Dear Christian Friends,

FOUR POINTS TO PONDER BEFORE CHRISTMAS

FIRST POINT: GOD

As we approach Christmas, it is opportune in Advent to review our Faith and have a clear understanding of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Therefore it is important to look briefly at four primary points in order to get a firm grasp again of the Gospel message. In "Becoming a Contagious Christian", Bill Hybels defines these primary points as God, Us, Jesus and You. This week our message will focus on God.

We learn that there is "one God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen". There are many aspects of God's nature that we could study, but He has three characteristics that should be highlighted:

He is loving. Out of His compassion, He made us and desires to have a relationship with us. Even though we are sinners who have rebelled against Him, He continues to patiently extend His love to us and forgive us when we are truly repentant.
He is holy. This means that He is absolutely pure, and He is separate from everything that is impure.
He is just. He is like a good judge that must apply the law.

God's will for us is shown most clearly in the Ten Commandments, where we learn two things:

Our duty to God - to believe and trust in Him.
Our duty to our neighbors - to love them as ourselves and to do to other people as we wish them to do to us.

Therefore, the purpose of these Commandments is to define our relationship with God and our neighbors. This purpose gives meaning to our life, simplifies our life, focuses our life, motivates our life and prepares us for eternity.

THIS SUNDAY AT TEN IN ENGLISH

Holy Communion with Bishop Roger Bird.

Officiant: Chris Warrell.

Special blessing for Chris who will be returning to Lisbon.

Readers: Holt Ware and John Richard Paz.

Every Sunday we have Sunday School during the school year.

Every Sunday is Kilo Sunday.

9th December:

Morning Prayer with the Blessing of Health.

Preacher: Hamish Ramsay. Officiant: Michael Moran

Saturday, 15th December:

Choir of King's College, Cambridge, at 15:00

Christingle Service, at 19:30