Before reading this weekend’s news sheet, take a moment to prepare your heart to listen to what God wants you to read between the lines. Ask God to draw near to you as you draw near to Him.

As today is St. Valentine’s day, when not begin by praying for the love of your life. Why not recall the happy moments you spent together and give God thanks and praise.

Whilst we are still fairy isolated through the coronavirus restrictions, it is perhaps a good time to think about when you worked as part of a good team. Think about what makes an effective team and how important it is to maintain unity. Why not also think about how you could bless your friends and neighbours this week as part of God’s team here at ABC.

Let’s face it, the last 10 months has been an incredibly difficult for all of us – often separated from our loved ones for weeks on end – but there is good news. God is always near if you simply open your spiritual eyes. He is telling us today that ” … as we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1). God has laid out the course, we simply have to trust Him and follow His path.

God has given you 24 hours every day, with a free choice on how you spend each one of them. Well why not use one of them to pray to the Lord beginning with, “Lord Jesus, grant me ears to hear your words, and a willing heart to obey you.” After all today is Sunday – the day of the Lord – so why not spend some time listening to Him?

I wonder how you are feeling today? As I write this it is raining heavily outside, it seems very dark for the time of day. and it is generally pretty miserable. Even so, there is good news in that we have a God who actually wants us to pour our our hearts and minds to Him at any time of the day. Why not do that now?

As we face another time of partial lockdown, please don’t be downhearted. Instead think back to another time of suffering or testing that you have experienced. How did the Lord sustain and deliver you? Why not thank Him now by singing a hymn outloud!

As 2020 disappears into our memory banks and 2021 dawns, there is a sense of expectation all around as Brexit is behind us and vaccines are on the way. In these uncertain times, why not put your hopes and fears for what lies ahead before the Lord. After all, He is the only one who really knows what is coming in the next 12 months.

This is the final news sheet of the year as we will be taking a short break until 3rd January 2021. So, as you look back over a very difficult year, why not think back to some of the answers to prayer that you have received. Why not spending some time then thanking God for His response to your prayers. Just a reminder that our services on Christmas day and on 27th December are online only and that the church will reopen for worship on 3rd January. This week’s news sheet does, however, contain a Christmas quiz when you can win a fabulous Aldwick Baptist Church pen!

In the turbulent world we live in today, why not spend some time thanking God for all the ways in which He has shown His love to you over the years? The good news is His love is never ending and never changing!