Amblecote Christian Centre: Recent Episodes
Amblecote Christian Centre
On Sunday 16th June we heard from guest speaker, Tim Summersby who leads Walsall Community Church. We released Tim to bring what was on his heart and he spoke to us on being led by the Holy Spirit. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Four reasons you shouldn't preach on parenting
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Not everyone is a parent
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Parenting is deeply personal
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Parenting is hard
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Parenting is competitive
BUT, parenting is central to God's created order and his purposes and plans for mankind.
So, on Sunday 9th June Tim Barton spoke on parenting as part of our In it Together series. Our culture gives unhelpful messages about parenting, so we talked about a Christian worldview. And we explored how parenthood is about co-creation with God and is central to his plans and purposes for humankind.
Discover and enjoy a different kind of normal with us in this series!
Find out more about Unravelling
Catch up on our In it Together series
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
When you've got the artificial thing you don't even know you're missing the real thing.
On Sunday 2nd June we returned to our In it Together series and Dave Hadley explored with us the vital role of real, committed relationships in our church community. In a world where artificial connections often replace genuine ones, we discussed how our faith and reliance on God help us build and sustain meaningful bonds. When we fix our eyes on Jesus we can be changed from the inside out. Together we are part of something wonderful - the kingdom of God. So let’s embrace our counter-cultural identity, striving to love and support one another as Christintended.
Discover and enjoy a different kind of normal with us in this series!
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 26th May we had a break from our In it Together series and we looked at God working in our everyday lives, wherever we are. We watched a short video, had a look at the Bible and Vanessa interviewed Eric.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 19th May Tim Murray brought the fourth message in our In it Together series and spoke on singleness. A waiting room? Second best? Singleness is not often spoken about in church, despite the stats on how many single people can be in a church service on any given Sunday.
Discover and enjoy a different kind of normal with us in this series! For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
How we can help each other live in a way that recognises the gift of being individuals whilst remaining as one in Christ? On Sunday 5th May we continued our new series, In it Together. Tim Barton spoke on individuality, he highlighted the differences between our culture of individualism and the gift of individuality the Gospel calls us to. WATCH this message
Discover and enjoy a different kind of normal with us in this series! For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 28th April we started a new series called In it Together. None of us can live the life of Jesus on our own. We should celebrate together the freedom that we're called to, that is, the life-giving way that Jesus shows us. We've been given one another and Jesus calls us in it together. Discover and enjoy a different kind of normal with us in this series.For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 21st April Vanessa continued our mini series on joy. She built on last week's message and looked at how we can become more joyful in our everyday lives with both biblical and practical examples.
WATCH this message
CATCH UP with last week's message
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 14th April Vanessa gave our first message in a two-part series on Joy, listen now. Links to the other teaching material that Vanessa mentioned -
Spiritual Disciplines series
Unravelling
The Good Shepherd message
Theology of Pleasure series
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
It's really good to hear people's stories. Following Easter, Stacey Simpson's story shows the power of God and how he can and does step into our lives. We all know and love Stacey, but most of us probably haven’t heard his whole story. Listen now to his interview with Vanessa on Sunday 7th April
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Easter is a powerful part of the church calendar and we loved celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on 31st March 2024. Tim Barton spoke and asked the question what did the people at the time see? Is what we believe all a lie? Was everyone having a euphoric experience? Did they really see a resurrected Jesus? Listen now! Or watch here For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 17th March Tim Murray finished our series on Mark and started getting us ready for Easter by speaking on Mark 10. In these verses we learn about how Jesus is the ransom for many, and the significance this phrase would have held for his disciples, and we hear some of what Jesus has to say on leadership. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 10th March it was Mother's Day (UK) and we had a dedication service. Tim Barton gave a very fitting message on Hannah, a victorious mother, from the Old Testament. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
At ACC we are passionate about community, discipleship and mission, as followers of Jesus! On Sunday 3rd March Adrian spoke on Mark 8:27-38 and he approached it through a discipleship lens. Contrary to what the world might try to tell us, there is more life to be had in following the way of Jesus than in any other way. And we can only discover who we truly are by being on the way of following Jesus. Find out more about our Unravelling teaching series
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 25th February we remained in our series on Mark and we looked at Mark 7:1-23 when Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees. We paid attention to his response to them and the others around at the time. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 18th February we continued our series in Mark and we considered how Jesus is both powerful and kind while looking at Mark 5:21-43.
Watch the clip from The Chosen
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 11th February we returned to our series on Mark and we considered the words of Jesus in Mark 4:1-9, ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear'. Terry got us thinking about what does it mean to hear? Actually, how do we even hear? And what are we going to do about it when we hear God?
Links to things Terry referenced:
Last week's Baptism service
Spiritual Disciplines - Reading the Bible
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Spiritual Disciplines message 5 from our Sunday service 28th January 2024.
Throughout this year and last we are having a series of "one-off" Sunday preaches exploring some of the Spiritual Disciplines. We believe following Jesus is about encounter and formation, as both are important for us to live full Christian lives. This week's message was delivered by Tim Murray on the disciple of reading the Bible. Reading the Bible can provide encounters with Jesus and further formation for us as Christians.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 21st January 2024, we continued our series looking at Mark: words and works of Jesus. Tim Murray read Mark 2:13-17 and Mark 3:13-19 and spoke on the call of Jesus and the kinds of people he calls to follow him and also who Jesus calls, showing how Jesus' call is not theoretical but personal.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 14th January 2024, we continued our new series looking at Mark: words and works of Jesus. Jo Murray spoke on Mark 2:1-12 and focused on how Jesus knows our deepest need.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
New Year, new series! On Sunday 7th January 2024 we started a new series looking at Mark: words and works of Jesus. This week Tim Barton spoke on the first few verses, about the Kingdom of God being near and he answered three key questions - Why is the Gospel of Mark important?
What is the 'Gospel' or Good News?
How did Jesus' disciples respond and what does this mean for us?
Have a listen to find out!
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 10th December we picked up on another traditional theme of Advent, Peace. David brought our focus to the Christmas story and read some of the narrative as told in Matthew and Luke.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The theory of evolution has disproved the Biblical story ofcreation, hasn’t it? Surely we can’t take evolution seriously if we believe in a biblical creator? Or is there an alternative? Join Tim, David and Andrew in this final episode looking at the creation of the universe.
WATCH this podcast
Resources
Genesis Unbound - John Sailhamer
Redeeming Science - Vern Poythress
The Language of Science and Faith - Francis Collins and Karl Giberson
Did Adam and Eve Really Exist – C. John Collins
In Quest of the Historical Adam – William Lane Craig
A Biblical Case Against Theistic Evolution – Wayne Grudem
Should Christians Embrace Evolution – Norman C Nevin
The Lost World of Adam and Eve – John Walton
The Big Questions in Science and Religion – Keith Ward
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 3rd December we picked up the first traditional theme of Advent, Hope. Phil spoke on the difference between "secular hope" and "Biblical hope" and explored the foundations of Biblical hope, knowing Jesus and knowing His Word. He told us that there's 100 references to hope in the Bible, how many can you count in his sermon? Watch here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Can we believe in science and a biblical creator? Surely thebig bang theory is at odds with how the Bible describes the origins of the Universe? Can we take science seriously and still be a faithful Christian? Join Tim, David, and Andrew as they continue to discuss what happened in the beginning.
WATCH this podcast
Resources
Genesis Unbound - John Sailhamer
Redeeming Science - Vern Poythress
The Language of Science and Faith - Francis Collins and Karl Giberson
Did Adam and Eve Really Exist – C. John Collins
In Quest of the Historical Adam – William Lane Craig
A Biblical Case Against Theistic Evolution – Wayne Grudem
Should Christians Embrace Evolution – Norman C Nevin
The Lost World of Adam and Eve – John Walton
The Big Questions in Science and Religion – Keith Ward
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 26th November we drew our series, The Mind Matters, to a close with Tim Murray bringing our final talk on considering a healthy counter culture for the church.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Is Genesis 1 and 2 a scientific document, poetry, or just plain wrong? Or is it something else entirely? How do we read Genesis 1 and 2 well and what does it tell us about the origins of the Universe? Join Tim as he discusses the opening two chapters of Genesis with David and Andrew.
WATCH this podcast
Resources
Genesis Unbound - John Sailhamer
Redeeming Science - Vern Poythress
The Language of Science and Faith - Francis Collins and Karl Giberson
Did Adam and Eve Really Exist – C. John Collins
In Quest of the Historical Adam – William Lane Craig
A Biblical Case Against Theistic Evolution – Wayne Grudem
Should Christians Embrace Evolution – Norman C Nevin
The Lost World of Adam and Eve – John Walton
The Big Questions in Science and Religion – Keith Ward
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 19th November we continued our series, The Mind Matters, with Tim Barton hosting an interview with guest speaker, John Kirkman. They talked practically about mental ill health and considered how we support those who are struggling, what our limits are, and what to do when we are out of our depth.
Watch the interview
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Tim Murray interviews Tim Fellows and they reflect togetheron where the church is at financially, and how we might not “smell the coffee if we’re in the kitchen”…
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 12th November we continued our new series, The Mind Matters, looking at Mental ill health; a Biblical Perspective. Including both Elijah and David's ill mental health journeys in the Bible.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 5th November we started a new series on mental health called The Mind Matters. Tim Barton delivered the first message, A Biblical Perspective of the Mind.
We are aware that this is a real and very present challenge for lots of people. This series will run for the whole of November.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 29th October Adrian brought us the last sermon in our series on the 'I Am' statements of Jesus, I Am the Bread of Life from John 6.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 15th October we continued our series on the I Am statements of Jesus. We were excited to have Pete Wright from Springs Church speaking on 'I Am the Gate' in John 10.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Spiritual Disciplines message 4 from our Sunday service 8th October 2023.
Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. - Hebrews 13:1-2
Throughout the year we are having a series of "one-off" Sunday preaches exploring some of the Spiritual Disciplines. We believe following Jesus is about encounter and formation, as both are important for us to live full Christian lives. This week was delivered by Tim Murray on the discipline of hospitality.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 1st October we had the next part of our series on Jesus' I Am statements, 'I am the Good Shepherd. We're not so familiar with shepherds in our 2023 day to day but, as Vanessa shared with us, there is a life and comfort that can come from seeing Jesus in this way.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 24th September we continued our series called 'I Am'. Tim Murray brought us a message on John 14 where Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the truth and the life'.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 17th September we heard from Tim Barton, Tim Murray and Vanessa Willmott about our vision as a church. Mission, Community and Discipleship - take a listen!
Vision Update (2021) teaching
All our Whole Church Teaching
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 10th September we started a new series called 'I Am'. The first message in this series was delivered by Tim Barton on Jesus' claim I Am the Light of the World and looking at what the outcome of this is for us today.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Podcast 3 - Building
Community, discipleship, and mission – the building blocksof a church family. In our third and final 'Our Story' podcast Tim Barton is joined by Tim Murray and Vanessa Willmott to consider together what God has been saying over the past five years. The foundation is laid, the vision clear, it is time to build.
WATCH this podcast in video form!
You can find all our current and previous Whole Church Teaching material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Podcast 2 - Reforming
Theft, scandals and the cross. Podcast 2 in this Our Story series considers God’s work amongst our church family as he reformed and renewed us. Tim is joined by Adrian Lowe, who served as senior minister in this season and remains an elder of our church family. Once upon a time Adrian fatefully prayed “God, show me the cross”, what happened next was not what he expected...
WATCH this podcast in video form!
You can find all our current and previous Whole Church Teaching material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 3rd September 2023 we heard from Paul Willmott spoke on the story of Moses and the burning bush and asked what has God put in your hand? In addition to this he shared about his ministry, some of his personal life story and talked about primary school visits he does on our behalf.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Podcast 1 – Beginnings In the first podcast of this series, 'Our Story', Tim Barton interviews Phil Cook. Phil has been part of our church family for fifty years and served as an elder for forty-five of those years. Together Tim and Phil explore how the church grew from just four couples to around five hundred members.
WATCH this podcast in video form!
You can find all our current and previous Whole Church Teaching material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come' - 2 Corinthians 5:17 At our service on Sunday 27th August 2023, we heard Vanessa interviewing Terry Hepworth about how he became a Christian. We think it's a great testimony to listen to!
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
At our Sunday Service on 20th August, we heard a testimony from Liz Barton. She boasted in the Lord gave testimony about some of the work God has done in her life recently. She reminded us of how God works in each of our lives when we allow Him to and encouraged us to connect with the love that God has for us.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
At our Sunday Service on 30th July 2023, Catherine Griffiths spoke on the account of Paul and Silas in prison from Acts 16. She highlighted how in the midst of their circumstances and when their concerns could have been going in many different directions (past regrets/fears for the future etc) Paul and Silas chose to pray & praise. And she explored with us how we can apply this to our own lives.
