Sunday at Grace Family Church

Yesterday I went to Grace Family Church on Aigburth Road. It was a lively service led by Pastor Diana Stacey. Their worship band were impressive, with a older man on electric guitar who was excellent, and a very good young woman playing a rhythmic bass line.

I was recognised and welcomed to go to the front. I shared greetings from Dovedale and talked briefly about my work.

I felt God speak to me about four things:

1) John 10 - "the thief comes to steal and destroy, but I have come that you might have life". I was led to think about all that steals our time and our energies.

2) The line in the Psalms "Open up you gates, that the King of Glory may come in" (I'll have to look up the reference). It struck me that it's about the gates of a city, and made me pray for Liverpool, that its "gates" may be open to the King of Glory. And it is happening - there are so mnay people in significant places in this city who follow Jesus or are at least "men of peace" open to God.

3)I was challenged about working among men - and encouraging the working men in Dovedale. Maybe a series of men's breakfasts?

4) Pastor Di shared something Billy Graham said recently, "God has given us an open door, and He has given us the tools and the technology to touch the whole world if you and I mean business." This impressed me. We need to be touching the world, and we can do that through technology and through our determination. But do we, do I, really mean business?

This last point also underlined what God said to me at the CMC conference about being people using the tools at our fingertips - using the web, using video and podcasts to reach people.