100:00:00,280 –> 00:00:08,480Stop telling yourself you don’t have love.200:00:08,480 –> 00:00:15,400God is love, and his love is inexhaustible.300:00:15,400 –> 00:00:21,280And as his love reaches you, you will have all the love that you need.400:00:21,280 –> 00:00:24,719Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.500:00:24,719 –> 00:00:25,740I’m David Pick.600:00:25,740 –> 00:00:28,120I’m so pleased that you could be with us today.700:00:28,120 –> 00:00:33,459And Colin, that’s good to hear, because I think many of us know someone who we find800:00:33,459 –> 00:00:34,880really hard to love.900:00:34,880 –> 00:00:39,660That’s right, and as long as we’re looking into our own hearts we become aware of the1000:00:39,660 –> 00:00:41,660poverty of what’s there.1100:00:41,660 –> 00:00:46,900My limitations – I just can’t produce a set of feelings, and so forth and so on.1200:00:46,900 –> 00:00:52,660So, there’s really good news here, in the theme that we’re looking at in the scriptures1300:00:52,720 –> 00:01:01,540today, that it’s as the love of God is actually poured into our own hearts that there’s1400:01:01,540 –> 00:01:07,139something that we are therefore able to reflect into the lives of others.1500:01:07,139 –> 00:01:09,839This is what makes healing possible.1600:01:09,839 –> 00:01:15,779This is what makes restoration possible – when a person feels that they don’t have the1700:01:15,779 –> 00:01:19,220capacity to be able to love well.1800:01:19,320 –> 00:01:25,620Well, as you take in more and more of the love of Christ for you your capacity to love1900:01:25,620 –> 00:01:28,400others is actually going to increase.2000:01:28,400 –> 00:01:32,059This is transformative, and it’s a very, very wonderful thing.2100:01:32,059 –> 00:01:37,059It’s really no use just saying to people repeatedly, you’ve got to love, you’ve2200:01:37,059 –> 00:01:43,099got to love, you’ve got to love, where hopes found is in the good news that you are loved2300:01:43,419 –> 00:01:46,720That God loves you in the Lord Jesus Christ2400:01:46,720 –> 00:01:53,800and that the more you know of His love, the more you will have a capacity to love others2500:01:53,800 –> 00:01:57,260who may be very difficult to love indeed.2600:01:57,260 –> 00:02:01,379The good news is that God in Christ loves you.2700:02:01,379 –> 00:02:07,940So join us today, if you can, in 1 John chapter 2 and verses 7 to 11 as we continue the message2800:02:07,940 –> 00:02:11,339Assurance Grows as you Love God’s People.2900:02:11,339 –> 00:02:12,619Here’s Colin.3000:02:12,619 –> 00:02:21,380Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God…3100:02:23,500 –> 00:02:26,940Now dear friends, this is the most wonderful good news.3200:02:26,940 –> 00:02:33,339You see, you’re finding yourself saying, I’m not sure that I have this love for someone3300:02:33,339 –> 00:02:41,259who’s very difficult to love and John says now hear this, hear this, that the source3400:02:41,259 –> 00:02:50,539of love is outside of yourself, it comes from God and there’s probably3500:02:50,539 –> 00:02:53,740someone in the congregation, perhaps several in the congregation right now3600:02:54,539 –> 00:02:58,380and as we’ve been pondering people who are hard to love3700:02:58,380 –> 00:03:02,699you’ve been thinking about someone who is very, very, very, very hard to love3800:03:03,580 –> 00:03:11,179and you may be saying in your heart, I can’t do it, I just can’t love him3900:03:11,179 –> 00:03:16,380or her, I can’t do it, I don’t have any love for him or her in my heart4000:03:18,539 –> 00:03:21,899and John says, well now, here’s what you need to know4100:03:21,979 –> 00:03:27,179no, love is from God4200:03:28,539 –> 00:03:36,220God calls you to love your sister or brother and He is the source4300:03:36,779 –> 00:03:41,339of