The GMC Podcast

'What is Love anyway' sang Howard Jones in the 1980s, before going to ask 'does anybody love anybody anyway?'

It's an eternal question and one so much has been written about, sung about, moves made about - yet in our wordl and sociaty love is often assocated with romance and feeling.

Yet love in the Bible is so much more that romantic or family love. It is sacrificial. Listen to the podcast as Pastor Mike considers the words of today's reading from 1John, which include 3.v16... This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

What is the dividing line between Christian's and the rest of the world?

Jesus, simply Jesus Christ.

Pastor Mike Weaver asked two of the most important questions that any person on earth can ever consider, and in the process finds in the words of the 1st Letter of John deep assurance of faith for the family of God. Not only that the motivation to 'keep on keeping on' in the faith and so not be swayed by the ways of the world.

Are you walking in fellowship with Jesus? Or are you living for the world? Are the things that He loves the most important things to you?  Are you laying up treasures in heaven or on earth?

Rev. Mike Weaver, Senior Pastor at MC starts the new post-Easter series in the first letter of John. This series is about assurance of faith, basically understanding how you can know your faith in Christ Jesus is real. John addresses his readers to help them know how they are saved and so allay concerns or worry of believers that they 'haven't done enough', or 'don't deserve the forgiveness' that Jesus freely offer by grace.

In this first week Pastor Mike revelas the importance of understanding sin and obedience and the relationship between them that ultimately leads for believers in Christ Jesus to the joy of an assured faith. It's about yoking oneself to Jesus for your walk in life, for without that assurance is not possible. Oh, and listen out for the wonderful story from the ministry of the 16th century 'prince of preachers', Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Easter Sunday - the day the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. Not just spiritually but bodily resurrection! This is rthe day that changed world events forever and is at the heart of Christian faith. Without understanding of or belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus there is no Christian faith.

Beyond Christ's resurrection is the Kingdom come, the time in which we currently live and reside, but there is also the time to come. Pastor Mike considers not only the resurrection, but also the second coming of Christ, making it clear that Christians are not only people living in the light of Christ now, but expectant of His glory to come again.

Which voices are you 'listening' to today? It really matters!"

This week, Pastor Mike Weave notes that Hosea, though seemingly a book filled with much condemnation and judgement, is actually a book portraying the deeply compassionate love fo God. God is not God without both his righteous love and righteous judgement, for the two go together and are the attributes of who God is.

So the question for the listener is what will your response be to both the love of God and the anger of God toward all sin? Will it be continued rebellion or repentance? It's a question all are required to answer at some point in life.

The verdict is in and Israel has been found guilty despite the warnings given to them by the prophet Hosea to repent of their spiritual idolatry and Baal worship. This week the sentence is read, they will be removed from the Promised Land, and God will no longer be their God. It is a lesson for all who choose to try and live the double life of holding the kingdom of God and his promises with one hand, whilst holding onto the world and its promises in the other. Joshua faced the same dilemma when the children of Israel looked to idols for their security and well-being instead of God. ‘Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) We face the same choice today.

This week, Youth Pastor, Lee Whitecross stand in for Pastor Mike who was taken ill with Covid (yes, it's still with us).

Lee considered what we sow in life, and therefore what we reap. There is much that we do as individuals, as community, and nations and as the human race, and for all actions there are consequences. There are life consequences in the here and now, but so too are there eternal questions.

Those eternal consequences are in the power of the Lord our God. Are we ready to face whatever they may be for each of us today?

Youth Pastor, Lee Whitecross speaks from Hosea 5 & 6, where the Israelites are punished for their sin and unrepentance. Today's sermon considers what this has to say to the church today.

Pastor Mike journeys further into Hosea considering the consequences of unfaithfulness, of a lack of love, and worst of all no knowledge of God. The consequences for individuals, nations and yes, the church are destruction, demolition and ultimately devastation of the good intentions of God for His creation. So, what Hosea has to say to Israel about their infidelity to the Lord their God has a deep resonance for the church today, how we raise our families and how we sit inside a society that in the main does not hear, worship or recognise the sovereignty of the Lord our God.

In life, there is much tragedy. Anyone who has lived will know this truism, that we cannot live life without disappointment and difficulty, but for the Christian, the question is can the tragedy of life result from God’s love? In this podcast, Pastor Mike Weaver looks at chapter 2 of Hosea, where it appears the wrath of God is upon the unfaithful wife and unfaithful Israel, but the rebuke is not out of anger but rather love. Like a parent wants the best for their child, this sometimes results in the need for discipline so that the child would return to the correct ways of living. Hosea has much to say to individuals and the church, asking us ultimately, ‘Where do we put our trust and our love’? Is it in the Lord?

There is no greater book in the Bible that reveals the heart of God, than that of Hosea. The prophet begins by revealing to us how hurt and angry God is with his people. He is torn between wanting to punish them for their unfaithfulness and restoring them because of his great love for them. God shows his great love for his people, comparing himself to a husband whose wife has committed adultery, using this image as a metaphor for the covenant between God and Israel. Ultimately it is a book of hope, and God can be trusted to win back the love of his people despite a less than promising start.

