Podcasts about rob westwood-payne

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Welcome to 2022! What’s going to be different this year? Have you made any New Year resolutions? We’re going to consider some this week. Read Mark 2:18-22. Do you begin the New Year with excitement and ready to make those changes in your life you’ve been promising yourself for goodness knows how many New Years? Many of us start a New Year with good intentions – me included – but end up breaking our resolutions even before we’ve put the Christmas decorations away! Why? Jesus says that often it’s because we’re trying to pour new wine into old wineskins. When we do that, we’re bound to fail because the old wineskins will burst. If we try to pour the new wine of “kindness” into the old wineskin of “being judgmental”, for example, then it will never work! If you want to become the person God wants you to be in 2022 – more like his Son, Jesus Christ – then you must throw out your old wineskins – whatever they are – so that God can pour the Holy Spirit of his new wine into your New Year’s life. Are you ready to throw out the old stuff? Are you excited that God has the power to mould you into the person he wants you to be, and that deep down, you want to be too? Do you trust that God won’t just help you to make the changes you want to make but lead you through them? Then get ready: 2022 is going to be a life-changing year! THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What are some of the “old wineskins” you need to discard at the beginning of this New Year?

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

This sermon takes us to Epiphany - the visit of the wise men to Jesus. They came prepared to seek him until they found him. Are we ready to do the same at the beginning of this New Year?

Read Romans 8:31-39. So here we are on the last day of 2021. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I look forward to sharing more daily devotionals with you in 2022. As we reach Old Year’s Night and look back over this past year, what role has God played in it? Do you think he’s been brooding over you, waiting for you to slip up and ready to judge you for every wrong you did? Or do you see that God has wanted what’s best for you throughout the year? That he has a plan for your life and wants you to be happy? God never wanted us to be afraid of him. That’s why his Word – the Bible – holds 365 times when he says to us, Do Not Be Afraid! One for every day of this past year! None of us knows what 2022 will bring. 2020 and 2021 have taught us that if nothing else! But we can go into the New Year knowing that God loves us, that he is with us and that he is on our side. Jesus stands ready to rub out anything you’ve done wrong in 2021, anything you regret, and he’ll do the same again for you in 2022 and beyond. So, there is no need to fear. It’s a reason to celebrate instead! THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • As you look back over this year, where do you see God’s hand on your life?

Read Matthew 1:18-25. Have there been moments this Christmas when you have felt all alone? Perhaps you have spent Christmas alone, for whatever reason. But we can feel lonely even when surrounded by family and friends. The good news of Christmas is that however we feel, we are never alone. Matthew tells us that one of the names Jesus is called is Immanuel, which means God is with us. God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to remind you he is always with you, wherever you are and whatever circumstances you find yourself in. Whether you are full of joy, celebrating Christmas and spending quality time with friends and family, or whether you feel stressed, in difficulty and abandoned, God is there with you. He will never abandon you. God knows what you are experiencing today – good or bad – and he cares about it, he understands it and he is experiencing it with you. You are never alone. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What can you do today to “tune in” to God’s presence with you?

Read Ephesians 3:14-21. Why does Christmas even exist? It’s because God loves you. He loves you so much that he came to earth as a human – the only way you and I could really begin to know him and love him back. When you look at the baby Jesus, lying in the manger, you begin to understand what God is really like. You are made in God’s image. You have the ability to love God. But he doesn’t wait for that! He makes the first move by sending Jesus so we could better understand his love and our need for God. God could have chosen a myriad of ways to communicate with us. Instead, he chose the best way: in the face of a child. God is love. Love is his nature. Love is the essence of his character. He made you to love you. He loves you on your good days as well as your bad days. He loves you when you’re full of Christmas joy and when you’re channelling the Grinch! He loves you whatever mood you’re in, whatever you think and whatever you do. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and nothing you can do that will make him love you less. You may not be able to understand that. A love so great is beyond our understanding. But that doesn’t make it less true. The face of the child Jesus says to you today, God loves you! THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • How does it feel to know that God loves you this much?

