The Body Beautiful

[00:00:00] Good morning again. [00:00:04] Good morning again. It is lovely to see you. [00:00:06] What a morning so far. [00:00:09] What a morning so far. Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus. In this next 25 minutes to half an hour, Father, would you. [00:00:19] Father, would you bless my words and would you inspire my words, Holy Spirit, so that your body, your church here and rediscover. [00:00:29] We just. [00:00:30] We're impacted by youy Word and we walk out of here equipped by more of youf Word than we were when we walked in. [00:00:40] In Jesus name, Amen. [00:00:44] Amen. [00:00:45] Right, well, for those of you who don't know me, my name's Des. [00:00:51] My posh name is Derek and I'm kind of comfortable with Derek now. I wasn't for a while, but my name is Des. I was on staff here for about five or six years and loved it. It was a really happy time in my life. I've been away for a few years having a bit of a business adventure. [00:01:10] And as you heard last week, I'm back. [00:01:17] The claps are hugely relieving. That's good. [00:01:23] And it really is lovely to be back. It really is. [00:01:26] I feel like a really important, really important piece of me is coming alive again. [00:01:33] And to be given a second chance by you, the church, by the leaders to come back is wonderful, really, and I'm hugely grateful for it. And it gives me a chance to maybe, you know, celebrate some of the things that I did well last time, but the things that I was absolutely horrendous at and rubbish at last time, I get a really unique chance to try and develop those things. And one of those things is something I'm going to bring to you this morning for us to explore together. [00:02:08] Before I do that, I know we talk about our values and our living courageously, loving extravagantly and thriving authentically. We're talking a lot about that recently. Afi, would you be able to put my living courageously slide up so. Just so that, you know, just to keep the conversation going at the moment, this is me living courageously. [00:02:36] I've ended a job, a bit of a business adventure that I've been doing for a few years, as you'll find out more about at the moment. [00:02:43] And this is what I'm doing. I'm being quite brave because at the moment I haven't got any customers and I'm kind of stepping out. [00:02:51] But God's been stirring me and these are the things that I do. I've got. I'm a trained counsellor and it's lovely to be able to have a bit more time to develop my counsel and stuff. [00:03:04] I've got a music production studio that I love doing that. If you guys are taking photos, that's brill. Share it around. I. I need some customers. [00:03:13] This isn't. That's not why I'm sharing this, by the way, though. I promise. I promise. [00:03:19] And this is the thing. When we talk about living courageously just to inspire you guys for the thing God's challenging you with. [00:03:28] I love teaching and I've been a teacher for over 15 years in different capacities. But rather than going back into the classroom, I. And I know some of the teachers are here. Ali, we've got some great teachers here. But I just. For me personally, there was a bit of a stir. [00:03:43] I know that God uses me with some of those kids who. You know, the round peg, square hole kids. [00:03:50] I really love working with those. Love them, absolutely. And God's given me a bit of breakthrough with them. And so I've set up Thrive Tech Learning. I borrowed a bit of money, bought a load of MacBooks, and I'm working with kids who school doesn't fit. [00:04:07] And I'm hoping that with God and with a bit of tech and with some drums and guitars and other things that we find a bit of a fit for them. [00:04:15] So that's me. [00:04:18] Cool. Cool. [00:04:22] So please do pray for me when you see me. [00:04:25] But I know there's a lot of other of you guys have been stirred with a few other. Live courageously, Go for it, be brave and go for it. Okay, today, the Body Beautiful is the title of. [00:04:42] Indeed. Wait till you see the next slide. [00:04:45] The Body Beautiful. [00:04:49] Not everybody can remember this man, but the 80s and the 90s were. Were kind of dominated by the Hoff. The Hoff. He was a bit of a hero of mine when I was a kid, you know, who didn't want to be the hof. [00:05:05] Yeah. Maybe put the first title back up. [00:05:08] Yeah, let's stick with that for now. [00:05:11] But we are God's body, and God's body, operating the way he designed us to be in harmony with each other, is even more beautiful than the HOF in his prime. And we're going to explore it a little bit this morning. And I wonder, could we stand together and could we read from the screen Corinthians? [00:05:35] For some of you, this will feel like really old ground. [00:05:40] But sometimes old ground needs to come alive