Wheatley Community Church podcast: Recent Episodes
Wheatley Community Church
Jesus's response to a grieving father transforms the man's transactional view of relating to God into one of trust and love - and he does the same for us.
On Pentecost Sunday, Al looks at how our God-given purpose is part of our identity, and how we can only fulfil it by being continuously filled with the Holy Spirit.
Faced with our tiny size in a seemingly infinite universe, some see humanity as insignificant - but the Bible tells us that we have value. Al then asks what we do when we, or others close to us, struggle to believe the created identity the Lord gives us.
Through the Genesis creation accounts and Romans chapter 8, Al looks at what we know about our created nature in the image of God, the effects of the Fall, our redemption through Jesus, and the struggle for our minds until our bodies are redeemed.
Tim looks at Jesus's call to his disciples, and what it shows us about the call, cost and character of discipleship.
Jim Thring looks at what the secular world has to say about identity, and how the Scriptures show us a different story that is grounded in truth and gives purpose - that we are intended to be children of God, stamped with His image.
God loves us with the joyful, passionate love of a bride groom for his intended. And because we are loved, we don't have to prove ourselves - but have every reason to give ourselves!
As we celebrate Easter Sunday, Al talks with our children about what Jesus's glory looks like, and explores the words Jesus spoke about judgment, salvation, and eternal life.
Jesus, Heaven's very best, enters Jerusalem as King - provoking a variety of reactions. Al asks us to consider who we are most like in our response to Jesus.
Tim looks at the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, and looks at her journey from not knowing who Jesus is, to putting her faith in Him - and along the way, how Jesus's promise of overflowing living water affects the community around those who trust in Him. Note: the recording was affected by some tech issues, but does improve after about 30 seconds.
Al looks at the freedom God brought the Israelites through the Exodus, and unpacks what it means for us in how we use our time and money.
What happens when Jesus meets a very religious person who thinks that they can be right with God by following all the rules? David looks at the challenge of Jesus's conversation with Nicodemus, and the need to be born again through faith in Jesus's death and resurrection.
Steven opened John 2 looking at Jesus turning water to wine, and clearing the temple. We see Jesus being the one who provides better joy, cleansing, sacrifice and the temple as he fortells of His sacrifice for our sin through His perfect death and resurrection on the cross, taking the penalty we deserve.
John the Baptist declares himself to be the voice of one crying in the wilderness - Al looks at what this means about John and about Jesus, and we hear from a number of the church about the time they were called to follow Christ.
Mark opens our series in the Gospel of John, unpacking one of the most well-known and influential passages of the entire Bible, which speaks of Jesus - fully God and fully human - taking on human flesh to rescue us all.
Genesis begins with the fall of mankind, and a promise that a descendant of Eve will crush the serpent. It ends with a promise of the sceptre coming to the One to whom it belongs. Dan unpacks for us how Jesus can be found throughout Genesis and the Old Testament.
As we near the end of Joseph's story, his father Jacob blesses his sons and grandsons. Al looks at what this tells us about blessings - and about Jesus Christ.
Tim continued in our series on Joseph covering the period where his brothers go to Egypt in search of food, ultimately leading to reconciliation within that family.
As we look at the continuation of Joseph's story, we see that Joseph has not given up on God's purposes - but more than that, He has not given up on God's purposes through him.
At our dedication service for three children in the congregation, Al speaks about how God does family, looking at how God is a good Father who adopts children into His family and welcomes home those who have walked away.
The story of Judah and Tamar could easily be dismissed as an aside in the narrative of Joseph, but it speaks powerfully to us about right and wrong attitudes to sex and to imbalances of power. Al unpacks what we can learn about God's ways from Tamar's story and that of Joseph enslaved in Egypt.
Al reminds us of the context of Genesis as we pick up where we left off in the story of Joseph, looks at the importance of dreams then and now, and reminds us of where the story of Joseph leads us - the coming of Jesus Christ.
The nativity fulfills a centuries-old prophecy from the book of Isaiah: Al looks at what that prophecy shows us about the consequences of who we trust, and challenges us as to where we place our confidence for our future.
Samuel talks us through Jesus's family tree as recorded by Matthew, and looks at what this shows us about the nature of God and the purpose of Jesus's coming.
At our Nativity service, Al looks at how Jesus coming to earth is God drawing close to estranged humanity.
As we finish our series in Ezra-Nehemiah, Al looks at how the last chapters of Nehemiah tie together with the Jewish month in which they start - a month of consecration to the Lord, of confession and forgiveness, and of celebration - and the pattern of life they lay out for us. We also spend time listening to the Lord and sharing what he has spoken to us. (please note that we are having recording issues, and sound quality is sometimes poor)
As Nehemiah sets to work, we see a godly pattern of leadership, and a glimpse of what it is to work together as the people of God in a united endeavour. Al explores all this as well as the power of fear and of the words we speak, as we look at Nehemiah chapters 2-7.
As we move into the book of Nehemiah, Al looks at how the prayers and position of faithful individuals shape a nation, and indeed the nations.
As the second wave of exiles return to Jerusalem, we see both radical dependency on God through fasting, and also a swift return to the sins that caused the exile in the first place. Al looks at the practice of fasting, and how Jesus transforms our thinking about holiness.
As we continue in Ezra, Al looks at what the opposition to rebuilding can teach us about our role in workplaces, homes and social gatherings - and Hannah leads us in communion in response.
Al opens our series on Ezra & Nehemiah with an overview of where it fits in the Biblical narrative, things to look out for as we work through the book, and a reminder that our call to restore & rebuild comes with the mighty power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.
Our morning service from the Church Weekend Away, celebrating ten years of WCC and looking to what God would do in and through us in the future.
Tim looks at the mandate that flows from Isaiah 61 to be rebuilders of ancient ruins, on a mission from God.
Al looks at who Jesus spent his time with, and explores why his mandate was specifically good news to the poor, before asking us what life changes we might make in order to be in contact with those who know they are in need.
Guest speaker Matt Chapman speaks to us about how God wants to use us where we already are, spreading the good news of Jesus like acorns dropping from an oak. He then takes us through the Five Colours presentation of the Good News of Jesus.
Jesus announced Isaiah 61:1 to be fulfilled when he spoke in the synagogue at Nazareth. As an opener to the church weekend, Al looks at how our mandate for the world starts with us receiving for ourselves the blessing, comfort, salvation and healing that Jesus came to bring.
Mark brings our series on Revelation to land, looking at how God brings all things to perfect completion.
As we arrive at Revelation 21, Al looks at how God is faithful to fulfil everything He has ever promised, and how that affects our daily life.
The subject of the 1000-year reign of believers has divided opinion, but Tim points us to the truths on which all commentators agree: Satan is bound, to suffer or die for one's faith is victory, and God's final judgment is good and necessary, ushering in true and lasting joy.
Guest speaker Dr Bal Krishna Sharma, overseer of the Assemblies of God churches in Nepal and head of the Kathmandu Bible College, shares some of what the Lord has done in their nation, and the importance of investing in future generations.
As we near the end of Revelation, we see that last battle and Jesus riding out as champion. But if Jesus wins, what does he win and why does it matter?
At our Holiday Club celebration service, Al looks at Jesus walking on water, and asks whether we have welcomed Jesus in the boat of our lives.
Revelation chapters 15-19 show a judgment that is complete and final, and include judgment on Babylon. Who or what is Babylon, and why is this judgment good news? And how should we, the future Bride of Christ, live in the light of this passage? Al unpacks these chapters as part of our monthly communion service.
Drawing on the Parable of the Talents and a number of situations from the Old and New Testaments, Al reminds us that a life of fear is a life wasted, and that by throwing off fear we can better serve the Lord with our lives.
David Evans preached from Psalm 107, helping us to explore how we should give thanks to the Lord in all circumstances.
The Psalmist writes: Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Dan looks at the core Gospel truths in Psalm 24, and reminds us that through Christ the answer is us!
Al walks us through Psalm 144, looking at how it teaches us to pray boldly and with expectation, and getting everyone to write their own Psalm along the way. We end with some people sharing the psalms they have written, and with the whole congregation praying for the upcoming youth mission trip to Albania.
As the final judgment approaches, we see a contrast between God's people, growing in intimacy and preserved from judgment, and the rest of the world, marked by the ambitions and pride of the world and subject to judgment. Al looks at what we can learn, and reminds us that there is a Saviour whose blood was shed to rescue those who would otherwise fall under judgment.
Steven Ackroyd takes us through Revelation 13, comparing the counterfeit works of the evil one with the true work of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Tim explores the cosmic timeline of Revelation 12, and draws out what we should know about the work of the evil one in history and in the world today.
As the trumpets of judgment sound, the question arises - how can anyone be saved? Al looks at the Gospel hope that emerges from chapters 10 and 11.
The Lamb is not simply passively enthroned. He is active, executing God's master-plan, which John experiences through seals on the scroll being opened and trumpets sounding. Al looks at why God has chosen to tell us this, and what it shows us about God's character, our part in His plan, and the nations of the world.
Having spent time looking at the scenes of heavenly worship in Revelation, Hannah now reflects on our practice of worship at WCC, asking what the Bible teaches about why and how we worship, and looking at ideas for how we can respond.
John's second vision in Revelation is of heavenly worship around God's throne, of the unlocking of the destiny of the world, and the surprising figure through whom that comes.
The letter to the church in Laodicea is direct and to the point. Al looks at Jesus's assessment of the church as lukewarm, and then at what challenge this presents to us today.
Tim Hinks looks at the letters to Sardis and Philadelphia - two tired churches, but in different ways. Through the analogy of a patient suffering cardiac arrest, he explores Jesus's message both to them and to us.
Through the letter to Thyatira, Al prompts us to think about what the Spirit is saying to us individually and as a church.
Al talks us through the letters to the churches in Smyrna and Pergamum, two churches responding differently under pressure.
The church in Ephesus has sound doctrine, works hard and perseveres. Yet Jesus challenges the church: you have forgotten your first love. Al looks at what this means for them and for us.
Al looks at Revelation's first vision of Jesus, and explores what it means to be in the Spirit on the Lord's day.
We set out on our journey through the book of Revelation, dispelling some of the fear and awkwardness felt by many, and looking at how it reveals Jesus to us.
