Andrew kicked off the New Year with our new series Getting Spiritually Fit, focusing on prayer. To find out more about GodFirst East Rand - Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here

On Sunday, Andrew looked at God with Us right at the beginning. We see how he has always been present with us. That’s his nature and intention.

In Genesis 1:1-2, creation is happening but it’s happening in the dark. No light. Just dark. But even in that darkness, God is there. He’s overseeing the process, hovering over the waters to make everything right. It’s not yet ready, it’s not the finished product but God is there. It’s the same with us in the womb according to Psalm 139.

A lot of our own spiritual growth happens in the dark too. Hidden from everyone else. It’s the time we spend in prayer, by ourselves. It’s the time we spend trying to understand God’s Word – it can be hard – but it’s where growth happens. It’s where God often speaks. It’s the time we spend serving others that nobody sees. It’s the time we spend wrestling with letting go of hurt and pain and instead choosing to forgive. Nobody sees this. Except God.

To find out more about GodFirst East Rand - Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here

Andrew closed off our series in Judges on Sunday.

We see that it’s never too late to switch back to the right side. And after a fairly up-and-down life, with quite a few downs, the story turns at this point and we see a very different Samson emerging.

And this is new Samson is the one that is recorded in Hebrews 11:32-33

32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions…”

What this story tells us is that there’s nothing we have done that God won’t take us back. There’s no situation that God can’t turn around. Let’s get into this final part of the story…

To find out more about GodFirst East Rand - Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here

On Sunday Damon continued our new series in Judges about the life of Samson: a flawed saviour. His message was called: ‘The Consequences of Sin’.

Damon outlined Samson’s progression into sin. The first woman he desired. After desiring we then see him paying and it becoming a transaction and then finally, with Delilah it cost him almost his life. Sin is often attractive at first then it starts costings us and eventually it can consume everything we have. We can avoid this path by repenting early of sin (before it gets a grip on us).

Samson first sinned with his eyes and it was his eyes that he lost. Damon said that it also

showed us how spiritually blind he had become. Three times Delilah showed him what she

was doing but Samson repeatedly gave in and put himself in danger, then the fourth time he was captured. Samson isolated himself and didn’t have friends to help him see how foolish he was being.

To find out more about GodFirst East Rand - Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here

On Sunday, Mitch shared this story because it encapsulates the state of Israel around the time of Judges 15 where we meet the flawed savior, Samson. For the first time in the book of Judges, we see a deviation from a now well established pattern. All throughout the book, each chapter has begun with the people again doing what is right in their own eyes, succumbing to evil and then crying out to God for deliverance.

To find out more about GodFirst East Rand - Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here

On Sunday Colin explored Samson's story, a man dedicated to God's purpose, just like Jesus. Both were set apart from birth for a greater plan. However, Samson's life was complicated, he struggled with selfish desires, pride, and narcissistic tendencies. Samson’s life is a mess. He is called by God but trips up badly because he gives in so frequently to his flesh. It’s a sober warning for us all as to what can go wrong when gifting goes ahead of character, and we don’t guard against sowing to our flesh. Despite his flaws, God used Samson to free Israel from the Philistines, paving the way for King David.

Although Samson failed to deliver Israel, his actions set the stage for David's victorious campaign against the Philistines. This highlights: God's sovereignty despite human frailty. His ability to transform sinful actions into instruments for His purposes. The assurance that His perfect plans remain uncompromised by our imperfections. We should give thanks that God's plans prevail, despite our shortcomings.

To find out more about GodFirst East Rand - Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here

Andrew kick started a new series, Samson - A Flawed Saviour.

This is a story that gives hope to us, because despite our flaws and our failures, there is redemption. God is quick to forgive and restore for those who own their mistakes and repent.

With Samson, his mistakes cost him physically, but it didn’t cost him eternally and that is far more important because ultimately Samson humbles himself and turns back to God. The challenge for us today is to learn from these mistakes and avoid them, particularly if we want to avoid the consequences these mistakes bring. But if we do make them, then unlike Israel we don’t have a flawed saviour, but a perfect one who can rescue us from our own mistakes. To find out more about GodFirst East Rand - Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here

This week we had a guest speaker, Aphindile Bokleni, speak on Christian maturity.

We spent some time in 1 Peter 2:1-3

"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

To find out more about GodFirst East Rand - Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here