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Puzzled

Answers and Solutions 

Sunday, September 29nd 2024 (week 81)
 
Matthew 6: 27-34
 
My family likes puzzles and quizzes. Some of us are better at them than others. My wife, for example, can work out those brain teasers set by MENSA and became one of their members. I am hopeless at that type of question being much more creative than practical. Treasure Hunts and Escape Rooms have also provided entertainment for us. I think we just like problem-solving.
 
Some problems can be more difficult to solve. Having spent more than forty years in business I am used to having a constant stream of issues and problems to deal with but sometimes the answers don’t come easy, if at all. Why are sales so low? Should we move into that much larger building? Does the sales manager really need a new car? Or worse than any of those, how do I tell a staff member that they have a body odour problem!
 
It was the morning of Wednesday, September 25th 2024 around 6.30 am and still quite dark outside as I began my daily quiet time – with a problem I needed to give to God (a frequent occurrence in my life, it seems). I had read my Bible notes and various passages of scripture before beginning to pray about what was worrying me.
 
As the darkness outside began to fade and a weakening sun broke through, I sensed God was saying, “Stop seeking a solution to your problem and seek me instead.” It was such a clear instruction I wrote it down in my prayer diary.
 
In Matthew 32 & 33 we are told, to stop worrying about daily matters because our Father in Heaven already knows about them as well as our needs, “and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to.” (Living Bible).
 
I sensed God telling me that “I will provide the solution” if you seek me. If we truly believe in God and the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, we know that God can do anything and solve any problem and that if we seek Him and His will we will find him. In Jeremiah 29, after telling us that He has a good plan for our lives the Lord also said, “Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will answer you. You will seek me and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart.”
 
After nearly thirty years of being a Christian, I should know by now that we need to worry about nothing because God is in control. But I should also remember that when we seek and find God He immediately puts our mind at rest and the worry fades away. That sounds like a really good recipe for starting every day with Him.
 
 
Prayer: Lord, thank you for all the promises you make to us in your word. Please help and enable each one of us to seek you at the start of every new day and to remember that you are in control and we need not worry about anything.
 


16

Neil has been a Christian for nearly thirty years and prior to joining Gatehouse Church spent all his Christian life at Christ Church with All Saints Blackpool, where amongst other things he was a leader in their Campaigner Ministries children and youth work.

Neil is an award-winning and widely published writer. Over twenty-five years he has written for a range of mainstream media including The Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail, and Financial Mail on Sunday as well as Reuters and numerous magazines. How To Books published his first non-fiction title 100 Ways to Make Your Business a Success and he has recently added The Great British Property Scam.

He has also taught Creative Writing extensively for Blackpool and the Fylde College, The WEA, and Lancaster University and launched www.seasiderswrite.com a community-based creative writing project funded by Arts Council England. Writing as C.J.Neill he is also a published novelist.

You can find out more at www.neilbromage.com or drop him an email at neil@neilbromage.com

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and when

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our service

The main service begins at 10.30am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our worship team. We typically have two songs followed by a children's slot. The Limitless Kids and Limitless Youth will then normally go off to their respective groups. If you have children you will be able to spot and speak to one of the leaders - they will be wearing a bright yellow t-shirt! There will usually be a time of prayer and communion. We normally have another time of sung worship followed by a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service. 

When our team is available we serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 12pm, after the service. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

New to church

 

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids/teens:

  • Creche - from approx. 6 months to 5 years (decided on a child by child basis)
  • Limitless Kids (4/5 - 11/12 years)
  • Limitless Youth (school years 7-11)

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for two worship songs and the “Kids slot” and then go to creche or Limitless Kids.  The Limitless Youth group may go out at the same time as the children but sometimes stay in the service to take communion before going to their class.  Children can be picked up by parents after the service ends (but not before 12pm).

The Limitless Kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting connected

 

Small groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a couple of groups that meet every week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader.

Serving and volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can register your interest to Join a team.

Other ministries

We also run the following community ministries and regularly support various missionaries who are part of the Elim Missions work:

Toddlers & Co 

Food bag provision

Open Doors Team

Church in the Café

Youth Community Outreach

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at the church. You can connect with us using the form below.

Best Wishes
The Gatehouse Leadership Team

 

WATCH OUR CHURCH INTRODUCTION VIDEO

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