The women at the tomb and the disciples on the road to Emmaus both made the same mistake - they did what they could for a dead Jesus. The life-shattering truth that they each found is that Jesus is in fact alive - and when we understand that, it changes how we view the world.
Jesus's parable of the sheep and the goats reminds us that we have the opportunity to serve Jesus by serving those around us, and Katie Kay from Hope Vineyard church in Cowley talks us through what this looks like in practice.
Tim talks us through two further parables of Jesus - the parable of the ten virgins and the parable of the talents - and explores what Jesus teaches about how we use the lives which God has given us.
Having answered his disciples' questions about the signs of his second coming, Jesus turns to their question about its timing - and underlines the cataclysmic significance of that day.
Jesus warns his disciples of what to expect in the time before he comes again. David unpacks this, looking at how the passage both warns and encourages us as followers of Jesus.
In this passage, Jesus speaks some of his strongest words of warning to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. Al explores this message about hypocrisy and authenticity, and asks whether we are eager to hear from the Lord.
Steven Ackroyd unpacks Jesus's teaching on humility towards God and towards one another.
The Kingdom of God affects everyone, whether or not you think of yourself as religious. Al looks at what these three parables of Jesus tell us about life and the Kingdom of God.
Reverend Nigel Hawkes from St Mary's Wheatley speaks on the Good Samaritan at our Wheatley Area Churches joint service.
Jesus tells his disciples not to fear - not because they will be unopposed, but because they fear God, and trust him that one day everything will be brought into the light.
Matthew is perhaps best known for recording the Sermon on the Mount, but many other teachings of Jesus are also captured in his Gospel. Al looks at some tools for digging into those teachings, taking Jesus's sending of the twelve disciples as a starting point.
The Gospel is not only about the Cross, but also the Resurrection; both have an utterly transformative effect on our lives. Al looks at how we can live in the Resurrection in our daily lives, with a transformed approach to suffering and boldness in our commission.
We live in a world with a forgiveness problem. We don't know how to forgive, because we are starting to realise quite how bad and how far-reaching our sins are. What can pay for the wrong we've done? What can wipe the slate clean? Nothing but the Cross.
Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian church, giving a strong charge to the elders to watch over the church, and a stark warning about the dangers ahead. How do those warnings play out? And how well do the Ephesians live up to it?
As we come to the end of Paul's time in Ephesus, we see opposition arising - a citywide riot! Mark looks at the encouragement we can draw from the impact the Gospel has had, as well as the lessons we can learn for our engagements with contemporary culture today.
As Paul heads to Ephesus, we see healing and deliverance, as well as an instance of others trying and failing to to drive out evil spirits. Al looks at what we can learn about powers of good and evil, and explores the pastoral implications.
For the first time in a long while, Paul is not chased out of town, and gets to spend 18 months in Corinth. Al looks at what we can learn from his time there.
As Paul brings the Gospel to Athens, he preaches the same message of repentance and faith in Jesus. However, this involves telling the intellectual elite of their day that they are ignorant, and that God is calling time on that ignorance. Tim explores Paul's message to the Areopagus, and what encouragement it can give us in our witness today.
Al looks at Paul's visits to Thessalonica and Berea, and asks what we can learn about God's love for us.
As Paul and Silas arrive at Philippi, we see them believed by some, and then imprisoned for their witness. Through this passage in Acts and Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, David looks at how the church grows through glad reception and through suffering and persecution.
As we continue through Acts 15 and 16, Paul and Barnabas part ways, and Paul heads off to Turkey. Through these events, and the mysterious ways in which the Holy Spirit prevents Paul from ministering in parts of Turkey, Al asks what we can learn about God's purposes, and how we can find purpose and significance in lining up with God's plans.
The Council of Jerusalem was a discussion of nothing less than what it means to be a follower of Christ. Al looks at how the council was conducted, the reasons given for the judgment, and what we can learn from it for our discussions of doctrine today.
To set the scene for our new Acts series, Al looks at the book of Acts so far, with a quick recap of chapters 1 to 14.
Jesus's famous parable about the Rich Fool is a stark warning about wrong attitudes to wealth, but he follows it with amazing promises of provision and care for those who trust in him. In the light of this teaching, Al asks what it looks like to have an attitude to finance that is shaped by faith and not fear.
After Jesus's resurrection, His clear instructions to His followers were to be disciples, and to make disciples. As we launch into a new academic year, Al looks at what this looks like for us at WCC, and encourages us to regain the pioneer spirit out of which our church was formed.
Psalm 45 is a wedding song, probably originally written for King Solomon. However, as Tim explains, this psalm finds its true meaning in Christ's relationship with his covenant people.
Jerry Fowler of Magdalen Road Church unpacks the grace from 2 Corinthians - the grace of Jesus, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit - and in the process looks at how we understand the Trinity.
Psalm 107 tells four stories of people calling out to God in times of distress, and also gives us a template for how to tell our own stories. Al asks us to reflect on our own stories, and to be prepared to tell them!
Brandan takes us through Psalm 51, looking at what it teaches us about repentence and forgiveness.