that love which He calls you to give4400:03:41,339 –> 00:03:45,339so stop telling yourself that you don’t have love4500:03:45,339 –> 00:03:53,020God is love. And his love is inexhaustible4600:03:54,460 –> 00:04:01,179and as his love reaches you, you will have all the love that you need4700:04:02,940 –> 00:04:07,419And then John speaks about knowing love. Look at chapter three in verse sixteen4800:04:08,059 –> 00:04:16,140By this we know love that he laid down his life for us4900:04:17,019 –> 00:04:23,260Now this raises another very important question and sometimes a painful question for some5000:04:23,260 –> 00:04:26,059How do I know what love is?5100:04:26,059 –> 00:04:28,059If you’ve not been loved well5200:04:29,739 –> 00:04:33,899If your experience of human love was a poor experience5300:04:34,779 –> 00:04:38,299You will know what it is to ask this this painful question5400:04:39,420 –> 00:04:42,059How do I know what love is?5500:04:42,059 –> 00:04:43,899And look at what he’s saying here5600:04:43,899 –> 00:04:49,739By this we know love that he laid down his life for us5700:04:52,779 –> 00:04:59,980There is no greater love, Jesus said, than for a person to lay down his life for his friends5800:05:00,540 –> 00:05:03,899And that is what Jesus did for you5900:05:05,820 –> 00:05:08,299So stop telling yourself that you don’t know what love is6000:05:08,299 –> 00:05:14,540Take in this wonderful truth that is given to you in the gospel6100:05:14,540 –> 00:05:19,100God the father sent his son into the world for you6200:05:20,220 –> 00:05:21,739That’s how you know what love is6300:05:23,339 –> 00:05:27,579The son of God lay down his own life for you6400:05:27,579 –> 00:05:29,100That’s how you know what love is6500:05:30,940 –> 00:05:35,500And now as a believer the spirit of God has come to indwell you6600:05:35,500 –> 00:05:37,820That’s how you know what love is6700:05:39,739 –> 00:05:41,899Stop telling yourself that you don’t know what love is6800:05:41,899 –> 00:05:43,820You are loved with an everlasting love6900:05:45,579 –> 00:05:51,019God’s love for you will never never never end7000:05:53,820 –> 00:05:59,179And then John comes back to it again in chapter four and verse ten7100:06:00,380 –> 00:06:02,380In this is love7200:06:03,820 –> 00:06:08,779Not that we have loved God but that He loved us7300:06:11,100 –> 00:06:16,380And sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins7400:06:18,299 –> 00:06:23,179Do you see here that John is giving us a definition of love7500:06:23,179 –> 00:06:24,540This is love7600:06:25,660 –> 00:06:29,019He’s going to define what love is for us7700:06:30,619 –> 00:06:36,940The love of God defines love for us7800:06:39,260 –> 00:06:47,739And I expect that you have noticed that the world has redefined love in these days7900:06:47,739 –> 00:06:51,420It has redefined love of course because the world always wants to make it easy8000:06:52,940 –> 00:06:59,179And the world’s redefinition of love is to affirm whatever a person chooses8100:07:00,299 –> 00:07:04,859Well you see that’s easy isn’t it? All you’ve got to do is just affirm whatever a person chooses8200:07:04,859 –> 00:07:07,739But you see that is not how God has loved us8300:07:09,899 –> 00:07:13,339God’s love is not that He affirms whatever we choose8400:07:14,619 –> 00:07:17,260No here we’re being told this is love8500:07:17,260 –> 00:07:19,980Not that we have loved God but that He loved us8600:07:19,980 –> 00:07:24,459And sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins8700:07:25,339 –> 00:07:32,059The christian definition of love is to seek the best interest of a person at all times8800:07:32,059 –> 00:07:33,420That’s how God has loved us8900:07:34,700 –> 00:07:36,619That’s why He sent His Son into the world9000:07:37,339 –> 