South Featherstone Gospel Hall

  Today again we are staying in Philippians but moving on to another challenging verse, if we want to follow Jesus. Remember what the Apostle Paul was before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He had a bright future ahead of him, as far as the Jewish religion and hierarchy were concerned. He was even on a mission from the High Priest himself when his life was changed forever. Maybe our conversion was not as dramatic as Paul’s but the verse we will look at briefly should still dominate and direct our Christian life and our conversion ambitions.  Paul’s world and future was turned inside out and upside down when he met Jesus and in Christian history there has never been a more committed Christian than Paul. The verse in Philippians is found in Chapter 3, “Indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord”.  Where do we stand in terms of this verse? I believe none of us who are reading this can come anywhere near this commitm...

  Led by Shaun Fereday, Leader @ SFGH Churc h Continuing the Qualifications for Elders: Sober-Minded, Self-Controlled, Respectable, Hospitable & Able to Teach 1 Timothy 3:2-7 Good evening, friends — we continued our careful journey through 1 Timothy chapter 3 last night, picking up where we left off on the character qualities God requires for those who serve as elders/overseers. Shaun reminded us of the overall plan: we’ve already explored what an elder and a deacon are, and we’re now working systematically through the qualifications. Some of the list will be covered before the summer break, with the rest (including deacons) resuming in September. Shaun read the full passage from 1 Timothy 3:2-7 (ESV) to give us the complete picture: “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own hou...

  I have been unable to get a verse in Philippians 2 out of my mind. We often turn to this chapter on a Sunday morning because it tells us so graphically of how much Jesus was prepared to put to one side, when He didn’t have to as the Son of God and it tells us just what depths He was prepared to go to secure our salvation.  We can read and marvel at the way He endured what man and Satan did to Him and then we have the glorious result of all His suffering, that God has highly exalted Him. But I just want to join 2 parts of the passage together because it tells us what our normal Christian life should be like. “Let this mind be in you, that was also in Christ Jesus …… who humbled Himself….”.  We know that Jesus example is all that we should aim at with the help of the Holy Spirit, to be like Him. But do we realise that we have nothing in ourselves to be proud of and that we too should ‘humble ourselves before a holy and righteous God. Paul could ask the question, “Where is...

  After Pentecost, when the new church was forming, based on Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection, the new believers, all Jews, had effectively been cut off from their families and friends because they had turned from the Jewish religion to what was going to be known as the Christian religion. So it was natural for them to stick together because they still needed the fellowship of people. We have that classical Christian growth and unity statement in Acts 2 v 42, “And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine, breaking of bread , fellowship and prayer”. Was their fellowship based purely on common belief? Well, partly but that common belief itself had its roots in a person, none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, who is also the Son of God, god in human form. The Apostle John, writing his first letter to the churches, many years after Jesus had returned to heaven and Pentecost, summed up the basis of our fellowship, “Truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, J...

  The God of All Comfort – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 Dear Friends, have you ever gone through a season of deep trouble and discovered that the comfort God poured into your heart became the very thing you could later pass on to someone else? Paul’s opening words in 2 Corinthians remind us that our trials are never wasted. The God who meets us in our affliction equips us to meet others in theirs. Paul begins with a burst of praise: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (v. 3). He is not a distant deity but the tender Father of mercies. He does not merely observe our pain — He steps into it. Verse 4 tells us He “comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Notice the purpose: we are comforted so that we can comfort others. God’s comfort is never meant to stop with us; it is designed to overflow. Verse 5 ...

  We struggle sometimes to comprehend the passage and the nature of time. At 81 years old, I wonder where the time has gone. Yesterday, we celebrated my granddaughter’s 20th birthday, another generation, who within another 10 years could be responsible for another generation, if the Lord spares me or He has not returned.  We are over half way through another year and more and more our lives are governed by years, months, weeks, days and hours. Time is never on our side. But if we cannot fully understand time, how can we understand eternity? We, who can hardly keep up with change but have to get used to it, can never understand an unchanging eternity. But that is where we are headed because eternal is what God is and we are united to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ. And better still, God never changes and we have that security that He will never change His mind about us, and He will positively keep us in His care for time and eternity. The prophet Jeremiah who was called by G...

