The book of Joshua covers around 30 years of history and describes how God leads His people, by faithful and obedient leadership, into His amazing promises. In this session we set the scene of this great book of the Bible, look at God’s plan and the great heroes of faith within it.
Using examples from Elisha, Ephesians and his personal life, Ben shares with us the importance of taking our place in the body and focussing on what God has for us – not what our circumstances show us.
In many ways, it’s Paul’s great longing for unity in the churches that underpins this letter from beginning to end! And now in the final chapter he gives powerful personal expression to this as he sends his affectionate love and greetings to dozens of named members of the church in Rome. They’re his “co-workers”, “brothers” and “dear friends”; they “work hard” and are “approved in Christ”; they’re like family to Paul. They comprise men and women, Jews and Greeks, slaves and freed-men; and all are loved dearly and greatly valued by Paul. This great apostle didn’t just write about fellowship, teamwork and unity in Christ – he set us all a great example by living it out in his life and ministry!
Romans 4:13-21– The righteous have always lived by faith (Rom 1:17). God revealed to Abraham who He had MADE HIM TO BE, and in so doing, showed Himself to be the God who GIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD and CALLS INTO EXISTENCE THE THINGS THAT DO NOT EXIST
Abraham’s resulting faith enabled him to see, beyond all human hope, what God was going to do in his life. It enabled him to see his own future promised son, Isaac whom God was calling into being, and even beyond to God’s Promised Son, Jesus through whom many nations would come into the same faith. Abraham’s example can show us how to see what God has MADE YOU to be, what the Spirit is doing IN YOU to bring you into the full stature of Christ, and all that God is seeking to do THROUGH YOU to call many nations into His Kingdom. Let us align ourselves with what God has said He will do, and call into existence those things which He has promised, but do not yet exist!
In Romans 12:9-10 Paul exhorts us to really love our Christian brother and sister, to be committed to philadelphia. So how can we love one another in this way, how can we express and enjoy this precious brotherly love?
When God says to us “I Promise” we can expect that we will be stretched and changed us to become more like Christ, we can expect to grow in clearly hearing and diligently responding to the voice of God, and we can expect that our faith in God can inspire faith in others to believe that the One who promises is faithful. How awesome that God loves us and considers us to be a people whom He can bless and trust with His promises.
What does the bible say about our salvation in terms of our body, soul and spirit? In this message, we attempt to sensitively unpack the elements that make up the whole human person and look at some of this in the context of anxiety, stress and depression. We then look at some keys to help us live in fullness with a spiritual mind.
In Romans chapter 8 the great apostle Paul introduces us to what he’s previously described as “the new way of living” (Ro 7:6), and which we now discover is a life filled with, led by and in the power of the wonderful Holy Spirit! In this fantastic chapter we find that the Spirit frees us from failure and liberates us from legalism; He the One who verifies our sonship and gives us victory over sin; and He’s the One who energises our bodies and empowers our prayers! The Holy Spirit is our greatest advocate and we pray that this message will encourage and enrich you in your walk with God.
How radical is our rationale? How radical is our way of thinking? Paul tells us in Romans 12 to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice but then goes on to tell us that this is our rational service – our totally rational response to all God has done for us. God wants to challenge us not only to think radically as our minds are renewed but also then to live radically in light of that… and Romans 12 gives us some great keys on how we can do that.
In looking at Romans 8:27-39 we read about Jesus’ covenant love for those who believe. Is it really unbreakable, unchangeable, relentlessly faithful; even in the face of pressures, troubles, loss and death? The answer is a resounding and wonderful ‘Yes!’.
Romans 8:28 – In our present uncertain age, this Biblical truth is a steel peg which can be punched into the Rock. It is an anchor point in the storms of life. During this message we examine the different parts of this wonderful declaration, to consider some important aspects which we often overlook, and discover some revelatory truths we may not have known were there! The Apostle Paul acknowledges that there are things in life which we don’t know (v.26), but tells us emphatically that this is an eternal truth we MUST know, with a confidence that nothing is equal to shaking.