Anxiety and worry are not a new problem - as far back as the book of Ecclesiastes we see people wrestling with worries about all aspects of life. Chris Hill looks at what Jesus has to say about these worries, and what practically we can do to avoid carrying around anxiety in our daily lives.
Psalm 32 describes the path to being spiritually debt-free. Al looks at what the psalm shows us about honesty, confession and forgiveness.
As we close our series on Genesis, we are confronted by Jacob's humanity - and our own.
Just as Jacob wrestled with God, so we can also wrestle in prayer. Al explores five challenges for our prayer lives from Jacob's encounter at Peniel.
Encounters with God shape our hearts, as we can see in Jacob's encounter with God at Mahanaim. Al encourages us to wrestle with God ourselves, to discern God at work in our daily lives, and to seek encounter with the Lord.
As Stephen takes us through our next passage of Genesis, we see that God's promises endure despite human frailty, that God speaks to us in unexpected ways, including through dreams and visions, and that God loves to bless his people.
The book of Genesis leaves us in no doubt that God is sovereign. But if God's plans will happen whatever we do, does it matter how we live? Al explores this question, looking back at the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Boy meets girl - and it all gets very complicated! Through the story of Jacob, Laban, Leah and Rachel, with all its twists and turns, Tim explores what God's faithfulness looks like in the face of our brokenness, and looks forward to another meeting at another well - in which Jesus makes a promise that goes beyond earthly marriage.
On the run from his older brother, with an uncertain future and beset with fear of the consequences of his own sin, Jacob encounters God. Yet this encounter is not one of rebuke, but blessing and promise - a promise that, as David shows us, is still true today.
Genesis is not primarily a book about how we should behave, but about God's nature. As we see in the story of Jacob and Esau, when we fail to grasp God's nature, we fall into bad patterns of behaviour, which can only be changed by revelation of Him.
Not much is written about Isaac himself, but in contrast to his eldest son, we see clearly how he valued the inheritance he received from God through the promise made to Abraham. Through this episode, Ruth Morton asks us to think about our own inheritance, and the extent to which we are investing in future generations.
The conflict and difference between Jacob and Esau is the subject of significant New Testament commentary. Al digs into what the start of their story tells us about God's sovereignty and our need to submit to Him, as well as the importance of valuing the immense inheritance we have in Jesus.
We follow the story as the promise passes from Abraham to Isaac, and hear of how Isaac and Rebekah are married. Al walks us through what this can teach us about human relationships and God's faithfulness.
Abraham's beloved wife dies, and he buys a burial plot for her. What does this passage teach us about grief, suffering, and promise? Al explores that topic as we dive back into Genesis.
Jesus tells his listeners not to worry about anything, and explains why this is, and the antidote: seeking first the Kingdom.
Jesus's resurrection ushered in a new era of world history - an era in which we can be ransomed out of slavery to sin, and released into life to the full, eternally. The question is - do we want the resurrection life of Christ in us?
As Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph, rumours abound as to who he is. Twenty centuries later, many of those rumours still persist - that he's a leader, a prophet, a voice to be listened to, a blessing. But Jesus doesn't fit into any of those pigeonholes: Al explores why that is and what it means for us today.
Rather like Safeguarding training, learning about false teachers is unpleasant but necessary and very important. Al looks at the warnings that Peter gives about the false teachers of his day, and asks what that means for us today.
Some believe that Christianity is a cleverly-constructed myth, intended to control people through religious power. This is not a new suspicion, and Peter reminds us that the truths he shares are rooted in first-hand eyewitness experience. This means that, along with the Old Testament scriptures, they can be fully trusted!
Peter opens his second letter with an exploration of how God's good, glorious power equips us for a life that is not only holy, but also fruitful.
From looking at the first of Jesus's statements in the beatitudes, we can see that all of the blessings He decrees are active, enduring and unseen.
Jesus ends the sermon on the mount with a choice: two paths, two teachers to follow, two ways to follow. Which will you choose?
Chris Band from Headington Baptist Church continues our look at Jesus's Sermon on the Mount. First, Jesus teaches us to show generosity and grace by not judging one another; then He teaches us to trust in God's generosity and grace in our attitude in prayer.
Tim continues our series & leads us through Matt 6:19-24, Treasures in Heaven, looking at giving, and keeping our eyes on the road ahead.
During Wheatley's celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Al reminds us that ultimately our basis for unity is Christ himself.
Jesus is revealed in the Scriptures as the Lion of Judah - but he overcomes like a lamb, through suffering and sacrifice. As we look at Jesus's teaching on oaths, retribution and love for our enemies, Al looks at how God's Kingdom is advanced through following Jesus's example.
When an injustice is committed, vengeance only takes us further from justice. Having laid out the challenge to be salt and light in the world, Jesus takes on the vicious cycles of sin and vengeance, and shows His better way. David and Liz Campbell walk us through this passage, drawing on their experiences of and involvement in redemptive action in Jamaica.
One of the most memorable images of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount is that of being salt and light in the world. Tim looks at this call, and unpacks what it means for us in the world, and how Jesus's coming fulfilled the Old Testament Law. Please note that the beginning of the talk did not record properly.
Anna and Simeon have spent their lifetimes seeking God and longing for what he will do - how will they respond when God tells them that their hopes will be fulfilled in a baby from a poor family in a backwater town?