00:07:40,299That’s why the Lord Jesus laid down His life9100:07:41,420 –> 00:07:45,739Love is to seek at all times a person’s best interest9200:07:45,739 –> 00:07:50,299This is how God has loved us and we ought to love one another this way9300:07:50,299 –> 00:07:55,500And that, of course, is much much much more difficult9400:07:56,619 –> 00:08:01,980Hatred is evidence of darkness and of death9500:08:03,339 –> 00:08:07,820Love is evidence of light and of life9600:08:09,100 –> 00:08:11,579Some people are very hard to love9700:08:13,019 –> 00:08:16,140But love comes from God9800:08:16,940 –> 00:08:20,380And that leads to the next step, which is very wonderful9900:08:21,579 –> 00:08:24,940That god’s love is in us10000:08:26,380 –> 00:08:28,779Look again. If you would at chapter 2 in verse 810100:08:30,299 –> 00:08:33,020At the same time it’s talking about love10200:08:33,979 –> 00:08:36,140It is a new commandment10300:08:37,099 –> 00:08:39,099That I am writing to you10400:08:39,739 –> 00:08:41,979Which is true in him10500:08:43,340 –> 00:08:45,340and in you10600:08:45,900 –> 00:08:50,940Now this really is an astonishing and a wonderful statement, so let’s ponder it together10700:08:52,380 –> 00:08:54,299Jesus said as you all know10800:08:54,299 –> 00:09:00,859Well a new commandment I give to you that you love one another just as I have loved you10900:09:01,099 –> 00:09:03,820So you are to love one another11000:09:04,700 –> 00:09:07,500And john says that this commandment to love11100:09:08,059 –> 00:09:10,059Is true in?11200:09:10,059 –> 00:09:11,900him11300:09:11,900 –> 00:09:13,820in jesus11400:09:13,900 –> 00:09:15,900Absolutely. No surprise there11500:09:16,700 –> 00:09:20,320we do see the love of god perfectly expressed11600:09:21,099 –> 00:09:26,799In our lord jesus christ, but look at what he says next which is absolutely astonishing11700:09:27,020 –> 00:09:29,580He says this new commandment is true11800:09:31,159 –> 00:09:33,159In you11900:09:34,140 –> 00:09:36,140It’s true in you12000:09:37,979 –> 00:09:39,979Robert law12100:09:39,979 –> 00:09:44,859Pastor who wrote perhaps the most helpful book. That’s been written on first john12200:09:45,739 –> 00:09:47,500Makes the point12300:09:47,500 –> 00:09:51,340That if we put our love alongside christ’s love12400:09:52,460 –> 00:09:55,979Then it’s like comparing a flickering candle12500:09:56,859 –> 00:09:59,580With the radiance and the brilliance of the sun12600:10:01,659 –> 00:10:03,919But then he makes this wonderful comment12700:10:05,500 –> 00:10:07,099Yet12800:10:07,099 –> 00:10:09,099As light is light12900:10:09,979 –> 00:10:13,020Whether in the candle or in the sun13000:10:14,700 –> 00:10:16,700So love is love13100:10:17,979 –> 00:10:19,979Whether in christ13200:10:20,940 –> 00:10:22,940Or in us13300:10:24,059 –> 00:10:26,059However flickering13400:10:27,179 –> 00:10:33,020There is if you are in christ a true reflection of the love of god13500:10:34,460 –> 00:10:36,219In you13600:10:36,299 –> 00:10:39,979You’re listening to open the bible with pastor colin smith and a message called13700:10:40,520 –> 00:10:44,619Assurance grows as you love god’s people part of our series13800:10:44,780 –> 00:10:50,700How can I be sure all about having assurance of salvation and if you ever miss one of the series?13900:10:50,859 –> 00:10:55,900Don’t forget you can easily catch up or go back and listen again online at our website14000:10:56,219 –> 00:10:59,340Open the bible dot org dot uk there14100:10:59,340 –> 00:11:06,059You’ll find all the messages which have already been broadcast and you’ll also find them as a podcast on all the main podcast sites14200:11:06,619 –> 00:11:10,799Search for open the bible uk or follow the link from our website14300:11:11,419 –> 00:11:18,219Back to the message now, we’re in 