Hidden Gem
When I was growing up, I remember hearing the phrase ‘Saturday Night at the Movies.’ What a great way to spend a Saturday evening.
That meant either going out to the local ABC cinema in town, which had two screens, or watching ‘live’ the big film on one of four channels! Yes, back then we only had BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV and Channel 4.
If at home, for a treat, Mum would cook a meal that we could eat in the lounge. We would then huddle around our small square television and watch the feature film.
Saturday is still a movie/date night for my wife and I, but things are so different today: the amount of choice from streaming platforms is quite overwhelming.
With so much choice, I like to know a bit about what I’m going to watch. I can spend a long time scrolling through movie after movie to find the right one we will both enjoy.
A few streaming sites have a list called ‘hidden gems’. These are films that may be independent or not had the same promotion as some of the bigger releases. We have come across some really good ‘hidden gem’ movies.
Jesus talked about a ‘hidden gem’, he said…
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
I discovered this ‘hidden gem’, many years ago when I became a Christian. I saw that there was a God who knew me, loved me, forgave me and had a plan for my life.
Jesus made it possible for me to know and be at peace with God. Becoming a Christian meant that I became part of God’s Kingdom.
Since then, I have grown in relationship with Him. God continues to transform me to be more like Him. His Kingdom ways and outlook shape how I approach all aspects of life.
I know this is true for many other people, in our church, and churches all over the world. If you would like to know about this ‘hidden gem’ then call out to Jesus.
A great way to do this is to try Alpha, a course which explores the Christian faith. We are running this at our church, starting Wednesday 3 April. Why not join us? All the details can be found at www.hopebasingstoke.org/alpha
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader