Daring to Believe, Part 2

Luke 24:36-53
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As we delve into the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus today, we’ll unpack the challenges of faith amidst life’s disappointments and the tantalising possibility that the Gospel is just too good to be true. Discover how the risen Christ brought healing to wounded hearts and what it means for us today.

100:00:00,040 –> 00:00:08,000I’m convinced that the pain of life and perhaps in some cases the200:00:08,000 –> 00:00:15,040disappointment of religion has led many to conclude that the gospel is simply300:00:15,040 –> 00:00:21,840too good to be true and the joy of the gospel remains beyond our grasp because400:00:21,840 –> 00:00:26,500our wounded hands are too tender to grasp it.500:00:26,520 –> 00:00:31,540Welcome to open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. Colin, that600:00:31,540 –> 00:00:36,060is a powerful picture, so many of us have been wounded in our faith. Our hopes700:00:36,060 –> 00:00:40,680have been disappointed or maybe we’ve had distorted pictures of what our life800:00:40,680 –> 00:00:45,500with Christ would be like, or we’ve built our faith on a poor foundation and900:00:45,500 –> 00:00:50,779not grown as we should. Well, today we’ll continue to look at what might happen if1000:00:50,779 –> 00:00:55,160we dare to believe. Yeah, we’re looking at the story of the disciples on the road1100:00:55,320 –> 00:00:59,980to Emmaus, and they say, we had hoped that this Jesus was going to be the Christ,1200:00:59,980 –> 00:01:04,540and then he’s crucified. So the hopes are all dashed and there’s all the pain that1300:01:04,540 –> 00:01:09,440goes with that. And then the risen Christ appears to them and they hardly dare to1400:01:09,440 –> 00:01:13,779believe. It just seems beyond the reins, this would be too good to be true, that1500:01:13,779 –> 00:01:18,820he would actually be Christ risen from the dead. So we’re gonna deal with the1600:01:18,820 –> 00:01:24,080issue that’s in this story. Some of the pain that sometimes holds people back1700:01:24,300 –> 00:01:27,779from believing. And of course the wonderful truth of the story is, Jesus1800:01:27,779 –> 00:01:32,180really was risen from the dead and there was healing for the wounds of these guys1900:01:32,180 –> 00:01:36,540and the healing came through Christ who indeed was risen from the dead.2000:01:36,540 –> 00:01:41,320We’ll find that in Luke chapter 24, so I hope you’ll join us if you can, as we2100:01:41,320 –> 00:01:44,239continue the message Daring to Believe. Here’s Colin.2200:01:44,239 –> 00:01:46,239Now look at verse 36.2300:01:47,139 –> 00:01:48,000While they were still2400:01:48,000 –> 00:01:53,580talking about this, Jesus comes and he appears to them again. And he says to2500:01:53,639 –> 00:01:58,839them, peace be with you. And they are startled and they are frightened because2600:01:58,839 –> 00:02:03,059they thought they saw a ghost, and he said to them why are you2700:02:03,059 –> 00:02:11,399troubled and why do doubts rise in your mind? You see they’ve come to the2800:02:11,399 –> 00:02:16,940position of faith but now doubt is coming back like the arrows are salting2900:02:16,940 –> 00:02:21,419the castle of faith, like the earth dumping on the bulb that has been3000:02:21,419 –> 00:02:27,720planted and the newfound faith of the disciples is already under attack from3100:02:27,720 –> 00:02:32,919doubt. They believe that Jesus is risen but no sooner have they come to the3200:02:32,919 –> 00:02:38,139point of saying I believe that they begin to say well could it just be that3300:02:38,139 –> 00:02:45,300my mind is playing a trick. Now some of you may have had exactly this experience.3400:02:45,320 –> 00:02:54,160You’ve been born again you’ve come to faith in Jesus Christ but very very soon3500:02:54,160 –> 00:02:59,119after that event in your life there’s a nagging question that seems to