Getting the Bible open and listening to what God wants to say to us... 

Well friends, we’re back!

After a very long summer and a long absence away from any computer screen, the youth team are back with the weekly email.

A massive welcome to those, who have just signed up to receive these emails off the back of Sports Plus.  A huge welcome back to you if you’re picking them up again!

Over the next six weeks we’re going to recap over the theme of the evening meetings at Sports Plus, titled - ‘Encounters with Christ: Jesus meets ordinary people and transforms them in extraordinary ways.’

Luke 2v8-20 – The Shepherds!

We started right at beginning, at the birth of Jesus.  There were shepherds living in the fields v8. These were ordinary guys on an ordinary evening doing ordinary things, when something quite amazing happened.  v 9 – An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the angel came with a threefold message:

• I bring you good news.  V12 – A saviour has been born. He is the Christ.  He is the Lord.  The news was simple.  A baby had been born who was able to rescue. ‘to save ya’.  The baby was able to rescue because he was the one sent by God and in fact he is actually God himself.  I wonder if you understand that good news today?!  That Jesus born as a baby is the only one that can save you from the consequence of sin and bring you back to God.  I wonder if you realise that this is the only news your friends in your Sport Team need to hear!  Do you??

• It will bring great joy.  The news that Jesus can rescue you, should delight our hearts daily if we really understand it!  Take time out to grasp it again!

• It is for all people.  There is wonderful line in an old hymn – ‘Tis mercy all, immense and free, for oh my God it found out me’.  The good news of Jesus once found me and I will be forever grateful.  Yet this message is for all people.  This message is for the least likely of girls in your team to ever to turn to Jesus.  This message is for the hardest of your team mates in the rugby maul.  It is for all people.

And so the shepherds hurried along to see about what the angels had told them v16.  And there they found the facts – Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus just as the angel had told them.  Ever wonder if the whole story of the Christian faith is true?  Luke tells us to go and look at the facts.  The shepherds hurried along and saw the truth.  If ever you doubt that the good news of Jesus is true, hurry along to see for yourself.  Get the Bible open, let the words of God speak to you, say your prayers to the King of kings and represent him brilliantly in your sport – you’ll soon see that it's true and others will too!!

What a joy and what privilege!

Welcome back friends – the party’s in full swing once again!!

The Youth Department