Refresh Women 7th September 2025

Oh, it's so lovely to be here and it's a real privilege to be asked to bring a message.

!

And I'll pray in just a moment.

But I guess I just wanted to, as Catherine read, say that we're hearing there from Paul writing to the Romans.

And he's writing to a really diverse group of believers.

And in that, we hear him encouraging them to notice one another, to be Jesus to one another, to depend on God in order to be able to do this.

And then notice the beauty of the community that plays out if we choose to live this way.

And so the first thing that occurred to me was, wow, this is literally what Refresh is all about.

Growing in intimacy with Jesus and friendship with one another.

So let's just pray.

As we come into this space, just breathe deep of the Holy Spirit.

Your presence is here, Lord, and I pray that your Spirit would enable us to notice and be prompted.

And as Bethan encouraged us, to be expectant of what you have for us.

Amen.

So we're going to read through it.

We're going to have the words up on the slides.

And we're going to go a bit at a time and see what we notice.

Does that sound okay?

Good.

So those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter and not just do what's most convenient for us.

Hold my hands up.

That's kind of my choice quite a lot of the time.

I'm going to just do that.

That's quite easy.

Strength is for service, not status.

Each one of us needs to look after the good people around us, asking ourselves, how can I help?

Well, I had a little look around the room and I checked and we are all human, for sure.

No assumptions there.

I just see it.

And we falter.

And we all face seasons of challenge.

Challenge.

Helen has talked to us about that in her messages before.

And here we have a clear message to us all to notice those around us.

Build each other up.

Be patient when needed.

Support one other.

Walk alongside those who face struggles.

Walk alongside those who face struggles.

And I really love the directness of this challenge to ask ourselves, how can I help?

To encourage ourselves to say to others, how can I help?

And in 2 Corinthians, it says this.

All praise to God the Father.

All praise to God the Father.

Our Master Jesus the Messiah.

Father of all mercy.

God of all healing counsel.

He comes alongside us when we go through hard times.

And before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who's going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.

So straight away, as I started kind of exploring this idea of this call on our lives to ask others, how can I help?

How can I be there for you?

There's reminders peppered through the Bible, through stories and through God's word.

A reminder that God is always there walking with us and also calling us in his strength, in the faith, to notice those around us and walk with them.

But let's not assume that I'm reading these words over you this evening and we're all in that place of, yes, Kate, I am there.

I am strong and able in the faith right now.

Get me to the person who needs me to ask, can I help?

Perhaps you hear this.

And actually the question you kind of find in your spirit is, how can I possibly help anyone else at the moment with everything that's going on in my life?

Or kind of that feeling of, I don't think I could be that helpful anyway.

I haven't really got much to give at the moment.

Perhaps that's more of your noticing.

And when life throws challenges, it's our way.

And doesn't life throw challenges our way?

It's part of the human condition.

It can be so hard to be vulnerable, hard to be honest and say, actually, I need some help.

But isn't it the most incredible blessing?

If actually while you're struggling, plowing on in your own strength, doing the best you can, just like maybe to get through each day,

someone notices.

Somebody sees you.

And somebody says, how can I help?

Just going to describe a few years ago, not the circumstance, but it's a few years ago now.

And as a family, we were going through such a difficult time.

And actually, we needed help.

And for a while, you do kind of plow on, don't you?

But I was just so overwhelmed with the love and the care of those around us who noticed and asked, how can I help?

And people brought us meals.

Oh, my goodness, what a gift when you're a mum to not have to cook when there's something actually else that you really need to be giving your attention to.

And a lovely friend.

Oh, my goodness, this was the best thing I've ever experienced, just for a short time.

She doesn't live anywhere near here.

She asked, how can I help?

And I said, I don't really know.

You know, you're not here.

She paid for us to have our laundry done for a couple of months.

It's crazy.

I mean, I never iron a thing.

All my life, all this stuff just kind of arrived back.

I got picked up and it arrived back at our eyes.

I earned unbelievable.

But it was such a silly little thing, really.

I mean, who cares if your clothes is creased, right?

But it was just someone just showing some love and care.

It really helped.

We had help at school for the children.

We had help through friends, through church, and through prayer.

