Let's eat

We managed to catch up with Dan & Fizz and Tom & Sarah, the two couples we met at Sarah's on Wednesday, at church today and they were free so we invited them back to ours for lunch. A hastily knocked together salad with chicken drumsticks and some fresh bread followed by a huge bowl of fruit salad perfectly complimented the blue sky and warm temperatures.

It was so nice to have them over here and get to know them a bit better. They're both such lovely couples. As I said before, I really hope we always will be as warm and welcoming to newcomers at St John's as people were to us in our first few months. Having this home we can share with people is such a blessing. We must not forget that the Lord provides so that we are able to serve Him better.

This week is YLC week here in Christchurch. YLC is a week-long conference aimed at teaching people to better understand the Bible so that they're able to better teach it to others. It's explained more fully here and here. Joanne and I, because of work, were unable to go, but the reason I mention it is that one of the speakers at YLC this week is John Chapman and he spoke at the service this morning. I've read many of his books and heard him speak on tapes but never heard him preach in the flesh. It really was a real privilege to hear from an evangelist such as he who has done great things through the Lord's strength for the Kingdom of God. He is still as authoritative as ever and had every one of the congregation captured by his every word. Even into his eighties he continues to serve Jesus through his faithful teaching. Praise the Lord for people like Chappo. His answer to the question "how did you become a Christian?" was a gospel talk in its own right. All Christians can learn something from that, I think.