Kinlochleven Church - the next service is on Sunday 19 October at 10.00 am led by the Rev. Malcolm Kinnear.
Duror Church - the next service is on Sunday 26 October at 10.30 am led by the Worship Team.
Nether Lochaber Church - the next service is on Sunday 19 October at 11.30 am led by the Rev. Malcolm Kinnear.
South Lochaber Parish :
Bible Study - on 21 October at 10.45 in Jeremy's home.
Bible Study - Kinlochleven at 11.00 am. on Friday 17 October at 11.00 am.
Sunday 5 October 2025 South Lochaber Church - available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/RoCJJQ_cmw8
Opening Verse "The valleys are full of wheat (Psalm 65:13) ‘You shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord God has bestowed on you’" (Deuteronomy 26:11)
Psalm 67 Lord, bless and pity us,
shine on us with thy face:
That the earth thy way, and nations all
may know thy saving grace.
The earth her fruit shall yield,
our God shall blessing send.
God shall us bless; men shall him fear
unto earth's utmost end.
Prayer God our Maker, for daily food, for the dedication and skill of those who grow and
harvest it, we give thanks, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible Reading Deuteronomy 8:6-14 Do as the Lord has commanded you: live according to his laws and obey him. The Lord your God is bringing you into a fertile land, that has rivers and springs, and underground streams gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land that produces wheat and barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and honey. There you will never go hungry or ever be in need. Its rocks have iron in them, and from its hills you can mine copper. You will have all you want to eat, and you will give thanks to the Lord your God for the fertile land that he has given you. “Make certain that you do not forget the Lord your God; do not fail to obey any of his laws that I am giving you today. When you have all you want to eat and have built good houses to live in, and when your cattle and sheep, your silver and gold, and all your other possessions have increased, be sure that you do not become proud and forget the Lord.
Message Lochaber and Argyll have produced their share of metals. Copper and nickel was once extracted from Mull. Lead mines were in Ardnamurchan and Strontian. The hills near Strontian gave what was named strontianite from which the chemical element strontium was obtained. Strontium, 38 in the periodic table, is used in sugar production and as a food supplement.
The Bible tells us to give thanks that the earth yields food and other essential produce, and to offer praise. We should be grateful for all God’s gifts. He makes things grow and helps people discover things.
God wants us to know what he has done. Behind the abundance we enjoy there is God’s miraculous provision. We owe our existence and our welfare to God’s merciful providing. He has proved himself faithful to his promise that there will also be a springtime and a harvest. That is reason enough to praise God. If we take things for granted, we can become complacent. Worse still, we end up damaging the creation.
We should never lose sight of what God has done for us. He has rescued us from sin and darkness. The believer can say, I am a new creation. I have been crucified with Christ and raised with Christ to the glory of the Father. When we give our life to Jesus he gives his life to us, when his Spirit comes to dwell within us.
God has answered his people’s prayers, and he continues to do so. He listens when we pray, and he answers. He does not give us what we deserve. He offers us grace, not justice. Indeed, his grace is sufficient for us, and we do not need to live in dread or fear for the future.
Occasionally you can buy a kitchen product that comes with a ‘lifetime guarantee’. The product has been thoroughly tested. The manufacturer is certain it can be used for a lifetime. It will stand the test of time. So it is with the Christian life. God wants you to discover how great his strength is. He will not fail you or let you down.
God’s love and purposes are revealed in creation, in nature, in the historical events of our salvation, and in spiritual life. As well as the harvest of the earth, there is a harvest of the Spirit, as lives are won for the Saviour, and God is found and experienced to be the One who hears and answers prayer. Without the reality of the living God, life becomes barren. In the gospels Jesus speaks of himself as spiritual food, as living bread that can satisfy our deepest needs. His Word is like a seed that produces growth, the formation of Christian character.
Prayer Lord the Creator, the fields are ripe for harvesting. May your church gather fruit for eternal life, through Christ our Lord. Amen.