The forgotten people in society are often the ones who need help the most. It's so easy to get caught up in what is happening in our own lives and the lives of our friends that we do not remember these people in our prayers. Maybe we can all spare some time to pray for people in prison, hospital, nursing homes and others who a generally forgotten by society.

Discussion on this can be found here http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/414/#comments

Another thought

from our friends at ASBO Jesus (http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/)

This week's passage

Luke 11 (NIV)

Jesus' Teaching on Prayer

1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

2He said to them, "When you pray, say:
" 'Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3Give us each day our daily bread.
4Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.' "

5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Updates

Right I just thought I'd update you on what's happening. Gareth's computer (which is used to upload changes to the site) is having some technical problems which we are/he is working on a way round so we can update the site. He has now gone on holiday so this has been put on hold until he gets back. We will get this sorted so just bare with us, no updates (apart from the blog) are possible until we get this sorted.



I am currently working on a new forum which will be much better and have more features. We should also be able to integrate this into the site to make it easier for people to visit. A resource list is also going to be added to the site if you would like to suggest a link for this then please email me (james@james-lock.co.uk).



I have a couple of Ideas that I am mulling for a blog entry but they need to become far more formed before I will be ready to post them so for now I will leave you with this form asbo Jesus (http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/)

Sanctum Youth Service pictures

Hey, Me and Gareth are currently experiencing some technical issues in updating the site (other then through the blog), hopefully we will have this sorted soon. So for now I will post some of the pictures from last night here. More should be coming soon when we have sorted everything out :)

Youth Service

Just a note to say well done to everyone with the youth service. The drama was very good, Becky preached really well and the worship wasn't too bad either (if I do say so m'self).

Keep going, guys, you are all amazing and mean a lot to me!

Ben
XD

The weeks passage

Romans 7:14-25 (New International Version)

14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Lets look at this: Paul is describing the persistent nature of sin, that it is sinful nature and sin living within someone that causes them to sin although in their heart and mind they know what is good and want to do good. He says how this internal struggle causes confusion and tension (7:15). Paul is not trying to escape the responsibility of sinning but is telling of the great control sin can have over peoples life (7:17). Paul also describes his own fallen nature (7:18). He does love God's law and wants to live by it, wants to fulfill every part of it and in his heart and mind this is how he wants to be. (7:22). It is another law that causes a person to act in the ways he wishes not to, the law of sin, the law that has a strong hold over his life. The body of death is the body of sin, for sin causes death, an unrescued sinner is dead whilst alive, whilst a forgiven one can be alive after death, Paul questions who will save him from this body of death and then gives the answer, Jesus Christ (7:24-25)

A related reading can be found here http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gal%205:16-26;&version=31;

As ever I copy/pasted the passage from www.biblegateway.com and I referred to the NIV Study Bible published by Zondervan (2002) for notes of the passage.

This week's bible passage

This passage follows on from the reading in the service this week (check it here if you missed it)

Ephesians 4 (NIV)
Living as Children of Light

17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
20You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

(As ever I copied the bible quote from http://www.biblegateway.com )

Bible passage of the week

Ok so I am going to start a Bible passage of the week. Most weeks it will probably be linked to the theme of the service and/or the Sanctum Youth session. Hopefully it will generate some comments and discussion, feel free to post other Bible passages, thoughts etc etc.

2 Corinthians 7:10 (The Message)
Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.