Family Church Portsmouth: Recent Episodes
Family Church Portsmouth
Ps Connie concentrates on the various stories associated with David's life in the Old Testament as she unwraps her message about seeking and enquiring of the Lord.
Saul went after David, chasing after him for himself in the wilderness, foreign lands at one point - the Philistines. But in spite of all this, David had a heart for God, he was a strong obedient man. David didnt lead a peferct life, but even after various mishaps he repented and inquired of God.
Maybe we have walked with God a while, but do we really enquire after Him, seek His face before we decide what to do? These are the things Connie discusses in this message.
This week was a Trailblazers takeover for the whole service. After their summer camp 2026 there was lots to share, testimonies, Trailblazer led worship....the whjoel; service was given over to the youth. Ps Sean and Paula did the introductions!
Ps Nacho brings a message centred around 2 Corinthians 4:18, where we are enjoined to "... fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Basically, it's about the difference that living with an eternal or God perspective makes in our lives, especially during tough or challenging seasons. The benefits of developing such a God-oriented perspective include the so-called giants we face being scaled down to their proper size, and we are also enabled to approach them with the mentality of an overcomer, which is what we are in Christ!
Ps Sean today speaks about an interesting topic during the summer. "Did you hear that".....often we hear but dont listen! Sometimes we are so accustomed to sounds and noises we dont hear then any longer.
At Pentecost, they heard the sound, the crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Is it possible for us to become so familiar with God's presence? Cab we stop noticing the sound of God and what he is doing? Are we noticing him today?
There's a difference between being familiar with God that we lose reverence to God, ....familiarity where He no longer means anything. This is a real challenge.
A big thank you to Pastor Ezra for sharing God's Word so faithfully. We concluded our New Nature series by looking at the fruit of the Spirit, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It was such an encouraging message, reminding us of the importance of remaining in Him, because it is only as we abide in Christ that this fruit grows in our lives.
The message was shorter due to a medical situation, but we thank God all concened are well.
As we continue through the summer, let us take time to rest, refresh, and continue drawing close to Jesus. Whatever this season looks like for us whether it's full of family, holidays, work, or simply a slower pace may we know His peace, His strength, and His presence each day. Keep abiding in Him, encourage one another, and remember that God is at work in every season.
Following from Ps Steu's message in the New Nature series last week looking at Love, Joy and Peace, this week Ps Sean speaks about Patience, Kindness & Goodness.
He details how our lives are impacted by original sin from the Garden of Eden, how Jesus has overcome all of this for us at the cross, but also how we cannot live with one foot in each camp.....kingdom living or worldly ways.
How can we walk living in the Kingdom of God when we're living according to something that's not of the Kingdom of God - living according to the things of Flesh? We must realise that though the world may walk in this way, it is not our walk.
Our walk is not to be jealous with one another, not to quarrel with one another, to be envious with one another, to be sexually immoral, with the way in which we live.
The Gospel gives us a New Nature. Ps Sean expands on this as he tackles real life issues associated with Patience, Kindness & Goodness.
Pastor Stu shares a brilliant message in our New Nature series, looking at the Fruit of the Spirit and the life we're called to live through the Holy Spirit. He unpackes the themes of love, joy, and peace.
When we accepted Jesus, we were born again spiritually. Our ability to walk in the holy nature (and not in the flesh) comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The extent to which the nature of God is displayed in our character isdirectly related to the extent to which we ‘yield’ (‘give way’, ‘surrender’) to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It’s not by might, not by power, but by God’s Spirit! There are three aspects of God's nature which ought to be displayed in our lives..
- Love - the unmeritied, pure, sacrifical love desiring best for another, rooted in mercy and grace
- Joy - is a treasure inside us not able to be stolen easily
- Peace - is a sense of wellbeing resulting from having peace with God
Ps Steu explains these in detail along with scriptures confirming these fruits of the Holy Spirit. He prays for fresh revelations in all of us being children of God who carry the holy nature of our Heavenly Father, with a committment to walking in that holy nature, not just knowing that we carry it - love, joy, and peace.
Ps Sean continues speaking in the theme of 'We Value Church Family'. His message this week is titled "Growing Up". Our children grow up before our eyes but are we growing up in the church family? This is the challenge of Ps Sean's message today.
Some people have been in church most of their life but still don't always show spiritual maturity. Adults can still exhibit childish behaviours both naturally and spiritually. To become more spiritually mature we need to grow closer to God in a personal relationship.
Ps Sean speaks about whether this can be measured...it can certainly be observed! In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks to the church about poor behaviour, how the church is not ready for 'solid food', how they are worldy, how they quarel before speaking later about the spiritual gifts and the greatest gift - love. If we have not love we are clanging gongs!
Ps Sean leaves us with the three key thoughts
- Growing up means Letting Go to walk in true freedom and love
- Growing up means Showing Up
- Growing up means Helping Up
Ps Carla speaks this week about being consumed or being a consumer, as part of the We Love Family series on FC Values. As a family, we're responsible for one another, it isn't just about ourselves. It's not just about our family as in the people that we're related to or that live in our house.
We are all responsible for the well-being and the spiritual growth of our church family. This involves making disciples and considering where we want to plant our lives.
Ps Carla continues to speak about here we plant our lives in the church as a whole and what this means in terms of Kingdom living. How can the love of God be seen in us if we fail to act when our bothers and sisters are in need and we are in a position to help them?
She then goes on to speak about us as consumers - coming into the church family to receive, or being totally consumed by the love of God that every aspect of our life is oriented around the Father.
Using the parable of the talents and many more scriptures, Ps Carla illustrates how we can become fully consumed by God in order to take on more responsibility in His House in a fully selfless manner. Let us use the gifts we have been given for His glory and the benefit of others in His House.
Ps Paul begins a set of messages looking at Family Church Value #4 -We are Family.
We value our church family and the strength that comes from being planted in the House of God. We are committed to loving and serving one another as people who are 'consumed', not 'consumers'. We do 'family' God's way, helping each other grow as disciples and raising and developing leaders of all ages.
Pa Paula expands on all of the value above and spends considerable time talking about families, family life, relationships and the central need for forgiveness in our hearts towards eachother. We love as Christ loved us. The 1st Book of Corinthians Chaptder 13 spells out what Christian love is like...patient, kind, not envy, not boast....
Forgiveness is never going to be the easiest thing to do but by the grace of God, and by what Christ has done for us, it is possible. In the Lord's prayer we say forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us....So every time we say these words we are being reminded that the same way God has forgiven us... is the same way He wants us to walk in forgiveness.
In this first of two sessions dealing with Faith and Finance Ps Steu speaks about how to deal with a cost of living crisis using Kingdom principles. His message is a very practical one, where all the best practice is taken from scripture. All around us, news is worrying, prices keep rising, the world peddles fear, so how should we as Chistians live?
When speaking on money, Jesus says, “Do not worry.” - yes, be diligent; yes, be responsible; but remember that God is ultimately your Provider! (Matthew 6:25-33). God is faithful, and He does not change - inflation rates and interest rates change; our jobs aren’t always secure; fuel prices change; retirement age changes; the energy cap changes - but our God does not change! But here’s the key - if we want to live under God’s blessing and protection, we first need to be willing to live according to His instruction...and the Bible sets out clear prociples for Kingdom economics.
In this message, Ps Steu speaks about good stewardship of what we have been entrusted with, money and possessions. He covers the need to Budget; to Tithe; to be Intentional with our spending; to pay off Debts; to look to Save and to live Generously.
This short summary does not do justice to the importance of this challenging message. We must realise we are not defined by what we have, but rather by who we are in Christ. Jesus taught us to be wise stewards of what he has entrusted to us. He also paid the ultimate price for our sins and daily misdemeanours. Let us examine our hearts and seek help if we need to.
This Sunday is Global Sunday, the Sunday in the year where Family Church celebrates the rich diversity of its congregation, so many countries, cultures and languages represented. We come into the house of God and regardless of where we are from we all have something in common - Jesus saved us, this is changing our lives.
Ps Paula's message focuses on the life of Moses. She brings out some clear points from this
- God wants our attention, He is looking for us and waiting for us. He waited 40 years for Moses!
- We need to say 'Here I am' just as Moses did
- When God has our attention we need to be willing to share all of our life not just parts we are happy with
This is a clear challenging message asking us to check our hearts, are we open ot God's calling, are we willing to obey,,,,or are we so caught up with daily life God is shut out. God's miracles happen with His people's workmanship.
This week in Portsmouth Congregation we had a visitor, Hope Prosser from the charity Hope & Soul Tanzania, following a visit in country by some members of the congregation. She spoke briefly about the charity, its wonderful work in Tanzania with deprived children and we watched short video. All of the audio is captured here prior to Ps Steu's message. The website for the charity is https://hopeandsoul.org.uk/
Ps Steu then rounded off the current serries on our relationship with God by speaking about worship, how worship is derived from words relating to worth. Worship is our expression to God in recognition of who He is. God is awesome, powerful, creator, mighty, glorious, holy, loving, faithful, merciful and gracious. He is our saviour and our redeemer.
We worship Him not because of what He does but because of who He is. Listen as Ps Steu unwraps even more of this amazing topic.
Worship is how we live, not just songs!
Following on the current series of messages based around the Prodigal Son, Ps Ezra speaks about our relationship with God. He focuses on the Word of God, scripture being the all powerful, active, faith creating source of knowledge about our Lord.
His message focuses around the fact that unless we are well versed in the Word, we will now Know our God, or know how to Pray. If we go to The Father without understanding we go before our God at a complete loss.
He ends by inviting the whole church to pray earnestly and to invite the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and minds this Pentecost Sunday.
Ps Steu speaks on our third Family Church Value - Relationship with God. This is the first of three Sundays on this value. The whole point of being saved is to walk in relationship with God. This is a relationship based on an agreement (covenant relationship) where the conditions of the agreement have been met by God, in Christ.
Ps Steu then focused on how the Word of God will help us to build our relationship with God.
This week Ps Sean focuses on The God Of The Impossible, having last week spoken about The God of The Immeasurable. The two messages follow on....when we see how immeasurable God is, we begin to also see how only He can put the "possible" into what we see as "impossible". God sees beyond the chaos, He sees a human being and says, ah, what you see is different to what I see, where you see impossibility, I see possibility!
Ps Sean quoted William Temple, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury during World War II. He said "when I pray Coincidences happen". Coincidences are so linked with the fact that when we pray into situations and circumstances and believe for them, these so-called coincidences, these impossible situations all of a sudden, turn around and become possible.
Ps Sean quotes the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-27....Jesus told him it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God. So we all think we are doomed but Jesus then replied with "What is impossible with man is possible with God". In fact Jesus was talking about salvation, the greatest immeasurable impossible act Jesus could ever do. We cannot enter into the kingdom of God on our own, but with Him, we enter in to a new way of living.
The second greatest remarkable act about God's presence is himself living in his people. We stand In this generation able to receive the Living God inside of us and walk with the power of the Holy Spirit. Ps Sean goes onto speak about the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us and how we can be a house of miracles when we fully trust in the living God.
Listen to this challenging message...
Today Ps Sean gives us an amazing message about how "immeasurable" God is. Once, we walk with him and think we are close, but really what God does, he takes us closer and closer to him as he did with Moses going up the mountain.
Ephesians 3:20-21 says, NIV says "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
To be immeasurable means impossible to measure, vast, boundless. Our minds get lost in this ability to not be able to understand how incredibly vast God is…. beyond human capacity to calculate but God works outside everything we can contain and control. We serve a God, we know a God who is able to work outside of everything that we measure. He is immeasurably bigger. He can do immeasurably more than we ask or think.
Ps Sean looks at more scriptures showing how everything is under God's creation. Genesis 1:1 (NIV) “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” God created everything.
Ps Sean looks at the Galaxy, the Milky Way, even further into space and gives insight to the size of the stars and planets....we cannot fathom nor understand. But trying to do this in our own strength, our own understanding is not possible. Even the most advanced human measurement still cannot contain what God created.
We need a next level thinking of trusting God.
In the third week of messages from the theme 'We value New Life', Ps Carla speaks today about Grace and Truth. her message focuses n how Jesus treated people, how He may treat us and how grace and truth may impact our lives.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." Things happen to us from the inside out when we are saved by God. Only our Saviours kindness and love saves us, washes away our sins. This is because of His grace, He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we could inherit eternal life. In John 1:14 we see the scripture speaking of Jesus being full of grace and truth.
The Pharisees & Sadducees constantly came to try and test Jesus to push him to trip him up, because of the grace that he showed to people. In those situations, we see our wise Jesus continue to speak truth, continue to speak grace as they challenged Him, reaching the very heart of them.
Ps Carla continues to examine scriptures illustrating how Jesus dealt with people with not grace but also truth, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, scripture abounds in such examples.
We are all loved enough to be changed. Truth may diagnose the problem but grace comes along and brings the healing, it's both, it's not either!!
In the third week of messages from the theme 'We value New Life', Ps Carla speaks today about Grace and Truth. her message focuses n how Jesus treated people, how He may treat us and how grace and truth may impact our lives.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." Things happen to us from the inside out when we are saved by God. Only our Saviours kindness and love saves us, washes away our sins. This is because of His grace, He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we could inherit eternal life. In John 1:14 we see the scripture speaking of Jesus being full of grace and truth.
The Pharisees & Sadducees constantly came to try and test Jesus to push him to trip him up, because of the grace that he showed to people. In those situations, we see our wise Jesus continue to speak truth, continue to speak grace as they challenged Him, reaching the very heart of them.
Ps Carla continues to examine scriptures illustrating how Jesus dealt with people with not grace but also truth, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, scripture abounds in such examples.
We are all loved enough to be changed. Truth may diagnose the problem but grace comes along and brings the healing, it's both, it's not either!!
Our acknowledgement of the power of the cross and the sacrifice Jesus made in taking our place and exchanging His righteousness for our sinfulness Made Us Alive to God. Therefore, it’s time to put on the robe of righteousness, and live according to our calling and new position in Christ…
Ps Steve speaks on the second of the Family Church Values - We Value New Life, introducing this topic and giving a foundational message. This is an amazing message looking at the New Life we have in Jesus when we accept Him as saviour. If we make the same mistakes over and over again in our relationships and other areas of our lives, this message is perfectly aimed at helping us understand the value of the New Life we really have.
Ps Steve speaks about what value life is, why this matters and how we can live in the power of this life.
Are we actually living in the power of a simple gospel? This is the crux of Ps Steve's message today. Are we living in the power of what Jesus has done for us? Jesus makes a point that when we were born in the natural sense, we were dead in the spiritual sense, right. When we came out of the womb, our first breath, our first tears, we were physically alive that day, but the Bible says that we were spiritually dead (John 3:1 & following - Jesus Teaches Nicodemus).
Ps Steve lays the foundation that as a result of the fall (Adam & Eve), we are all born into sin spiritually. However God, who is so rich in mercy because he loved us so much, even when we were dead in our sins and our trespasses, gave us new life when he raised Christ from the dead. And so, when Jesus went to the cross, we went to the cross. When Jesus was buried in the tomb, we were buried in the tomb. The Bible says that we have also been raised to newness of life in him, we've been given a brand new life. We have been born again.
Romans 12:2 (NIV) says "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Let God transform us into new people. We are now in Christ. How can we do this?, only by changing the way we think & see. We've got to change the way we think in order to change the way we live because we will always live in accordance with what we believe.
If we renew our minds, we can wake knowing old addictions & habits no longer form who we are because we are free!!!
On this Easter Day 2026, Resurrection Sunday, Ps Sean speaks about the glorious exchange which happened on the cross to save our sins. This was not just a story but a real event in history, the Bible describes in each of the gospels. Today Ps Sean reads from book of Matthew (Matthew 27), speaking abut the story of the crucifixion of Jesus, the decision made by Pilate to wash his hands of the seemingly ridiculous decision to crucify Jesus and release Barabbas, a known murderer and thoroughly bad person.
What did Jesus do?...He broke their traditions...of the Jewish culture...healing on the Sabbath, setting people free, exposing hypocrisy, challenging their authority.
God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, to be a sin offering. He condemns sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us who do not live according to the flesh but according to the spirit. Jesus was the offering pay for our sin, the penalty we could not pay.
This is a masterly expose of the story of the crucifixion, the real meaning behind the cross.
Ps Sean Continues in the theme of 'We Value People', this week looking at the value People inspired by God's Compassionate and Merciful heart. We are committing to healing and restoration. We want every person to feel safe and secure and included as valued members of our church family.
Ps Sean looks at definitions of healing and restoration, reminding us that the context here is not purely physical but spiritual as well in order to cover mind, body and soul.
Again the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is the basis here, the son goes from being in a position of total fulfilment as a son of a well off Father to selling himself and wishing he was eating pig food - lowest of the low - to being then fully restored and healed by his Father upon his return. Jesus tells this as a wonderful way of demonstrating God's love for us and his ever open arms no matter how awful we may feel our world has become. If we lack self esteem or identity we need to look no further than these scriptures to see how God views us and how our feelings do not align with God's truth.
Ps Sean also reminds us that from the fall (Adam & Eve) we were born into a similar position, but the revelation here is that when we realise our Heavenly Father's arms are open wide... we can likewise be restored back to sonship in a moment through the blood of Jesus.
Ps Sean gives us seven things as takeaways to restore our lives....
- Panic to Peace
- Despair to Joy
- Bound to Free
- Poverty to Provision
- Sick to Strength
- Disconnect to Connect
- Hopeless to hope
Listen to how Ps Sean unpacks each of these takeaway nuggets for our lives to be healed and fully restored to our Lord and God. Amen!
Following the description two weeks ago of the Family Church Values, Ps Paula this week speaks specifically about "We Value People". Every person is loved by God and we want to make sure that as a church and as people who are Kingdom-minded and who love the Lord, we want to make sure that we reflect His heart. So if we want to be Christ-like, we need to know what Christ is like!
John 3:16-17 (NIV) describes the character of God perfectly..."For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him".
Ps Paula then spends most of her message speaking about the subject of compassion, how we all need compassion at times in our lives and how this aspect of God's character so illustrates the value of loving people. In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), it is the seemingly despised Samaritan, not the religious priest, who has compassion, but this compassion costs him, as it does us and indeed it cost Jesus' life.
Real compassion is not just a thought but an action too!
Lamentations 3:22 (ESV) says "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end..."
Do we exhibit compassion or religion....listen to this challenging podcast!
Ps Sean takes a moment to review the massive help gained from Vision Sunday last year and the increase in capability this had brought to youth and schools mission. Personal anecdotes show how souls have been saved and people grown as a result of the generosity during 2025.
Ps Sean then looks forward to the rest of 2926 outlining some of the many exciting aspects of the vision for Family Church as far as the Portsmouth congregation is concerned. The mission statement for the church is Reach | Grow | Empower. Ps Sean spends time unpacking these words and speaks about 'Reaching' many souls near our present boundaries. He emphasises the need for whole congregation prayer to support and undergird any such activity.
Listen to this podcast to glimpse what is in store for the rest of the year!
Today is Vision Sunday 2026 for the whole of Family Church. Here in the Portsmouth congregation, Ps Steu speaks about the Mission and Vision of the church and introduces the six Family Church Values which will be expounded during the following weeks...
- We Value People
- We Value New life
- We Value Relationship with God
- We Value Church Family
- We Value Gathering
- We Value Commissioning
Each of these is represented by a part of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) - a central Christian teaching on God's unconditional love and forgiveness. All other Family Church congregations heard a recorded version of this message and everyone received a booklet entitled Reach, Grow, Empower, explaining these values. Please refer to www.family.church for further details.
Nearly 30 years ago Pastors Andy & Gina Elmes following a calling from God to open a church. Family Church has now grown to a multi congregational Church across the South of UK, additionally in the Philippines. In 2025 Ps Andy & Gina felt God had a new calling upon their lives, Soul Winning across Europe & many other countries with a goal to reach a million souls.
Ps Steve Carey introduces Ps Andrew White from Victory Gospel Church Southampton to bring The Word for the momentous occasion this afternoon.
Before Ps Steu joined Family Church many years ago, Victory Gospel Church was his home church, so it was fitting for Ps Andrew to speak on the occasion of the formal induction of Pastors Steu & Carla Payne as Senior Leaders of the whole of family Church.
Following the message given by Ps Andrew, Ps Andy Elmes speaks directly to Ps Steu & Carla imparting words of wisdom regarding leadership of a church community. He speaks very clearly about maintaining the truth of the Gospel, focusing on Jesus, keeping space for private prayer and the authority with which this position brings.
As this formal induction of Ps Steu & Carla Payne closes, many invited guests also pray, laying hands on the now Senior Leaders of Family Church. The service ends with worship.
This week Ps Carla caries on the theme begun by Ps Steu last week. She begins speaking about Saul (who became Paul) and how he persecuted the Christians - Acts 8:3 (NLT) “But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.” Later, scripture tells us - Acts 9:1 (NLT) “Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest.”
This continues in Acts 9, but then Saul has a life-changing encounter with Jesus! He had to let go of the “old” life in order to live in the new life that God had for him. As Paul, he wrote a huge part of the New Testament, teaching the early Christians about salvation by grace and the “New Creation”. Paul endured much hardship, but at the end of his life he was able to say this: “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” (2 Timothy 4:6-7 NLT).
Paul completed the race that God had given him. He was totally reliant on God as he ran his race. Two major things that can hinder us to run the race that God has set before us are self-reliance & pride. The race that God has called us to requires faithfulness and consistency.
We must strip off the things that are unnecessary - sin, weights, offence, hurt, shame, self-reliance, pride, distractions etc. Ps Carla takes us through many scriptures illustrating these points and ends with the challenge that we must run into the presence of God and hold on to the hope that He brings to our lives.
This hope is JESUS!
This week Ps Steu thanks Pastors Andy & Gina for the amazing foundation they created in Family Church, reflecting on last week which was a celebration of Ps Andy's & Ps Gina's ministry as they move towards their international soul saving calling.
Ps Steu's keystone verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" There is a past work that has occurred in our lives, that in this present day causes us to stand before God as the new creations. That past work is the moment our faith was placed in Jesus Christ. An incredible Exchange of the Cross happened in our lives.
The theme of this message is very much that with God all things can be made new. There is nothing that God cannot make new. Our lives have been redeemed, fully. We have been brought back through Jesus to God, but God is now in the process of restoring that which was brought back to him. Often, even when we were straight, we walked away from God. We all have to come to the point where we come to our senses and accept Jesus, returning to God.
Ps Steu continues by recounting the story of Jairus daughter, after Jesus healed the woman who touched the hem of His garment. He speaks about the crowd that needs to be got out of the way on order for us to unblock the way to Jesus. Some of us need to clear a path, get rid of the crowd, the distraction, the opinions, the the stuff that is just blocking us getting to what Jesus wants to do in our lives.
Let us have the faith to move away from the 'crowds' in our lives so we can focus on Jesus to know Him, obey Him, love Him. It's time to have faith in God in order He can do a new thing in the impossible situations in our lives.
Twenty Eight years ago Ps Andy Elmes began what was then called Abide in the Vine Family Church. This was in response to a definite calling from God which has seen a church grow from just a handful of people to a multi congregational soul saving ministry within and beyond the UK. Pastors Andy & Gina now face a new challenge, a new calling from God, equally daunting maybe but their faith in God keeps them aligned to His calling, to begin a Soul Saving activity to reach at least a million people worldwide.
The ministry of Ps Andy & Gina can be reached at https://greatbiglife.co.uk/ and presently Ps Andy's book 'Soul Winner' is being translated into multiple languages to make the content accessible to many nations.
As one chapter closes and another begins for Family Church, it was fitting on PS Andy's birthday to recount the history of his ministry and that of the church. Ps Steu introduces Ps Sarah Carter who interviews Andy & Gina Elmes "This is your Life" style.
Many contributors and friends send messages of congratulation, encouragement and blessing. The evening ends with prayers and laying on of hands over Ps Andy & Gina for their next chapter in life with special prayers for their 'sending out in Jesus' name'.
Ps Steu ends the evening with closing remarks.
This was a once in a lifetime service......
In his last Sunday morning message to the Portsmouth congregation of Family Church, Ps Andy speaks about one of his original messages when he began the church nearly 30 years ago.
Through the blood of Jesus we have Redemption - we are redeemed, and at the cross, the Divine Exchange took place where the sins of us all were taken by Jesus, the only sin free man ever.
Andy illustrates this with a personal story about a model boat which was stolen then rescued from a charity shop.....it had to be bought back, at a price, indicating its value. This mirrors God's love for us and the sacrifice of Jesus.
Listen with intent at this wonderful inspiring message!
Today was a momentous occasion in Family Church....Ps Andy & Gina Elmes passed the Family Church Baton of Leadership to Ps Steu & Carla Payne. The following words were written by Ps Andy & Gina...
There are moments in life when you realise you are standing on holy ground - not because something is ending, but because something has been faithfully completed.
After 28 years of founding, leading, pastoring, and building this church and ministry, the time has come for us to step aside and step forward. To release what has been entrusted to us, and to trust God for what He has entrusted to others.
Ecclesiastes reminds us, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Seasons change, not because something has failed, but because God is faithful to finish what He starts - and bold enough to begin something new. When we first said 'yes' to God all those years ago, we had little more than obedience, faith, and a burning conviction that Jesus deserved a church alive with His presence and His power. We dreamed of a people who would love God deeply, love one another fiercely, and reach the lost relentlessly. What God has done since then has exceeded anything we could have planned or imagined.
We have seen lives transformed, families restored, leaders raised, nations touched, and Jesus glorified. This house has been built on prayer, faith, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to the Gospel. It has been the honour of our lives to carry that responsibility. And while this chapter closes, let me say this clearly: our voice is not stopping - it is simply shifting. The message God has placed in us, the convictions we carry, and the call to equip, awaken, and send will continue. It will simply be expressed in new spaces, new contexts, and new assignments. For those who still want that voice in their lives, it will be there - faithful to the same Jesus, shaped by the same fire.
This church was never built to rest on one person - it was built to run on mission and vision. Paul wrote, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God gave the increase.” I may have planted, others have watered, but it has always been God who makes things grow. And He is not finished - not even close.
To those now stepping into leadership: you carry this house with heaven’s backing. God trusts you. We trust you. Lead with courage. Guard the culture. Keep Jesus at the centre. Stay hungry for His presence and bold in your faith. The best chapters are not behind you - they are ahead. To every member, volunteer, giver, intercessor, and faithful servant: thank you. Thank you for believing, for standing, for serving, for loving, and for never giving up. You are the living stones of this house, and the future is strong because you are strong.
As for us, we now step into the next adventure with the same heart that started this one - faith-filled, surrendered, and expectant. Abraham went out not knowing where he was going, but knowing who was leading him. That is enough.
This is not goodbye as in separation - it is goodbye as in sending. And sending is always filled with hope.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God has been faithful. He is faithful. And He will be faithful still.
Thank you for the journey. Thank you for the trust. Thank you for the love.
The story continues...
Andy & Gina
This week, Ps Sean's message is about the 'Edge of the Unknown'. Matthew 5:6 (NIV) says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled". We are all made to be satisfied, but often we 'fill up' from the wrong tank of satisfaction! God is the true source of satisfaction. Many scriptures speak of this, Psalm 90:14 (NIV) says "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days". Psalm 107:9 (NIV) says "..for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things".
We need filling up with God on a daily basis, otherwise we shall break down like a car without fuel. We need filling up with God, but God's satisfaction is not giving some settlement of comfort staying safe within familiar walls. God's infilling is designed to take us to the edge of the unknown and it's often an uncomfortable step.
Ps Sean is telling us we need to live comfortably uncomfortable lives . He then takes some situations from the Scriptures to illustrate how God uses us when we are 'on the edge of our comfort zone'. When the Lord meets Gideon, nothing is the same thereafter - going to win a battle with only trumpets and lanterns is pretty amazing! In the story of David & Goliath, the army was learning how to fight physically, how to come up with the latest strategies. David was learning to fight lions and bears by faith in God, it took him over the edge of the unknown.
We cannot allow ourselves to always understand in the natural, we have to trust God by faith and watch Him come through. The fruit of that spiritual satisfaction creates bonus, freedom, and faith. When we are filled with His Spirit, we shall have boldness walking in freedom, audacious faith, proclaiming the gospel.
We need to be in His presence. We need to seek Him that we would be filled. Recall that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be satisfied, not for our own sakes, but for the sake of everyone around us.
Ps Paula speaks about the hungry who shall be filled.....She references Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled". Many people are getting tired of what the world has to offer because they're realising that it does not satisfy. Paula was reading this verse excitedly as the Bible says that we shall be filled - this is not just for us, but also for anyone who does not know Jesus yet. Often we hunger and thirst for something more than the world can offer.
Ps Paula goes on to speak about Matthew 9:14-15 (NKJV) "Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast." Jesus was basically saying here, why should his disciples fast when God himself is right with them? There was no need to fast, but he explained that one day when Jesus goes, then his disciples will need to fast. And that one day has carried on ever since Jesus ascended to Heaven....
This week we have a period of Prayer and Fasting in the church so these verses are relevant as Ps Paula carries on to explain how fasting with prayer is a spiritual discipline we can include in our lives to move ever closer to our Lord.
Prayer & Fasting is a gift to us, when we seek God we find him, we are humbled before God. In God's presence we find freedom, breakthrough and release from oppression. This week we shall pray for a fresh commitment to
- seek the Lord afresh, humility & urgency to ask for His presence, wisdom, and power for this next season
- consecration to examine our hearts before God returning to holiness & wholeheartedness
- bold living, to be courageous in our witness, bold in our faith, and unashamed of the Gospel to live lives that provoke questions that carry hope displaying God's kingdom
Following last week's message by Ps Andy (Rise up and Build), this week Ps Steu starts to lay detail by looking at the nature of our foundations - individually and as a whole church. Everything God builds is spectacular, strong and stands through the storms. We all have storms in our lives at times, but everything God builds has strong foundations to last for ever.
Ps Steu explains how foundations need to be adequate for the shape of the building, the reach of the building, or the size of the building also, the height and longevity of the building. This is true in physical terms and also in spiritual terms for what God is to accomplish in our lives.
If we are to build something significant, it starts with a strong foundation. As we step into the next season for Family Church, God is asking us to make sure the foundation is right for what He wants to do next. God wants our next to be significant, so it's important to take time to make sure the foundations are good - no shortcuts. In Matthew 16:18, He said to Peter who had an amazing revelation of who Jesus is - "I also say to you that you're Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail".
Ps Steu continues to unpack revelation between the physical and spiritual, and asks key questions...
- What foundations need to be laid in our lives to correctly prepare for what God wants to build
- If we have ideas of what God wants to build in our lives, what foundations need to be laid in order to correctly prepare here
- Are our foundations going deep enough, are we aware that its possible that foundations laid so far are not deep enough, so more time is required to correct this
- When we do rise to a great height and God uses us in glorious ways, this has to be a sustainable position for the future....to reach out further, we must ensure foundations are deep enough
We are all living stones in the work God is doing in the church. He is building every one of us. We all have a part to play in the building of God's house, to be filled with His presence, His Glory and Splendour.
Ps Andy has been hearing from the Lord for things in his and Ps Gina's lives for this new year, also things for other people, especially the rest of Family Church.
Ps Andy takes as a key scripture the verses in Nehemiah 2, especially verses 17-20 (NKJV) "Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”
Ps Andy emphasises that we all personally need to have an agenda of 'Rise up and Build' for the new year. We need to be servant hearted as was Nehemiah, not rest on our laurels, be thankful for the foundations well laid in our lives and those of Family Church itself, being prepared to get behind the leadership in building the future. Time for procrastination is over!
Interestingly the story in the scripture above shows how having a word from God, having a servant heart and having determination in the face of opposition will bring success in short order. Nehemiah rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days!
This a challenging message for 2026!
Ps Andy provides an encouraging message that provokes the listener to step out of an old year into a new year by faith. Both our leaving and arriving need to be bold steps of faith that see God behind and God ahead. Using the keys of thankfulness and faith we cross over in strength.
Ps Andy speaks ta the end of the Christmas service emphasising the difference between happiness and true joy. Joy comes from the Lord, happiness is a feeling....
Following from previous messages, Ps Sean carries the theme of speaking about Faith. This week, he concentrates on 'Faith to Wait'. Sean speaks about Simeon, (Luke 2, 25vv). Simeon had been waiting along time for a promise to be fulfilled, but having seen the Christ Child in the Temple, he was happy to be 'dismissed in peace' as his eyes had seen the salvation of all peoples. Another prophet Anna, also in the temple gave thanks to God over the child and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
These two people were quite elderly and had been waiting a long time on the promises they had been given. Their lives were a faith walk. We cannot rush God, His timing will never be our timing! Ps Sean points out that incredibly a promise made to Abraham thousands of years ago is still being outworked on the Earth today - Father of many nations right now!
Ps Sean goes on to provide more examples of how our lives need to be a faith journey trusting in God, based on promises given to us.
Following form Ps Andy's previous messages about the classroom of faith, Ps Gina this week speaks about how God provides encouragement to us through His word. At times she sprinkles this message with personal anecdotes about how God has literally spoken to her through nature, through the Bible and even a message on a note left wedged in a table!
