At the beginning of His ministry Jesus was invited to a wedding, where He performed His first miracle – turning ordinary water into extraordinary fine wine! This true story has meaning and purpose for today, giving us some vital keys to breakthrough wherever transformation is needed. But it was also “a sign”, pointing towards many bigger things. Join us as we consider the power of these principles, and take up Jesus’s invitation to “COME AND SEE” Him in action!
Jesus is the Great Shepherd. Matthew reveals what He was thinking one day when He looked across the crowds of people gathered around Him. He had come for them – those who found themselves feeling harassed and helpless – because He knew they lacked a shepherd to show them the true purpose of their lives and their true value to the Author of life.
Today we think about Mary Magdalene encountering the risen Jesus in the garden on Resurrection Day. We highlight how Jesus can find us in the crisis, is Himself the cure for mankind’s condition and calls people by name to follow Him.
Easter Sunday is a great day to think about who Jesus is and what He has done. Jesus came for everyone. We look at the story of His crucifixion to see that He truly is a cosmopolitan, all-inclusive redeemer.
In this message we’ll explore three things: What is hope? How do faith and hope work together and how can we have hope? When we encounter Jesus we encounter real and living hope. When we know what true biblical hope is we can offer it to a world that is desperate for it!
The story of Zacchaeus is often a story we think about as a children’s story we might have learned in Sunday School but it is a simple and significant story of a man whose encounter with Jesus changed his life forever. In coming to Jesus like a child, he discovered what it was to know repentance, restoration and a right relationship with Jesus, the man who knew him by name. Jesus knows our name and is looking for us and others who are lost today. Will we answer when He calls?
The opening chapter of Mark’s Gospel is a powerful, noisy and fast-paced introduction to the ministry and miracles of Jesus! We meet the Son of God moved with compassion, touching and transforming the lives of dozens of people from every kind of background. We see what it means in practical terms for the Kingdom of God to come on earth as it is in heaven. We receive our own promise of power; the assurance that Jesus will baptise us with His Holy Spirit. And we also discover that much of the action happens in “the wilderness”. For it’s in the wilderness that Jesus is baptised; it’s to the wilderness He is led by the Spirit; it’s there in the wilderness that He beats temptation; it’s to the wilderness that He withdraws to pray; and it’s in the wilderness that the crowds flock to meet Him. These extraordinary times we’re facing are for many of us an enforced slow-down; working from home, avoiding gathering with others, or isolating ourselves for the sake of public health. Maybe this seems like being in a ‘wilderness’ for a few weeks? If so, be encouraged: God is active in these slower times and quieter places; He will meet you in the solitude. The “wilderness” is not a barren place so much as a place waiting to be cultivated. So, let’s present ourselves to Him in these days, draw close to Him, and ask Him to cultivate and enrich the land of our lives!…
Worship is a powerful weapon that we can use to take down the enemy. In 2 Chronicles 20 we read the amazing story of a people who, with hearts of praise and worship, seek God, find God and thank God ahead of an impending battle. God hears their praise and intercedes for them – completely annihilating the enemy. How encouraging for us as we face battles in our own lives with God on our side!
It can be easy to let the busyness of life (and our long todo lists!) distract us from the most important thing – spending time with Jesus and listening to his word. Luke 10:38-42 describes the encounter Jesus had with Mary and Martha. Mary spent time with Jesus whilst Martha busied herself… do we identify with either of these women? God wants us to start ‘in rest’; to be in a place of peace, stillness and quiet. We don’t confuse rest with inactivity, but we know that The Lord ‘leads us beside peaceful streams’ and renews our strength as we rest in Him.
In this message Kim shares with us how participating in the bread and wine joins us together in unity. Although the bread symbolises Christ’s body that was broken for us, it is one body that we are all sharing. 1 Corinthians tells us “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake in the one bread” and Ephesians 4 tells us there is ‘one body’, ‘one spirit’, ‘one hope’, ‘one Lord’, ‘one faith’, ‘one baptism’ and ‘one God and Father’. The church shares these in common and as we celebrate together around the Lord’s table, we celebrate our unity, our togetherness and our oneness.
