100:00:00,120 –> 00:00:05,140What then are the distinguishing marks of a true Christian200:00:09,020 –> 00:00:12,800How would you know a Christian if you were to spot one?300:00:12,800 –> 00:00:18,660You say oh, that’s really a Christian. I know by the distinguishing marks.400:00:18,660 –> 00:00:22,940Or to put this more personally, because why should we always be thinking about others,500:00:22,940 –> 00:00:28,379how can I know that I am a true Christian and not a fake.600:00:28,540 –> 00:00:33,419Welcome to open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick, glad you could join us today.700:00:33,419 –> 00:00:38,740And Colin, today we begin a series all about how to make progress in the Christian life and800:00:38,740 –> 00:00:44,299we’re going to answer that question. What are the distinguishing marks of a true Christian?900:00:44,299 –> 00:00:48,540Yeah and it’s obviously a really important question. The first thing that a person1000:00:48,540 –> 00:00:53,500would say by way of answer is that obviously a Christian is a person who believes. Believe in1100:00:53,500 –> 00:00:58,700the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. But then of course the book of James tells us that1200:00:58,700 –> 00:01:02,939you know the devil believes in terms of believing that there’s a God that exists. He knows1300:01:02,939 –> 00:01:08,300everything that happened to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so there’s something more here than simply1400:01:08,300 –> 00:01:11,739signing off. Then there’s other people come from a different place and they say well of1500:01:11,739 –> 00:01:16,059course it’s all about putting it into practice. And that’s true. You know whoever hears these1600:01:16,059 –> 00:01:22,220words of mine and puts them into practice is like someone who builds on solid rock.1700:01:22,220 –> 00:01:28,379But then again simply doing things in and of itself is not conclusive evidence of faith.1800:01:28,379 –> 00:01:32,779Jesus says there’ll be many people who were engaged in ministry in my name and I shall1900:01:32,779 –> 00:01:37,980say I never knew you which is one of the most striking verses in all of the words of Jesus.2000:01:37,980 –> 00:01:43,820So we’re going to look at certain marks that are cultivated in the life of a person who truly2100:01:43,820 –> 00:01:49,180belongs to Christ and they’re described in these wonderful verses that we know as the Beatitudes.2200:01:49,180 –> 00:01:54,860The life that is blessed and it begins with this being poor in spirit. This recognizing2300:01:54,860 –> 00:02:00,620my own need, a humility that comes to a person who genuinely belongs to Jesus Christ.2400:02:00,620 –> 00:02:04,620It’s a wonderful passage of scripture for us to dive into and to open up together.2500:02:04,620 –> 00:02:07,580So today we are looking at the Beatitudes which are in Matthew2600:02:07,580 –> 00:02:12,699chapter 5 so join us there if you can as we begin our message Blessed.2700:02:12,699 –> 00:02:13,979Here is Pastor Colin.2800:02:14,860 –> 00:02:20,940Folks it’s an absolute joy to be back in the pulpit today and to be beginning a new series2900:02:20,940 –> 00:02:25,899which is going to be on the Beatitudes that have been read to us from Matthew chapter 5.3000:02:25,899 –> 00:02:29,740You might like to open your Bible there think of this.3100:02:29,740 –> 00:02:32,940These are the statements of the blessing of God that3200:02:32,940 –> 00:02:37,740are given to us directly from the lips of the Son of God.3300:02:38,699 –> 00:02:42,220Over these last weeks it’s been my privilege to really immerse3400:02:42,860 –> 00:02:47,899myself in these words of Jesus and I have to tell you that they are having3500:02:47,899 –> 00:02:55,020a profound effect on me. I have found them to be absolutely compelling.3600:02:56,220 –> 00:03:00,460Think about it here is the Son of God speaking about life3700:03:00,460 –> 00:03:03,580under the blessing of God. Who doesn’t want to roll up3800:03:03,580 –> 00:03:08,940a chair and listen to him speak about this. Everyone