1 john chapter 2 verses 7 to 11 and here again is colin14400:11:18,859 –> 00:11:21,099In the church that I grew up in14500:11:21,799 –> 00:11:23,820scotland14600:11:23,820 –> 00:11:29,179The sunday morning service had a pattern in which about a third of the way through14700:11:30,140 –> 00:11:33,419We sang what was known as the children’s hymn14800:11:34,299 –> 00:11:41,020a hymn that expressed the truths of the gospel in very simple language that a child could understand and14900:11:41,340 –> 00:11:43,900After we sang that the children would leave15000:11:44,059 –> 00:11:48,619For the sunday school and there was a fairly limited range of these songs15100:11:48,940 –> 00:11:52,299And so we sang them many many times and there was one15200:11:52,619 –> 00:11:58,619That um, we sang very often. It was called it is a thing most wonderful15300:11:58,700 –> 00:12:03,119It began with these words. It is a thing most wonderful15400:12:03,739 –> 00:12:06,140Almost too wonderful to be15500:12:06,780 –> 00:12:13,099That god’s own son should come from heaven and die to save a child15600:12:14,140 –> 00:12:16,140like me15700:12:16,299 –> 00:12:18,299Now it had a verse15800:12:19,020 –> 00:12:21,840that I just didn’t understand15900:12:23,580 –> 00:12:25,580And I remember quite well16000:12:25,979 –> 00:12:27,979around the age of 1316100:12:28,140 –> 00:12:35,099Which is probably the age at which a number of us started sort of picking away at things and finding fault with things16200:12:36,140 –> 00:12:38,140I began to think to myself16300:12:39,340 –> 00:12:41,580The writer of this hymn has got it16400:12:42,200 –> 00:12:44,200absolutely wrong16500:12:44,700 –> 00:12:49,580And let me read the verse to you and see if you can spot why I was thinking that16600:12:51,900 –> 00:12:54,299It is most wonderful to know16700:12:54,299 –> 00:12:58,140his love for me so free and sure16800:12:59,419 –> 00:13:01,419But tis16900:13:01,419 –> 00:13:03,760More wonderful to see17000:13:04,619 –> 00:13:06,619My love for him17100:13:06,940 –> 00:13:08,299so faint17200:13:08,299 –> 00:13:10,299and poor17300:13:10,780 –> 00:13:17,260And as I’m sure too arrogant 13 year old. I remember thinking he’s got it the wrong way around17400:13:18,059 –> 00:13:20,059It’s got to be a misprint17500:13:20,219 –> 00:13:21,979He’s made a mistake17600:13:21,979 –> 00:13:25,760I mean how in the world could it be more wonderful?17700:13:26,700 –> 00:13:30,940For me to see my flickering faint and poor love for jesus17800:13:31,099 –> 00:13:35,919How could that be more wonderful than seeing? Jesus great? Love for me, huh? He’s got it the wrong way around17900:13:38,859 –> 00:13:42,539But you see here’s what the writer was getting at and surely why he was right18000:13:44,619 –> 00:13:51,580Our love for god is the evidence that his great love has actually reached us18100:13:52,299 –> 00:13:55,340And that is the greatest miracle of your life18200:13:57,739 –> 00:14:00,619We really have come to know and to love god18300:14:02,460 –> 00:14:06,619And even if our love for him is faint and poor18400:14:06,940 –> 00:14:12,299And even if it’s not what it should be and certainly not what one day it will be18500:14:12,700 –> 00:14:18,059We can stand with peter and we can say to jesus lord, you know that I love you18600:14:19,820 –> 00:14:21,820You know that I love you18700:14:22,619 –> 00:14:25,820The love of god in all its fullness is in him18800:14:27,099 –> 00:14:29,099That is in jesus18900:14:29,340 –> 00:14:34,219And the love of god, however faintly brother sister in christ is in19000:14:35,260 –> 00:14:36,619you19100:14:36,619 –> 00:14:44,059It has been poured into your heart by the holy spirit, and that is why it is possible for you19200:14:44,700 –> 00:14:46,700to love19300:14:47,260 –> 00:14:49,900And that leads to the sixth thing that follows from this19400:14:50,859 –> 00:14:52,859Because love comes from god19500:14:53,099 –> 00:14:56,059And because his love really has reached into us19600:14:57,260 –> 00:15:01,020God therefore calls us to love one another19700:15:02,059 –> 00:15:07,099Chapter four and verse seven beloved. Let us love one another for love is from god19800:15:07,500 –> 00:15:11,179And whoever loves has been born of god and knows god19900:15:12,020 –> 00:15:13,099Beloved20000:15:13,099 –> 00:15:15,099If god so loved us20100:15:15,979 –> 00:15:17,979We also ought to love20200:15:18,859 –> 00:15:20,380One another20300:15:20,380 –> 00:15:27,979now notice here that john in both of these verses refers to the believers to whom he is writing as20400:15:28,859 –> 00:15:30,219Beloved20500:15:30,219 –> 00:15:36,380And if you read through the letter of first john, it’s just five chapters and no less than six times20600:15:37,099 –> 00:15:39,099He uses this term20700:15:39,159 –> 00:15:40,580beloved20800:15:40,580 –> 00:15:42,580dearly loved20900:15:42,580 –> 00:15:43,900ones21000:15:43,900 –> 00:15:48,880In other words. John in speaking about love is leading by example21100:15:49,820 –> 00:15:52,859He wants believers to grow in love21200:15:53,820 –> 00:15:58,700And he speaks to them as one who truly loves them21300:16:00,299 –> 00:16:07,820Now always remember this our love for one another must be more than words but it should never be less21400:16:08,340 –> 00:16:12,700We must speak to one another in love21500:16:14,979 –> 00:16:18,859You can’t scold people into love21600:16:21,380 –> 00:16:26,940But you can love people into love is that not how God has dealt with you21700:16:28,900 –> 00:16:31,979This love has conquered your heart21800:16:33,739 –> 00:16:35,460Beloved21900:16:35,580 –> 00:16:40,659Beloved, let us love one another22000:16:42,140 –> 00:16:47,059For love is from God and whoever loves has been born of God and really knows Him22100:16:49,900 –> 00:16:54,059Beloved, if God has so loved us22200:16:55,380 –> 00:16:59,940Let us, then love one another22300:17:01,780 –> 00:17:03,979Now, why is this so important?22400:17:04,339 –> 00:17:09,339Why is this such a priority in the family of God?22500:17:10,380 –> 00:17:14,380Let me give two reasons from 1 John here22600:17:14,380 –> 00:17:17,500The first is to do with the purpose of God22700:17:17,500 –> 00:17:22,060Notice in 1 John, chapter 4 and verse 1222800:17:22,060 –> 00:17:30,979If we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us22900:17:31,859 –> 00:17:34,900Now we’ve seen this word perfected before23000:17:34,900 –> 00:17:38,339We saw it last week in chapter 2 and verse 523100:17:38,339 –> 00:17:44,339Whoever keeps his word, in him truly, the love of God is perfected23200:17:45,459 –> 00:17:50,420And we saw that this word perfected has a very specific meaning23300:17:50,420 –> 00:17:53,459That God’s love has a mission23400:17:54,420 –> 00:17:55,540It has a purpose23500:17:55,540 –> 00:17:56,979It has a goal23600:17:56,979 –> 00:18:01,540And God’s great purpose is to reproduce his love in us23700:18:02,900 –> 00:18:06,500So when we love, it’s as if God says,23800:18:07,060 –> 00:18:08,339Mission accomplished23900:18:09,459 –> 00:18:11,219My love has reached its goal24000:18:12,180 –> 00:18:14,819My love is fulfilling its purpose24100:18:14,819 –> 00:18:17,780My love is being made complete24200:18:18,739 –> 00:18:21,699This matters because it is the very purpose of God24300:18:21,699 –> 00:18:29,859And it matters because God’s people are called to be the light of the world24400:18:30,420 –> 00:18:33,859Look one more time, if you would, at 1 John Chapter 2 in verse 824500:18:35,459 –> 00:18:39,219It is a new commandment, John says, that I’m writing to you24600:18:40,180 –> 00:18:44,500which is true in him and in you24700:18:45,780 –> 00:18:50,579Because the darkness is passing away24800:18:52,180 –> 00:18:55,780and the true light is already shining24900:18:57,939 –> 00:19:02,420Now again, that’s a statement that you might look at and say is that really right?25000:19:03,459 –> 00:19:09,300You might remember that Jesus said we must do the work of God while it is day25100:19:09,300 –> 00:19:11,939because the night is coming when no one can work25200:19:12,979 –> 00:19:16,260We have a limited time in which we can serve the Lord25300:19:16,260 –> 00:19:18,979We’re all given a day that is assigned to us25400:19:18,979 –> 00:19:20,739But then the night comes25500:19:21,380 –> 00:19:22,739Our time will soon be gone25600:19:22,739 –> 00:19:28,180So we got to make the best use of the time that we have while we have it25700:19:28,180 –> 00:19:34,420But you see John is saying something else here that we also really need to hear today25800:19:36,420 –> 00:19:38,420The darkness is passing away25900:19:39,859 –> 00:19:44,260and the reason for that is that the true light is already shining26000:19:44,260 –> 00:19:50,339Imagine for a moment that you’re looking at26100:19:50,339 –> 00:19:53,540the world from someplace in outer space26200:19:55,300 –> 00:19:58,819And what you see looks very, very dark26300:20:00,660 –> 00:20:04,979But then you see a single point of light26400:20:04,979 –> 00:20:06,260It’s unmistakable26500:20:08,339 –> 00:20:09,619And then you see another26600:20:10,900 –> 00:20:11,859And then another26700:20:12,099 –> 00:20:15,619Remember, the points of light are spreading26800:20:16,500 –> 00:20:20,579They are spreading north, and south, and east, and west26900:20:20,579 –> 00:20:23,140And as they spread, they multiply27000:20:24,420 –> 00:20:25,859Now, you see what John is saying27100:20:26,979 –> 00:20:31,140Where brothers and sisters in Christ love one another27200:20:32,260 –> 00:20:36,420They’re the light of God’s love is shining in this dark world27300:20:37,219 –> 00:20:43,219Your love for one another shines in the darkness27400:20:44,180 –> 00:20:49,699Jesus said to his disciples, you are the light of the world27500:20:49,699 –> 00:20:53,380So let your light shine before others27600:20:53,380 –> 00:20:57,619The light of God’s love is shining in the life27700:20:57,619 –> 00:21:02,099The lives of these believers to whom John is writing27800:21:02,099 –> 00:21:05,939The new commandment he says it has been fulfilled in Jesus27900:21:06,020 –> 00:21:08,900And it is being fulfilled in you28000:21:08,900 –> 00:21:12,500The light is shining and because the light in you is shining28100:21:12,500 –> 00:21:14,420The darkness cannot overcome it28200:21:14,420 –> 00:21:16,900You’re like a point of light in this darkness28300:21:18,099 –> 00:21:22,660And you penetrate it to the praise and glory of God28400:21:23,780 –> 00:21:26,660And for the hope of those who are desperately28500:21:27,380 –> 00:21:30,260DESPERATELY lost28600:21:30,260 –> 00:21:33,140And that therefore leads to the very last thing today28700:21:33,140 –> 00:21:39,780Just briefly, that assurance grows as we love God’s people28800:21:41,060 –> 00:21:43,219Look at it in chapter 4 in verse 728900:21:44,739 –> 00:21:49,699Whoever loves has been born of God29000:21:51,060 –> 00:21:52,020And knows God29100:21:53,459 –> 00:21:55,219Or chapter 2 in verse 1029200:21:55,219 –> 00:21:58,979Whoever loves his brother abides in the light29300:22:00,500 –> 00:22:02,900And in him there is no cause29400:22:02,979 –> 00:22:03,859For stumbling29500:22:05,459 –> 00:22:07,859And most of all chapter 3 in verse 1429600:22:07,859 –> 00:22:10,260This most marvellous statement about assurance29700:22:11,780 –> 00:22:12,739We know29800:22:14,180 –> 