When God breaks a 400-year silence to announce the imminent birth of John the Baptist, the priest Zechariah doesn't know what to make of it. But after another 9 months to process the news, he bursts out in a song that is full of what God is doing, and how He is going to bring light to a dark world!
Jeremiah, Isaiah and Zechariah all speak of the coming Messiah using a picture of a branch - the Righteous Branch of David. Tim looks at this promise, which points to a just ruler and an eternal King.
As we close our series on who we are as a church, we turn from looking at what we do to how we do it. Al reminds us of the glorious truth that God does not need us, but chooses us - and looks at how that impacts the way we live as a church.
Some of Jesus's last words to His disciples before ascending into heaven are recorded in the Great Commission. In that passage we find disciples doubting, Jesus affirming that He is with them, and a call to go. Lois explores how we can go from where we are currently to a place of living out that Commission day by day.
God's care for justice and for the nations runs throughout the Old Testament, but in the book of Isaiah God shows us just how far short of his standards we fall. But when we put our trust in Jesus, He renews us - and through us He wants to renew the world!
If we truly want to be like Jesus, we will be a community that gives ourselves sacrificially, and a community that offers eternal hope to anyone who will listen. Al challenges us to think about what this would look like for us, and whether it truly is central to our church vision, and Jill leads us in praying for change.
The pattern of Old Testament sacrifices was that God would provide the fire, but the people were responsible for putting on the fuel. Liam looks at how this works out for us - God provides the fire by His Holy Spirit, but we need to keep putting logs on the fire, to continue burning hot - and we need to do it together!
Romans 12 encourages us to identify our gifts, and to use them in the service of others. Helen gets practical, discussing how we can do this in daily life.
When we renew our mind by God's Word, it affects how we live. The Scriptures are full of truths about who we are, and Liam encourages us to use those as the basis for a transformed life.
Our modern idea of worship is not what would have been in the minds of 1st-Century Jews or Gentiles, who would have associated worship with sacrifice. Liam lays out what we can learn from the concept of sacrifice as worship, and challenges us to live in the good of it.
Having first assured us of our status as children of God, the Holy Spirit guides and equips the Church if we are willing. Through Stephen's testimony in Acts 7 and Jesus's conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, Al looks at what it is to be guided and equipped by the Spirit, and encourages us to eagerly seek more of Him.
Tim looks at what it means to be a church for all ages, and in particular how the different age-groups can serve one another in becoming more Christlike.
As we continue our vision series, David looks at the Acts 2 church, and in particular the focus on corporate prayer, and asks how we can incorporate more of that into our church life.
The Bible is so rich that we don't just need to read it once - we need to journey with it and allow it to change us. However, God didn't intend for us to do this alone, but in community.
As we start our series looking at our church vision, Gordon looks at what it means to be called by God, and asks us to look afresh at what it would look like to truly be a church for everyone.
Al looks at the relationship of Christians to the Law of Moses, and through the Israelite laws around finance and generosity, explores our approach to generosity and giving.
Through three stanzas of Psalm 119, Samuel Hinks encourages us to look to the Lord in times of trouble, tiredness and temptation.
What is the love of God like? How does marital love reflect the beauty of God's great love for His people? Through the Song of Songs, Al encourages us to frame the ups and downs of life in the context of God's enduring, powerful and passionate love for us.
Chris Hill asks us to consider our moments of great wonder and our moments of daily wonder - and through them, to seek to give God praise and hear His voice.
Psalm 19 features three voices: the Heavens, declaring God's glory but lacking words; the Scriptures, making the Creator known; and the human author David, acknowledging his need of a Redeemer.
As Peter is released from prison (again!) and Herod Agrippa meets his end, we see starkly the contrast between the power of the world's kingdoms and that of God's Kingdom.
As Paul & Barnabas run into trouble in Lystra, we are reminded again about the nature of the Gospel, the walk of the Christian disciple, and the culture of heaven - in particular, with regard to healing.
As the book of Acts describes the spread of the Gospel through what is now called Turkey, we see God mightily at work. The same God is still at work today, bringing freedom, joy, and transformation through the name of Jesus.
The church in Antioch were waiting expectantly for an encounter with God - the God who knows us, speaks to us, listens to us, and loves us.
As we take stock of the global situation, in which more than 100 million people are forcibly displaced, Gordon asks us to consider two questions - Who is God? And where is God?
Barnabas is mentioned far less than Paul in the book of Acts, but the Holy Spirit uses him powerfully to develop, strengthen and release others. Al looks at what Acts shows us about Barnabas's character and motivation, and challenges us to imitate him!
Through the Lord's intervention, the Gospel leaps over barriers of culture, background and prejudice to reach the Gentiles. Tim looks at the huge importance of this event, and challenges us to overcome our own barriers of prejudice to see everyone reached with the good news of Jesus.
Through her own experience of the Christian life in mainland China, Frances asks what it will take to see the Western church on fire again with the Holy Spirit, and how we can see new people born again, and society transformed.
The choice we all face is not only between judgment and forgiveness, but between love and loss, wisdom and ignorance, belonging and isolation. Al invites us to remember afresh the incredible riches which we have been gifted as God's people.