wants to be blessed.3900:03:08,940 –> 00:03:10,539You want to be blessed in your life.4000:03:11,580 –> 00:03:16,300You want to be blessed in your death. You certainly want to be blessed for4100:03:16,300 –> 00:03:21,419all eternity and here the Son of God speaks to you and to me about the very4200:03:21,419 –> 00:03:23,820thing that we seek after more than any other.4300:03:25,339 –> 00:03:29,580The opposite of being blessed is what? It is to be cursed.4400:03:29,580 –> 00:03:32,380Who wants that? Who wants that?4500:03:33,339 –> 00:03:39,820But here the Son of God is speaking to us about a life and about people4600:03:40,940 –> 00:03:47,339who are blessed. And as I’ve tried to immerse myself in this I have found4700:03:47,339 –> 00:03:52,619myself saying I want to be very sure that I am one of these people that are4800:03:52,619 –> 00:03:59,100blessed. I want to be stretching further in relation to pursuing this life that4900:03:59,179 –> 00:04:07,339Jesus Himself the son of God has pronounced to be blessed. I found the beatitude compelling5000:04:07,339 –> 00:04:13,020not only because the Son of God speaks about blessing but because as well as describing5100:04:13,020 –> 00:04:21,500the blessed life our Lord Jesus here actually gives us the way by which we pursue it. This5200:04:21,500 –> 00:04:27,179to me has been the greatest and most exciting discovery of the year in my own life in the5300:04:27,179 –> 00:04:33,119Scriptures as it has come fresh to me. I want to show you beginning today from the very5400:04:33,119 –> 00:04:39,480words of Jesus how you can make progress in the Christian life. If you are a follower5500:04:39,480 –> 00:04:45,600of Jesus, you will probably know what it is at times in your Christian life to feel stuck.5600:04:45,600 –> 00:04:49,440To get to a point where you say, well here I am I’m a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ,5700:04:49,440 –> 00:04:55,279I’m stuck and there seem to be some things that are beyond my reach how can I get some5800:04:55,359 –> 00:05:04,000momentum? How can I begin to move forward again? And I am finding that these beatitudes5900:05:04,000 –> 00:05:10,480are not only powerful in my own life but they are proving to be immensely useful in ministry6000:05:10,480 –> 00:05:17,500to others. So if you think of some of the really practical questions that come up in6100:05:17,500 –> 00:05:22,220the course of life, here is someone who says there is so much impurity in my heart and6200:05:22,260 –> 00:05:29,739I want to be pure, but how do I get there? How would you help that person? You’ve got6300:05:29,739 –> 00:05:38,059a teenager at home and he or she is full of all kinds of tensions that are going on in6400:05:38,059 –> 00:05:42,200the very course in stage of the development of their life and they are bringing all that6500:05:42,200 –> 00:05:49,179tension that is inside of them into the home and we read here about blessed are the peacemakers6600:05:49,660 –> 00:05:56,299you say oh how would I get to a place? How would I help my son get to a place, my daughter6700:05:56,299 –> 00:06:02,440get to a place where there is some greater peace within her so that she can bring peace6800:06:02,440 –> 00:06:07,260with her in the home and elsewhere and not turmoil as so easily happens. These are the6900:06:07,260 –> 00:06:13,100real questions of life. They’re questions about how you get to the place that you want7000:06:13,100 –> 00:06:18,959to be and we’re going to discover throughout these next weeks that in the beatitudes our7100:06:18,959 –> 00:06:27,100Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to us precisely about these things, so I find this absolutely7200:06:27,100 –> 00:06:36,359compelling. I am finding these beatitudes also to be profoundly searching. I’ve tried7300:06:36,359 –> 00:06:46,760to immerse myself in these scriptures. Here is the life, the person that the son of God7400:06:46,760 –> 00:06:54,239is pronouncing blessed. So then, I must ask this question, is he then describing me? I7500:06:54,239 –> 