HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-05-12, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016.
From the Minister's Study
Finding the good life
By Pastor Andrew Versteeg
Brussels Community Bible
Chapel
The good life! That is what
everyone wants and pursues. If we
ask ourselves or people we know if
they want a good life, everyone
would say yes. When we are young
and our lives are set out before us
with seemingly endless possibilities,
we desire that we would find and
enjoy a good life.
What characterizes a good life ?
People will answer this question in a
number of ways, but usually we
associate a good life with a level of
contentment and happiness that we
hope to experience. We look for this
in a life that is free of worry and free
of want. We desire stability in terms
of finances, health and relationships.
We hope that these things will give
us the good life we long for. But the
reality is that life is anything but
stable and there is often much to
worry about.
So how do we find this
contentment and happiness that we
all desire to have? How do we take
all the ingredients of life and blend
them together to achieve a good life?
Is it possible and what does it take?
It takes wisdom from God and faith
in God to achieve this.
The book of Proverbs in the Bible
is all about God's wisdom. It is
written in the form of a father
addressing his son as he is about to
embark on life. The father
repeatedly exhorts his son to `listen
to me' and hear the voice of wisdom
so that he may avoid the pitfalls and
disasters of life. The son is exhorted
to be a hard and honest worker, he is
warned against immoral
relationships, and he is warned about
the kind of friends to keep, etc.
In short, he is being equipped with
the wisdom that he will need to be
able to sort through all of life's
possibilities and make good
decisions that will lead to a good
life.
In Proverbs 8:35, wisdom speaks
and says, "whoever finds me finds
life and obtains favour from the
Lord." The opposite is given in the
next verse, "he who fails to find me
injures himself; and all who hate me
love death" So we need to listen to
God our creator, and not presume
that we know better than Him. We
need to follow His ways.
If I listen to God and trust Him,
does this automatically mean that
my life will be free of problems?
God does not promise that to us.
People who trust in God still
experience health problems.
Christians still have spouses that
walk out on them, or have businesses
and jobs that fall flat. But if we
define the good life as a life of
contentment and happiness and joy,
these things will still be ours despite
Living
aridicut Telleaskp
PENTECOST
May 15: Rom. 8:9-17
9!'
"What
Difference
does the
Holy Spirit
Make?"
Evangelical Missionary Church
Tues. 7:30 pm Wingham Small Group
- G&M Lisle's, 136 Patrick St. W.
10:30 a.m. -- Worship & Sunday School ri
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God) I
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848
getlivingwater.org
what our physical circumstances
may look like. Is this a
contradiction to what the book
of Proverbs says? No, it is not.
In Proverbs and all through the
Continued on page 18
United Church ..
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 11:00 am �•�
All Welcome
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div.
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited a( tcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Other concerns: 226-963-1175
ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS
BLYTH BRUSSELS
Trinity St. John's l lkik
(J.. 9:15am 11:15 am
Church Office Church Office
pr
1 519-357-4883 519-887-6862
Everyone Welcome!
COME WORSHIP WITH US!
r
7G 11, 1'11'1tecl :J(� ' oin ?(s ,9,1 L(�1Sf11/)
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
/fIfs'
1 • Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
e ew4 eOOma!ectv Vine eitaftet
You're Znvitec(
to come worshiy
With US
F .
Sunday, May 15
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and
preschoolers during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service.
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, MAY 15
We invite you to join our church family in:
Worship & Sunday School - 10 am
Coffee & Snacks - 11 am
Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Soup & More 2
- a free community meal held in Melville's basement, and
made possible by the Brussels churches working together.
Nursery care available
519-887-9017
Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
Worship Service & Sunday School at 9:30 a.m.
fi
Sunday, May 15th
Sting Yawl J1cacgen
MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
OFFICE: 519-523-4224
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph's
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
"Courage Doesn't Mean We're Not Afraid
Anymore, It Just Means Our Actions
Aren't Controlled By Our Doubts." Bob Goff
LOVE DOES at Huron Chapel
Sundays @ 10:30am in Auburn
huronchapel.com