“What kind of house will you build for Me?” asks the Lord (Acts 7:49). It’s a great question, forcing us to be clear about what we’re part of and what we’re aiming for. In this message we take a look at three biblical pictures of the church which expand our vision of what God has called us to be.
When we lay our hands on others, in faith, God releases His power and His blessing into their lives. In this message Stephen shows us examples of the laying on of hands in the Bible and encourages us that if we are followers of Jesus, saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, we have the right, ability and obligation to lay hands on others. It’s good to lay hands on one another!
God has made mankind with a clear identity and purpose; to be blessed, fruitful and to bring His rule to bear on earth. With Jesus as our example; we can learn how our physical bodies, when dedicated to God and full of the Holy Spirit, are made for mission!
In a time when there is no more urgent task for the Church than to be fulfilling our great co-mission, this message urges us to believe that in every way we really are ‘made for mission’ – it’s the way God has created us, designed us and saved us! Reaching-out with compassion to the people and worlds around us is not too hard, or unnatural, or beyond our comfort zones – it’s exactly what we were made for and the most natural and fulfilling thing we can do. So, as we start a new decade, let’s break out of every mindset that hold us back and embrace the fact that we are made for mission!…
At the time of year when we often think of making new year resolutions, the words of Jesus from John 15 come to us loud and clear: Choose to remain! Jesus says that apart from Him, we can do nothing. Dare we dream of the fruitfulness we will see if Christ-following men and women commit their whole selves to Jesus and His mission in 2020?
In both his letters and his gospel, John often refers to his readers as ‘children’. John really wants us to be confident of who we are as children of God. From the account of King David and his covenant faithfulness to Mephibosheth, we gain further insights into being God’s children – we’re invited to sit at the King’s table as sons and enjoy relationship with Him, enjoying all the good things he has for us.
For many of us, fear can be one of the most controlling influences in our lives. However 1 John 4:18 tells us that “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” In this message Stephen shares what this ‘perfect love’ is that dispels all fears. We look at how to foster, experience and develop this love in our lives and how it can move us towards a fearless life, full of joy and triumph.
In his letters, John focuses on the life, light and love of God. In living out the divine life of God, every believer can also expect to live in His light and love. We take time to see how we can enjoy and express a fullness of truth AND love.
Speaking in tongues has at times been extremely controversial in the modern day church and yet it remains absolutely essential for the Spirit filled believer. This practical message looks at both the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2 and at Paul’s teaching on the use of tongues in the gathered church. It lists 10 reasons why speaking in tongues is so beneficial and it examines some common questions that people ask concerning speaking in tongues. It concludes by encouraging all believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to speak in tongues.
God created us to be an expressive people and in this lively all-age gathering we consider the word ‘praise’ as found in the Psalms. We discover that by looking at the original Hebrew words used for ‘praise’ brings freedom to expressively worship God in a way that is wholehearted, sincere and in line with scripture.
In Johns first letter, particularly in chapters 3 and 4 we read many times, that “we live in God and he lives in us”, all who live in love , live in God, and God lives in them”.
God lives inside us and His love inside us is to be revealed to those around us, both our church family, and those around us in the world.
When we live “inside-out” lives, the love of God can transform our fellowship as believers, and transform our villages and towns. We were designed specifically to reveal Jesus through good works already, prepared for us. The challenge is to live our ordinary lives, knowing He is with you, for you and in you. Lets live “inside-out”lives.
As we start a new series – “Why do we do that?” – Stephen shares with us about why we fast. Fasting is something practical that we do but with enormous spiritual benefits. As we fast (and accompany it with prayer) we seek God for more of His power in our lives, to see miracles, salvation, a change in attitude and to grow closer to Him. Fasting allows us to rely less on ourselves and what our natural bodies want, and more on the Holy Spirit and what our new spiritual nature needs.
God has a plan for every family, He has a plan for your family. When we put God first, our households will be whole and blessed. We look at Joshua’s example in how we can ensure that ‘as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord’.
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