Read Luke 2:8-20. What are you celebrating this Christmas? Maybe you’re just celebrating the fact you’ve made it through 2021 – another year of turmoil as the world continues to reel from the Coronavirus pandemic. Perhaps you’re celebrating having time to spend with family and friends, especially as so many of us missed this last year. Perhaps you’re glad of some time away from work or school. Maybe you’re not celebrating at all – just gritting your teeth and surviving from one day to the next. God wants us to celebrate at Christmas. Through his angel, he told the shepherds that Christmas – Jesus Christ’s birth – was an event that would bring immense joy to everyone. Christ’s birth is good news that causes us to rejoice and celebrate. The good news of Jesus’ birth is for you personally. It is something positive in our lives – we all crave good news amongst all the unwelcome news we hear each day. And it is for everyone – all people! It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve had a good Christmas or not. It doesn’t matter what has happened in your life. This good news is for you: God loves you! He is with you, and he is on your side. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • Does God’s good news give you a reason to celebrate this Christmas season?

This week as we continue through the season of Christmas, we examine what it’s all about. Is it just a time of socialising and overindulging in food and drink? Or does it mean something more? Read Luke 2:8-20. That’s it! It’s over. Christmas Day has come and gone. Some of you may even have cleared up and put your Christmas decorations away. Some may still be enjoying meeting family and friends, eating too much and being off work. But what’s it all about? Why do we celebrate Christmas? Why does an unremarkable birth of a Jewish peasant boy over two thousand years ago merit the largest celebration in the world each year? It’s because the birth of Jesus Christ transformed our lives. Quite apart from anything else, do you realise it transformed our calendars? Now every event is classified as BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, the year of our Lord)! The angel told the shepherds that Jesus’ birth would bring extraordinary joy to all people. I don’t know whether that has been your experience this Christmas or not. I hope so, but I also recognise that it can be a difficult time for some, and many of us are feeling exhausted and worn out after another year of turmoil. May this Christmas season be an opportunity for all of us to remember that Christmas brings all of us immense joy because it proclaims that God loves us, that he is with us, whatever we are going through and that he is on our side. Those are good reasons to celebrate! THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • Do you find Christmas a time of boundless joy or is it more of a hassle?

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

In this sermon for Christmas Day, at the conclusion of our Advent and Christmas series, Christmas List: Reordering our Priorities, we are reminded that spiritual fruit - like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and gentleness - isn't just for Christmas. It's for every day. And as we display and grow them in our lives, then God's good news changes the world.

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Read 2 Samuel 7:1-17. Thank you for journeying through Advent with me. I hope you are now ready for Christmas! Christmas Eve is an exciting day of anticipation. In our house, after carolling, we prepare for Christmas Day, making the turkey stock and the sausage meat stuffing. Then we usually go to a midnight service somewhere – currently Winchester Cathedral – the only time I get to sit in and enjoy a carol service without leading it! It is a day of expectation! And yet, getting prepared for Christmas might not be what God wants. We always think it’s about us. What we must do to prepare ourselves for Christ’s coming. (The metaphor used in our reading is building a house for God). But the central theme of God’s story is it’s not about what we do for him. It’s what he does for us. God tells David he will build him a house. Jesus Christ comes to earth as part of that House of David and pitches his home among us. Let that sink in today, whatever you are doing. That will really prepare you for Christmas Day, and beyond. God bless you! THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • Are you trying to build God a house? Or are you willing to let him build one for you?

