West View Baptist Church, Hartlepool

A family friendly church in the town of Hartlepool

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Count the cost and follow Jesus the navigator anyway.

Mark and Amanda led worship on 30 June and Yvette brought us the word . Amanda used bindweed to illustrate how we can be snarled up with problems. She showed how we needed to get rid of the things that snare us like bindweed.

Yvette told us we’re on a journey today and asked ” Have you packed everything?” This is the call to discipleship, Jesus is heading for Jerusalem, no wandering the equivalent of the A1 despite knowing that he is heading for the cross. He knows time is short and nothing is going to stop him. He looks on it as the time he will be received in heaven. He set off for Jerusalem for the blessings that he receives. We can share in that, God isn’t going to let us go through it alone. Samaria is a big obstacle on the ways. 3 Kings sets the scene with the Assyrian invasions. Jews thought of these settlers now known as the Samaritans as half breeds and not as good as them.

The good news of Jesus should be our answer. Notice how polite Jesus was, He sent men to try to prepare the way. James and John wanted to return hate for hate, but we all know how well that works. John and James had been told what you should do when faced with rejection ie move on, James and John showed great confidence in the power of Jesus. We need to use the power carefully in the way it should be used . To quote Peter Parker’s uncle Ben “with great power becomes great responsibility “

How many times have we leapt to God’s defence. God is perfectly capable of defending himself. You only have to look at social media to see how is it has got perfectly reasonable Christian people to end up attacking those who are different. James and John gave been told off and Jesus moved them on.

We encountered three blokes the first gets the answer that Jesus has no home. The man thinks he’s getting riches and fame and Jesus shows he doesn’t even have a home! The man did not know what following Jesus would mean and what the cost would be. Jesus goes into rough places today thanks to people who count the cost and go anyway. Let go of the bindweed that ties us up and drags us down. Nothing here on earth is permanent.

Bloke number 2. Asks to bury his dad first. He wanted to do his duty by his father, but it’s an excuse. How many times have we said yes lord but….

Bloke number 3 wants to go back and say farewell to his family but Jesus tells him that he can’t look back if he wants to serve the kingdom of God.

We need to use and trust Jesus to take care of us. Why don’t we want to get close to God? Are we scared? Yvette’s mum asked her once would she go to Australia without Dave and the kids, Yvette really struggled with this and God eventually showed her that he would never ask her to do anything she couldn’t.

What about other people’s opinion? What about struggling to read the Bible. Take it small chunks use the lectionary in the In Touch to help you week by week.

Be obedient trust him to take care, don’t follow the crowd, don’t look back,

Don’t cling to regrets or mistakes.

If we want to follow Jesus we need to count the cost and then follow anyway.

People will try to hold you back. We need to be Jesus to a broken world. Our journey is over for today but remember Jesus is our navigator.


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Sort out your messiness. Listen to your best friend.

ON May 26 Mark led worship and Yvette brought us the Word.

Jesus is the son incarnate. The early church towards the end of the first century was being split by bickering and difference. This passage is in the midst of a lot going on, Judas’ betrayal , Peter’s denial. This is the final discourse. Judas (the other one) is asking why Jesus is showing this to us, he’s asking why aren’t you doing things our way. Why only the few disciples and not to everyone.

Jesus’s answer seems odd, not really an answer as such. Since Pentecost the gospel has gone out to the whole world. But not all of the world see it this way only those who love him want to spend time with him. The word obey is a strong one. It’s a verse that can make you feel uncomfortable. We’re aware we get it wrong. But Jesus doesn’t give up he gives us a little prod to sort out our messiness. We don’t stop loving our kids if the don’t do what we’re told. Thankfully god is the same. We’re not in a master slave relationship . Jesus only did what his father told him and we should be the same. Remember it’s not about doing, but being.

We know of we’ve grieved the Holy Spirit. Paracletos is about being called. Jesus teaches us about God, he gives us the words when we don’t have any . We trust him because he loves us. We become part of his family. God has chosen to come and make his home in us. Those who don’t love him simply don’t get the peace and the ability that come from him, our guide our counsellor. Shalom or peace is more than just the absence of conflict. It’s about wellness, completeness. We know him on a personal level. We get his peace when we leave our worries with him. God is bigger than even our biggest problem. Jesus knows death can’t hold him Satan can’t beat him, he’s going to leave them. The disciples don’t get this , how can Jesus be leaving? We’ve probably all blamed God when sometimes things don’t go our way when someone dies. But believers like my mum , are with her best friend, Jesus.

