{"id":11672,"date":"2024-11-05T18:33:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T00:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cottrillcompass.com\/blog\/?p=11672"},"modified":"2024-11-05T18:34:06","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T00:34:06","slug":"a-blank-canvas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cottrillcompass.com\/blog\/2024\/a-blank-canvas.html","title":{"rendered":"A Blank Canvas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

It has been a particularly busy teaching time lately, for a couple of reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, our preachers have been taking turns helping out with the preaching at the church in Jes\u00fas Mar\u00eda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Plant
A plant growing where our church currently meets. Ain’t it cute?<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But second, since we finished our church doctrine series in Sunday school, we’ve been picking our own themes, at least until the end of the year. Plus we’ve gone back to doing special themes on the first Sunday of the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a “blank canvas” when it comes to preaching is a huge amount of work! Sometimes you can pull up something you’ve done before, but I don’t actually have a huge number of one-off lessons to teach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did pull out one lesson that actually was the first lesson I ever taught in front of a church – that would be at Grace Church<\/a> in Newmarket – “Principles of the Changed Life”<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This past Sunday the sermon was “Christmas Traditions in the Light of the Bible”<\/em>. I asked people what Christmas traditions they wanted to talk about, and away we went! Not an easy topic, for sure. But not a dull study. At least, for me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that’s not the only blank canvas we have right now. We’re still looking for a house to rent, but also we’re looking for a temporary\/permanent place for the church to meet. The place we’re at is increasingly unsuitable and we need to find a place. So I was out taking pictures of a possible place today, and we visited another place last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A blank canvas can be exciting, and a whole lot of work! But we’re also getting ready to celebrate our 8th anniversary as a church. And that’s a reminder – that what started as a blank slate can end up as an amazing work of a faithful God! So we’re thankful that we need<\/em> a place to meet – and a big one at that!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It has been a particularly busy teaching time lately, for a couple of reasons. First, our preachers have been taking turns helping out with the preaching at the church in Jes\u00fas Mar\u00eda. 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