And it made a difference.

But why?

Why should we be offering to help?

Well, it says next, very clearly, because that's exactly what Jesus did.

He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out.

I took on the troubles of the troubled, is the way scripture puts it.

Our faith is a call to do what Jesus did, to do what Jesus does.

And he commissioned us.

Love God, but love one another.

Love our neighbours.

And I really love that this call, this call to be Jesus, is followed by another call.

Terry, just if you bring that up.

To be alert and attuned and engaged with God's word.

His living word, full of the power of the Holy Spirit.

It says, even if it was written in scripture long ago, you can be sure it was written for us.

That's as true today as it was the day it was written.

This scripture, this holy word of God is alive to us through the Holy Spirit.

And it's as true today as it has ever been.

And it was written for us.

Each of us.

But how do we do this?

In the way God calls us to be Jesus.

Follow Jesus' example.

And I think there is absolute gold in these next words.

And we're just going to pause on these for a moment.

God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling.

And warm personal counsel in scripture.

To come to characterize us.

Keeping us alert for whatever he will do next.

I'm just going to read that again.

God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling.

And warm personal counsel in scripture.

To come to characterize us.

Keeping us alert for whatever he will do next.

I love that there's lots of nodding in the room.

It's like a yes and amen, yes.

Here, there's this sense of us growing our character.

From his constant, warm, personal counsel that we get in scripture.

And a sense of us living with the expectation

that we get to join in with God at work in the world.

To be his hands and feet.

Being alert.

So, this was the scripture.

What was God going to give me?

Well, as I wondered, God pointed me to this pot.

I don't know what to call it.

Is it a vase?

Is it a jug?

I've managed to get it here without breaking it.

Hey.

So, this is a pot made by a beautiful friend of ours called Peter.

When I say ours, Helen introduced me to Peter and Sarah.

And we were down in Cornwall in the summer.

And I went into Peter and Sarah's house.

I'm going to have to put it down because it's so heavy.

We went into Peter and Sarah's house.

And this was on the floor lined up with about four others, I think.

And it had been in an exhibition.

And I just said, oh my goodness, Peter.

I love, I love that jug.

And I wasn't meaning, I love that jug.

Please, could you give it to me?

But he gave it to me.

He gave it to me.

It's like worth, I don't even know how much it would be worth, but a lot.

Oh, so generous.

But he gave it to me and I brought it home.

And as I read these words, I felt like God was saying, get that jug and do a bit of unpacking here using the jug.

So, Peter explained to me that he had to make this from two parts.

So, he made like this bottom on a potter's wheel section first.

And then he made another part like that and then stuck them together.

I'm sure that's not how he described it.

But I just thought, it's the most perfect reminder of this is who we are.

I love that.

I love that.

About the vine and the branches remain in me as I remain in you.

I love that.

2 Timothy 2 says, I love this translation.

In a well-furnished kitchen, there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters.

Anyone got those?

But also waste cans and compost bins.

Anyone got those?

Yes.

Some containers are used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage.

Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.

Become the kind of container that God can use to bless others.

That's my translation.

Here's an invitation to become a certain kind of container.

And I truly believe that God can use me at any point in any time and use any of you at any point in any time.

But I also, as I go on in the faith, feel in my spirit the challenge to be living with the rhythms and the practices that mean I am a bit more in shape.

And I am a bit more alert to his kingdom work.

Those rhythms and practices, I love what you read at the beginning, Helen.

You prayed over us and right at the beginning it talks about becoming attuned to God's rhythms.

So I wonder, how are we doing?

How are we doing with our rhythms of prayer?

Time with God?

Worshipping God?

Fellowship with other Christians?

Hey, we're doing great tonight.

That's what we're doing.

How are we with our loving acts of service?

With our rest and Sabbath time with God?

Well, I'm asking you that question, but I'm not asking you to answer it out loud.

Because this is between us and God.

It's between us and the Lord.

But I'm asking myself the question as much as I'm asking everyone here.

How are we doing?

It can be really important to be really helpful just to be supported by friends in this.

Have some accountability maybe with a home group or prayer partners, spiritual mentors, faith-filled friends, church community.

But to grow in intimacy with God.

