Note, if you want just the sermon skip to 15:45 on the timeline.

It was my great privilege to preach at Bath City Church today. The passage I was given was Ephesians 6:10-13, and you can view the video of it above if you so wish. The full notes are also available on my blog.

I trust that this finds you well and enjoying the beginning of summer. As I write this I’m sitting on a train whizzing past a very green countryside that’s as enthusiastic about the sun as I am. The seasons are a wonderful thing here, each bringing change and each building on the previous one - yet all together they are part of a purpose, created and designed for the good of the earth and for us.

And is it a new season for me? Well - cliché though it may be, it probably is. But perhaps there is something more. Maybe it is actually more than the end of a chapter that has passed; it could be the end of a volume. As you know, in April of this year I left YWAM Maui almost 5 years to the day when I first turned up, fresh-faced, long-haired and wide-eyed. Looking back it has been an ebb and flow, with different seasons through that time of change. Upon reflection I can count much joy, fulfilment and success as well as pain, frustration and confusion. And you know what? Looking back now, I wouldn’t change a thing.

I know that my God leads me, guides me, provides for me, heals me, encourages me, rejoices with me, comforts me, empathises with me and sustains me. In Him is my purpose, my provision and my provident guidance. He really does “go before me” and I can tell you that He is big enough to make “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28, my italics).” Truly getting my head around that is mind blowing, but then, ‘mind blowing’ is a characteristic of my God. And you know what? It’s nowhere near as mind blowing as the fact that He sent Himself to become like me, to suffer in my place and pay for my sins, giving me undeserved life for ever more. The most costly gift ever, for free. If we lose sight of that, friends, we’ve lost sight of Jesus and our only steady focal point from which we get our bearings.

China

On another note, on my trip to China last year I met a wonderful, inquisitive, sensitive, sinner named Peter. Peter is intelligent and had some very clear intellectual objections that were blocking his sight of the cross. I, with my friends from Maui, had the opportunity to chat with him and hang out talking about Jesus. He came with an open heart and had read the Bible, all of it, and so was ready to chat. And chat we did. I enjoyed my hours with him and left praying that seeds were sown.

Well, news through my Chinese friends in Maui tells me that Peter is now a Christian and serving Jesus! His story is not unique and it is indicative of what God is doing in China right now. So please pray for YWAM Maui and their partners that God would use this little band of spirit-led up-for-anything disciples for His glory and to his purpose.

After Maui: The Gospel Coalition & Time on the Mainland

After I left Maui I meandered back through the mainland of America stopping along the way to see some of my closest friends. If given a title, the trip could be known as ‘Silly Water and Great Teaching’. In Oregon my friend Annie pulled out all the stops as she planned a day of madness for me - letting me loose with her friend Trevor on a the Rogue River. So I climbed back into a kayak (which once was my domain but felt a little alien to me then) and shot down the river buzzing on adrenalin as I picked my way through the rapids. When a friend goes out of their way to plan for you a special day that they know you will love ... it’s really quiet special. I emerged wet, tired and grinning from ear to ear.

And then it was on to Chicago as I attended the Gospel Coalition Conference where I was privileged to listen to and learn from some great Bible teachers in a conference named, ‘Contending for the Gospel.’ I emerged with fresh fire in my bones knowing that I was heading back to England and into one profession where, bucking the current employment trends, I am guaranteed great job security! There were so many wonderful talks at the conference, and you can download most, if not all, of them for free on iTunes.

Finally I had the opportunity to hang out with Dan, Jamie and Elizabeth (friends from my SBFM days any beyond) in Michigan which, amongst other things that weekend, saw us testing out the new inner tube. We concluded that perhaps the speed of the boat should be taken down a notch in the future. For those of you familiar with the Dambusters film, Dan and I skipped across the lake with such devastation that would have had Barnes Wallis himself salivating with glee.

England

After Chicago it was back across the Atlantic for me. Arriving back in England I was hit with a different feeling, knowing that I was here to stay for a while. I had purposely come back to my homeland to carry on my calling that was developed in YWAM and get involved proclaiming Christ in this post-church/pre-church environment. As I’ve said, a Christian has much work to be getting on with, with so many great opportunities at hand. It is true, Great Britain is increasingly God-less now but God is still here, involved in and changing lives. So I’ve turned up to get stuck in. The great thing is I don’t need a visa or a work permit. It really is handy being born into the country that you’re called to be a missionary to!

So, I’m grinding into gear here. I’ve set up my own business, in web design, which is providing work for now. I’m getting involved again in my home church, and will be preaching this Sunday on the subject of: ‘The Church as and Army.” You can be praying for me, that I communicate God’s truth to my home fellowship on that morning.

I’m also continuing to blog, which keeps me reading and commentating, engaging and debating. It’s vital to keep our minds trained and alert and I find for me, the discipline of writing through my blog helps to bring focus and direction.

In my last newsletter I mentioned that I would be able to talk more about what’s coming up in terms of a wider ministry context. I have to say that there are still some areas that are being sorted out right now so please be in prayer for God’s direction and timing. I do hope to have more news very, very soon!

In Closing

This week I am in Wales with Wayne Grudem, listening, learning, engaging. It’s a huge privilege to sit under this great Bible teacher for a week and learn about the Bible. Look for my blog for some thoughts on what I’ve learned.

And as always, please keep me up-to-date with your news! I’d love to hear from you. Until that time, or another, it’s Onwards and Upwards as we contend for the Gospel, for Jesus’ glory.

Jonathan