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!
From the opening chapters of Genesis onwards, the practice of tithing – giving God the first tenth – has been a distinguishing hallmark of God’s covenant people. But is tithing still relevant? Is it outdated now we’re part of a new covenant? Or is it a timeless, eternal principle to be taken-up by the church today? This message provides biblical answers to these questions, together with practical experience and a testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness over many years. We discover that tithing is God’s way of releasing us from self-effort, materialism and the anxieties that grip so many people, and releasing into peace, security, blessing, revelation and growth!….
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.
At the end of His earthly life Jesus shared a last Passover supper with his closest friends. Filling it with fresh meaning and fulfilling all its prophetic dimensions, He thus inaugurated a new Lord’s Supper for all who follow Him. For us, this simple but sensational meal is an act of Remembrance, a time of Reflection and Recommitment, and a moment of Rendezvous with our Lord and Saviour.
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.
In a sneaky look ahead to the teaching series coming this Autumn, we look together at ‘The Prayer Meeting’ and seek to answer the question ‘Why do we do that?’