You are assured of a warm welcome at Howeth Road Evangelical Church, where we endeavour to preach Christ, serve Christ and love Christ. Our church motto is: ‘people of prayer, people of “the book”, and people of love’ – that is what we are striving after.
People of prayer
Paul wrote to the Colossians and exhorted them to be devoted to prayer (Colossians 4:2) and that is what we want to be at Howeth Road, individually and collectively. Prayer is an important part of our Sunday services and we have a weekly Bible study and prayer meeting. What John Wesley said is so important today when life is so busy: ‘I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.’ Corrie Ten Boom once asked: ‘Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?’ At Howeth Road we want prayer to be our steering wheel.
People of ‘the book’
The book of course is the Bible, our only rule of faith and conduct. ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I preach three expository sermons a week and, with God’s help, endeavour to apply it to the everyday lives of my congregation. I try to follow the sound advice that Miles Coverdale wrote in the introduction to his Bible translation, ‘It will greatly help you to understand scripture if you note – not only what is spoken and written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows.’
People of love
What good will it be if we are people of prayer and people of ‘the book’, but are not people of love – not much better than a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal, I guess! Jesus summed up the whole Bible when he said, ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself”’ (Matthew 22:37-39). Augustine of Hippo was right when he said, ‘Love God, and do what you like.’ We want the love of Christ to be the fragrance that fills Howeth Road Evangelical Church.
Thank you for taking the time to read my short three-point sermon! It would be great for you to join us as we worship our risen Saviour, Jesus Christ. God bless.