Read Luke 1:26-38. I am always amazed and motivated by Mary’s courage in saying “yes” to God. As our key verse today shows us, she was not at all certain. She was confused and disturbed. And yet her priority was to say, “yes”. To obey God. “May everything you have said about me come true” (v.38). It is more important to be obedient than it is to be successful. The more we are centred in God the more we know what we must do without always being able to prove it. God certainly speaks to many people today, but we don’t always hear a voice. I have heard God speak like that maybe once or twice in my life. Often, his speaking to me is a sense that I must do what I must do. I can’t explain it any better than that! Mary faced her own “must” and thank God she said “yes” to it. She said so in the darkness of faith. She heard the angel’s words, and she did what God asked her to do. May each of us have that same desire to obey God and follow his will. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • In what way do you have the desire to obey God, no matter the consequences?

Read Luke 1:5-25. In Jesus’ day, to be barren and sterile was socially unacceptable. But God comes to heal those considered unacceptable and places them at the centre of his story. Elizabeth’s pregnancy and John the Baptist’s birth was a healing. Not just of Elizabeth’s barrenness but of the exclusion she felt from her society. Jesus continued this healing ministry. He healed many who were taboo, contagious, disabled, and dangerous. Then he reintroduced them to their community. His was a ministry of reintroduction! That was the real healing that was needed. Our own encounter with God reintroduces us to the community of his people too. And he gives us our own ministry of reintroduction. He wants more people to be introduced to him and the Kingdom as we show them the love and compassion they need. In this final week before Christmas Day, who could you reintroduce to community? Who could you introduce to Jesus, God who is with us, in community? THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • Who do you know who has been rejected from our community? How could you help them to heal?

Read Matthew 1:18-25. Whose job is it to share the Word of God? If you belong to a Salvation Army corps or church, you might answer the Officer or the Minister. But if we leave it to those who are spiritual leaders – even though many of them have studied God’s Word professionally – then 99 per cent. of the world’s population will never hear it! The story of Mary and Joseph shows us that God’s Word is being given back to ordinary people. The angel didn’t visit the religious leaders to proclaim the Messiah’s birth. He came to a poor, uneducated teenage girl, her poor, uneducated teenage fiancé and to poor, uneducated shepherds. Even the Magi, whilst educated were foreign sorcerers – “outsiders” for sure! The Word of God is for everyone! You can read it. You can ask questions about it. You can discuss it. You can wrestle with it. You can share it. It doesn’t belong to employees of the religious system like me. It belongs to all. As we come towards Christmas Day, and you read the old, traditional Christmas readings once more, take the opportunity to read them with freedom. Listen, learn, and grow. Then share the good news with someone else. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What simple message from the Gospel might you be missing?

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

In this sermon for our annual Carol Service, Lieutenant Rob proclaims that Hope is Here! That's God's gift to us this Christmas, and every day, if we will just receive it and believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ. May you sense the "thrill of hope" as your hear that God has moved into the neighbourhood!

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

This sermon reminds us of God's perfect timing, and poses the question, do we have time for Christmas? God will bring us special moments in the small things of this season, if we take the time to prioritise him.

This week we continue our preparation for Christmas, when, through the birth of Jesus Christ, God declares to us that it is good to be human and that he is on our side. As we journey through the season of Advent, we therefore say, Come, Lord Jesus. In our final week of preparation, as we journey towards Christmas Day, we continue to think about our response to Jesus’ coming. Read Isaiah 7:10-25. Have you ever done anything courageous? I suppose the most courageous thing I did was to say “yes” to God and give up a career in law in order to enter full time ministry as a Salvation Army officer. Mary was certainly courageous. As a young, virgin teen, there is no way she could have been prepared for the message the angel had for her: you are the one about which Isaiah prophesied! It must have been beyond her expectations! And in saying “yes” to God she at once moved out of her comfort zone. She showed great integrity and courage! But that’s what Kingdom people are like! We’re history makers! We’re not content to protect the status quo and our status as “good Christian folk”. We want to change ourselves and our world. It’s not enough to simply love and admire Mary’s courage. We want to grasp it for ourselves. As we move towards Christmas Day, let’s pledge again to trust our inner experience of God and follow it to Bethlehem and beyond. A wonderful adventure awaits! THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • In what ways do you trust your inner experience of God? Do you ever fear being criticised if you do so?