Turn Your Eyes • The Glorious Christ Live - Sovereign Grace Music
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 23rd July 2023 we reached the end of our Genesis series. We looked at Joseph and Potiphar’s wife – the chastity of Joseph, how sometimes we have harm come to us from doing the right thing and the providence of God.
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 16th July 2023 we returned to our Genesis series, jumping into chapter 38, which has all kinds of outrageous things happening in it! Tim Murray shared with us about the transformation of Judah and God’s ability to transform lives and the dynamics of conviction and repentance. We saw how someone can go from being hateful, deceitful, unjust and cowardly to truthful, brave and self-sacrificial, but also how change is not inevitable and we have to work at it.
Tim Barton's message on Jacob
Whole Church Teaching: How do we change when change is hard?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Spiritual Disciplines message 3 from our Sunday service 9th July.
Throughout the year we're having "one-off" Sunday preaches exploring some of the Spiritual Disciplines. We believe following Jesus is about encounter and formation, as both are important for us to live full Christian lives. This week was about prayer, as Vanessa shared some reflections and then interviewed Richard Clark and Heather Bennett.
Watch in video form here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 2nd July 2023 Tim Barton spoke on the life of Jacob - Wrestling for blessing, in Genesis 25-35. Jacob’s life is both a challenge and an encouragement. The main thrust in this message in our Genesis series is the encouragement that God’s plans work despite our failure.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 25th June 2023 we had a break from our Genesis series and Vanessa spoke to us on the theme of the space in between.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 18th June we returned to our Genesis series and Dave picked it up with us in chapter 24. We heard about Isaac and Rebekah and we looked at the importance of faithfulness and providence of God across the generations.
Dave closed by challenging us with the question, are we willing to go and serve God, dedicated to Jesus and putting his kingdom first?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 11th June we had an Expand Year Out take over of our service!
Charlotte, Lois and James brought us some reflections on the story of The Woman At The Well found in John 4.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
You can find out more about Expand, our gap year programme here
On Sunday 4th June Tim Barton spoke on Abraham in Genesis 12-15 and looked at the covenant and, more importantly, the God who keeps the covenant even when we are unfaithful.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 28th May Andrew McFaul spoke on our next major milestone, Noah and the great flood, found in Genesis 6-9. We looked together at Noah and the covenant, while thinking about God's faithfulness.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 21st May 2023 we reached chapter 3 of Genesis and Tim Murray spoke about the entrance of sin and curses but also redemptive promises.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 14th May 2023 we returned to our series looking at the opening themes of God's story in the book of Genesis and Tim Barton delivered a message on Genesis 2.
Being made in the image of God means…
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We are intentionally created by God - you are a gift to the world!
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We are created for relationship with God.
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We are called to co-create with God.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 7th May 2023 we had a service aptly focused on The King of Kings. Tim's short message gave us some reflections considering the Coronation, what it means and what the Bible has to say about it.
Find the Public Hope teaching material that Tim mentions here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Possibly our most spontaneous podcast ever! This is Genesis, Interpretation and Answering Some Questions with Tim Murray and Dave Hadley. Welcome, we're glad you're here.
This is the podcast Tim mentioned in his Genesis 1 and series introduction message on Sunday 30th April.
Make sure you subscribe to hear the rest of the messages in this series.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 30th April 2023 Tim Murray started our brand new Genesis series, looking at the opening themes of God's story, by giving us an introduction to the series as a whole and then going into some of chapter one with us.
Genesis is an incredibly engaging, and at times complex, book so during this series we'll be asking questions like how does our understanding of God’s story shape our lives today? What can we learn and understand about God through this book?
Listen to Genesis, Interpretation and Answering Some Questions with Tim Murray and Dave Hadley, the podcast Tim mentions during his talk which aims to answer some of the common objections we might have in our minds.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Spiritual Disciplines message 2 from our Sunday service 23rd April 2023.
Throughout the year we’re having “one-off” Sunday preaches exploring some of the spiritual disciplines. We believe following Jesus is about encounter and formation, as both are important for us to live full Christian lives. This week Adrian shared on living life in an integrated and balanced way. Helping us understand God’s invitation to live in a fully human way attending to the needs of Soul, Mind and Body.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Tim Barton spoke on Jesus' Resurrection at our Easter Sunday service 9th April 2023.
His message was specifically on the road to Emmaus, which is a story that happened later on in the same day that Jesus rose from the dead. We celebrated Jesus' resurrection, thinking about the importance of the resurrection and what we should do with it, and also asking why we don't think about/talk about the resurrection that much apart from Easter?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Jesus The King a message from Tim Murray on Palm Sunday, 2nd April 2023.
Listen to our Palm Sunday message, starting off Holy week, as we near the end of the countdown to Easter. Tim talked through three aspects of King Jesus; the hope for a king, Jesus the king then, and Jesus the king now. He closed by challenging us to consider if we receive him as king.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Finishing our series in Galatians at our service on Sunday 26th March 2023, Jo Murray read and spoke on Galatians 6 - Living in step with the Spirit. She unpacked this with us and also looked at Paul's closing words to the church in Galatia in his day, and what these can still say to us today.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Nearing the end of our series in Galatians at our service on Sunday 19th March 2023, Vanessa Willmott spoke on Galatians 5:16-26 - Led by the Spirit. It’s a passage about how we can live a transformed life following Jesus both individually and together. And so we looked at the struggle that takes place within us between the sinful nature and our renewed hearts and how we can grow in the fruit of the spirit.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Continuing our series in Galatians at our service on Sunday 12th March 2023, Mike Crook spoke on Galatians 4:21-31. He highlighted how it is for freedom that that Christ has set us free.
Listen to Tim Murray's message about the law, that Mike mentions, here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Spiritual Disciples 1 message from our Sunday service 5th March 2023.
Throughout the year we’re going to be doing “one-off” Sunday preaches exploring some of the spiritual disciplines. Following Jesus is about encounter and formation, as both are important for us to live full Christian lives. This week we’ll have an introduction to the topic covering why spiritual disciplines are important for our lives and talking about ‘training vs trying’.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Continuing our series in Galatians at our service on Sunday 26th February 2023, David Faulkner spoke on Galatians 4:1-20. This section covers how in Jesus we are freed from slavery to be children of God!
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Continuing our series in Galatians at our service on Sunday 19th February 2023, Tim Murray spoke on Galatians 3:19-29. After reminding us of the main issues written about in this letter; do gentiles have to become Jews in order to become Christians? and what is it that reconciles us to God and makes us part of his family? he explored the big question, why then the law?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Continuing our series in Galatians at our service on Sunday 12th February 2023, Tim Barton spoke on Galatians 3:1-18 – Works of the law or faith?
He stirred our appreciation for the amazing work of God in Christ, encouraged us to set our sights on putting our faith in him and not defaulting to relying on our own abilities (or lack of), and he addressed why Paul is so serious, and even angry, about this issue.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 5th February 2023 we had Jason Carvalho from Betel in Birmingham come to speak. Betel is a Christian charity for men, women and families affected by hardships that lead to social exclusion, especially homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse and long term unemployment. Jason informed us about the work they do in Birmingham, spoke on the Bible and shared some personal testimony.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Continuing our series in Galatians 2:11-21 at our service on Sunday 29th January 2023. Adrian talking us through 'the heart of the matter' and we looked at the powerfulness of the Gospel, how it’s Christ's faithfulness that takes him to the cross, in a monumental act of self-giving that reshapes us.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Galatians 1:4-2:12 from our Sunday service 22nd January 2023.
This week we continued our series in Galatians looking at part of chapters one and two with Tim Murray and touching on Paul’s biography and calling and the apostolic gospel.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
This Sunday, 15th January 2023, we started our new teaching series on the book of Galatians, getting clear about the Gospel.
Tim Murray took us through an introduction to the book and presented the Gospel in miniature.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
We continued the New Year with a baptism service, on Sunday 8th January, which is always a wonderful occasion for us as a church family. We had the opportunity to hear the stories of three people and then to see them get baptised.
Here are the reflections that Tim Barton shared afterwards.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The Great Invitation from our Sunday service, 11th December 2022.
This Sunday we looked at the invitation to the shepherds, the wise men and Herod in the Christmas story. And then Tim talked about how God invites us all to come and see what he is doing, and how important our response is today.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Tim Murray spoke from Isaiah 11, at our Sunday service on 4th December 2022.
He looked at the second coming of Jesus and reasons why we can expectantly anticipate his second coming!
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Adrian Lowe spoke on Isaiah 66:1-2 at our Sunday service on 27th November 2022.
Building a house for God - Rightmove.God
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Dave Hadley spoke on Isaiah 64 at our Sunday service, 20th November 2022.
Rend the Heavens.
Exploring anxiety and hope. There's a lot of stuff to be worried about, as there was for Isaiah in his time too, but there is also God's answer of hope that we can see in the Bible...
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
The cost of discipleship from our Sunday service, 13th November 2022.
Tim read from three passages where Jesus talks about what it means to follow him; Luke 9:21-25, Luke 9:57-62 and Luke 14:25-33. Then he spoke on three 'S's that following Jesus will cost you - your sin, your stuff and your self-determination.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Andrew McFaul spoke on Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Jesus as the suffering servant, at our Sunday service on 6th November 2022.
He brought some reflections on the astonishing nature of Christ’s suffering and what Christ has achieved, as a continuation of our series in the book of Isaiah.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Living and Believing: The Apostles’ Creed – podcast 8.
In this, the final podcast in the Whole Church Teaching series on the Apostles' Creed, David Faulkner leads us through the closing lines of the Creed, which declares that Christians believe in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Perhaps, unless we are near to death, this can all seem rather abstract and unrelated to "real life", in the here and now. In fact however, what we believe about the future is crucial to living faithfully as followers of Jesus in the present. And there are so many misconceptions as to what Christians believe about the future, a careful and close look at what the Creed has to say to us is vital if we are to maintain authentic Christian confession.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Living and Believing: The Apostles’ Creed – podcast 7.
In the seventh podcast in our Whole Church Teaching series on the Apostles’ Creed Tim Murray looks at the next part of it, covering the Holy Spirit, Catholic Church, Communion of Saints and Forgiveness of Sins.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Living and Believing: The Apostles’ Creed – podcast 6.
In the sixth podcast in our Whole Church Teaching series on the Apostles’ Creed Tim Murray looks at the following part of it, how Jesus Christ descended, ascended and will come again.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Living and Believing: The Apostles’ Creed – podcast 5.
In the fifth podcast in our Whole Church Teaching series on the Apostles’ Creed Tim Murray looks at another part of it, how Jesus Christ suffered, was crucified, died and was buried.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 30th October we had a guest speaker, Sam, from Open Doors. He spoke to us on the work of Open Doors for our awareness and awakening about what is going on amongst Christians in the world.
Connect with Open Doors.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Living and Believing: The Apostles’ Creed – podcast 4.
In the fourth in our Whole Church Teaching series on the Apostles' Creed, David Faulkner takes a look at what it says about Jesus, namely that He is "Jesus Christ, God's Only Son, our Lord, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary".
These are all familiar words, perhaps, but what this podcast seeks to show is that in what the Creed declares about Jesus, we are taken into the heart of some of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith. There we may find, if we have eyes to see, an invitation, a challenge, a warning, and an encouragement.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Tim Barton spoke on Isaiah 55 at our Sunday service, 23rd October 2022.
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters”.
This chapter is about God calling his people to stop putting their hope and security in things which do not satisfy and instead to seek him and find their hope, purpose and peace in Him. Isaiah uses the metaphor of a meal for this, calling God’s people to “buy and eat… eat what is good, and delight in rich food… that your soul may live.”
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
'Bad News & Good News', the Gospel, as presented by Andrew McFaul at our Dedication service, Sunday 16th October 2022.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
A message of hope from our Harvest service, Sunday 9th October 2022.
Find the Theology of Pleasure teaching that Vanessa referenced here.
Watch Hope in the Darkness by Abby and Chris Eaton here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
In this podcast Tim Barton is joined by Jenny Baines from Open. Jenny has been involved for over thirty years with those affected by unintended pregnancy and post abortion concern. Tim and Jenny discuss the impact on those who experience baby loss, and how the church can become a more welcoming place full of truth and grace.
Watch this podcast in video form.
Get in touch with Tim on his new email address tim.b@amblecotecc.org.uk
We Are Open.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Tim Murray spoke on Isaiah 40:9-31, to whom will you compare me?, at our Sunday service 2nd October 2022.
In this part of Isaiah, Isaiah offers comfort to the people by reminding them of who God is; and Tim attempted to do the same thing for us in these days.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Living and Believing: The Apostles' Creed - podcast 3.
