Praying continuously

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Published: Monday, 30 January 2017 00:04

Written by James Dean

When I woke this morning I had no email leading me in prayer for our church, and I missed it! I expect I may not be entirely alone in this but there will be others of you who perhaps got a bit fed up with the daily reminder in your inbox. But looking back over the last 30 days, it has been such a good month of focussed prayer for BEC and a real encouragement for me - I hope it has been for you too.

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Looking forward to Christmas

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Published: Monday, 19 December 2016 00:01

Written by James Dean

People look forward to Christmas for all sorts of reasons. What's yours? Why do you look forward to Christmas?

Perhaps you enjoy the warm fuzzy glow that we call "Christmas cheer"; that feeling makes everyone a little happier and friendlier in what can otherwise be a chilly month?

Maybe it's the opportunity to meet up with friends or family and share what has happened in the time since you were last together?

Or it might be the delicious food that we get to eat, cheese and biscuits; turkey, chestnut stuffing and cranberry sauce; sugar-coated mince pies and thickly-iced Christmas cake?

It could just be the presents - tearing through that wrapping paper on Christmas morning to find out what your loved ones have bought for you?

But if that's all Christmas means to you then I'm going to be blunt: you've missed the point. If this season is just about what's going on "down here" then you need to lift your eyes and adjust your focus because something much bigger is going on.

Stephen McAlpine tells the story of going to a local garage and starting a conversation with the owner & his wife about Jesus. It turned out that was exactly what they needed to hear. Telling others about Jesus is what Christmas is about. It's what the angels did. It's what the shepherds did. It's what Christians have always done. Do you?

Christian, you have been given the gift of God: salvation through faith in Christ Jesus!

You stand forgiven of your sins because of what Jesus achieved on the cross. You have been given a gift you didn't earn or deserve by none other than God himself:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
— Ephesians 2:8

This is an eternal gift that is given to us and we are called to share it with others. Let's not waste the opportunity that God has so graciously given us at Christmas to tell others about Jesus!

It starts with one conversation. Who will yours be with?