Ps Gina also speaks what may be some of her last messages to the church as a whole as senior leadership changes take place early 2026. She is keen to impart a message to us "Be strong and courageous and trust God". The faith we have learnt about in the classroom of faith messages demands courage. In the early verses of the book of Joshua, God speaks to someone who is about to lead His people into the promised land...
Joshua 1:6 & following (NIV) " Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Ps Gina's message today builds on this text by talking about the courage that Faith demands.
Ps Andy continues speaking in his Classroom of Faith series but moves away from looking at Abraham & Sarah (even though he admits there are moany more lessons to be leant there). This week, he looks specifically at the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. Ps Andy takes us on a tour of the story of Joseph, his sons, his multi coloured coat and life full of dreams, Pit, Potiphar, accusation, prison, waiting, appointment then palace, more dreams and eventual fulfilment!
Ps Andy then summarises the life of Joseph with ten learning lessons of faith.....
- Faith starts with a God given dream
- Faith trusts God when people fail you
- Faith refuses to let circumstance define identity
- Faith stays faithful in unfair places
- Faith chooses integrity over opportunity
- Faith trusts God in delays and silence
- Faith serves others even while waiting on its own breakthrough
- Faith believes that God can change everything in a moment
- Faith recognises that promotion comes from god, not people
- Faith sees God’s hand in every chapter – even the painful ones
Every point here which comes from the story of Joseph equally well reflects into our own lives!
Ps Andy carries on his series about Abraham's Classroom, this week looking at How to take hold of something by faith. He recaps last week - Abraham and Sarah stepping out in faith on a promise from God. If we are to take a faith Journey with God, its must start with a promise. Every time Abraham had a breakthrough, every time he met with God on the journey, he would take time to stop and worship, build an altar. Last week we crossed into Genesis 13 and we saw how Abraham separated from Lot & leant how we need to be ready to leave something old natural, in order to take on something new.
How to take hold of something by faith? We have the promise, we are stepping out, we have a word for the situation but we are not yet holding the outcome. Ps Andy looks at how Abraham conducted himself here in his journey after being told he would be Father of many nations yet had no son. He made mistakes (Ishmael) and more. Ps Andy walks us through this story looking at how we can be frustrated at waiting for fulfilment of God's promises yet the last thing God needs is for us to step in and "help Him". God is Almighty, he needs no help from us!
When God gives a promise, the Fulfilment of that promise is on Him, not on us. We need to walk in alignment with the promise but the fulfilling of the promise is based on Him which means He puts His character and His name on the line. We settle back not in apathy, but in simple Faith saying God I don't know how or when but if you promised I know you will. When we have a promise from God, we need to be speaking in alignment with that promise.
This is an action packed message, Ps Andy concludes explaining the situation about Abraham and Isaac, where God appears to test Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac after he had waited many years to get him.
When God said, take the promised child, go to the region where Jesus was also crucified, sacrifice him as a burnt offering, it was a massive challenge of faith. When God gives something he promised then steps into our world saying can you trust me, we see the maturity of Abraham's faith. In Hebrews 11, Abraham takes Isaac, ready to sacrifice, but knows God will intervene. Abraham reasoned he would receive Isaac back from the dead. Abraham holds a child knowing he's in covenant with God. So God speaks to him telling him to offer his son just as Jesus would die many years later and rise. Abraham does not know God's plan here but does know his son will live. He was releasing God to do something that would save us.
This is an amazing and challenging message!
Ps Andy speaks today on the first of a new short series titled 'Classroom of Faith'. His message focuses on the story of Abram becoming Abraham, going on a journey of faith as directed by God (book of Genesis), but also leaning very much on the words of Hebrews 11 that tells us without faith it is impossible to please God.
As Pastor of Family Church, Andy implores us to be people having unshakable faith. We are not to place reason above faith. Let Faith be first in our lives. Before every miracle we read of in scripture, there's always an unreasonable request demanding people of unreasonable faith! Andy concentrates today on the story of Abraham found in Genesis 12 to 14. God told him to go from the country he knew to a place he did not, but that many promises would be his - the Father of many nations and more....
Andy underlines the importance of stepping out not in our own strength, but on a promise from God as Abraham did, even if the full details are not known at that time. Foolishness and presumption have no place here. We need a word from Heaven to take a journey to somewhere called seemingly impossible - just as Ps Andy & Gina are taking on their own next steps of ministry. In Genesis 13:14 and following, scripture says (NIV) The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
We can liken Lot to people, relationships, activity, habits etc in our own lives today and realise that we cannot expect to step out in faith somewhere new until we leave behind what we have naturally known. Only then will God show us the stars of tomorrow and all the sand of unstoppable promises.
Today is Remembrance Sunday. After a service of remembrance, Ps Sean reflects not only on those who gave their lives sacrificially for our freedom during wars and conflicts; but also upon the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross.
Just as many did during military conflicts, we are called to lay our lives down for God's purpose. Ps Sean recalls John 3:16 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life". This is a picture of sacrifice, the offering of God giving His son was a gift, it cost God our Father - the nature of sacrifice.
John 15:12-14 (NIV) says "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command". Ps Sean makes no apologies for telling us we cannot live a life ignoring Jesus' commands calling ourselves Christian & expecting the benefits!
Ps Sean continues referring to Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship". He continues speaking about three key ingredients of sacrifice:
- Surrender
- Selflessness
- Suffering
Jesus lived this kind of life, not because he needed to but because we needed him to do this for us.
This Sunday is our Missions Sunday. During the service, the congregation listened to videos from all the missionaries we support across the world (audio of this omitted here). Ps Steu then spoke about why we do what we do and why this is important to us all.
The only true complete and lasting answer to the needs of humanity is found in Christ Jesus. There is nothing and nobody else that can be bring true hope, true healing and restoration outside of Salvation found in Jesus Christ. God's desire is that every human being on the face of this planet would find salvation in Jesus. Ps Steu refers to the well known verse John 3:16....(NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life".
Salvation is something every person can receive. All we have to do is put our faith in Jesus, repent of our sins and come to Jesus. Ps Steu explains at great length with many other scripture references how this is the plan of God for all humanity, to have the opportunity to be saved. This was revealed to Peter in Acts chapters 10 and 11. We have all been given an incredible message by God to share with the people around our lives.
We are Christ's ambassadors. Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news!
Last week Ps Carla began a news series looking at 'Life is a Garden'. Following this, Ps Sean this week takes a look specifically at what we can sow with a focus on our finances.
Amongst many scripture references, Sean looks at Luke 6:38 (NIV) "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” The law of sowing and reaping is as relevant today as it was thousands of years back when the scripture was written. He follows this with Matthew 6:19..."“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".
Ps Sean points out that there are two fields we can sow into - the immediate field in front of us and the eternal field beyond our temporal lifespan. Which is worth more to sow into? The Bible tells us to set our minds on Heavenly things, not earthy things. Gaining the whole world but losing our soul is not wise..
Ps Sean goes on to speak about the love of money and our love for the Lord. 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV) says "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Money helps us achieve many things, the key here is our heart attitude. Are we doing something because of our love of a monetary reward (perhaps), or our love for our Lord?
He ended with three key points on sowing with finances
- Get to give - not give to get
- Love is our motive - generosity, kindness, & love from the overflow of a grateful heart
- Joyful Obedience - have a merry spirit when giving
This is a challenging message!
Ps Carla begins a new series of messages entitled 'Life is a Garden'. The first message is subtitled 'Wilderness to Promised Land'. All through scripture from Genesis to the New Testament we find numerous references to gardens, agriculture, seed time and harvest (we reap what we sow).
Today Carla speaks about how in Genesis 2:8, Our Father God planted a garden. NIV verses..."Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed". In verse 15, God told Adam to work the garden and care for it "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it".
The Bible says God planted and Ps Carla envisages God crouching down putting seeds into the ground, perhaps with dirty hands. So the Bible is full of imagery around gardening, all this relating to our relationship with God, who is the planter & cultivator of both creation and of our hearts.
Ps Carla explains how the story of the Israelites who eventually feed not from manna & quail, but planted crops is similar. No longer was God going to rain down provision but to do something different. He was saying now you need to work the land and care for it. The Israelites had come into a place where the principle of seed time and harvest were put in motion.
Ps Carla leaves us with thoughts on three key seeds we have the ability to sow daily
- Speech - how we speak really matters. Proverbs 19:21 says death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat of its fruits.
- Tears - Psalm 126:5 (NIV) says "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy". We may be moved to tears in our prayers of closeness to our Lord...
- Energy or money or capabilities - God loves a cheerful giver, all that we have is His anyway!
Ps Andy rounds off the series on a "Growing Church" by speaking about Communion and Prayer. During the service he then led the whole church into taking communion together.
Acts 2:42 (NIV) says "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer". This has been the central theme for the series on growing the church. Every time we touch the bread, whether it's a cracker, a wafer or sourdough, whatever bread we're using, let it remind us that a body was broken for our freedom. When we take the cup, that Jesus Christ paid the price of his blood, so that we could be set free from religious experience and obligation and brought into a relationship with Him and His Father.
Ps Andy explains the deeper spiritual meaning behind the taking of communion before speaking about prayer and the importance of prayer in our lives. He speaks about us being a house of prayer, not entertainment and how prayer should be ta the heart of our lives.
Prayer and communion go hand in hand, together they are a crucial part of the fellowship of believers as described in Acts 2:42.
Within the context of our series on a Growing Church, today Pastors Andy & Gina Elmes made a significant announcement to all of Family Church held dear to their hearts. The following words accompany the message today from Pastors Andy & Gina.....
After 28 years of pioneering and leading Family Church, on Sunday, 1st February 2026, we will be handing over the leadership of Family Church to Steuart & Carla Payne, who will step into the role of Senior Pastors. This transition comes after much prayer, preparation, and a clear sense that the assignment God gave us nearly three decades ago is now complete. We are confident that this next chapter will be filled with fresh vision, strength, and fruitfulness under Steuart & Carla’s leadership. They are trusted, tested, and called by God to lead Family Church into its next chapter. We are excited about what God will continue to do in and through the church under Steuart & Carla's leadership. Please know that this transition is not an end, but a continuation of the faith journey God has us all on. Thank you for standing with us, for loving us, and for continuing to build God’s house with faith and unity. With love and blessings, Andy & Gina.
Ps Andy further explained how this indeed fits with the biblical pattern of change and transition seen in the New Testament church. Paul raised people, trusted them, pastored them, taught them, established churches and also moved on to new things as God called him. Whilst the news today does seem a huge change, it is a reflection of Ps Andy's willingness to be obedient to God's calling even when the future is uncertain. God is a God of movement, we all need to become open and able to hear His call upon our own lives.
Following in the series about a Growing Church, today Ps Connie speaks about being devoted to one another and walking in shared fellowship with God (as well as with each other).
This is a deep spiritual connection. It is about us having a shared life, walking together in unity and in love with a community of people who love God. We must purpose to walk together in all seasons of life, be it in joy or in sorrow.
At the end of this message Ps Sean speaks briefly about the vision the church has for provision of Connect Groups across our postal area, providing a means of outworking the building of relationships together and discipling individuals in their Christian walk.
Last Week, Ps Andy gave an introduction to the new series "A Growing Church", and explained how this also fits within our overall theme of Magnify and Multiply.
This week, Ps Paula begins the series in earnest by speaking about being 'Devoted to the Word'. The key scripture here is Acts 2:42 (NLT) "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer".
In Acts 2, we read that Peter, a disciple, had just preached the gospel to a crowd. In verse 41, it lets us know that the ones who devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching were those who received Jesus' words, were baptised and added to the church - 3000 souls! Those who gave their lives to Jesus became devoted to His words. What we see in the book of Acts is the word of God come alive to people who were willing to be devoted and were willing to change their lives.
The whole of Paula's message is about how our lives become shaped by reading and being devoted to the word of God. Without this, our lives drift, according to our feelings at times and certainly not in alignment with God's plans for us. We must read and apply Gods word if we want to grow.
2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) says "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right". We need the bible and Christian friends to feed us truths not pander to our emotions!
This year, Family Church has had a them of Magnify & Multiply in its messages. Ps Andy recaps on these and moves to look at how this theme also applies to the church at large, providing an introduction to a new series entitled "A Growing Church".
After defining what 'church' really is, Ps Andy looks at the cardinal way a church might grow, seeking always to base his thoughts on Biblical principles and patterns.
The early church managed to grow exponentially without social media, internet etc but purely as described in Acts 2, verses 42 onwards (NIV) "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved".
Ps Andy dwelt on the key tenets of these verses, serving as an introduction to the forthcoming messages in the next few weeks.
Ps Gina picks a selection of biblical characters and explains how they show us real people living through real situations and struggles witnessing the overwhelming grace and power of God. These people got through their journey of life and can help us in our journey of life as well. The Bible is a grace gift from God which we all need to delve into and fill our minds with the scriptural truths associated with Kingdom living; the world would have us believe differently if we are not careful! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) says "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work".
Ps Gina speaks about
- Gideon (from the weakest Clan in Manassa). Here God is showing His strength in the midst of Gideon's weakness.
- Daniel was taken Exile by the evil Babylonians. He grew up in a culture where he knew he was the child of God but they stole it out of that culture, put him in the Babylonian culture, which is a god-hating, Bible hating culture. He was told to eat from the king's table, to eat things that were against the law of Moses which is what Daniel lived. But he ate just vegetables and water, not the king's food, and ended up the strongest man there, his Godly defiance and prayer is something for us all to take on our journey of life.
- PS Gina also talks about Hannah and Anna, linked by name and a thousand year gap in the Biblical history. Both these women get to come on her journey because they were amazing, understanding what it's like to labour and pray, when not seeing anything for years and years and years. Then they experience God, He comes through. They understood what it is to go to God in the worst times of their lives so they didnt get bitter and twisted. They understood that God had purposes and plans.
Her message is clear - the Bible is not religion, it is the word of God gifted by grace to us to show us how to live and to give us hope, peace and strength in the ups and downs of daily life.
On the back of this year's Youth Summer Camp, Nathan speaks this morning about a theme that has been on his mind before, during and after the camp time. His words are not only aimed at the youth of our church but the whole congregation!
Nathan's key verse is from Luke 6:46-49 (NIV) "Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
Illustrating his message with many other scriptures, he presents three cardinal points about the House of the Lord...
- Point number one - the house that stands, stands together
- Point number two - the house that stands, stands whatever the weather
- Point number three - the house that stands, stands forever
Nathan expands on each of these points and presents a challenging message pointing to the fact that the house that God is building in our lives will stand forever if we build it on Him and remain faithful to Him.
Pastor Andy preaches on one of his all time favourite scriptures in our Signature series of messages. He begins in the book of John, chapter 15, all about abiding in the vine.
Jesus is talking to his disciples and looks at them and says, I am the true vine and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away, He prunes it, so that it may bear more fruit. The only time God prunes is when he's got more fruit in mind. He says abide in me and I in you. A branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My father is glorified by this but you bear much fruit. And so prove to be my disciples, just as the father has loved me. I have also loved you, abide in my love. These are such powerful truths, covering the fruitfulness of a believer's life.
Ps Andy spends considerable time reflecting on the fact that once we have given our lives to Christ we now have Him abiding in us, we are joined to the vine, we are able to do many things we previously could not (all things are possible with Christ Jesus), and that our lives reflect the glory of God in the fruit we produce which is good fruit, not that which we once created when we were born in sin.
This is a powerful message, listen, be amazed!
Ps Sean speaks in the second of our 'Signature' series this week (messages close to the hearts of the speakers), with specific focus on the storms of our lives and how to act and react when a storm hits us.
He begins with the scripture Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus calms the storm amidst petrified disciples who thought they were going to drown. Sean has three props he describes which define powerful attributes to our Christian walk, often navigating storms in our lives.
First is a compass to provide direction. Without direction in our lives we become lost, we end up being places we didn't want to be, often doing things we didn't want to be doing. Ps 119:105 (NIV) says "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path". When we are illuminated by God's love and His word, our path has a sense of direction and purpose that we didn't see before. But if we don't know his word, we run without a compass, at a loss when it comes to the storms of life.
Second is an old school metronome to keep us in God's Rhythm. When a storm break out, the rhythm changes, we panic, stress sets in. But was Jesus stressed, no He was resting in the boat when the storm came. English cultures tend to be stressful, we need to change this, reverse it and become more calm and relaxed in the way we do life. God's rhythm is one of gentleness and calmness.
Thirdly, Sean had a ruler, not easily bendable reminding him of the need to be flexible & adaptable. The reality is, we cannot be rigid in our faith if we are to have a Christian walk with God. Being adaptable to what God is saying is very key to living through the storm. Being able to bend to what He's saying, living to His rhythm, walking in His direction requires us to be like Romans 12:2 (NIV) says "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Ps Sean ends with thoughts about storms that occur inside our heads, thoughts, anxieties, jealousies, fear, psychotic behaviours.... Let us understand that with Jesus in our lives, we are forgiven, accepted, redeemed, saved and given new life. He ended with prayers rebuking negative thoughts in our heads, praying for the peace of God to invade our hearts and minds this day and for ever Amen!
Ps Steu returns to Portsmouth this week for a special message entitled 'Come to Me' - the words that Jesus says to each of us every day.
Ps Steu talks about a young man trapped in a bird cage, a place of pain and fear and uses this picture to formulate his message. Some of us are still in a cage, trapped by the things of life. Maybe we are not fully free as a bird when the cage door opens. But Jesus came to set us free! We are set free the second we accept Jesus as our saviour - this is salvation. In John 10:9-10, Jesus says, 'I am the gate, those who come through me will be saved, they will come and go freely and find good pastures'. Psalm 23 also refers, our shepherd leads us into green pastures & gives us rest. Nothing else in this world can possibly satisfy our lives but Jesus.
The key to living in the freedom that Christ has given us is to walk closely with Jesus, there is no other way! Matthew 11:28-30 says 'come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls'.
Ps Steu describes a three step process...
- Coming to Him
- Walking with Him
- Learning from Him
Then we find true rest, true freedom, and our burdens become light. Ps Steu brings many other scriptural pictures together which describe the grace of our Lord in our lives and how we are discipled by abiding in his word. We fly out of the bird cage and rest under his eagles wings....the freedom of God's Kingdom.
Following the previous week's messages on Miracles, Ps Andy takes a 'Selah Sunday' to summarise the key points from all the previous messages and further emphasise the common themes across the whole of scripture where miracles are described.
Multiplication of provision, be it loaves and fish, oil in a jar, grain and oil to make a loaf of bread are all a result of people experiencing God increase things in their lives. Ps Andy then goes on to speak about the common denominators in these miracles (and many more miracles all across the whole of scripture).
Miracles, always followed unusual, unreasonable, often unfathomable quite crazy requests coming directly from God or a prophet. When a person dared to do what they were being told to do in obedience, suddenly what God had promised them or intended for them came into being! But for them to come into the promised experience, they had to step out by faith, usually defying their own reasoning to do what God had told them to do.
Stepping out by faith and walking by faith causes us to enter into the promised things that God has for us. God has promised things for us all in situations we face daily, sometimes that look hopeless. Have we got the faith and the courage, sometimes along with with wise council, to step into that which God is asking us to do?
We should, because we have already experienced the greatest miracle ever likely to happen in our lives when we gave our life to Christ!
Ps Andy carries on the series about Miracles within our overall theme of Magnify and Multiply. After a recap of theprevious weeks' messages he focuses this week on the miracle of the flour & oil that did not run out. Miracles follow obedience to God with faith. God always multiplies what we surrender, whether its a little boy's picnic, a fishing boat of fishermen or a jar of oil.
The story of Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath is found in 1 Kings 17:7-16 (NIV) "Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of he Lord came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
It's interesting that God picks a widow to supply food to the prophet Elijah. Scarcity meets obedience in the lives of the two characters here. God in heaven sees us in the time of famine, He sees us in the time of need and He has a plan for us in that time of need. But sometimes the way to get what He's got for us is to do something He's asking us to do that's unusual or we'd prefer not to.
So God sees us and cares for us in famine Seasons!
Ps Andy continues the series on Miracles withinour overall theme of Magnify and Multiply. God's heart is one of multiplication for us, through miracles. Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:1-14 are the key bible verses for Ps Andy's message today where Jesus instructs Simon Peter to put down his nets the other side of the boat after an unproductive evening of fishing. The second passage refers to side of the boat after an unproductive evening of fishing. The second passage refers to a similar instruction, this time after Jesus' resurrection.
Ps Andy continues his explanation here that the miracle occured again after the fishermen were asked by Jesus to undertake a seemingly embarressing and unusual request. Experienced fishermen had been up all night and caught nothing, yet here was a carpenter telling them what to do. This was a challenge of obedience for them.
In this moment there was a revelation of who Jesus was for Peter because Jesus had been preaching earlier and Peter had been on the shore listening, but the penny had'nt dropped. This was not just a man, this was the son of God and suddenly Peter sees his miracle knowing it was a miracle because he was a fisherman and he said, "this doesn't happen, I've been doing this since I was a kid, this doesn't happen.....". But it did!!
After this, Jesus tells Peter to leave his boat, leave everything, join Him and He would make him a fisher of men. This was a miracle that positioned him In what God had designed for him to be - not just provision but intention. Sometimes we eat the fish, move on and forget to stop and say, "God, what are you doing in this moment that concerns me and my future. Miracles reveal the hand of God, but often they also reveal his intentions.
Are we positioned to listen to God in the moment and be obedient to seemingly extraordinary requests from God? a similar instruction, this time after Jesus' resurrection.
Ps Andy continues his explanation here that the miracle occured again after the fishermen were asked by Jesus to undertake a seemingly embarressing and unusual request. Experienced fishermen had been up all night and caught nothing, yet here was a carpenter telling them what to do. This was a challenge of obedience for them.
In this moment there was a revelation of who Jesus was for Peter because Jesus had been preaching earlier and Peter had been on the shore listening, but the penny had'nt dropped. This was not just a man, this was the son of God and suddenly Peter sees his miracle knowing it was a miracle because he was a fisherman and he said, "this doesn't happen, I've been doing this since I was a kid, this doesn't happen.....". But it did!!
After this, Jesus tells Peter to leave his boat, leave everything, join Him and He would make him a fisher of men. This was a miracle that positioned him In what God had designed for him to be - not just provision but intention. Sometimes we eat the fish, move on and forget to stop and say, "God, what are you doing in this moment that concerns me and my future. Miracles reveal the hand of God, but often they also reveal his intentions.
Are we positioned to listen to God in the moment and be obedient to seemingly extraordinary requests from God?
Ps Andy continues the series about miracles that Ps Sean began last week. A common thought in this series is how unusual requests made by God can result in supernatural multiplication in our lives? This is something consistently seen throughout teaching in both New & Old Testaments. Crazy things can happen but are normally always followed God asking someone to do something that seemed unusual, even unreasonable. Are we able to hear God ask us to do something unusual? This is a real challenge...placing a demand of faith on us.
PS Andy today speaks about the miracle found in 2 Kings 4, 1-7. The wife of a man cries out to Elisha because her husband is dead and creditors are coming to take her boys as slaves. After a conversation, Elisha tells the woman to collect containers and pour the small amount of oil she has into them. Miraculously, oil flows until the last container is filled. Now she can sell oil to pay her debts.
The amount she received wasn't a provision issue, it was a capacity issue. She could only receive according to what she made room for. God's provision met current needs and her future security.
Do we need a miracle?, are we listening for God's unusual request? Is God trying to highlight something in our lives? If the widow's actions (ie her faith) had not been commensurate with the instructions received from Elisha, her needs would not have been met, the miracle of supernatural provision would not have occured!
Today Ps Sean starts a new series about Miracles, still within the overall framework of our theme of Multiplication.
He begins by speaking about 'lack' and the varying forms of lack we can experience in our lives. Sometimes this is through comparing ourselves to others around us, sometimes through genuine lack of resources, food, shelter, clothing etc. The story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17 is well known.....he asks her to make him a small peice of food from the remains of her flour which she was going to use just before she and her son died of hunger. But, this never happened, the jar of oil and the flour never ran out, just as the Lord had spoken thtough Elijah.
In Matthew 14, Jesus feeds over 5000 people with fives loaves and two fish. But, he had given thanks to God before the miracle began. From a position seeming to be of lack, a supernatural God turned a natural situation into a miracle of supernatural provision and abundance.
Ps Sean makes the point that this can be the case in each of our lives, but we need to surrender our lives, posture oursleves into submission before God, and act with obedience and thanksgiving. Leaning on our own understanding will never work (Proverbs 3:5-6).
We are to acknowledge Him, then He'll make straight our paths. This means our relationships need to acknowledge Him, living God's way. Our finances have to live God's way. My eyes must honour Him, my ears must honour Him. My language must honour Him, every part of who I am acknowledges you to be, God, of all creator of the Heaven and the Earth. Therefore my body honours you, my desires honour you, my thoughts and intent honour you.... every aspect of every part of my life honours you. When we do this, we start to get more than enough breaking out of the depletion, the lack, around us.
This is when we start to get Mana falling down from heaven into our lives, where we start to see supernatural provision in dry places.
Surender, Submit, Give Thanks to God....then Miracles come......
Today is Global Sunday in Family Church, a day when we celebrate all the nations and nationalities represented in our fellowship. It is also Pentecost Sunday - Pentecost being the day the Holy Spirit flowed into the collected peoples in the first church as described in Acts 2:1-4 (NIV) "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them".
Today, Ps Sean speaks about this and how in Joel 2:28-29 scripture states "that I will pour out my spirit on all Flesh". This is a very inclusive statement and relates today to our multi-lingual, multi-racial congregation!
Ps Sean further speaks about how Jesus told His disciples that His Father would give them another helper if they kept His commandments (John 14:15-17). Jesus said that they would receive power when His Spirit came to rest upon them that they might witness to His name in all Judea, Sumeria...
The challenge of this message is to ensure we all realise we are heirs to God and that His spirit will come down upon all of us in order for us to live power filled Kingdom lives.
Today is My Church Sunday, a service specially designed for those who are not fully familiar with the Christian Faith or Kingdom Living. Pastors Sean and Paula Finch interview three congregational members who have totally differing life stories - Vanessa, Hector & Sarah. Each of them show similarities in their search for somthing meaningful in their lives (resulting in their giving their lives to Christ), but from completely differing backgrounds.
Their stories challenge each of us to check our relationship with Jesus, dismissing religion and ritual.
We are called to represent God in a fallen world, we carry his salt and light, and it’s our duty to put on the new self daily.
Following on from last week's message, Ps Andy continues to speak about growing God's family. This week, the focus is 'Reaching all of our World for Him'. Ps Andy's starting point is that we are not looking at arena events, more that every believer says "let me take responsibility for one soul". Referencing Mark 16 and Matthew 28, it is clear that Jesus is saying to each and every one of us "Don't sit there in silence regarding your salvation, be a person with go in your heart". When it comes to reaching others, we need to get uncomfortable. One day when we are all dead and in heaven worshipping, Jesus is going to ask us who we brought with us!
We all have a local 'Jerusalem' - the circle of people we are in contact with regularly. Ps Andy speaks at length about how we must initiate conversations with people who are in our circle of influence. Jesus wants us to be witnesses of what has happened in our lives.
We all need to take on the challenge of identifying people in our circle, praying for them and asking the Lord to intiate times for us to speak them. The time has passed for undercover Christianity. We must begin to talk about Jesus, because of who He is and also what He means to us.
Ps Andy continues the series about God wanting a big family, this week speaking directly about how we are all responsible not just for our Judea and Sameria but those of our own family too. He shows us many scriptures where in the early church it was commonplace for people who had just heard about Jesus to go fetch all their household to tell them and also to baptise them immediately aftwerwards too!
A famous verse is John 1, 41-42. Andrew meets Jesus, he encounters Jesus. The first thing he did was to go and find his brother Simon. So really this is not just about ourselves as individuals but also our whole family, our hosuehold too.
Andy challenges us to pray for the salvation of our whole family network, then to be 'inviters'...bringing them to church and also to purpose to live Godly lives to demonstrate the love of God in our daily walk.
Ps Paula begins a new series this week talking about how God wants a big family. She speaks about growing God's household, God's desire for multiplication in terms of people coming to Christ.
If God wants a big family, the first thing we need to get a hold of is God's heart. The most well known verse is John 3:16, personally describing the Father's heart for the world - where it says God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life. Hence God's heart for the lost is first, that no one should perish. Paula retails a story about herself seemingly being lost yet she did not know this, many people worried....when she was much younger. There are so many people on the world who live happily yet are lost without realising. God is a Father who desires for all of His children to know Him. Yet, in order to grow God's household, we need to know His heart for humanity. The church is His family and His household. We are a spiritual family, each of us are ambassadors for Jesus and are to grow together and invite others to be part of the family.
We all must take up the role of ambassador. God wants us to understand his heart and be the people who go and bring others to him. So in order to grow God's household, we need to get a hold of God's Heart, and take up our role as ambassadors. Also, we need to reach out. Paula challenges us all to reachout to one more person - the power of "one" is amazing.
This is a powerful and challenging message at the start of this new series!
Ps Sean rounds off this series of messages on Multiply with a message about The Power of the Cross. Specifically, Sean speaks about empowering our lives to live out of the power of the Cross. We may have an understanding of the Cross as good Christians, but there's more to it than to just understand. We we need to walk in the power of the cross. We need to have an outworking of the power of the Cross.
Understanding the message of the Gospel brings truth, freedom, deliverance and everything we but there is no power until we unveil the message. The message is what we carry, the message of the power of the Cross brings multiplication everywhere we go.
We don't walk in our own ways, we walk in His ways - the very life of Jesus. We walk in the same way Jesus did, the power of deliverance. The power of the Cross is that we no longer live, but Christ now lives in us, and we no longer have to live according to the flesh but according to the power of the Spirit. This is why (in Romans) Paul emphasises that we no longer live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. The spirit is the Harvest of the Cross, it's what we've received through the dying of Jesus, we've received new life, freedom and wholeness.
Sean goes on to mention three main hurdles to living in the power of the cross:
- We need to get over our ability. Our inability & inadequacies are no problem for God, but often they become a barrier for us
- We need to get over our knowledge. This is a tough one because as human beings, we think we know what is best all the time.....sometimes God's not asking us to understand, but just to be obedient
- His Spirit over our flesh. When we do everything according to o ur flesh we're going to deny three times (as Peter did). We are negative - no multiplication! It's the opposite. But when we live according to the spirit it's plus three thousand every day!
To see multiplication, we must come into the Lord, through the power of the Cross. Love has must be the motivation in everything we do. It gives us the grace, allows us to walk in forgiveness and is unconditional everywhere we go. If we are not walking by love, then we cannot do this.
Ps Andy delivers an awesome message today about the divine exchange upon the cross. Jesus paid for all our sins by his death, but we also died with Him and are resurrected to new life though Him. Ps Andy calls this a moment of co-crucifixion. Each of us who believes in what Jesus has did on the cross, would enter in to His death, His burial and also resurrection to newness of life. By faith, we embrace what He did on the cross and His death becomes our death. His burial of the old man becomes our burial and His resurrection to newness of life becomes our new experience.
We don't embrace this by our doing religion, we embrace it all by faith. We believe that He said He did it for us and did it, He did. Ps Andy explains how this is the true meaning of identification, we're living in a society that's warped with the wrong ideologies, the power of identification finds its strength in the work of the cross. God doesn't want you to crucify yourself because you haven't got enough hands! You can't do it yourself!
He wants you to identify with the death he provided so that death can be yours and with the burial and resurrection. So when we identify with Christ, what we're saying is, you were on the cross my saviour, but you also took not just my sin, but all sin so that I could be free from sin and become a new creation.
Ps Andy tells us he wants us all leaving the service today knowing that our old man is dead in Christ and that we've been risen to newness of life. Now we've just gotta get some grave clothes off so we can begin to live in the good of what God isn't going to do because He's already do it!
The word 'selah' occurs 74 times in the Old Testament and is generally accepted to mean a 'pause' for reflection or thought. This week Pastors Sean and Paula take a break from the norm by reflecting on the previous week's messages which have focused on The Word.
Via some pre-recorded video interviews, thoughts from a number of members of the congregation regarding the differing aspects of the series were shared with us all.
Following this, Sean & Paula held a conversation to discuss aspects they felt had been cardinal in the series on The Word, illustrating their thoughts with commentaries from their own lives.
We were all challenged as key thoughts on obedience, daily infilling from God's Word, the state of the soil in our hearts and our ability to forgive others (and more) were brought to our attention. Sean and Paula wrapped up the session by looking at practical ways each of us could be involved in order to become partakers not spectators!
Ps Andy continues the series on Magnify & Multiply, this week with part 2 of "The Authority of God's Word". After summarizing the messages from previous weeks Ps Andy quotes Ecclesiastes 8:4 (AKJV) "Where the word of a king is, there is power". There is final authority in the word of King Jesus! When we speak the words of King Jesus, things begin to shift. We need to walk in the authority that Jesus has given us. Andy mentions three key things here:
- Our belief in who He says He is. Our faith in who He is will determine some of our experiences. Our faith doesn't change Him, it accesses Him!
- Our submission to His lordship in His word - it is possible to believe in him but not submit to him
- Obedience to Him
Ps Andy quotes many examples from scripture where these three ingredients caused great things to happen (the Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13 is not a disciple, but his faith, his submission to the authority of Jesus and the spoken word of Jesus healed the servant)...