In this the third podcast in the series on the Apostles' Creed Adrian helps us understand that God is the source of all things good including the material world. He declared creation, His work, to be good and He remains committed to the world that He created, He is ‘Maker of Heaven and Earth’. Both the incarnation, and the resurrection, affirm God’s dedication to the material world.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Living and Believing: The Apostles' Creed - podcast 2.
In the next two podcasts Adrian looks at what is called the First Article of the Creed, ‘I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth’. This podcast looks at the first part of this statement, ‘I believe in God the Father Almighty’. The Creed is a statement of belief, it begins ‘I believe’. What we believe is important, why? Because, what we believe shapes us, our beliefs become the foundation for our living. Here Adrian explores the beautiful relational nature of our faith - God is our Father. He then goes on to talk about the unique character of His power.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Living and Believing: The Apostles' Creed - podcast 1.
In this podcast Tim Murray introduces our new Whole Church Teaching series on the Apostles' Creed, exploring how this creed came about, how it relates to the Bible and why it matters for us today.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Tim Murray spoke on Isaiah 61:1-4, A vision to live for, at our Sunday service 25th September 2022.
Find the teaching on God and a Public Hope that Tim mentions here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Vanessa spoke on Isaiah 6, which starts 'In the year that King Uzziah died...', on Sunday 18th September 2022. A timely and relevant message.
Vanessa gave a deep dive into what Isaiah saw, what he heard, what he felt and how meeting God changes us.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Tim Barton spoke on Isaiah 40:1-5 at our Sunday service, 11th September 2022, starting our new series on the book of Isaiah called Comfort My people. Isaiah is a book all about who God is, what he does and what he has to say to his people. The people of Israel often turned to the book of Isaiah to understand what God was doing, who he was and how they could find comfort in their difficulty. Whilst respecting its historical context, there is much that is applicable for us today, especially as we are in a season where people need to know more of the comfort of God!
You can find our Theology of Suffering Whole Church Teaching material that Tim mentions here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
As part of our 'Back to...' service on Sunday 4th September 2022, Vanessa gave some reflections on abiding in God, after reading Jesus' words in John 15:1-11.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Tim Murray finished off our summer series about Jesus on Sunday 28th August 2022 by talking about Jesus and Emotion.
He dug into the question 'do emotions matter?' and then talked through some times recorded in the Bible where Jesus expressed emotions like anger, grief, compassion and love.
Find out more about the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality course we are running this autumn.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The Prodigal Son spoken on by Lee Brookes at our Sunday service, 21st August 2022.
Lee spoke on the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15 in a really heartfelt way and left us with a challenge to persist in prayer.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Ways Jesus interacts with us by Jo Murray from our Sunday service, 14th August 2022.
Jo spoke about some ways Jesus interacts with us and read the account of the road to Emmaus from Luke 24.
What's happening in your life? What is your heart dwelling on? What burdens you? Come and know Jesus, and be known by him.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On 7th August 2022 Dave Hadley continued our summer series looking at Jesus in the new testament.
Anyone have guilt? Anyone struggle with shame? Anyone feel powerlessness? Bring it to the cross.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Jesus Sees from our Sunday service 31st July 2022.
Liz continues our summer series looking at aspects of Jesus by speaking on the fact that Jesus sees us. Reading from Luke 19:1-10.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Caring, part of our summer series on Jesus, from our Sunday service 24th July 2022.
Catherine's focus for this talk was Matthew 25:31-40 specifically Jesus' words, 'whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'
Listen here: The Servant King (From Heaven You Came)
Jesus and Addiction part 2: Recovery and the Grace of God delivered by Tim Murray at our Sunday service 17th July 2022.
This week we had the second part of our series on addiction; considering recovery and change.
All the material for Whole Church Teaching series on How we change when change is hard that Tim mentions can be found here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
In our fourth and final podcast we explore the common metaphor used by New Testament writers of the church as a family. What kind of family is the church meant to be? How did the New Testament writers understand family? And how does this reshape our view of church today?
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
In the third podcast of our Following Jesus Together series we take a look at the Temple and a body as metaphors for the church. Where does the presence of God dwell now that Christ has come? How do we find our place and purpose as a Christian? And how does the church become both united and diverse?
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Jesus and Addiction part 1: Facing up to Addiction delivered by Tim Murray at our Sunday service 10th July 2022.
On Sunday we started a two part series on addiction. This is an important topic for us to consider in following Jesus. We looked at facing up to addiction, its power but also the great hope we have in Jesus in dealing with this. Join us next week to hear part 2.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
The Parable of the Growing Seed from our Sunday service 3rd July 2022.
This Sunday Tim Barton spoke on the parable of the growing seed, from Mark 4:26-29, continuing our Jesus series.
You can see The Muppets video that Tim references here
All our latest Whole Church Teaching material is accessible here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
In our second podcast we look together at the metaphor of the church as ‘The people of God’. What does this mean for how we see our identity as Christians? And how does the local church help us maintain this identity?
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
In this first podcast Tim B introduces why we’re looking at the topic of the local church. We take a look at the word we translate as church in the New Testament, and then begin to look at how our understanding of church shapes the way we engage in it.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
The Kingdom Of Heaven Is Like A Mustard Seed from our Sunday service 26th June 2022.
This Sunday we were delighted to welcome guest speaker Martin Young. Martin has been senior leader of Rising Brook church in Stafford for over 20 years. He continued our Jesus series by speaking on the parable of the mustard seed and the kingdom of God.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Mike Crook started our new series, focusing on the person of Jesus, by speaking on John 21 at our Sunday service 19th June 2022.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Why Worship? from our Sunday service 12th June 2022.
This week we looked at worship, opening the subject up and considering what worship is. Vanessa interviewed two people, Franky and Sophie, who often lead worship at ACC. They spoke on the role of sung worship in our corporate gatherings and worship as a lifestyle, how our whole lives should be surrendered to God as an act of worship.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Technology and the war on reality part 2 from our Sunday service 29th May 2022.
In its fullest sense Jesus' resurrection is about the re-humanisation of the dehumanised. The issue we face with technology is it is largely de-humanising. This Sunday Adrian talked more practically about its impact and offered some ways we can protect our humanity.
If you missed part 1, you can listen here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 22nd May 2022, Tim Barton brought an introduction to our newest Whole Church Teaching series on Following Jesus Together - local church: what it is and why it matters.
You can find all our latest Whole Church Teaching Material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Technology and the war on reality from our Sunday service 15th May 2022.
In its fullest sense Jesus' resurrection is about the re-humanisation of the dehumanised. The issue we face with technology is it is largely de-humanising. On Sunday Adrian talked about three main impacts of technology; addiction, subversion and comprehension.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
On Sunday 8th May 2022 Tim Barton and Vanessa led us through an opportunity to consider together the last two years and what God is saying to us here at Amblecote Christian Centre. We reflected, took stock of where we are now and looked to the future.
We believe that God is building his Kingdom here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Body, Soul and Spirit message from our Sunday service 1st May 2022. Hugh looked at Hebrews 4:12 and considered how these three aspects (body, soul and spirit) of our being fit together and what the spiritual implications are for us.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of Jesus from our Sunday service, Sunday 17th April 2022.
Tim Barton brings us a message celebrating the fact that death no longer holds the victory, Jesus has conquered death and now gives that victory to all who put their faith in Him. He highlighted how the resurrection changes everything; despair turns into hope, guilt and shame turn into forgiveness and freedom, anxiety turns into peace, and fear turns into love. Tim also challenged us to live in the light and reality of Jesus’ resurrection.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 12.
This is the twelfth, and final podcast, in our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering and helps to build a picture of eternity, providence and grace.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 11.
This podcast is the eleventh part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering and helps to build a picture of suffering and mission.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 10.
This podcast is the tenth part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering and helps to build a picture of suffering and the cross.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 9.
This podcast is the ninth part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering and helps to build a picture of suffering and healing.
You can find all our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Phil Cook looks at Psalm 32 as we continue to journey towards Easter at our Sunday service, Sunday 10th April 2022.
Phil spoke on Psalm 32 and drew out some valuable, life changing lessons King David learnt and what they mean for us today.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 8.
This podcast is the eighth part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering and helps to build a picture of suffering, mystery and trust.
You can find all our current and previous 'Whole Church Teaching' material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 7.
This podcast is the seventh part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering and helps to build a picture of suffering and sanctification.
You can find all our current and previous 'Whole Church Teaching' material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Jesus The Coming King message and reflections from our Sunday service, Sunday 3rd April 2022.
Tim Murray read a passage associated with Palm Sunday then spoke on it. Lee Brookes and Tim Fellows also offered a reflection each that tied in with the theme and the whole service. You can see the whole service and hear everything that got shared here.
We know it isn't Palm Sunday until next week, but we had to swap round the order of our teaching due to unexpected circumstances.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The Servant King (John 13), from our Sunday service Sunday 27th March 2022. The first message in our three week series in the lead up to Easter. Tim Barton spoke about why Jesus washed his disciples feet and what this teaches us about the events we celebrate at Easter. As well as asking what does this mean for us today?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Overseas Mission talk/interview morning from our Sunday service, Sunday 20th March 2022.
This Sunday we are having a special service on overseas mission, with the biggest focus on two charities that we support; Route 61 and Greg Plunkett’s work in Kenya. We are looking forward to a different Sunday together exploring overseas mission and hearing personal stories from some of our church family.
If you want to watch this morning as a video, rather than just listening to the audio on podcast, you can do that here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
1 Peter 4:12-19, Suffering for Christ from our Sunday Service, Sunday 13th March 2022.
We looked together at suffering as a Christian; rejoicing in suffering with our union with Christ, the importance of self examination and trusting God while continuing to serve him.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 6.
This podcast is the sixth part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering and helps to build a picture of suffering and justice.
You can find all of our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 5.
This podcast is the fifth part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering and helps to build a picture of suffering and resurrection.
You can find all of our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 4.
This podcast is the fourth part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering and helps to build a picture of suffering and death.
You can find all of our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 3.
This podcast is the third part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering.
You can find all of our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Biblical Reflections On War given by Tim Murray at our Sunday Service on Responding to World Conflict, Sunday 6th March 2022.
As Christians we are called to be light in a world filled with darkness, but how do we respond to war and conflict? As we gathered on Sunday we reminded ourselves that God is powerfully at work even in the most desperate of situations. We are filled with hope when we remember the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a message of hope in times of war, conflict and darkness.
Tim Murray gave some Biblical reflections on war which outlined the facts that war is part of living in a fallen world, war is often morally complex, God’s purposes will be accomplished, and our call remains the same.
You can find the more extensive teaching on a Theology of Suffering that Tim references here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 2.
This podcast is the second part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering.
You can find all of our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Whole Church Teaching: A Theology of Suffering podcast 1.
This podcast is the first part of our Whole Church Teaching series on a Theology of Suffering. In this podcast Tim Murray addresses the question of why we are looking at a theology of suffering in the first place.
You can find all of our current and previous ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
1 Peter 5 message from our Sunday service, Sunday 27th February 2022.
Will you allow yourself today to trust God with your future?
You may notice that last week Dave Hadley spoke on 1 Peter 3 and this week Adrian Lowe spoke on 1 Peter 5. We had originally planned for Adrian to speak on 1 Peter 4 this week, but the Holy Spirit moved him strongly to speak on 1 Peter 5 instead which was a really relevant and timely message for us this week. We will make sure that 1 Peter 4 gets picked up in the next couple of weeks.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
1 Peter 3:8-22 message from our Sunday service, Sunday 20th February 2022.
How do we respond to evil? What about revenge? Listen to Dave's message on this part of 1 Peter here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
In this podcast Adrian and Tim Murray discuss how several public intellectuals are returning to a Christian worldview, and how this should give us courage in our Christian faith as our culture wrestles with its self-created meaning crisis.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
1 Peter 2:18 - 3:7, Slaves and Masters / Husbands and Wives from our Sunday service, 13th February 2022.
Tim asks how do we live when we experience unjust treatment that we have no means of changing? And he explores the belief that we are called to live for God not only when things are just and easy, but when they are unfair and difficult too.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Extravagant Love from our Sunday service, 6th February 2022.
Our theme, Extravagant Love, spoken on by a guest speaker, Jenny Baines, from an organisation called OPEN. OPEN is part of CARE and works to help churches support those who have faced or are facing baby loss through abortion, miscarriage or still birth.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
1 Peter 2:4-17, Christian freedom from our Sunday service, 30th January 2022.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
1 Peter 1:13-2:3, Be Holy from our Sunday service, 16th January 2022.
Join us as Tim Barton asks, What actually is holiness?, What does Holiness look like? and How are we to live holy lives?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
1 Peter 1:3-9, The outcome of your faith from our Sunday service, 9th January 2022.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
1 Peter 1:1-2, Our identity as Christians from our Sunday service, 2nd January 2022.
Join us for the start of a new series, A Living Hope, looking at the Biblical book of 1 Peter.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The Christian virtue of Hope from our Sunday service, 12th December 2021.