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Read John 5:31-46. Has anyone ever told you that actions speak louder than words? It’s not enough to simply say, “I love you”. You must do something to prove it! This is true when it comes to being a Jesus follower too. It is not enough simply to read God’s Word. Even being the best theologian in the world isn’t enough! It isn’t about signing up to a set of doctrines or articles of faith and telling the world that’s what you believe in. In the end, you must know Jesus rather than simply believe in him. And that knowledge of him – that being in relationship with him – must motivate you to do what God’s Word says. Only acting in a new way, based on what we know the Kingdom values are, shows we really believe what we say we believe. Richard Rohr says, “We do not think ourselves into a new way of living. We live ourselves into new ways of thinking”. The Christian faith is an illusion unless we accompany it with changed action and lifestyle decisions. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What actions is God asking you to take to fully realise the power of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Read Luke 7:18-35. Why is life such a mixed bag? Why do both good and terrible things happen to us? Why isn’t everything always right with the world? These are the kinds of questions the crowd were asking of Jesus. In seeking out John the Baptist in the wilderness, they were looking for the Kingdom of God, and they wanted all of it right now. Jesus explains that’s not how it works. The Kingdom of God isn’t something you can own. It’s always God’s invitation to us. It draws us deeper, wanting to know more of God. But he is always in control. He chooses us, more than we choose him. So, the Kingdom is here, but not entirely here. John is both the greatest man who ever lived, and less than the least person in the Kingdom of God! We live in the in-between. We do so in faith and trust. We accept our mixed bag, because we know that in the end, it is a good mixed bag. One day, God will resolve all our shadows. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • How does it feel to know you are not in control of God?

Read Matthew 21:28-32. I must admit something to you today: I am not perfect. Can you believe that? I’m a Salvation Army officer, a Christian spiritual leader. But I do not always get it right. In fact, I’m a mass of contradictions. I can be kind on occasions, and very cutting on others. I can be very generous, but also stingy. I have been a Christian for many years, but I am still a sinner. I get it right. And I get it wrong. But here’s the good news: God loves me. And he loves you too, even if you identify with my contradictions. God loves the saints, but Jesus tells us, he also loves the corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes! Can you understand that? I can’t! It seems a complete mystery much of the time. Unless we surrender to this truth – that God doesn’t forgive, he is forgiveness – then we will never truly experience the transformation that Jesus brings. All we can do is simply accept his grace and mercy and then try to be a minister of the same to others. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • Do you see any inner contradictions in your own life? Do you think God can still love you with those contradictions?

Read Isaiah 45:14-25. What image do you have of yourself? Is it a good, positive one or a bad, negative one? So many people seem to struggle with their self-image, including me on occasion. Part of the problem, of course, is that our image keeps changing. Or we keep changing our image! I’m not just talking about getting our hair coloured (for those with that luxury!). At times in my life, I have tried to project the image of a successful musician, a high-powered lawyer, and a “cool” youth worker. Rather than focusing on our idea of ourselves, it would be better if we could learn to know who we are in God. When we allow the Holy Spirit to strip away our self-image, we discover the “righteousness and strength” in God’s image of us. That’s how he sees us! Isn’t that better than the judgements others pass on us, or worse still, the judgements we pass on ourselves? It’s a solid and enduring image too, not one that changes with our hair colour or our job! What Christ’s coming promises us is that we are the children of God. Now that’s a self-image to cling on to! This Advent season let’s use the time to ensure we build our identities on Christ, the Rock of Ages. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • Does your self-image ever get in the way of your relationship with God?

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

This thought, given during our Young People's Christmas Carol Service, challenges us to consider what we will do with the gift that God gives us - his Son, Jesus Christ.

This week we continue our preparation for Christmas, when, through the birth of Jesus Christ, God declares to us that it is good to be human and that he is on our side. As we journey through the season of Advent, we therefore say, Come, Lord Jesus. This week we remind ourselves of what God has done for us and what we might do in his name in response. Read Isaiah 61:1-11. Sometimes, it seems the world has never been more divided or separated than it does today. Particularly on social media or when people discuss certain subjects, like politics, we have all but lost the art of disagreeing amicably. Whilst humanity sometimes seems hellbent on tearing the fabric of life apart, the Holy Spirit always connects. He connects humanity to God and to each other. His is the ministry of reconciliation, of forgiveness, of healing. In him, two become one. Jesus uses verses of this chapter from Isaiah to proclaim his earthly ministry. He comes to bring inside the outsider. He reunites the marginalised and those excluded by society: the poor, the broken-hearted, the prisoners and those in mourning. Jesus’ job description is to let the “last” know they shall in fact be first. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, the more we allow him to give us the motivation to forgive, to include, to heal, to enjoy, the more we will become like Christ. Jesus is our model of healing, outreach, and reconciliation. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What divisions exist in your life? How can you use this season to allow the Holy Spirit to start to mend them?

This thought, given during our Young People's Christmas Carol Service, challenges us to consider what we will do with the gift that God gives us - his Son, Jesus Christ.

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Read Matthew 6:19-34. Have you ever asked someone, “How’s things?” or “How are you?” and received the reply, “Busy!”? I try very hard not to say it, because I’ve come to realise that what I’m trying to say (to myself probably more than the person I’m saying it to) is “I’m important”. Busyness has become a status symbol! We buy more and more things to save us time, but of course, they do not, in the long run. We never seem to have time. The one thing Western culture, with its abundance of things never seems to have enough of is time. And a lack of time impacts other important things too: relationships and wisdom, for example. We short-change our families and friends because we’re too busy. We make bad decisions because there’s never enough time to reflect on what we should do next. Jesus brings us up short: Why are you always worrying? Why are you anxious about what to eat, drink and wear? Don’t worry about tomorrow! Seek God’s Kingdom instead and find the time you need for what you really need. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What are the one or two things you really should prioritise? What might you have to stop doing to do that?

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Read Isaiah 48:12-22. Do you like to be in control? I don’t know many people who don’t. But then maybe that’s because I do like to be in control! I like life to be under control. It’s no surprise really when we are drowning in options. You only have to switch on your television, and even with Freeview, you are immediately challenged by hundreds of channels. With so many options, how many times do we end up exclaiming, “there’s nothing on!”? The world trains us to be managers. But we cannot manage our spiritual lives. To do so is wrong. If poor Mary had tried to manage her spiritual life, she probably would have said no to the angel who announced her pregnancy! Why would she have wanted to go through the public humiliation it entailed? But Mary did not manage her response. She simply received the gift and surrendered to God’s will. The gift is Jesus himself and God gives that gift. Mary is our example of how to receive and treasure the gifts God gives us. Everything God gives us is undeserved and unearned. We can’t work for it or hope to get it as a reward for living a good life. Mary does not manage, fix, control or perform in any way. She simply says “yes” to God’s gift and brings forth the peace and righteousness Isaiah promises. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • How can you receive God’s good gifts to you rather than trying to manage life?