Without Jesus leaving the Holy Spirit wouldn’t come and we would not have Jesus as our intercessor.

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No labels, no walls… Who are we listening to?

Amanda led worship on 19 May with Tim and Jonny.

Tim brought the word from Acts 11 . It’s an incredible story of a tricky church meeting where they had to change the way they were thinking. Think how relevant this is when the news today is all about barriers and borders.

We all carry our own lists of those who are different to us. Yet we all know of borders that need to be thrown on the scrap heap of history. Peter got into trouble for exactly this . This is a huge challenge for Jewish culture. Sitting and eating with someone as a huge issue. Peter has already had his whole world view changed.

Luke is retelling the story as Peter is retelling the church. Cornelius had already discovered this. Even before Peter finished preaching the Holy Spirit had come down on people in the same way that had happened in the upper room. It seemed obvious to Peter that he should baptise the whole household but the folks in Jerusalem were not there and they were critical.

The sharing of the meal is critical. We’ve seen this with Filling Station, we sit with equal status and show our acceptance and partnership with people who are often very different to us. Peter smashes right through the barriers.

We’ve seen here in this church the positives of doing this, but the Jewish culture really frowned on eating with gentiles. Those in Jerusalem did not agree with Peter , they thought the gentiles should adapt to the Jewish way. They might have accepted them almost as a second tier a lesser tier of believers.

Remember last week and Simon the Tanner. God loves irony he loves challenging our preconceptions. Luke describes this in an orderly way and he reflects Peter’s own orderly approach to explaining the truth. God is in charge, God is pushing things forward. Salvation is sought here in Cornelius’ own words that Peter reflects on and learns from. Peter is reminded of Jesus words in Acts 1. Even gentiles like Cornelius are God’s beneficiaries, saved by Jesus sacrifice. How wide and how big is God’s love?

The Christian church had had to learn and change. Think about the issue of slavery. Racial equality is a relatively new factor and people like Martin Luther King jr paid a high price for where we are now. Women’s ministry is also recent. Think about the attitudes we are now being challenged. Look through the history of the church. Look in our rear view mirror! There’s still a lot of work to be done. Still slavery in our world. The Spirit’s goal is to push the church into a wider appreciation of God’s all encompassing love. God has no patience for barriers and walls. Do not reject what God has made clean. God made all things. It’s us that put labels on things , not God. In Acts 15 there’s a bigger meeting to accept the gentiles in the church. It’s taking us a while. The church should be working to develop a clear understanding of what God wants and he wants us to listen to unexpected sources! Who does God want us to listen to?

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Stinky Simon and Tabitha’s tailoring


Jonny led worship on 12 May supported by Amanda and Tim. Tim brought the Word from Acts 9 , 46-43.

This is the story of Tabitha also known as Dorcas. It’s an amazing little story. Luke who wrote Acts is the only Gentile writing in the New Testament. It starts with a group of fearful disciples and ends with Paul preaching the word with confidence and without fear. After Saul’s conversion this must have a massive effect.

At this time the Romans had imposed a statue of Caligula in the temple of Jerusalem so that was keeping the Jews busy. Peter is now preaching and healing, he is sent for by a group of grief stricken disciples .

Dorcas sewing clothes for others

800 years previously Jonah had fled to Joppa. Peter now finds himself answering a similar call. He does not make the same mistake as Jonah. Dorcas was a follower of Jesus. A disciple. Tim asked us what this meant . In her case she was always doing good and helping the poor.

Image the scene , she’d died and her house was full of people she’d helped, fellow disciples, dressed in clothes made by Dorcas! Her doing good for others.

It was not a hobby it was compassion in action. Showing the practical love of God, and it is this is the only place in the New Testament where the feminine version of the word disciple appears. “How do we know Jesus is alive?” asks Tim. Good is being done and people are being helped. Reviving Dorcas gives authority to Peter’s role and Jesus’ power.

The work begun in Jesus continues in the life of his disciples and so on through us.

Another detail right at the end shows Peter staying in Joppa with Simon the tanner.