again and it needs to become live and vibrant in amongst us. [00:05:49] Especially maybe after what God said to us this morning in our worship. Okay. [00:05:57] I'd love it if you would read along with me the Human body has many parts. And the many parts make up one whole body. [00:06:08] So it is within the body of Christ. [00:06:11] Some of us are Jews, some of us are Gentiles, some are slaves, some are free, some are Geordies, some. Some work in schools, some work in engineering, some are Europeans, some are Africans. We are one body, many parts. [00:06:29] Yeah, that was a bit of an ad lib. Okay. [00:06:32] But we have been baptized into one body by one spirit. And we all share the same spirit. [00:06:42] Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. [00:06:47] If the foot says I am not part of the body because I'm not a hand, that does not make it any less of a part of the body. [00:06:57] And the ear says I'm not part of the body because I'm not an eye, would that make it any less a part of the body? [00:07:07] If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? [00:07:11] Or if the whole body were in earth, how would you smell anything? [00:07:17] In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. [00:07:27] And the parts we regard as less honorable as those we clothe with the greatest care. [00:07:34] So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require the special care. [00:07:44] So God has put the body together such that extra honour and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. [00:07:53] This makes for harmony amongst the members, so all the members care for each other. Just stop there for a second. [00:08:03] This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each. For each other. [00:08:11] If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it. And if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad. [00:08:20] All of you together are Christ's body and each of you is a part of it. And with that screen kept on, I know it's hard to read that as you look around, but if you can try and maybe catch someone's eye. [00:08:38] All of you together are Christ's body and each of you is a part of it. [00:08:47] And a really important part of it too. [00:08:51] Brilliant. Thank you. You may now be seated. Excellent. [00:09:00] I noticed, sorry, I mentioned earlier on that coming back into role, some of the things that I've reflected on and didn't do quite as well last time, I'd love to develop and do better and serve you guys better this time. [00:09:15] One of those things is very, very much the pastoral care within the church. [00:09:21] When I look back and I reflect last time, although I loved it and God really did move this time, coming back, I haven't got my cape on. I haven't got my Superman cape on and I haven't got my underpants on the outside of my trousers trying to be the superhero. [00:09:41] Because I think even at the time, even I didn't acknowledge that at the time. [00:09:46] When you're a fixer, lots of you guys too, I know, are fixers. [00:09:51] We try to fix everything and I'm not, I can't fix anything anyway. [00:09:59] I can introduce you to someone who can. [00:10:02] But we need each other. We really do need each other and we're going to explore that today. [00:10:09] Last time I preached was about a year ago. [00:10:13] It was about a year ago. And in order for today to completely make sense, I need to give you a bit of an insight into my last 12 months and my experience being part of the body. [00:10:26] Can anybody remember when I was preaching it that I will not give that which costs me nothing as part of my worship. We looked at. David said that famously, we've got to practice what we preach. And I also picked the guitar up and I was a little bit naughty and I stirred us, agitated us to think about what we were singing. And I sang the song My lighthouse, my lighthouse, I will follow you. [00:10:53] And I took the safe to show bit off the end because I've never really resonated with it because. [00:10:59] And I said that I believe that Jesus calls us to follow him. [00:11:04] It's not always safe to show. [00:11:06] Heaven's safe to show. But yeah, well, sometimes you've really got to practice what you preach. [00:11:18] I last preached in September last year and you'll find out in a second there's a few reasons why. One of them was my neck and my shoulder. About a week after that preach was the start of the year of celebrations for the Minto family. It was going to be an amazing year and it actually has been. You'll find out my Oliver's 18th birthday was the week after. [00:11:42] Then my wife Rachel, it was her 50th wedding anniversary in the February. [00:11:48] Then our 25th wedding anniversary in the June. And then my son Sam was getting married in the July. [00:11:57] I mean that is a pretty cool year, you gotta admit. I'm like, oh Lord, gonna be skipping and dancing this year. Well, the morning of my Oliver's 18th birthday I woke up and my neck felt a bit strange. [00:12:16] And to cut a really, really, really long story short, I've had a really long 12 month battle. I had a disc out, we don't know how between my C6 and my C7 and for about four to five months I was really, really struggling, couldn't play drums Couldn't play guitar. Couldn't really lift my hand. My arm. [00:12:35] Past year, I lost. Lost my hand for a few months and all the way down this right side. If any of you guys have had trapped nerves, you'll understand. Right, so that wasn't the best start of the year of celebrations. We planned all of these things in. We went to Centre Parks for Christmas as a family. [00:12:54] Had to come home. Couldn't move. Couldn't bear the pain. Full of morphine. Lying face down on the floor, like, literally couldn't move. [00:13:01] Had a special gig with Rachel, Bryan Adams at Cardiff. Couldn't go. Couldn't move. [00:13:09] Anyway, there we go. There's the start of the year. [00:13:13] Then coming out of this year, about Easter time, started coming out of my arm. I could move. And I can. I mean, I can get it here. [00:13:23] I really can get it here now. It's amazing. [00:13:26] I'm still waiting for the nerve block injection that I've been promised. But that's cool. God's. God's done his stuff. [00:13:33] And then just coming out of that, just before our wedding anniversary, we kind of got Rachel and my wife went in for just a random mammogram and they found something in Rachel's mammogram which meant that Rachel had to go back. [00:13:52] So Rach had two biopsies. [00:13:55] They couldn't quite decide what was going on. [00:13:58] But then, yeah, one biopsy that she had. [00:14:02] The results for Rachel's biopsy were two days after Samuel's wedding. [00:14:11] So our Samuel was married on the Saturday and Rachel found out on the Monday that, yeah, it was positive and it found. And praise God, it was a really low grade. It's a really low grade DCIS cancer, breast cancer that Rachel has. [00:14:30] So we've had the joys of the wedding on the Saturday. [00:14:35] We had Rachel's meeting on the Monday. [00:14:41] I guess this was one of those things, you know, I will follow you end a sentence. [00:14:48] I'll. [00:14:49] I just follow him. I follow him because he's Jesus and because he's worth it. And like Mike preached a few weeks ago, I'm learning this year and God has taught me through the things that we've had to deal with this year, that I need to seek his face, not his hand. [00:15:05] I do seek his hand. Not just his hand. [00:15:09] I seek his face. [00:15:11] I seek his face. [00:15:13] A few things have got me through this year, really putting him first and seeking his face first. Philippians 4. [00:15:21] Philippians 4. This does tie in. My story does tie in. I promise. [00:15:26] This Scripture at times has been like the Air that I've breathed that's been sustained. Do not be anxious about anything. But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and mine's in Christ Jesus. Rachel will tell you if you speak to her that some days she said, des, I feel a bit guilty. I shouldn't feel as peaceful as I feel. I shouldn't feel as peaceful as that. [00:15:57] It's amazing, honestly. This stuff is true. [00:16:00] And I would encourage you, church, that as we do go through this stuff, like Mike said, as well as seeking his hand. [00:16:08] Seek his face. Seek his face. I want to know Christ. [00:16:12] I want to know Christ through it. [00:16:16] My good friend Luke Jeffrey always reminded me of this scripture, him and I, the last time. This is in Jeremiah 17 for us as a body. [00:16:29] Blessed is the one who trusts in the lord, whose confidence is in him. [00:16:33] They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. [00:16:39] It does not fear when the heat comes. Its leaves are always green. [00:16:43] It has no worries in a year of drought, and it never fails to bear fruit. [00:16:48] My roots go deep. [00:16:50] My roots go deep through, over the years, the scripture that I've read, the holy spirit inside of me. Church, your roots. [00:17:01] Some of you have got years of roots going down. [00:17:04] Some of you have got shoots. [00:17:10] Let your roots go down. Let them drink richly of the Lord and from his word. [00:17:15] Now, This is where we come in, and this is where the big crux of that body scripture comes in. Today. [00:17:32] I sang loads of songs. [00:17:34] I'm always singing, always singing in my head. And Rach had an operation two and a half weeks ago, and when she was in the operation, I went upstairs in the hospital into the canteen to have my bacon and eggs, obviously. [00:17:51] And I was sat upstairs, and I was quite emotional. [00:17:56] I was really, really quite emotional. She was