The New Testament regularly exhorts us to hope. This can be seen as an action, but is equally a virtue. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13 – the three great Christian virtues are faith, hope and love. However we so often see hope as something outside of our control – we may find we are hopeful, or we may lose hope – in either case it is something that ‘happens to us’ and ends up, more often than not, being collapsed into a vague optimism.
This Sunday Tim Murray unpacks a few of the verses in the New Testament that relate to hope and explores how we might approach hope as a virtue – something to nurture, practice and grow in – that we might experience its benefits.
The second of two stand alone Christmas messages.
Theology of Pleasure teaching still available here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The third in a series of 3 podcasts exploring the Messiah. Why does it matter that Jesus is Christ? Why were people expecting a Messiah and how did Jesus fulfil this?
Podcast three explores how Jesus surprised the Jews, how the Messiah was unexpected. And Dave answers the question of how did Jesus over deliver on peoples' hopes in the Messiah.
You can find all of our ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
How do we support and help those who are grieving? In this podcast Bruce Murray shares his insights from many years supporting those who are grieving.
Please don’t struggle alone. If you are walking through grief and feel there isn’t anyone you can reach out to please get in touch, email Tim Barton on timb@amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
In this podcast we seek to understand more about what grief is and how we grieve in a healthy way. Our conversation takes place with Bruce Murray, a former pastor who has worked in coaching, mental health mentoring and spiritual direction.
Please don’t struggle alone. If you are walking through grief and feel there isn’t anyone you can reach out to please get in touch, email Tim Barton on timb@amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The second in a series of 3 podcasts exploring the Messiah. Why does it matter that Jesus is Christ? Why were people expecting a Messiah and how did Jesus fulfil this?
Part two will look at how Jesus was both king and priest, and how priests and sacrifices work.
You can find all of our ‘Whole Church Teaching’ material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Mary’s Yes to God (Luke 1:26-38) by Tim Barton, from our Sunday service 5th December 2021.
Mary could have said no; she was afraid, she was confused, she could have felt unimportant and unqualified. But she still said yes (Luke 1:38).
The first of two stand alone Christmas messages.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The first in a series of 3 podcasts exploring the Messiah. Why does it matter that Jesus is Christ? Why were people expecting a Messiah and how did Jesus fulfil this?
Part one will introduce the concept.
You can find all of our 'Whole Church Teaching' material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Communal Confession, the last message in our 'More Than Me' series, from our Sunday service 28th November 2021.
Join us for the last in our teaching series 'More Than Me' as Adrian unpacks how the Gospel, the good news that Jesus announces, is not just about our individual formation but our collective formation. We’ll be looking at corporate confession followed by taking communion together during the service.
To hear Adrian's opening message in our 'More Than Me' series click here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
More Than Me: The Law (part 2), from our Sunday service 21st November 2021.
Last month Dave Hadley spoke on the ten commandments and about how God gives his people a common vision for a way of life. This week Tim Murray is speaking on some of the law that is to do with cities of refuge, in other words, speaking about the law God gives for when his people fail to fulfil the common vision! The law for the reality of a sinful community.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The Power Of Lament sermon from our Sunday service 14th November 2021.
Vanessa spoke on the subject of lament, looking at Biblical lament and the importance and power of lament in our lives. Lament sounds like a heavy topic but Vanessa approached it positively, talking about the pathway that lament creates in our lives.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Shared Trust – Sabbath, the seventh message in our 'More Than Me' series from our Sunday service 7th November 2021.
We had some glitches with the sound and it drops out a few times for a couple of seconds each up until around 6 minutes. After that, all the pauses are natural.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Theology of Pleasure – The God of pleasure.
This is the fourth and final podcast in our Whole Church Teaching series, a Theology of Pleasure.
You can find all our Whole Church Teaching material here
Following these podcasts Tim Murray will be running one or two discussion groups in the new year for those who want to dig deeper, ask questions or talk a bit more about this teaching. The time and format (zoom or in person) will be flexible around those who want to take part. If you are interested, please email him directly on timmurray@amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Theology of Pleasure – Resurrection and Heaven.
This is the third podcast in our Whole Church Teaching series, a Theology of Pleasure.
You can find all of our Whole Church Teaching material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Theology of Pleasure - The Goodness of Creation.
This is the second podcast in our Whole Church Teaching series, a Theology of Pleasure.
Correction: Tim Murray started the series with his first message at our Sunday service on 31st October.
You can find all of our Whole Church Teaching material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Theology of Pleasure - Hope and Pleasure.
On Sunday 31st October 2021 Tim Murray launched our latest Whole Church Teaching topic, A Theology of Pleasure and brought us an opening message encouraging us to engage with the rest of the teaching podcasts that will follow.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
You can find all of our Whole Church Teaching material here
Phil led us in a thought from Psalm 23, before leading into communion, during our Sunday service 24th October 2021
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Passing Our Faith Onto The Next Generation, the sixth message in our 'More Than Me' series from our Sunday Service 17th October 2021.
Listen as Jo addresses what to pass on, why do we pass our faith on, and how we do it.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The fifth message in our 'More Than Me' series from our Sunday service 10th October 2021.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
From our Sunday service 3rd October 2021.
Leviticus 19:9-18 – love your neighbour as yourself.
Listen as Tim Barton explains what loving your neighbour as yourself is all about and addresses the question 'Why do we love our neighbours?'
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
The third message in our 'More Than Me' series from our Sunday service 26th September 2021. Watch the livestream to see the map Tim references.
You can hear Adrian's Introduction to the series here.
And you can hear Tim Barton's 'More Than Me' message here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved check out our website
The second message in our 'More Than Me' series from our Sunday service 12th September 2021.
You can find all of the podcasts Tim Barton references on How to change when change is hard here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Adrian introduces our new teaching series, More than Me, around the theme of relationships, community and corporate identity. From our Sunday service 5th September 2021.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please
visit our website
Our guest speaker Dave Morris shares the word of God and the impact it had in his journey as a Christian.
‘For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please
visit our website: https://www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).’
This week, Catherine Griffiths shares with us about following Jesus in later life and the place of the older generation in the life of the church.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please
visit our website: https://www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19
Sometimes we can convince ourselves that Jesus’ teaching is all about being nice and compliant in life. But niceness and compliance is rarely the way of love! In our next passage in the book of Luke Jesus outlines the cost of being a disciple; to give up all that we have, pick up our cross and follow Him. Challenging words! What does Jesus mean when He says we are to ‘give up’ all that we have? Why does Jesus say these things? And what does this look like for us today? This is what we’ll explore together this Sunday as we look together at Luke 14 v 25-35. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Luke 14:1-24: Jesus having dinner with a bunch of leaders from our hybrid service Sunday 11th July 2021.
At the start of the feast, when Jesus talks about Sabbath, He’s confronting a performance driven culture among the Pharisees in relation to knowing God, in this case by keeping the Sabbath. We too live in a Performance Driven Culture. Then it goes on to their anxiety about status, this was about position, power and influence but it’s also about where they as individuals sat compared to others. Nothing’s changed, as human beings, most if not all of us, are obsessed in some shape or form with status. The third part of the reading tells of the day when God will set a table, He will host a feast with an invitation to all and it will not be based on performance or status, power and position. Join us on Sunday to hear some application for us today about all three of these areas.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Psalm 23 from our hybrid service Sunday 4th July 2021.
This Sunday we take another look at one of the Psalms, which a group within our church family have been studying on Wednesday evenings. This week we take a look at the most famous Psalm of all, Psalm 23. We'll take a brief look at what the Psalm teaches us and then hear from Ben Cox, one of the Bible study group, about what he has learned from it and the impact it has had upon him. It's a familiar part of the Bible, but the insights Ben has to share will bring us all a fresh perspective on these famous words and great encouragement for our walk with Christ.
Watch 2 Minute Twist | Peace & Rest (Psalm 23)
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Luke 13:10 - 14:6 from our hybrid service Sunday 27th June 2021.
In this section of Luke we see the compassion of Jesus toward humanity when he heals two individuals on Sabbath days. Following both of these, Jesus has two different encounters with Pharisees, lawyers and synagogue leaders. The other things we’ll look at together, in addition to the two healing events, are the comparison of the mustard seed and leaven, the teaching on the narrow door and also Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
What It Means To See Properly from our hybrid service Sunday 20th June 2021.
In this Sunday’s section of Luke (Luke 12:49-13:9) we go on a whistle-stop tour through Jesus’ teachings, including four questions that he asked his listeners. We’ll be looking together into peace and division, interpreting the time, settling with accusers, repentance or perishing, and the parable of the barren fig tree.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Be dressed and ready for action
Luke 12 v 35-48 contains a parable of some irresponsible servants. The master of the house goes away only to return to servants who are sleeping, drunk or beating their fellow servants! As you can imagine the master is not very pleased.
In this parable Jesus is teaching of the coming judgement, when Christ shall return to judge the living and the dead. But who is Jesus teaching in this passage? What kind of behaviour does Jesus disapprove of? And how can we live in the light of judgement at the end of the age?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
Christ and Culture Podcast 3 - What do we do?
In this third and final podcast of our Whole Church Teaching series: Christ and Culture we explore what we can actually do in response to our increasingly secularised culture. Christians throughout the ages have lived faithfully following Jesus despite so often being at odds with the culture around them. Join Tim as we look at a faithful response to living in a post-Christian culture.
If you're interested in joining Tim's discussion on zoom about Christ and Culture at 8pm on Sunday 18th July click here to find out more and register
You can access all of our Whole Church Teaching material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Christ and Culture Podcast 2 – Signs of the times
Join Tim Barton in the second podcast of our Whole Church Teaching series: Christ and Culture. In this podcast Tim looks at the culture of 21st century Britain. What kind of culture do we live in today? What are the main ‘themes’ and cultural norms of our day? And how do these themes compare to the teaching of Jesus?
You can access all of our Whole Church Teaching material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Since mid-March a group of 20 or so people at ACC have been meeting weekly online to read and study a selection of the Psalms.One of the Psalms the group looked at together is Psalm 34, a psalm of praise, prayer and wisdom. This Sunday we will take a brief look at what the Psalm teaches us and then hear from Ann Conroy, a regular attender of the Bible study group, about what she has learned from it and the impact it has had upon her.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
Christ and Culture Podcast 1 – Why are we talking about culture?
The culture that we live in plays a major role in shaping how we see the world, so what happens when we live in a post-Christian culture? Throughout the last two thousand years Christians have more often than not found themselves at odds with the culture in which they live, and yet the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues to spread all across the world. How do we live in a culture that does not follow the teachings of Christ? How can we respond faithfully to an increasingly secularised culture? And what does this look like in our everyday lives?
Join Tim Barton in the first podcast of our Whole Church Teaching series : Christ and Culture, as we look together at why it is important to talk about culture.
You can access all of our Whole Church Teaching material here
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
This week we are looking at a passage in Luke that many of us will have read before. Jesus warns against the dangers of wealth and touches on the subject of anxiety. Jesus challenges us to invest our money, time and thoughts into eternal treasures rather than earthly wealth that fades away. He reminds us of the reward of finding our peace and security in God.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
Luke 12:1-12 Our future reality
This week we will be looking at how Jesus directs us to look beyond our present reality to the future reality. Jesus shows us why hypocrisy and fear of man are not worth it in the end, and how he is the ultimate judge that we will face. There are lots of challenges in the words of Jesus and we will look at how we can understand them and engage with them in a way that impacts how we live now.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
Luke 11.27-53 Hearing and Keeping This week we'll be continuing our series in Luke covering a part of the text in which Jesus talks about judgement and blessedness. Sometimes Jesus is represented as the ‘gentle Jesus meek and mild’, without also recognising the ‘Jesus who came to divide with thunder on his lips’ – this week should shatter any of those illusions! We will look together at how directly confrontational Jesus could be at times and how his words still confront us today.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
Learning to Pray. Being an apprentice of Jesus means learning to pray as Jesus prayed. In Luke 11 v 1 one of Jesus’ disciples asks Him to teach them to pray, a very wise and insightful request. Jesus responds by teaching them what has now become known as ‘The Lord’s prayer’, and then goes on to teach into the life of prayer for the follower of Jesus. So how did Jesus pray? And how can we, as His followers, learn to pray like Him? Join us on Sunday as we look together at some of Jesus’ key teaching on prayer in the life of the Jesus follower.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
Luke 10 v 25-42 - Using God to Avoid God. This week we're taking a look at two of the most well known episodes in the gospels – the parable of the good Samaritan and Jesus’ stay with Mary and Martha. In both, Jesus gives some important lessons about what it means to follow Him, but He also confronts two different ways that we can use God to avoid God.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
As part of this whole church teaching series we are sharing four podcast interviews called Stories of Change. In these Stories of Change interviews, we explore what were the important factors in real experiences of transformative change.
