Pastor Jonathan and family were in Aldershot over the weekend, taking part in a healing service. They witnessed several healings, and reported that two people committed their lives to Jesus. Meanwhile, back in Manorbier, it was Hesed pastor and Emmanuel regular Rev. Peter Richmond who led the Sunday meeting, which included the usual mix of praise and prayer. The subject of Peter's talk was a little story Jesus told about two sons who were both asked by their father to do work for him. In the story, one son refused, but later changed his mind and did what the father wanted; the other said yes, but then did nothing. Jesus was making the point to the religious leaders of his day that, although they said the right things, their lives did not match up: they were failing to please God. Disreputable people who heard the word of God spoken through Jesus and John the Baptist were turning their lives around; they were streets ahead of these pious folk with their empty rules and regulations. "Have you ever made an over-ambitious New Year's resolution?", asked Peter. "Perhaps we have made an honest attempt, but we fail. In fact, every one of us can most identify with that son who told his father, 'Yes, I'll go and work for you.' We all know what it is like to say one thing and then find ourselves doing another. Through the parable of the two sons, Jesus encourages us to look at our spiritual life and our spiritual condition to see if we like what we see." The talk finished with a quotation from James: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word, but does not do what it says, is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." Anyone who had a need was invited to come up after the service for prayer. Emmanuel Gospel Church meets every Sunday at 10.15 am. Telephone Rev. Jonathan Fiddy on 01834 871975 for details.