come3600:02:59,119 –> 00:03:06,440from outside of you and it says well was that real did anything actually happen3700:03:06,440 –> 00:03:14,279was it maybe just in your mind. How do I know that this is really God.3800:03:14,800 –> 00:03:18,199Well when that happens to you rest assured you are not alone this is3900:03:18,199 –> 00:03:25,000precisely what happened to the first disciples. There is this assault on the4000:03:25,000 –> 00:03:35,020castle of faith there is this dumping of doubt on the planted seed of faith so4100:03:35,020 –> 00:03:40,960Christ shows them his hands and his feet and then we come to a fascinating4200:03:40,960 –> 00:03:50,080statement in verse 41. Look at it with me, they still did not believe because of4300:03:50,080 –> 00:04:06,399joy and amazement. They still did not believe because of joy and amazement.4400:04:06,479 –> 00:04:08,860Now, think about what had happened to them4500:04:08,860 –> 00:04:13,679that brought them to this position. They left everything to follow Jesus, He’s4600:04:13,679 –> 00:04:18,720become the center of their whole world. He’s opened up horizons for them that4700:04:18,720 –> 00:04:21,679are beyond anything they had ever imagined in their little lives as4800:04:21,679 –> 00:04:29,880fishermen. They have walked with the Son of God. They have been given the gift of4900:04:29,880 –> 00:04:35,320everlasting life. They discovered grace and mercy and purpose and all of it5000:04:35,320 –> 00:04:39,839flows from Jesus. And then everything fell apart.5100:04:39,839 –> 00:04:45,739Judas defected. The disciples ran for their lives in the Garden of Gethsemane.5200:04:45,739 –> 00:04:52,320Jesus was taken out to Calvary and crucified. Perhaps the disciples were5300:04:52,320 –> 00:04:56,320looking for a miracle to happen, even while He was hanging on the cross, for5400:04:56,320 –> 00:05:02,200God to intervene in some way and deliver Him, but it never happened. And they had5500:05:02,260 –> 00:05:06,760to stand there, while in the middle of the day darkness covered the land. Not5600:05:06,760 –> 00:05:14,200light from heaven, darkness. Then they had to hear the one in whom they had put5700:05:14,200 –> 00:05:22,600their trust say, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You imagine hearing the5800:05:22,600 –> 00:05:27,940One in whom you’ve put your trust say that. If God’s forsaken Him, where does5900:05:27,940 –> 00:05:38,160that leave me? Then they hear Him say, I thirst. As this is the one who has said6000:05:38,160 –> 00:05:42,519to the woman at the well, anyone who drinks of the water that I can give will6100:05:42,519 –> 00:05:51,980never thirst again. That’s what He said, and now He says, I thirst. Then He says,6200:05:52,000 –> 00:06:00,040it is finished. And we know that to be a great cry of triumph, but if you had been6300:06:00,040 –> 00:06:03,420one of the disciples standing at the bottom of the Cross and looking up to6400:06:03,420 –> 00:06:06,799Jesus, you wouldn’t have heard it that way, you would have said, that’s right it’s6500:06:06,799 –> 00:06:18,480finished. They hear him turn to John and commend the care of His mother to John6600:06:18,540 –> 00:06:28,140and says to his mother that John’s going to be like a son to her. He’s bowing out,6700:06:28,140 –> 00:06:38,500he’s gone, then he says, Father into Your hand I commit my spirit. He breathing6800:06:38,500 –> 00:06:44,660his last, then his lifeless bodies taken down from the cross the corpse becomes6900:06:44,660 –> 00:06:52,679cold, rigor mortis sits in, the body is laid in a tomb, and everything they had7000:06:52,679 –> 00:06:57,679lived for is utterly destroyed. Every word of Jesus seems to have fallen to7100:06:57,679 –> 00:07:02,399the floor. Everything in which they have put the whole trust and center of their7200:07:02,399 –> 00:07:12,320lives has imploded on them. And that was two days ago, and now Jesus is standing7300:07:12,399 –> 00:07:18,959right in front of them, and he’s showing them his hands and his feet, and Luke7400:07:18,959 –> 00:07:28,619tells us that they did not believe because of joy and amazement. After all7500:07:28,619 –> 00:07:36,619the devastation of seeing him on the cross, they hardly dared to believe that7600:07:37,140 –> 00:07:44,500this incredible miracle, which if it were true, would transform everything for them,7700:07:44,500 –> 00:07:53,220could actually have happened. Some years ago I had a most unfortunate experience7800:07:53,220 –> 00:08:03,179with a dentist. It was in England, so I don’t want you to worry, but he was7900:08:03,380 –> 00:08:10,619working away towards the back of my mouth, and his drill slipped, and he drilled a8000:08:10,619 –> 00:08:19,660hole in my tongue. And it’s a painful experience for a preacher to have a8100:08:19,660 –> 00:08:26,679stitched tongue, but that was how it was. Shortly after that we came over here, do8200:08:26,679 –> 00:08:37,340you know? No, that wasn’t the reason! Do you know it took me a long time to go8300:08:37,340 –> 00:08:40,880and visit the dentist for the first time after we came here.8400:08:40,880 –> 00:08:44,659And Carroll said to me, you really ought to go and see the dentist, he is very good.8500:08:44,659 –> 00:08:49,080I said, well you know, I’ll maybe go next month.8600:08:49,880 –> 00:09:01,320Painful experiences make it very, very hard to trust. Once bitten, twice shy, or8700:09:01,320 –> 00:09:05,200let’s take a more serious example. Consider a woman, let’s call her8800:09:05,200 –> 00:09:09,799Kathryn. She’s very attractive, she has a gentle personality. A guy called Steve8900:09:09,799 –> 00:09:13,760calls her for a date over a period of three months they become very close.9000:09:13,760 –> 00:09:18,520He loves her he says, he’s very kind to her, he wins her trust, and gradually9100:09:19,179 –> 00:09:25,760he begins to change. He undermines her confidence. He abuses Kathryn’s trust.9200:09:25,880 –> 00:09:30,719And she feels trapped because Steve is a powerful person. And she does not feel9300:09:30,719 –> 00:09:34,760that she can get free from him. Beside their lives have become interlocked.9400:09:34,760 –> 00:09:39,260So she wonders if maybe the problems are all her fault anyway. Finally she gets9500:09:39,260 –> 00:09:43,880free from him. And it’s an enormous relief. And she looks back and she says9600:09:43,880 –> 00:09:49,559that was oppressive. That was a terrible terrible thing. That was five9700:09:49,559 –> 00:09:57,479years ago. Now there is another man who is truly in love with her. He is9800:09:57,479 –> 00:10:01,500everything that she would look for in a man. But after her last experience she9900:10:01,500 –> 00:10:10,200holds back. The offer of his love seems too good to be true.10000:10:10,479 –> 00:10:18,080It won’t work for me, she says. Painful experiences make it hard to trust.10100:10:18,080 –> 00:10:23,619Imagine yourself at the edge of a river that you have to cross. You can’t cross10200:10:23,619 –> 00:10:29,659it in one step but above there is a ball of a tree that you can easily grasp.10300:10:29,659 –> 00:10:36,359There’s only one problem. You have a great painful gash in your hand. The10400:10:36,359 –> 00:10:41,320problem is not in the strength of the tree. The problem in you laying hold of10500:10:41,320 –> 00:10:45,880it lies in the pain that has been previously inflicted on your hand. You10600:10:45,880 –> 00:10:52,080say I can’t grasp it. I can’t grasp it. Someone says you must. You say I can’t.10700:10:52,080 –> 00:10:58,900That’s where the disciples were. They saw Jesus and for him to be alive was the10800:10:58,900 –> 00:11:03,679one thing they wanted more than anything else in all the world but the pain that10900:11:03,679 –> 00:11:09,219they had been through in these last few days was so deep within them and they11000:11:09,219 –> 00:11:14,219wanted it to be true so badly that they darren’t, darren’t, daran’t