Over the last three months we have been blessed at the chapel to have worked our way through a Christian classic, written over 200 years ago, and have discovered how timeless and pertinent its message is for us today. Beginning in June roughly 25 regulars along with those who read along at home, journeyed through Real Christianity by William Wilberforce. We began with two movie nights watching the 2006 film Amazing Grace so as to have a better idea of this man and his times. Pastor Chris then led us through the book with accompanying questions and related Bible passages to complement and aid our discussion. We had many profitable and meaningful gatherings and refreshing times of prayer as we were all challenged by this book. Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian, sought to end the slave trade and reform the morals and values of society but realized he could not accomplish this aim until the nations hearts had first been rendered by the Gospel. In this classic book he investigates the differences between authentic Christianity and cultural Christianity, challenging cultural Christians to not simply believe but have faith in and be transformed by the Gospel, and calling on true believers to new heights of devotion and service to their Lord. Last night we ended our series with elderberry pie, but more importantly a group time of sharing where we could all share some of the highlights of what we had learned. Here are some of them. This study helped…

• Me see with clarity the difference between authentic and cultural Christianity;
• That what he said was indeed timeless and applies as much today as when he wrote it;
• Spur me on in my walk with Jesus;
• To see that I have to ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to address my shortcomings as a Christian;
• Me to re-evaluate my priorities, Jesus is not as high a priority in my life as I had thought and He must be not only my Savior but my Lord;
• Challenge me to use our influence in society better for the sake of advancing the Kingdom of God;
• Me to strive to be a greater light in my non-Christian workplace;
• Me renew a heart to share the Gospel with nominal Christians so our/their joy may be complete;
• Have a greater appreciation of the importance of Holy Scripture in the life of the believer;
• Us see the necessity of prayer, both individual and corporate, to live the Christian life and change society;
• Me have a greater hunger for God’s word;
• Me appreciate and trust the power of God’s word to transform;
• Me be reminded how much we really need the Lord in all things;
• Remind me of the need to do good and to love as a Christian;
• Emphasize that salvation is by grace and not works of any kind;
• Me see the value in Christian fellowship, reflection and prayer;
• Demonstrate that beliefs affect our behaviour. Faulty behaviour in society and politics arises because of false beliefs;
• Us see that to be truly patriotic is to seek our nation’s welfare and its welfare comes from knowing God and walking in His ways. There is great national and political importance in the future of our nation whether we become Christian again or not;
• Me very much see that Christianity is not about belief or simply going to Church but must be a personal relationship with Jesus;
• Me see that, while we may disagree with other Christians on secondary matters, we must strive with those with whom we have primary Gospel agreement to effect change upon our country.
• …many more to be sure.

If you were not able to or would like to study this book yourself, then please do not hesitate to ask me for the questions and order yourself a copy today. Next week we return to our study of the Gospel of John.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris