeting together when we possibly can produces maximum benefit to everyone, especially ourselves. To be absent, except for the mo...

  “The Tower of Babel”: Pride and Confusion - Genesis 11:1-9 Dear Friends, Genesis 11:1-9 records one of the most famous events in the early history of mankind — the building of the Tower of Babel. After the flood, the whole earth had one language and one speech. As people migrated from the east, they settled in the plain of Shinar and decided to build a city and a tower that would reach to the heavens. Their motivation was rooted in pride. They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (v.4). Instead of obeying God’s command to fill the earth (Genesis 9:1), they wanted to stay together and glorify themselves. God saw what they were doing and said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them” (v.6). In His ...

“Corrupt Leaders and True Prophets”: Micah 3:1-8 Dear Friends, in Micah chapter 3 the prophet delivers a powerful and unflinching message against the corrupt leaders and false prophets of Israel and Judah. Micah does not hold back. He directly addresses the “heads of Jacob” and “rulers of the house of Israel,” accusing them of hating good and loving evil. He uses shocking imagery — they tear the skin from God’s people, eat their flesh, and break their bones as if preparing a meal. These leaders had abused their power, oppressed the poor, and perverted justice for personal gain. When trouble came, they would cry out to the Lord, but He would not answer them because of their wickedness. Micah then turns his attention to the false prophets who were leading the people astray. These men only prophesied peace and prosperity to those who fed them, while declaring war against anyone who did not. Because of this, God declares that night and darkness would come upon them — no more visions or rev...

  “Moses’ Last Commission” – Numbers 27:12-23 Dear Friends, in Numbers 27:12-23 we come to one of the most touching and instructive moments in the life of Moses. God speaks to him on the mountain and tells him that the time has come for him to die. Because Moses had disobeyed the Lord at Meribah (when he struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it as God commanded), he would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land. What is so remarkable is Moses’ response. He does not argue with God. He does not complain about the punishment. Instead, his immediate concern is for the wellbeing of the people he has led for forty long years. He prays a beautiful, selfless prayer: “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” (Numbers 27:16-17 ESV) This prayer reveals the true he...

  In Psalm 37 v 5, we have two exhortations and the result of those exhortations. They are really self-evident and basic exhortations, particularly in the light of yesterday’s word. When we open our eyes on a morning, we start to make plans for the day and start to set up arrangements in our minds before we even get out of bed. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with making plans but there should be one step we take BEFORE planning, and Psalm 37 v 5 starts with these words, “Commit your way unto the Lord”.  Just asking God to guide us and lead us and protect us, especially from ourselves, is an essential step at the start of each day. Remember prayer is our best reort and we can open up communication with God at any time. Let’s try and get our spiritual priorities right.  Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church 

  “A Star Shall Come Out of Jacob”: God’s Unstoppable Blessing - Numbers 24 Dear Friends, in Numbers 24 we reach the climax of the strange story of Balaam. Balak, king of Moab, had hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel, but God had already told Balaam he could only speak what the Lord commanded. Despite Balak’s increasing frustration and offers of great reward, Balaam finds himself unable to curse God’s people. Instead, under the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit, Balaam delivers four remarkable oracles of blessing. In the final and most powerful oracle, he looks into the future and declares: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel…” (Numbers 24:17 ESV) This is one of the clearest Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, pointing forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ — the Star and the Sceptre. Even a pagan prophet, under God’s sovereign control, could not speak against God’s ...

  Have we a tendency, as it were, to put God in a box? What I mean by that is that we concentrate on serving and worshipping and praying to God on particular days and at particular times and particular places and outside of those occasions we can put God away and get on with the rest of our lives.  Way back in Deuteronomy, after God had provided the Children of Israel with the Mosaic Law based on the 10 Commandments, Moses could see that same situation arising by people just following and obeying the commandments and God-given practices purely as a matter of routine without really thinking about the reason for them and the God who gave them. So Moses says, “Beware that you forget not the Lord your God”. When we accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, we surrendered the whole of our lives to God and He is interested in every part of our lives. To allow Him only parts is to dishonour Him and is not the path to blessing and success. When we are at work or school, in our leisure t...

  “Love One Another”: The Command That Matters Most - 1 John 3:11-24 Dear Friends, right in the middle of his first letter, the Apostle John returns to one of the central themes of the Christian life: “that we should love one another” (v.11). He does not treat this as a suggestion or an optional extra — it is a clear command from the beginning of the gospel message. John uses the tragic story of Cain and Abel as a solemn warning. Cain murdered his brother because his own deeds were evil while Abel’s were righteous. John declares that “whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (v.15), showing that hatred in the heart is murder in God’s sight. In contrast, we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers (v.14). True Christian love is never just sentimental or spoken — it must be demonstrated “in deed and in truth” (v.18). John gives a very practical test: if we see a brother or sister in need and close our hearts against them, how can the love of God ...

  Led by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church Prayer First: Instructions for Public Worship – 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Good evening, friends — what a rich and practical evening we had as Brian led us into the opening verses of 1 Timothy chapter 2. He admitted he had wrestled a little with how best to structure the passage, but he did an excellent job, and the group contributed thoughtfully throughout. Brian read from the King James Version: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4) Dave followed with the NIV for comparison, highlighting small but helpful differences in wording (e.g. “all people” instead of “all men”). Brian explained t...