Listen to Tim Murray interview Charlie Clayton in this episode.
You can find all of our whole church teaching material by clicking here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
As part of this whole church teaching series we are sharing four podcast interviews called Stories of Change. In these Stories of Change interviews, we explore what were the important factors in real experiences of transformative change.
Listen to Tim Murray interview Marie Fields in this episode.
You can find all of our whole church teaching material by clicking here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
As part of this whole church teaching series we are sharing four podcast interviews called Stories of Change. In these Stories of Change interviews, we explore what were the important factors in real experiences of transformative change.
Listen to Tim Murray interviewing Dave Morris in this episode.
You can find all of our whole church teaching material by clicking here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
As part of this whole church teaching series we are sharing four podcast interviews called Stories of Change. In these Stories of Change interviews, we explore what were the important factors in real experiences of transformative change.
Listen to Tim Murray interviewing Mark Cuthbert in this episode.
You can find all of our whole church teaching material by clicking here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
From our Hybrid service on 18th April 2021.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
In this podcast, the fourth in this whole church teaching series, Tim Murray continues to explore how we change when change is hard by looking at the importance of other people in the journey of transformative change.
You can find all of our whole church teaching material by clicking here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
In this podcast, the third in this whole church teaching series, Tim Murray continues to explore how we change when change is hard by looking at the importance of our desires and what we can do to shape them.
You can find all of our whole church teaching material by clicking here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
The Christian life is one of ongoing change, but sometimes change is difficult. In these podcasts Tim Murray explores why change can be hard and how we can partner with God to press in to transformational change, for our freedom and God’s glory.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
This Sunday we kick off a new series looking at a portion of Luke’s Gospel sometimes called ‘Luke’s Travel Narrative’. This is the part of Luke’s Gospel that contains most of Jesus’ teaching on being a disciple. As a church family we have recently spent some time thinking about being a disciple of Jesus in our Vision Update 2021 podcasts. In these podcasts we used the word ‘apprentice’ as a way of communicating some of what discipleship is about.
We begin our travels with Jesus in Luke 9 v 51, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Jesus knows he must go to Jerusalem to lay down his life (Luke 13 v 33), and so he sets off with his disciples teaching them along the way. What do they need to know to continue following Jesus when he is gone? How can they ensure that their lives line up with the message that Jesus brought? What does it mean to follow Jesus and truly be a Jesus apprentice today?
We’ll explore these questions, and many more, as we look together at being an apprentice of Jesus.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
In the ‘church’ calendar, this Sunday is known as Palm Sunday. In churches all over the world hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of believers will be remembering Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey’s colt. The story of Palm Sunday.
This Sunday we will join with the global church family in celebrating that event. I grew up in the house church movement and anything that smacked of ‘church tradition’ was knocked on the head in favour of being led by the Holy Spirit! The danger here is that we throw the baby out with the bath water! The more I read and study the Bible, for example I’ve just been reading the book of Leviticus, I realise that regular rhythms, liturgy and even ritual have an essential part to play in our discipleship.
Together we will ask the Holy Spirit what He has to say to us as we read about the fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke’s Gospel. We will learn about the triumphal arrival of a King like no other King – he wasn’t who His disciples thought he was!
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
The Christian life is one of ongoing change, but sometimes change is difficult. In these podcasts Tim Murray explores why change can be hard and how we can partner with God to press in to transformational change, for our freedom and God’s glory.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
From our live online service on the 21st March
Down through the years I have been asked the question “Why is it called Good Friday?”
What’s good about Jesus being nailed to a cross and dying a humiliating, painful and brutal death, some would say the cruellest death devised by man.
It’s “Good” because of what Jesus achieved for us.
His willing sacrifice is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen. His sacrifice brings about the greatest victory ever won, and it’s all for you and me.
There is great pain at the cross but there is also great victory and rejoicing.
In this episode we will be looking at what Jesus’ victory means for us and why it is a time of great rejoicing.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
The season of Lent and Easter brings us back to ultimate reality: to what really matters. The cross of Jesus stands as the centre of our faith and the point from which we understand and make sense of all of life. This week, Tim Murray will help us look at the end of history and the “opening of the books”; to spend some time together dwelling on the judgement of God in the light of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
We hope you have enjoyed Building Faithfully, our series on Nehemiah, so far and we trust that God has been speaking to you through it. Please join us as Tim Murray brings us a message to conclude the series. May we be encouraged as we see that God works with people who are far from perfect and may we be challenged as we learn that building is often an endless task.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
If the first half of Nehemiah is about the restoration of God’s city, then the second half is about the restoration of God’s people. Someone once said – ‘When God comes, He comes like a divine chiropractor, bringing things back into alignment that were out of alignment.’ As we look at Nehemiah chapters 6-12 we see God, the divine chiropractor, ‘clicking’ a number of things back into alignment that had been out of place in the lives of the people of God. As we continue our series on building faithfully we will learn how God wants to restore His people, and how this is still the case in our lives today.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
In this podcast we will be continuing our series on Nehemiah and looking at the theme of building with resilience.
Resilience can be defined as having the strength to fulfil the call God has given us, even when it is painful and difficult.
We will be looking at some of the personal opposition Nehemiah faced in building the wall and what we can learn from his response in facing some of our challenges.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
Nehemiah’s wall is going up despite the opposition. Things are desperate, and to make matters worse, the builders are at risk of economic ruin. Can Nehemiah build when the people are suffering injustice? How do we build with justice in mind, and what are we building?
Join us and listen as we unpack the next chapter of Nehemiah with Dave Hadley.
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19, click here for full song
In our online service on Sunday 7th February 2021 Sam Miller from Open Doors shared with us. He presented a couple of videos and gave an impacting message for us regarding the persecuted church.
- note we have cut parts out of one of the videos for the purposes of this podcast because you can't read the words that are shown on the screen during it.
If you want to watch the video version of his message instead, so you can see the videos in full, please click here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
This is the last episode in our four-part podcast series where Tim Barton and Tim Murray take some time to talk, on behalf of the elders, about where we believe God is leading our church family.
Episode 4 – Mission.
Click here to read the notes for this podcast.
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
“Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”
This isn't a quote from an action-packed historical epic starring Mel Gibson or Russell Crowe but rather something Nehemiah said! How has this happened? Nehemiah was obeying the Lord and everyone was united in building their section of the wall. What has gone wrong?
Listen to this episode to look at the action packed fourth chapter of Nehemiah. To understand:
- What has happened.
- How Nehemiah and the people responded.
- What we can learn from this as we build faithfully in our generation.
Are you up for the fight?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
This week we’re going to be tackling Nehemiah 3, where the walls of Jerusalem start getting rebuilt. As ever, we’ll be getting our heads around the text in this chapter and then seeing what we might learn from it about building as a community.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
In this four-part podcast series Tim Barton and Tim Murray take some time to talk, on behalf of the elders, about where we believe God is leading our church family.
Episode 3 – Discipleship.
Click here to read the notes for this podcast.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
In this four-part podcast series Tim Barton and Tim Murray take some time to talk, on behalf of the elders, about where we believe God is leading our church family.
Episode 2 - Community.
Click here to read the notes for this podcast.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Building Faithfully: build for the Lord alone sermon from our online service Sunday 17th January 2021.
Four months have past since Nehemiah discovered the dreadful state of the city of Jerusalem. After a period of sadness, prayer and repentance Nehemiah is presented with an opportunity to act. He is serving as a cupbearer to the King of Persia who notices his ‘sadness of heart’. Will Nehemiah risk losing his position, comfort and reputation by aligning himself to the work of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem? Will he step out and act to do what he feels God has called him to do?
Apologies for the brief moments when the audio cuts out during Tim's message, we were experiencing some technical problems.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
In this four-part podcast series Tim Barton and Tim Murray take some time to talk, on behalf of the elders, about where we believe God is leading our church family.
Episode 1 - Where are we going and how do we get there?
Click here to read the notes for this podcast.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
As a small remnant of people return to their homeland, they discover a level of devastation that seems beyond redemption. The place that was once home is in ruins. The site they survey is not just discouraging, it feels utterly hopeless and any type of future for their city seems an impossible dream. Have you ever felt like that? If you have, open the book of Nehemiah and read the first chapter. The people of Israel have returned from captivity only to find the vestiges of a once thriving Jerusalem. Even the Temple, the place where God was once present, lays waste. Where do you start when faced by such desolation? Is the city beyond redemption? NO! Nehemiah, an ordinary working man, shows us how his engagement with God resulted in the historic rebuilding of the city of God.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
Vanessa Willmott brings us 'an unexpected message' from the online service on Sunday 3rd January.
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
A Christmas message from our very own Paul Willmott on December 20th 2020
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 full song
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit Our Website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 Full Song
Tim Barton refers to Matthew 1 to talk about the incarnation of the birth of Jesus Christ, in relation to 2020.
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 Full Song
Mark Wreford is a theologian training for ordination in Nottingham. In this podcast, Tim Murray interviews his friend Mark about the way God has met Mark through his recent experience of concussion and suffering.
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Tim Murray continues our whole church teaching on Colossians, proceeding in chapter three where we left off. From our Sunday online service on 29nd November.
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 Full Song
In our December Whole Church Teaching Tim Barton leads us through a reflection on the birth of Christ that will fill us with hope. The birth of Christ reminds us that God always fulfils His promises, that all things are possible and that God has not given up on humanity. As we reflect once again on what has become known as ‘the Christmas story’ we remind ourselves of the truth of a God who loved the world even to the point of becoming flesh. As we come to God in this festive season we pray, along with Paul the Apostle, that the God of hope would fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may overflow with hope.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
In our December Whole Church Teaching Tim Barton leads us through a reflection on the birth of Christ that will fill us with hope. The birth of Christ reminds us that God always fulfils His promises, that all things are possible and that God has not given up on humanity. As we reflect once again on what has become known as ‘the Christmas story’ we remind ourselves of the truth of a God who loved the world even to the point of becoming flesh. As we come to God in this festive season we pray, along with Paul the Apostle, that the God of hope would fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may overflow with hope.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Tim Murray continues our whole church teaching on Colossians, proceeding in chapter three where we left off. From our Sunday online service on 29th November.
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 Full Song
Roxy Smith talks on Colossians 2:6-23 , from our online Sunday service on the 15th November.
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 Full Song
Tim Barton talks on Isaiah 43:18-19
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Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 Full Song
Tim Barton talks on Colossians 1:24 - 2:5, from our online Sunday service on the 1st November.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please Visit Our Website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 Full Song
God is infinitely beautiful and every experience we have of beauty not only speaks of Him, but is a manifestation of His infinite beauty. Our experience of beauty is an ache of desire which draws our hearts deeper, beyond the beautiful thing into the infinite beauty of God. I wonder how you react to these statements? Are they complicated and confusing? Do they seem theologically suspicious? Do they seem inconsequential for your life? I would suggest that they summarise profound truths that are of enormous value for our love of God, flourishing humanity and the life of faith. Listen to this second podcast to find out more…
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
God is infinitely beautiful and every experience we have of beauty not only speaks of Him, but is a manifestation of His infinite beauty. Our experience of beauty is an ache of desire which draws our hearts deeper, beyond the beautiful thing into the infinite beauty of God. I wonder how you react to these statements? Are they complicated and confusing? Do they seem theologically suspicious? Do they seem inconsequential for your life? I would suggest that they summarise profound truths that are of enormous value for our love of God, flourishing humanity and the life of faith. Listen to this podcast to find out more…
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
In this second podcast on the topic of racism Tim Barton & Tim Murray look a little bit deeper at how we as Christians can respond to what we are calling ‘cultural movements’. Over a number of months we have been having a conversation as a church family about racism and racial inequality. Following the tragic death of George Floyd and the civil unrest that followed we took time to pray and reflect on what God may be saying to us. However, the events that took place at this time not only involved racism, but also a cultural movement, in this case Black Lives Matter. How do we respond as Christians to cultural movements? And how can we be active in a thoughtful, prayerful, Christ-centred way?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit Our Website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 Full Song
Dave's message about the second half of Colossians 1 from our online service Sunday 25th October 2020. Featuring 'Fullness' a reflective song at the end by our very own Tim Barton.
Click Here to watch the talk and song
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 Full Song
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit Our Website
Adrian's message kicking off our new series on the book of Colossians from our online service Sunday 18th October 2020.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Known by Vanessa Willmott from our special themed online service, Sunday 11th October 2020.
To see the iTruth spoken word video, God Knows You, that played before Vanessa's message click here.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
In this final Podcast in the Kingdom Living Series - God and Work Adrian talks about the how the Gospel changes the way we work. He gives some practical examples of the difference that being a follower of Jesus makes in our work place. He talks about showing mercy, being generous and finding peace when things go wrong, all the gifts of God to us in Christ.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
How do we judge?