But to grow in intimacy with Jesus.

Grow closer with God.

I think we do have to be intentional about our relationship with him.

Seeking his presence.

Making time to be still and seek his presence in our daily lives.

Listening to his voice.

Listening to his voice.

Maybe it's through scripture.

Through prayer.

Through the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Obeying his commands.

Following the way of Jesus.

Living our lives according to his will.

And cultivating a heart of gratitude.

Thankfulness for his blessings and his faithfulness in our lives.

And I think that this is always on offer to all of us.

There's an invitation to go and be filled.

But the picture I had was instead of us going and kind of getting our jug ourselves.

And getting just topped up to the brim.

And then kind of pouring out and being a bit more empty.

The picture I had was us actually standing kind of in a river.

That's got like you know sort of rapid-y things.

Waterfalls.

And being constantly filled by the flow of his spirit.

So rather than it be a go get filled, get emptied out.

Go get filled.

Empty, filled, empty, filled.

Just a recognition that the invitation from God is to be in the flow of his spirit at all times.

And I think in these final verses when it talks about maturity.

Maybe there is this sense of us growing in these practices and rhythms.

And becoming the vessel God is shaping us, molding us to be.

So that we can be filled.

is a mark of maturity.

It says, may our dependably steady and warmly personal God,

that's who he is,

dependably steady, warmly personal God,

develop maturity in you

so that you get along with each other

as well as Jesus gets along with us all.

And then we'll be a choir,

not our voices only,

but our very lives singing in harmony

in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus.

Love that, what a picture of God's goodness.

So we've thought about this idea of becoming this vessel,

being shaped and moulded by the practices and rhythms

that we have in our life,

the invitation to stand in that place of being filled.

Because ultimately this is about what's in the jug.

And you've got on your tables,

and we're going to look now,

at this verse which is from just a little bit further on

in Romans 15.

And I love that on this jug,

and you've got it on your picture,

there's like this sense that this part of the glaze

is kind of over,

it's like Peter filled it,

and it's just overflowed,

and it's dribbling down.

And the words from verse 13 say,

And we noticed as we were praying earlier,

there's a banner up on the wall

that says this verse,

Think of the river

being constantly filled with the Holy Spirit.

So that then what flows out of us

is his spirit,

his love.

If you were here this morning,

you would have heard these words from John 16,

But when he, the spirit of truth, comes,

he will guide you into all truth.

And when the spirit of truth is flowing in our lives,

it looks like fruit.

And I, this probably is,

I don't know if you're supposed to have

like favorite Bible verses,

probably not.

It's like all incredible,

all at different times,

and I guess it's seasons, isn't it,

where God draws our attention.

But I guess I would say this has been a constant for me

since I first got my message Bible.

Because the fruit of the spirit

is described like this in the message.

It's in Galatians 5,

if anyone wants to find it at another time.

What happens when we live God's way?

So my translation of that this evening,

my image of that this evening,

is what happens

when we've got ourselves as these vessels

inviting and asking God

to fill us with his spirit?

It says that he brings gifts into our lives,

much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard.

Things like,

and then these things I see

as the things that flow from us,

that pour out of us

by God's grace,

by his spirit.

Affection for others,

exuberance about life,

serenity.

We develop a willingness to stick with things,

a sense of compassion in the heart,

and a conviction

that a basic holiness

permeates things and people.

We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,

not needing to force our way in life,

able to direct

and marshal

our energies wisely.

That's kind of my,

I'll just share with you,

my phrase of the season

is

direct

my energies

wisely.

Asking God,

what does it look like

to do that,

to direct

my energies

wisely?

And this vase

is beautiful.

And

as I was

just chatting to my husband Pete

about this yesterday

and reading in the verses,

he said,

oh,

I've forgotten

that it's got a handle on it.

And you,

I'm jumping around,

I'm describing it as a vase,

then I'm describing it as a pot,

then a jug,

I don't really know what it is.

But I thought,

my goodness,

that makes a difference.

Because a vase

is shaped and moulded

and it can be filled with things

and it looks amazing.

And it will,

if you pour into it,

it will overflow.

But put a handle on it

and suddenly

there can be

direction

and purpose

and it can be

poured

and directed

in a certain way.