Not only are we united with Christ in his death; we are also raised to new life in his resurrection power. That power doesn't always look triumphant outwardly, but it is always victorious. Al walks us through four truths about the resurrection, and what they say about God and about us.
The problem of a sinful and suffering world meeting a powerful and loving God is one that no other faith answers. The resolution is found in Jesus Christ, God becoming human, suffering, and dying in our place.
God's justice is fundamental to His character, and the Scriptures make it clear that the penalty for sin is death. This week, Al explores what we mean by death, why death is the consequence of sin, and how a deeper appreciation of our sinfulness can leave us more deeply grateful for Christ's death and resurrection.
This short series looks at some of the basics of the Gospel, and how we can explain it simply to others when the opportunity arises. From very early in the Bible, we see humanity throwing off God's good and loving rule, and claiming for themselves the right to rule. Al looks at this theme of rebellion in the old & new testaments, and asks how Jesus explained it to His listeners.
This short series looks at some of the basics of the Gospel, and how we can explain it simply to others when the opportunity arises. At the very start of the Bible we find God the Creator, maker and rightful ruler of everything - a picture we see repeated at the very end in the scenes of heavenly worship. Listen in as Tim unpacks this truth for us.
As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, Al looks at how the first witnesses responded to Jesus's empty tomb, and asks us how we will respond.
When we look at injustice and war in the world, we might find ourselvbes thinking that what we need is a superpower to swoop in and put everything right. But is there a superpower that's powerful enough to intervene, and can they be trusted? Palm Sunday announces just that: the arrival of a king who can rescue and who is totally trustworthy.
Why would God ask a father to sacrifice his own son, and what does it have to do with us? Phil Bailey from Magdalen Road Church explores these questions and points us forward to Christ's great sacrifice.
As the tale of Sarah and Hagar unfolds, we see two mothers in very different positions, with a very different attitude towards grace and blessing. Tim unpacks what we can learn from the story about religion and grace.
Chapters 18 & 19 of Genesis pose many questions: why does God judge these cities? Why does He save Lot, despite Lot's repeated wrongdoing? How does Abraham's questioning interact with God's justice? Brandan steers us through these questions, and asks us to consider our own hearts and the blessing of being connected to Jesus, through whom we are saved.
At a time when Abraham's family life is messy and he's tempted to doubt the promises God has made, God comes to visit him. This shows us a key aspect of God's character: he is present with His people, as demonstrated most powerfully through the coming of Jesus Christ.
God confirms his covenant with Abram, and gives him a new name. What are the terms of this covenant, and what does He mean when He tells Abram to walk before Him and be blameless?
What does a 4000-year-old story about a dysfunctional nomadic family share in common with the world events currently unfolding in Ukraine? Both speak of the unchanging nature of God, the unchanged nature of humankind, and the need to find hope in God and not in ourselves.
Is it OK to question God? Doesn't that mean we're not trusting him? Al looks at how a deeper and truer relationship with God comes through asking God questions, as seen in the life of Abraham.
God is faithful, but we are not always. Al looks at the promises God makes, and the battles that we face to live God-honouring lives in the light of those promises.
God makes promises to an unpromising man - promises that will shape the future of humanity forever. Tim looks at what these promises mean to us today in 21st-century Wheatley.
What does Peter's first letter tell us about godly leadership - how to exercise it and how to receive it? Stephen explores what this can and should look like, and how it can serve as a witness to the one true God we serve.
Christmas shows the world what Christians looks like when they celebrate. But what do we look like when we're under strain, grieving, tired, ground down? Al looks at what the Beatitudes have to say on this topic.
Who God is should and must affect who we are and how we live. Prompted by Peter's question - 'in the light of all these things, what kind of lives should you lead?' - Al looks at three truths about God, and their implications for our lives.
Al reminds us of three things to keep in mind at Christmas, looking at Luke's account of the shepherds visiting Jesus, and on Paul's letter to the Philippian church. (The talk was given outside, and the recording quality reflects that!)
The first Christmas was full of surprises for most of the characters involved. But Simeon and Anna stand out as people for whom this is not a surprise, but rather the fulfilment of a long-awaited and much-anticipated desire. What do our hearts desire? Is it as worthy as Simeon and Anna's? And how can we shape that desire to focus on God?
We, like the people Isaiah spoke to centuries ago, are walking in darkness. This sounds like bad news, however Jesus came as the great light that dispels that darkness. Tim talks us through this most amazing promise, its fulfilment, and what that means for each of us.
In a culture that is so heavily based on standing up for our rights, the call for all Christians to submit to one another, and to submit to authorities is strongly counter-cultural. Can it be meant for us today?
God builds us into a family - and together we get to live as a royal priesthood, living and praying the Kingdom of God into the world around us. Steve Thomas unpacks this exciting passage for us.
The world tends to see holiness as something judgmental, and Christians often think of it as lots of ticks on a purity list. But the call to holiness that we see in the Scriptures is a call to live by different standards, and so to live up to the family name of Christian.
Before we think about how we might witness, we need to consider why we do it. Al takes us through three fundamental truths: God is worthy of love and honour; the Gospel has done us good, and the Gospel will do others good.
