My 24th week at college

Welcome back! Yes you did read right - I have missed out 3 weeks...I hope to post them retrospectively - but given my track record I might have to admit defeat.

So what have we been up to?

Synoptic gospels
First things first, "gospel" means "good news" for those that don't know and the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) are three gospels that are similar and can be put together to make a single story (ie form a synopsis).

So the real question is why are some stories in different orders? Is the bible wrong? This was fab looking at this - basically the gospels were a totally new genre of literature at the time (and are certainly different to modern day writing) - they are not biographies but rather written sermons - hence the stories of Jesus' life are used as illustrations to preach different sermons by the different authors. This is also part of the problem of people just reading the stories as they are not the point...fascinating!

So we were looking at the story about Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee in Matthew 8:23-27 uses it to show the cost of following him out into the unknown (hence all the previous stories about the cost of following Jesus), whereas Mark 4:35-41 uses it in the context of showing that Jesus is King (as parables about the kingdom, then calming the storm - so king over nature, then king over demons, then over the sick and then over death).

He finished off with a challenge to preach the whole gospel - not just give John's gospel of being born again and whoever believes in Jesus will be saved but, say, Mark's gospel of "repent" and "take up your cross and follow me". We need all of them to get the full picture.

New (well new to me) scooter
Well with one month left on the MOT before a need to spend a lot of money to get it through (and that's without resolving the ongoing starter problems) I went hunting last weekend and test driving various 125cc scooters and finally bought a secondhand Honda FES125 - here's a picture of someone else's red one:



Serving and stuff
Our group cooked the meal for the college this week (Lasagne and apple crumble - no not mixed together! )

Yet another quiz at tumbling bay for the residents.  You can tell they've got used to us by the way they told me straight that they didn't want another logic round as it hurt their heads...

Reflections
After doing something that I wasn't proud of, I was wrestling with God on the way to college - I wanted to repent and be right with God but "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" just wasn't cutting the mustard - whilst it's true I wasn't finding freedom in it - so I was asking for the "right" words to say to help bring real change in my life and in desperation I asked "what do you want God" and I felt the answer come back "I want you".

Man! I'd got so caught up in "doing" stuff for God!  Is it that sometimes I feel unworthy so I try to do "good" stuff that He'd like?  But He actually likes me and He wants me - not my stuff!  The right thing to offer is me!  Doh!