let go and11100:11:14,219 –> 00:11:21,559believe. The defense mechanisms kick in. Don’t set yourself up for more pain11200:11:21,559 –> 00:11:26,179you’ve been disappointed before. They did not believe because of joy and11300:11:26,179 –> 00:11:32,299amazement it just seemed too good to be true.11400:11:32,659 –> 00:11:35,979You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and we’re going to11500:11:35,979 –> 00:11:39,940pause our message there briefly but we’ll be back shortly. The message is11600:11:39,940 –> 00:11:44,299called Daring to Believe and it’s part of our series called listener favourites11700:11:44,299 –> 00:11:49,6792025 in which we take the most popular and requested programmes from the past11800:11:49,679 –> 00:11:53,78012 months and bundle them all together. If you’ve missed any of the series don’t11900:11:53,780 –> 00:11:58,219forget you can always come online and go back and listen again at12000:11:58,299 –> 00:12:01,140www.openthebible.org.uk.12100:12:01,140 –> 00:12:03,419Back to the message now, here’s Colin.12200:12:03,419 –> 00:12:09,340Now I am convinced that the pain of life and perhaps in some cases the12300:12:09,340 –> 00:12:17,059disappointment of religion has led many to conclude that the Gospel is simply12400:12:17,059 –> 00:12:22,599too good to be true. And so we hear it from the pulpit and we become used12500:12:23,440 –> 00:12:29,200to it but we hear it like we hear the adverts, with great caution, and the joy12600:12:29,200 –> 00:12:35,840of the Gospel remains beyond our grasp because our wounded hands are too tender12700:12:35,840 –> 00:12:41,080to grasp. Now that’s where the disciples were.12800:12:41,080 –> 00:12:47,119They’d love to think it was true, but they said we didn’t believe it.12900:12:47,119 –> 00:12:50,440Too good to be true.13000:12:50,919 –> 00:13:00,799Now what can you do about that position? So you get to this point in a message13100:13:00,799 –> 00:13:04,280when you’re preparing it and you start searching the passage and say well what13200:13:04,280 –> 00:13:09,599did they do about it because what they did about it is what you can do about it13300:13:09,599 –> 00:13:14,239and you see what they did about I can’t find anything that they did about it do13400:13:14,799 –> 00:13:23,359but I find something that Jesus did about it. Look at it there13500:13:23,359 –> 00:13:34,2191st 45 he opened their minds so that they could understand the scriptures. See13600:13:34,219 –> 00:13:37,260were these good folks who had a Bible they understood many things they knew13700:13:37,260 –> 00:13:43,780the Ten Commandments and all that stuff but they’d never really grasped the13800:13:43,780 –> 00:13:50,200wonder and the glory of what it was the God was doing for them in Jesus Christ13900:13:50,200 –> 00:13:54,940that’s why I’ve called our prescription today waiting on God because the14000:13:54,940 –> 00:14:02,119courage to believe is a gift from God due faith is not forced from within you14100:14:02,119 –> 00:14:07,539come and you ask God for it and he gives it to you and the way he gives it to you14200:14:07,539 –> 00:14:12,880is as he opens your eyes to understand what he’s already revealed in the14300:14:12,919 –> 00:14:17,080Scripture you can come to him today you can come to him right now you can say oh14400:14:17,080 –> 00:14:21,820Lord open my eyes I’m one of these folks who stands back because I feel like it’s14500:14:21,820 –> 00:14:30,280too good to be true open my eyes and help me to believe put me in the14600:14:30,280 –> 00:14:34,539position where I could say amazing grace how sweet the sand the same direction14700:14:34,539 –> 00:14:42,200like me I once was lost but now I’m found I was blind but now I see14800:14:42,239 –> 00:14:51,280Jesus opened their minds so that they understood the heart of the gospel for14900:14:51,280 –> 00:14:56,200the very first time and my prayer is that in the very last moments now of15000:14:56,200 –> 