Through a look back at some of our shared history as the People of God, we see how Christ's death and resurrection are both the fulfilment of long-standing promises and a final victory over old enemies.
As Jesus is arrested in Gethsemane and tried before Jewish and Roman authorities, the world seems upside-down. And yet, God is in control - he told of this very moment centuries beforehand.
As we look at Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane alongside other Scriptures, we start to see in greater depth the amazing faithfulness of God, and the importance of seeking to understand his plans and follow His instructions.
A shows her love for Jesus by anointing him, and Jesus shows his love for his disciples and the world by washing feet and breaking bread. Brandan encourages us to relive the Last Supper, and to think about what love in action looks like for us.
As the time approaches for Jesus to give His life, He speaks out words of warning about the time ahead. But why does He do so, and how does it challenge us to live today?
When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus answered that we should love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength - and love our neighbour as ourselves. Tim Hinks explores what that might look like for us.
The parable of the tenants describes Jesus's reception by the Jewish leaders, but it also provokes us to bear fruit. This fruit is faith, which comes as we grow in our knowledge of the Scriptures and God's unfathomable power!
The disciples bicker about which of them is the greatest, while walking down the road with God incarnate. Don't laugh: we sometimes do the same! Al talks us through what this passage teaches us about unity and humility.
Most of us are familiar with the words, but what does it look like to live a life in which we trust in the Lord and don't lean on our own understanding?
Chris Hill walks us through the context of Genesis 24, and asks what we can learn about guidance, prayer, faith, obedience, and courage.
Gordon Showell-Rogers looks at Psalm 51 and asks: what is it about David that qualifies him in God's eyes as "a man after God's own heart"?
Al walks us through David's journey in Psalm 139, as he discovers how God's all-knowing, all-seeing nature goes hand-in-hand with His love.
The Tower of Babel is the first sighting of a motif that crops up at key points throughout Scripture. It's a depiction of the rebellion, pride and futility of a self-centred life. Al encourages us not to put a single brick more onto the tower, but instead to put aside disappointment or disillusion and to build the Kingdom of God.
The story of Noah mirrors that of Adam - and just as Adam fell short, Noah does too. Both stories point us forwarded to the true Rescuer and the perfect Sacrifice: Jesus Christ.
Rich Cave tells the story of Noah from Noah's own perspective, and Al McNicoll encourages us to think about judgment and mercy in the account of the flood, as well as in our own lives.
Through Genesis 5, Stephen shows us how there is hope in God's character, even in the midst of a world that has gone horribly wrong.
In Cain's story and in ours, God warns us against rejecting and ignoring him and his ways. How should we respond?
Dan and Danni Evenhuis talk through what happens when things go wrong with sex, and the redeeming power of God's love where there is sexual brokenness.
The church, and particularly the evangelical church, have not done much to earn the trust of the LGBT community in the last 100 years or so - although this is changing. Drawing on the stories and voices of three Christians who experience same-sex attraction, Al looks at what kind of community we're called to be, and the incredible value of the Kingdom, and of the God whose Kingdom it is.
What does the Bible say about gender & identity? And, just as importantly, in what Spirit does God want us to discuss such matters?
It's Pentecost Sunday, and Al looks at the differences between a time when God confuses languages, and a time when He bridges them. What can we learn about our own heart attitudes, and how can we live not in the spirit of Babel, but in the Holy Spirit of Pentecost?
When you stop and think about it, almost nobody has exactly the amount of sex that they want to - so all of us have to learn how to be in control of our sexuality. Whether this looks like needing to give ourselves more than we'd like, or not as much as we'd like, Al encourages us to find ways to glorify God through the station of life in which we find ourselves.
Tim Hinks kicks off our series on identity, sexuality and gender with an overview, asking - what is God's plan for sex? Includes a series introduction and outro from Al McNicoll.
As Genesis 3 takes us through the first sin, Al encourages us not to lose sight of the framework for life that Genesis 1 & 2 have laid down, and not to try to hide from God when He is the only one who can redeem our situation.
What's the connection between an auto-rickshaw journey through New Delhi and the human condition? Why is being lost up a mountain like explaining the Gospel? Al looks at what Genesis 2 shows us about our humanity, and point us to the trajectory that God has the human race on, from the garden of Genesis to the city of Revelation.
How did the Universe start? Where did we come from? Who are we? Why are we here? Tim Hinks takes us back to the beginning to look at what Genesis has to say about our origins.
John 21 tells the story of Jesus restoring Simon Peter, but he does so much more than that. Al explores the message this passage has for us today about obedience, calling and peace.
What do spacemen and submarines have to teach us about lockdown and re-entry? Dan looks at how we can prepare ourselves for the season ahead, and challenges us to find true rest.
From the stories of Thomas and Mary encountering the risen Jesus, Al encourages us to stop sitting on the fence and to take a step of faith.
Through the events of Mark 11, Tim looks at different responses to Jesus - and challenges us to make our minds up: who is He, and what do I do about that?
Bartimaeus prays a simple and bold prayer, braving the possibility of disappointment and with no regard for the discouraging words of the crowd. James and John make a bold request out of pride, but Jesus shows how they can rightly pursue their goal from a place of humility. What lessons are there in these two accounts for us?
