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Story Behind the Song – ‘I Surrender All’
Story Behind the Song – ‘I Surrender All’ I recently read the story behind the well-known song ‘I Surrender All’ in a book titled 'Near to the Heart of God' by Robert J Morgan. It’s moving/inspiring/helpful and I’d like to share it with you and also the story of an individual whose life was changed by the deep truths in this song. The lyrics of this song were written by Judson Van DeVenter around 1890 (later put to music by Winfield S. Weeden, published in 1896). Van DenVenter was an accomplished musician and worked as an art teacher and supervisor of art in local public schools where he lived. Records reveal that he was an active member in his church and involved in evangelistic meetings. We can suppose it
Our Inability to Rescue: A Reflection on Moses
Our Inability to Rescue: A Reflection on Moses I’ve been spending some time in Exodus 2-3 lately and I noticed some things I hadn’t before. For example, I never noticed how strongly Moses was driven to rescue others out of difficulty. He had this sense of justice that seemed to move him to get involved in other people’s issues. In a matter of a few verses, he gets between two Hebrews fighting with each other (Exodus 2:13), he stands up for women who were being bullied (Exodus 2:17), and he even goes as far as killing a cruel Egyptian taskmaster (Exodus 2:12)! I can’t help but admire Moses’ gutsiness. He was a man full of faith (Hebrews 11:24-28). But… I was also struck by how horribly unsuccessful he was
When You Come Together
When You Come Together Do you know what happened on Sunday 15th of March, 2020? If you can’t immediately recall, I don’t blame you; it was a long time ago! Almost four months to be exact, or 17 weeks to be even more exact. And if we’re being really pedantic, 119 days. So, what was it? What took place on this day? Well, Sunday 15th of March, 2020 was the last time that we gathered together physically in our building as a church family. It was the last Sunday that we sang together in the same room; uniting our unique voices into one sonorous sound in praise of our glorious God. It was the last Sunday that we bowed our heads in prayer while sitting next to and near
Operation Christmas Child 2020
Operation Christmas Child 2020 If you’ve been part of BPCC for a while you’ll know that across term 3 our church promotes and actively supports Operation Christmas Child. And you may be wondering if it’s going ahead this year. Well, I’m excited to say, yes, it is. COVID-19 restrictions will impact how we run the project at BPCC this year, but we are keen to continue our support of this amazing ministry. Operation Christmas Child is a unique project of Samaritans’ Purse, that brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoeboxes. OCC partners with local churches in developing nations to reach out to children by providing gift-filled shoeboxes and bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ. After receiving shoebox gifts, children are
What Should You Do With Doubt?
What Should You Do with Doubt? Do you ever experience doubt? Do you ever feel an uncertainty or lack of conviction when it comes to your faith? If you’re being honest, you do. Doubt affects the lives of many, if not all, believers at some stage. Perhaps especially during times of uncertainty such as we are navigating at the moment. Indeed, the journey of faith is not a straight-line trending upwards, it is a journey marked by peaks and valleys, seasons of joy and struggle. The reasons for our doubt are multi-faceted. Doubt can be brought on by a personal crisis, a painful experience, a traumatic memory, a medical diagnosis, a difficult question, a theological misunderstanding, a sinful compromise, or more. Similarly, the nature of our doubt can vary.
Will God Always Protect Us from Harm?
Will God Always Protect Us from Harm? 7 The LORD will protect you from all harm; he will protect your life. 8 The LORD will protect your coming and going both now and forever. (Psalm 121:7-8) It’s a beautiful promise! But… some might wonder whether we are supposed to take this promise seriously…. I mean, can we expect to avoid all harm and pain in this life because we are God’s people? Is that what this verse is promising? We only need to take a look at our social media feeds to see that our world is full of pain and anger, and Christians aren’t excluded from it. In fact, Open Doors Australia estimates that ‘in the top 50 countries alone, 260 million Christians face intimidation, prison, or even
Story Behind the Song: ‘Your Will Be Done’
Story Behind the Song: ‘Your Will Be Done’ There are times when we find ourselves lost for words. It could be that a loved one tells us they are terminally ill, or we learn about a horrific crime or injustice. Perhaps it is just the overwhelming feeling of anxiety or stress. Can you think of a time when you’ve been lost for words? I certainly can. Sometimes we even feel lost for words when we pray. But rather than give up on prayer in that moment, we can look to prayers from the past. Prayers our brothers and sisters spoke before us and prayers our Saviour taught us and modelled for us. Last week we introduced the song ‘Your Will be Done’ which was written after its writers found
Does trust in God remove anxiety?
Does trust in God remove anxiety? “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 Have you ever felt bad for feeling bad? Have you ever felt ungodly for feeling uncertain about the future? For feeling anxious or depressed? Have you ever thought to yourself: “If only I trusted God more, I wouldn’t be feeling this way”? If you have, you’re certainly not alone, but you’re also not entirely correct. Of course, our fears and anxieties can be, and often are, driven by a lack of trust in God; by our failure to properly and deeply apply the promises of God to our hearts. But it’s not exclusively or always the case. And the assumption that if