  When we meet a fellow believer in the Lord Jesus in unexpected circumstances, never having met them before, it brings joy to our day as we share that common belief and a common Saviour. This morning, around the Lord’s Table, we will be meeting other believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that we already know and that fellowship likewise brings more joy to our day, because not only are we sharing our common belief and a common Saviour but also there is that added blessing of having shared fellowship with them before and that we have gathered with one common purpose, to remember our Saviour. We can share fellowship with our friends in social occasions, even those who don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ, so why is, or should be, our fellowship better on a Sunday morning around the Lord’s Table? The reason is given in a hymn we occasionally sing, “O Lord it is Thyself to meet, to this sweet feast we come”. It is the Saviour that makes our meeting together so much sweeter and satisfying. It ...

  God’s Sovereign Choice of a King – 1 Samuel 9:15 – 10:1 Dear Friends, the events of 1 Samuel 9 and 10 mark a major turning point in the history of Israel. While Saul was out searching for his father’s lost donkeys, God was orchestrating events behind the scenes. The day before Saul arrived, the Lord had already spoken to Samuel, saying, “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel” (9:16). God even revealed the reason — He had heard the cry of His people because of the oppression of the Philistines. When Saul appeared — a tall, handsome young man standing head and shoulders above the people — Samuel immediately recognised him as the one God had chosen. In a private, intimate moment away from the crowds, Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, and kissed him, declaring, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel?” (10:1). What happened next was extra...

  I was thinking today of the word ‘commitment’ and the verb it comes from, ‘to commit’. Probably the most frequent use of the word ‘commit’ is associated with a crime. But like many English words, it has multiple but related meanings. When a person is learning to swim, then we could use the word ‘commit’ to that first time they manage to float or swim unaided, they have committed themselves to the water. They have gained confidence that the water will support them. I still remember the first time I found myself floating and even moving in the water, as I learned to swim in the sea of all places! Another similar meaning to that can be found with the speech the new Labour leader gave yesterday, he has committed himself to reform, because that is the way he believes will move Britain forward. He has made a decision to take a certain political path, and we all hope that it will bring results to what is a struggling population. When we put our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we trusted...

  I realise that at any time, some people will be going though trauma, tragedy or other difficulties in life and the message I have today is in no way belittling those situations and, if our trust is in God, there will come a time when what I have to say today will be relevant. As it is, we can all give thanks to God for our Saviour and our Salvation even if we cannot bring ourselves to thank Him for the life situations we are passing through. The proof of this sure hope is frequently found in the Psalms. We know that king David was anything but perfect in his life and he lost children and relationships because of his sin. The Psalms are full of honest non-understanding of why things happen in life and honestly complaining to God and questioning His plans. Yet so many of these Psalms end in praise and thanksgiving to God. That can only come because of a deep faith in God. The last 5-10 Psalms are different in that they are almost totally worship, praise and thanksgiving psalms. And...

  Becky has now seen and approved the recording of her Baptism video and is happy for it to go live on our Church pages as a witness to others - Hallelujah what a wonderful day 🙏✝️🙏✝️🙏 If you couldn't make the day - fear not - you can watch what happened by clicking on the link below: 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 We aim to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible. Please consider following us on social media at: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sfghchurch  YouTube - https://youtube.com/@SFGHChurch

  Sadly, as many times before, we had to watch the England football team defeated almost at the last hurdle. It all looked possible until the 85th minute and then Argentina snatched victory and again millions of English fans were disappointed and left to think of what might have been but didn’t happen. A valiant effort but not enough! Defeat in any contest or even any other avenue of human life, is always hard to take. But it did remind me of a spiritual situation in which we can never, never experience defeat. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, at the close of the chapter, considers the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to take His people, those who have believed in Him, to heaven. Even those who have physically died as believers will be raised from the dead to an incorruptible body and in that way, even death is defeated.  And the verse came to mind, which applies to all believers, is verse 57, “But thanks be unto God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. That victo...

  When the People Rejected God’s Rule – 1 Samuel 8 Dear Friends, the people of Israel had reached a critical moment in their history. Samuel was old, and his sons were not following in his godly footsteps. Instead of trusting God to raise up the next leader, the elders of Israel came to Samuel with a request: “Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations” (v.5). This request deeply displeased Samuel, but the Lord told him the real issue: “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them” (v.7). The people wanted to be like the surrounding nations rather than remain distinct under God’s direct rule. God had been their King, providing judges and delivering them time after time, yet they now desired a human monarch. In His mercy, God instructed Samuel to warn them clearly about what a king would do — he would take their sons for his army, their daughters for service, their best fields and vineyards, and a tenth of their grain and flocks. T...