Every home has its own distinct emphases and characteristics; things which form the essential hallmarks of that house and its inhabitants. In the second half of this mini-series we describe in further detail the kind of churches we’re seeking to build on the foundations of our gospel. What will this house and family be like? What will it look like, sound like, feel like? It’s our prayer that this message will inspire and encourage you as you give yourself to be part of Christ’s church, which is to be the dwelling-place of His Spirit (Ephesians 2:20).
We look again at the importance of small groups in the life of the church, and consider how we can play our part as a member of the Body of Christ in making our group strong, healthy and full of life!
“What kind of house will you build for me?” asks the Lord (Acts 7:49). It’s a rhetorical question, but nevertheless provokes us to think carefully about the kind of churches we’re establishing and building. In the first half of this mini-series we set forth the good news of “our gospel” here at Living Rock. These foundational teachings are centred around the resurrected Christ: they bring great security and peace; they liberate the church and her leaders to function with gift and grace; they offer real hope to all people; and they inspire and empower our mission together!…
It’s a wonderful thing to have a place to sit at the table and enjoy food, friendship and fun. We look at how Jesus Christ invites, prepares and blesses us as we remember Him at the Lords Table.
Reading Romans chapter 5 is like taking giant strides to the very top of a magnificent mountain-peak, and from that vantage point gazing at the vast panoramic views now spread before us! Because we’ve been “declared righteous by faith”, Paul explains, we now have blessing-upon-blessing (v1-11): Peace, access into Grace, Joy, Hope, indwelling Love, the Holy Spirit, Salvation! And all this is made possible because Christ came to create a new humanity: to reverse the effects of Adam’s sin, to restore mankind completely, and by “one righteous act” on the Cross to obtain life for everyone! May this great message of new life and fresh hope bless you and strengthen you for the year ahead…
We learn in Romans that we have the freedom to become like Christ, and discover God’s limitlessness love and power in our lives. We can be identified or defined by many things, but in this message we discover how we can find out identity in Jesus Christ. Romans 8:5-17 says that Christ lives in you; the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells within us! We are adopted as His own children and we are heirs of Gods glory. Once you become a new creation in Him, everything changes for the better. You’re given a new name. Your whole identity changes because you’ve been rescued and redeemed from sin and darkness and welcomed into God’s Kingdom family.
If we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. Our hearts matter most to God, because what is in our hearts matters most to us! In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, we read that God looks at the heart, and only He can truly change our hearts.
In the opening verses of Romans chapter 1 Paul introduces himself to the church at the heart of the Empire as a “slave of Christ” who’s been “set apart for the Gospel of God”. In this message, we discover that we too are “set apart” by God, saved by a powerful and gigantic gospel, and called to join the ‘revolution’ – declaring that JESUS IS LORD and abandoning our allegiance to anything else!…
As we launch our teaching series, based in the letter to the Romans, we start by considering the background and circumstances of this great work of the Apostle Paul. We also consider what it has to say about 3 great existential questions of our time, (1) Who am I? (2) What am I here for? and (3) What does the future hold for me? The unfolding divine revelation in these pages speaks of our IDENTITY in Christ, our PURPOSE in His Kingdom, and our DESTINY as faithful children laying hold of God’s promises for a glorious future!
The apostle Paul describes himself as being compelled to preach the gospel (1Co 9:16) and in this message Slava talks about the joy of serving God’s purpose and making his mission the overwhelming priority in our lives. He shows us that having the attitude of “I must!…” brings the ultimate joy and fulfilment.
Acts 11:19ff & 13:1-3 – The church in Antioch, was expansive and outward looking from its beginnings. Aptly described as a ‘church bursting its banks’, Luke’s account gives us a clear picture of the prevailing culture and values that made this the epicentre of a gospel explosion across the Roman world. In this message we explore these features of such a vibrant, multi-gifted church to see what made them instinctively outward looking, Christ-centred and fruitfully nurtured – a place where ‘living stones’ had room to grow!
We look at the revelation that we are rooted in; considering again God’s plan and purpose of restoration and how we as His church, are the glorious City of God and beautiful Bride of Christ.
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