00:07:03,720read these verses. Is this me? Am I displaying? And in what degree? The character of the person7600:07:03,720 –> 00:07:09,799who the son of God says is blessed. Because, of course, what matters ultimately is not7700:07:09,799 –> 00:07:15,040that I think I’m blessed or that I feel that I’m blessed, but that God himself pronounces7800:07:15,079 –> 00:07:20,820me to be blessed because those who are blessed of God are blessed indeed, and Jesus, here,7900:07:20,820 –> 00:07:27,820describes those who are blessed of God. Third, I found that these Beatitudes are leading8000:07:27,820 –> 00:07:33,679me to worship because they are giving me glimpses of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. You see,8100:07:33,679 –> 00:07:39,040here’s the amazing thing, the wonderful thing that what you hear in the words of Jesus,8200:07:39,040 –> 00:07:48,839you see in the life of Jesus. There is no disjuncture. You look at any other person8300:07:48,839 –> 00:07:52,760you will meet in this world, and you will see at some point a disjuncture between what8400:07:52,760 –> 00:07:59,040is said and what is done. You will never see that disjuncture in Jesus and everything that8500:07:59,040 –> 00:08:06,500he pronounces here in these Beatitudes, Jesus Christ practices what he preaches. And so8600:08:06,760 –> 00:08:10,760meditating on these Beatitudes is leading me to worship as I see these things in the8700:08:10,760 –> 00:08:19,079life of Jesus and see more clearly and with fresh glimpses his glory and his beauty. Worship8800:08:19,079 –> 00:08:23,100happens when we get a glimpse of the Son of God, and so we are going to be looking for8900:08:23,100 –> 00:08:28,940glimpses of the Son of God all the way through this series in these weeks that lie ahead9000:08:28,940 –> 00:08:32,219of us. You are listening to Open the Bible with Pastor9100:08:32,400 –> 00:08:38,159Colin Smith and a message called Blessed. The first part of our new series Momentum9200:08:38,159 –> 00:08:43,739all about how to make progress in the Christian life, based on the Beatitudes.9300:08:43,739 –> 00:08:47,739If you miss one of the messages in the series, you can catch up, or go back and listen to9400:08:47,739 –> 00:08:54,739them again by coming online to our website, thats in openthebible.org.uk, also available9500:08:54,739 –> 00:08:57,580as a podcast on all the main podcast sites.9600:08:57,580 –> 00:09:01,179Search therefore Open the Bible UK9700:09:01,539 –> 00:09:04,039Back to the message now, here again is Pastor Colin9800:09:04,039 –> 00:09:07,039Now today is an introduction to the series9900:09:07,059 –> 00:09:13,000I want us to become familiar with the Beatitudes as a whole, and then we’ll be moving through10000:09:13,000 –> 00:09:20,479them in particular. And today I especially want us to grasp how we are to use these Beatitudes.10100:09:20,479 –> 00:09:26,979To get the big picture as to how they are useful and how you can use them in your own10200:09:26,979 –> 00:09:28,580life,10300:09:28,679 –> 00:09:31,500it’s invariably a question as we come to the Word of God.10400:09:31,500 –> 00:09:36,099Now how am I to use this in the next week well I want to answer that question in three10500:09:36,099 –> 00:09:41,419ways this morning so that we have that framework in our minds as we move through the series10600:09:41,419 –> 00:09:46,760we are constantly thinking about how we are to apply and to use these things in our lives.10700:09:46,760 –> 00:09:53,380I want to suggest that we use this first as a tool for discernment.10800:09:53,380 –> 00:09:57,260A tool for discernment.10900:09:57,520 –> 00:10:02,099Now, I want you to think with me for a moment about bird spotting.11000:10:02,099 –> 00:10:05,179You go out with your binoculars some of you know a lot about this.11100:10:05,179 –> 00:10:09,359I don’t know much about it but enough to use the illustration.11200:10:09,359 –> 00:10:16,900You go out with your binoculars and you are looking to spot a few feathered friends.11300:10:16,900 –> 00:10:23,059You look towards some trees and there