Andy explains how often we need to lay aside our own natural experiences, our thinking, our rebellion to the worldly thinking and submit to God. When God speaks something into our situations and it doesn't make sense, let it be. Let it be according to your word, may it be so.
This week, let's hear what God says to us, submit to it, walk in accordance to it and see the power contained within it released into our lives and of others.
Ps Gina speaks on the Authority of the Word of God - the Bible says that God has all authority over heaven and Earth! God is the author, the originator, the creator. Page one, chapter one, verse one of the Bible is meant to colour the rest of the whole entire Bible. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth. This frames every other scripture, every other account.
God's word needs to be the final Authority for our lives. When we pray and in times of attack in our lives, in times of temptation, for all the spheres of our lives, for our money, our relationships, our family life, our children, our jobs. The most effective prayer is when we use The Word. When Satan tempted Jesus, he was rebuked by The Word of God being quoted. If this works for Jesus, it will for us!
The world throws all sorts of lies and untruths to us daily, the best defence and offence is God Word. Ephesians 6:14-17 (NIV) "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God".
Daily we need God's Armour and His Word to fight the battles we are up against.
Continuing the series on Magnify & Multiply, Ps Andy refers this week to John 12:32 (NIV) "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself". There is a principle - when He is lifted, there's a drawing that begins to take place. His word is like a seed that has the ability to cause multiplication in our lives. Every word of God is a powerful seed. Ps Andy talks about approaching the word of God as seed. Then when we look at our hearts and our lives, we understand that this represents the soil.
PS Andy goes on to teach about the relationship between seed and soil using the parable of the sower as an illustration. There is a simple relationship between healthy seed and good soil. His word was and will always be eternally relevant.
Ps Andy goes on to challenge us to examine our own lives and check out the condition of the soil in our hearts, are we chocked by thorns or barren as hard land or have we good healthy hearts ready for his word to flourish in our lives.
There are five areas we can look at to gain healthier soil in our hearts....
- Keep freshly ploughed ground - keep worshipping, intimacy with Jesus keeps our hearts in a condition ready to receive seed
- Have faith, we cannot please God without faith!
- Humility makes good soil because God resists the proud and give Christ to the humble
- Obedience to God takes our lives from be a barren land to a fruitful forest
- Heart health "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23, NIV).
Ps Andy continues the series on the word of God, this week speaking about the fact that The Word is Truth. Many other life philosophies and ideologies present themselves in the modern world but few remain constant and only God's Word is real or true Truth as Ps Andy explains.
Andy revisits John 12:32 (NIV) "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself". This verse is prominent in this years' Family Church Vision statement. There's a principle here. When Jesus is lifted up, he causes multiplication and increase. It says "when I Am is lifted from the earth...". The Bible refers to God as the I am in the old and in the new testaments. Today we celebrate The Great I Am, which is Jesus Christ, when we choose to magnify His Word in our lives, the Word of God Bible scripture. We're causing multiplications when when we choose to magnify His word in our lives, things break out, breakthroughs occur.
When we turn to God's word, it's the kind of truth that can transform us and set us free. Ps Andy speaks about how we need to abide in The Word, not use Jesus as breakdown service,,,, we need to purpose to be sold out for Jesus and Him alone. Mixing up ideologies in our lives will only cause chaos.
This is a challenging message!
Ps Sean today starts a new five part series looking at the Word of God. Today he examines the historical accuracy of the Bible, Old and New Testaments and gradually leads us into a realization that we cannot live without the Word of God if we are to be nourished Spiritually. Jesus was speaking in Matthew 4:4 (NIV) "It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
We know that the word of God is God, the scripture tells us this, there are two ways we get this word. Logos is the physical word. Anyone can have Logos words, they look good but are not life transforming. John 6:63 (NIV) says "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life". When God speaks we have Rhema words, God breathed, the words come alive to us.
By faith, we need to trust what God is speaking to us through His Word. Sean goes on to speak of some practical steps for us starting with that fact that the Word of God is our daily bread. Then he focuses on some cardinal facts associated with us knowing and quoting scripture that relate to daily life. For every one of us..
- We are a child of God
- We are fully known by God
- We are fully loved by God
- We are called by Him
- He has plans and purposes for us
- God made us righteous
- We are free from the power of sin and everything that holds us
- We are a masterpiece
- Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit
- We are holy and blameless before God
- We are chosen
- God provides all our needs
- He will guard us against the enemy and we are protected
- We are one with others in the body
- Scripture calls us His children and we are in awe of God
- We are blessed, we are highly favoured, we are called by name, every one of us
But without His Word, without knowing His Word, we don't know who we are!
This week we have an amazing message from our worship pastor, Janine Smith. She speaks about Who and How we Worship, following Ps Paula’s message last week about What is Worship.
Who do we worship sounds an obvious question, but is fundamental - we can't move on to how do we worship if we don't know who do we worship. It matters that we know who we worship. But it matters that we actually know who we worship! Without this knowledge, everything is futile. Our God is the God who made heaven and earth, the sky and the sea, all of us. He can heal us of our diseases, and we should be in awe of Him. He is not only a great God but a good Father. Only by having a personal relationship with God and walking closely with him can we be moved to real authentic worship. The more we know of God, the more we will want to worship Him. The more closely we walk with God, the more He reveals himself to us.
The first mention of worship in the scriptures occurs in Genesis 22 where Abraham goes to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to God. Scripture tells us that Abraham went to worship God before taking the wood for the burnt offering and his son Isaac. Then God spared his son and provided a ram in the thicket. This was a test of Abraham’s faith in God, of course at the time he did not know this.
So when we ask ‘How do we Worship’, the first answer is with obedience. Many of us may need to examine our lives and discover what we need to sacrifice however small in order to worship God. God answered Abraham by telling him his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.
From our hearts, we give an offering, this leads to worship. However, just an offering alone doesn't come from relationship with God, is not an act of your obedience to God and is just an offering which is empty religion. True worship comes from the heart, from a genuine authentic love of God and wanting to respond to who He is. What the offering is, or its size, God sees it as worship. Ps Janine related the story of Mary and the Alabaster jar of perfume (Luke 7:37). Maybe some of us have something to pour out on Jesus’ feet?
Whatever we offer, no matter how large or small, God sees it as worship. It moves the heart of God. It's not meaningless, it's not futile. Everything we do to magnify God is seen as worship and it moves him.
PS Janine gives us three pointers
· We worship with our obedience
· We worship from our heart
· Our worship is a weapon
Using the story of Gideon and the Midianites in Judges 7:18, Janine describes how our worship has a sound, which the enemy cannot abide. When we speak out scripture, it confuses the enemy. The sound of our worship disarms the enemy. Anything and everything that we do to magnify God creates the sound of worship.
Janine closes this inspiring message with her favourite worship scripture from Romans 12:1 (NIV) “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship”.
Ps Paula begins a new series about worship by asking the question, 'What is worship'?
Worship is not about singing songs or hymns, it is a lifestyle living devoted to God. We are all designed to worship, but do we always worship the correct thing? Worship comes from 'worth-ship', meaning to give worth or value to something.
Psalm 29 tells us (NIV) "Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness". Psalm 95 (NIV) tells us "Come, let us bow down in worship,.....".
The Apostle Paul's definition of worship shows this complete devotion of life to God. In Romans 12 we are told (NIV) "Therefore I urge you brothers and sisters in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship". Other translations (NLT) use the word plead instead of urge to emphasize Paul's point here....
Hence the Lord is the only one who is appropriate to worship, anything else or anyone else is idolatry. Genuine God-centered worship exalts God, and God Alone, and is offered for His pleasure alone. True worship is God focused. He is the only one who is appropriate to worship, anything else or anyone else is idolatry.
Ps Paula explains the story of the Ark of the Covenant in 1 Samuel 5. The Philistines had captured the ark of God and placed it in Dagon's temple. However, the next day they discovered their false god Dagon had fallen face down before the ark of the Lord. Any idols we have in our lives will also eventually fall down before God! Nothing can Stand in God's presence!
Philippians 2 (NIV) tells us "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,....".
This is a challenging message from Ps Paula to begin this new series on Worship.....
Ps Andy speaks this week on the occasion of his 60th birthday, a special celebration of life. Every day we spend cannot be gained again. He demonstrates this with a bag of coins representing each year of his life. Like all of us, some are well spent, some not so. He explains how important it is to spend the currency of our life wisely in accordance with God's plans for us, treating life like the gift that it is. Ps Andy explains how he is both grateful and inspired when he comes to birthdays. We should be grateful for the good things that God has done, and also inspired about what He has ahead for us.
In Psalm 139:16 the Psalmist writes how God's eyes saw our unformed body and how all our days were ordained in His book before they came to be. Andy goes on to speak about God's ability to redeem the coins of our life which were not spent well. When we live for God's purposes in our live, not only are we given future coins to spend, but (because He is outside of time & space), he can to step into wasted moments and redeem them. Joel 2:25 (NIV) "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten, the great locust and the young locust". This redemption is a financial term getting back things that were spent and adding them again to our account. How good is God?
Every one of us will stand one day before the Lord face to face. Let us take this appointment seriously, spending the currency of our days wisely, leaving a precious legacy.
Pastors Sean & Paula assemble an armchair discussion along with Senior Pastors Andy & Gina Elmes to discuss how the Mission and Vision for the whole of Family Church presented last Sunday flow into the goals for Portsmouth Congregation this year.
Ps Andy delivers a keynote message today regarding vision for the whole of Family Church during 2025. He explains how important it is for us to have a vision (Proverbs 29:18, Where there is no vision, the people perish) and thanks all those who have contributed in any way to the outworking of the church vision the previous year. Ps Andy then concentrates his message around two words the Lord gave him, namely Magnify and Multiply. With reference to a myriad of scriptures he explains the vision for all of the Family Church congregations tying this in with God's Word.
Ps Andy ends the three week series on God of my Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow this week speaking about God of my Tomorrow. Tomorrow is unknown to us but not to Him! We embrace our tomorrows by faith. The funny thing about fear and faith is that it takes the same effort and energy to do either one of them!
Matthew 6:25 tells us not to worry (NIV) "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes..........Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life". Realize also that our tomorrow starts today. What we do today impacts our tomorrow. In Malachi 3:10, scripture actually says we can test God on this (NIV) "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it". So, decisions we make today impact our tomorrow.
God is our God of Today, He was our God of Yesterday and He is our God of Tomorrow. We can have peace of heart knowing God has our back at all times.
Ps Paula continues the there parts series God of my yesterday, today and tomorrow, this week focusing on God being our God of Today!
She refers to the same passage in Hebrew telling us Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever and in a world that is always changing. Often we experience situation where people do not treat us the same, but God is the same every day. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness".
PS Paula goes on to talk about how Psalm 118 tells us that this is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it. We need to rejoice in the days we have and not mourn what we dont have. Ps Paula goes on to encourage us to pick God today. Make today matter. Don't procrastinate, don't put off what we can do now. Today can be a fresh start for us. We may want what we want but there's something wonderful about surrendering to God because when we surrender to God we realize that everything we were holding on to is foolish and doesn't satisfy us and certainly is not causing us to be who God wants us to be.
This is a must listen challenging message about how we will live our today!
Ps Sean begins the new year with the first of a three part series looking at 'God of My Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow'. This first part looks at God of My Yesterday. Sean uses scriptures from Hebrews 13:8 and Revelation 1:8 to illustrate how God is the same yesterday , today and tomorrow. He is the Alpha and the Omega, He has an all consuming view of time which we tend to see as a linear progression.
Ps Sean speaks about how our yesterdays do not dictate our future, how living in the past can lead to robbing us of our future, how we need to cut away from the past in order to live in God's richness by faith. In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul speaks about "pressing onward toward the prize God has for him".....but he is in a prion cell whilst writing this, shackled! He was not holding on to the past, he was pressing on towards God. Often the main things holding us back are ourselves or others if we allow them to. Learning to hand out the past to God is a journey of trusting God with faith. Sean ends with three key points...
- God can forgive yesterdays failures (Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12, Psalm 103:12, 1 John 1:9, Romans 8:1)
- God can heal yesterdays hurts (Psalm 34;18, Luke 4:18 - Jesus' mandate was to set the oppressed free!)
- God can deliver us from yesterdays disappointments (Joel 2:25)
Psalm 77:12 is what we need to meditate on (NIV) "I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Let us walk in the fullness of strength God has for us as we position ourselves for 2025.
Ps Andy speaks today in the period after Christmas and before the new year. Using the theme of Psalm 84:5 (NIV) "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage", he examines how life moves from one place to another often. This may be a physical move, a change of relationship, many things, but one key ingredient is for us to keep taking steps of faith and growing in Him. A pilgrimage often involves moving to a place of unknown, many stories in scripture illustrate this. As we walk with Him, we become transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory - 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Our pilgrimage from 2024 to 2025 is to carry on growing in God. God is fully committed to growing us into who we really are. We just need to ensure we don't carry on living in the "old skin" so to speak.
Andy speaks of three common roadblocks to pilgrims....
- Fear of unknown (we need to walk by faith)
- Our limited view of our potential
- The way others see us
Additionally, three keys to pilgrimage are..
- Celebrate and commit to the next
- Build strong behind us, build a legacy to life
- Always plan to exit well
Final thoughts.....the way we leave affects the way we arrive (as we move on in our lives). Also, it will cost us our future to live in the past. Let us remain conscious that we all have an appointment in Zion - 2 Timothy 4:8 (NIV) "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing".
At the Portsmouth Congregation Carol Service 2024, Ps Sean delivers a message describing the real meaning of the gift give at Christmas.
Ps Andy ends the series we have been looking at recently where the character of God has been an enlightening message. Today he speaks about firstly the attributes of God. God is infinite, self-sufficient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient and omnibenevolent.
Ps Andy then looks again at the characteristics of God which are the hallmarks of His behaviour. We see these exemplified by Christ's behaviour described by the scriptures. When we understand God's character correctly, it affects our expectations of Him. The character of God is revealed by his word and also His Son. Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV) "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven".
Everything we need to know about the character of the Father we can gain by watching Christ! But God places us in his Son, so that our identity now is that we're a people who were once separated from God, but now we are in Christ and Christ now lives in us. The life that we live should be Christ-like. If we live a Christ-like life, the world sees the character of God Through the way we now live.
So, the character of God is revealed by His word. The character of God is revealed in His son. But the character of God is also revealed through our lives. When we understand that we are now in Him and He in us,,,,,,the life we live now must be to demonstrate His character!!
Following from previous weeks where we have been hearing about the character of our Lord, Ps Andy this week speaks about how we can put our trust in God.
People may let us down, but God never does. Nearly 200 times, the Bible teaches us about the trusting nature of God. One of the key things that makes God trustworthy is that He cannot lie. God is love. God cannot lie. The devil is the father of Lies. God is the father of truth and righteousness, honestly and integrity.
Numbers 23:19 tells us (NIV) "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" When He promises, he's going to do something, He will always do it because His name and His person are on the line so to speak. We can have confidence in God because He cannot lie. Because of this confidence we can also put our trust in Him. Trust is where we turn our belief into action. Faith and trust go hand in hand.
The ultimate example of trust in God was Jesus upon the cross. Ps Andy delivers an exciting message punctuated with real life stories and scriptures to explain how we can put our trust in God.
Following the last few weeks where Ps Andy and Gina have spoken about the character of God, Paula continues today speaking about the Goodness of God.
God's love for every single one of us is unconditional, his love isn't based on the things we do. It's based on the fact that He made us and He loves us full stop. We need to throw away thoughts telling us there's a chance that maybe God does not love us! The Bible lets us know that we can trust His goodness to meet us in every situation we face knowing that God is good. This is foundational in our relationship with him because it affects how we see and respond to difficulties in life.
Ps Paula details how God is Good all the time, irrelevant of our performance, backed with scriptures and at the end of the message with two young guys doing a run round the church illustrating how God's goodness is always following us (Ps 23 - Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life......).
Ps Andy continues from where Ps Gina left off last week by speaking about the Love of God. God is Love, His love is unconditional. Romans 8:38 tells us... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ps Andy delivers an awe inspiring message that ends quoting the hymn:-
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never have come to an end
They are new every morning
New every morning
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord
Great is Thy faithfulness
God's love is steadfast, unchanging and is new every day for us!
Ps Gina speaks about the importance of knowing the character of God. She begins by re-telling how important it is to know the character and trustworthiness of people who act as child minders and then relates this to our lives today.
She goes on to explain how in we are bombarded by untruths about the nature of God from just about every angle in modern life and how in fact this is identical to the way in which the serpent beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden. Many institutions, media, even religions will mock Jesus and tell lies about our God in these days.
How do we refute all this? We need to know the word of God. The Word of God describes the character and true nature of God from Genesis through to Revelation. We don't need to know chapter and verse necessarily, but we do need to know the Word of God then our mind is filled with The Truth, we can refute any lies coming into our minds and live a free life honouring God.
On this Remembrance Sunday, Ps Andy speaks about a theme of Extreme Generosity. Many people laid down their loves for the sake of others, for the freedom of generations they would never see or know. The world of the generous gets larger and larger, but the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. God our Father was generous to the extreme in laying down the life of His son for our salvation. PS Andy goes on to speak about the nature of the heart of a generous person and how generosity is not purely related to finances, but time, attitude, many facets of our lives. Its also about how we use our words, how we serve, how we forgive. Do we do these things begrudgingly or with a joyful heart.
Listen to this inspiring message linking the them of Remembrance Sunday to the sacrifice of Jesus for our souls to the ways of our hearts.
Following from the previous two weeks where Ps Andy has spoken about Jesus being both the Author and Finisher of our faith, Ps Sean this week looks at what happens when we are in the middle of the journey from the start towards the finish. These are the times when doubts, uncertainties, problems, troubles, sin and all manner of issues crop up to distract our life away from being God centered.
Using the stories told in Mark 4, v 35 onward, Ps Sean describes the situation where Jesus' followers have been listening to parables, watching miracles and now Jesus is asleep in a boat after saying "let us to go the other side" (of the water). The waves kick up, the disciples wake Jesus from his sleep as they are full of worry about being drowned. But, Jesus had told them they were going across the water, and go they would, come a storm or no storm. Jesus' promises are always kept. He never lets us down, even when we are mid journey and begin to worry over something.
Ps Sean speaks further about us leaning into the character of God and leaning not unto our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). He also speaks about how we can acquire greater faith in God. The Bible gives us this instruction in Romans 10:17.
Listen to this challenging message about how we must lean upon the one true God by having faith in His character through His word!
Pastor Andy continues from last week speaking about Faith. However, we can have faith in people, all sorts of things, but the faith Ps Andy speaks about is Faith in God. It is through God's sacrifice of his only Son that we have salvation, it is faith in our Lord's promises not just as the Author but moreover the Finisher that Ps Andy shows us is the key ingredient here.
God is wanting us to put trust in him, why?, because He is trustworthy. We trust Him as the creator of the universe, but also his promises - when He gives us a word, He puts his own name on that word to fulfill it. When Jesus said to the people in the boat, we're going to the other side, a storm came but it wasn't really the issue because Jesus had given the word as the author - ie He had given a promise and it would be fulfilled (storm or no storm). The reaction needs to be to thank Him, even when it looks impossible, we don't know or cant see how it can be fulfilled. We move from standing with the author seeing things that haven't happened yet to standing with the finisher. Faith in God positions us at the finish line even when we are still in the race!
Ps Andy further expands on this by speaking about the faith journey that Abraham had, and ends suggesting 4 key lessons....
- Faith is usually a journey, which rarely ends the next day
- If God needed our help He would ask!
- Faith is never reasonable, we may need to wait for it to make sense
- Faith is always real before we see it
Pastor Andy begins a few messages speaking about Faith. He wants to encourage in in our journey of life as we live in times where our faith may be challenged by everyday events.
The Bible recognizes Jesus as the author and the finisher of our faith. In the book of Revelation 22:13, scripture speaks of Jesus being the alpha, and the omega, the beginning and the end. Jesus causes us to be able to believe in God and see things happen where we're left saying "thank you God, that was you, not me"!
Andy spends time explaining how Jesus is not just the author of promises about our lives, but is also the finisher of the same promises also. We need to live our lives from the standpoint of the finisher, not just the author of the promises for our lives. Looking at Hebrews 11, we gain insight into many hers of scripture who lived by faith in God. Later, Andy will focus more on Hebrews 12 where the focus is turned more toward ourselves and how we live our lives.
Today, Family Church celebrates the diverse nations and cultures both at home and in our overseas missions and outreaches that through Jesus make us one big, global family. Ps Sean speaks about the Theme of being United.
He refers to Acts 2:1-12 (NIV) "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”"
Ps Sean's message focuses on the fact that everyone was United in one place, the Holy Spirit filled every person who was then enabled to speak in languages they did not know, and this in turn brought the people from outside the room to wonder what was happening (as they recognized their own tongues).
For our city this is a prophetic message of how we can be a transforming force with the Spirit's intervention such that those outside our immediate circle can become convicted and saved.
This can all happen because we are a UNITED house of the Lord!
Pastor Andy finishes the current series on Pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit) by this week looking at the Fruit and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Fruit is grown, the Gift of the Spirit are given as gifts for our use. Fruit is the result of a life being yielded to the nature and character of God in our lives. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit all come from one God, one Holy Spirit. God brings these gifts into the lives of his family, in order that we can live a power-field victorious life, blessing others. Ps Andy describes these in detail and how they work in our lives. He speaks about how the New Testament church operated in the gifts of the Spirit. He explains how spiritual gifts are given to a person as the Holy Spirit wills, for navigating our lives and also ministering to others. The anointing flows at its best when we are meeting the needs of others. He also speaks for a while about the gift of Tongues – for personal use and also when given in a church setting followed by interpretation.
This is a fascinating and challenging message!
Following the series on 'Jesus Empowers', this week Ps Andy speaks about the Empowerment of The Holy Spirit. Ps Andy speaks about the Holy Spirit coming into the life of a Believer to provide the power and ability to do a number of things. In this message, he looks at three areas
- The ability for us to walk in freedom and wholeness
- The ability to minister to the needs of others - not to be selfish on our Christian walk
- The provision of moral power, and excellence of soul - ability to say no to things
After describing these at length, he speaks about seven areas where the power of the Holy Spirit works in our lives
- Transforming us from inside out into the image and the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18)
- Providing the boldness to do things such as sharing our faith
- Providing supernatural ability (Mark 16: 17). Jesus tells His disciples to lay hands on the sick and they will recover, speak in tongues, raise them...this applies to us now
- The Holy Spirit consecrates us, giving us the ability to live a life that doesn't sin
- To live the life God's called us to. The Bible gives us no excuse not to forgive even when we are hurt
- He calls us to do the same things that Jesus did when he walked the Earth. Why? Because the Spirit of the Lord that lived upon Him is now the same Spirit upon us. He is anointing us to preach the gospel, set people free. This is not just a Pastors job!
- Providing the ability to walk in obedience to the things He asks us to do
The Holy spirit in us gives us everything we need. This is why we are called to be Spirit-filled, Spirit-led and Spirit empowered. This brings glory to God each day, because of the way we choose to live....
This week Ps Sean continues our series 'Jesus Empowers', speaking on the ‘Fellowship of the Holy Spirit’. He begins by quoting 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV) "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all". Note the use of the word all, not some! he explains how fellowship is really a lot more than just an acquaintance, its deeper than this. Often we are bad at doing fellowship with each other so understanding fellowship with the Holy Spirit is then nearly impossible for us.
PS Sean introduces two key words of importance here - Intimacy and Hosting. Intimacy relates to a relaxed atmosphere but also privacy. For example between two people in a marriage, there's intimacy. Breakdown occurs without this as others things get in the way with two people walking in different directions. God wants to call us back to intimacy with the Holy Spirit today in a fresh way without distraction from the world.
When we host someone we ensure our house is on order, we want to welcome them to feel at home in our house. This requires effort and heart commitment.
With countless scripture references, Ps Sean provides insight into how the Holy Spirit is resident within us, is in fact our teacher, our guide, our helper, our comforter. Above all, the Holy Spirit is there to provide the correct comfort we need in our lives, as opposed to worldly comforts and distractions which may satisfy earthly desires but move us away from intimacy with God.
John 15 refers (The Vine & The Branches).
This is a challenging message!
Following from the introduction last week, Ps Andy begins the new series on Pneumatology (the study of the person and works of the Holy Spirit) today. Ps Andy begins by looking at who the Holy Spirit is, with a scripture laden whistle stop tour of the bible illustrating how the Holy Spirit is ever present wherever God the Father spoke. From creation in Genesis, God spoke and His intentions were taken from concept and made actual by the Holy Spirit.
So it is today. Nowhere in the bible do we find the actions on the day of Pentecost being reversed. In this action packed message Ps Andy explains how in fact there can be no such thing as Christian who is not Spirit filled. Ps Andy fills this message with scripture references stating how the Holy Spirit has been poured out on us all.
If we are saved and have received Christ into our hearts, we have received the Spirit of God. Amen!!
Ps Andy speaks across all Family Church congregations about the next phase of our discipleship journey. At the start of the year we concentrated on two sets of teachings. The first one was called Jesus is - Christology. We looked at the person of Jesus, who the Bible reveals Him to be in the Old and the New Testaments. Following this, we moved on to a second series called Soteriology, the doctrine of salvation. We took a few weeks to study, how incredible our Salvation is, how wonderfully the Lord has saved us, what He achieved in the finished work of the Cross with Jesus.
Ps Andy then speaks about how we are to move to a third part of our discipleship series, which we are calling 'Jesus Empowers'. This is Pneumatology and it's the Doctrine or the study of the person and works of the Holy Spirit.
Ps Andy continues with an introduction to this series which again is fundamental to our understanding of our Christian walk.
Family Church in Portsmouth is expanding. Soon we shall have another congregation in Southsea as well. This is to make room, to 'enlarge our tent' in order that more people in our city can hear the word of God and be saved. To make this happen, everyone who calls Family Church Portsmouth their home needs to become not just an attendee or spectator but also a servant building the house of God in order that His plan be outworked in our city.
Ps Andy delivers a punchy message about everyone becoming involved in the journey of the church by being servant hearted and being prepared to give of our time, talents and finances.
Today, the Trailblazers took over the whole service in Family Church Portsmouth congregation. After a week at their summer camp, the church youth returned fully energized and filled with God's Holy Spirit. After the worship, Nathan introduces two of his peers to give their testimony and message to the congregation following their week away.
Listen and be amazed!!
In Luke 15 there are three consecutive parables describing God's attitude to the importance of finding and recovering the lost - The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin and The Parable of the Lost Son. Ps Sean uses each of these to describe how important it is for us to Turn up, Turn on and then Turn around to meet lost souls in our quest to reach others.
After a somewhat different morning service, Ps Sean rounds off the morning with a heartfelt message about the importance of Unity in the church and how this will bring peace to our troubled land. Our hearts should be bound together with the Holy Spirit. The church should be a picture to the world of what Unity should look like. Only then will the world look to us for answers....
Ps Andy concludes his three part series on God's anointing upon our lives. We believe that the anointing is the presence of power and the ability of a supernatural Creator - God. But it's not just in heaven, but also now on Earth for the good of man. In previous weeks we've been looking at the purpose of the anointing and how we, as God's people can see an increase of the anointing God's anointing in our lives. Not just when we're in church on Sunday but in the workplace and everywhere we go. God is raising a very anointed Church to turn the world upside down. The news may be darker but actually this is the moment where God causes his church to be the salt and the light he's called us to be. This is not by our own ability, but by His anointing within and upon our lives. We are God's contact points on the earth that he wants to do things through.
Listen as Ps Andy further unwraps this subject with biblical examples challenging us to move away from our comfort zones and respond to God's calling. God does not call the equipped. moreover, he equips the called....with His anointing!
This is part 2 of the series on increasing the anointing in our lives. The anointing means the presence and power and ability of an unstoppable God being present (in us). Pastor Andy continues to unwrap this exciting subject, revealing how the Holy Spirit is present in order to do things in us and through us. We are all people in position to do God's works. We must also realize we are also temples of the Holy Spirit.
Ps Andy continues to speak about what happens for us and also for others as God's anointing flows in our lives.
Pastor Andy begins a series of three messages speaking about God's Anointing in our lives. What is the anointing? How does it affect our life? Where does it come from? What does the anointing have to do? Specifically, Andy wants to speak about how to increase the flow of the anointing in our lives because God wants us to know the flow of His anointing.
He begins by referencing the familiar verses Isaiah 61:1 (NIV) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoner......and; Luke 4:16-21 (NIV) He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
This is very much Jesus saying "I am the one anointed, I'm the one sent from God". An anointing is for the purposes of saving people and setting them free - the moment Jesus stepped into Ministry (fulfilling the purpose of God on Earth).
Ps Andy speaks further on this explaining how Anointing from God is not just about miracles but also very much the ability and the power of God to do what he requires of us. Anointing always serves a purpose...a need and also to live in obedience to Christ.
Ps Jaron delivers a superb messaged about the blessings we have and the anointing there is upon us from our Lord.
Ps Steu speaks about the power of Yes. He breaks this into four areas along with personal anecdotes and scriptural references showing how 'yes' is the answer to being aligned with and serving God. The'yes' also usually results in changes that create a 'no' in other areas of our lives.
1 Samuel 17:32 (NIV) says "David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Here we see how a 'yes' committed David.
Matthew 4:19-20 (NIV) says“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. This 'yes' caused action to take place...they immediately left their nest and followed Him..
A 'yes' creates shift in our lives...sometimes to a place entirely out of our comfort zone. The 'yes' of Simon, Andrew, James and John changed the course of their lives. They move from where they were to, where they where God wanted them to be.
Ps Steu's fourth 'Yes' is that a 'Yes' means a 'No'! 'Yes' to God will bring breakthrough in our lives. We become free of the things that once distracted us, deceived us, free of old ways and old habits, just by saying, "God, 'Yes', I'm gonna run hard after you". The more we burn for God, the less we will burn for the things of the world.
In summary, a 'Yes':-
- Commits us
- Causes Action
- Causes Shift
- Usually means No as well
A 'Yes' to God means
- Whole heartedly running after God
- Being fully committed to God's house not just as spectators
- Becoming servants in God's house
- Servants becoming stewards
- People who really take ownership and fully own their responsibilities
The bible tells us that in all our getting we should get wisdom. The question is where do we currently source our wisdom from? Do you know that God wants to give you His. The same wisdom Solomon knew is ours in Christ.
On this Father's Day, Ps Sean speaks about the characteristics of God, of the Father's Heart, often comparing our Lord's unfailing and unchanging nature to the very variable many of us experience from our own earthly Fathers.
Sean explains how God is unchanging, keep promises and above all is truly loving. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV) states "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres".
Everywhere where this scripture says 'love is ....', we can replace the word 'love' with 'God'. God is patient, God is kind.....and so on.
Ps Sean explains at length these and many more of the characteristics of the Heart of our Father God in a most challenging message.
Weaknesses and foolishness in the world view is not seen the same way by our Lord. This is demonstrated again and again in every book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation where God uses the most unlikely of people and sometimes implements to show his strength and wonderment at the hand of ordinary people seemingly able to do very little. The world view and Godly view are often opposites. When we are weak in human terms, we are able to be strong for The Lord. Ps Gina expounds on this theme starting with scriptures from I Corinthians 1:26-28 (NIV) "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are...."
Later she shows how in fact with Jesus all things are possible but without Jesus in our lives, we are lost!
Following the Trailblazers Youth conference at the weekend, the whole service today was led by our amazing you team including the messages and testimonies from our young people. Listen and be amazed!!!
Today Pastor Andy ends the current series on Jesus Saves with Part 7 all about how we are sons of God and are adopted by Him. Ps Andy expounds how God treats us as his children, how the fatherhood from God is so different from that of the world view and also how the concept of adoption as depicted in the times when Paul was writing letters to the early church again is different to the western world view. Adoption by God means we are chosen by Him, we were predestined and our position as children of God is irreversible!
This is a message not to be missed!
In Saving us, God did not patch up a sinful us, rather He caused a regeneration and renewal by His Spirit that gave us a brand new birth and beginning.
Ps Andy speaks today about how we are regenerated by a re-birthing, washing and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Our new birth is a spiritual birth which results in us being made alive spiritually.
Ps Andy goes on to teach how our regeneration occurs at the moment of our salvation, and that the only means of regeneration is by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
On this Global Sunday we celebrate the diversity of Family Church from all the different cultures making us one Kingdom of God. Ps Sean speaks about how we are unified in Christ...Ephesians 2:19-20 (NIV) states "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."
Ps Sean speaks of how the world is full of division, strife, and anger but in contrast we are united by the faith, hope and love of Christ.
Pastor Steuart continues with Part 5 in our series - Jesus Saves. This week he speaks about Sanctification. Sanctification literally means "to set apart for special use or purpose", that is, to make holy or sacred. When we accept Christ as Saviour, our sins are immediately forgiven, we are set apart as holy, and we are reconciled to Him.
The Bible explains how we are all saints. The word saint relates to the word sanctification. We have been set apart from the penalty of sin and made holy before God.
Listen as Ps Steu unpacks this amazing topic and explains how God sees us through Christ. This is a must listen message!
