The God who changes lives

One of the greatest proofs of God’s existence is the evidence of changed lives. If there is a God and we can know him, it stands to reason that his presence in our lives should make a profound difference.

In the latest edition of The Bridge, you can read about some of the many lives that have been profoundly changed in and through our church family here in Marlow this year.

As you will read, these wonderful changes often come about in the midst of great trials and suffering – so be encouraged, if you yourself are suffering. God does not promise that life will work out just the way we want it to, but he does promise never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

As you read, I hope you will:

• Be encouraged! – if you are part of All Saints Marlow, then you are part of bringing about these transformed lives. Every prayer you pray, every minute you serve and every penny you give are part of a great blessing to others.
• Look out! – wherever you are this week, at work, at home, with friends – look out for how you can be a blessing to others. Our extraordinary God is at work surprisingly near. His kingdom is very close to you. Ordinary people like you and me can get involved.
• Join in! – there are so many teams working in our church to help change lives. This autumn, why not consider (or reconsider) which team you could be part of.
• Want more! – God never stops changing lives. Why not take a moment to ask him to bring transformation to your own life this autumn?

Coming up … There are lots of things to look out for in our church life this autumn: To pick out a few:

Alpha is the best way I know of seeing God at work changing lives. We’ve seen some extraordinary stories so far this year. It runs from 1st October (and from 3rd October in Marlow Bottom).

Small Groups 4U – we have 31 small groups running between now and Christmas. Connecting with other Christians in small groups is for most people who do it, the very best part of church life. If you’ve never tried it before, why not give it a go?

Spreading the Fire – on 6th October at 5.30pm the Bishop of Oxford is visiting High Wycombe for a Deanery-wide celebration of what God is doing in this area. It’s called ‘Sharing the Fire’ – please come along!

Support our new staff – we are welcoming four new people to our team this autumn. Please look out for them and encourage them – perhaps by asking if you can help with anything? They are: Matt Clark (now permanent Youth & Children’s Leader), James Grimwood (Director of Music), Becca Schmeer (Discipleship Year Intern) and Mark Gould (here on placement for 2 years as he trains for ordination).

May we join in with what God is doing to change lives for good this autumn – and in so doing may we find our own lives transformed too!

This article, written by Rev Dave Bull, featured in the Autumn 2019 edition of The Bridge – the magazine for All Saints’ Church in Marlow. Pick up your free copy in church or download it here.