Tim Murray's full message on 1 John 5 from our online service Sunday 27th September 2020.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Tim Murray talks from 1 John about God's love, from our online service Sunday 20th September 2020.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Ste Cook shares from the book of Habakkuk, from our online service Sunday 13th September 2020.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Mike Crook's message about the book of Psalms from our online service Sunday 30th August 2020.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
In this series we are exploring God’s created purpose for work, looking at some of the problems of work and also at how we can faithfully live out the Gospel in our jobs.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
In this series we will explore God’s created purpose for work, look at some of the problems of work and also look at how we can faithfully live out the Gospel in our jobs.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Sermon Sunday 6th September 2020. Tim Barton taking from 1 Peter 5 about worry.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: https://www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Over a number of months we have been having a conversation as a church family about racism and racial inequality. Following the tragic death of George Floyd and the civil unrest at the time we felt it was right to spend time as a church family praying, talking and thinking about racism. In this podcast we interview Ruth and Stacey, a mixed-race couple, on their personal experience of racism. We also hear what racism is and where we stand Biblically on this issue.
A second part of Dave Hadley's Sunday talk about 1 John. We hope you enjoy it!
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: https://www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
1 John 2:29-3:18 message by Tim Murray from our online service Sunday 9th August 2020.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
1 John 2:18-28 message from our online service Sunday 3rd August 2020.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website.
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
If community and fellowship were such a big part of the early church then why is it that our experience of church is so often not like this today? What are the barriers that are stopping community forming amongst us? And what practical steps can we take towards living in a more Kingdom community way? Join Tim in the second of a two part teaching on God and community.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
In our first podcast on Kingdom Living : God and Community Tim explores what kind of community the life, death and resurrection of Jesus birthed in the early church. He also looks at why community is so important for Kingdom living, and challenges us to re-imagine what might be possible for us today.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song).
Making the Word of God the Foundation for Daily Living from our online service 26th July 2020.
Phil shares from the Bible and from his own experience, about the importance of reading the Bible daily and making it the foundation for how we live our lives.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
A message shared by Andrew White, on the book of Job, from our online service Sunday 19th July 2020.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Message about the Book of Ruth from our online service Sunday 12th July 2020.
Listen as Roxy primarily asks the question 'What is the role of God?' and learn as she reveals some of her findings!
You check out the Bible Project overview of Ruth video that Roxy mentions here: https://youtu.be/0h1eoBeR4Jk
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Missional Living from our online service Sunday 5th July 2020.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
How then should we live - a public hope in practice.
Last month we launched our ‘whole church teaching’ series called Kingdom Living. Over the coming months we’ll be teaching into different aspects of Kingdom Living through podcasts, articles, vlogs and discussions. In July Tim Murray is teaching about Kingdom Living: God and a Public Hope.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
A redemptive worldview - a theology for public hope.
Last month we launched our ‘whole church teaching’ series called Kingdom Living. Over the coming months we’ll be teaching into different aspects of Kingdom Living through podcasts, articles, vlogs and discussions. In July Tim Murray is teaching about Kingdom Living: God and a Public Hope.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Faith in the public square - struggling for a public hope.
Last month we launched our ‘whole church teaching’ series called Kingdom Living. Over the coming months we'll be teaching into different aspects of Kingdom Living through podcasts, articles, vlogs and discussions. In July Tim Murray is teaching about Kingdom Living: God and a Public Hope.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
1 Samuel 14 message from our online service, Sunday 28th June 2020.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
1 John 2 message from our online service Sunday 21st June 2020.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
This month we launched our first ‘whole church teaching’ series called Kingdom Living. Over the coming months we will teach into different aspects of Kingdom Living, in June, Adrian is teaching about Kingdom Living: God and Rest.
In this episode Adrian shares some practical ways of making Sabbath a reality.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
1 John 1:5-10 message from our online service, 14th June 2020.
Tim Murray shares some reflections on these verses from 1 John.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Many of you will remember Jon Brown who spoke on Singleness in our Made for Love series last Autumn. Many said how helpful they found it, and his podcast on ‘Sex and Singleness’ is one of our most-listened to podcasts ever! So we asked Jon to record another podcast with us about ‘Friendship’, a theme he repeatedly addressed last Autumn. In this podcast, Tim Murray talks again with Jon to address the following questions and more: How can we experience intimacy in non-romantic relationships? How has our culture skewed the idea of friendship? Why do so few of us ‘find’ deep friendships? What kind of person do we need to be to build intimate friendships?
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Romans 12 message from our online service, Sunday 7th June 2020.
Ste Cook shares some of what God has revealed to him through this passage recently.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
This month we launched our first ‘whole church teaching’ series called Kingdom Living. Over the coming months we will teach into different aspects of Kingdom Living, in June, Adrian is teaching about Kingdom Living: God and Rest.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
1 John 1:1-4 message from our online service 31st May 2020.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
This month we launch our first ‘whole church teaching’ series called Kingdom Living. Over the coming months we will teach into different aspects of Kingdom Living through podcasts, articles, vlogs and discussions. Our first topic will run through the month of June where Adrian will teach about Kingdom Living: God and Rest.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
In this episode of Leaving Egypt Tim Murray and Tim Barton discuss the impact of the current pandemic on the church. What impact has not being able to meet up physically had on how we do church, and is there an opportunity God is giving us to rethink what church is really all about.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Finding Life In Lockdown Part 3 from our online service, Sunday 17th May 2020.
Psalm 46
How stillness allows us and encourages us to turn to God as our source and how it reminds us and comforts us that He is in fact with us.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Our podcast series ‘Leaving Egypt’ explores what God may be saying in this unprecedented season. Over the weeks we will discuss how we can respond both as individuals and as the church, and how the story of God’s people leaving Egypt in the Exodus may help us navigate these times.
Listen to Tim Murray and Tim Fellows in this episode.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Finding Life In Lockdown Part 2 from our online service, Sunday 10th May 2020.
Psalm 46
How stillness allows us to get the right perspective on things.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Finding Life In Lockdown from Sunday 3rd May 2020.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
Our podcast series 'Leaving Egypt' explores what God may be saying in this unprecedented season. Over the weeks we will discuss how we can respond both as individuals and as the church, and how the story of God's people leaving Egypt in the Exodus may help us navigate these times.
In this episode, Tim and Adrian discuss how this season is a time of shaking but also a time of opportunity.
For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw)
Easter message by Tim Barton from our online service Sunday 12th April 2020.
Tim reflects on the current situation in the UK and talks about the resurrection of Jesus.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
In response to the current pandemic we have been live streaming, looking together at how we respond as a church family. Listen to Tim and Tim's update and what we're doing in the next few weeks.
Here is Tim Barton's message on Psalm 46 that gets referenced: https://www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk/podcasts/confidence-in-troubled-times-by-tim-barton/
Reaching Out In Overseas Mission Interview from our Sunday service 15th March 2020.
Back in January we sent Dave Hadley and Natalie Start to Kissumu, Kenya, to spend some time with a number of missionaries sharing the life, love and gospel of Jesus with the people of Kissumu. This Sunday we'll hear about what they experienced whilst there. We will also hear from Greg Plunkett, who has been a missionary in Kenya for a number of years.
As we listen to the testimonies of those working in overseas mission may we be reminded and encouraged that there is a mission field right here on our doorstep. We are given the ministry of of reconciliation; the joy and challenge of inviting others to find a right relationship with God. And may we be encouraged that we don't do this alone, for when we go in mission God goes with us.
The link to read Dave's article, that Natalie mentions, is here: https://www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk/articles/what-did-we-learn-in-kenya/
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
What does it mean to be free? sermon from our Sunday service 8th March 2020, with visiting speakers from Transforming Communities together.
Exploring the theme of Modern Slavery in the Black Country through the lens of Paul's writing in Galatians 5:1 - 'It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.' What does it mean for followers of Jesus to find freedom in Him?
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
1 Samuel 12-13 sermon from our Sunday service 1st March 2020.
The speech the Israelites were not expecting and the leader who failed to listen. What does this tell us about God and His Kingdom? We know that the Kingdom of God was not revealed until Christ, but the story of God longing to be close to humanity and innovating new means and forms of grace can still inspire us today.
We hope that you are blessed by this teaching. For more information about who we are, what we believe and how you can get involved, please visit our website: www.amblecotechristiancentre.org.uk
Music by The Sense, Youth for Christ touring band 2018/19 (full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ9FGg6aktw).
God continues to work out His gracious purposes for His people even in the midst of the damage they have chosen. We see this through 1 Samuel 9-11 as Saul becomes king - although Israel is in a terrible state and they are walking down a road that leads to slavery, God remains the extravagantly gracious God who offers hope and redemption.
Last month Tim Barton spoke on the call of Samuel. In this podcast he follows up on some of the ideas from that sermon about the places God is particularly present to speak to His people.
Continuing our series in the book of 1 Samuel, this week we took some time to hear what God has to say to us through 1 Samuel chapter 8. We read of Israel’s rejection of God as their King. For the sake of power and influence they abandon their call to be unique and different to the surrounding world and demand a king just like all the other surrounding nations. The prophet warns them of the troubles they will face as a consequence of their insistence on adopting a pagan order of government – ultimately they will lose the freedom that their forbears enjoyed when God delivered them from the last tyrannical pagan system of rule in the form of Pharaoh’s Kingship in Egypt.
Here is the article that Adrian mentions writing for Love Black Country: https://loveblackcountry.org.uk/blog/leadership-in-the-21st-century-church/
In this podcast, Tim and Tim discuss why sex before marriage matters and what the Bible has to say about it.
There are many reasons we can come to church or be drawn to Christian faith. Our journeys are often long and complicated. We all have a story. Spiritual experience similarly starts in many different ways: most of us begin by wanting something from God, but this Psalm gets to the heart of true spiritual experience and true Christianity.
ACC and Chawn Hill are partnering to launch a year out for young adults that will serve the church across Dudley and the Black Country. In this podcast Greg Ellis and Tim Murray discuss what this year out is all about.
The continuing story of The Ark!
Last week we heard about the lessons Israel needed to learn, this week we hear about the lessons the Philistines were taught. The truth is, God is no-one's captive and He acts freely to fulfill His purposes - this week we see how.
In this podcast, Tim and Jo Murray consider how we grow and change in our marital sexual relationship, as well as addressing some practical questions.
This week we had a guest speaker, Rob Cooper, a local minister who has spoken at ACC before.
On Sunday 1st December, our Christmas series looking at the names prophesied about Jesus in Isaiah 9:6, continued.
On Remembrance Sunday 2019 Tim talks about Psalm 46 and having confidence in knowing God is with us during troubled times.
Sunday 03/11/19
Tim Murray asks visiting speaker, Ben Wildman, some questions about how he lives his life in a missional way and how we can do the same.
In this podcast Tim B and Tim M discuss the question of whether or not God's design for relationships includes the possibility of dating or marrying non-Christians.
Tim Murray and Adrian Lowe both share on the last week of our teaching series on being Made for Love, discovering God's design for relationships.
Sunday 20th October, Tim Murray brings the penultimate message in our 'Made for Love' series.
Jon Brown, our visiting speaker from 13th October, discusses the difficult questions of sex and singleness, whilst also taking time to dig a bit deeper into some of the themes he spoke about in his sermon.
This podcast follows up Tim Murray's sermon on marriage, answering some questions that have been texted in and going deeper in discussing the purpose of marriage.
This Sunday we celebrated the dedication of Grace Lowe and Reuben Cook. As part of the service the parents dedicated these wonderful children to the Lord.
The Bible teaches us that each life is a precious gift from God. God did not have to create humanity but chose, in His love, to do so.
As David says in the Psalms;
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:13-14)
Each and every one of us is a precious creation, lovingly crafted and created by God. In dedicating Grace and Reuben this Sunday we joined with their parents, family and friends in thanking God for the gift of Reuben and Grace. We also reminded ourselves that we too are lovingly and carefully created by God, and thanked Him for the gift of life given in each and every one of us.
This podcast follows on from Adrian’s sermon on gender, probing a bit deeper on what difference the biblical vision makes for our individual lives. How does it affect us whether we’re made or have to make ourselves? How does this tie in with following Jesus?
It was not good for man to be alone, so says Genesis, thus woman was created, they were married and ‘knew’ each other (which means sex!). So establishes God the pattern to underlie human society ever since – the marriage of a man and a woman into an exclusive one-flesh union from which children a born and society built.
God, being an incredibly creative and loving God, determined that the very act that defines a marriage and conceives children is also one of humanities greatest pleasures – sex! In the unique emotional and physical intimacy and pleasure of sex, new life is conceived, marriage is affirmed and wife and husband can ‘know’ each other in this wonderful gift of God.
Not all are called to marriage, not all will find marriage; for those living single rich fulfilling love is still available, as we will explore in the next sermon, but the majority of us will marry. It is this marriage union that forms the foundation of society and is the bedrock of human relationships.
