No.60 3rd October 2025
Hi, hope this finds you well.
I wonder if you've had that experience when it's paid off to know the right person - maybe you are going to get a free ticket or an opportunity to take part in something because you know the 'right person'...or 'you know someone who knows someone...' There's a great Indian restaurant in the West End our family really like - it doesn't take bookings so at the weekends there can be a queue out the door and down the street. However, I used to live next door to the owner and he would 'insist' that we just nudged passed those waiting patiently and get a table straightaway - in fact, he would tell us off if we didn't just call ahead and 'ask for Asif'. We did feel bad about skipping the queue, however the owner was insistent
and it was particularly nice Chicken Tikka Machni so...
Knowing the right person has benefits, no doubt.
This week we are back to Home Groups and J I Packer's study based around his book Knowing God. Remarkably he goes as far as to say you can "sum up the whole of the New Testament religion if you describe it as a knowledge of God as one's holy Father." In fact, he suggests that how much we think about and are shaped by the truth that God is our Father, is a test of whether we really understand Christianity at all.
So, there is a great connection between what we will be looking at on Sunday morning and this week's home group material, ie our access to, and relationship with our Creator God. Jesus does not just say 'Let me tell you something about God you didn't realise before - your Creator God can also be known as Father'. He actually does the work of bringing us close, makes it possible for us to take the name 'Father' on our lips, encourages us to be confident in approaching this Holy God, and preparing a place at the family table. Jesus does all this! Adoption is a key truth of the New Testament for us to discover, enjoy and live changed lives in the light of.
Also, are you seeing a lot more flags around your neigbourhood these days? What do they mean? Do they mean something different to you than to me? There is a short Coffee Break article to reflect on this current issue.
Enjoy the Mag.
MB
Sunday 5th October
Morning service - 10.30am
Martin Smith
'Paul at Prayer'
Bible Reading - Colossian 1: 3-13
This week is...
Home Groups are in session 3 of the 'Meeting with God' Studies.
Each study is a stand alone so if you are not in a group yet it's not too late to join in - speak with Alastair Mc or Scott K.
Wednesday...
We meet on Wednesdays at 7.15pm for one hour.
For all Wednesdays in October, we meet at the Merriman's
Speak to Scott about being added to the 'Signal' app for getting PULSE messages.
From The Other Manse
Dear Church,
When we read and study God’s Word, and sit under good sermons, God’s Word presses against our hearts to show us the ways in which we are living out of step with His Word. A genuine sign that we are growing in Godliness is that His Word reveals more of my sin over time, rather than less of my sin over time, and so there is a real sense in which I feel more sinful than I did ten years ago, rather than less sinful.
That’s a normal part of the growing and maturating process as a follower of Jesus. However, we can easily forget two really important things in the face of all this.
First, God’s Word is at work, by His Spirit, to rearrange the priorities and the spiritual furniture in our hearts in order to make us look more and more like His Son and our Saviour, Jesus. So, whilst we see God’s Spirit expose our hearts as the months go by, we also see His sanctifying work, making sin uglier in our renewed eyes, as we lose our taste for this world and develop a taste for Christ’s Kingdom. We see our renewed minds shaking our heads at our sin, disgusted by its presence, and saying “that’s not who we are anymore”. Such behaviour belonged to the old self, the one that is dead, crucified with Christ, and it’s with genuine gospel joy and gratitude that we see God’s Spirit fighting against sin with us, and for us, fitting our souls for the New Creation.
Second, these signs of growth are things we should take time to celebrate. These signs of growth are things for which we should be so thankful and grateful, for they are only the work of God in our lives. I cannot clean my unclean heart with my unclean hands. Only God can cause any change or growth. He should take all the glory that He is due for His work. His Word calls us to “ponder all His work and meditate on His mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:12). That certainly means His salvation in the Old Testament for His people. It certainly means the cross of Christ who bore my sins and the wrath of the Father. It also means the spiritual changes we see in our lives, which we should think about often, and give God the glory that He is due.
Let’s be a church family that looks ahead, that yearns for the things of the New Creation, but let’s also think about the work that God has been doing in our lives, and in the lives of the church. He has called us into His Kingdom. He has forgiven our sins. He has strengthened and supplied us with everything we need, even in the times when we haven’t seen or noticed Him. I’m sure there are hundreds of other stories of His goodness across the church family. Think about these things often, and be reassured of His grace, presence, promises, and the fact that He has consistently shown up to rescue His people.
See you Sunday!
Scott H
'Turn your eyes upon Jesus' will have been a well known 'chorus' to many of us over the years.
We are singing a version of it on Sunday - Sovereign Grace Music have taken the well known tune for the verses and added a chorus.
We are singing it as our Gathering Song and then later on in the service too.
It's always good to be able to lift our voices and sing with confidence so as a bit of homework you can listen to the song on YouTube
here. or on Spotify
here.
💎60th Wedding Anniversary
Congratulations to Sam and Muriel Nugent who celebrate their Diamond Wedding Anniversary, married on 2nd October, 1965 in the Tron Church.
They are keen to have the church family celebrate this milestone with them so, if you can, plan to wait after the service on Sunday for cake which they have kindly provided.
Welcome - Harris!
Congratulations to Iain and Liz McCallum on becoming grandparents again.