  Led by Shaun Fereday, Leader @SFGH Church The Character of a Godly Overseer: Qualifications for Elders – 1 Timothy 3:2-7 PART 1 Good evening, friends — after laying a strong foundation over the past two weeks on what an elder/overseer actually is and what a deacon is, we now turn to the practical heart of 1 Timothy chapter 3: the character qualities God requires in those who lead His church. Shaun guided us through verses 2–7, explaining that these are not Paul’s personal opinions but God's blueprint for healthy, effective leadership. Shaun began by reminding us of the bigger picture. In chapter 2, Paul laid the foundation of order, prayer, and complementary roles between men and women. Now, in chapter 3, he builds on that foundation by addressing leadership. Everything needs direction — a country needs a prime minister, a ship needs a rudder, a workplace needs a manager. The church is no different. Without godly leadership, chaos follows. These qualifications matter for three ke...

  Returning to the Lord with All Your Heart – 1 Samuel 7 Dear Friends, after twenty years of spiritual decline and the Ark of the Covenant being away from the centre of Israel’s life, the people finally began to lament after the Lord. Samuel called them to a decisive turning point: “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only” (v.3). The people responded in genuine repentance. They put away their idols, gathered at Mizpah, fasted, and confessed their sin. This was not a superficial change — it was a wholehearted return to the Lord. Then the enemy came. The Philistines heard that Israel had gathered and went up against them to attack. In their fear, the people asked Samuel to cry out to the Lord for them. Samuel offered a lamb as a burnt offering and prayed. And the Lord answered in a powerful way — He thundered against the Philistines with a great thunder, ...

  Not One Hair of Your Head Will Perish – Luke 21:5-19 Dear Friends, the disciples were understandably impressed by the grandeur of the temple in Jerusalem. With its massive stones and beautiful decorations, it must have seemed permanent and unshakeable. Yet Jesus surprised them with a solemn prediction: the day would come when not one stone would be left upon another. Everything they saw would be destroyed. What followed was a sobering yet encouraging teaching about the difficult days ahead — days of deception, wars, natural disasters, and fierce persecution for those who follow Him. Jesus did not sugar-coat the reality. He warned that His followers would be arrested, betrayed, and hated because of His name. But in the middle of these dark warnings, He gave them (and us) two remarkable promises. First, He said they would be given words and wisdom that their adversaries would not be able to withstand or contradict. Second, and perhaps most comforting, He declared: “But not a hair o...

  What is our role in evangelism? God has chosen human beings to evangelise, so what are we supposed to do? I suppose we look on evangelism as a sort of recruitment campaign, seeking to bring other people to salvation in Jesus Christ. And methods of evangelism cover a wide range from sitting over a cup of coffee to fully-fledged Billy Graham type campaigns. The two quoted examples and many other evangelistic approaches have 1 common mechanism, communication, mostly by one person speaking to another. In Romans 10 verse 17 we have Paul’s take on what any evangelistic outreach must employ, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. I know it is possible for someone to come to salvation without being spoken to by another human being, for example by just reading the Bible. Martin Luther, the father of Protestantism, came to salvation by faith that way. But he was searching the scriptures, and he listened to a far more powerful speaker, the Holy Spirit Himself. And in all ...

  “The Power of the True God” – 1 Samuel 5 Dear Friends, 1 Samuel 5 is one of those chapters that reminds us in a very striking way that our God is the one true and living God — and He will not share His glory with any idol or false god. After the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant in battle, they brought it into the temple of their god Dagon and set it beside his idol. The next morning, they found Dagon fallen on his face before the Ark. They set him up again, only to discover the following day that Dagon had fallen once more — this time with his head and hands broken off. Not only that, but the Lord brought judgment on the people of Ashdod and the surrounding cities with a plague of tumours. The Philistines quickly realised that the God of Israel was not like their own gods. The Ark of the Covenant brought nothing but trouble wherever it went among them. This chapter is a powerful reminder that the Lord is sovereign. He is not a trophy to be captured or a god among many...

  Firstly, thanks to all who contributed effort in any way to Becky’s baptism. We sought to honour the Lord, and I believe we achieved that and ‘launched’ Becky on her Christian pathway. Pray for her this week, particularly, as Satan usually challenges those who seek to serve our Saviour.  In one of the early letters Paul wrote to the churches he had helped to found in what was then Asia Minor, we find these challenging words to that particular church members but which we will do well to emulate. “Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ”. I realise that all of us have our own burdens that we commit to the Lord for His guidance and because of our own situation, we don’t tend to look far from ourselves. But Paul says, “This is the law of Christ”. So because we have a command from such a high source, ought we not to obey Him?  To know other people’s burdens, we need to take an interest in them, without being inquisitive. No-one likes intrusive question...