you see an American Goldfinch.11400:10:23,059 –> 00:10:26,960Now how do you know that it is an American Goldfinch?11500:10:26,960 –> 00:10:32,780The answer is you know because of its distinctive yellow color.11600:10:32,780 –> 00:10:38,039You walk along the river and you see a Spotted Sandpiper.11700:10:38,039 –> 00:10:41,039How do you know that this is a Spotted Sandpiper?11800:10:41,039 –> 00:10:44,960The answer is that it has very distinctive spots.11900:10:44,960 –> 00:10:48,159The point here is a very simple one.12000:10:48,159 –> 00:10:52,679Birds are known by their distinguishing marks.12100:10:52,679 –> 00:10:55,559That’s how you know one breed from another.12200:10:55,559 –> 00:10:56,900Question.12300:10:56,900 –> 00:11:04,359What, then, are the distinguishing marks of a true Christian?12400:11:04,359 –> 00:11:08,320How would you know a Christian if you were to spot one?12500:11:08,320 –> 00:11:10,919You think well that’s really a Christian.12600:11:10,919 –> 00:11:14,340I know by the distinguishing marks.12700:11:14,340 –> 00:11:18,900Or to put this more personally, because why should we always be thinking about others,12800:11:19,020 –> 00:11:24,299How can I know that I am a true Christian and not a fake?12900:11:24,299 –> 00:11:27,500That’s a question worth asking.13000:11:27,500 –> 00:11:30,700What are the distinguishing marks of a true child of God?13100:11:30,700 –> 00:11:32,700Now let’s think about this together for a moment.13200:11:32,700 –> 00:11:34,179How would you answer that question?13300:11:34,179 –> 00:11:39,539Well you see, someone might say, well I would know that a person is a Christian by what13400:11:39,539 –> 00:11:42,039they believe.13500:11:42,039 –> 00:11:44,580That’s a good answer.13600:11:44,580 –> 00:11:47,059God has revealed certain truths in the scripture.13700:11:47,260 –> 00:11:51,080If a person does not believe them, they cannot be a Christian.13800:11:51,080 –> 00:11:58,760As a test of truth Jesus says, unless you believe that I am He you will die in your13900:11:58,760 –> 00:11:59,960sins.14000:11:59,960 –> 00:12:04,020Well if someone says that they are a Christian but they do not believe that Jesus is the14100:12:04,020 –> 00:12:06,960Messiah and the Son of God, that cannot possibly be the case.14200:12:06,960 –> 00:12:11,479Jesus says there are certain beliefs that are distinguishing marks of a Christian.14300:12:11,479 –> 00:12:15,219The work of God is to believe in the Father who has sent Me.14400:12:15,440 –> 00:12:18,440There are certain beliefs without which a person cannot be a Christian.14500:12:18,440 –> 00:12:22,359That, by the way, is why we have a statement of faith as part of church membership, because14600:12:22,359 –> 00:12:24,059there is a test of truth.14700:12:24,059 –> 00:12:31,080But remember this, that Jesus says that even the devils believe, James says in the New Testament.14800:12:32,000 –> 00:12:34,679Hell knows that Christ died for sins.14900:12:34,679 –> 00:12:38,460It knows it to its own horror but it knows it nonetheless.15000:12:38,460 –> 00:12:42,219Hell knows that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.15100:12:43,219 –> 00:12:47,719God knows it to its own terror but knows it to be truth nonetheless.15200:12:49,419 –> 00:12:55,159And all of us have heard stories of people who have professed faith, who do profess faith,15300:12:55,159 –> 00:12:59,340and then continue to live a life of indulging their sins of choice.15400:12:59,340 –> 00:13:03,640That person is not a Christian, that person is a hypocrite, that’s the only word that15500:13:03,640 –> 00:13:06,320could be used for that.15600:13:07,219 –> 00:13:13,239So what a person believes then is a necessary mark of a Christian but it is15700:13:13,239 –> 00:13:21,020not a sufficient mark of a Christian. So how would you spot a true Christian?15800:13:21,020 –> 00:13:26,679Well someone might say, well I would know that a person is a Christian by what they do.15900:13:26,679 –> 00:13:30,760It’s not just saying what you believe that matters of course, it’s