In the final part of this New Year message, we consider what it means to be a church that’s ‘kingdom advancing’. We discover that it is to be joined with Jesus in the eternal purpose of God, the reason for which mankind was made, and the focus of our great commission! We also discover that outworking our mission in the 21st century is no harder than it was in the first, and that if we’re Spirit-filled and Bible-believing we have all we need to succeed!…
In part 2 of our focus on vital hallmarks of the church at such a time as this, we consider what it means to be “Bible-believing”. What does this really mean? What do we believe about the Bible and – therefore – what do we believe because of the Bible? And how does this help us navigate the spirit of the age, the challenges to God’s Word and the compassion-filled mission we’ve been called to fulfil?…
At the start of this significant year, we take a look at three vital hallmarks of the church; characteristics that will be essential if we are to fulfil all the good things God has planned for us. The first of these is that we are “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). What does this really mean? What difference will it make? How does the Holy Spirit help the church? And how do we make these things our reality this year?!…
Jesus promised He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18) and in Acts 2-3 we get the first wonderful glimpses of what it looks like! Here too we discover the kind of church that must arise in the nations “at such a time as this”. It’s secure, relational, generous, exciting, simple, powerful and miraculous! And it’s growing every day, because its members take the blessings they enjoy out into the world around them. The call to the church (our church, your church, His church!) at a time of gathering gloom for so many is to “arise and shine” (Isaiah 60:1) – and in this message we consider what that means for us in practice…
Paul spent just 3 weeks planting a church in Thessalonica (Acts 17) before being forced out of town! His first letter back to the church a few weeks later reflects his deep affection to the believers there. It starts and ends with descriptions of their faith, hope and love. In this message we hear the epistle read aloud and highlight features that are most relevant to us here and now.
God wants His church to grow! From the opening verses of the Bible onwards, we discover that fruitfulness and multiplication is at the heart of His plan and purpose. In this message we look at some simple biblical principles and some vital ingredients of church growth. Embracing these things will enable us to be ‘harvest-ready’ in this time of great uncertainty and upheaval in our world.
In this time when historic global events are taking place around us, we’re reminded that God’s great love for the world has implications for all the nations and for all our neighbours; those near and far. And the story of God breaking-in amongst the Gentiles in Acts chapter 10 speaks profoundly into this moment, showing His love and power impacting the lives of family and friends, neighbours and nations – and reminding us that He has prepared “good works” for us to do (Eph 2:10). This message unpacks the story and shows us how we can open our homes, reach out to help and play our part in all that God is doing in these historic days…
“Go, Give, Gather, Grow!…” is the simple and powerful way that Jesus has commissioned and instructed His followers. We’re to GO into all the world (Mt 28:19-20); and as we go we are to GIVE freely (Mt 10:7-8) so that His Kingdom is proclaimed and demonstrated; then as disciples are made we should GATHER together in His name (Mt 18:20); for as do we stay closely connected with Him and GROW in our fruitfulness and influence (Mt 13:31-32, Jn 15:8). In this message we unpack this healthy life-cycle of the church, see it at work in the New Testament, and consider some of the opportunities we face at the start of this year…
In the last part of this mini-series HIS HOUSE, OUR HOME we look at the significance of prayer and prophecy in our gatherings – powerful weapons as we advance God’s kingdom and build-up the church. Reminding us that the church is “the house of God” and “the gateway to heaven” (Genesis 28:17), David unpacks the apostle Paul’s teachings set out in 1 Corinthians 11, and encourages us to have a heavenly perspective on what happens when we gather together.
We’re excited to let you know that as we reach the end of this year we will be taking a few weeks to be refreshed and re-focussed together, looking at some vital roots and foundations.
Whether you’re a member or a newcomer to LRC, these sessions will help us all dig deeper into what we believe and why we believe it!
Jesus is building His Church amongst us, and wants us to know the strength and blessing of belonging to a secure family.