downstairs having a lump back to me at the time, and I was just sat by myself. [00:18:05] And can you remember the old song? It went, I lift my hands to the coming king, to the great I am. [00:18:15] To you I sing, for you're the one who lives within my heart. Okay, I won't cry. [00:18:25] And then my old. The preacher that I'd done the year before came to me that I will not give that which cost me nothing. And I was praying for Rich. [00:18:36] So basically, two minutes later, I'm sat there with my arms in the air in the middle of the restaurant, crying my eyes out. [00:18:45] And then there's a chorus of that song. That goes, and I will serve no foreign God or any other treasure. [00:18:53] And I'm sat like, people looking at me must have thought, I'm alright, Dave. I'm sat there like this with my hands in the air and I couldn't care less. I could not care less, right? [00:19:13] And then something remarkable happened. [00:19:17] Something absolutely remarkable happened. And I know my Rachel's phone had been pinging and pinging and pinging and pinging on the way in. The messages that. Those of you who knew about what was happening with us, the messages that you sent were incredible, right? [00:19:35] Incredible. [00:19:37] Something remarkable happened with me. [00:19:42] I don't know whether it was just because my phone suddenly got reception again. I don't know. It might have been. I really like to think it was the Lord. [00:19:52] I put my hands down, My phone started pinging. Craig, Craig, New Zealand. Craig got this really long text from him about how about how he was thinking about me. He was praying for me and he did this big prayer for me. Drew, who you saw on stage, the little dude who was here, don't tell him I said that. Well, he is little. Little is cool. The body has all sizes and shapes and so, right? [00:20:27] He. He sent me the most amazing text. [00:20:31] Just as I finished reading Drew's message, Mike. [00:20:35] A voice note appears from Mike with a prayer. [00:20:38] A prayer over me. [00:20:40] It was amazing. Danny, some of you might know, Danny Salmon, amazing message from another brother came in. [00:20:50] Then I remember after Danny's, I'm like, right, I need my Bible. I really need my Bible. Where's my Bible? Where's my Bible? I went through my bag, didn't have my Bible. I'm like, why haven't I got my Bible? Forgot that it's on my phone. I just. I wanted my Bible. Where's my Bible? [00:21:06] Then randomly comes a message from joel with Psalm 91 in its full entirety. [00:21:15] So I read that. [00:21:17] It was amazing. Honestly, the timing of this thing was incredible. Then Roger and John came through the door, who were beautiful friends to me that day. Roger and John knew what was going on and they sat and had a coffee with me. [00:21:36] I felt uplifted. I felt supported beyond belief. [00:21:45] And in brackets here, this is the important thing. [00:21:49] These are the situations in which I built my relationship with these people, right? With Craig, it was through different men's groups. With Drew through Worship Team, Danny on Sound Team, Roger and Jan through the Pastoral Team. Later on, Matty Clark from Worship Team was amazing. [00:22:11] Big Vinnie, I don't know if you know Vinnie, he's a lot bigger than Drew. He's A big dude. But we play football together on a Thursday. [00:22:20] Our connections as a body of Christ here at Rediscover Church in smaller groups are vitally important in they are a lifeline to us, they really are. [00:22:33] You've heard a bit of my story today, but only because I've got a microphone across this morning. There might be 600 people. It would take like 12 years or something for the whole church to hear everybody's stories. But there are stories and there are lives here that we need each other. [00:22:57] We need each other. [00:23:00] So could I invite a couple of people to the stage? [00:23:08] Rich. [00:23:10] Rich, could you be a bit of a life group leader for me this morning? We haven't got the seats yet, so you might have to stand. [00:23:15] Rich, you'd be on this. On this side. [00:23:19] Yeah. [00:23:21] Let's just see what happens over the next little bit. [00:23:26] Got a scripture to read. [00:23:28] Got a scripture to read. [00:23:30] Ugo, are you here? [00:23:34] Come on. [00:23:36] I've just been thinking about you a bit. Ugo, maybe you want to just go over there. [00:23:45] Right, there we go. [00:23:46] Rich, you seem a bit lonely in your life group senate. Anybody? [00:23:53] The reason, Rich? The reason. Although we do have loads of groups like that, I'm using the example of life groups in the moment because life groups were restarting a lot. The life groups that have gone through our safeguarding and that are compliant. We're starting those off again and yeah, hurrah. Clapping the corner. And life groups are probably the