Carshalton Beeches Baptist ChurchWelcome...
We seek to be a family, united in our love for the Lord Jesus Christ, grateful to God for His love for us, and reaching out to share His love with those who live and work in our community.
We welcome all people to the church, including people from other parts of the world and people of all ages, gender and race.
Do You Want To Be Blessed?
You may be thinking: “It all depends on what it means to be blessed and how it comes about for me.”
Let’s start with the word itself, ‘blessed’. In Old English it relates to something or someone being consecrated with blood. Please don’t stop reading here because its meaning has developed over centuries and now embraces the concepts of holiness, happiness and the reception of God’s divine favour. That’s worth pursuing!
When the Apostle Paul returned to Ephesus to bid farewell to the church elders, he reminded them how he had earned his living during his ministry. Here’s what Paul said as we read it in Acts 20:32-35:
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Did you notice how Paul ended his speech? He said, “…it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Paul was enlightening his audience to the fact that a generous person ends up with something real and not just a lighter purse: a blessing which is both welcome and amazing. To better understand the true nature of a blessing we need to turn to the original Greek word used in this passage of scripture, it is makarios, which signifies a state of being ‘under the approving favour of God’ or to be found ‘in tune with God’.
When Jesus taught about how to be within the purposes of God he did not give casual guidance or optional suggestions but clear and unambiguous instructions and assurances as in these two examples:
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:8
“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:29
These are ‘no compromise’ words from the Master who ‘practiced what he preached’ as he willingly gave up his heavenly majesty so that we might be given eternal life instead of death. His words are deeply challenging but if we don’t rise to the challenge, we forfeit the blessing.
Some people fulfil this aspect of discipleship by going to the very needy in society, wherever they are in the world, to draw alongside them with teaching and training to lift them out of poverty. For others, perhaps most people, the charge is fulfilled by giving of their time, skills and money in ways which enable the poor to be fed, housed, and equipped for life.
The Charity Commission sets out the legal requirements of a charity this way:
The ultimate goal of charity is to empower individuals to reach their full potential enabling them to live fulfilling lives and contribute to society.
Leo Evans says this about charity giving:
The smallest act of charity can ignite a fire of hope.
Imagine, then, what a large act of charity will produce in the recipient - and the giver!
Be a blessing and be blessed.
Harvest Sunday
This will be held on Sunday 5th October at our 10:30am service. We will be collecting donations for the Sutton Foodbank.
There will be an opportunity to join with others for a church family lunch after the service. Please bring your own picnic lunch and spend time getting to know one another.
Please see below for details of our Services...
Sunday 7th September | Morning Worship 10:30am | Evening Service on Zoom 6:00pm |
Sunday 14th September | Communion Service 8:00am Exodus - Hearing God's Call | Evening Service on Zoom 6:00pm |
Sunday 21st September | Communion Service 10:30am | Evening Service on Zoom 6:00pm |
Sunday 28th September | Morning Worship 10:30am | Evening Service on Zoom 6:00pm |
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