Ps Andy continues the series on Jesus Saves, part of our study on our salvation through Christ. Earlier messages looked at Forgiveness, Justification and Reconciliation - all made possible only through the sacrifice of Jesus' blood on the cross for us.
Redemption is a term which implies that something has been paid for or bought back, like a slave who has been set free through the payment of a ransom. The word ransom is related to the Christian concept of redemption. Jesus paid the price for our release from sin and its punishment. His death was in exchange for our life. In fact, Scripture is quite clear that redemption is only possible “through His blood,” that is, by His death.
Ps Andy emphasizes that all this is only possible by the perfect sacrifice God made through His Son for us....He predestined our lives before we were born! As Ps Andy explains, it is vital we do understand this aspect of our salvation, then we can live to enjoy the benefits...
- Eternal life - Revelation 5:9-10
- Forgiveness of sins - Ephesians 1:7
- Righteousness - Romans 5:17
- Freedom from the law’s curse - Galatians 3:13
- Adoption into God’s family - Galatians 4:5
- Deliverance from sin’s bondage - Titus 2:14 & 1 Peter 1:14-18
- Peace with God - Colossians 1:18-20
- The indwelling of the Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Redemption means to buy back. And in this case, it's to buy back to the original owner. We were made by God to be Gods. However, we were stolen.....but God has brought us back to himself by paying the ransom price of Christ. Amen!
Ps Carla continues the current series exploring our salvation through Jesus Christ. This week her title is 'Reconciliation'. She talks about how we might be reconciled to each other as a result of various circumstances but more importantly how we are able to be reconciled back to God through our salvation with Jesus Christ.
God's plan for us in all time was reconciliation back to Him like Adam and Eve were originally before sin existed.
Romans 5:1 (NLT) states "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." Further, in verses 6-10, this scripture tells us "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son."
Ps Carla speaks further about how we are reconciled back to God through Christ and then, additionally, how we should live once we are reconciled to God and His Holy Spirit is there to guide us.
Following last weeks message about forgiveness - being a key part of our understanding of our salvation through Jesus Christ, Ps Andy today speaks on 'Justification'. It is vital that we understand a;; a[sects of our salvation. If not, our lives will not be changed and we shall exist without the full knowledge of what Jesus has done for us.
In forgiving our sin, God has Justified us in His sight. This is a key thing to understand - part of our salvation. To be justified means we are declared or made righteous in the sight of God. This righteousness is a gift from God, it has nothing to do with our 'acts of kindness' which as Ps Andy tells us are seen as filthy rags compared to what Jesus did for us on the cross (Isaiah 64:6).
With plentiful scriptures, Ps Andy explains how our justification, our right standing with God is the fruit of divine exchange at the cross of Jesus.
Following the previous series of messages on Christology, Pastor Andy begins a new series of messages on Soteriology. This is the study of salvation, coming from the Greek soterion, salvation and is also related to soter meaning Saviour. This is all within the framework of messages this year about being "deeply rooted".
As Ps Andy speaks on our salvation, he asks simple questions - who is saved by whom from what, and by what means? Its crucial to have a correct understanding of these aspects in order not to have any false understanding.
Today he unwraps the subject of forgiveness, a cardinal point in our Christian walk. With reference to multiple scriptures, Ps Andy ensures we all understand the difference between being forgiven original sin which comes the instant we accept Jesus and receive His salvation, and daily misdemeanors we all make. Without forgiveness, we cannot live in perfect relationship with our Father God. The debt for our sins past, present and future can only be paid by the blood of Jesus, this is why it is so imperative we receive Him as our Saviour.
This is an absolute must listen message which unwraps key aspects of the gospel in relation to forgiveness of sins.
On this Resurrection Sunday, Easter Day, Pastor Andy speaks about how Jesus is the 'door' to a new life for us. Jesus is the door to the Father. He refers to John 10;7-10 (NKJV) "Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
Using a real door as a visual aid he speaks most profoundly about how Jesus is the door to a relationship with the Father. Our relationship with the Father in Heaven was lost due to the Adam and Eve's sinful nature in the Garden of Eden (book of genesis refers).
Many claim to be a messiah or even the Messiah but the only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ. Let us open the door of our hearts to Jesus with faith in order to receive Him and receive eternal life.
Ps Sean rounds off the series 'Jesus is' by giving a recap on the messages so far then focusing today on the title 'Jesus is Lord'. What does it mean to be a Lord?, there are many daily uses of this word in secular language but Jesus is not just Lord, He is Lord of Lords.
Scriptures abound here but the cardinal point of Ps Sean's message is this: If Jesus is not Lord of all in our lives, He is not Lord at all. We all need to examine how we live, what we say, what we hear, what we look at, what we do, engage in, our decisions, everything. This is immensely challenging. Luke 6:46-49 (NIV) says "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock".
It's easy to listen to the word and not respond in our hearts and deeds. Jesus bore the price for our sins with His blood on the cross. Our value is His blood. Let us not forget. If our lives become compromised, this leads to blindness which leads to deception ending in destruction. Jesus bore our sins to set us free and make us righteous before God the Father.
Ps Paula continues the series on "Jesus is" -part of our teaching on Christology. This week, she speaks about Jesus being the only person able to fulfill the three titles of Prophet, Priest and also King. Prior to Jesus, these roles were only found to be held by separate individuals in the Old Testament. Ps Paula describes what these roles mean and also why Jesus was and is the perfect man, the sole person who fulfills all of these roles for us today as he did when he was on earth.
Ps Andy continues the series on "Jesus is", this week concentrating on the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. He explains how Jesus was and is the second Adam, the first Adam being sinless until he transgressed in the Garden of Eden. At that point he separated himself from God and all us since have been born into sin. This is a key point to be understood...its not our misdoings that cause us to be sinners, we were all born sinners as we are of the lineage of Adam.
Ps Andy continues to explain how it was necessary for a sinless man's blood to be spilled to pay for all our sins, how in fact only Jesus the Christ could pay the debt to bring us back into relationship with God our Father.
This is an absolutely must listen message, its the heart of the Gospel focusing on Jesus who is the Good News. Listen to this and you can be under no illusion about needing to commit your life to Jesus.
As we continue the series "Jesus is", Ps Gina asks a key question...Why did Jesus come to earth? What was His real mission? Do we properly understand this as many misconceptions abound?
Jesus didn't primarily come to sort out social justice or bring peace, or to free the people of the day from the Romans....disappointing many we are sure! Nor did Jesus come to get us all to live a morally upright life - although many of His teachings reflected this.
Jesus was and is The Messiah. He came to deal with our separation from God due to our sin. We are all born to sin as a result of Adam's revolt in the Garden of Eden. Since then, the Old Testament records how blood sacrifices were made as a result of sin. However, not until Jesus paid the final ransom price by His blood being shed, were all the sins of the world paid for (Mark 10.45).
This is the true nature of the Gospel message which Ps Gina explains at length, showing how our sin nature is able to be exchanged for a righteous nature when we accept Jesus into our lives as Saviour.
This is an amazing podcast, which answers in detail the nature of Jesus as a sinless Son of God the Father and Saviour of the World.
Ps Andy continues the series "Jesus is", this week speaking about how Jesus is both fully man yet also fully God. Andy explains how Jesus is the pay of the Trinity, the reflection in human form of God Himself, yet was and is sinless being born of the virgin Mary. Jesus was the total expression of the Father.....if we want to know about God, just look at Jesus - you have the answer! We believe in the deity of Jesus with Jesus, became a man yet He remained fully God, He rose from the dead and He is seated in glory and majesty on the right hand side of the Father today, right now. He was both the Son of God but also the son of man. He represented God but also represented man. He had the frailty of man yet the deity of God.
Listen to this as Ps Andy describes on great detail how Jesus was and is full man yet fully God.
Today, Pastor Sean begins to unpack the meaning behind Christology - that aspect of our faith relating to the person, nature and work of Jesus Christ. This is all part of our overall theme of being deeply rooted. Sean mentions how the word Christology comes from two words “Christ,” referring to Jesus, and “-ology,” meaning "the study of", ie the study of Christ, both Jesus as a person and His works.
We are called to be rooted deeply into relationship with Christ, with lives overflowing with His goodness. So it follows we need to study who Jesus is....which is the subtitle for this weeks' message. We need to know who Jesus is, understand his truths so we can walk in His fullness.
Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) states "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". Sean speaks about how Jesus was, is and is now, before the beginning of time and how Old Testament scriptures foretell His life in the New Testament. Equally, in order that we are not deceived by the many false doctrines, teachings etc of this world, it is essential we understand the true nature of Jesus. Knowing about Him is not enough , we need to actually be in relationship with Him for ourselves, have a revelation of Him in our lives.
Ps Sean challenges us to delve deeper into our bibles, read the Word to know more of Him. as the scriptures say (John 1), he is the Word made flesh.
Ps Paula begins unpacking the theme of being Rooted for this year looking at the subject of Discipleship. Colossians 2:6-7 speaks of Spiritual Fullness in Christ (NIV) “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”. The Vision in Family Church is to Reach, Grow and Empower. As we get rooted in the things of God, and in God's word, our lives begin to overflow, and we share what God in our lives with others.
Paula then uses the example of Nehemiah and how his heart feelings led him to lead rebuilding of the city walls in Jerusalem. He did not sit idly by and watch the city ruin, he recognized the need, found his place and brought about the rebuilding of the walls.
There are masses of things we can become involved in during this year to deepen our faith, become more involved. We are all challenged to look at how we can be part of the ministry of the vision for the church this coming year.
Following Vision Sunday last week, Pastor Andy begins speaking about being Rooted...theme for this year. Also the key topic is discipleship. he speaks at length about being deeply rooted in the Church and our relationship with God and not just being crowd attendees. We are all growing people on a pathway to full relationship with God. We may have passed the stage of needing to wear "L" plates but still need to have a heart to wear "P" plates and be open to learning and developing continuously.
Jesus said that if we are to be disciples, we need to lay down our lives and pick up our cross. We have to make a decision not to be a part of this broken world anymore, but be a part of His Kingdom - its a decision. Jesus never made anyone in the Gospels step out of the crowd, but invited people who wanted to to do something different. There was a cost then and there is a cost now. Our lives have to change and must do so. But, the rewards are infinite and we become those who are part of the people doing and seeing miracles break out. Crowd people go to Church. Disciples are the Church!
PS Andy goes on to speak of many more challenging differences between the crowd and disciple experience, leaving us in to make up our minds where we are in the journey of life and where we will move to next.....
Ps Andy speaks about the Mission, Vision and Strategy for Family Church for the forthcoming year of 2024. The Mission is summed up on three words: Reach; Grow and Empower. The Vision is based around ten areas: Congregations; Services; Communities; Impact; Discipleship; Empowered; Leaders; Young People; Governance and Premises. Pastor Andy details each of these giving insight into the Strategy - the plans, goals and activities which during the course of 2024 will outwork the Vision. This is a year for everyone to deepen their relationship with God and put down deeper roots. There is a theme of being "rooted". We want to be rooted in our faith, place focus on helping people to learn about Him, believe in Him and walk in obedience to the things that He asks.
This is a MUST LISTEN message!!
Ps Andy Speaks about Journeying with God and "getting to the other side". If it's a God journey, if our hearts are set on pilgrimage, we will get to the other side (as Jesus said to His disciples when they all got into a boat). However, there will be storms because if there aren't, it means that we are not moving! Storms imply wind and Ps Andy speaks further about how winds can assist us in our journey, perhaps resist us or even confuse us.
Ps Andy uses the text from Mark 4:35-41 to illustrate his message. The NIV version reads "That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
God wants us to speak to certain storms in our life. We don't need to wake Him up! He has given us authority to deal with storms that come to resist us. In the Gospel of Mark, the other side of the journey was a man who needed help and when Jesus said let's go to the other side, He had that man in mind. God is many steps ahead of us in our journey. Jesus said that no weapon fashioned against Him could prosper, hence he dealt with the storm.
We are not sitting on the shore, we are in a boat, a moving vehicle with the heart of God. We will get winds of resistance. Hence it's important we know how to stand up and say "cut it out, wind". The Lord said we will get to be other side. The journey can be confusing, but if Jesus is said we will arrive, then we shall arrive!
Andy also speaks of contrary winds and contrary storms which come to confuse us, leaving us somewhere we were not meant to go. We must be led by the spirit in order to make the right decisions. he speaks of where Paul ended up in Malta a result of a broken ship, lost cargo because well informed people would not listen to the Spirit led voice of Paul.
The parallels in our lives with everything said here are all so real. If we are on a God led journey, we will undoubtedly need to deal with winds, storms and the like. Let us know how to!
Ps Steu speaks today about Doing the Right Thing. Doing the right thing is doing things God's way. Matthew 6:33 (NLT) says "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need". The Bible is God's inspired word, the right thing and tells us how to live in the Kingdom way. If we look at Jesus' life, we see that Jesus displayed the very nature of God through His life and character. He walked in the fullness of love joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control which in Galatians 5 describes the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the result of the spirit of God living in us. The right thing is God's wisdom in Jesus, and in the Bible reveals the right thing, when it comes to just about every aspect of life.
Other ways we can know the right thing are from guidance by the Holy Spirit, from our leaders and Pastors and also personal convictions.
Ps Steu goes on the speak about why we might choose to do the right thing, because it honours God, it Glorifies Him and also because it results in greater blessing in our lives. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago".....there is still the call of God upon our lives to live correctly before Him. We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works. We're not saved by by good works, but were created for good works. The truth is that once we need this life, we step into the Kingdom of Heaven, and in the Kingdom of Heaven, there is more reward for those who are faithful with what God has given us to live with.
Ps Steu completes his commanding message by speaking about when we should be doing the right thing.....when we are being watched, when no one is watching us, when others are not doing the right thing and when it is difficult, costly, timely and expensive and when we are tired.
We shall all reap the harvest of blessing if we know the right thing, why to do the right thing and when to do the right thing. The service ended with a time for personal reflection and re dedication of our lives to God.
Ps Gina explores what we mean by saying "Happy New Year". What is 'happy'? Is it biblical to be 'happy'? She refers to Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) " Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, whatever they do prospers."
Those three verses are the result from our choice to follow God's direction in life. The second half of the psalm speaks about the ungodly who are like the chaff that the wind drives away. The end of the second three verses - the ungodly path - is sad and hopeless and ends in nothingness.
God's way in this scriptures leads to happiness, but the other path is the wrong way - which will lead to misery.
Ps Gina goes on to speak about how there are likely to areas of our lives we have not yet committed to the Lord and how these will be like dead branches in the tree of our lives. True happiness will come from ourselves submitting our all to our Saviour.
Pastor Andy speaks about how we must move into 2024 with an attitude of faith and expectation. He uses several scripture references to explain how God will manifest Himself over our lives. In the book of Esther, God turns a situation around literally - the gallows meant for an innocent man become for the hangmen. God caused a reversing to occur. Ps Andy speaks this reversing over our lives in that situations in our lives holding us back are reversed. Let us praise our way out of 2023 and worship our way into 2024! Psalm 121 says (NIV) "the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore".
The children of Israel took forty years to undertake an eleven day journey because they prevaricated and kept looking back rather than moving through the Red Sea into a land of promise flowing with milk and honey. This is the plan of God, for every one of us in salvation. The message of Jesus comes into our captivity and speaks freedom.
We choose to believe in Jesus and we leave 'our Egypt'. But we need to make sure we have left it, to come out of a 'red sea', free from our enemies and our addictions. Then we are coming not to a land of promise, but a life full of promise. This is God's plan for our salvation.
Pastors Sean and Paula have a discussion about the Heart of Christmas. Is it the presents, the gifts, is it the tree, is it the food, is it the excitement? Perhaps? No, its none of these things as they all fade away after the tree and the lights get packed away. The true Heart of Christmas is Jesus, not just as a baby as he was born, but as a grown man who came to save us , give us eternal life, absolution from all sins, and a relationship with our Heavenly Father.
As Ps Sean says, we all need to make sure we do not just accept the gift of Jesus, but we truly unwrap the present and accept Him into our lives fully, for He has great plans for us!
May you have a truly blessed and peace filled Christmas!
Pastor Andy speaks at the Christmas Carol Service for Family Church, Portsmouth. He believes there is plenty for us to be disappointed over during this season, but if we keep the main thing the main thing we will never be disappointed. Leaving Christ out of Christmas just leaves 'mas' or even a mess! Some in our society favour stealing Jesus from our nativity, whereas in fact the real Jesus can never be stolen from our hearts if we ask Him to be Lord and Saviour of our lives.
The church was packed full for this service with people standing at the back, but listen to this impactful message to learn the real truth behind Christmas.
Pastor Andy preaches a rip roaring message today about the power of the cross in our lives. We've got to be a group of believers who don't just come to a building on Sunday saying they believe certain things, but then living life where there's no evidence of what we say. We need to be full of God. We must be Jesus Christ followers on Monday, as much as we go on Sunday, then every other day as well! The result of this is having the power of the cross in our lives.
Pastor Andy goes on in detail to explain how the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is also reflected in us too. Scriptures reveal how we also were co-crucified with Jesus. The person we used to be died on the cross in Christ to 2000 years ago. That fact became activated the moment we believed. our loves need to be acted out to reflect this.
This is an awe inspiring message that will stir our hearts and minds. Listen, believe and act!
Following the series on House of Prayer, Pastors Andy and Paula reflect on the series, looking at their favourite pieces of teaching and remembering how crucial it is that we understand how we are both Natural and Spiritual beings and that our prayers and our warfare with demons etc take place in the Spiritual realm.
Pastor Andy also reflects on how sometimes we need to concentrate on the things we cannot see in order to 'fix' the things we can see.
This is a superb podcast revisiting the cardinal elements of the previous weeks and reinforcing the fact that whilst the series on House of Prayer itself may have finished, it is just the start of the focus on prayer in our personal and corporate lives.
Pastor Andy concludes the series on House of Prayer by this week speaking about spiritual warfare. We exist in a physical realm on earth but when we pray we engage in a spiritual realm. The Bibles tells us we battle against spiritual powers and principalities. Ps Andy unpacks this crucial subject, speaking of angels and demons and the role Christ has played in giving us all authority to bind and loose here on earth...that these things be bound and loosed in Heaven.
This is a MUST LISTEN podcast, covering enormous ground with scriptural backing to all Andy speaks of. He ends with some application pointers..
- Be aware of the two realms....any breakthrough you need may have more to do with whats happening in the unseen. Hit your knees and do business with God and see him bring breakthrough!
- Pray in the understanding for the things that we understand in the spirit for things we have done.
- Understand how to separate people and things from what influences them. When we do spiritual warfare, we deal like Daniel the things that were happening, but were causing interference. If the airways are cleared, the sound of God can break through!
- Ensure we are wearing the armour of God.
- Use our God given authority to begin to bind and loose things in what we call the Spirit ground. Do not get into arguments with people in the natural realm.
- Remember we don't speak to enemy thoughts without authority, but when we speak to the devil's demons (lies, addictions...), there is a ring on our finger that says we represent a King and Kingdom.
- Realise that when we say Jesus with conviction, every devil hits its knees and leaves the building. When we say Jesus, every sickness has to submit. Let us not live like people unaware. Let us not reduce the name of Jesus.
Today, Pastor Andy continues he series on House of Prayer, speaking about praying for the sick and oppressed. God wants us to be praying for others, standing in the gap for others, rebuking their sicknesses and with the authority of Christ in us, praying for their healing. We may be praying for them directly - standing next them, or from afar.
Listen to this message to hear Ps Andy unwrap the details here, quoting scriptures and personal life events which also bear out the promises of God in the Bible for his own life.
Ps Andy gives challenging insight into what to say and what not to say when praying for others who are sick, especially as our God knows everything we can even think of before we utter a word. Sometimes the simplest of prayers are the most powerful.
Ps Andy specifically speaks about how Jesus deal with unbelief before curing people in the bible. Nothing is impossible for God. God is wiling and able to bring freedom though prayer, as shown in scripture and also in present day situations.
Pastor Gina continues the series 'House of Prayer', this week speaking about praying for others. This is also called 'standing in the gap' or intercession. Prayer is a tool which is powerful and effective, and is a gift, a grace for others when we pray for them.
We are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit's prayer. It's a privilege to be able to take someone else before the throne of God and pray for them. We get to be that link that link between what God is thinking and what God wants to do in their lives. We become a link for another person. The Bible commands Christians to pray for one another. James 5:16 (NIV) says "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective".
Ps Gina continues to explore this topic quoting many scripture references (notably the story of Esther) where life situations changed as a result of people interceding for others. She explains h ow she walks in the prayers of her own mother and challenges us all to be effective prayer warriors for others.
Pastor Paula speaks this week on Types of Prayer - continuing the series on House of Prayer. When we use all types of prayer in our prayer life, we get to experience God in different ways. Psalm 100:4 tells us to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with Praise. Psalm 107 tells us to give thank to the Lord for he is good.
Ps Paula continues with personal life stories punctuated with scripture but also challenges us to pray about both the small and big things in our lives. If we dont but we moan and grumble, what are we like? Paula speaks about going before God with a humble heart, on our knees in complete surrender in supplication. If our prayer life is only about the good things in life, we end up quite shallow. Paula speaks of Hannah in the Bible who made a petition, she got on her knees in supplication for a child.
The prayer of supplication does not leave us wanting what we want. It shifts our hearts and causes us to want God to be glorified, because when we get to the end of ourselves and don't know what to do and God is got only person that we have left to help, we begin to realise "God, I'm nothing God nothing. So may your will be glorified." Everything comes from God and for His glory.
Pauls ends speaking about how prayers of supplication, petition, and intercession produce miracles......God can take our broken situations.....other people will then know the power of God. But when people stop praying, miracles stop happening!
Today Pastor Andy continues the series on House of Prayer. This week he speaks on Prayer Languages. There are two different languages of prayer a believer can know. Pastor Andy speaks at length on these – namely praying in our own understanding (the language we use every day), and praying in tongues (praying in the Holy Spirit).
As Pentecostals, we believe that God enables us to pray with another prayer language. We don't believe speaking in tongues is a sole evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - many Christians who don't pray in the Holy Spirit live most beautiful spiritual lives. Also some Christians who pray a lot in the spirit live very ugly lives! Speaking in tongues or heavenly language that the Holy Spirit makes available to every believer is an evidence, but not the evidence of the Holy Spirit.
Speaking in tongues is something God wants us to enjoy. We believe that what was given and demonstrated in the early church in the book of Acts can be a believer's experience today. Why? Because we're a part of the same church which Jesus opened 2000 years ago. Pastor Andy continues to explain some of the main aspects of praying with our own understanding and praying in the Spirit.
Listen to this podcast to hear exciting news about how we are all able to pray in tongues. Towards the end, Pastor Andy also discusses aspects associated with the Spiritual gift of Tongues and how and when this is used.
Pastor Andy continues the series on House of Prayer, this week speaking about Praying in and with Faith. He recounts the baseline scripture references - Matthew 21:13 (NIV) ["It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it ‘a den of robbers'"] and 2Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) [if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land]. The Bible says that humbling ourselves will bring incredible things - healing.
Andy speaks about how we ought to always be praying in faith as we approach Him in prayer. We need to exhibit a child like trust in Him and His promises. If we know God exists, we know our prayers are heard. If we know our prayers are heard, we can have expectation of prayer answered by faith. We walk by faith and not by sight.
Ps Andy continues speaking about how our attitude should be one of faithful thankfulness after our initial prayer of supplication. God is not deaf nor suffering form memory loss! Of course this does not mean we can be arrogant in our attitude, but remain humble in our approach to our Lord.
If we ask anything according to his will, scripture tells us it shall be granted. How do we know the will of God? It is revealed in His word - in our Bibles!
This week in our series House of Prayer, Ps Steu speaks about Corporate Prayer. This is sometimes known as gathered prayer or collective prayer. Its clear from the Bible that we should be praying together. In Acts, we read about the first century Church, coming together regularly to pray. Acts 2 explains the purpose for which the believers gathered together. Acts 2:42-47 (NKJV)says "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Ps Steu asks some questions
- Why should we pray together? It is fundamentally something the church does. We are designed you to be part of a body of believers. Also, praying together brings us to greater unity with each other, especially when we pray according to God's word. Praying together invites the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us that whenever two or more are gathered in His name, He is there in our midst. This is a powerful thing. God empowers us. We need the presence of God. Praying together increases our faith to believe God for the miraculous. Collective prayer also moves us from seeking our own desires to seeking the purposes of God and the desires of God.
- When should we pray together? Answer - regularly!! We've got to remember that we are children of God's kingdom. Praying is what we do; talking to our Father is what we do. Ps Steu speaks about specific occasions that might warrant us praying together - times of decision making, intercession....
- How should we pray? Remember Jesus said if two or three of you agree on earth, concerning anything that they asked for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.... So we should pray in agreement with God's words. The word of God reveals the will of God. In 1 John 5:14-15, it says 'this is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us? And if we know that we have what we have asked of Him'. The Bible is the greatest prayer tool we have, so speaking passages of scripture reminds us who God is and what God says. We also ought to pray earnestly. Acts 12:5 retails Peter being in prison, but that the church was earnestly praying for him. The story ends with his release.
- What happens when we pray? Prison doors are opened! Acts 4:31 tells us that 'when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness'. The presence of God came and filled the room. The Holy Spirit did something amazing in their lives.
The Holy Spirit is the same now and will do amazing things in our lives.....
Today is Global Sunday in Family Church with over 70 different nations represented in the Portsmouth Congregation alone. We've been talking about prayer over the last few weeks in Family Church, and this morning we're going to be just talking about praying from Christians who are praying for the Persecuted church.
Persecution of Christians is not a new thing. It was happening in Biblical times, and it's happening today. Sometimes, living in the UK and especially growing up in the UK, we can easily forget that persecution is something that today, millions of Christians in this world are experiencing and some in really extreme ways, including imprisonment and being martyred for their faith. It's really important that our prayers extend beyond our own lives and beyond our church. It's really good to be praying for our missionaries and our mission partners who are working overseas.
Pastor Steu speaks to four members of the church representing different nations where persecution is rife. They pray in their mother tongue, leading the church this morning.
Ps Sean continues the series 'House of Prayer', quoting again the scripture from Matthew 21:13 (NKJV) "And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
He goes on to speak about how we are the House of Prayer, carrying the House of prayer everywhere we go, individually and corporately, and then follows this explaining the verse preceding the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:5) where we are told not to be like hypocrites, but to go to our room, close the door and humble ourselves before God in private prayer. Referring to the book of Ezekiel, he speaks about how the Lord had a plan of restoration for the people of Israel, to grant their requests, make them whole and righteous but the Lord God awaits the prayer of the people first. Likewise we need to be speaking to God daily about our needs and our circumstances, then God will open up the doors of heaven and blessings will flow.
Ps Sean's key point is that we cannot expect God to perform for us in a public space if we are not in communion with Him in our own private secret space. In our private space we need to be thankful, claiming righteousness, thanking God for freedom and joy. We need to put time in for our private prayer with God...otherwise we are mere religious hypocrites (without power).
This hard hitting message is full of scriptures and positive practical tips for our private relationship with God.
Pastor Andy continues speaking on the subject 'House of Prayer', his title this week is 'Teach us to Pray'. As we take time to consider how we are going to be the “House of Prayer” Jesus calls us to be, we cannot overlook The Lords Prayer. In this relational prayer that was never meant to be just religiously recited, He gives His followers a powerful template or pattern of prayer, so that our prayers can be as effective as His.
Give this podcast a listen to find out about all the wisdom there is in this simple relational prayer.
After Pastor Andy's introduction to our new series "House of Prayer" last week, Pastor Gina begins in earnest this week by asking "what is prayer". She discusses what prayer really is and looks at some of the difficulties we have associated with praying and why this is.
Today, Pastor Andy launches a new series called House Of Prayer. This has been on his heart for a while and all FC congregation will focus on this for the rest of 2023. How can we be a praying people? Prayer is not a bolt on for church!, its a central part. Other faiths call people to prayer from tall towers, some churches ring bells. Jesus was passionate about prayer in the church 2000 years ago and is also passionate about prayer in the church today. In Matthew 16:18. He said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it". We need to build a church with Jesus according to his blueprint...
When we read about the day of Pentecost, we see it today when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon all flesh. But we also see it was the moment that the church was born. What was the church doing before it was born? They were praying and suddenly in their prayer meeting the Holy Spirit fell and the church of Jesus Christ was born.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) says "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land". The people called by Hs name are us Christians!, our land, our lives can be healed and our sins forgiven if we humble ourselves before our God and pray and seek Him.
Next week, we begin to unpack all this in greater detail.
Pastor Andy gives a mind boggling message about our thoughts! What are we thinking? Do we even ever think about what we are thinking - typically 60,000 thoughts per day. How we think determines how we act and hence the fruit of our thought can be negative or positive....Godly or not...in accordance with Kingdom living or not.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways (Proverbs4:26, NIV). Having placed ourselves on a pathway, we are already on a trajectory in life..is it good or bad? Jesus told us to follow him and He would give us a new life. So, we need to start taking responsibility for our thoughts.
Andy goes on to give scriptural examples of where good and bad thinking led to good or bad life experiences. He quotes Philippians 4:8 (NIV) "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things".
This scripture gives us direct guidance on how and what to think about. He concludes by asking us to think about whether we wish to give our lives to Christ and to then think about whether we should act upon any arising thoughts. A challenging message indeed!
Pastor Sean ends the current series of "what are we carrying". He asks if we are carrying things in the darkness, because we cannot be in the light and the darkness at the same time. He explains how the enemy wishes to trip us up in the dark places, but also how God gives us light. ....
1 Peter 5: 7 says (NIV) "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you", however the verse before tells us to humble ourselves before God (v6) "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time". The in verse 9, 10 and 11 come the promises....."Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Ps Sean gives a deep and meaningful message concluding with prayers for all the congregation to open their hearts to The Lord and humbly submit to Him.
Nathan and Ben bring the Word of God to us this morning following their amazing week at Summer Camp the previous week. Listen and be prepared to be amazed!
Pastor Carla continues the series ‘What are we Carrying’ by speaking specifically about shame and guilt. She explains how guilt is the opposite of innocence; how it lets people down. Guilt triggers a response in us, it reflects upon something which is not right with God. It should cause us to repent and change and change our lives, maybe trigger a prayer...
Guilt not dealt with can turn to shame...a painful feeling certainly not of God. God doesn't want this for us...it makes us feel not worthy. Shame also affects how we see ourselves and others. As we carry huge bags filled with the rubbish of our lives, our view of God (and others) is obscured. We cannot see anything clearly because of the baggage we refuse to put down..(often!)…
But, God paid the price through Jesus to free us of such rubbish. However, sometimes we do choose to pick it all back up again. The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis (Genesis 3:7) shows how they were ‘ashamed’ of their nakedness. Their guilt had turned to shame. Jesus enables us to become re-joined to God and our guilt and shame dealt with, we are born again and free.
Ps Carla provides many scripture references illustrating how we are now able to walk boldly, how everything has been dealt with and how we need to be people able to bounce back and allow God to use all of our situations. 1 John 1:8-9 tells us to freely admit our sins. Hebrews 10:22 (NIV) says “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water“. We do not need to carry guilt or shame, we are free indeed.
Ps Sean begins a new series “What are you carrying”. He begins by asking us about what Jesus asks us to carry rather than all our natural junk we tend to carry around. Matthew 11:28 say “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. Jesus wants to give us rest, not religion and certainly not the anxieties of this world.
Matthew 16:24 tells us how we need to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Our identity is found in who we follow. Here, Jesus speaks of submission - we are not asked to carry our worries! When we take up our cross and follow Him life begins to make sense. A relationship with Jesus is rewarded with a lack of stress, no anxiety and no depression. There is only hope in Christ!
Scripture is a most powerful tool. (Proverbs 4:20-22). When the Word is inside us.. Revival breaks out.
Ps Sean continues to speak about replacing worry with faith, rejoicing over God rather than dwelling on negativity. Worry and overthinking are both able to dominate our lives easily if let them, but we need to take captive our thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) in order to transform our lives.
1 Peter 5:7 tells us rather to cast our anxieties on Him for He cares for us….a great rule for living. But, we also need to read the verse beforehand…..we are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand that he may lift us up!
Today Pastor Andy speaks about the pursuit of Wisdom. In Proverbs 4, the Bible instructs us to get wisdom at any cost. Andy's message concentrates on the pursuit of wisdom form a Godly point of view. We need to ensure we do not turn our backs on God's wisdom, relying on wisdom from worldly sources. We must question ourselves regarding our philosophy here - is it correct? Where do we obtain the wisdom which we most love in our lives? Worldly wisdom leads to captivity, whereas Godly wisdom provides freedom to live as we never experienced beforehand.
Pastor Andy mentions the verses in Colossians 2:8 and following where Paul embraced God's wisdom resulting in life changes just as we need to now. Ultimately, we need to make a decision to follow the wisdom of Jesus and not that of the world. God and The Word must become our primary source. In James 1:5 the scripture speaks about how if we lack wisdom we should ask God who will give generously without finding fault in our lives (under the sub title of Trials and Temptations).