00:15:03,440this series that God would do precisely that as we look at what Jesus said in15100:15:03,440 –> 00:15:09,659just a few brief moments together he told them verse 46 this is what is15200:15:09,659 –> 00:15:13,840written the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and then15300:15:13,840 –> 00:15:19,280he goes on to spell out what it means for them he speaks first verse 47 about15400:15:19,280 –> 00:15:29,479repentance that means real change from the inside if Jesus is alive then it15500:15:29,479 –> 00:15:37,260really is possible for you to change he changed a mean selfish twisted tax15600:15:37,960 –> 00:15:43,979and made him a generous giver that’s a miracle he did that he took a man who’d15700:15:43,979 –> 00:15:46,820been religious all his life but never entered into a personal relationship15800:15:46,820 –> 00:15:51,760with God and brought him into a new birth that’s a miracle15900:15:51,760 –> 00:15:59,080Jesus did that. He would take shortly after this a man who was a violent16000:15:59,140 –> 00:16:07,520religious extremist and changed him to become the Apostle to the Gentiles the16100:16:07,520 –> 00:16:14,580Apostle Paul Jesus did that now if Jesus is dead none of that is possible but if16200:16:14,580 –> 00:16:18,619Jesus is alive then this inner change that the Bible calls repentance is16300:16:18,619 –> 00:16:23,719possible for you if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation the old has gone16400:16:24,039 –> 00:16:32,239and the new has come that means that you by the power of Jesus can break free16500:16:32,239 –> 00:16:38,960from the ingrained patterns of sin that hold you and some of us right now are16600:16:38,960 –> 00:16:45,280saying that’s too good to be true I didn’t believe it I’ve been longing for16700:16:45,280 –> 00:16:51,320that all my life well you’re right where the disciples were until he opened their16800:16:51,359 –> 00:16:57,039eyes it’s me I’m alive and what I’ve done in the gospels I can do for you16900:16:57,039 –> 00:17:02,520that’s why repentance is to be preached because you can change by the power of17000:17:02,520 –> 00:17:09,880Jesus Christ not only repentance but forgiveness there’s no greater17100:17:09,880 –> 00:17:15,699expression of love than the readiness to forgive right at the beginning of the17200:17:15,699 –> 00:17:20,680ministry of Jesus. He says the Spirit of God is upon me to proclaim the year of17300:17:20,699 –> 00:17:26,199God’s favor. God’s going to wipe out people’s debts he’s going to wipe the17400:17:26,199 –> 00:17:32,579slate clean of every offense against him forgiveness isn’t a legal thing here it17500:17:32,579 –> 00:17:40,280is a relational thing it is God saying I love you and I want things to be right17600:17:40,280 –> 00:17:48,140between us I want to end the alienation I want you to spend eternity with me and17700:17:48,140 –> 00:17:54,800so I’m going to go through all the pain that is involved in remitting what has17800:17:54,800 –> 00:18:01,939been done against me because what matters most to me is that you should be17900:18:01,939 –> 00:18:09,099reconciled that we should be at one together have you ever known what it is18000:18:09,300 –> 00:18:16,699to be forgiven for someone you’ve hurt to love you more than the power of the18100:18:16,699 –> 00:18:22,800heart to reach out through the pain of the heart to embrace you that is what18200:18:22,800 –> 00:18:29,000God has done in Jesus Christ that is what the pain of the cross is all about18300:18:29,000 –> 00:18:36,219and someone may be saying right now the idea that God loves me just seems too18400:18:36,479 –> 00:18:45,380good to be true I’ve been looking for that kind of love all my life I didn’t18500:18:45,380 –> 00:18:50,420believe it you’re right where the disciples were until Jesus opened their18600:18:50,420 –> 00:18:57,400eyes do you see in the scriptures that God is reaching out to you in Jesus18700:18:57,400 –> 00:19:03,000Christ opening the possibility of change by his power and forgiveness that will18800:19:03,160 –> 00:19:10,020bring you into a relationship with him and notice that it is in and through18900:19:10,020 –> 00:19:14,079Jesus Christ verse 47 in his name the power comes from him19000:19:14,079 –> 00:19:20,979God’s forgiveness flows to you through his death and his resurrection19100:19:20,979 –> 00:19:24,599forgiveness is not just God saying oh well we’ll forget about your sins no they19200:19:24,599 –> 00:19:31,420don’t really matter no it comes out of the real wounds of Jesus it’s a19300:19:31,599 –> 00:19:37,260reconciliation of real alienation it’s the removal of real guilt and it comes19400:19:37,260 –> 00:19:42,619out of the agony of the cross and it would not come apart from him but it19500:19:42,619 –> 00:19:48,500does come to you through him if you will put your faith in his name and it’s for19600:19:48,500 –> 00:19:55,119all nations repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name for19700:19:55,119 –> 00:20:01,760all nations verse 47 and you know the greatest deception I think that Satan19800:20:01,760 –> 00:20:08,599ever works among us is this idea that the good news of Jesus is just for19900:20:08,599 –> 00:20:16,160certain types of people you notice how easy it is for us always to see this as20000:20:16,160 –> 00:20:22,040relevant to someone else so the poor in the city think it’s for the20100:20:22,040 –> 00:20:27,319middle class in the suburbs and the middle class in the suburbs who feel20200:20:27,319 –> 00:20:33,079very well off think that it’s what the poor in the city really need the Muslim20300:20:33,079 –> 00:20:38,640in the east says Jesus is not for me I already have my religion and the20400:20:38,640 –> 00:20:45,020secularist in the West says Jesus is not for me because I am NOT religious folks20500:20:45,020 –> 00:20:49,119who are young say I’ll get to it when I’m old folks who are old20600:20:49,319 –> 00:20:53,599sort of characteristically say it’s really good for the young when your life20700:20:53,599 –> 00:20:57,500is in a mess you think this is for people who are sorted out when you’re20800:20:57,500 –> 00:21:01,540sorted out you say to yourself I don’t need this this is for people whose lives20900:21:01,540 –> 00:21:07,459are in a mess Satan’s greatest deception is to say it’s not for you you’re not21000:21:07,459 –> 00:21:17,540the type and that’s how it is until Christ opens your eyes the good news of21100:21:17,540 –> 00:21:27,920repentance a new life and forgiveness in Jesus name is for all people can you21200:21:27,920 –> 00:21:38,280take this in and can you receive this today Christ came to change you Christ21300:21:38,280 –> 00:21:43,900reaches out in love to you God sent his son into the world for21400:21:44,199 –> 00:21:53,380you Christ died to bring you to God Jesus lives for you and he wants to21500:21:53,380 –> 00:22:02,140fill you with his spirit and to lead you into a new life in his name the wonder21600:22:02,140 –> 00:22:09,380of it is beyond what a human mind can fully comprehend but don’t let the21700:22:09,380 –> 00:22:23,260wonder of it hold you back. Let the wonder of it lead you to Jesus. You come21800:22:23,260 –> 00:22:27,939to him. You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith21900:22:27,939 –> 00:22:32,520completing the second part of our message Daring to Believe. If you missed22000:22:32,520 –> 00:22:36,140any of the message or indeed the whole series which is called Listener22100:22:36,140 –> 00:22:41,359Favorites 2025 you can always catch up or go back and listen again online at22200:22:41,359 –> 00:22:47,400our website open the Bible org UK open the Bible is able to stay on the22300:22:47,400 –> 00:22:52,199radio and on the Internet because of the very generous donations made by our22400:22:52,199 –> 00:22:56,760listeners so if you already give to support open the Bible thank you so much22500:22:56,760 –> 