God’s timing is PERFECT and so amazing when He brings people to speak into the lives of individuals and team. Andy and Alison Fry are 2 such people who are serving Ebenezer and Crossroads Community Church for the next 2 weeks. Part of their service is to help build the Ebenezer team, teach spiritual lessons and so on. Andy and Alison come from Alton, Hampshire and are part of K.C 21 family of churches. Andy’s ministry is multifaceted but he is on the senior ministry team. He is also part of a trans-local team. The exciting thing is that church is about forming relationships without being boxed.
Andy and Alison will be doing a series with the Ebenezer team on strengthening relationships and hearing what God is saying. The first in the series is as follows:
Andy and Alison Fry
Andy started by saying HEART and TRANSPARENCY are Key.
The dynamics of relationships are important and so are words that are spoken. A team comprising of people with differing personalities is complex and misunderstanding are due to crop up. Conflict and misunderstandings can be seen in the book of Acts with regards to Barnabas. The exciting thing is that the way it is handled together with the right heart, can be a great source of unity and strength. The issues around us can be a strengthening time and maturing time.
James 3:16 – 18 is foundational – For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Romans 12:9 – 19. There is some reality there that things are not always easy. V 18 was highlighted: If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
God’s heart is that he is for us, not against us even if people have wrong motives.
James 1:2 – 4: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the working of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it’s full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Trials can be painful yet God can produce good fruit through it. Discipline is not pleasant but the fruit of it. It’s something God has to do and only He can work in us. He is making us more like Jesus.
We will be looking at Jesus, our perfect example, Paul, Moses and Joseph. We will look at how God worked in them through their trials and difficulties and brought them through. God is working on our character and changing us.
“Perception is Reality”. This is really useful in a cross-cultural context. Two things stood out:
a) It’s easier to make “objective” assessments/judgments on someone else rather than on oneself and ones perception.
b) We want people to adjust to the way we want them to be like. This is selfish. Adjustments are needed all round.
Andy encouraged us to meditate on “Perception is Reality” for ourselves and for others.
Prayer requests:
God will help us on our journey of being imitators of Christ.
Guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
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