best example within the church at the minute of us being able to really get vulnerable with that whole body of Christ thing. Anybody you want to invite? Rich? [00:24:27] Barry, would you come? [00:24:32] Anybody else? [00:24:35] Oh, thanks Barry. Susie, come and join me. Oh, thanks Susie. [00:24:43] Thanks Susie. It's really important. We're not just hearers of the Word. What do us as? Well, this is good. Maybe one more for the minute. Rich, anybody else? [00:24:51] Oh yeah, come and join us, youngster. Evie, come. Come on. Come join the group. [00:24:58] Oh, fantastic. [00:24:59] Right? Oh, the what? Bounce the age up a bit. Fantastic. [00:25:04] Well, if we move to Luke 5, we just have a little look at life groups for the minute. [00:25:10] You alright there, Hugo? [00:25:12] You having a nice morning? Not interrupting anything, am I? Kind of, yeah, you carry on, that's fine. You carry on. Okay, Luke 5, here's another story that we've heard a good few times. [00:25:25] Maybe this will come alive in a bit of a different context. This morning, Jesus heals a man let down from the roof. And one of the days while Jesus was teaching, some proud religious law keepers and teachers of the law were sitting with him that come from every town in the countries of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem, the power of the Lord was there to heal them. [00:25:51] Some men took a man who was not able to move his body to Jesus. [00:25:56] He was carried on a bed. [00:25:58] They looked for a way to take the man into the house where Jesus was, but they couldn't find a way to take him in because of so many people. [00:26:08] So they made their hole itself, the roof over where Jesus stood. Sorry, I missed that bit. [00:26:17] Then they let the bed with the sick man on it down before Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, friend, your sins are forgiven. [00:26:28] At once the sick man got up in front of them, he took his bed and went to his home, thanking God. [00:26:37] All those who were there were surprised and gave thanks to God saying, we have seen special things today and on our relaunch of life groups and on our relaunch of me being back in a bit of a pastoral sense, I would love you guys to think about the life group over here. [00:26:59] It's a lovely life group this, isn't it? Who wouldn't want to be part of that? [00:27:05] You alright there? [00:27:07] You all right there? [00:27:09] Yeah, I just found some interesting reels. [00:27:11] Yeah. Oh, you're just on reels? Yeah. [00:27:14] So you're not really interested at the moment of joining? Oh, Graham, would you. [00:27:18] Oh, brilliant. Graham, you'd like to join? Oh, thanks, Graham. Hey, Graham. Great. Come on, mate. Welcome. [00:27:27] So we'll just leave Ugo for now. That's fine. So. So the picture of the man, the most helpful way that I look at life groups is like this, like my story when I was the guy who needed lowering down when I was in the, in the hospital last week, a couple of weeks ago. Sorry. [00:27:49] I needed my friends to lower me down. I needed them and they did, they did in this group. It might be at the moment that Barry is the person that needs to be lowered to Jesus, you know, using that metaphor at the time, and carried and supported by the rest of the group. [00:28:09] But it might be that actually in a couple of months time, Barry, you're one of the guys who's lower and rich down to Jesus, because at that moment Rich is the one that we're gathering round. [00:28:25] There are many reasons that people give to not joining a life group and not connecting in on that bit of a deeper level, or not joining a ministry or a serving group like worship team or whatever. [00:28:39] I know you just told me you were on reels, but come on, here's another chance. [00:28:43] Come on. Hugo, don't rob them of what you've got. Come on. [00:28:50] Well, a new season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives just dropped, so I'm gonna watch that instead. Thank you. [00:29:01] Okay, some of the answers to Ugo's question, some of Hugo's answers. [00:29:09] I know I'm being a bit naughty, right? [00:29:11] Some of her answers are valid, some of them aren't. [00:29:15] Hugo, I'm not sure whether Secret Lives of Mormon Wives do series dropping is a good enough reason. Bake off, maybe? [00:29:22] I'm joking. I'm joking. I'm joking. [00:29:27] Okay. Come on, Rich, will you give him a. You ask her rather than me? Come on, just. [00:29:34] It's a direct ask. We'd love you to join us, Hugo. [00:29:38] Look at these beautiful people. We'd love you to join us. [00:29:42] Thing is, I work on Tuesday evenings, so I couldn't make it. [00:29:47] She works on Tuesday evenings. [00:29:50] Valid excuse for this life group. [00:29:54] Do you know what, though? Al's got a life group and he meets on a Wednesday. [00:30:01] I mean, I'm also