In Ephesians 1:17 and following we are instructed to keep asking the God of our Lord Jesus to give us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in order that we may know Him better. The verses which follow also speak about the eyes of our hearts being enlightened so we may know the hope of which He has called us, His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe - the same power which raised Christ from the dead!!
We have a decision to make - do we contend or pursue the wisdom of God?, perhaps we need to humble ourselves and admit that often we do not know that which we do not know!
Pastors Sean and Paula interview May Famuditi & Shelley Parsons who both reveal life changing stories which build faith beyond belief. This could have been titled "Our God Reigns"....listen to learn real life stories of how God impacts lives here and now!
Pastor Andy continues the series called Pursuit - this week his title is The Pursuit of Life. True life is found in God! John 14:6 - I am the way, the truth and life. The word Zoe refers to life, eternal life! Abundant life - John 10:10 - the thief steals, kills and destroys, but....Jesus brings life, abundant life. Abundant- Persisos - superior quality. He speaks of the Two Adams. Adam - Humanity. Jesus - Humanity can be regenerated through the spirit. John 3:6 - flesh gives birth to flesh, spirit to spirit. All alive have a life, but not all have found the life. 1 John 5:11-12. 1 Corinthians 15:22. In Adam 1 - all die, in Adam 2 - we are made alive again. 1 Corinthians 15:45. Adam 1 - A living being .....Adam 2 - life giving spirit. Life - quickened by the breath of God. Reconnected me to the true vine - John 15.
Family Church Pastors gather for a Round Table discussion on the true meaning of the scripture Acts 2:42 and following....
The NIV Bible titles this ‘The fellowship of the believers’
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The NKJV Bible titles this ‘A Vital Church Grows’
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ [n]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
All of our Pastors draw vitally important nuggets from this scripture in relation to the future of our Church Fellowship. This is a ‘must listen’ message!!
Pastor Andy Elmes starts a new series titled ‘Pursuit’ today. This is part 1, dealing specifically with the pursuit of happiness. The second sentence of the American Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. A pursuit is what we set our heart or our desires hard at work over.
The Declaration of Independence stated the United States no longer wanted the rule and reign of England, rather to be autonomous and self-governing. Ps Andy goes on to look at how effectively mankind moved away from the rule and reign of their Lord God in the Garden of Eden, believing happiness (amongst other things) to be found in the tree of knowledge of good and evil. History tells otherwise! Humanity turned its back on a position that it had, to go on a pursuit of something that could never be achieved, because we know that happiness, life and liberty aren't found in places outside of God. Since Adam, we have all been looking for those things in places where we can't find them when all the time God is there, omnipresent ever-present saying, “hey return to me, why don't you walk away from your statement of independence of me and my kingdom and come back into my kingdom, where you will find all those things”.
When we don’t have a relationship with God, we unknowingly draw things we think will create happiness from our wives, husbands, children or friendships. This makes relationships a lesser experience than God intended them to be.
Ps Andy asks “what's the answer to all this”? Basically, have a healthy relationship with God, then all other relationships in our lives will become beautifully balanced as they were meant to be. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) states “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. The context of this statement comes from Jesus speaking to his followers saying, don't be like unsaved people, don't be like heathens or pagans, or people who don't know God and seek other things to bring them happiness. Rather, Jesus said that if we seek first the Kingdom of God, make a relationship with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, making this the greatest pursuit of our lives, then our striving will cease. Our Father will add these other things to our lives and put His blessing upon them. However, if we look at other things outside God’s Kingdom for our pursuit of happiness, we effectively make them idols in our lives…..
Today, Ps Sean speaks about Baptism, namely Water Baptism, its meaning and why we should be baptised. The word Baptism means to undergo or be immersed. This takes place after someone accepts Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. It's an outward declaration of what Christ has done on the inside of who they are. We need to be of an understanding to do this; hence not something a child or infant can go through. We do this when we understand what Christ has actually done for our life. The Bible calls this a baptism of repentance.
PS Sean takes a walk through the scriptures explaining the power behind a water baptism – it is not a ceremony! Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. John the Baptist was doing this because he was making a way for Jesus and getting the people ready for the saviour of the world to enter. All of this was to fulfil those scriptures spoken previously in the Old Testament in Isaiah & Malachi – hundreds of years previously.
Two examples from scripture show how the people were taken through the river Jordan leaving the entrapments of their old ways behind and the freedom of the new life in Jesus ahead. These are great examples of how visually the water baptism buries old ways. Ps Sean goes into detail to explain this in a not to be missed message ending with a challenge. Are we baptised, if so, do we need to bring remembrance to the power of our baptism and remind the enemy that our old life is dead and he has no hold over any of our old ways? Or, if we are not baptised, Sean hopes we are encouraged and that our understanding of this incredible sacrament is now awakened that we may seek to be baptised.
Pastor Steu begins this week speaking with the title “He will never leave you”. God promises that he will never leave us nor forsake us. This is the promise that he made to Joshua, who became the leader of the children of Israelites after Moses - no small task. Joshua needed to know that God was going to empower him and be with him every step of the way. In Deuteronomy, 31:6, God spoke to Joshua. He said (NKJV) “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you”.
Joshua had to know this in his heart as he led the children of Israel forward into the land of promise that God had given them. This promise that God made to Joshua is ours as well. God has come to dwell in our lives by his Spirit. And the truth is that he will never leave us and he will never forsake us. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are new creations in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away and all things have become new. This transformation is amazing but only the start. God wants us to walk in the power of this transformation every day. He wants to empower us to be different to this world, to stand out as his holy people, set apart people to be people who walk as Jesus did. In other words, to carry the character of Christ, walk with love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness and self-control. These fruits are the look and feel of His people.
Ps Steu mentions there are many occasions when we need to know that God is with us by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. He speaks of four specific occasions when we need to know that the presence of God is in our lives, when it is vital to remember that God is with us. These are Temptation, Tension, Triumph and Tragedy. Ps Steu explains how having God in our lives and displaying the fruits of His Spirit sets us apart from others and turns heads when people are otherwise focused on the worldly ways of living.
It’s Pentecost Sunday and we’re excited to be joined by Micah Wood, a leader at Ramp Church, Manchester, who continues our series “By My Spirit”.
Pastor Sean continues with week 3 of the 4 part series "By My Spirit". He focuses this week on the Holy Spirit being within us, in us and on us, being the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus at the ascension. Using a motor as an analogy he illustrates that not only do we now have a new car, a new driver but also a new engine giving us power like never before. His message looks at how the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to do things we cannot do in our strength. He looks at scripture where Paul even delights in his weaknesses in order that he is strong in Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Reference is made to Luke 24 and Acts 1, both of these verses being statements made by Jesus after his resurrection and just prior to his Ascension. Jesus was telling His disciples they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, then being witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and even to the ends of the Earth. Clearly, Jesus is demonstrating that He has substantial plans for them, through their lives. He was asking them to receive His Spirit, allowing it to reside, rule and reign within them….then they would be limitless in what you could do. It's the same for us! In the same way God had a plan for the first church, He's got a Plan for the church today because we're the same church but the Holy Spirit comes into our lives to lead us but also empower us and give us divine or supernatural ability. At the boundary of our own ability, God’s ability through the Holy Spirit in us begins to act.
When the understanding or the revelation that we are now filled with God's own Spirit fully settles in our minds, we will begin to do things we didn't think we would - like forgiving what you couldn’t; loving those we couldn’t and so on. God doesn't ask us to do things in our own strength alone. The first footstep may be ours to take, but the other footsteps that cause us to arrive where He is asking us to go are provided by Him. There is a two-fold benefit for us - number one, it’s great for us, number two, it's also good for others because God has called us to minister His life to others. We are people who can be led by the Spirit in our daily lives. We are people who are empowered by the Spirit in our lives, and for the benefit of others. Let this be so.
Pastor Andy continues the four part series By My Spirit. Last week he looked at being filled with the Holy Spirit – God’s plan to empower us with His presence, His ability and power. Andy speaks of God’s desire to be resident, reigning and ruling our lives. He speaks of the purposes the Holy Spirit lives inside us…to empower us, to transform us into the likeness of Christ, to comfort us in times where we need comfort, to help us and assist us, but also to daily lead us in successful paths and Godly ways.
Andy refers to John 16:13-15, here we see Jesus saying that the Holy Spirit is coming to guide our lives, in all truth. Spirit-led is also evidence and demonstration of us now being God's children, (Romans 8: 9- 14). There really is only one type of Christian – that is Spirit filled!
We all have to make a decision – to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us or not…Psalm 23 indicates how God will shepherd our lives if we let Him. The Holy Spirit wants to cause our lives to be transformed, renewed, empowered and enlightened. The key question that affects us all is are we ready for this and will we let Him?
Pastor Andy begins a new series “By My Spirit”. This is the first of four parts. Zechariah 4:6 is a key verse Andy refers to where it says “Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says, the Lord Almighty”. This series will be looking at being filled with the Holy Spirit, being led by the Spirit, being empowered by the Spirit, then the coming of the spirit and what Pentecost means for us today.
We often refer to Spirit-filled Christians, meaning that but we're a Spirit-filled people of people who know and believe that God's spirit is now resident in our lives. The moment we consider that the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead now lives in us, everything begins to change, if we dare to believe it!
Pastor Andy describes how the Holy Spirit was present at the beginning of time (Genesis 1:2), throughout the Old Testament (in the Temple and Tabernacle), how in the Old Testament we see glimpses of everyday folk doing supernatural things. God’s Spirit was present but not in them. Racing through to the New Testament, when Jesus on the cross says it's finished and the veil in the temple was rent in two from top to the bottom; that was the Holy Spirit saying everything that Jesus needed to do to purify people had been completed in order that the Holy Spirit could live within people.
The atonement of Jesus enabled the veil to be torn. If Jesus had not paid for our sins, God’s Spirit would not be able to live in us. He is a holy God; we were an unholy people due to Adam sentencing us to separation because of sin. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from every sin that separated us, so God could no longer just be with us but reside in us. This was God’s eternal plan, foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament and promised by Jesus himself in the (John 14:17). In verse 18 Jesus says He would not leave us as orphans and that the Holy Spirit would reside in us - Pentecost.
Pastor Andy speaks about how the difference between the Spirit of God just living in us but also residing in us. Some of us keep the Spirit of God locked in a basement; we need to be sealed with the Spirit but also “be being filled” with the Holy Spirit. Then, the Holy Spirit can reign in our lives and empower us to do supernatural things on earth.
Today, Pastor Andy completes his three week series on the Will of God. This began by looking at what the will of God was in order we could then walk in His Will. Romans 12:1-2 is the key verse. Verse 2 says we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds in order we can then test and approve what God’s will is. This, of course assumes we make decisions to live not as the world lives, but to live in God’s ways.
Pastor Andy speaks about how in many instances when we choose God’s will or God’s way over our own, that it will cost us in some way. Whatever God asks us to do; we normally lay down something that was our will. Luke 22:42 (NIV) is the most significant example of this in scripture “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done”. Jesus prays on the Mount of Olives before His crucifixion. He knew what was to come but sought the Father’s will. The sacrifice was ultimate. He had choice, He could have walked away, but He sacrificed Himself for us all. This moment is the Passion, Jesus choosing us knowing what lay ahead.
Pastor Andy concludes his word for today by leading the congregation if the words of the Lord’s Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV) “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Pastor Andy continues today with part two of his three part series on the Will of God. This week Andy speaks on Walking in the will of God. We can only walk in the will of God if we know what His will is. The Bible is full of the Prescriptive and Prohibitive will of God, as Andy explained last week. This week, Andy concentrates more on looking at God’s Perfect will and also His Permissive will.
By permissive, we mean things that God permits or allows while other things would be God's perfect will for our life. God's will is sovereign yet certain things are permissive – they may not be what God truly desires for us, but will allow us to do these things. Our choices may give us a lesser experience of life than what He intended in His perfect will. Some people are happy to live within His permissive will only.
There is also available to us the perfect will of God - that which God wants for us, which is His very best. God has specific perfect will plans for us, but we have choices whether we take hold of them or just settle for living in that which is allowed. In Jeremiah 29 verse 11, God speaks to Jeremiah saying I know the plans, filled with prosperity, not harm that will give you hope and a future. Jeremiah had to choose to say yes or no to the plans of God – he did say yes. In Jeremiah chapter 1, he says the word of the Lord came to me saying before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
The permissive will of God will never match the perfect will of God. Let us aim for the perfect will of God.
Today Pastor Andy begins a new series called The Will of God. This follows on from the series on Pathways. If we are to walk on the pathways of God then we need to be walking in accordance to the will of God. But the reality is we need to know what the will of God is, in order to do this. The Lord ’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10) speaks of “thy will be done”, so it is key we understand His will for us in our lives.
Ps Andy examines the Revealed will of God in the scriptures, where God has made His will known for us on many occasions. Referencing Romans 12:1-2, Andy explains how our lives are His property, our lives are no longer our own as we were bought at a price. Andy goes on to describe the Prescriptive will of God (e.g. Matthew 19:19, Honour your Father and Mother), and then the Prohibitive will of God (e.g. Exodus 20:7, you shall not take the name of the Lord in vain). Later in the series, Ps Andy will speak about the Permissive and Perfect will of God.
Andy then speaks of other scriptures where the Revealed will of God is clear to us all, in order to live a ‘set apart’ life. His message also deals with the will of God as explained in detail by Jesus teachings and His actions. Worthy of mention was the story of the man with leprosy in Matthew 8. Here we clearly see how God’s will though Jesus is not just for salvation but also for healing as well. It is God’s will that we all shall not perish, hence why we all need to meet with friends and family and explain the gospel message.
On this Easter day, Resurrection Sunday, Pastor Andy recalls the whole series of events from Good Friday through to Resurrection Sunday with scriptures describing Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. The importance of the resurrection cannot be overstated, without this our sins would never be forgiven, our faith in vain and the earlier scripture prophecies left unfulfilled. Jesus died for our sins that we may be restored to God in fullness of relationship. Ps Andy describes the whole Easter story in vivid detail - a message not to be missed!
Today Pastor Andy concludes the three part series on Pathways by summarising the previous two weeks and also making further points about our Christian journey. Today, Palm Sunday we see Jesus walk through a gateway entering Jerusalem down a pathway of Palms to a group of noisy rejoicing folk.
Previous messages have spoken about the choices we have in order to walk a pathway of righteousness. The book of Proverbs, especially the first few chapters speaks of different pathways, life and death, purity, justice, forgiveness etc. A major key to the Christian life is to look at the pathways our feet should be on, but also those they shouldn't be on. Remember a powerful thought - we don't own our past – Jesus bought this at a price. So let’s not try and manage something that doesn't belong to us! Pastor Andy majors on four key points.
First - Always choose the small gate and the narrow path. Matthew 7:14 (NIV) says “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it”. Walking with God includes gateways and pathways in salvation; we come through the Gateway of Jesus. Jesus said he is the shepherd; anyone who comes through him can find salvation and be saved. Pathways follow gateways and we have choices to walk the pathways of obedience and understanding now everything has changed in our lives and we are a new creation.
Secondly – Make straight paths! Crooked paths symbolise ducking and dealing, deception, a little bit of walking straight with God then bending to suit our own ways. We need to make our crooked paths straight. Zacchaeus had a Gateway moment with Jesus; the next thing he did was address the wrong pathways in his life – he said he had been a con man, robbed and stole from people and now he must give it back, all of it ! In Matthew 3:3, John the Baptist references what Isaiah said about preparing the way for the Lord and making straight paths for him. Before this line he said “repent, for the Kingdom of God is near” – this repentance is about changing our thinking to accommodate the reign of Christ. Fortunately, if we trust the Lord, lean not on our understanding and in all our ways submit to Him; then He will make our paths straight – not us! (Proverbs 3:5-6). God can only bless the parts of our lives which we submit to Him.
Thirdly – It’s good to have a lamp. It’s much easier to stay on the right path if we can see the way. Psalm 119:105 (NIV) says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path”. The word of God takes away darkness from our steps. When we walk with God, He lights the step in front of us as we walk in faith. We need to ask the Lord to enlighten our steps as we read our bibles.
Fourthly – It’s good to have a guide. A guide can lead us in our path, especially when we are lost and don’t know the way. John 16:13 (NIV) says “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come”. The Holy Spirit didn't just seal our lives for salvation, but came to live in us to guide us through all the jungles we would face daily.
Pastor Andy ends his message by looking again at the verse which encapsulates the series on Pathways. Proverbs 4:26 (AMPC) says “Consider well and watch carefully, the path of your feet and all your ways”. Let us each ensure our pathways are straight, not crooked and that we walk God’s pathways, the narrow path through the gate of Jesus illuminated by scripture.
Ps Paula continues the theme of Pathways which began last week. Sometimes we go wandering or are led to wander off the path we are on by another person. There is a path that Jesus wants us to follow, the path of righteousness. God’s way, His path is best for us, He has a great track record of providing the best for us. But we do always have a choice! Psalm 23 says (NIV) “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. We can take the path that the Good Shepherd our God is leading us.
God's ways are totally different when the world screams ‘do whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it’. God calls us to crucify our flesh and it isn't always easy. The path of righteousness is about our actions and our responses. Matthew 7:13 says (NIV) “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it”.
Like Zacchaeus, we need to be able to let Jesus into the mess of our lives. When you let him in, he speaks freedom and he speaks restoration and like Zacchaeus, (his identity was restored), so can ours be.
God we need you, help us, restore us, and bring us back onto your path, in Jesus name, Amen.
Today, Pastor Steu begins a new series titled Pathways, following our thoughts on Kairos. The Bible has a lot to say about Pathways or roads and in the Bible they were many times that God took people on a natural physical Journey, giving them direction as they proceeded. Ps Steu uses many examples from scripture where people stepped out in faith to follow a certain pathway as directed by God.
There are many lessons we can learn from Abraham, the children of Israel, Jonah and others. For example, the fact that Abraham had to step out in faith on his journey reminds us that when we walk with God, it's a Journey of faith. Doing things God's way takes faith because we are opposing the way of the world. So it's important as we endeavour to live out God's path for our lives that we follow God for us. Without God we can't do anything effective as ambassadors of His Kingdom, we can’t live an effective life without His presence in our lives. We need to make wise choices in order to do this, seeking wisdom from the Bible, Proverbs 4 being a wonderful start!
Pastor Stue continues this theme by unwrapping thoughts about God’s plan for our lives. Deuteronomy 30:15-20 gives us instruction about the offer of life or death telling us to love the Lord our God and walk in obedience to Him, keeping His commands, decrees and laws. The path of righteousness is God’s plan for our lives, the pathway for us to follow.
Pastor Paul McCulloch and his wife Elise visited us today from Hope Unlimited Church, Gosford Campus and delivered a challenging message. Following the outbreak of Covid, many churches experienced some people leaving whilst others joined. God continues to do new things! It's so easy in the world that we live in to think that we have control over our own destiny, that we have control over everything in our life. But in reality we dont! We need to understand that there is this dependence on God and also recognize that dependence on His truth. It's not just about a belief in an eternal God, but it's the truth of His word that it is life to us that as we obey what God puts in His book, He gives us every principle that we need to get through this life abundantly. The challenge isn't whether the word is truth. The challenge is whether we can receive it, or would love it.
Ps Paul continues to speak on three aspects - God's plan for us as individuals, His plan for us corporately and His plan for us programmatically.
Listen to this engaging message!
https://hopeuc.com/au/location/gosford/
Today Pastor Andy dismissed his prepared massage following a massive outpouring of God’s Spirit in church after worship inspired by the song titled Champion (Bethel Music). The words
When I lift my voice and shout
Every wall comes crashing down
I have the authority (yes, I do)
Jesus has given me
When I open up my mouth
Miracles start breaking out
I have the authority
Jesus has given me……
…caused the whole congregation to shout Jesus name with many strongholds then being broken. Ps Andy then spoke that we have the same authority as Jesus had from His Father. When we begin to speak with the authority of Jesus Christ, the enemies stood in front of us begin to flee, the situations that seem irreversible begin to turn. Ps Andy believes that this was more than just a nice moment, more that God restored a shout to his house today. Also, we have got to put a shout in our personal prayer times.
Andy continued to speak around Isaiah 35, how wastelands became floodlands, how our hands will become strengthened for worship and service, how our knees may be strengthened to sustain our bodies and how fear be banished. This was a message and a service not to have missed!!!
Today, Pastor Andy continues the theme of Kairos – for such a time as this. A Kairos moment, a moment of divine, God orchestrated favour and happening is most often to do with the Holy Spirit doing something new on the earth. Ps Andy references the outpouring of the Spirit in Asbury recently. When we see God moving around in different parts of the world it’s amazing, but the good news is that we can be assured in our hearts but the Same Spirit that's moving in those different locations is the same Spirit that lives in us!! Pastor Andy believes we are seeing a Kairos moment now with God pouring out a fresh touch of His Spirit. He is hungry for God to do what he wants to do because whenever there's a Kairos moment or a moment of revival people come back to life with all revived. When the Spirit of God begins to blow in a fresh way, rusty Christians get revived.
The story of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 is an illustration for us now, says Pastor Andy. Here, God tells the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy over the valley of dry bones which then become alive after skin, sinew, tendons and eventually the breath of God is breathed back into them. Surely, this was a Kairos moment. This was a picture for Israel, but is also a picture for us, but when we look at what's going on in the world today, it looks like chaos. It looks like the ship is going down. We read reports for Christianity, people don't want it anymore. People don't want religion, they do want God. They want God but what is the answer? God's church is the answer. The church is already on the earth, but too much of the church is dry bones, too much of a church once lived, but went dry and died in their faith, gave up on God, but kept coming to church and fell asleep. Pastor Andy believes we are in one of those moments. A Kairos moment where God is breathing on his church, putting fresh breath back into the church.
We need to be positioned correctly and hungry for the Spirit of God to blow new breath into our beings.
Pastor Sean speaks about our response to God in the Kairos moment. One of our Church Values is that we are all responsive people and responsive to God. Also, that the moment we are is all about being able to react correctly to what God is asking us to do. Ps Sean takes many examples of how people responded to God from scripture, perhaps the most notable being that of Nehemiah who led the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. In 52 days, the city walls were rebuilt, the gates were rebuilt, and the doors were rehung…an amazing feat. Nehemiah brought many people, some from high up positions or perhaps seemingly no relevant trades to come together and undertake this task. For such a time as this Nehemiah responded by saying, ‘here I am’, ready to serve the purposes of God’s Kingdom. So it is with us in our community. Romans 12 tells us we all have different gifts, each can bring something to the house of the Lord. We all need to ensure we are using our gifts for the purposes of God – even if just to speak words of encouragement perhaps. It is vital we carry on doing what we do in the body of Christ, only this way we can be ready for what is next to come our way. God's house needs to be alive and working, functioning as it should.
We are all called to serve for His purposes – this is our response to the time such as this.
Pastor Stue continues the theme of Kairos this week speaking about “Our Position and Purpose” in this Kairos moment.
In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks about end times, of many earthquakes, natural disasters and signs in the heavens and on earth. Also that darkness will increase wickedness on earth. We do live in a world that is pretty broken, according to Jesus - the acceptable year of the Lord or the season of God's grace. Luke 4:18-19 speaks of the acceptable year of the Lord of the season of God's Grace - beginning when Jesus died on the cross and ending when Jesus returns. In this season that we live, every single person who calls out to Jesus can be saved.
If anyone calls upon Jesus, turns their heart to Jesus, they will be saved because Jesus took the sin of the world upon himself so that we could be made perfect in the sight of God. This is the Gospel message. This season of God's grace is the season of God's favour. The Bible is very clear that we are going to see an outpouring of God's spirit upon the church His people that will be mobilised and empowered to live for the purposes of God's kingdom and bring the good news of God's kingdom to this world. God set us apart and He has a purpose for our lives. The only way we can accomplish the purpose of God in our lives is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Each of us has been positioned in God's Kingdom for such a time as this.
Even though we go through storms in our lives, the key to being used for God's Kingdom purposes is to make ourselves available to Him. When we are available to God, positioned in this moment for God's purposes we can then walk in His purposes in our lives. We do not need to be perfect, just available.
Maybe we need to spend less time worrying about how we failed, how we didn't make perfect choices, how we wasted our time, how we hurt others, or perhaps how we ourselves were hurt, or how we suffered, and maybe we need to spend more time, being set apart now, for the purposes of God.
Pastor Andy continues the theme of Kairos, this week focusing on knowing the time we are in. Kairos is about this being a God moment, a Divine moment of opportunity for us individually and as a whole in the church. Andy speaks of us being in God ordained moments just as Noah, Joseph and others saw themselves in.
God creates specific moments for specific things that he's doing on the earth. We need to have a correct world view of the moment we are in and also an equally good spiritual view. In Luke 12:54-56 Jesus talks about the foolishness of not being able to interpret present times from a Godly understanding. God doesn't want us to be foolish! We need a healthy balance of how God wants us to respond and what God wants regarding what is happening in the world. Every season serves a purpose under Heaven (as Ecclesiastes 3:1) and God wants us to be able to interpret his Seasons.
When Isaiah spoke of this (Isaiah 60), he said ‘Arise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For Behold, the Darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness’. This is a good description of a ‘now’ moment, isn't it for many? But the Lord will rise over you and His glory will be seen upon you and the Gentiles shall come to your light. Obviously, this was speaking to a Jewish people then, but it's speaking to us now, as the people of God. Paul said the same thing often in the New Testament. Specifically in Romans 13, 11-14 (NKJV) it says “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts”.
So this moment is a time to wake up, cease living any life of compromise we may have and be alert (1 Peter 5, 8). Jesus will return to this earth like a thief in the night without warning. In Acts 2:17 (NKJV), Peter speaks to men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem saying “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.”
There is no reference to gender, race, age, rich or poor in this passage. The Bible is a signpost telling us to look out and be ready. Are we ready? Do we know the time?
Today is Vision Sunday across all congregations of Family Church. Pastor Andy speaks about the vision for the church for the whole of this year 2023. Naturally the church’s mission is to reach, grow and empower people and reach those who do not yet know Jesus. However, Andy has specific words for our Vision during 2023. We are in a moment, perhaps unprecedented, where God is about to move by His Spirit, through His church, in a way people have never seen before. Pastor Andy perceives we are in a Kingdom moment; this is a moment where His Kingdom which cannot be shaken will be experienced by those who live in kingdoms that can be shaken - viewing the world.
The Bible says in Hebrews 12 we are a part of a Kingdom which cannot be shaken. We are in a world where everything is currently shaking. There will be revealing of a Kingdom and a Kingdom people which cannot be shaken because their God is God. This is a Kingdom moment, a moment when God is about to move. We must be ready for what God is about to do – a continuation of the theme of encounter.
Pastor Andy defines this as a Kairos moment – a God ordained moment in history, as opposed to Chronos (sequential and quantitative). Alternatively, view Kairos as the most opportune moment for action. Andy refers to many scriptures as examples of God ordained moments of time but perhaps the best example comes from the book of Esther. Esther was positioned to prevent destruction of the Jews, although she did have to use her influence with the king in order to do so.
As we walk through this year just maybe we also have been positioned for such a time as this. Where we have congregations in England and the Philippines with any favour that we are walking in just maybe we have been positioned in life for a time such as this for a moment that God did long before any of us were born. God says there is a year called 2023, that's the Kairos, there is a moment in that year where the world is falling and in that moment, the church is going to stand on our feet, and begin to be my body, my hands, my feet, my whole life.
Esther could have shrunk back, she could have said “I like my life, I am the Queen, I could lose everything….” She knew when she appeared before the king, he would either extend his sceptre or not. If he didn't extend his sceptre, she would have been put to death. If he extended his sceptre, she could ask for up to half of his kingdom – quite a lot of pressure! She prays and fasts and walks in before the king presenting her request. A God moment follows resulting in a complete change of the circumstances saving the Jews.
This is a Kairos moment. Esther 4:14 (NKJV) says “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” We need to awaken our hearts and say, God use me. If we are a prayer warrior, it's time to pray; if we are a giver, it’s time to give; if we are a server it’s time to serve and so on. The Kairos moment is upon us….for such a time as this.
Today is week three of the series on Encountering God afresh. Pastor Andy speaks with fresh zeal for our encounter with our Lord God. Encounters with God change lives. God never wanted us to have a religion about him, He wanted us to have a relationship with Himself - these are two completely different things!
Many lives were changed as a result of encounters with God and many are recorded in scripture, particularly in the Gospels. In Luke 19, we read about Zacchaeus, someone who had experienced religion, but wasn't satisfied. Being a short man he climbs a tree to see Jesus. Jesus passes under the branch of a tree, looks up and says “today I'm coming to your house”. Zacchaeus jumps up and says “I've been robbing everyone, I've been handling my finances wrongly”, and in a moment changes the way he managed those finances and the way he treated people. One Moment, one encounter with Jesus changed everything.
Pastor Andy speaks about the story of Nicodemus, a religious man; then the story of a woman caught in adultery. He follows this by examining in detail the story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well having a discussion with a man about giving her living water. The woman is unaware she is speaking to Jesus the Messiah until later. Afterwards she races off to tell her whole township about Jesus. Her life and that of the others referenced in the bible were changed by their encounters with Jesus. Interestingly, in the story of the woman at the well, Jesus takes no notice of the divides between Jews and Samaritans, or the fact she had many husbands. He tells her just to live a new life.
In the same way, Jesus can and will change our lives now……if we let him.
Pastor Andy continues with his theme for us having new and fresh encounters with God. We need a fresh encounter with God. The good news is that God wants to give us fresh encounters. When we read about Jesus in the gospels, He always said, ‘Come to me all those who are thirsty’. We need to thirst and desire Him in our hearts. We need Him to be our Lord and King, the good news is that He says He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. We need to feed off fresh bread from God, not stale bread we had months or years ago (spiritually speaking).
Pride, procrastination and passivity can keep us from fresh encounters with God. The bible is full of people who had God encounters; we need only to think of Zacchaeus. If he had been too lazy to get up the tree he would not have had the encounter with Jesus that changed his life. Let us not be hampered by world ways, let us diligently seek our God for fresh encounters daily.
This week Pastor Andy begins a new set of messages about us truly encountering God – not just knowing about Him. A real encounter is something that will change our lives forever. Andy desires for each of us to have a fresh encounter with Jesus in this New Year, that our lives be changed forever. Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to get an encounter without striving. We need to position our lives also to meet Jesus in a new way. What if he hadn't climbed the tree? What if the woman with the issue of blood couldn't have been bothered to push through the crowd? Answer, they would have missed out on an encounter that was life changing. We don't want anyone missing out on God encounters. The key is how we position ourselves to meet with God.
In Genesis 28, we read about Jacob the descendant of Isaac and Abraham. He'd been raised in a Godly house and heard about God. He wasn't absent from concept theology or understanding that there was a God, but there wasn't yet a trigger point personally. In verse 16, we read of his dream where he looks up, and at the end of a ladder sees God, with ministering Spirits going up and down and God speaks to him in that moment of subconscious or dream state in such a way that when he wakes up his life changes. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought ‘surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it’.
Jacob experienced an actuality of God, and awakening to His presence. The God of his Fathers that he had heard of became real. When God becomes real, everything we do finds its true purpose. We don’t need external motivations to serve in church or worship Him for example…….we can’t stop! There's no problem with the ingredients of our services and meetings – the problem is an absence of the actuality of God in our lives!
Actuality causes us to put legs on the things we claim to believe. How many people believe their loved ones are going to hell if they don't get a chance to receive Christ as saviour? Are we telling them? Maybe we are all guilty to some degree of not knowing as we should. But all of a sudden, the wind changes, the Spirit blows. We are woken and everything we believed suddenly makes sense. Like Jacob, we arise from an awakening ready to serve Him, give Him everything, and walk with Him all of our days. We don't need incentive or motivation. He is enough.
Pastor Andy speaks today about the Spirit & Atmosphere of Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is Christ Jesus the Messiah who was given to us by God. The Christmas spirit seems to make people happy, indeed our Christmas cards are full of the words, Love, Joy, and Peace - things the world seems unable to provide! But do we lose all this the minute we pack away the Christmas tree, or is God for life, not just for Christmas? Ps Andy continues with quotes from the famous Scriptures in Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born....." and Luke 2:8 “an angel appeared to the shepherds bringing good news that will cause great joy to all the people....” The message here is for Great Joy to all people, not just some. Because God so loved the world and gave His only begotten Son it follows He is the gift of Love and Joy and Peace that lasts beyond a moment or a season, but forever in our lives if we accept Him. We often use the phrase 'Merry Christmas', but in fact, the gift, the atmosphere of God can provide for our whole lives.
We do not need to return to a season of no love, no joy, and no peace after the 12 days of Christmas! God wants to be the gift that keeps on giving throughout the year, even in harsh times. Let us not pack God away after Christmas. God is for life and not just for Christmas, just like a dog is for life. It's not just for a moment; it's for the life that follows. God wants us to enjoy a relationship with Him, not a Festival about him. Let us keep the Love, Joy, and Peace in our hearts for all time and enjoy the fruits of a relationship with God as we take to our hearts the real good news of this season.
This week Pastor Andy concludes the series on Family Church values with the title ‘We are Honourable’. We are a people who give honour to each other and to God according to Scripture. Pastor Andy expounds this. The church needs to take a different direction to the world where people are choosing to be less honourable. We are the people of God, God has called us to be his people, and that makes us different. It means that we don't respond like everybody else response in many ways. We don't live like everybody else lives in the world that we are a part of.