It’s mentioned later in Acts. Simon would have been an outcast. As a tanner he would have been dirty and smelt. Look it up to see what the problems would have been with a tannery. Indeed because of the smell even houses being built in well to do areas in England in the early twentieth century had specific exemptions or covenants against people using premises as a tannery. Almost anyone would have felt superior to Simon. Simon the lowest of the low had found acceptance in the Jesus band. Isn’t this just what Jesus is about. Inclusivity and acceptance, inner transformation without worrying about outward appearance. Luke’s irony is that Peter stays in this place and has a vision about unclean animals.

Here in Joppa this Jew Peter is challenged about the boundaries we can all erect.

This is good news. This is compassion for all.John’s text in Revelations 7 9:17 is relevant here, we all struggle to embrace those different to us. Can it be said of us what was said of Tabitha, are we like Simon the Tanner with his simple gift of hospitality. It’s in our everyday lives that Christ moves. It is in the simple things that we learn to be disciples . Going church is not the key, living our life in the right way amongst ordinary people is. Compassion is shown and therefore human barriers melt away. We’re invited to join in with Tabitha Dorcas, Peter and Simon the tanner. Carelessness changed to compassion . Such transformation is only possible through the spirit of Christ.

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One day like this a year’d see me right

Ian Thompson led worship today with Mark, Amanda, Jonny and ian Taylor. It was the second of our joint services with Headland Baptist Church. It’s a pretty amazing experience when we all come together to worship. It was also a chance to sing happy birthday to Jonny as he celebrated his 18th through the week.

Tim brought us the Word today, He got a lot of the kids to take part in a painting activity transforming plain pieces of paper into different names for Jesus simply by painting over the paper with a wash of paint. Tim assured parents that the paint would wash off so let’s hope he’s right.

Tim pointed out that the music has a definite rock influence this morning. Nothing wrong with also wanting to join in with what the kids are doing next door in our quiet bits, particularly the Father Abraham song .

Tim read to us from Luke 9 verse 28 onwards, the story of the transfiguration.

He asked if anyone had been up Roseberry Topping. Anyone heard a voice from heaven whilst they are up there in the clouds, It does not happen very often. Jesus had just shared eight days before that his path would lead to death and the cross. So what had Peter and the other disciples being doing in the eight days, they were probably frightened and confused. Here they were now on the mountain top having this experience.

A lot of people are looking for that mountain top. But many of us don’t have this dramatic experience, Tim asked if any of us had been stood in a cloud on a mountain hearing the voice of God. No one out their hand up. Many of us live at the bottom of the mountain.

Tim let slip that he is a big Elbow fan and that this transfiguration sunday always reminds him of their song lyric,” One a day this like a year’d see me right!”  (For those who don’t know who Elbow are they are a Manchester band) Point of the story is that Luke is telling us who Jesus really is, letting the disciples have this glimpse before the road to Calvary. Why were they sleepy ? Is this more about them not being aware and then having something revealed to them. Maybe this shows Jesus as quiet in prayer. The disciples do the same at Gethsemane . There though, the humanity of Christ was revealed to them. On both occasions they are awoken to the true nature of Jesus.

In the moments of pain and darkness in our lives we might struggle to see the presence and truth of Jesus. Perplexed and frightened is the reaction of the disciples,

Jesus is seen here between the two pillars of the Jewish faith, Moses and Elijah, with them giving a glimpse of the resurrection story.

Peter was a practical guy and his strange desire or response was  to build some tents. He didn’t know what he was saying. He was maybe trying to preserve the moment. The Jewish expectation for the Messiah was a start of the new age at the festival of booths. Maybe this is why Peter feels he needs to build the tents or booths, Peter assumes the deal is done, that this is the end point. Suffering and death and a cross on a Hill was not on the agenda. Death and resurrection is something they cannot get their heads around . They had not remembered that Jesus has already said that he had not come to abolish the law but to fulfil it.

Jesus is the Christ he is the Messiah , the incarnate Son of God.

He chose to show up as one of us and follow the path to the Cross simply because he loved the people he had created.

It’s a simple story that is there to reassure people that the events described are to be trusted as a beacon of hope. We’re given a glimpse of who Jesus really is as we live our lives. Wherever we go he journeys with us , in darkness or on the mountain top. He’s the only one we need to listen to. Listen to Him, listen to Him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NFV8dHrZYM