putting it16000:13:30,760 –> 00:13:34,659into practice, and again that is a good answer.16100:13:34,659 –> 00:13:42,719Jesus says, the one who hears my words and who puts them into practice is like16200:13:42,719 –> 00:13:48,099the wise man who builds his house on the rock.16300:13:48,099 –> 00:13:53,320And yet you’ll remember you’ll see just over a couple of pages if you want to turn in16400:13:53,320 –> 00:13:57,880Matthew chapter 7 and verse 21, one of the most frightening verses in all of16500:13:57,880 –> 00:14:03,099the New Testament, Jesus speaks quite clearly there about the last day when he16600:14:03,099 –> 00:14:12,500will say to people, to certain people, depart from me, I never knew you.16700:14:12,500 –> 00:14:16,200And the reason that these verses I think that that verse is so frightening and so16800:14:16,219 –> 00:14:21,900astonishing is that these people are evidently taken completely by surprise.16900:14:21,900 –> 00:14:26,539They are taken by surprise because it never occurred to them that they might17000:14:26,539 –> 00:14:31,400not actually be Christians. And furthermore because they were quite17100:14:31,400 –> 00:14:37,359clearly actively engaged in ministry. And so they say to Jesus on the last17200:14:37,359 –> 00:14:43,679day, did we not prophesy in your name, did we not, listen to this, cast out demons17300:14:43,679 –> 00:14:49,359in your name, and do mighty works in your name. So these are impressive things17400:14:49,359 –> 00:14:54,119that have been accomplished on Earth in the name of the Son of God by these17500:14:54,159 –> 00:15:03,299people who were not Christians. And Jesus says, depart from me, for I never knew you,17600:15:03,299 –> 00:15:09,299and they are completely astonished. So Jesus is making it clear here. Think17700:15:09,299 –> 00:15:17,539about this with me, that preaching a sermon about Jesus, as I’m privileged to17800:15:18,320 –> 00:15:28,640or bringing deliverance to other people in the name of Jesus, these things are17900:15:28,640 –> 00:15:33,039not in themselves conclusive evidence that a person actually is a Christian.18000:15:33,039 –> 00:15:40,599That’s what we’re learning here. So here’s what that means for me. It would18100:15:40,640 –> 00:15:48,140absolutely no value whatsoever for me to stand in the18200:15:48,140 –> 00:15:56,820presence of God on the last day and to say Lord, I was the senior pastor of the18300:15:56,820 –> 00:16:04,580Orchard Evangelical Free Church in Chicago. That would be of no value at all18400:16:04,840 –> 00:16:14,359on the last day, because that is not what he has pronounced blessed. What has he18500:16:14,359 –> 00:16:25,140pronounced blessed? Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of18600:16:26,140 –> 00:16:37,380heaven.’ So this is very searching for all of us who may bide into a position or18700:16:37,380 –> 00:16:45,380experience run the danger of being presumptive. Jesus does not begin with a18800:16:45,380 –> 00:16:52,559class on all the doctrines of the Bible, he does not begin by saying let’s get18900:16:52,900 –> 00:17:01,619guys involved in a ministry, he begins by saying let me tell you what a person19000:17:01,619 –> 00:17:11,140who lives under the blessing of God looks like. And by doing that Jesus then19100:17:11,140 –> 00:17:17,479is inviting us to measure ourselves isn’t he? I read these Beatitudes I have19200:17:17,479 –> 00:17:20,880to ask are these the things I am pursuing. I have to say to myself now19300:17:20,900 –> 00:17:25,959look Colin forget being a senior pastor forget the19400:17:25,959 –> 00:17:30,939fact that you’ve been a Christian for the best part of 50 years. You can look19500:17:30,939 –> 00:17:35,959back on a decision here’s the question you have to look at Colin, are these the19600:17:35,959 –> 00:17:41,920things you are pursuing. Is there evidence of these things that is growing19700:17:42,099 –> 00:17:52,180in your life? That’s searching! So I’m inviting you to open your heart with me19800:17:52,180 –> 00:17:56,160to the searching gaze of Jesus in this