Read Matthew 11:1-19. Have you ever despaired of someone who can’t – or more likely, doesn’t want to – see something that’s as plain as their face? Have you ever exclaimed in frustration, “There’s none so blind as those that can’t see!”? I don’t suppose he ever said it in a frustrated tone, but throughout the gospels, Jesus often says, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” I wonder who he was talking to? The scribes and the Pharisees? The Jewish religious leaders who wilfully failed to grasp what he was saying. The hard hearted? The wicked? The chilling thing is that often, as in today’s passage, he was talking to the crowds. In other words, people like you and me! Are we deaf and blind to what Jesus is teaching? We may be sincere Jesus followers. We may want to do the right thing. We may want to be loving to those around us. But often, the big issues in life – love, freedom, evil, eternity, forgiveness, grace, mercy and justice – even the nature of God himself – will expose our real thinking. Unfortunately, going to church, even listening to or reading these devotionals do not of themselves guarantee the transformation in our listening and seeing that we need. We may think we believe in what Jesus taught, but unless we are willing to reflect deeply on the big issues he tackles, listening carefully and seeing the world through his eyes then we will mostly end up thinking like the world, and those around us. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • Have you thought deeply about the big issues of life? Does your thinking help you to be more loving and more obedient to Jesus’ teaching?

Read Matthew 11:25-30. If I ever tried to tell my mum something like, “I need chocolate!”, she would patiently point out that I didn’t need it. I wanted it. And there’s a big difference! But the world today has certainly narrowed the gap. Most shops seem to sell wants rather than needs. In days gone by, a meal out would be a luxury. Now it’s almost seen as a necessity, a basic human right. Our “stuff” is designed to fail after some time so that we “have to” upgrade. And it leaves us trapped in the rat race. What an irony that Christmas often makes this even more obvious! Jesus invites us to find freedom from all this. To escape the rat race and live a simple life of rest and happiness. Such rest and happiness are found in our simply being with Jesus. It’s not based on what we have. This Christmas let’s choose to simply rest or abide in Jesus. Let’s become human beings again, not human doings. It’s what we most need. And it’s what’s most important in life. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What need might you be trying to meet through people or things that ought to be sought from Jesus instead?

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

This sermon continues our series for Advent and Christmas, Christmas List: Reordering Our Priorities. Many of our Christmas priorities are focused on Others, which aligns with God's focus. The story of the Magi proclaims that God's salvation is for the whosoever - even those whom society or the religious insiders regard as outsiders. How could you share that message with them this Christmas?

This week we continue our preparation for Christmas, when, through the birth of Jesus Christ, God declares to us that it is good to be human and that he is on our side. As we journey through the season of Advent, we therefore say, Come, Lord Jesus. This week we ask God to show us what is most important in our lives and to help us get rid of the rest. Read Psalm 85:1-13. When the clocks went back a few weeks ago, I saw a picture on social media that suggested for the next week or so, British people like me would go to the window at around 4pm and exclaim, “Look how dark it is”! We may look at our world today and exclaim the same thing. Jesus was the Light that came into the world. He called us to be lights like a city on a hill. But despite all this, the world still seems very dark. World hunger remains. Nations invest far too much in weapons. Murder and violence happen on our streets too often. We seem to be killing the planet, unable to stop ourselves. Look how dark it is! The darkness never totally goes away. Perhaps the best thing we can do is recognise the darkness and name it as such. When we do so, we can work in the Light and ensure the darkness does not overcome us. We must work and wait and hope in the darkness, knowing that God has given the world his unfailing love, truth and light. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • In what ways might you be denying the darkness in the world, instead of allowing it to transform you and move you towards the Light?

Read Isaiah 29:1-24. If you’ve ever watched a high wire artist at work, you will know they are often aided by a safety net. It is there in case anything else fails. Perhaps the artist loses their balance, or a piece of equipment breaks. If so, then the safety net will catch them and keep them safe. We think many of things we trust in – power, success, money and control – are our safety nets. They will save us just when we need it. But when proclaim Jesus is Lord! those safety nets must be let go. We cannot trust both in wealth and possessions or reputations and in the Lord. It is either one or the other. Whatever you trust to give you your worth and security is your god. God wants to be your God! THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What might you be trusting in to give you the happiness and security that you need that prevents you from fully embracing Jesus as your Saviour and Messiah?