Each session will be in ‘workshop’ style, with opportunity for discussion and Q&A – and we trust you’ll really enjoy this investment of our time over the next few weeks.
David shares with us about how we can stay rooted, focussed and encouraged in our life and mission together.
The success of the early church in following the example of Jesus and spreading the gospel throughout the towns and villages was stunning! Within 20-30 years, vast geographic areas were saturated with the Good News of the Kingdom and vibrant, missional churches were planted in every place. This midweek message looks at some important aspects of the “partnership” between churches, apostles and elders (Phil 1:5,7) that made all this possible, and helps us to reflect on factors that will be key in our own co-mission to our towns and villages.
In this important time of re-gathering we mustn’t forget that it’s also a vital time of in-gathering. In Part 2 of this mini-series we look at the way Jesus called His disciples to come and follow Him, so that He could transform them into “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18-20) and we consider some of the implications for us. He calls us to come to Him as we are, where we are and with what we’ve got – so He can send us out with His invitations of rest, strength, life, courage and blessing to many others.
On several occasions in the Gospels we read that Jesus invited people to “COME TO ME”. Some were weary and burdened, others needed strengthening and still others were longing to step out in boldness and bravery. And on every occasion Jesus met their needs. As we look at these occasions together, we know that Jesus will once again invite us to draw near to Him and as we do He will.
Jesus’s letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3) demonstrate just how much He loves His Church, and how deeply concerned He is to ensure that each one represents Him faithfully. And in the very first letter – to Ephesus – we discover how Jesus evaluates or ‘measures’ things! To our great shock we find that this famous church had “abandoned its first love”, with terrible consequences. What is the Spirit saying to us, in our own time and context, two thousand years later?…
In the last part of our New Year trilogy, we see that when Jesus ascended on high and poured out His Spirit He was empowering His church for its mission (Acts 1:4-8): proclaiming and demonstrating the good news of the Kingdom everywhere – and so completing what Jesus had started and preparing the way for His second coming! And we discover that the opening chapters of Acts show us in simple, practical ways what this looks like and how we can all play our part. Great strength and success this year will come from knowing Jesus is Unchangeable, His Kingdom is Unshakeable and His Mission is Unstoppable!…
In the second part of our New Year trilogy, we discover that Jesus is not only “the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) but is also enthroned as Head over “a Kingdom that is unshakeable” (Hebrews 12:28). The Unchanging Person came into our world bringing the good news of an Unshakeable Kingdom! This everlasting, ever-growing Kingdom is God’s total answer to mankind’s total need, and is the new home of every follower of Jesus…
At the start of a year in which so much is changing and uncertain, the Bible assures us that “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is the Rock on which our lives and churches are built and we invite you to join us this Sunday for the first part of our New Year trilogy – Unchangeable, Unshakeable, Unstoppable!…
We take some time to overview the book of Numbers and then explore hints and pictures that point to Christ, they help us to see who Jesus is and what He has done.
**Numbers Overview: BibleProject is the author and owner of the video. To see our full library of free content, please visit BibleProject.com
The opening chapter of Numbers describes the census taken to count Israel’s army, before they began their journey to the promised land. And as we read the story in its context we find several features relevant to our day. Everyone was “counted by name”, a reminder that we’re known and loved by God. Everyone was “qualified to serve”, a reminder that all of us have a vital part to play. But – tragically – none of those counted (except Joshua and Caleb) ever made it into the promised land, a reminder (and a warning, 1Corinthians 10:11) that we must embrace God’s promises and provision and do all we can to make sure our lives count. This timely message will inspire you to take every opportunity to serve God’s purpose in our generation!…
Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is that they might be “strengthened with all power” (Col 1:11) and that’s our prayer for our church at this time. Paul goes on to set forth many reasons for them to be strong, culminating in his sensational revelation of Jesus, who is Lord of all things! As we look together at these great truths it’s our prayer that we too will be really strengthened and really encouraged!
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!…
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!…
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!…
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