working on my dissertation at the moment, so I'm really busy with that. [00:30:14] Brilliant. [00:30:16] This is the body of Christ right now. Actually, do you know what? [00:30:23] Some things are quite valid, you know. Dissertation time it is. That's a big time for students. I do get it. Maybe this season. [00:30:35] But you are serving in worship team as well, aren't you? So. Yeah, but what about in January? Come on. [00:30:44] Come on. [00:30:46] I just don't feel important enough. Like people won't want to spend time with me. [00:30:58] Well, I know a lot of people do feel like that. [00:31:05] Going back to Corinthians. All of you are Christ's body. [00:31:09] All of you, everyone, and each of you is a part of it. [00:31:17] We would love you. You are welcome. [00:31:20] You are welcome. [00:31:23] You are welcome. [00:31:26] Look, I hear you, but I've been hurt by someone at church, at a life group before, so I just don't do that kind of thing anymore. [00:31:45] That's a real one, isn't it? That is. That really, really is. [00:31:50] That really, really, really is. [00:31:54] I know. [00:31:56] Being hurt in a life group in the past or in a church in the past, it's not something sometimes you can just press a button and move on from, because those things are real. [00:32:07] I promise you, I will not rubbish those feelings. [00:32:14] What I would say, and we're going to read a scripture in the moment, is that as long as the wonderful Hugo feels like that, and she's isolated from the rest of the body and we're not having an opportunity to lower Ugo down to Jesus and Ugo Isn't Ugo's robbing these guys of the opportunity of these guys to be impacted by her? [00:32:43] Oh, it's just sad. I've heard some stories and you feel it in your belly. [00:32:51] Sometimes the only thing at times like this, we go to Christ. [00:32:57] We go to Christ and there's a scripture in Colossians. [00:33:04] I'd really love to get on the screen. Colossians 3, and this is tough, but this is what the all singing, all dancing, authentic thriving, authentically Body of Christ tries to do. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. [00:33:35] Bear with each other and forgive one another. [00:33:41] I know it's tough. I know it is. [00:33:46] If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord forgave you, and over all these virtues, put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity. [00:33:58] As I stand here looking out the. There are people in this church. I know I've upset. [00:34:04] I know I have. [00:34:07] I was really sharp with Diana one week and remember in the afternoon, Diana, I sent you the message to try and make things right. [00:34:17] Helen and I. I was sharp with Helen a few weeks ago, and I had to make things right. [00:34:23] We will let each other down. [00:34:26] We will. [00:34:27] And we try not to. We try not to when we try to do all of this. But please, if that is you, would you maybe make a Note of Colossians 3 and just ask the Lord, Lord, would you give me grace? Would you give me grace to try this again? [00:34:47] Maybe there's a person and as you're working through your forgiveness with them, like maybe I use Rich as an example, because I know I love Rich. Rich trusts me. [00:34:58] If Rich is the person who really upset you deeply in the past, if he is, and you've forgiven him and you're moving on, but you still maybe don't think this is the life group for you, because it's still go to a different one or join a different team. [00:35:19] Because as long as you've forgiven in your heart, it's often lovely over time, when the Lord sometimes brings situations around where you actually do come back together. It's lovely. [00:35:32] So I've run out of time. [00:35:35] I've run out of time. [00:35:38] Hugo, I'm only going to ask one more time. [00:35:44] This is the last time. [00:35:47] Well, actually, will you. I'm tired of asking. Will you ask her? [00:35:54] All right, then, go on. [00:35:59] Just one moment. [00:36:03] Ugo, we'd love to have you, but we're full. [00:36:09] Sorry. I'm so Sorry, but you're full. [00:36:14] Okay. This is a bit of a cliffhanger that I'm going to leave it on because some of the life groups are full. We need new life group leaders from inside the life groups and from outside of the church. Which leads us to the next and final appeal to you. Round of applause for our life group volunteers. [00:36:33] Thank you. Thank you so much. [00:36:37] Okay, so as we end. [00:36:41] As we end today, we haven't got any music or anything. As we end. [00:36:49] My question is simply this. [00:36:51] My question is simply this. Where do you fit? [00:36:56] Oh, I've just realized, right. [00:37:00] The really important part of the story is if, you know, with my rich earlier on. [00:37:05] On Wednesday of this week. I can't believe I didn't tell you earlier