In Matthew 5 verses 13 to 16, Jesus makes an incredible statement, saying that we are Salt and Light in the world, for our light to shine that others may see the glory of God. So we are meant to be different, to live differently. Part of this is giving honour where honour is due, e.g. in our speech and actions.
Pastor Andy continues by giving examples from the Bible to show how we should show honour to God, to His Son, to others, with our gifts, talents, wealth and more.
Discover even more amazing ways we can honour God, His, Son, each other, our leaders, our elders by listening to this action packed message. As per love, to honour someone is a doing word, a verb. We are an Honouring people and God blesses us in our faithfulness.
Today Ps Sean continues the series on Family Church values with the title ‘We are Responsive’. Being responsive means we are fast to respond or react appropriately, or sympathetically. The converse of this is being static and showing no interest, concern or emotion. We need to be people who are in the same place physically, emotionally and spiritually. Football fans are often more responsive than many in church! How much more responsive should we be to the supernatural things of God than the natural things of a football match!
In Matthew 22:34 onwards, the Pharisees try to test Jesus by asking (NIV) “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments''. Jesus was immediately responsive with words about loving God and loving people – an active love. We are likewise called to have this active love and responsiveness to God and people around us – both those we love and those we don’t!
All of this begins with us submitting ourselves to God. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Jesus responded to His disciples by saying ‘follow me and I will make you fishers of men’…. Interestingly, their response recorded in the Gospels was “and immediately they left the boat….”.
So we begin our responsiveness by being responsive to God, initially in prayer which develops our spiritual relationship with Him, then we are in a position to be able to be responsive to others as well. An overflow of our internal responsiveness to God will cause an external responsiveness to others around us. This includes situations, the use of our time, money, gifts and talents. The lady with an issue of blood pressed past the crowd and reached out to Jesus by faith. Sometimes we need to press in and press through the crowd and noise. On the other side of this is a miracle - a touch of His Garment and a release of His power. Often when there is lack or need we must press into God with faith and submission to Him.
As a church, the body of Christ, let us be responsive to the call of lost people in a lost generation. People may look like they've got it together, but they often haven't. When they go home, they see brokenness within themselves. We are the people Jesus calls the light of the world. Let us be responsive to God and to people. God has responded to us, He gave us life through His Son.
Pastor Steu continues the series on Family Church Values this week by speaking about how we are Servant Hearted. We value serving one another and we value serving the purpose of God in Our Generation. In John 13:34-35, Jesus is speaking to His disciples and says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”. Love is something we do and can see the result of. We will be known by our love for one another. As our love for God may be expressed in worship, our love for one another may be expressed in service towards each other. Jesus modelled this on earth and we likewise need to be authentic…. It’s the way of God’s Kingdom. Jesus stepped into our world and displayed a servant heart, humbling Himself even to the point of death. Great leadership starts with great servanthood in Family Church. John 13; 12-14 is a great example.
We also serve because we want to use the skills and the gifts that God has given us. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) says “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Natural gifts and talents as well as spiritual gifts are there for us to fulfil our purpose in the Lord and bring glory to His name in helping others. 1 Peter 4; 10-11 (NIV) says “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen”. So we serve because we love one another; we serve because it's the way of God's kingdom, and we serve because we want to use the skills and the gifts that God has given us. God has given us responsibility in his kingdom, according to our ability; we don't all have the same things to do as we all have different abilities. We all have different skills but we all have something to do in God's Kingdom and God’s house, his church. In serving, we contribute towards the strength of the church, to make it excellent and glorious (as David’s temple). People seeing a church as such will automatically have a glimpse of the excellence of our God.
How do we serve? Deuteronomy 10:12 (NIV) says “Serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”. The Christian life must be all-in. The church in Laodicea was rebuked because they were lukewarm, God said I'd rather you be hot or cold! Society is half-hearted in many areas, apathetic and lazy but do not give into this. It is not the way that God called us to live. He called us to be a people who serve with all of our hearts. Romans 12; 10-11 says to love each other with genuine affection.
So, let us be faithful in serving with small things, we shall be rewarded with greater opportunities. Lastly, we serve where there is a need. If there is a hole, we fill it, unconditionally and without delay.
Pastor Andy continues the series on the values of Family Church with this week’s message “We are Family”. We celebrate our diversity in culture and age and are committed to developing healthy relationships in order that church isn’t just a meeting, but a community which resembles a family with values from scripture. Andy speaks about us being born again, how God gave us a new birth and becomes our Father resulting in blessings in abundance. In John 3, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus saying “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Ancient language translates the key words here as meaning ‘genes from above’ or ‘from the beginning’. So Jesus was implying we receive heavenly genes when we become born again. The genes make us who we are and heavenly genes bring us into God’s family with Him as Father. 1 John 3:1 (ESV) says “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” The apostle Paul also recognizes this perspective saying “you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household”…….the household of God. In Romans 8:17 (NIV) it says “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”, So because we are born again, we are heirs to the Father and joint heirs, with His son. We are brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God in the family of God. We function as a family in an inspirational manner. Ps Andy then spoke of some aspects we model as church family. We are loving (as in 1 Corinthians 13:4-2). We celebrate equality, especially in status, rights and opportunities, rejecting racism, prejudices and classes which have no place in our church. We love diversity, seeing it as a strengthening blessing. We are a growing family, healthy things grow, and our desire for our church is just this. We need to be welcoming, always with room for new people. We resolve our individual issues and differences rather than wandering off foolishly. Forgiveness and repentance is essential between brothers and sisters, involving others biblically (Matthew 18:15). 1 Corinthians 12:12 onwards speaks of Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ. Every one of us has skills, talents and God given abilities necessary to keep our Family running smoothly. Paul says in this scripture that we are many, one body, one group, one family. Let us be an inspirational family that honours and glorifies God as we all play our part. Get involved, meet your brothers and sisters and grow together in your faith!
This week Janine speaks about the what, why and how of worship as we continue the series devoted to Family Church Values. Janine began by looking for a single verse about worship in scripture, but there are 188 references to worship and 259 references to praise in the Bible! Reading her Bible she looked at verses saying….’He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak’….’The Lord is the Everlasting’….’ God, the creator of the heavens and the Earth’. Reflecting, she naturally found herself wanting to respond and worship. The more she read, the more she was filled with awe and the more she just wanted to respond in thankfulness to God. When reading about His greatness, His goodness, His majesty, His love for his, how could we not want to respond in worship? When we love God and know God and his love for us, it fills us with awe. Our natural desire is to show him our love. How do we show him? Our love is our worship. For example it’s the difference between being in love with someone and showing them we love them. We show our love for God through our life, our actions, our obedience, our thoughts and our words. God has called us to do better things and to be set apart. Because of that we say yes God. It's not just about singing. It's not about us coming together religiously. Our obedience is worship. When we choose to express our love for him every day of our life, we are living a life of worship. Romans 12:1 (NIV) says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship”. So, this is an everyday thing, not a Sunday thing. Janine spoke of personal circumstances in her own family where relatives were ill; her heart sank at the sad news. Her response was to worship God. When we open our mouths to worship, our focus shifts to Jesus (above the sound of anxiety and fear). We speak bold prayers, we declare God’s promises, our faith builds and our soul is brought into alignment with what God says over us and our situation. So even though worship is for Him, is to Him and is about him, it also speaks life over us and our situation. We worship because He is good and He is good all the time. It's not about how we feel. It's about God. We will not choose to be passive in the presence of King Jesus. We will not be holding back on the one who gave us life, who gave us everything. What it looks like is not significant, its gratitude and thankfulness in our hearts that matter. Let us focus on Jesus, engage our hearts and lift Him up.
This week Ps Sean continues the series on Values of Family Church with ‘We are Spiritual’. He references the story of Nicodemus in John 3. Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God but Nicodemus does not understand what He (Jesus) means. But when Jesus speaks to us, He is not speaking logic and understanding. He is speaking Spirit and life. Often, like Nicodemus, we get our kind of thought process, but it isn't going to work in order for us to have a relationship with God and then understand the things of God. First we must come to the place of spiritual life. This can only be achieved by believing in the name of Jesus, the name who saves. Then we can transform our natural thinking into spiritual thinking and understand Jesus. This is based on believing in faith. The new life, the believing in Jesus, being born again, this moment is called salvation as Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV) “ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory”. This seal, the deposit, or down payment means nothing can come against you because you have His presence inside of you – awesome eh! We will face trials and tribulations but we stand by faith saying ‘God has marked me, is in me, and is the great overcomer’. We are the redeemed people of god who once walked in darkness yet now have the Spirit of God within us to help us understand the Word as never before. John 14:26 (NIV) says “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”. So we don’t need to depend on earthly things when we are down - often they make us feel worse! Immediately after these verses in John 14 comes the passage abiding in the vine in John 15. If we remain in Him and he remains in us we shall bear much fruit…..apart from Him we can do nothing. The key here is continually abiding in connection with the Holy Spirit and living life submitted to the Spirit – hard at times when the flesh wants to take over. The fruit mentioned here is described in Galatians 5:22 onwards….. Love, joy, peace…there is no law against these things because they are of the Spirit of God. No force acts against these fruits, they are of the Spirit of God. A Christian walking in the Spirit produces fruit of the Spirit just as an apple tree produces apples – no law governs this. The rest of Galatians 5 is devoted to living life by the Spirit. If we walk by the Spirit we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. We are not free to do whatever we want, but if we are led by the spirit, we will develop Spiritual fruit and our lives will be recognised as such. Let us eagerly desire the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Pastor Andy addresses the Portsmouth Congregation upon the twenty fifth anniversary of the formation of Family Church. Andy and his wife Gina are the Senior Pastors of Family Church. Since the launch of our very first service in 1997, Family Church has grown into the thriving multi-congregational church it is today with congregations across the south-coast, the Philippines and an online congregation reaching the world. https://family.church/timeline/ shows the timeline of the church to date. All praise to Jesus our Lord and provider.
This week Pastor Gina speaks about another of Family Church values – we are Bible Believing. We walk in the unchanging truth of God’s Word, resolved to never add to it nor take from it. We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The 66 books are compiled by about 40 writers but all are authored by God. The Bible has one theme throughout – Redemption – God sending a saviour to save us from our sins. We believe that the people and the situations in the Bible in scripture were actual and real, both people and situations. We oppose the thought that the Bible is a myth, or that it is merely symbolic (some doctrines think this). Both Psalms 14 and 53 relate that “The fool says in his heart, there is no God.” In many places, scripture details how the Lord our God made everything and that we have no excuse to believe otherwise for we shall stand before Him. Isaiah 55:8 onwards speaks about God’s thoughts not being our thoughts, rain and snow coming down to earth not returning without watering to enable the earth to flourish and his word not returning empty until it has accomplished that which it was sent for. So, in order to get to know God’s thoughts we need to read His word just as we need to hear the words from anyone else if we wish to know them. God is not mysterious, he has compiled a whole Bible of life for us to understand His nature, His thoughts and the best ways for our lives. This is why it is crucial we are Bible believing. The Bible sheds light on the pathway of our lives. Psalm 119:104-105 (NIV) says “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path”. In other words ‘Lord please show me the way, I am tired of the wrong way’. Jeremiah 15:16 (NIV) says “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty”. The prophet Jeremiah profit is speaking of the words of God like delicious food, so sweet they were my heart's delight. We need food to keep our physical bodies healthy and strong, the scripture tells us that we need spiritual food to keep us spiritually healthy and strong. We're not just a physical body - we have a spirit inside of us that's going to live on. We need to grow in our salvation, not living just as babies (1 Peter 2:2). Meditating on the Word of God a little at a time is a healthy way of digesting God’s word. 2 Timothy 3:16 explains how scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, correction and training in righteousness. Often we get things wrong in life but God has already planned for this by providing scripture to train us, correct us and give us higher ways of thought. John 15 speaks in gardening terms about how God will prune us in order we bear more fruit, to be even more free of the dead stuff that clutters our lives sometimes. Romans 10:17 (NKJV) states “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. Our faith is increased hearing the word of God. Faith comes when we see our mind and our spirit with God's word. We do not need to feel we are people of little faith. Every time we go to the word of God, every time we mutter a little scripture under our breath…….our faith is being activated. The word of God is our only offensive weapon! Ephesians 6 speaks of the Whole Armour of God. Our ability to withstand the devil and be strong in the Lord is dependent on putting on the whole armour of God. The sword of the Spirit is in fact the spoken word of God. When Jesus was challenged by Satan he said ‘It is written…….’. The only time the enemy speaks is when he is lying! The sword of the Spirit doesn't become a weapon just in our hands. It becomes a weapon when we speak it out. This Family Value for our church is foundational. Being Bible believing provides not only a backdrop to life, we understand God’s thoughts, he feeds us through His word, he corrects and...
Following the first three values of Family Church (Christ Centred, Commissioned & Discipled), Pastor Andy continues the series speaking about ‘We are Empowering’. This means we are equipping disciples to serve God’s purposes in all spheres of life (not just in church). Pastor Andy says he does not wish the church to be a storage unit for people, but rather a place where people are equipped and empowered then mobilised. We don't want to be a place where people come, sit and nothing changes. We want to see the power of the Holy Spirit quicken and mobilise your life. This is the primary purpose of church leadership. Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV) states “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built”. Reading on, v13 says “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” These gifts are known as the Ascension gifts, not the gifts of the Spirit mentioned elsewhere. Anointings or graces placed upon church leaders are there to enable everyone else to become equipped for God’s business wherever they are. A Biblical model is everyone in church finding the purpose of God for their lives, being equipped by Church leadership to be doing the things God called them to do, i.e. works of service. 1 John 3:8 (NIV) says “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work”. Jesus came to destroy Satan, so when we are busy with the business of the Kingdom, we also are destroying the devil – shutting down another kingdom which destroys people's lives. We were made for the purposes of God, for his salvation, but also to do God's business on the earth, which He prepared beforehand. Adam was the first great example of this. God made Adam for a relationship first, but then positioned him to do his business in Eden. Adam tended the garden, controlled the flocks, and had all authority over every animal, every growing thing, and every creeping thing. He was fulfilled in what he did because he was made in the image of God and carried the likeness of God. God is purpose-driven. As a church, we want to equip people; this is our heart, our agenda, one of our values. We want to be a church that equips people for ministry in the church, but also in the sphere of influence we all have. The best evangelism is when we all introduce Jesus to our friends and family – not just stage centric evangelism. We want to be a place where the Holy Spirit empowers people. We believe that we are spiritual people and we believe we shall receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon your lives (Acts 1:8). Power always has a purpose. We want to be people who are experiencing the power of God and seeing the power of God come through our lives. As we minister to others, we want to be a place where people flourish and grow.
This week Ps Sean speaks about us being Disciples. This follows on in the series of Family Values for Family Church that began a few weeks back. The word Disciple is used many times in the Bible, whereas the word Christian is barely mentioned. Disciple means learner or pupil but also to imitate the teacher – ie Jesus. We need to be disciples of Jesus and also disciple others in their Christian walk. The account of Jesus with His first disciples at Lake Gennesaret in Luke 5 is fascinating as it teaches us about the character of disciples. Several key points emerge……… Jesus interrupted the daily life of these fishermen in this account – they were washing their nets. We need to be prepared to allow Jesus now to interrupt our daily lives rather than be so preoccupied and busy with life we have no time for our saviour. Next, we need to learn to trust Jesus. The fishermen in Luke 5 had been fishing all day and caught nothing, yet were prepared to lower their nets again at Jesus' command. Proverbs 3:5 tells us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. We need to be able to live a life of faith in God rather than our designs. This is when miracles occur! After the miracles of the catch Simon Peter falls at Jesus’ knees almost signifying he is useless. Likewise we also need to realise it is God who is the provider of all good things; our own abilities are comparatively limited. After the miracle of the catch the disciples left their boats and followed Jesus – what a challenge this is to us in our daily lives! We are not told exactly what happened yet but we know that the life of a disciple puts God first. We don’t need to leave our current lives and go and live in a monastery, but we do need to use our skills in the world in which we live in order to reach other people and make God at the centre of all we do. Mark 16:15 says “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”. Many of us who have been saved for a while have knowledge and gifting we can use to help others. Our challenge is not to be just Sunday morning Christians but to be prepared to reach others, and disciple them as we all grow in our walk with God.
This week Pastor Andy speaks on the second of the series on Family Values in our church. This is “We are Commissioned”. This follows from last week’s message on the first of our values – being Christ Centred. Being commissioned means we are living passionately to share the gospel, locally, nationally and globally. This is an essential value to us because it's a vitally important one to Him. If Jesus is going to be our centre, then we want what our values to be as His were. Jesus actually said to us, for every follower…. “I want you to be busy letting other people know about a relationship with God that's available” (the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus says “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. In the first instance we need to be a people who are prepared to help people become saved…..discipling comes after this and is the subject of another value in our church. The first step to discipleship is when a person hears about Jesus and has an opportunity to respond and come into a relationship with Jesus. Salvation is a matter of faith; a person must place their faith in Jesus Christ. To be a disciple, faithfulness will release the rewards of Heaven into lives. However, faithfulness does not release salvation. Salvation is released into a person's life when they place faith in Jesus Christ. Once we understand this we can hardly keep it to ourselves! In Mark 16:15 Jesus tells his disciples “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”. Jesus wasn't just speaking to those who would become the first church leaders of the early church. He was also speaking to every believer - it is every believer’s responsibility to be telling others. God wants us to be a church leading people to Christ ‘in the building’ but also leading people to Christ in our everyday life (our friends, family, co-workers…). If we moved evangelism from something that happened once a week on a Sunday morning or in a special event where we bring in a guest speaker to something happening every day it would be momentous for the Kingdom of Heaven! We have a responsibility to let others know that Jesus saves. If they choose to reject this so be it….but we have an obligation to make sure that they have the ability to make that choice. The ramification of this is that soul winning gets into the lifestyle of everyone. How do we start? Acts 1:7 (NIV) says “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” God will provide the power we need once we get up and get going! The two key words in the great commission are ‘Go’ and ‘Preach’. Preaching needs to be translated as ‘communicate’ or ‘chat’ or ‘discuss’, then it becomes a more everyday activity. Our ‘Jerusalem’ is our local environment – friends, family and so on. These are the people we need to pray for and ask for the opportunity to sit and talk with to share the essence of the good news. God will give us the ability when we get going. He will not equip us before we go! As a people of Faith, He promised, He will give us the ability of the Holy Spirit, but we need to go and position ourselves and have an intention to tell others. Pastor Andy wants us to be a people who do not see soul winning as an event that we bring other people to. We need to carry Christ into the world of others as part of our normal life. God doesn't want us to win a conversation or win an argument; he wants us to win a person.
This week Pastor Andy speaks about the first in a new series concerning the Values of Family Church. The first Value is that we are Christ Centred. We are committed to keeping Jesus and his Kingdom at the centre of our lives and His church. This is our passion. Some values in a church are more cultural, but this value is first in importance with our prayer being that everything that we are to be found in Him and everything as a community of faith is built upon Him. Christ-centred or Christocentric (the formal description) is a life focused upon a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord at the core of every human decision. Some people are motivated by the quest for pleasure or money, their job, their families. The things which we spend our lives on can become the gods of our life. The result is that the thing we centre our lives on becomes our Lord. Our human heart was designed for worship. If it does not worship God, it will worship something else. If we are not Christ centred, we will be centred on something else. Worship is measured by the amount of time, money, and emotional energy expended and can be defined or identified by the level of passion and commitment evoked by us. After a while we begin to resemble what we worship. Pastor Andy wishes to continue leading the church into what God has for it next. His prayer (as the song says) is “Jesus at the centre of it all……..” Let it be ours too!
Pastor Andy gives an introduction to the forthcoming series of messages concerning Family Values. Family Church has its own flavour which distinguishes it from other churches possibly, but as you will see, these values are fundamental to living a Christ centred life. In following weeks, the messages will concentrate on the values for Family Church which are: Christ Centred - Committed to keeping Jesus and His Kingdom at the centre of our lives and church Commissioned - Living passionately to share the gospel locally, nationally and globally Disciples - Growing into all that God has called us to be, continually transformed by His Word and Spirit Empowering - Equipping disciples to serve God in all spheres of life Bible Believing - Walking in the unchanging truth of God’s Word, resolved to never add to it nor take from it Spiritual - Acknowledging the ministry of the Holy Spirit; being filled, empowered and led daily Worshippers - Passionately praising, intimate in worship, hungry for God’s presence Family - Celebrating our diversity in culture and age, committed to developing healthy relationships Servant Hearted - Serving one another and the purpose of God in our generation Community Minded - Being the hands and feet of Jesus in our local communities Responsive - Constantly responsive and active, never apathetic and passive, to God and His call Honourable - Giving honour where God says it is due
This is week four of the series on Matters of the Heart. Ps Sean speaks about a heart on fire for Jesus. One of his principle scriptures is Luke 24; 30-32 where the Disciple’s eyes were opened in His presence. Reading from verse 30 (NKJV) “Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So, the disciples are hanging out with this person, not knowing who he was. Having a conversation with Him as He opened the scriptures, the word of God, the most powerful thing, the revelation of Jesus set their hearts on fire inwardly in a spiritual way. But what was actually happening was they were walking with Jesus, and in that moment, everything inside of them - faults, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purpose and endeavours were set on fire. Right there, in that moment, set alight for the kingdom of God. Are we not in a similar situation – gathered in His presence? Are our hearts being set ablaze for Him as we move around, igniting passion in our world? To see miracles, to see the power of God working in people’s lives, to see people delivered from sickness….we all need to be set on fire. Fire in the Bible usually depicts God's presence. Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3 asks why the bush does not burn. In Exodus 19, Moses brings the people out of the camp at Mount Sinai to meet with God, the Lord manifests in a thick cloud of fire and smoke in order that the people might see, hear and believe. Look in the New Testament to see what God has done in His actual name. “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem in all Judea Samaria to the ends of the Earth” (Acts 1:8). This is incredible. What God is saying is that you shall receive the fire of God in you, what does Paul say in Romans 12:1? (KJV) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”. We call down the fire to hit our sacrifice inside of us. We are the Living Sacrifice that we can call upon the name of the Lord and watch the fire. Peter denied Jesus three times but later, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4, NKJV). But later in verse 14, Peter delivers a message telling them to “heed his words”. This was a new Peter – who had the fire of God in his heart. The thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections and purpose changed - the power of God took him over and that was in his life would never be the same again. Then Peter said in verse 38 “repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ”. He speaks into a great big crowd for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise, is to you and to your children and to all who are far off for. This call is for us now as well. We all need the fire of God in our hearts.
Ps Carla talks about a heart of forgiveness in this third week of messages concerning matters of the heart.
This week Ps Steu speaks on Part 2 of the 4 week series ‘Matters of the Heart’. The title this week is ‘A Heart That’s Guarded’. Ps Steu is not talking about the physical heart that pumps blood around our bodies; but essentially speaking of our souls, at the very core of our being, where our emotions flow from. Ps Paula’s subject last week was ‘A Heart of Love’ and she spoke about how we, as God’s people, are called to unity and this can only be achieved when we truly love one another with hearts softened to God’s love. Loving one another in a way that brings unity to the body of Christ can only come from a true, experiential knowledge of God’s love. We must understand that a guarded heart is not a hard or a closed heart. We must be careful what we let into our hearts. In fact, it’s when we allow the ‘wrong stuff’ into our hearts that we start to close them up even to the ‘right stuff’ and we become hard-hearted. Crucially, we must operate the gate to our hearts correctly, letting the correct things in and keeping other things out. The Bible talks about this in Proverbs 4:23…(NLT) “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”, or (NIV) “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”. The condition of our hearts determines the course of our lives. If we want our lives to go in a healthy direction we have to keep our hearts healthy. 3 John 1:2 (NKJV) states “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul (heart) prospers”. The key to a prosperous or healthy heart is guarding it well. Operate the gate! In order to have a healthy physical heart, we have to guard it well. It can be severely damaged by continually eating the wrong foods, not doing enough exercise, and by challenging circumstances that can lead to worry, anxiety, fear, shock, grief, loneliness, stress, disappointment and unforgiveness. However, by eating the right foods, doing exercise, and dealing with challenging circumstances our hearts will be kept healthy. In the midst of challenging circumstances, being deliberate about trusting God, walking by faith, speaking positively, spending time with good people, taking time to rest and relax, and being quick to forgive… all these things can be hugely beneficial to the health of your physical heart. In the same way, when it comes to guarding our hearts (speaking of our souls), there are three main areas that we need to consider: How we eat. Matthew 4:4 (NKJV) “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” When we let God’s Word in we are eating the bread of life. This is really good for the heart. However, we are often so unguarded about what we feed on. We fill our minds with the voices of this world that contradict what God says - through friendships, social media, music, what we listen to, what we watch, what we read! We forget to operate the gate of our heart and end up letting in so much junk that our hearts get clogged up! How we exercise. 1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV) “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” When we live God’s way (godliness, holiness) it’s like physical exercise, in that our hearts become stronger. Living a godly life effectively positions the gate of our hearts ready to close when the wrong stuff tries to come in. However, when we continually live like the world the gate of our heart is left wide open and anything can come in! How we respond to challenging circumstances. Psalm 27:14 (NKJV) “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” In Psalm 27, David lists a whole load of challenges that he is facing in that moment - opportunities for fear, people against him, lies said about him, violent threats, relationship breakdown. Yet David was positioned at the gate of his heart...
Ps Paula starts a new four part series on "Matter of the Heart". A healthy heart spiritually is as important as a healthy heart physically. A bad heart can fill us with envy, jealousy, insecurity and all manner of spiritual harms. God sent Jesus, that he might create in us a healthy heart, a heart that is full of hope, a heart, and spirit of forgiveness and a heart that's full of love. He heals our issues with his love. He heals our broken hearts, He can heal our angry hearts, our bitter hearts....wherever our heart is at God wants to heal it. God will never stop loving us. Maybe we need to trade our anger for his love this morning. Maybe we need to change or exchange bitterness for His love this morning and let our hearts be free, let our hearts be healthy. If someone has heart failure, it usually means this is it - it's the end of their life. Heart failure usually means death but today we need to know God so deeply that we exchange our bad hearts for His love, changing our hearts for ever!
Pastor Andy concludes his three week series on Kingdom Economics with this message about the giving, specifically a lifestyle of sowing and reaping. Sowing & reaping is about having a lifestyle of giving that has a direct relationship with tithing. It’s about putting seeds in the prepared ground that tithing correctly has provided for us. Thinking like a farmer, the world of farming and agriculture gives us the best visual example of these two things working together: The farmer prepares the soil The farmer sows His seed. The farmer waits for the soil to do what it does The farmer harvests a crop The farmer takes the best of the crop to sow again to secure ongoing provision, not just a momentary one
This starts with correctly separating the tithe & the seed: The tithe and seed are two separate components working together in unison in God’s plan of caring for and prospering us Tithe is a tenth of our increase Seed is that which is given above and beyond the tithe and unlike the tithe which belongs in the storehouse, can be given wherever we feel led to give
Some examples of good soil: Alms – Widows, orphans and humanitarian needs. (Psalms 41:1-3, Proverbs 21:13 & 19:17, Leviticus 25:35-37, Galatians 6:2) Missions & missionaries Other ministries that inspire us to give - evangelists, and church planters Tithing up or forwards – giving into things we want to see a harvest in
When this is done correctly, it also empowers and resources a church to act effectively in its giving and response to needs. The principle (law) of seed time and harvest is something God designed and instituted. It’s another principle that carries on after the cross and is a law like the law of gravity can be denied but is present to be used. It is something initiated for our benefit that man could be fruitful and multiply according to His desire for them. We see this desire expressed in the original design of Genesis firstly in Genesis 1:28 (Adam and Eve – be fruitful and multiply) then Genesis 9:1 & 7 (Noah – be fruitful and multiply). God instituted a principle (law) that was both natural and spiritual to enable multiplication called sowing and reaping. It’s a law that affects every area of our lives, not excluding finances. See Proverbs 18:24 (friendship) and Proverbs 11:25 (refreshing and encouraging). This is a continual principle described in Genesis 8:22(ESV) “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Also Galatians 6:7 (ESV) “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” and Luke 6:38 (ESV) “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Understanding “seed kind”………. Every seed bears fruit after its kind Genesis 1:11 (NIV) Carrots make carrots, and cabbages produce cabbages What we sow, we reap – God puts control of our harvest into our hands A replacement structure of financial provision beyond being carried by Him What do we need more of in our lives? What do we need to sow into to make it happen?
We are making it a lifestyle, not a moment. The key verse is 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 with key points: We determine the amount and heart behind our sowing Giving should be by heart conviction, never manipulation God is able and willing to respond in abundance God supplies seed to the one who intends to sow and desires to increase the size of a person’s seed barn Enrichment returns in every way Our obedience to give results in praises given to God
Remember there are 3 stages, not 2: “seed – time- harvest”. Sowing involves faith and believing in the promise. It’s not about what we see or experience
Sowing and reaping are not subject to natural conditions Example 1: Issac sowing in famine – Genesis
This week Pastor Andy teaches Part 2 of his series on Kingdom Economics titled Tithing. A tithe means the tenth or first fruit/part of something. Tithing is the act of returning to God what is His; we don’t give our tithes; we pay them. To give what is required or expected is not a gift or seed. Key verses on tithing are found in Malachi 3:8-12… According to Malachi, not tithing is robbery We are to bring (return) all the tithes to God Tithes are to come into His storehouse (the Church) This is the only place in the Bible where God invites a man to test Him Tithing causes a multi-faceted effect of increase and protection in and over a person’s life which goes beyond money alone
Tithing is not an Old Testament reality or a law Tithing is an ongoing active principle rather than a previously given law The first act of tithing originated 430 years before the Mosaic Law was given (Genesis 14:18-20), by Abraham who walked in promise & grace rather than law & obligation It was an act of victory & faith, not fear & desperation The tithe was given to Melchizedek (A type of Christ). We tithe to the Body of Christ (the Church) Tithes are received here on earth by man but also by God (Hebrews 7:8) Jacob tithed (Genesis 28:20-22) Jesus encouraged the tithe (Matthew 23:23)
Another term used for ‘tithes’ is ‘first-fruits’. The key verse qualifying this is Proverbs 3:5-10 Don’t handle finances with our wisdom; rather, be wise with His wisdom A matter of cause and effect – blessing following our faith and obedience
Understanding God’s love of firsts First born – Exodus 13:2 (livestock and people) First fruits – Exodus 23:19 (first not last, brought to God’s house).
A principle that is seen through scripture: Garden of Eden – The first tree was His; the rest was theirs Cain and Able – An issue of firsts (Genesis 4:3-5) Promised land – Jericho was His; the rest is theirs The teaching of Exodus regarding first born and first fruits The tithe was holy (Leviticus 27:30) We don’t return tithes. We don’t give them A matter of a person’s internal heart response – widows offering (Mark 12:42-44)
A matter of percentage, not amount. Tithe was about the percentage and not the amount This means that no one was excluded if the amount was too much God gives a level playing ground for all to tithe
Where does the tithe belong? The tithe belongs in the storehouse. Our local place of fellowship and feeding Offerings are to be sent to other places and activities. Our tithe belongs to the local church to resource the church Many churches are left begging because of a lack of understanding of this This is God’s plan for funding and resourcing His Church
Don’t lose sight of the 90% Sometimes greed, fear or insecurity, over the 10% can cause a person to miss the promise concerning the remaining 90% Principle of first fruits – what is sacrificed in the tenth redeemed the rest
What does tithing achieve? Honours God for who He is Demonstrates trust and faith in God Acknowledges the source of our provision Resources the Church (takes care of His bride) Tests our hearts – priorities, securities, loyalties and affections Opens the windows of heaven Affects and redeems the rest - If the root is holy, so are the branches (Romans 11:16) Prepares the ground for the seed we sow
What are things that stop a person from tithing? Ignorance Lack of faith Greed Fear
How to start tithing or how to correct a tithe Re-budgeting Re-prioritising your finances Start a faith journey to 10%
Remember, this is the only thing in the Bible that God invites you to test Him in, so why not go ahead and do it? He is not doing this because He has a need, but because He wants to set us up to meet all our needs.
Pastor Andy starts a 3 week series on Kingdom Economics. Part 1, this week is titled Kingdom Stewardship. Understanding God’s Kingdom economy starts with having Kingdom-mindedness & understanding our Kingdom citizenship. Acknowledging our citizenship to an alternate kingdom and its rule and reign that is present here and now. Choosing to live like citizens of God’s Kingdom A standard definition for the Kingdom is “rule & reign,” and so to be a Kingdom person is to recognise the rule and reign (ways) of the realm we now identify with We are a people restored to His Kingdom (Colossians 1:13), with every aspect of our lives aligned with his reign, including our resources
An example of having two different kingdom experiences is given in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) Two different financial kingdoms present at once with two different experiences A good parallel between a world financial system and a Kingdom one This world’s kingdom’s that takes everything from us or God’s Kingdom which restores and resources us
Ps Andy asks three honest questions in relation to good stewardship Do we see ourselves as owners or stewards of our earthly wealth? Who does our earthly substance (our stuff) actually belong to? What would we have without God and His ability?