And I guess

I felt like that's

God's invitation

to us this evening.

To ask,

where's he calling us

to direct our energies

wisely in this season?

To pour out

who we are?

To love others

and ask,

can I help?

So as we come to the end,

I wonder what

God is calling you

to notice

and wonder this evening.

Remember,

that's only going to come

from a place of safety

and love

and goodness.

If you're not sure

what you're noticing

and you're wondering,

then chat to us afterwards.

Test it.

He is gentle

and kind

and there is no condemnation

in Christ.

but I wanted to just

leave us

with one final thought

and I can't share

like this,

like,

I can't share this

part of my story fully

because it's not

fully mine to tell

but I can describe

how

over

sort of a

prolonged season

of

extreme

difficulty

fairly recently

I

ended up

kind of feeling

I could probably

only describe it

as empty.

Just

I could recognise

I was sort of

ploughing on

in my own strength

struggling

really

to find God

in the circumstances

and

I guess

catching glimpses

like really

moments

of

I know

God is with us

I see it

but kind

of that

always like

shooting a prayer

to God

and kind

of hoping

that he would

calm the next

storm

but ending up

feeling

pretty empty

but

what I realised

was

what had fallen

by the wayside

were

many

of my rhythms

and my patterns

the ones

that had been

in the season

previously

just weren't

working

they weren't

fitting

I wasn't

really spending

time with God

in the way

that I could

and I wasn't

reading my

Bible

as I

maybe

felt the

call to

I wasn't

connecting

with church

so much

and I felt

the challenge

to change

and to

choose

differently

and so

from that

emptiness

I began

a slow

journey

of

coming back

and asking

God

to be filled

with his

spirit

and I can

honestly

hand on heart

say that

what that

ended up

looking like

was just

an incredible

new sense

of hope

in him

his

ongoing

a renewed

sense

of

remembering

who he

is

and I

realised

how much

I'd been

ploughing

on in my

own strength

needing

to sort

of control

and

just kind

of

direct

things

in the way

I thought

they should

be going

that I'd

forgotten

to leave

any room

for God

there actually

wasn't really

space for him

I realised

I was just

taking up

way too

much room

in my

own life

and I've

got a

daughter

and she's

25 now

and we

I just

quite often

say to her

or kind of

like remind

her to

take up

space

especially

as a

woman

Emma's

nodding

God

has

created

us

uniquely

and

beautifully

to be

who we

are called

to be

he has

moulded us

into a

shape

and we

are on a

journey of

being

constantly

moulded

but what

I'm saying

to Martha

when I'm

saying

take up

space

I'm

encouraging

her

to take

up

space

being

filled

with the

Holy Spirit

so that

in her

the space

she takes

up

is an

outpouring

of the

Holy Spirit

and she's

got her

own

story and

journey of

faith to

tell in

that

so my

message to

leave us

with is

we can

only be

filled

constantly

if we

recognise

constantly

the need

to be

empty

to be

empty

of

ourselves

and

full

of the

Holy Spirit

so as

we pour

out

and as

he pours

out his

spirit

from us

and it

looks like

all those

beautiful

things

what we

fill back

up with

is the

Holy Spirit

through the

rhythms and

practices

and just a

quick check

in

we are

human

we are

not

going to

get this

right all

the time

this is

not about

trying to

be some

perfect

Christian

person

this is

about a

living

relationship

with our

Father God

who forgives

us

has grace

and loves

us

and he

wants

more than

anything

for us

to

ensure

there's

room

enough

for him

in our

lives

less

of us

more

of him

and it

says at

the end

of the bit

in Galatians

in the

message

I've got

to get a

big print

Bible

I literally

can't see

anything

it says

since this

is the kind

of life

we have

chosen

the life

of the

spirit

let us

make sure

that we

do not

just

hold it

as an

idea in

our heads

as a

sentiment

in our

hearts

but work

out its

implications

in every

detail

of our

lives

that

means

ladies

we will

not compare

ourselves

with each

other

as if

one were

better

and another

worse

we have

far more

interesting

things to

be doing

with our

lives

each of

us

is an

original

less of

us

and more

of him

in Jesus

name

amen