At stake is our eternal future. Yet, in an act of staggering negligence, most people put it out of their minds.

— Tim Chester, “Galatians: Rediscovering Joy”

We won’t rearrange our priorities unless we really believe that sitting at the feet of Jesus is the best one.

— Kevin DeYoung, “Crazy Busy”

This post by Alex Drew was originally published at Seventy Two

1 Peter 1:3-12

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, ¹¹ trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

The post Dwelling in the Word: June 29th appeared first on Seventy Two.

This post by Steve and Ruth Lancaster was originally published at Life in the Lancs Lane

We are sharing this message from AIM with you all:

Growing in faith and love for Christ, revealed as He is in Scripture, will be the greatest of all preservatives against being led astray. The person who is saturated in the teaching and spirit of the Gospels will have his or her senses “trained … to distinguish good from evil” (Heb. 5:14, NIV) and to know what is truly Christ-like and Christ-honouring.

— Sinclair Ferguson, “In Christ Alone”

We walk on rock, not quicksand, when we obey.

— Amy Carmichael, “Gold by Moonlight”

Church on the Green @ 10am

Rob will be leading interactive Bible Study and prayer as last week. You’ll be able to join online or via a standard phone call as follows:

Priory Street – joint service @ 10am

• Video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5tpyZ_6K_hTov2tesd9yTA
• Audio & transcript: https://corshambaptists.org/sermon-intro/

The ‘new normal’ continues with prayer and fellowship – contact your LIFE group leaders for when and how that is happening. Or use the contact form if you’re not part of one but would like to join in.

NEXT WEEK will be communion

Junior Church

Activities for various age groups will be live on the CBC Junior Church channel on Sunday morning.

Evening prayer @ 8pm

Maybe it is easier to concentrate in the evening, after the children are in bed? If you’d like to join a small group, via Zoom, for a couple of Bible readings and to share and receive prayer reach out to Joey, Natalie or use the contact form.

The Ark

The Ark will be taking place virtually this week…please see this link! https://www.facebook.com/groups/726702974088284/

Church opening…

With the easing of lockdown, the Oversight Team wants to support as many events as possible that will allow us to encourage one another as a Christ-following community. We are currently form a ‘Tiger Team’ to decide how and when the church will re-open.

More details are expected from Government, Baptist Union and Tigers in the coming days and we hope to announce initial details in next week’s notices.

A Souper Story

“The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy.” starts Joan, quoting Psalm 126. In the short time this ministry has been running things have changed in ways the team never imagined. You can read all the LORD has been doing here.

Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast – this Tuesday!

Please see the link below to the Parliamentary Prayer breakfast – taking place this Tuesday. This year it will be available to all online: https://corshambaptists.org/?p=9175. In an update since we first highlighted this Sue W says both Michelle Donelan (MP for Priory St) and James Gray (MP for Rudloe) have confirmed their attendance.

Do you have video editing skills?

Or would you like to gain some? If so, maybe you’d like to serve by putting together and uploading to YouTube the Sunday services for Priory Street? Contact Tim S for details.

Coming up…

Many activities happen even while we cannot meet together in person. If you or someone you know is feeling left out, please get in touch via the contact form or call the office.

• Tuesday evenings at 7pm: Zoom Meetings for junior church children (school years 6,7,8). Please contact either Wendy R or John P (in the directory).
• Each Wednesday and Sunday at 7pm, Lunn Green will be hosting a live prayer event. This is a great way to feel connected to the wider family at a time when many of us are isolated and under pressure.  Please use this link to connect to the event.
• Wednesday 7.15 – 8.45pm. Rooted – An opportunity for young people (year 8+) to catch up virtually and dig into the Bible together.
• Friday 6.30-7.45pm. Connect – An opportunity for year 7’s to connect virtually, play games and dig into the Bible together. 
• Sunday 7.15 – 8.45pm. Impact – A virtual youth club (year 8+), where the young people can hang out, have fun, & deepen friendships through a range of interactive activities

Local Community News

Whilst we appreciate these are not Corsham Baptist Church matters or activities, given the nature of current circumstances and the different situations in which people in the congregations find themselves, we thought these might be of help to some folk…

• Allington Farm shop are doing deliveries if anyone is needing that.  They seem to have plenty of slots available.
• AgeUk are doing regular phone calls to the elderly for a chat and to check up on people (‘assurance’ phone calls is what they call them!) on 0808 196 2424
  Email: enquiries@ageukwiltshire.org.uk  & you can phone up to refer people to them. 
• There is also a new ‘Daily Hope’ free phone number created by our ‘Faith In Later Life’ project/Archbishop of Canterbury and others, for people to choose from hymns, prayers, talks etc whatever denomination or of no faith on 0800 804 8044
• Corsham town council & other volunteers in Corsham to the extent of Wadswick Green location are willing to help with food shopping & deliveries, medication deliveries etc:
• Town Council – 01249 702130 towncouncil@corsham.gov.uk
• Corsham Connections – drcbaker@hotmail.com
• Corsham Link (transport for medical appointments but will also delivery prescriptions etc) – 07884 887105
• And there are others willing to volunteer to help people according to your location etc on the Wiltshire Council support directory – http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/downloads/22069  (This is updated regularly)
• Wiltshire Council has provision for helping those who need deliveries or any other issues with isolation at the moment  – wellbeinghub@wiltshire.gov.uk 0300 003 4576
• They’ve also set up a list of resources for people during lockdown (keeping active as well as for those who are disabled, mental health, creative ideas & activities, etc) – scroll down each section to get past the stuff for children!  http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure-active-communities
• The Richmond Fellowship (there’s a branch that meets at a church in Chippenham) has set up phone calls etc for people who want someone to talk to on Telephone: 01380 724833  Email: wiltshirereferrals@richmondfellowship.org.uk   

Eddie reflects on Philippians 3:12-14. As lockdown starts to ease, what do you need to leave behind in order that Christ may move you on?

Whatever you’ve seen in yourself that makes you sad and downcast, God in heaven saw it first. And it didn’t stop Him sending His Son to bring you home because He loved you.

— John Hindley, “Serving without Sinking”

Scripture is not just the touchstone for the truth. God gave us the Scriptures so we might enter into a relationship with Him. William Tyndale wrote, “The scripture is that wherewith God draweth us unto Him … The scriptures spring out of God, and flow unto Christ, and were given to lead us to Christ. Thou must therefore go along by the scripture as by a line, until thou come at Christ, which is the way’s end and resting-place.

— ” Tim Chester, “Galatians: Rediscovering Joy”