Knowing

Defiant joy is solely based on the victory of Jesus Christ and all that he has won for you. It

rests on the fact that you are completely and utterly loved and cared for. In Christ your life

is inextinguishable. Undefeatable. Victorious. Worry, fear, panic and dread do not get to

hold you hostage. Your heart is safely held in the hands of your faithful God who promises that a life of unending joy is you'r inheritance. It is coming. Jesus led the way. And though the way often includes disappointment, pain, betrayal and sorrow; none of them get to have the final say.

Knowing Jesus is the pulsing truth of followers of Jesus!

Here's some of the details for parish life this week...

• Here's the series overview: Defiant joy!

• Watch back on last Sunday's online church gathering on our church facebook page.

• Our PCC way forward for the interim re our buildings

• Midweek sung worship with Adam at 6pm on our church Facebook page

• Sunday word & worship at 1030 on our church facebook page for all

• The ongoing John gospel daily series, on Johnny's personal Facebook page

• Each Sunday our 'hospitality at home' after church via a 1115 Zoom group church conversation get deeper and sweeter; sign-in details are in the church family email sent by Noah each Thursday. Email signup via noah@stph.org.uk

• Wednesday morning's are really precious times, 30 minutes of focussed prayer at 0830 each week, you'd be so welcome to join us. Here's the zoom link.

• In our return to gathered-church, here is the update from Bishop James, in the slow journey towards the future normal. The limitations continue to mean that only 15 persons at one time could meet at St Paul's, and only 27 persons at St Peter's even with the revised 1-plus metre rulings!

• If you or others you know are struggling, do be in touch with Pauline Pearson our Pastoral Care Team leader. Direct any queries if you wish to pastoralcareteam@stph.org.uk

Today in our scattered 1030 online offering, Sue will speak on what knowing Jesus means, in part-three of our Defiant Joy series: Emma-Jane will share an all-age moment, and Sally will share an everyday faith segment! Here are our youth resources and children resources for this weekend: Also here's a Spotify playlist to accompany this new series!

Defiant Joy in knowing Jesus! Philippians 3:7-10

• In the gospels Jesus asked his disciples two important questions:

1. Who do people say that I am?

2. Who do you say that I am?

So who do you think Jesus is; who is he in your life?

• Some people will have experienced Christ. They will have done incredible things only possible with the power of Christ. Yet Christ will tell them “I never knew you.”

• There is a danger in thinking that we know Jesus. Have you stopped listening to Jesus and learning about Him, or are you growing in your knowing?

• Paul said that above everything else - “I want to know Christ...”. Knowing facts about Christ wasn’t what Paul was after. He didn't want to know Jesus as a stranger, Paul wanted to know Christ on a deeper level.

• Christ says in John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full!"

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Session 3:  Outrageous Joy because I know Jesus.

Read Philippians 3:7-10

1. In the gospels Jesus asked his disciples two important questions:

1. Who do people say that I am?

2. Who do you say that I am?

Who do you think Jesus is: who is he to your life?

2. Read Matthew 7:22-23 in two different versions. What strikes you?

3. How would you interpret ‘knowing’ Jesus vs ‘knowing of’ Jesus?

4. We are told that that God knows us ‘in our mother’s womb’ (Psalm 139:16)

and can ‘count the hairs on our heads’ (Luke 12:7) but he loves us anyway.

How does this unconditional love make you feel? Do you believe it?

5. What stops us spending time and effort to deepen our knowledge of Jesus?

6. Read John 15:11. How does knowing Jesus change our attitude and outlook?

7. Mother Teresa said, “A person filled with joy preaches without preaching” Discuss.

8. Are we a Martha church or a Mary church?

9. What changes can you make to help you prioritise deepening your personal

relationship with Jesus?

Quoteable quotes

• ‘There are more than three times as many verses about joy in the Bible than about sadness. The Bible is a book of joy’. Kay Warren.

• ‘The life maps of God are right, showing the way to joy’. Psalm 119 v 111 The MSG

• ‘To embrace God’s point of view however briefly is to be joyful’. Mike Mason.

• ‘Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God’ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

• ‘It’s the fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows’. Brene Brown