  Can I just add my thanks to Denise for a gracious but timely reminder of one very important, but individual, responsibility we all have within our church fellowship and today I want to emphasise another individual responsibility before God. As a sofa tennis fan, I have been watching Wimbledon which is coming to a climax this weekend. I also have watched recently, athletics events and marvel at the feats these top-class athletes perform. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen one competitor wearing long trousers or a long skirt. The reason for their dress code, if I can call it that, is that what they now wear to compete increases their ability to perform and the clothes I mention would hamper them. Everything they use or even wear has been scientifically improved to increase their performance. Wooden racquets are out, replaced by lighter and stronger carbon fibre weapons. This reminded me of a verse in Hebrews 12 which says, “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doe...

  Dear friends, As someone who helps lead a small church here at South Featherstone Gospel Hall, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about our situation. We’re not a big congregation, and sometimes that can feel discouraging. But this week I read a very helpful article by Curt Leonard , who holds a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry and an MDiv, and who has pastored several small churches himself. He currently serves as pastor of Holiday Park Bible Church in Pittsburgh. The article is called “I’ve Pastored Small Churches. Here’s the Advice I Needed.” It really spoke to me, so I thought I’d share some of the key points and how they apply to us here at SFGH. 1. Focus on Health, Not Size Curt’s first piece of advice is to stop worrying so much about numbers and focus instead on the spiritual health of the church. That really struck me. We can’t control how many people come through the doors, but we can focus on whether we are growing in our walk with the Lord and helping one another...

  “Treasure in Jars of Clay” – 2 Corinthians 4 Dear Friends, in 2 Corinthians 4, Paul continues to defend and explain his apostolic ministry while giving us one of the most encouraging and realistic pictures of Christian service in the whole Bible. He begins by declaring that he and his fellow workers have renounced secret and shameful ways. They do not distort the word of God but set forth the truth plainly. Their ministry is not about promoting themselves but about proclaiming “Jesus Christ as Lord” (v.5). Then comes one of the most famous and comforting passages in Scripture: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV) The “treasure” is the glorious gospel of Christ — the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The “jars of clay” are our frail, ordinary human bodies and lives. God deliberately uses weak vessels so that the surpassing power will be seen to ...

  The Apostle John was much favoured by the Lord as 1 of the 3 Jesus showed greater things to. His Gospel and his letters to the churches and the book of Revelation were written much later than the other Gospels and even the other letters that Paul wrote. John had had time to meditate and put the work of the gospel into a different context than the other Gospel writers and much of his Gospel is taken up with Jesus’ teaching in the Upper Room before He went to the cross. Many of the other Apostles had been put to death by the time John writes his Gospel and his letters, so he now has a different viewpoint of the essential characteristics of a follower of Jesus. If there is any one word that I always associate with John, it is LOVE.  In 1 John 3 v 18 we have these words, “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and truth.” These are powerful and far-reaching words. Jesus had urged His Disciples to ‘love one another as he loved them’ but John with his years of exp...

  “From Glory to Glory” – 2 Corinthians 3 Dear Friends, in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul continues his defence of his apostolic ministry while drawing a powerful contrast between the old covenant (given through Moses) and the new covenant in Christ. He begins by asking a rhetorical question: Do we need letters of recommendation? The Corinthians themselves are his letter, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God on human hearts (v.2-3). This leads into one of the most magnificent comparisons in the New Testament. The old covenant, glorious as it was, came with a ministry of death and condemnation — engraved on stone tablets. Even that glory was fading, as seen when Moses’ face shone after meeting with God but had to be veiled because the people could not bear the sight (Exodus 34). In contrast, the new covenant is a ministry of the Spirit that gives life and righteousness. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we al...

  Led by Shaun Fereday, Leader @SFGH Church What Is a Deacon? Understanding the Office of Service – 1 Timothy 3 Good evening, friends — what a helpful and practical evening we had as Shaun continued guiding us through 1 Timothy chapter 3. Having laid the foundation last week on the office of elder/overseer, we turned our attention this week to the office of deacon. Shaun explained his plan for working through the chapter: first understanding what each role actually is, then examining the detailed qualifications, comparing the two offices, and finally finishing with the “mystery of godliness” at the end of the chapter. Shaun reminded us that chapter 3 builds directly on the foundation of chapter 2 — order, authority, and complementary roles between men and women in the church. Just as a country needs a leader, a workplace needs a manager, or a ship needs a rudder, the church needs structured, godly leadership to avoid chaos. God provides that leadership through the Holy Spirit worki...