Deuteronomy 8:10-18 (NIV) answers these questions…. We are stewards of what God has given and entrusted to us, therefore we are to live like stewards 1 Peter 4:10 1 Corinthians 4:2 Original design. Humankind was made and positioned to manage – Genesis 1:2 Jesus taught parables on good and bad stewardship. – Luke 16:1-13 & Matthew 25: 14-30
As Stewards: We see ourselves being given responsibility to handle and manage what He entrusts us with in our lives and in His Church We should have open hands of stewardship rather than clenched fists of ownership
A key thought is that ‘If He can get it through us; He will get it to us’! Money and resource are not meant to be abused or wasted, stored or hoarded or worshipped or served. Jesus warned about this in His statement on mammon in Matthew 6:24 Mammon – Spirit of serving & loving money Money isn’t evil, but the love of it is – 1 Timothy 6:10
Understanding its purpose It is to be used to meet our needs and also the needs of others To build God’s kingdom and make His covenant known on the earth
Good stewardship has both a natural and a spiritual dimension. Naturally: Check there is no waste in our lives and budgets Cut back where we need to so we have what we really need Go through our budgets, and manage our income and outgoings Seek council & wisdom from people who handle money well
Spiritually: Recognise that we are managing & caring what He has entrusted us with We acknowledging Him in all our ways, including our resources Look to Him daily concerning the finances He brings to us and finances He wants to get through us to others
Today Ps Gina speaks about God being the greatest teacher, especially of abstract subjects which appear in many places in scripture. The Bible is full of stories, events and parables which are regular stories with spiritual meanings. Gina uses the story in Ezekiel 4:12 to illustrate this. Being ‘defiled by sin’ is perhaps an abstract phrase but God gets the prophet Ezekiel to go to a public place and bake a loaf of bread using human excrement as the fire. After a conversation with God, Ezekiel uses cow dung instead (v15). So the bread is made and God gets the people to eat it so they understand how awful it is eating defiled bread. What a terrific visual story illustration this is! God wanted the people to know what He was experiencing when he saw one of his own filled with a life of stinking sin. The whole Bible basically is about God's favourite subject. We are his favourite subject but more specifically, it's about us because of a relationship with His Son Jesus. From Genesis to Revelation, the idea of relationship with God can be an abstract thought to people, even to us as Christians. How can we have a relationship with an invisible God whom we cannot see or hear? There are three basic things we find in all books and information on relationships, an initial ‘hello’, time to be together and good communication. Ps Gina teaches about the altars used in the Old Testament for sacrifice and how an altar is really a place of communion or connection with God. In the New Covenant, Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. When we come to God and make Him part of our lives we are no longer defiled - scripture in 2 Corinthians 2:15 speaks of our lives being a Christ-like fragrance rising to God. When we spend time with God, He smells the sweet fragrance of Jesus burning on the altar of our life of our hearts. This is awesome Bible teaching!!
This week Pastor Andy speaks about the love of God. One crucial purpose of the church (all of us) is to introduce God to a needy and broken world. But this must be done in a way that is life changing. Hence it is important that as the people of God, we not only represent God, but that we represent Him properly. Over the years, ‘religion’ has caused many problems by tarnishing God’s image and confusing who He is and what He is like in a broken world bewildered about its origins. It is therefore imperative that we show the world that God is love. We must understand that love is who he is. It is not just what he does – often this is where confusion sets in. We might say we are loving, but this is not the same for God, He is love. God loves because He is love. In His essential nature He does not become good when He does good things or become loving when He loves. He loves because He is love; He is good because He is good. These are expressions of His nature, the very person he is. This message begins with 1 John 4:16 – God is love; if we live in Him He lives in us. Do we live this way? John 15 speaks of the vine and the branches, if we abide in Him, he abides in us, and we can bear fruit and change lives. Therefore we must ensure we have accepted Jesus as Saviour, then the above scripture is true for us. We can then know God, experience His love, live in His love, and represent Him properly in the world to change lives.
Today, Father’s Day, Pastor Andy speaks about the Parable of the Lost Son or as it is known, the Parable of The Prodigal Son. The Parables of Jesus are not like Proverbs. Proverbs are statements of wisdom, but parables are simple stories which illustrate profound truths. If we not only hear but listen with our hearts we will receive wisdom and learn about God in our lives. Luke 15 contains three parables (lost sheep, lost coin and lost son). Jesus begins speaking about a lost sheep, then uses a lost coin to get the same story across and ends up talking about a father and his sons. In all of these stories, God was showing His heart not just for lost things but lost people, lost hearts. The Prodigal Son story continues with the father running towards his son. He loves him, he brings a cloak, a ring, and sandals for his feet and brings him back to his house for a celebration, and a fatted calf is killed. The father restores him and repositions him as a son, as someone who belongs in his kingdom. But did the repentant son realise exactly what had happened at that moment? The parable ends with the celebration. After this we wonder how did the prodigal think. Did he walk around his father’s kingdom the next day with his head held high or with shame still in his eyes? If he was confused about his father's heart or what his father had done; although he was now restored to the kingdom, he could still walk around as a slave perhaps. He could have walked around thinking his father would change his mind the next day, feeling a trespasser rather than a son, even though he was fully repositioned and restored. Maybe when we bring this into our world, we can have the same confusion – if we have returned to God yet are still living like we are estranged. The message today is that God would say this to all believers. If we are saved, we have got to know that what The Father has done is complete. We are no longer a prodigal, God knows us as righteous, redeemed and restored.
This week Pastor Steu speaks about Forging, the work of a blacksmith. He prefaces this with an understanding of how we live in a dark world where our enemy, the devil, is continually working to achieve his mission - that is, to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). As Christians, we are called by God to push back the spiritual darkness in this world by shining His light; we’ve been called to bring the light and life of God’s Kingdom into the world around us. This is not a physical war or a political debate. Jesus refused to fight in this way. Our battle is a spiritual battle that requires us, as Christians, to know who our enemy is, to be aware of his schemes, and be equipped to fight. Our enemy is the devil, not people. Our battle isn't against people, it's against the principalities and powers that are behind them. As Christians, God has equipped us with spiritual armour. Ephesians 6:10-18 describes this for us. Amongst defensive items, our offensive armour is the shoes of good news and the sword of the Spirit. The Sword of the Spirit is our other weapon of attack. This is the word of God, i.e. the truth of God revealed. God’s truth becomes deeply rooted in our hearts by a process of forging. We are the metal in the hands of Jesus the head blacksmith - and He has appointed other blacksmiths (leaders) in the church who are called to equip all believers to do God’s work (ministry) – see Ephesians 4:11-12. The role of the blacksmith (church leader) is to expose the metal (us all) to the fire of the Holy Spirit and then to shape it with the hammer of God’s truth. The fire of the Holy Spirit heats us up, purifies us, and softens us. The hammer of God’s truth, repeatedly connecting with our lives that have been softened by His Spirit, then shapes us. God’s truth can then become deeply rooted in our hearts and we become people who are equipped with the sword of the Spirit, ready to push back the darkness with the light of His truth. Ps Steu’s prayer is that every one of us will regularly be exposed to the fire of the Holy Spirit and that we will know the shaping of God’s Word. Let us use all opportunities available and be more and more deliberate about allowing space for the Holy Spirit to work and for the Word of God to be imparted into our lives.
This week Pastor Paula speaks about basking in His presence and wanting more of Him in our lives on a daily basis, not just Sundays. The bible tells us the most important commandment in Mark 12:30 (NLT) “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength”. Sometimes we are rather lackadaisical over this or focus more on God’s love for us than our love for Him. After all, it is so important how much God loves us….it’s central to the Gospel message. But, we also need to love God….as the scripture says. The Greek translations here tell us we must take pleasure in The Lord, praising Him above all other things, abandoning all other things in His favour and be willing to long for Him. Psalm 42:1 (NIV) states “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God”. This is the love God wants us to have for Him, a love which is greater than anything we have ever known. God is calling us. Nothing else has this level of significance in our lives. Often, life gets in the way, we have excuses, we are busy, or distractions come our way. But God wants us to experience His goodness and His faithfulness. When we love the Lord with our whole heart, we long to be with him, to spend time with him, and to know him. His presence is literally everything. It is the presence of God that will change us and witness to those around us. If we do not carry the presence of God, we have nothing. We cannot live without the Spirit of God. Moses is one example of a person in the scriptures who knew the presence of God. The story unfolds in Exodus 33. Moses did not want to lead the people to the Promised Land without the presence of the Lord. He actually asked God not to send them away from the place they were in unless He was personally with them – otherwise they would be no different from any other people on earth! This applies equally to us now as it did in Old Testament times. As we ‘run our race’ this year, God is calling us for more. He wants us to be people who pursue Him and who are passionate about Him. Even though we are so undeserving, we get things wrong so often, He still chooses us. He is desperate for each of us to put down our distractions and focus our attention on Him. God does not wish to compete for our time. We need to want the presence of God more than any other thing in our lives, which means that we intend to lay things down and push things to the side. Joel 2:28 speaks of God pouring out His Spirit on all people, prophesying, dreaming dreams, seeing visions. This is for every single person, not a favourite few. We now live in the days that everyone hoped for during Old Testament times. Back then, there was just one day, the Day of Atonement, when the high priest could enter the presence of God. Fast forward to the New Testament and God himself dwells among His people (Jesus comes, dwells amongst us, witnesses throughout the gospels, and the people who encountered Jesus couldn't get enough of his presence). His presence changes lives. This is why Mary wanted to be with Jesus in the Mary and Martha story (Luke 10). Now we have the Holy Spirit within us. God is longing to be with us. However, we can have the Holy Spirit but seem as if we are constantly searching because we do not use that which we already have. James 4:8 tells us to draw near to God and He will draw near to us. This must be our prayer, to earnestly seek and desire His presence.
Pastor Andy speaks on Global Sunday in Family church where we have embraced all the nations and cultures represented within the church family. Twenty five years ago, Pastor Andy opened a church with local Portsmouth people. He prayed the prayer of Psalm 2:8 (NIV) “Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession”, not knowing exactly how this might be fulfilled! Today we celebrate the fifty different nations who have made Portsmouth their home. How good is God!! Family Church is not a British church, or an English church. We are an ‘All Nations Church’ made up from people from Australia, across to Europe, to the breadth of Africa, from Ghana, from South Africa, from Nigeria, the Philippines, the world over. Whilst we represent all the different nations of the world, have different ways of praise, different ways of worshiping, we do have one major common theme. We are part of one Kingdom. What brings us together isn't the strategies of men, but the strategies of a common King – King Jesus. Scripture gives a glimpse of heaven….when this life is spent and Jesus Christ has returned and collected his church. Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV) ‘After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”’ When life is gone we shall all be together serving one King in one Kingdom, so let this begin now and remove racism, segregation and other like falsehoods from life. We are all equal in His sight. Let heaven break out in Portsmouth; let your Kingdom come in us and through us. Let the light of unity in this house and this church represent a different sound to the sound of the nations of this world. Let us live to love God with all of our hearts and live to love each other with all of our hearts. Let us live to see the kingdom that cannot be shaken, overthrown or removed reign in the here and now. Amen.
Pastor Sean speaks picks up on our theme from Hebrews 12:1-2 and asks us who we are running with? He compares spiritual life with that of a runner in a relay race. This verse tells us to run with perseverance, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the perfector of faith. So we all have a race to run, not just leaders, and God has marked out a race for each of us individually. Is this an individual race and who are our opponents? In athletics an athlete is both, ‘an individual athlete’ and ‘part of a team event’. The Christian life is both an individual race and a team event. Throughout the gospels we see the disciples (who were called by Jesus to follow him), following him individually and having personal relationships with him, but also together as a team reaching and helping others. This message discusses three points - Comparing versus Encouraging; Focusing Forward & Staying in the Lane; Receiving & Giving before summarising that the Christian life is about us growing in our own walk with God, as well as allowing our lives to carry the goodness of God to others around us. God has an individual race for us to run. However, it is not just about us getting to where we need to get to, but it's also about helping others get to where they need to get to as well. Who is on our track? Who are we running with?
It is vital for every believer to understand that God has invited us into a relationship with Him, not a religion about Him. Is this relationship to be casual? What does God desire from this relationship He offers us. These and other questions are answered in this week’s message from Pastor Andy.
Pastor Steu speaks about Embracing Change this week. We often do not like change, but in many aspects of life it is inevitable in order for us to grow. Ps Steu speak of three kinds of change specifically today, changing course, changing companions and changing conditions. He prefaces this with our vision this year, Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”. The overriding encouragement if for us all to run the race God has set before us with stamina, strength and endurance, our eyes set on Jesus. We need to be people filled with His power. For an athlete running a race, the challenges faced by running different courses with different companions in different conditions provide added strength. However, we are not competing against each other. Rather, we encourage each other (Hebrews 10:25). Ps Steu goes on to speak of the strengths we encounter arising from embodying change into our lives and illustrates this with reference to Isaiah 43:17 onwards. The wisdom here is for us not to forget the good things that God has done in our past - it's good to remember such things. But let us not try to live in or keep going back into these things. What God is going to do next is different to what he did before.
Today, Pastor Andy speaks about being fully His. We need to understand what it means to fully belong to God and also what a real Covenant relationship with our Lord God means. Why do some people get a lot of out of their Christianity and others don't seem to get so much? How can there be one God, who loves everyone equally yet people can have so many different experiences of Him? If one person is experiencing a lot of God, yet another is not, where does this deficit arise from – maybe us….certainly not God! If a deficit is there it is surely to do with our walk with God. Do we understand as we should? Christianity is not a religion. It's a covenant relationship with the Living God. It's not a casual relationship. Also, it is not a one-way relationship. A covenant relationship whether in marriage or business always involves more than one person and cannot be only one way. God’s original design for marriage is the best example here. For a marriage to work at best it must involve two people giving everything they are to the other person - otherwise there will be a deficit in that marriage. In the original design of Christianity, as God made it, He gave Himself fully for us and we are meant to give ourselves fully to him. God gave all for us (His son on a cross), but do we give all to Him or hold back parts of our lives? If we hold back parts of ourselves from God, He cannot bless those parts. Often we start at the cross, becoming his, spending the rest of our lives slowly giving Him more of ourselves. Ideally, God’s plan is for a place of full exchange when we meet at the cross in relationship with Him. The problem with only giving God bits of our lives is that this affects the experience of the relationship. To be a totally fulfilling relationship we need to surrender all to him. In Leviticus 26:11-12 (NIV), God says “I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people”. God tells the people of the Old Testament many times about His desire to be their God and for them to be His people in relationship with Him. We see God constantly faithful to the people of Israel in the Old Testament, but the people of Israel constantly unfaithful to Him! However, we see God constantly forgiving them and restoring them. God looked to another way to restore His people, a second covenant not dependant on the people’s ability. Jeremiah announces this in the book of Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse 31 “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant, a new agreement with my people, the children of Israel and the people of Judah……..It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors because they broke my covenant time and time again, but I was always a husband to them”. God’s plan for us now is no different – for him to be our God and us to be His people. Read 2 Corinthians 6:16 and Hebrews 8:10. However, we cannot blame God for an incomplete Christian experience if we keep parts of ourselves back from Him. Every part of ourselves we bring to God is blessed and given back to us multiplied over. When I am weak, He gives me strength. When I am depressed he gives me joy. For my spirit of heaviness He gives me a garment of praise. This is the beautiful exchange at the cross of Jesus. Let us give ourselves to Him fully.
Pastor Andy speaks about new growth, especially fitting after a ceremony to anoint Sean and Paula Finch as congregational pastors in Portsmouth, allowing Steuart and Carla Payne to further concentrate on the whole of Family Church in its journey forwards. Pastor Andy speaks of a new season, feeling like spring. We are out of winter, lockdown and Covid having been pruned by Father God to promote fruitfulness and strength in new growth. God is doing something new. We could say God is doing the next thing, bringing us from where we were to where we need to be. So we need to be ready. Read Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”. God is doing something new in the whole church and we are asked if we are aware of it, are we spiritually conscious of this new thing? We are now in a time of expectation of increase. We need to ready our house, personally and the whole church. In Isaiah 54, The Lord speaks to Israel as His wife, to be restored with many children from being barren. He tells her to sing and then ‘enlarge the place of her tent, stretching to the right and left’…. This is a word for us right now. Sing a song of faith and operate in a way that we believe something new is coming. 2 Kings 4 tells the story of Elisha and the Jar of Oil. The oil only stopped flowing as the last available jar that the woman had gathered was full. The Lord responded to the level of preparation the woman had made. Likewise, we need to make stretching and preparation in order for breakthrough and abundance. Our church is responding with new positioning so we can say we are ready for God's plans. For an athlete, stretching always precedes increase. For a guitar player, strings produce no sound until they are stretched. For a mother, stretching precedes birthing. God is a god of change and often he'll bring change before something new. Stretching precedes abundance or growth. God's character (Colossians 1:13) is that he doesn't want to leave this as we are, but to bring us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the son of His love. He positions us in His kingdom as righteous Sons blameless in His sight. We are forgiven, justified and saved. God is committed to bringing us individually and as a church through seasons of stretch in order to bring us into the miracle zone. Abraham chose to leave a comfort zone and dared to enter the stretch zone so he could encounter the miracle life intended for him where he ended up with children. Let us not stay in our comfort zones. Let us allow God to stretch us and reveal real intentions for our lives. Stretching precedes increase. Jesus endured terrible stretching on the cross for the joy that lay ahead…seeing each of us personally in a loving relationship with God. If we feel as if we are being stretched let us ensure we choose the road of faith, not fear. Let us confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lord of lords, having an assurance of God with and in us in this life while we wait on the Lord.
We apologise for truncation of the audio for this message. Today, Easter Sunday, Pastor Sean shares his story as an introduction to the celebration and true meaning of the Resurrection of Christ. Easter Sunday is also known as Resurrection Sunday. Sean used to seek lots of things in order to seek satisfaction but these never worked. We can often find ourselves hunting, looking and longing for satisfaction, but left feeling underwhelmed or unsatisfied. Matthew 7:7-8 NIV tells us “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”. So, scripture is telling us we will find God if we search for Him. Indeed, Jeremiah 29:13 NIV says “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”. But finding does not necessarily mean we shall be satisfied…. Are we satisfied with our lives? Have we been searching or seeking for satisfaction but left feeling empty and unsatisfied? Momentary satisfaction can leave us seeking even more….trying to get a daily fix of purpose or reason for life….. Pastor Sean then looks at three things in life that we can go looking for in order to gain satisfaction in our lives, and what the resurrection of Jesus means for us regarding these things. · Money/Materialism · Friendships and relationships · Career/Job/Vocation Sometimes in life we can try to fill our need for satisfaction through any or all of these things. However, life's purpose is not found in what we own, our friends or our career, but is found in Jesus. The key to life is all about letting go and coming to Jesus, only then will we be fully satisfied with the life we are living. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead means we can know God for ourselves, we can have a relationship through Jesus and experience life to the full. Proverbs 19:23 tells us that the Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm. When we live a life of abandoned love, surrendered before the awe of God, we will experience abundant life; continual protection and complete satisfaction! We need to welcome him into our lives, “ask and it will be given” the Bible says….
Today, Pastor Andy speaks of the second birth identified in the Bible, a spiritual awakening inside our being which follows our physical birth. From the book of Genesis we know the story of creation and of Adam and Eve who ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thus disobeying God and spiritually separating themselves from Him. John 3; 1-7 (NIV) tells the story of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus a religious teacher - Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” This account plainly speaks of how human flesh can only give birth to more human flesh but God’s Holy Spirit can give birth to our inner spirit resulting in God dwelling inside us. This spirit rebirth is often referred to as being ‘born again’, and occurs when we give our lives to Jesus. We then become members of the Kingdom of God. This is made possible not by our actions or good works but is because Jesus died and rose again breaking the Kingdom of Death for ever. We can then know His life, His peace, His righteousness, His joy and everything else that's His for us in our lives. Why wait when we can invite Jesus into our lives right now, experience relationship with the God who made us and be daily blessed by Him in our lives?
Today Ps Steu speaks about the storms in our lives and how we can trust God during difficult times. What we do when a storm occurs makes all the difference. We need to keep trusting God. The key bible verse for today is the story in Mark 4, 35-40 where Jesus calms the storm when the wind makes the waves come over the side of the boat. The disciples woke Jesus who was sleeping, he immediately rebuked the wind, spoke to the waves and all was calm. He also asked them why they had little faith! Interestingly, the boat was full of believers, but they seemed not to act as if they believed! Maybe they were more reliant on their own strength and skills to defeat the situation….some of us act like this, some hide, some freak out with great drama. Jesus had the perfect response; he was at perfect peace in this situation – He was trusting in God. We need to act similarly as we face storms in our lives, trusting God is the key to being at peace in all situations. Proverbs 10:25 tells us that the righteous stand firm for ever when storm arise. Knowing who we are in Christ allows us to place our faith in God. Joshua 1:9 tells us to be strong and of good courage, to not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord our God is with us wherever we go. Ps Steu asked four questions about storms:- What happens when the storm does not seem to subside – keep trusting, keep praying, make sure we have the whole armour of God as often there are subsidiary spiritual battles to be won. Fix our heart on what is true and honourable and pure and lovely and admirable. How do we manage when we feel we don’t have enough faith – phone a friend! Let us ensure people in our life journey (our boat) can encourage us. Also, let us call upon the name of the Lord (psalm 116). When the storm subsides but we are faced with damage, what then – the answer is in 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV) “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast”. What do we do after the storm ends – we place our hope, our faith in Him. We have hope as trusting God keeps us anchored and keeps us calmly harboured and we can experience great peace in the midst of storms. We give thanks and continue to grow in Him.
Where does our help come from? It comes from the Lord. He is compassionate and it is part of His nature to want to help us in our most helpless situations.
There could be so much to potentially be worried about in these very uncertain times, yet God calls us to choose a better way of living where we choose to trust Him rather than worry. Key things here are To be guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) To know the worry-free life Jesus encouraged us to have (Matthew 6:25-34)
We need to purpose to choose trust over worry The opposite of worrying is trusting Trusting God is also something we need to undertake daily even although this may be counter-cultural (going against how we may have lived or how we were raised) This also goes against the ‘storing up’ way of living we may have known and preferred Trusting God daily is now a way of living that many are finding themselves in – whether it be for provision, security, health or other areas where they once had more of a self-determined certainly.
This way of living is spoken of, encouraged, even exemplified for us in the Bible as a positive and normal thing We walk by faith, not our senses (2 Corinthians 5:7) We are instructed not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34) God gives us daily bread every day (Matthew 6:9-13)
The verses in Exodus 16:2-20 are key to describing and understanding Manna Life Manna Life is about trusting Him daily for what we need There was one rule – No storing up for tomorrow! Some could do it. Others struggled because of fear and unbelief This was a planned season of learning and daily provision
The challenging thought is that God is actually training us for what lies ahead, for days we have not seen or known. In such days trusting in someone beyond ourselves is no longer an option. The safest place to be is in a daily trust walk with God. This is a life where we look to His providence for everything our lives may need, knowing that He always knows what we need.
This week Pastor Andy speaks about guarding our hearts. The key verse is Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”. In these verses, the writer of this proverb, Solomon, encourages us to place great importance on protecting our hearts. But does he mean the physical organ or the inner man? The Hebrew word for heart is lēḇ and refers to…. The inner man, mind, will, heart & understanding Our inner parts Our mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection and memory The seat (throne) of all appetites, emotions and passions and of courage
This heart is not the physical blood pump of a person but rather the central core place, inner person or soul of a person. Consequently it needs protection because it is the part of us that can be most affected or vulnerable to things like fear and anxiety. The heart is the engine room of us which processes things like fear, anxiety and worry, as well as joy, happiness and hope. Solomon calls for us to be a watchman concerning what is trying to get in and what we allow or welcome in. The Devil wants us to have a heart attack by attacking our hearts (John 10:10 & Luke 21:26 refer). Fear is a root causing things like worry, anxiety, depression, hopelessness. What exactly is meant by ‘guarding’? In Hebrew the word ‘Guard’ is nāṣar meaning To guard, watch, watch over To preserve and guard from dangers To keep, observe, guard with fidelity To be a watchman
We may be living in fear-filled times, but we should have peace-filled hearts. God did not give us fear and so we do not need to let it in (2 Timothy 1:7). God wants us to know His peace and to be kept in “perfect peace”. Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) states “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You”. We can know peace that comes from Jesus. John 14:27 NKJV states “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. This is not a worldly peace, which is fickle and temporary, rather God’s peace which is stable and constant. This verse calls us to control the activity happening within our hearts! John 16:33 (NKJV) says “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - This is Jesus saying, “Don’t worry, I got this”! Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. God’s peace is the other doorman that protects the entrance of our lives. Colossians 3:15 (NKJV) states “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful”. Let (allow) the peace of God not fear from the devil or this world rule in us. Rule = brabeuō – to be an umpire, decide, determine, direct & control Ultimately, we can get more peace from spending more time with Jesus Prince of Peace and devoting more time to the Word hearing His thoughts and promises.
We are living in times when so much is going on around us that it could cause people to worry, be anxious, and be fearful. However, as followers of Jesus, should we be different from the people of the world who do not follow Him? People can experience many different things likely to cause worry. These might be personal things impacting their lives as well as unfolding things the Bible said predicted happen or come to pass. So should we be surprised when Jesus and Paul foretold that these things would happen? Matthew 24:4-13 refers. Also 2 Timothy 3:1-5 which speaks of people being uncontrolled, lovers of money, ungodly and turning from Him. Those who belong to God should experience something different than fear because God has not given us a spirit of fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 says (NIV) “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”. The words of Jesus should cut through the noise of fear and worry, bringing peace and confidence to our lives. His promises and assurances bring real and lasting peace even amid the storm to those who believe them. The Bible is not a book of concepts and facts, but living promises relevant for all of us today. Jesus teaches about worry in Matthew 6:25-34. He mentions the words ‘Do Not Worry’ three times….ending by instructing us to seek first His Kingdom and all our other needs will be met. There are eight key lessons we can learn from Matthew 6 that bring us hope: God knows about the natural everyday things that His people need (26&28) Understanding your worth and value (26) Know that worry cannot provide anything that will increase your life (27) What’s coming out of your mouth is what you’re entertaining in your heart (31) Your Heavenly Father knows already what you need (32) God says we are not to live like unsaved people (32) We are to seek first the kingdom Treat every day as its own package (34)
The alternative for worry is trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV states “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths”. In troubled times believers can develop a deeper trust relationship with God. We know Him as our Father (Matthew 6:9-13) and we know Him as our Shepherd (Psalm 23). But what are we to do with our cares, worries and anxieties? Again, scripture is our book of life….. 1 Peter 5:7-8 (NIV) states “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. Let us desire to choose trust instead of worry – it's God's plan and it’s much better for us!!
This week Pastor Andy speaks about the Purpose of Water Baptism. God is a purpose-driven God. He has a purpose for everything He makes, does and has us do. The Bible is a living book that reveals His purpose for things, people, actions and situations. It’s good for us to have an understanding of God’s purpose for things so that we can get from them what we should. Water Baptism is not a ceremony, religious event, or just something a person does without knowing why. The key reason to get baptised is obedience. Baptism is something Jesus commands every believer to do as a part of a salvation experience. Baptism was also a key part of the Great Commission where He sent His first disciples out and this has not changed even to this day. Matthew 28:19 (ESV) states ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’. Mark 16:16 (ESV) states ‘Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned’. Acts 2:38 (ESV) states ‘And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”’. From these verses we conclude that Baptism is not a suggestion to some but a requirement for all. It is something that accompanies a person’s repentance - turning to God. It involves the full immersion in water of consenting adults. There is no Biblical pattern for the christening of children. The Hebrew word for ‘baptise’ is baptizō meaning to submerge or overwhelm. There are three purposes that God has for Baptism Unhindered New Beginnings providing burial of ‘the old creation’ which we were prior to salvation. Passing through the water represents a funeral experience. 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Romans 6:1-4 refer Complete Freedom for the believer from the grip or obligation to the past and to past or former things. A great example is the children of Israel at the Red Sea when they passed through the water and their enemies were drowned (Exodus 14). Just as captors of the children of Israel drowned in the waters, a believer can experience supernatural freedom from things like addictions, guilt, curses and fears Provision of a Clear Conscience before God. The devil loves to condemn and accuse and is called the Accuser of Brethren (Romans 12:10). However, God provides a clear conscience for the believer. 1 Peter 3:21 and 1 Corinthians 4:4 refer
The requirements for a person to be Baptised are Repentance, Faith, Understanding, Obedience and a place where there is enough water to be fully submerged. Baptism is not a religious moment but a meaningful one. It is not about what you wear and where you do it. It involves faith and the revelation of what God is doing at the moment. It is a public display to all that you are a follower of Jesus.
Following on from the previous messages about running our best lap ever, this week’s message from Pastor Andy is titled ‘Running On Purpose’. Some points from the key verse 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 are Be in it to win it – we need to take our call seriously Make sure we are in training and fit for our race Keep our eyes on the winner’s crown Don’t run aimlessly or without purpose
Scripture from the Living Bible (1 Corinthians 9:26) says “So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win. I’m not just shadow-boxing or playing around”. The key points here are This is an encouragement for us to have a purpose-driven run God has always had a purpose for our lives We are re-connected to His perfect purposes through ‘new birth’ People are made for different purposes
Verses in 2 Timothy 2:20-21, Romans 9:17 and Jeremiah 29:11 remind us that God has a purpose for every life He breathes His breath into. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) states “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Hence, God made us on purpose and for a purpose! God has an individual plan for each of us to know and He also has other plans and purposes that include us all. We might call these ‘good works or purposes’. Scripture states we were created for good works. Ephesians 2:8-10 describes how we were created for good works and not by good works! Good works are not ‘dead works’. The Greek word for works is er’-gon meaning to do business, or be occupied with God’s business. The first man Adam and the original creation show us we were made for a purpose to take care of what belongs to God. Key purposes are also revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus. His purpose was to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). This is equally our purpose as we are the body of Christ and His expression on earth. Our Common Purpose is the great commission – to reach out, disciple people and set them free. It is important that we stay in our lane and run according to the race (purpose) marked out for us. David is a great example of a man who ran the race God had specifically for him - Acts 13:36 (NIV) “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed”. Salvation and our obedience to what God asks of us connect us back to His true purposes for us. We then run in accordance with these purposes. We must pray and ask the Lord about His true purpose for our lives.
Following on from the theme of running your best lap ever, Pastor Andy this week speaks about being either within the crowd or moving towards being a true disciple of Jesus. We find this is in fact a journey we are all pursuing. For the last few weeks, thoughts have been based around Hebrews 12; 1-2. We spoke about getting rid of stuff…we could be on the track, in our lane, but with a backpack on and someone holding our leg, we are very much hindered. The weights of forgiveness, bitterness and so forth weigh down our backpacks…. Today, Andy speaks about choosing the athlete experience over the crowd experience. Let’s get trained and seriously run our best lap for God this year. We all begin in the crowd and probably meet Jesus there, but God wants us to move towards being a disciple, something personal between ourselves and Jesus. Jesus always blessed the crowd, healed the sick but often called people out to become disciples. He also told them they would need to leave behind things that they had in their previous lives. Every believer should be stepping out of an initial crowd experience into something more personal with God. Of course, we still remain crowd in the context of us being Church! The church is still God's master plan on the earth. We are planted in a church with people who love God, but are on the planet to change the planet. Pastor Andy then spoke about letting God into the ‘chipboard’ of our lives, rather than just the veneer; taking all personal responsibility and ownership for what we've got going on with God; and also of a greater commitment of you walking daily by the truth - not just having emotional moments in meetings. So, God I'm going to live in your word and by your spirit this year. This is about what He will now do in our lives as we develop this discipleship. Galatians 6; 8-10 (NIV) states “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers”. Let us have the best Church connection we can have but also be committed to being athletes running our best lap yet as disciples for God. The crowd heard Jesus teach from afar; the disciples walked closely with Jesus. The crowd watched miracles; the disciples handled them! To be an athlete, rather than a spectator, it may cost more; involve more training; be more inconvenient… but it’s worth it!