Read Matthew 7:21-23. One of my favourite Christian songs is Frances Ridley Havergal’s, “Who is on the Lord’s side”? It reminds me that following God is a choice, a stark choice: I am on the Lord’s side, or not? There is no middle way. We can only be loyal to one kingdom: either God’s or our own. We cannot serve both. When God’s will is central in our lives, when we are living for his purpose alone, then the Kingdom of God is apparent. Sometimes, we fall into the trap of thinking the Kingdom of God is what will happen at the end of the world. We make it heaven. When we do so, we are apt to putting our trust in the world instead, at least for this life. But the Kingdom of God is always now and not yet. We can be part of the Kingdom of God today. We can do what we can to ensure we are doing the work and will of God in our lives today. When we truly say, Come, Lord Jesus, then we let go of trusting in worldly idols. Our worth is given to us by God, and we can live in freedom. Let’s embrace the Kingdom today. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What “kingdoms” might you need to let go of to fully enjoy the Kingdom of God?

Read Isaiah 25:1-12. Do you ever get obsessed by something that really doesn’t matter very much? Or do you overreact to something that someone said or did and you can’t shake it off, even though you know deep down that it isn’t as serious as you’re making it out to be? When St. Bernard of Clairvaux was faced with the ups and downs of life – the daily problems, cares and hindrances – he would mutter under his breath, “What does it matter in the light of eternity”? In other words, will any of this matter in the end? Maybe it’s something we should mutter under our breath, rather than whatever we usually mutter when things go wrong! He used to say it in Latin, of course: “Quid hoc ad aeternitatem”? Practice it this week! Repeatedly in Scripture, the Kingdom of God is presented to us. Jesus used stories, parables and metaphors to help explain what he knew but what we find more difficult to understand. Others did too, including the prophet Isaiah in today’s passage. The Kingdom of God is the big picture of Scripture that tells us what life is really all about and what will really matter at the final reckoning. Jesus invites us to let go of the daily dramas we face, the hurts and slights we endure and our own agendas and to live in the Kingdom of God, to find ourselves in the final and full picture. Will you join me in this great feast of life as envisaged by Isaiah? Let the passing things of life do just that – pass by – and eat at the Kingdom’s Great Banquet in God. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What trivial thing are you fixated about that you need to challenge with the question, “What does it matter in the light of eternity”?

Read Matthew 8:5-13. Do you have to remove some of your usual furniture and ornaments to make room for your Christmas tree and decorations? Jesus’ nativity would find no room in our house if we didn’t remove some ornaments first! Suffering, failure and loss of control can often help us to make room for Jesus inside of us. In our story today, it was the Roman Officer’s servants terrible illness that brought the centurion out of his comfort zone to invite Jesus into his home. Unheard of for an occupying army, I’m sure! The pursuit of happiness is self-centred and easily toppled by the ups and downs of life. Both sides of life – light and darkness – are necessary to help us grow and mature. In fact, I have found my failures have much more to teach me than my successes do! Our own suffering and our capacity to share in the suffering of others has an immense capacity to ensure we have made room for Jesus in our lives. When problems arise, let’s learn to allow it to transform us rather than try to resist it. Let’s make more room for God. THINK IT OVER Think about the following: • What are you attached to in life that you need to let go of to make more room for God?

Basingstoke Salvation Army is led by Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne, and exists to welcome everyone into God’s family; equip everyone to follow Christ’s life example; love God with all of our heart; tell everyone God’s story and serve everyone by meeting their needs. You can find an archive of our live broadcasts at https://basingstokesalvationarmy.sermon.net/liveworship/ or Subscribe to our Live Worship podcast: feeds.podcastmirror.com/basingstoke-salvation-army-worship-video or at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/basingstoke-salvation-army-live-worship/id1518279327

This sermon kicks off our Advent & Christmas series, Christmas List: Reordering Our Priorities. Like Joseph, who had to choose between obeying the rules and accepting Mary as his wife and his part in God's plan, God may ask us to reorder our priorities this Christmas time. Are we prepared to choose his priorities over our own?