Iain and Liz’s daughter, Laura and husband Rory, had a little boy on Monday, September 29th.
Harris William Galbraith was born at 9lbs 15oz!
Both mum and baby are doing well.
This session we are following J I Packer's Meeting with God study guide.
This week focuses on the Father and the Son.
In his book
Knowing God J. I. Packer writes:
If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father.
If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.
How would you deal with that comment ?
Being part of these groups a great way to discover that you have so much in common with others in the church - we are trying to know God better, helping each along the way, sharing the ups and downs of life and of faith and recognising that being part of a church family is how God has seen fit to make this happen.
Ladybird Book of Mearns Free Church
For those looking for the full version of an updated version Lord's Prayer mentioned in last week's Ladybird Book of MFC...
"Father in Heaven – You do You.
Let’s circle back, so Earth can be on the same page as your Crib.
Hook us up today with daily carbs.
And like, my bad for all the shady stuff – help us pay it forwards by cutting slack when others drop the ball.
Don’t ghost us into sketchy situations but totally firewall us from bad vibes.
Yours is the clout, the drip and the flex.
Hard stop"
MFC Dates for your Diary
NEXT Sunday Morning - 12th October
Commissioning Service
We are looking forward to celebrating Scott Hamilton's Commissioning - at the morning service we will be joined by Rev Paul Clarke who is the minister at the Free Church of St Andrews.
The Coffee Afternoon has the double benefit of being able to support the work of Blythswood AND to let visitors and guests see where we meet on a Sunday morning.
There are events over Christmas that will be particularly good for inviting friends and families too and this informal setting is a good starting point. The image above will be available to WhatsApp people and there will be some paper flyers too.
Sunday Evening 14th December, 7pm
Christmas Musical Evening
Hear the events of the first Christmas explained and celebrated through traditional and modern music and readings.
Followed by Tea/Coffee and Mince Pies.
More details and ways of inviting friends will be in the magazine over the next few weeks, but this is a good time to start thinking about who you could invite.
Schools ministry
Pauline writes...
The October holidays are somehow nearly here and my input in some of our local schools has started again.
Alongside Dave Lazonby (from NMBC) we are visiting all the pupils from nursery to P4 in Mearns Primary - between now and mid November and each year group will have two visits focusing on different areas of the Christian faith from Bible Stories to Christianity in Action. Please pray for Dave and I as we lead these lessons and also have the opportunity to engage with school staff.
The SU group at Mearns Primary will be restarting after the October holidays.
SU Groups
SU groups have restarted in Eastwood, Mearns Castle, Woodfarm and Williamwood High School all of which are led by MFC members - myself, Colin and Sandra.
Please pray for these groups.
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For the leaders and teachers who run and support them
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and for the pupils who can often struggle with teasing or bullying for coming along.
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Pray for continued positive Christian influence in these High Schools.
An opportunity to pray on Zoom this Thursday!
A short time specifically praying for the work of SU in the region of Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.
Get in touch with Pauline for Zoom details.
PRAYER FOCUS - seminar
Martin Smith is teaching again this Sunday on the place of Prayer in our lives as a church and individuals.
This ties in well with Seminar on Prayer held by our friends over in Greenview Evangelical, in Shawlands.
see details below:
Many thousands have taken part in the past and been hugely blessed by it. Although a full day, it will be interactive with praise and breaks throughout.
We’d love to have as many as possible attending, so please book a space and come along. It promises to be a transformational day.
There is a charge (which includes a Prayer Manual written by Ian), but if that’s a problem please contact Andy Hunter, as we don’t want that to be a barrier.
To book use the QR Code or click here (where you'll find more info):
What does the Flag say?
"Flags speak. All symbols do. They communicate instantly, boldly, viscerally, and often—which is my reason for mentioning it—ambiguously. Consider a few examples...."
There is no shortage of comments or questions about flags in the UK these days.
I pass by a road near me with Saltires on every second lamp post - Who put them up? What is their point? I genuinely don't know.
Andrew Wilson has written a short reflection on the current trend as he sees it from his own Christian and English pov. Read it here.
MB
Mearns Free Church also has a What's App Group for Prayer
The "PRAY NOW" Group
Purpose: A platform to share information regarding a sudden and crucial need for prayer.
How to connect: Speak or email Margaret (mandmboyd@hotmail.co.uk) if you would like to be added to this WhatsApp group.
LARGE PRINT - SONG WORDS
If you find viewing the song-words on the screen in Sunday worship a problem, we currently print a limited number of large-print song sheets for specific people.
We don't want to print unnecessary copies so please speak with the door team and we will begin to make these available for you each week.
Emailing The Minister
Please be careful when emailing Scott that you are using the correct current email address minister@mearnsfree.org. A number of emails continue to be sent to accounts no longer in use. Please be doubly careful when sending from a device that is not your normal communication device (like a phone) or if you use “reply to all”.
Email Addresses For Mearns Free Church
Please make sure you change your email address list now we are part of the Free Church.
Tom Brown (Office): office@mearnsfree.org
Scott Kirkland (Minister): minister@mearnsfree.org
Scott Hamilton (Associate Minister): associate@mearnsfree.org
Sandy McDougall (Treasurer): finance@mearnsfree.org
Pauline Forster (Children and families worker): children@mearnsfree.org