series. Let’s just just just look at19900:17:56,160 –> 00:18:00,859these very briefly to get an orientation to where the searchlight shines. I’ll20000:18:00,859 –> 00:18:08,140begin at verse 9 and work backwards. Blessed are the peacemakers. So I have to20100:18:08,160 –> 00:18:16,140ask am I a person who’s bringing peace? The family? In, in my workplace? Do people20200:18:16,140 –> 00:18:21,140experience tension around me? Is is that is that what people say and what people20300:18:21,140 –> 00:18:27,959experience? Does peace follow me because it lives in me? Or are other people20400:18:27,959 –> 00:18:35,979experiencing tension from me because of the turmoil that is within me? Verse 820500:18:36,060 –> 00:18:41,760Blessed are the pure in heart. I have to ask the question, what is the condition20600:18:41,760 –> 00:18:47,699of my heart? To what extent is it marked by purity? And to what extent is this20700:18:47,699 –> 00:18:58,880heart marked by impurity? Because blessed are the pure in heart. Verse 7, blessed20800:18:58,880 –> 00:19:04,760are the merciful. How am i doing when it comes to this whole business of20900:19:04,760 –> 00:19:11,920forgiving others? Am I quick to forgive? Am I merciful towards the weaknesses and21000:19:11,920 –> 00:19:17,699the failings of other people? As God is merciful to the many, many weaknesses and21100:19:17,699 –> 00:19:25,199failings that are in me! Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for21200:19:25,199 –> 00:19:32,900righteousness! Does that describe you? Or have you become a casual Christian? I21300:19:33,060 –> 00:19:40,079go a day without food and at the end of it my stomach thinks my throat has been21400:19:40,079 –> 00:19:47,640cut! One day without food and you know a great how I’d do anything for a beef21500:19:47,640 –> 00:19:52,939sandwich! Is that how you are feeling on a day to day basis about the pursuit of21600:19:52,939 –> 00:19:59,800righteousness? I’d do anything for that! Any cost just get me to what is right21700:19:59,800 –> 00:20:05,380whatever the difficulties involved let me do what is right because I I glory in21800:20:05,380 –> 00:20:10,880the Righteous One who is Jesus Christ and and I want to pursue everything21900:20:10,880 –> 00:20:17,800that is a reflection of Him and I want to be more and more like Him. Ask yourself22000:20:17,800 –> 00:20:26,680as you read Jesus’ description of the blessed person, is he describing me? Am I22100:20:26,680 –> 00:20:31,239submitting myself to the will of God even when it is difficult?22200:20:31,239 –> 00:20:37,540By the way that’s what’s meant by meekness as we’ll see later. Am I22300:20:37,540 –> 00:20:42,239mourning over my sins so that I’m beginning to hate what I used to love22400:20:42,239 –> 00:20:49,900and I’m learning to despise what I used to choose is that happening? And do I22500:20:49,900 –> 00:20:55,839recognize that when I have done all I have nothing to offer God but come22600:20:55,959 –> 00:21:01,119before Him. Hanging on the mercy of Christ still at the end as at the22700:21:01,119 –> 00:21:09,619beginning an undeserving sinner. That person is blessed says Jesus.22800:21:09,619 –> 00:21:11,920You’ve been listening to22900:21:11,920 –> 00:21:16,479Colin Smith on Open the Bible and a message called blessed. It’s part of our23000:21:16,479 –> 00:21:20,680series momentum how to make progress in your Christian life.23100:21:20,680 –> 00:21:25,000It’s not a series about how to become a Christian rather it’s about how to23200:21:25,079 –> 00:21:29,979recognise the distinguishing marks of a true believer. If you have a missed one23300:21:29,979 –> 00:21:33,920of the messages in the series or want to go back and listen again you can easily23400:21:33,920 –> 00:21:36,920do that by coming online to our website23500:21:36,920 –> 00:21:43,040openthebible.org.uk or find us as a podcast on all the main podcast sites.23600:21:43,040 –> 00:21:47,520Search therefore Open the Bible UK or follow the link from our website.23700:21:47,520 –> 00:21:52,900Also on our website and available as a podcast is open the Bible daily,23800:21:53,400 –> 00:21:57,800that’s our series of short two to three minute daily reflections based on23900:21:57,800 –> 00:22:02,599Pastor Colin’s teaching and read in the UK this month by Annie Pick. There’s a24000:22:02,599 –> 00:22:06,400fresh one every day and many Christians start their day by listening to open the24100:22:06,400 –> 00:22:11,040Bible daily. Colin what can open the Bible do this24200:22:11,040 –> 00:22:16,180Christmas to provide churches and community groups with resource materials?24300:22:16,479 –> 00:22:20,219Well Christmas is coming in perhaps you’re already thinking about how you’ll24400:22:20,219 –> 00:22:24,180help your church and your local community engaged with the Christmas24500:22:24,180 –> 00:22:29,099story this Advent. Well we’ve put together a Christmas Stories advent24600:22:29,099 –> 00:22:34,359resources pack for church leaders. It’s built around our book Christmas Stories24700:22:34,359 –> 00:22:39,099which explores the Christmas story through the eyes of five biblical24800:22:39,099 –> 00:22:45,819characters. Now the pack includes a live Nativity script, there are five Advent24900:22:46,420 –> 00:22:51,459There are Bible study questions and there’s customisable artwork to help you25000:22:53,479 –> 00:23:00,619And it’s all free! So visit open the Bible.org.uk and sign up to receive your25100:23:00,619 –> 00:23:07,140advent resources pack today. If you tune in regularly to Open the Bible, you’ll25200:23:07,140 –> 00:23:11,000know that we’re only able to bring you Pastor Colin’s messages on this program25300:23:11,000 –> 00:23:15,280and on the internet because of the generous gifts made by our many25400:23:15,280 –> 00:23:19,859listeners. If you already give to support our work, thank you so much.25500:23:19,859 –> 00:23:25,180If you’d like to begin supporting Open the Bible in that way here’s Open the25600:23:25,180 –> 00:23:29,500Bible’s Amanda Cunningham to talk about our special offer this month. Thanks25700:23:29,500 –> 00:23:35,040David! This month we’re delighted here at Open the Bible UK to offer you a very25800:23:35,060 –> 00:23:41,579special gift, two copies of Christmas Stories, our beautifully illustrated book25900:23:41,680 –> 00:23:46,579by Colin Smith. The book brings the Christmas story to life through the eyes26000:23:46,579 –> 00:23:53,280of five key biblical characters. The angel Gabriel, Mary, Joseph, Simeon and26100:23:53,280 –> 00:23:59,380King Herod. Each short chapter explores key events from the Bible with scripture26200:23:59,380 –> 00:24:04,900woven throughout offering a fresh and engaging way to discover the Christmas26300:24:04,900 –> 00:24:11,439story and the good news of Jesus. It’s a wonderful read for all ages and ideal26400:24:11,439 –> 00:24:17,160for sharing with friends, neighbors, or loved ones this Christmas. Why not pop a26500:24:17,160 –> 00:24:22,119copy in with that box of chocolates, or the annual pair of socks, and give26600:24:22,119 –> 00:24:28,079someone a book that tells them about the best gift of all. You can receive this26700:24:28,079 –> 00:24:33,719gift as our thank-you when you make a one-off donation of £60 or more,26800:24:34,319 –> 00:24:39,819or set up a new monthly direct debit of just £5, but please26900:24:39,819 –> 00:24:44,959do remember to include your address when you donate so that we can be sure to27000:24:44,959 –> 00:24:49,800send you your gift in the post! Full details, terms and conditions of our27100:24:49,800 –> 00:24:52,579offer, you can find those on openthebible.org.uk27200:24:52,579 –> 00:24:57,920and you can give online. For Open the Bible and27300:24:57,920 –> 00:25:01,780Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick, thanks for being with us today, and I27400:25:01,780 –> 00:25:12,739look forward to you joining us again next time.27500:25:20,400 –> 00:25:24,680if you want to make progress in your Christian life, but you feel a bit stuck,27600:25:24,680 –> 00:25:31,239find out how to get started again that’s next time on open the Bible