00:22:17,859That we have passed out of death into life29900:22:17,859 –> 00:22:21,780Because we love the brothers30000:22:24,500 –> 00:22:26,739Dear brothers and sisters in Christ30100:22:26,739 –> 00:22:34,979Love one another and you will know that you have been born of God30200:22:37,300 –> 00:22:41,780Love one another and you will abide in the light30300:22:44,099 –> 00:22:46,979Love one another and you will know30400:22:48,579 –> 00:22:52,020That you have passed from death30500:22:53,859 –> 00:22:56,180And you have come into the glorious life30600:22:57,619 –> 00:23:01,060that Jesus Christ alone is able to give30700:23:03,140 –> 00:23:07,300That’s a wonderful truth here on open the bible with pastor colin smith and a30800:23:07,300 –> 00:23:11,380message called assurance grows as you love God’s people.30900:23:11,380 –> 00:23:14,500if you’ve missed any of the series don’t forget you can always31000:23:14,500 –> 00:23:20,500catch up or go back and listen again online at our website openthebible.org.uk31100:23:20,500 –> 00:23:25,300Open the bible is supported financially by our listeners31200:23:25,380 –> 00:23:28,900by many groups and individuals who make generous donations31300:23:28,900 –> 00:23:32,420regularly or just once. If you’re considering31400:23:32,420 –> 00:23:36,979becoming one of our contributors thank you so much. You can give online31500:23:36,979 –> 00:23:40,420at our website which makes it easy to set up either a31600:23:40,420 –> 00:23:44,099one-off gift or a regular direct debit. Just click31700:23:44,099 –> 00:23:47,300on the donate button at the top right of your computer screen31800:23:47,300 –> 00:23:50,819or at the bottom of the drop down menu on your phone.31900:23:50,819 –> 00:23:54,500Here’s open the bible’s amanda cunningham to talk about this month’s32000:23:54,500 –> 00:24:00,260thank you gift. Do you sometimes feel like life is a constant battle?32100:24:00,260 –> 00:24:03,540In the 10 greatest struggles of your life colin smith32200:24:03,540 –> 00:24:06,739looks at the everyday struggles we all face32300:24:06,739 –> 00:24:11,699like time, truth, contentment and shows us how they connect to our32400:24:11,699 –> 00:24:15,380relationship with god and the 10 commandments.32500:24:15,380 –> 00:24:18,660But this book isn’t about rules, it’s about finding32600:24:18,660 –> 00:24:23,780real freedom and purpose. Plus there’s a great study guide at the back32700:24:23,780 –> 00:24:28,260perfect for reading on your own, or with a small group at church perhaps.32800:24:28,260 –> 00:24:31,459We’d love to send you a copy along with 532900:24:31,459 –> 00:24:37,380beautiful Psalm 23 note cards when you give a one-off gift of 50 pounds33000:24:37,380 –> 00:24:42,339or set up a new direct debit of five pounds or more this September.33100:24:42,339 –> 00:24:46,020Just don’t forget to include your address when you donate.33200:24:46,020 –> 00:24:50,339This offer is available all this month when you set up a new direct debit for33300:24:50,339 –> 00:24:54,739five pounds or more, or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more.33400:24:54,739 –> 00:24:59,780Full terms and conditions are on our website openthebible.org.uk33500:24:59,780 –> 00:25:04,180You can give directly online. Please remember to include your full33600:25:04,180 –> 00:25:07,780name and address so that we can send you your free gift.33700:25:07,780 –> 00:25:11,219For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith I’m David Pick33800:25:11,219 –> 00:25:19,300and I hope you’ll join us again next time.33900:25:19,459 –> 00:25:21,140You could spend your entire life34000:25:21,140 –> 00:25:26,979reading what people have said about Jesus, but what does God say about Jesus?34100:25:26,979 –> 00:25:33,859Find out next time on Open the Bible.