00:23:00,599if that’s something that you’ve been considering doing in the future each22600:23:00,599 –> 00:23:05,959month we aim to offer a special gift in return for setting up a new support22700:23:05,959 –> 00:23:10,040payment for open the Bible if you’re able to set up a new monthly direct22800:23:10,040 –> 00:23:16,219debit of 5 pounds per month or more or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more we’d22900:23:16,219 –> 00:23:20,920love to say thank you by sending you a copy of Colin Smith’s book fly through23000:23:20,920 –> 00:23:25,880the Bible here’s open the Bible’s Amanda Cunningham to talk about the book and23100:23:25,880 –> 00:23:30,420also about some other exciting resources which are free for everyone to receive23200:23:30,420 –> 00:23:34,380thanks David well if you’ve been listening for a while you’ll know that23300:23:34,579 –> 00:23:39,280we love to give away a free book each month when you donate either a one-off23400:23:39,280 –> 00:23:43,900gift of 50 pounds or more or by setting up a new direct debit of at least five23500:23:43,900 –> 00:23:47,099pounds but this July and August we’re doing23600:23:47,099 –> 00:23:52,520something extra special we’ve launched a campaign full of free resources to help23700:23:52,520 –> 00:23:57,859you open the Bible with others because we know that can be hard and we want to23800:23:57,859 –> 00:24:02,699equip you so yes you’ll still get a free copy of fly through the Bible when you23900:24:02,699 –> 00:24:09,359donate but anyone can now access a whole set of free tools we’ve got a24000:24:09,359 –> 00:24:14,079video series where Colin Smith walks through each session of the fly through24100:24:14,079 –> 00:24:19,280the Bible course on our website there’s a free app just search fly through the24200:24:19,280 –> 00:24:23,140Bible in your app store and if you’re a church leader thinking ahead to24300:24:23,140 –> 00:24:28,140September head to openthebible.org.uk attackers24400:24:28,739 –> 00:24:34,079and download our free small group discussion guide we really pray these24500:24:34,079 –> 00:24:39,339resources bless you and those around you as you open the Bible together and what24600:24:39,339 –> 00:24:43,579better place to start then a journey through the Bible story24700:24:43,579 –> 00:24:49,079thanks Amanda you can access these free resources at our website24800:24:49,079 –> 00:24:56,020openthe bible.org.uk and you can download the fly app at the Apple App Store or Google Play24900:24:56,219 –> 00:25:01,180our offer to send you a copy of Colin’s book fly through the Bible is available25000:25:01,180 –> 00:25:05,619all this month full details, terms and conditions are on our website25100:25:05,619 –> 00:25:11,819openthebible.org.uk and you can give online. For open the Bible25200:25:11,819 –> 00:25:17,979pastor Colin Smith I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll join us again next time25300:25:18,979 –> 00:25:22,239love is all you need25400:25:22,239 –> 00:25:25,979who said that was it the Beatles all the Bible25500:25:25,979 –> 00:25:30,380find out next time on Open the Bible

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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Discover how you can live with faith in a world of unanswered questions. Doubt grows for different reasons, and if we are to deal with it effectively, the first step will be to identify its root cause. This series will help you discover why you are doubting and offer a prescription in the form of

Colin Smith

A Fresh Look at the Christmas Story

Immerse yourself in Christmas Stories by Pastor Colin Smith. This new book retells the nativity from the viewpoints of five memorable biblical characters.

For new advent ideas this Christmas, sign up now to receive our Advent Resources Pack— a sermon series outline, Bible study guide, a nativity drama script and customisable artwork. 

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