Open Heaven Church

The Gospel of Mark invites you to immerse yourself in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and to consider his life-changing announcement that the kingdom of God has come. Hope-filled and healing, disruptive and demanding, love-growing and fear-beating, this is the way of King Jesus we’re called to live, Monday through Sunday.

What could you share for the benefit of others? Who was the last person you opened your home to? Hospitality is just as much an attitude of the heart as it is a meal on the table. When we practice hospitality we show kindness toward others in practical ways. It all boils down to this: just how valuable are other people to you?

What does it look like to live in union with the people around you? How could you make a change in your life to bring about peace and wholeness? When we think of peace we think of the absence of war, times of tranquility and calm. But peace isn’t an absence, it’s a wholeness. Living at peace and harmony with others and our environment takes effort. It isn’t going to happen on its own.

Hospitality is just as much an attitude of the heart as it is a meal on the table. When we practice hospitality we show kindness toward others in practical ways. It all boils down to this: just how valuable are other people to you?

Who in your life do you need to forgive? How could you allow God to help you forgive others? God is big on forgiveness. Every last one of us needs God’s forgiveness in our lives. Scripture also emphasises how necessary it is to forgive others if we intend on following Christ. Forgiveness is crucial to our growth as Christians.

God hears your prayers, he is moved by your petitions. When we pray for others we are asking God to move in their lives, we asking Him to do the miraculous. When we become a praying community we make ourselves available to each other. 

We are a people who have been blessed to be a blessing. Our gifts and talents are not ones to cling onto, but, rather, to give away with an open hand. Serving one another out of love reflects the example Jesus gave us when he died for humanity on the cross. Submitting to the one who submitted Himself to us convicts us to do likewise for others.

Who’s needs could you put before your own wants? How have you been invested in by others, and how could you thank them? To honour someone is to regard them with admiration and respect. When we go out of our way to honour people for their actions or who they are, we are saying ‘I see your best self’. We need humility if we are to consider others before ourselves.

When was the last time you called out the good in someone? What are you doing to build friendships? Our small actions can have a big impact on those around us. Each time you interact with someone you have the opportunity to affect their day. Speaking encouragement over a person can build up their confidence in an instant. Encouraging is a personal choice. We must be purposeful in communicating our appreciation for others.

Friendships and relationships without commitment are like a house built on sand. At the first sign of trouble they’ll come crashing down. Finding the right people to commit to enables you both to journey through life together well, supporting each other as you go. The act of commitment builds a solid foundation of trust that allows both parties to flourish.

Are you carrying a grudge? Who are you struggling to get on with? The call to action to ‘love one another’ is the core message of the Bible. Love can sometimes be thought of as a feeling - and in a sense that’s true - but love is a choice we have to make each time we think, act and speak. When we choose to love those around us we start to see them as God sees them. Love helps us frame each decision we make.

On Vision Sunday we outline the vision for the coming academic year. This is not to be missed for anyone who considers themselves part of the Open Heaven Church family. Join us as we hear from the senior leadership team about how and where our finances have been invested, and how your giving could benefit the church, our community and ultimately expand the Kingdom of Heaven here in Loughborough as we continue to make disciples who establish Heaven on Earth.

Have you felt in need of help lately? How does it feel to know that Jesus intercedes and advocates for us? What can you do to draw near to Jesus in response to his movement towards you? We are made right with God not simply by doing good acts consistently, but once we accept the fact that Jesus has already selflessly done this for us with his act of love on the cross. How can we get our heads around this undeserved grace, that not only affects our past actions but also those to come too? It is a reflection of Jesus’ heart for us that he continues to intercede for us. It is a statement of his encouragement, affirmation and solidarity.

What am I putting my faith in? How would it feel to be valued for my faith rather than my work? Faith is having complete trust and confidence in someone or something. When it comes to God, faith means trusting what He says about us is true - believing that by sending Jesus to die on the cross we can experience a full relationship with Him because our sins have been forgiven unconditionally. The Christian faith therefore allows us to experience complete freedom in life, rather than ‘just a set of rules’. Faith is a free gift and is on offer to all, it’s the first stop on the road when it comes to life changing transformation.

When did I last experience peace? What do I need to do for my soul to find rest? How can we be gentle and humble with others? Jesus only tells us once in the four gospels about his own heart: “I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”. Typically in the New Testament, humility is referred to not as a virtue but in the context of poverty or being weighed down by life circumstances. The humility of Jesus means we can draw close to him. Jesus is accessible and available to each one of us.

What are spiritual gifts? What’s my contribution to the Kingdom? At Open Heaven we have five values and the starting letter of each value spells the word grace. Our final value is empowerment. We believe that everyone in the church is gifted by God in different ways and we are committed to spotting and drawing out the gold in each person. Every person carries the good news of Jesus with them into their places of work and leisure, their households and neighbourhoods. Every person is equipped by the Holy Spirit with gifts to enable them to make their unique contribution to the Kingdom of God.