The Bible has lots to say about marriage and sex (we’ll look at some of the texts), but unfortunately this is often lost either by stereotypes, historical tradition that is not to be equated with biblical truth, or by sheer prejudice. These sermons will try to articulate a Christian vision for marriage and sex, the first focussing more on marriage and the second more on sex:
Marriage:
· A relationship that reflects God’s faithfulness
· A relationship that reflects the image of God in the uniting of gender
· A relationship that provides the solid foundation for new humans to grow and flourish
· A relationship that forms the building blocks of society
· A relationship that reflects the love of Christ for his church
Sex:
· A gift of God reserved for marriage, because it expresses and establishes the one-flesh union that is only truly good within the commitment and responsibilities of marriage
· A crucial part of any marriage.
· A gift that is always hugely important emotionally, physically and spiritually.
· A gift that is meant to produce pleasure, intimacy, ‘knowing’, life.
The sermons will also seek to address the reality that marriage is hard and sex is often distorted. How do we continue to grow into the love of God, given through marriage and sex, over the years? How do we help support marriage and sex when we are single? We will also use this moment to offer people the chance to take part in the marriage course, pre-marriage course or seek marriage/sex counselling.
Genesis 1.27 says this: “God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Our gender is a gift of God in his good creation, which is part of what it means to reflect the image of God. Yet our culture is seeking to erode the difference between male and female, promoting gender fluidity and choice. Rather than receiving the gift of a gendered existence, we are seeking to define our own gender, or do away with the definition all together. God has bounded us in gender and we seek to erase his boundaries, as we do with all God’s boundaries.
But with what result? Does this lead to freedom, happiness and fulfilment as is claimed? Or does it lead to increased bondage, despair and the loss of any idea of who we are?
This is not the Christian vision for gender. The Christian vision includes at least the following:
Our gender is a gift to be treasured! Our maleness or femaleness contains a richness from God that we can spend our lives discovering. We affirm that men and women are different! Equally displaying the image and glory of God, but in different ways. (this is one of the reasons why the Christian vision is for heterosexual marriage – it is the combination of male and female that together reflects the image of God, not one on its own).
This difference is to be honoured and treasured. It must not be submitted to culture, whether that is our current one or traditional ones. We do not defend an antiquated Victorian image of a ‘women’s place’ or ‘man’s work’. But neither do we accept the modern claim that there are no differences of importance and no difference in the way male and female lives should normally look.
In our given gendered condition. God has given us an important aspect of our identity which is truly ours and can lead to freedom.
Complicated issues in this area, like those born with abnormal bodies, gender dysphoria, etc. will be addressed in our special evening on gender with Dr. Rick Thomas on 7th October.
The Christian confession is that “God is Love” (1 John 4.8). Love is the defining characteristic of the triune God – he is not a God that exists alone, but is always three persons in a never ending relationships of giving and receiving of perfect love within the godhead. For this reason, love stands at the centre of what it means to be humans, created in his image: the love-defined and defining God. We know this experientially – when we share in a true expression of love, we feel most alive. Is it any wonder that the vast majority of human expression captured in culture has been concerned with love! To be human is to need to give and receive love. We were made for love.
And yet… not all that goes by the name of ‘love’ is truly love. We were made for the perfect love of God, a love that is also explicated in his justice and his holiness, a love that lays claim to us, a love that loves us into his image, a love that has a complex relationship with freedom. A love that allows us to be who we were created to be. This is the love that should inform our human conception of true love, and yet we are confused. What does it mean to truly love one another? Surely this looks different in different relationships. Love in a marriage must encompass sexual love, but in a friendship this is not the right ‘love’. Love for our children must look different from love for our colleagues and strangers. In each of these relationships ‘love’ also must encompass boundaries, discipline, differentiation, honesty, justice, truth.
God created us for love and for freedom, yet our misconstrued ideas about love so often lead us into bondage. What does it mean to ‘love’ the person making bad choices? What does it mean to ‘love’ those who deny God’s truth?
The issues get more complex: love is intimately connected to our gender and sexuality, and because love is central to being human, when we are hurt, damaged, disappointed, abused, in short – when life goes wrong – it is often these areas of gender, sexuality, relationship and ‘love’ that get impacted. For many of us, to truly know we are loved is as elusive as it is important. The result is we all find it hard to see clearly what real love is all about, what God’s perfect love means for us.
In this series we want to preach a Christian vision for relationships – we were made for love! What does that mean in different contexts? What is God’s perfect love, played out across the different topics we will examine? This will also provide a context for dealing with the contemporary challenges of our culture: a collapsing distinction between male and female and a move towards gender-fluid ideology, plus a culture of ‘casual sex’, pornography and the normalisation of non-heterosexual sexuality and the associated challenges. Together with the collapse of many family units, rampant fatherlessness, high divorce rates and massive levels of poor mental health, we face a culture that needs love but does not know what it is. We must know what it is to know God’s love and live for a love that is true, just, good and leads to freedom.
What does the Bible say about living our faith at work? Stats show that many of us spend a quarter of our time at work. (Perhaps for some it may be much more than this!) How does our faith affect our work? How do we live out our faith when we’re digging a road, doing a spreadsheet or looking after 30 challenging kids! And what does the Bible actually say about this?
This Sunday we’ll look together at what Paul’s letter to the Ephesians teaches us about living our faith at work.
Our services will be slightly shorter over the summer to give us time to connect and eat a snack together each week. We will also have children's activities available for 3-11 year olds in the youth lounge from 11am and our Ripples room will be open for parents with 0-3 year olds to use.
Living in a digitally connected world has dramatically changed the way we live. Never before have we been so instantly connected with people, places, entertainment, news and information. But how does this affect the way we live out our faith? This Sunday we’ll look at how the online world affects our lives, and how we can live out our faith online.
Did you know we have a young leaders program at ACC? Check out this podcast where Tim interviews our youth worker Natalie and one of our young leaders Esther about camping in the rain, developing leadership skills, mission week and our young leader program. Join us as we talk with Natalie Start our youth worker and Esther Whittall one of our young leaders on camping in the rain, mission week and all things youth!
“Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.”(James 1 v 22)
For the Word of God to be fruitful and meaningful in our lives it must find its way out into our daily practices, routines, relationships and activities. It cannot remain as something we simply listen to, we need be doers of the Word and not hearers only.
However, all of us in different ways and at different times find this very challenging.
Over the summer we will hear testimonies, stories and teaching looking together at how we can practically live out our faith in different areas of our lives. Our hope is that through these summer weeks we will be encouraged, challenged and inspired to live out the Word of God in practical ways in our day to day life.
This Sunday we look at what it means to live our faith every day, whatever we are doing.
Our services will be slightly shorter over the summer to give us time to connect and eat a snack together each week. We will also have children's activities available for 3-11 year olds in the youth lounge from 11am and our Ripples room will be open for parents with 0-3 year olds to use.
Summer is a great time to gather together to declare the greatness of our God and encourage each other in our Christian walk. This Sunday we took some time to come around the Table of the Lord taking communion together. We took time to consider Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and to celebrate that through His life, death and resurrection Sin and death were defeated, and we are set free to know the Father and eternal life in Him.
Can we reach this next generation as The Church in the Black Country? Who is responsible for this? What could the impact be…?
The Love Black Country Next Gen Champion role is nearly a year old now! It has been full of challenges and many, many blessings. On Sunday 21st July I will be unpacking some of these questions with you, as well as some of my experiences this year. My journey to this role began when I started work as a primary school teacher in Cradley and then went on to become the Children’s Pastor at Calvary Church (now Arise) in Kingswinford. I sensed that God was calling me to a wider role within the Love Black Country context and will be sharing some of this story with you.
There is a heart for togetherness in the season we are entering and as we unpack what that looks like for The Church, I hope that we will realize that the pursuit for this next generation is very much at the heart of God. If we can transform this group of kids and young people, working together, the impact on our communities will be incredible!
We all familiar with the first two commandments ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’
This Sunday our ‘Justice Service’ asks ‘who is our neighbour?’ Is it the lady next door, the family down the road or the stranger living in a different country? How do we love our neighbour as ourselves? One way is to act justly towards each other no matter who we are or where we live.
How often do we prefer each other’s needs to our own? I’m sure if we see a need directly in front of us, we would attend to it in the best way that we could. However it is the hidden needs that are so easily overlooked and as we know, the world is full of them. This can be very daunting but it doesn’t give us an excuse to ignore them. Consider this for example; in the west we live in a high tech society full of mobile phones, computers, cars, jewellery and cosmetics, but how often do we question how these commodities arrived at our retail outlets or showrooms?
On Sunday we will explore in more detail the issue of mining and what life is like for the men, women and children involved in this industry. We will also look at a practical way we can all consider applying before we purchase our goods. Any small change we make is better than making no change at all. So come with an open heart and be prepared to consider ‘who really is my neighbour?’
Growing up in a Pentecostal church in the 70’s and 80’s ‘faith’ was a subject much talked about. I witnessed many great evangelists with a healing ministry, saw some remarkable miracles and always wished I had the same sort of faith that they had. Most of the time I felt like I was last in queue when the Lord handed out faith!
When faith was talked about, often it was in the context of having faith for something. I recall reading a book about a famous Korean Pastor Yonngi Cho who prayed for a bicycle to visit remote villages to share the gospel. His experience, he wrote, taught him to be specific about what he wanted. He didn’t just want a bike, he wanted a red bike, and he even ‘by faith’ pictured the bike leaning against the wall of the small room he lived in. Guess what? He got his bike, and a red one at that! Later he went on to lead one of the largest churches in world. As a young believer I wanted that type of faith. Stories like these were both inspiring, and to honest, disabling! I felt that I could never have faith like his and in some ways this resulted in me feeling that I lacked faith.
Visiting Israel in 2017 whilst on Sabbatical was a transformational experience. My understanding of faith was one of the many things that underwent a transformation. Our guide, an articulate and very educated man shed enormous light on the many other ways the bible talks about faith.
My prayer is that after listening to what the bible has to say about faith you will walk away confident that you have more than you think you do!
I wonder if you have ever seen the film ‘Locke’ featuring Tom Hardy?
If not, then prepare for some spoilers!
If you like any of Tom Hardy’s films then I would imagine you would be excited to see this – a ‘nail-biting thriller’ featuring one of the world’s most famous action movie stars. From the poster you might imagine the film to be an action-packed thriller with special effects, chase scenes, fast cars and explosions. But what if I was to tell you that the film features one actor, taking a drive from Birmingham to London whilst talking on the phone about concrete! I think many action film fans must have been rather disappointed, as this film review suggests;
“You are better phoning a builder for a chat than watching Locke!”
Although it is a brilliant film, I don’t blame people for being disappointed. The film is pitched as an ‘action-thriller’, that is the genre of film that the poster, the promotion and the key actor suggest, and therefore this shapes our expectations of what we will watch. When the film turns out to be something quite different many may be left disappointed, shocked or annoyed.
If your life were a movie, I wonder what genre it might be?
Would it be a romantic comedy? A drama? Or perhaps a ‘feel good’ movie?
Paul writes to the Ephesians;
“Put on the whole amour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Ephesians 6 v 11
As we close our series in Ephesians, we will see how Paul’s letter teaches us that we are in fact in a huge cosmic battle and how wearing the famous ‘Armour of God’ is essential if we are to take a stand against the devil’s schemes and spiritual forces of evil.
You see Paul believes we are in a war movie, and waking up to this reality will actually help us live more meaningful and steadfast lives.
Continuing with our ‘Reading the Bible’ theme check out this podcast discussion between Tim Barton and Tim Murray on the historical evidence for the bible. Can we really trust what the Bible says? Is there strong historical evidence that supports its claims? And what do we do with all those bits of the Bible that don’t quite add up historically? Hear Tim & Tim’s discussion on these questions and more
For the last two weeks we’ve been laying the foundation for how we approach the Bible. A fortnight ago we looked at what we believe about the Bible; last week we talked about how to understand and interpret it. This is all very well, but many of us struggle to read the Bible at all! We may find all reading difficult, or we may find the Bible particularly hard. No matter how many new resolutions we make, inevitably after a few weeks we’re barely reading it again. Or, for others of us, we’ve faithfully read the Bible for many years but it seems dead to us. Where is the life? Where is the ‘encounter with God through scripture’ that was spoken about? What can we do about all this?
As we all consider our response to God in this season we thought we’d produce a final podcast hearing from Roxy! As we look to invest in the next generation, Roxy is currently responsible for leading much of that work. We have also talked about releasing Roxy to study theology in the coming years. In this podcast we hear a little more from Roxy, the work she’s doing and her aspirations to study.
How do we become good readers of scripture?
