Message from Michael

Are You Waiting Patiently?

David begins Psalm 40 with these words … “I waited patiently for the Lord …” (v1).

Waiting is not an easy exercise. Even though life is full of times of waiting, and we have ample opportunities to excel at waiting, it seems to me that we never really get used to it – in fact, we would perhaps prefer to do without it.

I remember, in my younger years, the agonising period of time between finishing school exams and receiving the results. Or the feeling of a never-ending wait for Christmas morning with its promise of presents. As I grow older it seems that time is speeding up, so I am more prepared to wait for some things – indeed, some things come round too quickly.

David was waiting for God. It’s an interesting concept – to wait for God. I wait for a bus, because I’m either there before the bus is meant to arrive or the bus is running late. I know the time the bus should be there. However, God’s actions and arrivals are so often shrouded in mystery. He seldom types out a timetable for us.

But, we can be assured that God is never late. God never dawdles or procrastinates. God’s ways and timing are perfect.

David waited for God. How long did he wait? What was he waiting for? How difficult was the wait? Whatever the answer to these questions, we know how David waited. He waited patiently. And we hear, from David’s own lips, that the wait was worth it – God is worth the wait! God responded. God is always on time.

There are times when we must wait for God or wait upon God. Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations where all we can do is wait for God. In those times especially, we need to remind ourselves that God is worth the wait.

In Psalm 40, David writes about the God who reveals Himself after the patient wait. I want to highlight just two of the actions of God which reveal something of His character and attitude towards us.

Firstly, He is a God who turns towards us – “… he turned to me …” (v1).
The Hebrew word here is natah and it carries a variety of meanings “to stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend.” It can also mean “bow down, decline, go down, yield.”
To think that God would descend to be near us, to be where we are; that God would yield Himself, his Almighty Self, to us, to our patient prayers.
In the situation you presently face – in your waiting for Him – God is near to you – He is not a distant uncaring God – He turns towards you.

Secondly, He is a God who hears us – “… he turned to me and heard my cry.” (v1)
Amazingly, God not only inclines His ear towards us and tunes in to us, He actually hears our prayers, our cry. The word “cry” that David uses here, in the Hebrew is a word which means “cry for help”. God hears our “Help!” God turns towards you and hears You. He hears your desperate cry – perhaps, a cry that no-one else hears.

If you are enduring the blessing of waiting for God, then do so with patience, for whatever He does or says is worth its wait in gold!

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

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Planning your Visit

New to Church?

Here at Brighton Road Baptist Church, you will always be welcome. So it doesn’t matter whether you’ve never been to church before or have been going all your life and want to try something different.

No-one cares how you're dressed, what you believe (or don’t believe), whether you’re over 60 or under 6, or something in between - you're welcome to join us if you're searching or just browsing.

Whatever your circumstances BRBC is a safe place to discover God's love.

We are an extended family made of all ages and a variety of backgrounds. We are single, married, divorced, widowed, happy, sad, confused, motivated, those with time on their hands and those with no time at all. The one thing we have in common is that we want to know more about the God who welcomes us all into his family. We look forward to welcoming you.

What to expect on a Sunday morning:

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10.30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will offer you a copy of our weekly newsletter.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the service. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10.30am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. We share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. Following this we have a time of sung and spoken worship. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Often a person will pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. There is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

What about my kids?

For children under three, we have a Creche. Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
For kids from 4-11, we have our Kid's Club, BRBK. Activities vary but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. Part way through the service, the leader will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups.

Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

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Getting Connected

Housegroups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our housegroups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Housegroups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

If you want to get in touch, or have any further questions, please contact us!