GMC opened our worship for 2024 with a 'Covenant Service' giving opportunity to our congregation and listener to re-commit once again, or for the first time to commit to the serving God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Listen and contemplate God's word in your heart and also God's place in your life, and your walk with Him.

Christian service led by the Rev. Mike Weaver, senior pastor of GMC which considers Isaiah 9 and what 'FULFILMENT' means this Christmas day. All hymns / songs used with permission, under Church Copyright Licence no.74633

As the clock moved toward midnight on Christmas Eve, Pastor Mike Weaver continued his Advent-Christmas series looking at what is important to Christians at this time of the year.

Specifically Pastor Mike considered Matthew 1.v22-25, as Joseph wakes from his dream where the angels tells him of impending fatherhood. This passage speaks of essential truths for Christian today, and Mike ask what is 'fundamental faith'. IN other words, what are the non-negotiables for Christ followers today.

With so much bad news going on in the world, there is a real temptation to escape. Have fun and celebrate all that Christmas has to offer at this time of year, some respite, at least for a while. But this deal also comes with a great deal of stress and financial burdens many can't afford, which follow them into the following year.

That first Christmas, during equally troubled times, an angel brought good news that offered great joy to all people. It's still good news today. Don't miss it amongst all the temporary celebrations. This news has a lifetime guarantee, unlike the batteries that will quickly wear out in the toys received on Christmas day.

Food, Glorious Food is the song from the musical Oliver, and food indeed can be glorious, but it is much more than that... it is necessary for life. Food can just sustain life or it can in the right balance bring all the nutrients one need for a thriving life.

How much more so our spiritual food? Where do you find food for your soul today?

Pastor Mike considers the Word of God, in the person of Jesus and as the written Word found in the Scriptures of the Holy Bible and argues these provide all the spiritual sustenance one can ever need.

What matters to you most as Christmas starts to creep up on you. The season of Advent for Christians is a time of preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Christ child. But of course it is a time for many other preparations too - present for gift giving and receiving, organising holiday breaks, work parties and family visiting.

Of course family is so important at this time of year, and whether you will all be together, whether folk will be missing, through distance or because they have passed, family and memories come to the fore, both good and bad.

But what about the Christmas family? Mary and Joseph, and her relative too, Elizabeth with husband Zechariah. Pastor Mike considers the importance of this new family, instituted when Mary said yes to the Angel Gabriel.

In our 6th instalment of the Testimony Time Podcast, we hear from three women of faith who worship and serve the church family at GMC.

Listen for an insight to the ways of God, his work and ministry to people in the everyday of life, whatever stage of life., as we hear from Fiona Boyle, Janice Aitken and Isobel Burnett

If you liked what you heard, then please share with friends and family.

Gillespie Memorial Church, Dunfermline Scotland (SCO11659) can be reached at www.gillespiechurch.org or by calling 01383 621 253

For Christians, Paul's passage about 'putting on the armour of God' is well known and perhaps folk do pray each morning for the armour of God, but do we understand the importance of the whole passage and accept that the wearer of God's armour stands in a place of spiritual warfare?

Pastor Mike Weaver states that the church ignores the spiritual world, the 'powers of this dark world' and 'the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms', at its peril. The church's fight is against evil and for individuals that can translate into fighting against - temptation, the trials of life, opposition, doubt and accusations of the enemy. So all Christians are called to STAND and ARMOUR UP!

Relationships are not always easy, whether in the family or in the workplace. Many of us face challenges as Christians living out our faith in such a way as to honour God and one another. It can often be the case that it is easier said than done.

In our passage from Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul gives us advice on how to overcome in a difficult relationship  to honour the people in our lives even if they are not always honourable.

Wives and Husbands. Women and Men. How we get along and are joined in marriage matters to God, for marriage is a God-ordained union. Marriage is a mystery that reveals the relationship between the people of God and their bridegroom, in other words between the church and Jesus Christ.

Pastor Mike Weaver considers the challenging words to both wives and husbands in Ephesians 5.21-33. Wives to submit to your husbands as to the Lord, and, husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved His church. Both calls are challenging to men and women in the union of marriage, especially in a society that holds ever greater disdain for the union of Christian marriage.

Listen to what the Lord’s word has to say on marriage, and whether you are single or married, widowed or divorced, be blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in your relationship today.

Looking where we walk is a very sensible thing to do. When you step out of your home into the world, walking somewhere with intention, whether to the car to head out to work or to visit friends, whether to walk the dog or just walk for the sheer sake of it, you walk with intention and you better watch your step so you don't trip, fall or worse.

The same goes for your spiritual walk! The world doesn't walk as Christians do, and what God expects of Christians is not what the world expects. So, listen as Pastor Mike unpicks Ephesians 5.v15-21 for both those who think they've got it together with the Lord and those who maybe feel a little more overwhelmed with that idea...