God encounters us in his word. When I read the Bible I am confronted with God. This remarkable reality underlies out beliefs about scripture which we explored last week. However, God has chosen to give us his word in a historically particular way. The eternal divine word is given through particular human beings, in particular places at a particular time in history.
Not only the Bible, but each one of us is also a historically particular person! We all have our lenses through which we see and understand the world. Our language, culture, history, experiences and knowledge inevitably effect the way we ‘understand’ everything we encounter, including the Bible.
These two realities mean that the Bible always has to be interpreted. We have to go through a process to understand God’s word. Now much of this happens automatically, without us even realising we’re doing it. Some has already been done for us: we read the Bible in English, which is an interpretation of the original writings.
However the Bible itself indicates that it is possible to be a good reader or a poor reader: Paul tells Timothy to “rightly handle the word of truth” (2 Tim 2.15), which implies that it is very possible to ‘wrongly handle the word of truth’.
How do we make sure we become good readers rather than poor ones? What is necessary to rightly handle the word of truth?
In our culture now, it is rather passé to think that there is any kind of objective or absolute truth. You believe one thing, I’ll believe another; both are true for us! But to claim that there is a truth that’s true for both of us is now offensive. As Christians, we’re even more offensive because not only do we claim there is a truth-for-everybody truth, but that this truth can be defined by a religious book that is millennia old. Frankly, the Christian claim that the Bible is the word of God and should be taken as an authoritative revelation of the truth-truth is simply laughable to most people in our culture. But this claim is central to our faith.
As Christians, though, we too often have questions about the Bible, what we believe about it and how best to understand it. It is often differences here, that lead to differences elsewhere in the church. We want to take some time this Sunday and next to teach into these foundational issues, to explore what we are really claiming about the Bible and the basis on which we’re making these claims (that’s this week), together with addressing issues of how we interpret the Bible (that’s the following week). I hope that these sermons allow us to ground our beliefs about scripture into common ground and challenge us to know, articulate and defend our unpopular claims in a culture where truth has been lost, but hope has been lost with it. As we do this, as Paul exhorts us in Ephesians, may we grow in the unity and maturity of Jesus.
This is our third podcast helping us to pray and think through how we respond to God in this season, following our church family meeting.
In this edition, Tim Murray and Tim Barton imagine together what the year out could look like on a day to day basis, but go on to imagine other ways that the life of our church family could develop over coming years.
We have been asked some questions over the last couple of weeks and thought it may be helpful to collect the most common ones into a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ feature, which you can find below .
FAQ – the top 8
Q: When will Phil retire? Is he going to leave the church when he does?
A: Phil is planning to retire at the end of 2020, but he is not intending to leave the church family.
Q: Does our intention to develop a ‘year out’ mean we are going to stop our work with the older generation?
A: No. We will continue to do all we currently do with the older generation. However we do not know if the nature of this work may change with the retirement of Phil at the end of 2020.
Q: Who are the elders?
A: Adrian Lowe, Phil Cook, Tim Barton, Tim Murray, John Cook, Vanessa Willmott, Stacey Simpson, David Faulkner
Q: How much have Adrian and Phil given?
A: Adrian and Phil have made decisions that have released a combined total of £25,000.
Q: How much is our deficit?
A: We have a regular operational deficit of £20,000; year on year we are spending £20,000 more than our income. In the last financial year (2018/2019) we had a deficit of £40,000 because we spent an additional £20,000 on redeveloping the youth lounge.
Q: Have we shrunk numerically in the last five years?
A: No. Some people have left, others have joined, but when we compare our numbers with five years ago we are very slightly larger. In the last year we have grown by 30-35 people, of whom 25-30 are young families.
Q: Who do we give to as a church?
A: full list is available from the directors on request (please contact John Cook), but we support a number of individuals working as missionaries or in ministry, including several of our own young people; we support the wider church through organisations like Love Black Country; Love Dudley and the True Freedom Trust; we support a number of local charities including the BHP and Foodbank and we are now proposing to support Open Doors.
Q: How do we decide who we give to?
A: The elders and directors have developed a number of criteria on which we make these decisions. Again, this is available in detail on request but includes factors like how well the person/organisation aligns with our own vision; proximity and connection to us; whether they have proper accountability, financial probity, etc.
This Sunday join us as we baptize Nina, Darrel and Mark. We will hear each of their stories and celebrate with them as they become part of our church family and begin the life of following Jesus. It’s always encouraging to hear what Jesus is doing in people’s lives and to celebrate together the victory of Jesus in all of our lives. As ever, it would be great to pray for the three people getting baptised and come prepared to welcome them to the family: you may want to give them a verse, pray for them, write them a card, or anything else! On Sunday they will begin the rest of their lives and we will gain some siblings. See you then!
This week we explore Ephesians 5:1-22. This is a scripture packed with meaning and there’s plenty to explore. Paul has called for us to live like the new creation Christ has made us to be, and now he unpacks even more on what that looks like and what it doesn’t look like. We’ll take a look at the difficult issue of at what point does idolatry make you an idolator? What does it mean to live in the light? What are some of the issues of our old life and how does Paul suggest we tackle them
As part of our 'Responding to God in this season' series Tim Murray sits down with Adrian Lowe to look at how we are called to manage our finances as a church.
What is real freedom? Humanity for all time, in every age has been looking for the answer to this question. Mankind is ‘hard-wired’ for freedom and so it becomes the pursuit of every generation. But what is it? How do you find it?
Many look for it in the abandonment of the perceived codes, rules and regulations of previous generations. Boundary-breaking is hailed as courageous and liberating. In the 18th century science took a massive leap forward and the age of reason was born. The conventions of a tight religious explanation of existence were jettisoned as science discovered something more plausible and well-reasoned. Romanticism, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the early 19th century rejected the stale, stuffy, restricting world of reason and industrialisation for the celebration of nature, beauty, and imagination. And so it goes on through the centuries! In the post war years of the 50’s and 60’s we saw sweeping cultural changes. Many social, moral and economic conventions were challenged in the pursuit of greater social and economic freedom and liberty. Not all bad but certainly not all good!
So, is freedom the absence of boundaries? Is the health and wholeness of human life best experienced by the absence of social moral and ethical codes? Or is our obsession with boundary-breaking a ticket back to Egypt and therefore slavery, rather than to a land of promise, freedom and liberty?
On Sunday we will explore God’s plan for our freedom as His people, revealed in the last half of chapter 4 of Ephesians. Come and listen to a short talk on what true freedom looked like for the believers in Ephesus and how that plan includes us today!
When you have a two year old boy you spend much of your time reading or watching Thomas the Tank Engine. The interesting thing about a steam engine is really in the name – that it runs on steam. I find it incredible that you can power such a huge metallic vehicle, pulling carriages, people and cargo, on the stuff that comes out of your kettle when it’s boiled!
However, the reality is that although it is steam driving the pistons to create the momentum of a train, the energy and power is actually generated by coal, in the fire in the firebox within the engine. I’m not an engineer so I’ll keep this short, but simply put the burning of the coal creates enough energy to boil the water that creates the steam that pushes the pistons that move the wheels.
What’s this got to do with Ephesians? Good question, I’m glad you asked…
In Ephesians 4 Paul is urging believers to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4 v 1-2). Essentially Paul is urging the Christians to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the way they lived and loved one another. In a similar way to the example of the steam engine, this is the forward momentum of the Christian life, living in love, unity, oneness, patience, kindness etc. But Paul knows that urging believers to live this life is not enough in itself, the wheels will only turn if there is enough steam, and there will only be enough steam is there is a hot enough fire, and there will only be a hot enough fire if there is enough coal in the firebox!
The firebox that powers us to unity is “one body and one Spirit…one hope…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all…” (Ephesians 4 v 4-6)
This Sunday we shall look together at Baptism, and how the reality of ‘one baptism’ powers us to live out our lives in love and unity.
This Sunday we return to our Ephesians series and pick up where we left off before Easter. In this passage, Paul turns from describing the Christian calling to applying it: he has spent half the letter teaching about what it is to be a Christian, but now he turns to how we should live in the light of this.
‘Unity’ and ‘diversity’ are words that are difficult to use without connoting the flavour and agenda of our modern liberalism, where diversity has become a political and social calling card for all manner of causes, many of them thoroughly secular and some of them explicitly anti-Christian. Unity is hard to see anywhere, from politics to the playground, but unfortunately where it does occur it is usually the worst kind of unity: an unthinking and selfish demand for ‘what’s best for us [the united]’. Yet Paul insists that a mature church is characterised by both.
Join us on Sunday as we try to sort out what exactly Paul is talking about and how we can try to follow the word of God in pursuing Godly unity and diversity, whilst avoiding replicating (or reacting against) culture in an unhealthy way.
Self-esteem’ is one of those concepts that has made in into the category of ‘unquestioned wisdom’ in our culture. We talk about it all the time as if we all know and agree what it means and why it matters. But just as an experiment, ask yourself, what does self-esteem actually mean? If you find this tricky, don’t worry, the experts can’t agree either. But whatever it is, we’re all agreed that its important. Our culture is quite convinced that ‘low self-esteem’ is at the root of many of our problems, and that ‘higher self-esteem’, would solve them.
This is just our latest attempt to address the gaping, aching problem of ourselves: the human condition. The question is whether this attempt leads us to truth, freedom and healing or further damages us. If me even voicing the suggestion that ‘self-esteem’ may be a damaging concept that shows only how great a hold on us this ideology has achieved.
But the cross shows a different way. Come along this Sunday as we explore our culture, the cross and the problem of our ‘selfs’.
A continuation of our Easter series - 'The cross has the final word' Hear Tim tackle the subject of failure in our lives.
This Sunday we welcome Matt & Sarah Home and Greg Plunkett to share about their experience of living a missional life. Greg works as a missionary in Kenya, whilst Matt & Sarah oversee Willowdene Farm, a rehabilitation and training centre in Shropshire.
Seeking to live a missional life is part of what it means to follow Jesus. Paul writes to the Christians at Corinth explaining that ‘we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.’ (2 Cor 5 v 20). As we listen to the stories and testimonies from Matt, Sarah and Greg, all seeking to follow Jesus in the way He has called them, we will see how truly transformational the message of Jesus is. We will also consider together how we too are called to live missional lives.
Many of us may not be called as a missionary to another country, or to be part of a Christian project, and yet all of us have those around us who desperately need to see and hear the message of Jesus.
May we be inspired this Sunday to reach out in mission in our everyday lives.
Secrets can be tricky things; knowing when to keep one and when to tell someone else about it isn’t always clear. But if you’ve ever wondered how many secrets you can keep, science allegedly has an answer: According to a recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology most people keep around 13, five of which they’ve never told another soul. The study also revealed that keeping a secret is one of the most exhausting things we can do as they heighten anxiety, take a toll on our sleep and can even burden us in the same way that carrying a physical load for an extended period would.
Apparently God isn't affected by keeping secrets in the same way as we are. In Ephesians chapter 3 we read about the mystery of the gospel revealed and the mystery is this: “that the Gentiles arefellow heirs,members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” God kept it hidden through all the generations of humanity that he had a plan to fully incorporate the Gentile nations (that means us) into the family of God.
It seems like an odd thing to say that our God keeps secrets but he is after all God and who are we to question his wisdom? In fact, as we will discover on Sunday, it was for the purpose of displaying his infinite wisdom to the enemy that he chose to act in this way. We hope that you will join us as we dive deeper into the perplexing majesty of an infinitely wise God whose plans far outshine even the greatest of earthly designs.
Let justice roll on like a river... “So come move, let justice roll on like a river, Let worship turn into revival, Lord, lead us back to you.” These are words found in a new song we have recently begun to sing at ACC.
The words are taken from Amos 5:24, which says,
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream!”
The New Living Translation puts it this way, “I want to see a mighty flood of justice, and an endless river of righteous living.”
The challenge early christians faced was one built on thousands of years of cultural and racial devision between Jews and Gentiles. So extreme a devision, arguably we still see it today in anti-semitism the world over. At the time of Christ jews had built themselves a wall around the Temple and God, inscribed with death threats to all Gentiles who would dare to come near.
The book of Ephesians is a go to when we need encouragement in our spiritual lives. Paul seems to effortlessly pop us into time, past, present and future and all the time God is at work in Christ in us and in the church. Even the heavens and the earth are full of his glory! Discover what God is doing in your life
How does God speak to us? Listen to a panel from Amblecote discuss and field questions about this pertinent issue.
How do we hear the voice of God? What do we do when we struggle to hear Him? How do we grow in knowing and discerning God’s voice?
This Sunday we continue our mini-series ‘Hearing God Speak’. We will be interviewing four members of our church family on their experience of hearing God speak in their everyday lives. They certainly do not claim to be experts! But through their experience we will learn together more about what it means to hear God speak and how we can grow in hearing His voice.
We shall be uploading sermons and other teachings from ACC Stourbridge here! Keep up to date with our various series:0)