on. [00:37:09] We got the results on Wednesday of this week that they got everything in the operation with a clear margin, so. Oh, yeah, I know. [00:37:23] Of all the things to forget from the store, like, so this week for me has been quite an interesting week. You know, preparing this, but having. [00:37:32] We've got to thrive authentically, like the vision says. [00:37:37] Yes. So the all clear doesn't have to go back. Just needs to heal and have our annual scans. Thank you, Jesus. [00:37:44] Yeah, thank you. [00:37:47] Ah, This is being recorded, isn't it? So she'll see this. [00:37:55] Oh, Rachel, I love you so much. I'm sorry for the order of that. Okay, where do you fit? [00:38:04] Where do you fit? [00:38:06] I know. We've got hands, we've got legs, we've got ears, we've got all parts of the body here. [00:38:15] What could the next chapter look like for you as part of the body? And there are a few options. There are a few options that we've got coming up. I don't know if we've got my final slide there coming up. We're going to have a week that we're going to call a connections fair, where all of the ministry teams, you know, worship team, first steps, team life groups, all of our different connection points at the end of the service, you'll have a chance to join. [00:38:44] But why wait? Because many life groups that have done their safeguarding training are starting again. [00:38:52] Des, how do I join? [00:38:54] Rediscoverchurch.com this would be a great slide to take a picture of. I'll get out the way. So I'm not on it. [00:39:02] Des, this morning, I've been stirred that maybe it's my time to stand up. [00:39:09] I'm going to be part of the challenge that Lord, you gave earlier on, that we want to have our hearts broken for this city. [00:39:17] We Want to be his hands and feet in the dark places that Mary talked about. And I'm going to open my house up and I'm going to step up and I'm going to be a life group leader. [00:39:29] Oh, slightly less rippled applause there. [00:39:34] But I'll tell you what part of us answering what the Lord said earlier on this morning means that some of us do need to stop watching box sets to put the excuses aside and step up and say, father, I am going to serve you and I'm going to be obedient. If that is you, you can also go to the website or you could email the wonderful Carolan. [00:40:03] We have a 14th of November training day for Next Life Group leaders. Don't wait two years. We, we've got this in three or four weeks. Come and do it. Come on. If you're stirred by it, come and do it. [00:40:14] Worship team. Anybody who wants to connect in on Thursday evening next week, if you're one of those musicians who's been sitting on your hands, come on. Maybe this might be your time or maybe like my Thrive Tech thing that I was talking earlier, you've got a new connection point. [00:40:37] Please email me. I would love to see. I would love to see. [00:40:41] Men, when you go to the loo today, you'll see that there are a lot of dates. Our men's work is starting again. [00:40:49] Men, I need you. [00:40:51] I need you. [00:40:52] If you can help and get alongside me with our men's work, would you please email. [00:41:01] I need you. Please email me. [00:41:05] I'm out of time. [00:41:10] You are important to God and you are important to us. [00:41:18] And I'm going to pray a prayer in a second. [00:41:21] And our response this morning, there's no music, there's nothing else like that. [00:41:27] My response is, for some of you who are brave enough to be brave enough to have a chat at the end and say, where's your fit? [00:41:39] What is your fit? [00:41:41] If the answer to that question is I haven't got one, maybe the person who's chatting with you would be able to connect you in to find your fit. [00:41:53] That would be lovely. [00:41:54] So, Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, you have spoken to us this morning. [00:42:06] And Father, I pray that through what has happened in this building today that your church here at Rediscover, we would be challenged not just to find our part in the body here, but Father, to really see the importance of that role. [00:42:29] And Lord, where people have been hurt in the past and where there is, I guess, trepidation of joining a small group or a ministry again, would your spirit inspire us Lord, the inspiration is bigger than the fear. [00:42:52] And step at a time, we'd learn to trust you and trust each other again. [00:42:59] Father, would you inspire our conversations now as we close our meeting together? [00:43:07] Amen. [00:43:15] Oh, hey. [00:43:20] Thank you. [00:43:21] Please do be brave in your conversations. You can talk about your shopping if you want. And you talk about the football if you want. Or Bake Off. [00:43:31] Please be brave enough to talk about this. God bless you all, guys. [00:43:36] God bless it.