The Name of God: Part 7 -

'Jehovah Shamma – God is There'

This Sunday, Simon Lace brings us the talk in the latest of our EBC services. We encourage you to reflect on the bible text and join us in the prayer that follows below.

Here are some questions to consider:

Readings
John 8: 1-11 New Living Translation
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, ²but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. ³As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
⁴“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
⁶They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. ⁷They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” ⁸Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
⁹When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. ¹⁰Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
¹¹“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Ephesians 2:5 (NLT)
…even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

Prayer
Loving God, thank you that in Your great mercy, while we were dead in sin, You came to save us. Thank you that you are there in our times of joy, and that you are there in our times of distress. Thank you that instead of condemning us, you rescue us – no that we can ever rescue ourselves, not because we deserve to be rescued but simply because you love us. Help us by your Holy Spirit to share and to spread the word, the Good News, that you are with us always, and that you love us. Amen.
Questions to Consider

Are there any times or special places where you have felt, “God is there”?
Do you sense God’s presence in joyful times?
Do you sense God’s presence in more difficult times?
What is the difference?
How do you compare Jesus’s name “Immanuel” (God with us) with the name “Jehovah shammah” (God is there)?
What have been your times of greatest distress? Could you say at the time that God was there… and what about now, as you look back?
Some theologians would say that God is “impassible” – unable to suffer or to change in any way. Others point to Jesus’s compassion, and suffering on the cross. What do you make of the idea that God knows suffering?
What do you think of the idea that in becoming a human being (Jesus) God must have, in some way, changed? In becoming human, and thus experiencing what it’s like to be human, did God experience something new?

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What should I expect on a Sunday Morning?

Sometimes going to a church for the first time can be a little daunting. I promise we won't bite! To help ease any uncertainties below are the answers to some common questions people have before attending a Sunday morning.

What do I have to wear?

We are a 'come as you are' sort of people and have no formal dress-code for our Sunday services.
We can assure you that we don't have bouncers on the door vetting your attire!
If you are still not sure, feel free to check out our services on YouTube to have an idea.

What time do I need to be there?
At the moment we have one Sunday morning service which starts at 10.00am.

On the 4th Sunday of the month we run our All-sorts service which starts at 10:00am.

Check out our other services below!

Services

We would recommend you turn up 10 minutes before the service starts so you have a chance to say hi!
If you have children that need signing in to the children and youth work, they need to be signed in from 9:50am.

Parking

There is plenty of parking both out the front and at the back of the building. Just follow the signs!

How safe is my child in your care?

We run separate children and youth work during our 10:00am service, which is run by a group of volunteers who have all been DBS checked.

Children ages 11 and under must be signed in and out by their parent/carer. The youth can sign themselves in and out.

More information

For information about our safeguarding policy click here

The Name of God: Part 7 - 'Jehovah Shamma – God is There'