Al talk us through Jesus's teaching on divorce, looking at the direct application for married couples, and at the heart message for all of us in how we understand God's faithfulness and how we relate to His laws.
Hervin talks about the kind of spiritual warfare we face as Christians, and how intimacy with God - preparing in regular prayer and fasting - prepares us to overcome in such situations.
The disciples' understanding of Jesus parallels his healing of the blind man at Bethsaida - they start to see better, but they still don't understand fully until Jesus is raised from the dead. Danni unpacks how the transfiguration gives the disciples a glimpse of Jesus's true identity, and points us to daily seek to see with spiritual vision and eternal vision.
In this morning's passage, Jesus predicts His death - and Peter totally misses the good news in among the bad. Brandan Silcox asks us to consider the cost of following Jesus, and to ask how we can share God's goodness in our lives with those around us.
In our final sermon on the series, Al explores the higher unity that Paul calls the church to in 1 Corinthians 12, and looks at how we can welcome and eagerly desire a breadth of gifts in our community.
Dave & Chris Richards unpack the teaching of Ephesians 4 and Romans 12: we are a single body, which functions best when every one of us uses our gifting for the common good.
Jesus introduces Himself in John 10 as the Good Shepherd, whose sheep hear His voice so that He can lead them. Throughout the Bible, we see God speaking in numerous ways. In today's talk Al looks at why we would want to seek to hear God's voice more, in the areas of knowing God, discipleship and mission, and how we can recognise the voice of God more confidently.
Jesus gave His disciples a commission before He ascended back to heaven. However, He told them that they would need to wait on God for the power to accomplish that commission. Dave & Chris Richards explore what this difference the baptism of the Holy Spirit makes in our lives, and how we can seek out that filling.
Nicodemus is used to being the one in control - but then he comes to Jesus and the tables are turned. Through this famous conversation, Lois encourages us to desire and seek after a life in which God is in control, and to approach life in the Spirit with an attitude of informed surrender rather than skepticism.
What does Jesus mean when He promises that whoever believes in Him will have a spring of living water welling up to eternal life inside them? Al encourages us to think about what we thirst for, how we overflow, and the effect that overflowing with the Holy Spirit can have on us.
At the start of our new teaching series on Life in the Spirit, Al looks at Jesus's challenging statement that it is better for him to go, and to leave us his Holy Spirit, than to stay on earth. What might it look like to life in the fulness of that? And how can we be open to what God wants to do in us?
2020 has been a year like no other for most of us. How are we responding to that? It appears that once again, God is doing something new in the midst of upheaval: how can we be ready for it? Chris & Kim Helsby and Al McNicoll unpack how we can fix our eyes on living for Jesus, and walk free of fear!
Through a 2800-year-old prophecy, Dan and the Evenhuis family explain to us how God reveals himself at Christmas as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God is with you ... do not be afraid! So begins the message of the angel to Mary. This message is one of hope and comfort for everyone who needs to know that God is with them.
Caroline speaks to us on the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah, highlighting how God loves to bring hope to people who have lost hope, reconciliation to broken relationships, and wonder in impossible situations.
Al McNicoll explains Jesus's coming through the story of Susie, a child in lockdown struggling with homeschooling.
Through four words - History, Divinity, Intimacy and Mercy - Tim Hinks invites us to think through God's message to us in this season of pause: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Book of Job gives us permission to grieve, and encourages others to grieve with us and not to offer platitudes. However, God's speech at the end of the book also moves us on beyond a simple focus on our own perspective. Andy Robinson takes us through what God has to say, and what we can learn from it.
When faced with the so-called wisdom of the religious leaders, Jesus said they knew neither the Scriptures, not the power of God. Al walks us through the worldview of Job's friends, and gives us some tools for discerning true wisdom in the light of the Scriptures and God's power.
Al explores four key questions about grief from the Book of Job: is he right to grieve? is how he grieves right? what do we make of his friends? and what difference does Christ make?
Introducing the Book of Job, Tim explores what we can learn about heavenly realities from the first two chapters of Job, as well as opening up the questions of what to make of suffering and how to grieve as believers.
Jesus was never constrained by fear of other people, because He knew who He was, and He only ever did what He saw the Father doing. Caroline asks how we can imitate that way of life!
As we look to the season ahead, how is God leading us, and what should our priorities be?
What are the benefits and dangers of tradition? How can we avoid becoming rule-followers with no relationship with the one who made the rules? And what do Jesus's teachings about Jewish ceremonial cleanliness have to say to us today?
Jesus came to fulfil God's promise to be a Good Shepherd to His people Israel, in place of the poor shepherds they had known in their rulers and leaders. What does God's shepherding look like, and what can we learn about this from the 23rd Psalm?
Jesus meets rejection in His home town, and both He and John the Baptist face opposition when people hear a part of the Gospel that they don't like. What rejection have we experienced, and how can we learn from Jesus how best to deal with it?
Jesus overcomes a storm, the powers of evil, sickness and even death. In our first meeting together in person, Al asks how this can and should affect our approach to life.
Jeff explains how parables work, highlighting simple truths with an emphasis on how we respond to them.