In today’s podcast, Pastor Mike explores the relationship between the church, who are the people of God, and the world. The call to the Christian is to be LIGHT, but that entails a change in the heart and actions of the believer, that they are different to the world. Different in understanding and behaviours relating to sexual activity, the language we use and views on covetousness that lead to greed. Mike argues that if you accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, as all Christians must, then you are required to walk in the light. There is no other way.

The opening prayer in the podcast involves call and response so if you want to join in below are the words used…

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

Amen

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek:

that I dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;

to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His Temple

Call:     Who is it that you seek?

Response: We seek the Lord our God.

Call:     Do you seek Him with all your heart?

Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Call:     Do you seek Him with all your soul?

Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Call:     Do you seek Him with all your mind?

Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Call:     Do you seek Him with all your strength?

Response: Amen. Christ, have mercy.

To whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God,

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Youth Pastor Lee Whitecross delves into Ephesians 4:17-5:2 where Paul gives us instructions for how we are supposed to live as Christians. Walking in truth and love!

Pastor Mike Weaver challenges the worlds assumptions that the way things are is the way they are meant to be. The Christian worldview is not that of the world - which includes the worldviews of the atheist and other religious peoples.

Christians know Jesus as Saviour and Lord, and in that space should be clothed anew, clothed differently from the world. Is the church so clothed today? Listen and understand from God's word the call to be radically different from the world.

Unity is something we hope for and desire as a church but is it possible with all our denominations and differences? God desires and blesses unity in the body but it does not mean uniformity. We are all uniquely made to reflect his image and each of us is given gifts with which to function and serve as part of the body of Christ. Paul reminds us in this passage from Ephesians 4: 'We are all ONE BODY, we have the same Spirit, and we have been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all.' These are the truths that bind us together and challenge us to keep the unity that is ours as the body of Christ in the world.

What is possible with Prayer? Do Christians today doubt the viability and the power of prayer to affect change. Pastor Mike considers the power prayer of St. Paul from the second part of chapter 3 of Ephesians. He discovers an imprisoned Paul praying mightily for God to intervene in the powerful name of Jesus and the effecting work of the Holy Spirit to change the lives of Christians and maybe more importantly, the collection of believers who are the Church of Jesus Christ. The power of this prayer is as evident today as when it was written and should be the prayer on the lips and heart of every Christian wishing to see God working in their church in the world in the 21st Century

Paul comes before the Lord in prayer after his introductory remarks to the church in Ephesus. Pastor Mike Weaver sheds light on seven steps that lead the one coming to Christ to beleif, rather than enlightenment. Today many people seek enlightenment, whether from self-analysis using tools and self help guide, or whether in the materials things of thi9s world, but ultimately none can satisfy the desire to know who we truly are. There is a deep need in the church to turn away form personal spiritual growth that finds it roots in the ancient practice of gnosticism, and instead to preach, teach and inspire people to seek God for the truth of who they are. The power to understand the world is best found through the prism of God's power, provided to HIs church, to be exercised in His will.

A new sermon series in St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians kicks off with Pastor Mike Weaver considering the introduction to this letter, not to a single church but to a wider body of believers in Jesus. It is a letter in which Paul ranges overt the world, past, present and future where he considers God's all encompasing presence before the foundation of the world through to the fullness of time embracingf all things in heaven and on earth. It is a letter that calls the church to unity and holy living, and the introduction calls the people of God, the church, to be different, knowing we are called to live in the world but not be of it.

No is a word we must be instructed to say. It is an anti social word. It goes against the tide. It takes courage and commitment to say it. It needs strong motivation, and grace motivates powerfully. Grace teaches us to say No! This sermon focusses on the Amazing Grace of God and how this grace was and is central to our salvation and transformation.

Pastor Mike Weaver starts a new short, 3-sermon series looking at 'Authentic Faith' as a challenge for those who know Christ to grow deeper roots in their faith, and maybe for those who don't know Jesus to start the journey to germinate your faith.

Mike starts by countering on oft heard narrative that Christian faith is a form of 'blind faith' and has little evidence to back up its claims. The truth of the Christian faith though IS backed up by evidence and belief in and expereince of God, Father, Son and Spirit can be known. Listen in as Pastor Mike expounds truths from Matthew 22.v34-37 and 1John 5.v1-5, 20

The fifth episode in the Testimony Time podcast bring you three new stories of faith. Stories of folks journey to know the Lord, journeying with the Lord and their hope for the future. Each person has a unique relationship with Jesus and therefore a unique story told in their own words.

If you liked what you heard, then please share with friends and family.

Gillespie Memorial Church, Dunfermline Scotland (SCO11659) can be reached at www.gillespiechurch.org or by calling 01383 621 253

Matthew 24 v36-44

No-one knows when Jesus will return, but we do know that when he does return, we need to be ready

Text: Matthew 24:29-35

Title: The Unexpected Arrival — The Coming Of The Son Of Man

Theme: Preparing For The Future — Make no mistake, Jesus IS coming back! — It is time to get ready!