Ps Steu continues this week reminding us of the mission of the church. This is simply Matthew 28; 19-20. It's to go and make disciples of all the nations baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe that all Jesus commanded and as we do that he is with us! We need to take this great commission seriously and as we go further into 2022 if the vision of the church is to run its best lap ever then we must run our best lap ever as individuals and to do this we must have a relationship with Jesus and have His presence within us. We need to draw near to God. Last week we shared Hebrews 12; 1-2 (NIV) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”. So we do need to lay aside all the weight and sins that trip us up, else we cannot think of running our best lap…we need to be at our best potential. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. In John 14; 15-18, He said, “If you love me, keep my Commandments. I love will pray the Father and he will give you another helper” – the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. In Acts 1, early verses, we read of the baptism, the drenching of the Holy Spirit upon them in order to receive power and be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the whole earth. Today as then, God wants to fill his people with the Holy Spirit and empower them to live a Kingdom life. In the book of Acts, we read about the disciples being filled with the power of God when they were baptised with the Holy Spirit, immediately running sharing the Gospel. This is the story of the early church. People then dispersed and churches formed the world over. So for us now, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, look to the Holy Spirit to empower us, train us and raise us up, drawing near to God for our best lap yet
Pastor Andy delivers an absolute ‘must hear’ message for Vision Sunday 2022. This is all about running our best lap yet in the race of life. Fundamentally this is being active doing what God wants and needs us to do to make a difference to the world we live in. We are leaving a season of lockdown and moving into a season of having a mighty job to do, running with passion in our hearts for all that God wants us to achieve. Pastor Andy speaks of the story of Joseph and his amazing release from wrongful imprisonment (Genesis 39-41) to provide interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams. The doors of lockdown were opened for him then and God did incredible things with Joseph becoming in charge of Pharaoh’s palace and all his people. God will do equally incredible things with us as he did with Joseph. He came out of the prison cell ready to run his best lap yet using the gifts God had given him! Just as God used Joseph in his time He will use us individually and as a church in all the places He has positioned us. Hebrews 12, 1-2 speaks of those who ran their best race (the great cloud of witnesses) but also speaks of us as well….instructing us to throw off all sin and that which entangles us and then to run with perseverance the race set out before us fixing our eyes on Jesus who perfects our faith. PS Andy goes on to speak of 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV) “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” Our hearts desire should be to say we have run the race God set before us, lived our lives in pursuit of Him and are ready to receive a crown of righteousness!
Pastor Steu speaks this week about the Joy of The Lord being our strength. Sometimes we find ourselves lacking in joy and everything in life is flat. But when we take hold of the joy of the Lord, (because his Joy makes us strong) a breakthrough can occur in our lives. In Nehemiah 8, 9-10, the people are told not to mourn and weep but rather celebrate the completion of the city walls and temple and have joy in their hearts. Nehemiah actually tells them “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength”. This restoration took place because of God's grace, not because the people had obeyed God's law. Daily strength comes from God, not our ability or inability. Likewise, restoration in our own lives happens because of God's grace, not because we obey God's laws. It's important that we remember that our daily strength comes from rejoicing in the grace of God and not mourning over our abilities or lack of them! Galatians 3, 24 tells us that the law is our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Our justification before God is not by living according to rules and regulations, but by faith. So when it comes to being a people of breakthrough, It's important to remember that we already have the victory in Christ. Through His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus has made total restoration available to all Humanity. God's arms are wide open to us and the blessings of his kingdom are available to us. We have become children of God, inheritors of the kingdom of God and are rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the son of his love into the Kingdom of Light. PS Steu spoke of three ways Satan often tries to steal our joy Legalism - trying to please God by following rules and regulations Regret – the children of Israel were constantly moaning and living in regret of leaving their old life and consequently never took the Promised Land until a new generation thought differently….. Circumstances that we know or go through can rob us of joy things, taking away the joy of our Salvation
When we focus on God we find joy. In Psalm 23 we see that our circumstances can sometimes be like mountains that surround us, and we feel like we're walking through a valley. We can feel overshadowed and overwhelmed by what's going on in our lives and find ourselves in a dark place, but the psalm also speaks about not stopping in the middle of the valley, but walking through the valley. Fullness of joy is found in God's presence. Let us wake daily and declare the Joy of the Lord over our lives, then we shall find new strength.
Sean continues the theme of the God of breakthrough and breakout this Sunday by focusing on having a breakthrough faith. We can only run the race of life and get over the obstacles in our way if we put our faith in the one who causes breakthrough. In Matthew 17, 14 onward, Jesus rebukes the disciples for their lack of faith before healing the boy who had seizures. If we have faith as small as a mustard seed we can move the mountains before us – fear, dread, trauma, worry and so on. If we have a greater level of faith we shall see miracles break out as ‘mountains’ are moved in our lives. Sean quoted hearing Bill Johnson from Bethel church who stated that whatever we tolerate will dominate our lives…. But, God is the God of all things and is over and above all things and can break through all things. We've been made to put our faith and relationship in Christ, the one who breaks out, but it's faith that we must activate to see these things happen. Hebrews 11 defines faith – having confidence in what we hope for but can’t see. The Breakthrough is not always instant, but God rewards those that diligently seek Him. Scripture has many stories of those who placed fervent faith in God and were rewarded with breakthrough and breakout…. Abraham and Isaac – Abraham told his son “The Lord will provide the sacrifice”, and He did! Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers - the promise from God being fulfilled many years later David and Goliath - David said to the Philistine “you come against me with sword and spear and Javelin but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel. Whom you have defied this day, the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day. I will give your carcasses to the Philistine Army to the birds and to the wild animals and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. And he did! The woman with the issue of blood who touched Jesus’ cloak – Jesus told her “daughter, your faith has healed, go in peace”. Immediately she was healed.
Maybe we need to do something that's different to what we normally do. Say, “God, I'm acting in faith right now. I'm trusting in what you're going to do in my life. I just believe that you are going to meet me where I am”. An act of faith leads to an obedient action, which then creates something. Let us believe breakout happens when we activate faith and walk with God.
As the church continues with 31 days of prayer during January of 2022, Pastor Andy continues to speak about God of the Breakthrough. When we pray, let the Holy Spirit help us to pray, He will help us pray according to the will of God. Perfect prayers! (Romans 8:26-27). It is God who brings the breakthrough in our lives, working behind the scenes for our good and also goes before us to bring breakthrough! (Micah 2:13 KJV). God is the Breaker, going before us breaking open the way like the grill on the front of the locomotive that clears the way. Nothing can stand against Him or stop Him. There are many examples of God working this way in scripture …
In 2 Samuel 5:22-25, God went before David and his army to strike down the enemy.
In 2 Chronicles 20:15-17, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem were told not to be discouraged or afraid, that the battle was not theirs but God’s. They were told to stand firm and see the deliverance that God had provided for them. In order to put God first in their battle they sent out the praisers ahead of the army. When they came to the place overlooking the desert all they saw was dead bodies, God had gone before them and won their battle. Not only did they win the battle, they plundered the enemy, taking 3 days to bring back what had been stolen from them.
Let us pray with the Holy Spirit’s help to ensure God goes before us in all the battles of our lives. Then we can know He is there before us!
Pastor Andy speaks of God of the Breakthrough as we begin 31 Days of praying for one another (three times each day) during the month of January. We are believing God this year for incredible BREAK OUT in peoples’ lives and situations. Break out is where you see the things that you are believing for come to pass. A moment of testimony! Break out is what happens publicly, or in the “seen” realm of our lives. and occurs after breakthrough. So we have to invest time in the breakthrough in order to see the Kingdom of God break out in our lives. King David did just this in 2 Samuel 5...... David withdrew to the stronghold before moving forwards with the attack on the Philistines - Baal Perazim - the mighty waters broke out against the enemy! David invested time in order to receive the BREAKTHROUGH in his life privately before going to the battlefield and seeing the BREAK OUT of the victory. He received the “now” word of God (the rhema). When WE read scripture, God brings His Word alive in our hearts (rhema). Let us take time to seek God for His “now” word in order to hear His specific instructions.........Then follow His instructions to see the BREAK OUT! Amen!
Pastor Andy speaks about making room for Jesus Christ our Lord during Christmas. How easy it is to be caught in the commercialism of Christmas, leave Jesus out and then feel depressed, empty and lacking because we forgot that Jesus is the reason for the season!
Let us embrace what Christmas is really about! God is with us. He stepped into this world and dwelt among us - God incarnate. God Himself in the man, Jesus. In fact, through faith in Christ, He has stepped into our lives and lives within us. We were once separated from Him. Now, by His grace, He lives in us. In that sense, God is incarnate in our lives (John 14:16-17). Incarnate means embodied in human form (especially of deity or spirit). So, the risen Christ, by His Spirit, has come to live in us! We need to be “Christ inside” minded. Greater is He that is in me that he that is in the world. (Gal 2:20). Christ in me is all I need! He is everything. My all in all. More than enough. Our lives are now to be influenced by the One who lives in us. Ephesians 5:15-21 spells out the detail of this for us. We are not to be drunk, intoxicated or under the influence of anything opening the door to evil in our lives. Rather, being under the influence of the Holy Spirit. If Christ lives in us we do not wish to live under the influence of things that people in this world live under. This includes fear, anger, hatred etc. God has given us a sound mind – 2 Timothy 1:7. As we approach Christmas, let’s be conscious of Emmanuel (God with us) rather than being self-conscious. Let us lift our eyes up to Jesus and look to Him for all we need (2 Cor 4:7). Let us discover afresh that God is resident in our lives!
Today, PS Andy speaks about the principle of sowing and reaping, but not quite as we may expect it…..more later! Sowing seed isn’t a man-made issue, it’s a Godly thing. It’s also not just a money thing, time, energy, effort is just as important. Sowing seed is a life issue and when done correctly it (1) benefits us, (2) helps others and also (3) it brings glory to God. God told Noah (Genesis 8:22, NKJV) “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” Sowing and reaping, seedtime and harvest are Godly principles….and work both positively and negatively…we can sow a grumpy attitude, or we can encourage people…. What we do with our time, our energy, our money ….all of those things are opportunities to cause a harvest in our world. However, so often we focus on the return we may get when sowing. But this is a way of living that’s benefits and meets needs of others on God’s behalf. 2 Corinthians 9:6 speaks of the one who sews from a generous spirit reaping an abundant harvest (not from a sense of religious duty). The principle of sowing and reaping doesn't just involve us on a ‘harvest follows after sowing’ principle. When we sow in others people’s lives we do not look for glory or thanks to return to us but for new opportunities for discipleship and thanksgiving to God from those receiving from us – as God’s Kingdom reaches more lives.
This week Ps Steu speaks about the church corporate, how Jesus is incredibly passionate about the church and how scripture describes Christ’s love for the church. Matthew 16:13-19 describes how peter declares Jesus as the Messiah and how Jesus builds His church upon the rock. The word church here comes from Greek ‘Ekklēsia’ meaning a particular body of faithful people, or the whole body of faithful people. This passage reveals the church belongs to Jesus and also that it is described as a bride. Jesus is in charge of the ‘building’, however, we are all involved in the process as long as we remain submitted to Him. We may have excellence in many areas, but as we gather, it is crucial that we have the presence of God. Everything else fades into insignificance. What a wonderful picture it is that we are living stones, parts of the Temple of God, made of people whose lives have been redeemed by Jesus with every one of us having a place in this living temple of God. The whole purpose of us, the church is that God can fill the church with His presence in order to bring His Kingdom into this world. Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) states ‘And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near’. Let us come together as living stones and enjoy the presence of God together both collectively as well as in our own time, in our own walk with God. The opportunity for worship, praise, and teaching provides unity of faith and unity of mission within an environment where we can do the greater words that Jesus spoke of. The later verses of Acts 2 extol the virtues of regular gathering of the faithful believers. Friendships are formed, spiritual growth is enabled, the scriptures unfold as our lives grow in our walk with The Lord.
Ps Sean uses personal testimony to share about waiting on God. Throughout times of uncertainty we need to wait upon the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) states ‘But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint’. So, if we feel weary or weak in the Lord, we need to wait upon Him. For in the waiting our strength shall be renewed. We need to learn to wait on God. Psalm 27:14 confirms this – our hearts get strengthened too. Proverbs 19:21 tells us that we can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail. If we try to force God in our plans we will fail and have no peace, better to submit, trust and wait on Him. In Luke 24:49, Jesus appears before the disciples and tells them to wait where they are until they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Waiting is where God strengthens us. It may seem we are in a wasteland but these are the places where God brings forth rivers and begins new things in our lives (Isaiah 43:19). God was with the children of Israel on their journey, but he didn't take them from deliverance to destination. He took them through the wilderness, to test their character and to bring things out with them. Let us not be frustrated or upset in testing times or seeming places of wilderness in our lives. Let us learn to trust God, wait upon Him, keep His word in our hearts so we recognise His voice when he calls us and moves us on in our lives.
Ps Sean gives a powerful message about how we have been acquitted of all sins by the blood of Jesus. He focuses on how important it is for us to remember the way God sees us as opposed to our own thoughts and feelings. Romans 5:16 (TPT) states ‘And this free-flowing gift imparts to us much more than what was given to us through the one who sinned. For because of one transgression, we are all facing a death sentence with a verdict of “Guilty!” But this gracious gift leaves us free from our many failures[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5&version=TPT#fen-TPT-9389r (r)] and brings us into the perfect righteousness of God—acquitted with the words “Not guilty!”’. Because we are all born of the seed of Adam, we are born with nature of guilt, cover up and blame. Humanity itself is born into bondage and separated from God just as Adam and Eve became in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). From this time onwards the world has slowly been falling apart to the point where today we have a broken society. But the plan of God was for Jesus His son to lay down His life so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life (John 3:16). What are we being saved from? – Hell and eternal separation from God. Colossian 1:13 tells us we have been save from the dominion of darkness. We are redeemed and made righteous before God! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) states ‘Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new’. We may wake up feeling old but we are in fact a new creation in Christ. This is something we must trust by faith. We may feel condemned, guilty even at times, heavy with bad feelings over something we said or did. But God is a righteous judge even where Satan abounds - his agenda to cause us to live less than we have been given and promised, bringing condemnation. Scripture contains truth, Roman 8:1 (NKJV) says ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit’. Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery nor does he condemn us. Because of what we have put our faith in (Jesus), we are saved, made righteous, redeemed, healed and also Acquitted. Jesus’ blood sets us free. Psalm 103:11-12 (NKJV) states ‘For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us’. Let’s not allow the enemy to get a foothold over our lives. Speak Jesus over our lives every morning!
Today, Pastor Andy presents the last of his series on being ‘Tuned In’ to hear God’s voice. Previously, Andy spoke about how God is always speaking but we often are not listening or are not correctly tuned in to His voice by tuning out the noise of the world. Additionally, we probably need to be non-conformist by world standards in order to conform to His ways! (Romans 12:2). If God is speaking, do we believe this? If not, we shall never hear Him. We may say “yes God, you are speaking”, we may say “yes, I’m going to remove other voices from my head”, but after we have done this can we recognize His voice amongst similar voices? The voice of religion can be confused with the voice of God. But religion brings us into captivity, God brings us freedom (Romans 8:1). We need to be able to recognize the tone of God’s voice. His voice has the tone of the best ever loving Father (Matthew 6:9), the voice of a shepherd (John 10:27), and that of a friend. In John 15:15, Jesus speaks of us as friends. Sometimes we misunderstand God’s voice believing it to be ‘intuition’ or ‘common-sense’. We hear God more often that perhaps we think. A word of knowledge, a word of wisdom does not come from nowhere…… But God also speaks through His word and also from His Spirit too. His Spirit now lives in us, for every born-again believer. Sometimes we hear a voice deep inside ourselves - Romans 8:14 NKJV “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”. Sometimes we see a person and they just need help. We hear a prompting inside. Or we suddenly think about telephoning someone. That's often the Holy Spirit saying “I need someone on earth to take care of something for me… Can anyone hear me?” We need to be sensitive to His Spirit within us. God wants his voice to be the constant voice of the Shepherd in our daily lives. We also need to be able to test what we are hearing. This is not unbelief; it's a wise thing to do. The Bible says that all prophecy shouldn't be despised, but it should be tested. The word of God is a good test of all situations and is the blueprint for life. Wise counsel, the seeking of wisdom and being humble enough to ask other spirit filled Christians is also a good test (Psalm 1:1). Asking more than one person is also biblical – Proverbs 11:14 NKJV “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety”. God is not against us seeking confirmation and will do something through natural things or natural people to affirm if we pray and ask. When God speaks and wants to do something in our lives it may cost time, energy or money because he does what he needs to do on earth through our lives. There is no better life than this! Equally there is no condemnation for us in testing what we perceive we hear as indeed this is biblical wisdom. Let us constantly be seeking His voice.
Pastor Andy continues his series on being Tuned In to God. God is always speaking but we often are not listening or not listening correctly. We need to read His word and Pray in order to hear Him and be challenged. It's not good enough to say God, I want to hear you, if we are not ready to be challenged when he speaks! We've got to be prepared, to be living in the word, because it's the word of God that causes Our Lives to be transformed. All of our thoughts are incredibly powerful. Consciously or unconsciously we move in the direction of our dominant thoughts – they determine the direction of our lives. Thoughts lead to actions which result in positive or negative outcomes – Godly or ungodly. Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) states “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he”. We need to be careful when it comes to thoughts and allow God's thoughts to become our thoughts. God's thoughts can determine the destination of our health, our marriage, our finances, and success of who we are. We need to have minds that say ‘now Lord, let your thoughts be my thoughts’. We cannot halt every thought entering our heads, but we can begin to control which thoughts are allowed to land in the fertile soil of our thinking - because thoughts have the ability to lead a person to total victory, but also to total destruction. The renewing of our minds with God's thoughts isn't an optional extra it's daily necessity. Taking wrong thoughts captive and bringing them into abeyance to what God says isn't difficult, its a choice. Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) states “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”. So, we need to be living in the Word of God in order to know His thoughts, discern His ways, hear His voice and conduct ourselves well. Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV) states “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding”.
Pastor Andy continues his series on being ‘Tuned-In’ to the Word of God. In John 10:10 scripture says “His sheep know his voice”. God is not speaking with a voice of condemnation or judgement but as a shepherd or Father. So far we have looked at the need to ‘Tune-Out’ of other sounds in order for our hearts to hear God, His will and ways for our lives. When the ways of this world are influenced by the ‘gods’ of this age, and disagree with how God says that we should live our lives, we need to purpose to be non-conformist. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will”. When we begin to say “Yes, God, I want to hear your voice…. I want to tune out from other noise to hear you the voice of my Shepard, the voice of my friend”, our lives begin to be renewed. When we allow God's word to challenge our thinking, the Holy Spirit to teach us God's word, we experience a supernatural change that happens from the inside….a transformation, a metamorphosis. But this also needs to be a constant renewal through His word, not a once only action. When we are committed to being transformed, we experience a divine ‘brain-scrub’ through the Holy Spirit. The only result in our minds, if we use the Word of God, is freedom….because we shall know the truth...and the truth shall set us free!
Pastor Andy begins a new series today entitled 'Tuned In'. We need to be tuned in to God on order to hear His voice. Does God speak, Ps Andy asks us? God speaks all the time but our ears are maybe not tuned in to His frequencies to hear His voice above the clutter of the world view, the media, the constant interruptions from elsewhere. We need to understand God's will for our lives and to have a desire for Him above all else. However, Ps Andy explains that we need to be tuned out of the world view, of the worlds supposed wisdom in order that our ears and senses may hear and respond to God.
Pastor Andy continues his series about "Approaching God" with another awesome must hear message this week focusing on being confident in our approach.
Pastor Andy continues speaking about the way we approach our Lord God. Today's message carries on from last week where we started to consider our approach to a God who is not only our Father but also the creator of the universe! Using key scriptures from Hebrews 4 and Hebrews 10, Pastor Andy considers how we may approach God with boldness because Jesus is our High Priest.
Ps Andy today speaks about having as correct approach to God. he uses the scriptures from Psalm 100 and 1 Samuel 7 : 12 to illustrate how the bible teaches us the correct way to approach our Lord. Often we rush into many requests and expect super fast answers in todays impatient world. The bible corrects us!
Pastor Steu talks a bout the love of God, using many scriptures including the cardinal verse from John 3:16 (NIV - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life). The love of God is everlasting, all encompassing and available to us all. A message not to be missed!
Family Church Portsmouth was held in the field today and Pastor Andy spoke vividly about the distractions of everyday life facing us all but especially our children. These distractions (social media, peer pressure, gaming, TV, advertising and many more) try to pull our children away from God and a small period of time in Kids Church on Sunday mornings cannot compete with the strength of these anti-Christ forces. Andy uses the very immediate demonstration of a tug of war to show how all parents and indeed all the rest of us in the church community must take responsibility for assisting in ensuring our kids stay on the straight and narrow path every day of their lives.
Pastor Andy concludes his series on Good Foundations with this message about Faith. The previous messages in this series looked at the keystone foundations of Grace, Righteousness, Justification and New Creation in Him. Andy now speaks of the unseen element or common denominator across all of these which is Faith in God. The key facet that allows all these other things to manifest themselves in our lives is faith in God. A simple belief (childlike not childish) allows us to access everything God has provided for us in the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Pastor Andy unwraps this message with key scripture references.
Ps Andy continues his series on Good Foundations as the youth return from summer camp. There is an exuberant atmosphere in church today!
Ps Andy continues his series on good foundations looking deeper at the relationship between righteousness and justification using key scriptures from the New Testament. He emphasises how the righteousness we have in God's sight and the justification we have are nothing to do with any actions we might take or any feelings we might imagine.....but purely in the nature of God!
Righteousness is a foundation stone in our lives as believers. A clear understanding of our righteousness in Christ will enable us to walk in that righteousness. In this message Pastor Andy teaches this subject from a number of key scriptures.
Grace is a foundation stone in our lives as believers. A clear understanding of God's grace will enable us to walk in that grace. In this message Pastor Andy shares 7 points about what God's grace is and what God's grace does in our lives.
As Family Church Portsmouth Congregation began meeting for the first time in its normal venue since before Covid (Portsmouth Academy), Pastor Andy set off by challenging us to correctly establish, understand and believe in our foundations. Quoting Proverbs 22:28 he begins to examine the long ago created and established foundations of our faith. This is 'must listen' material!!
When Jesus saves, he saves completely! Those who accept Jesus are made completely new, washed completely clean, and totally redeemed!
Jesus is totally committed to you! He loves you so much that He laid down His life for you. In every season of life you can know that Jesus will never leave or forsake you.
In our second 'Family Church on the Field' event, Pastor Sean shares passionately that Jesus is the only way to the Father; He is the only truth; and He gives life in abundance to all who come to Him.
In God's Kingdom we are to "lay down our Iives" and serve one another. When every person does "something" we will accomplish everything that God has called us to do. It is a truly fulfilling way to live.
Pastor Andy’s message this week is titled “Where Next”? After discussing the shape of things to come for both the previously established congregations (pre Covid) and also the newly established online congregation, he speaks about the very definition of a Christian or more usefully a Disciple, or a Believer. Are we called something yet our attributes do not confirm the name we give ourselves? If we are a follower of Jesus do we properly purpose in our hearts to follow Him? Do we dedicate in our hearts to follow Jesus in all His steps, placing our attention in Him? Jesus called people to become followers and disciples in the Gospels and He does the same today – to have a daily experience of Him in their world. Jesus calls us into a daily relational walk with Him now just as He did in the Gospels. All Jesus disciples in the gospels had security in what they did and left this and at some cost started to follow Jesus in a new journey. They did not look back. They needed to leave their previous security to join Him and follow Him into something much better. Will we lay down our comforts and put Him first in all things advancing with Him?
A culture of worship can only come from a people whose hearts are filled with worship. This message will help you understand what true worship is and how you can be a true worshipper, contributing to the church having a culture of worship.
Today is the last in the current series by Pastor Andy Elmes ‘Commissioned’, with this week’s message being about Kingdom Lifestyle. We've been looking at Matthew 28 verses 19-20. God says go into all the world and make disciples baptizing them teaching them to obey. People get really carried away with loving the word grace and love and mercy, but obedience is equally a powerful word. Matthew 28, 20 does say “teaching them to obey everything”….this means, training people to abide, to walk, in obedience to all that Jesus commanded. Jesus taught about Kingdom living, a new higher way of conducting ourselves. If we look at the teachings of Jesus in the gospels He often says to his disciples “go and declare the kingdom”. When Jesus walked the Earth, He didn't preach a gospel of atonement - He was the Gospel of atonement! He spoke of a kingdom, the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven that was present now, on earth. In Matthew 5 and 6 Jesus talks about Kingdom life and how to live it. In this message Jesus suddenly begins to redefine so much of what people thought was normal, but he brings fresh definition to it and says, no, that's not how you live. This is how you live to me. That's what the Lord is asking us to do when he says “ …teach people to obey my Commandments”, - the ways that I've taught you to live. He talks about being Salt and Light and so much more in these two chapters. Romans 12:2 (NIV) says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will”. This is the Holy and best possible way for us to live beyond anything we ever imagined. In those moments in the battlefield of our minds we need to make sure the way He's taught us to live overcomes any previous way we may have lived before. This is when the victory that's contained in the word breaks into our daily lives.
When Jesus called the fishermen to follow Him, a 'disciple making' movement was started and we are part of that. Along with the first followers of Jesus, we too are called to go and make disciples, baptising them and teaching them about the Kingdom of God. You'll be inspired as you hear about six things that Jesus did in order to make disciples and, as we build these things into our lives, we will become great disciple makers.
Pastor Andy continues his series on Commissioned, this week his title is Walking it Out. This series has been based on the incredible verses from Matthew 28:19 -20 known as the Great Commission. Andy speaks more about discipleship where we provoke each other to grow and develop a more intimate walk with the Lord than we've ever known before. We hear about each believer having a discipleship role……..being surrendered to someone so we have our own lives challenged and mentored and then also being able to help others as well. This richness gives us strength and daily growth in Christ which we need in order to prevent us stagnating in our relationship with Jesus. There are two experiences to being a Christian - we can go for a crowd experience or a disciple experience. If we go for a crowd experience, we will watch miracles. However if we go for a disciple experience, we get to handle them! Andy gives scripture references regarding how Paul speaks to the church in Corinth and elsewhere about still giving the people milk rather than solid food because they had not yet moved from being carnal Christians to spirit led ones. He warns us about not being offended regarding the purpose of the church in our lives – its easy to be led into a false sense of understanding here regarding the culture of Israel during biblical times. Andy speaks about how we want to help people to navigate their new life, the New Birth, the transformation of God that's happening in their world. So in Family Church, moving forward in regard to those who are be are giving their life to Christ in our services or in our in times when we meet each other, we want to be relational in our discipleship rather than purely educational. Andy gives a lot of details to some of the practical and exciting steps we shall be taking to outwork this vision. Next week is the final part to this series Commissioned.
We have all been reconciled to God through Christ and the message of reconciliation has been committed to all believers, to take to the world around us. We all have a responsibility to share the good news with others, so let's be deliberate about this and let's build this into our everyday lives.
Today Pastor Andy preached the next message in his series ‘Commissioned’. The title is literally ‘The Next Step’! This amazing message is another of those absolutely must hear messages in the exciting time leading up to the regathering and rebuilding of the physical church as we move out of the lockdown we have been in this past year. Andy speaks in a captivating manner to further unwind the meaning of the scriptures in Matthew 28 where Jesus gives the great commission. Making disciples has to be part of the culture of whom and what we are as a church, daily not just Sundays. Andy speaks of disciples being ‘learners’ - everything that God could do for us is given us at the moment of salvation but we spend our lives ‘learning’ what that means and living in the reality of it. Christianity is simply a walk with Jesus. Andy speaks of the heart changing moments of conversion giving rise to the born again experience, he mentions Matthew 11 where Jesus is saying to people to come to him all who are laden with their past and effectively be learners in a new life. We commit to walk with Him all the days of our lives. Andy speaks significantly of the two baptisms – of water and also of the Holy Spirit. Our water baptism representing our own death, burial and resurrection with Jesus in newness of life and the then infilling by The Holy Spirit to guide us, empower us and lead us on our way henceforth. These are two necessary experiences for us in our life of discipleship! This is indeed a most challenging and exciting message!
Our desire is for Family Church to be a place of welcome, where people feel loved and truly valued. Paula shares, from her heart, how we can achieve this when we all embrace a culture of welcome in our hearts
Today is Pentecost Sunday and saw the beginning of a new series ‘Commissioned’ with this week’s title being Outward Looking. Pastor Andy speaks of us having our marching orders from Matthew 28 and how Family Church is going to be a flourishing Church coming out of lockdown, stepping into the next season. Key points from this Great Commission will be our focus in this series – Go; Make Disciples and Teach Kingdom ways of life to people and how they can walk in obedience to the ways that Jesus has taught us to live. Those three key aspects are our focus as a church coming out of lockdown into a time of flourishing that God has got for us. To begin, we must be a people of “Go”, sitting doing nothing will not get us anywhere and certainly not see any disciples made! The Great Commission isn't a commission alone? It's a Go-Mission. It's the great Go-Mission. We need to be outward-looking. When you watch our lives, it seems often we don't believe in Him. When we're outside the church, we stay quiet, we don't tell others and we’re not outward looking. But believe the power of the Holy Ghost is coming (even on this day called Pentecost Sunday!) to shake us up to a fresh awakening to be an outward-looking people, not a ‘stay’ people. We are all entrusted with a message; all are ambassadors to carry a message that has the power to take a person from Death to Life. Every believer, every follower of Jesus has been entrusted with a message, not just to be evangelists in the church, but everywhere we go. We have the power and the authority so how can we stay quiet?
This week Pastor Andy threw away his notes so he could preach the inspired word of God, titled ‘Get Ready’. This rip-roaring message was to stir our hearts as we gently come out of lockdown. Pastor Andy spoke about the church corporately and each of us individually coming out of our various lockdowns as Peter did in Acts 12 – story of his miraculous escape from prison. Andy likened Peter’s situation to that many of us find ourselves in (lockdown can be financial, emotional, relational, physical etc.) and then looked at how the bible spoke of Peters situation and how this is relevant to us. In Acts 12, the Angel of the Lord told peter to get up, get dressed and come, then the Iron Gate opened by itself and Peter was able to walk back into Jerusalem (the prison was outside the city) as God had more in store for him. But Peter knew how Jesus had spoken to him earlier – Matthew 16; 17-19 (NIV) - Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” The “gates of Hades” was in fact a cave entrance leading to underworld of false worship at that time in Caesarea Philippi, so Jesus revealed to Peter that His church would be built on the rock of the revelation that the Holy Spirit had enlightened Peter with and that this was not able to be overcome even by the worst of falsehood….this applies today as well. So as Peter slept in prison (Acts 12), the church prayed for him and he knew in his heart that although chained and guarded, he would not be overcome by Herod and his schemes. Peter knew he had Christ in his heart. Out of chaos, God brings glory, turns graves into gardens. Individually we also must look to Christ as our Messiah, be ready to get dressed, stand up and walk away from our lockdown with faith and authority that our God is unstoppable.
When a person's heart is set on fire for Jesus they desire to serve Him. We serve Jesus by serving His body. Family Church is an "all in" church - everyone doing something, not a few doing everything. As you listen to this teaching you will be inspired to be faithful in the small things, which is a prerequisite to being entrusted with great things.
The message this week is titled Heavenly Hope and is the third in the series Heavenly Minded by Pastor Andy Elmes. The essence here is based on what Paul says in the book of Colossians that we are to set our mind & affections on things above not on things below. There is a very real life here and now for us to be involved in but we need to be conscious of what's happening in heaven right now but also that our true home is heaven one day. We live in an uncertain world, especially in the hopes it offers, but we need to understand as believers children of God, we have a Heavenly hope which is a certain hope which we have in this current world of uncertain hopes. Philippians 3:18-20 (NIV) says “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ”. Pastor Andy explains how this verse colours in his point! If we only set our minds on earthly things we shall only ever have earthly hope. Hope is the simple belief that things can and will change. What is our hope built on - the fickle promises of man, our own intentions, our own ability or something of much greater strength, which is what God is speaking over our lives in our situation and eternity to come? We need to build our lives on that which is unshakable. The Bible says (Hebrews 12:26-27) that everything that can be shaken will be shaken to reveal that which can't be shaken - which is His kingdom and His Kingship. Faith is for the moment. We have what God has promised in the moment we live in. Hope believes that you will have the things that the Lord said you will have. Faith is for the moment, “in faith” is believing. We have what God has promised in the moment that we live, but hope is believing we have the things the Lord said we will have. Hebrews 6:17-20 (NIV) states “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek”. God is unchanging and all His promises stand true. Pastor Andy ends with many scripture verses relating to Heaven. Let us keep our hope on God’s Unfailing promises.
There are many great causes in this world, but none greater than the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of God. In this session Pastor Sean shares three points that will really get you thinking - (1) His Cause over my cause; (2) united in the Cause; (3) the joy of serving the Cause.
This message is titled Heavenly Treasure and is the second in the series ‘Heavenly Minded’ by Pastor Andy Elmes. Andy recaps on last week’s message about Heavenly Rewards before again looking at scripture starting with Colossians 3:1-3 (NIV) “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God”. Are we as Believers as aware as we should be about the ramifications from our life here on Earth for God? Paul says quite adamantly in Colossians 3 that we are to set our minds and hearts on things above Heavenly things, but do we? Are we as believers consumed with the life that we're living now? This life isn't the be-all and end-all. There really is an eternity. How we live now affects how we shall find rewards in heaven and also what treasures are stored for us there. Jesus openly talked on the ability to store up in heaven, a treasure. We must understand we are sojourners here. There is a life to come and it's wise for a believer to have Heavenly mindedness in their thinking. Matthew 6:19-21 says (NIV) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. We learn from these teachings of Jesus - He recognized and openly taught on the two very real realms. Yes, there's the possibility of storing up treasure here, but He also taught that while we live here we can be storing treasures there in heaven. Jesus is also saying that our hearts will be where our treasure is stored!! If our minds and our attention and our affection are set on His kingdom, the treasure that our life produces will be there. By the life we live will be located our treasure.
The church is described as the 'Household of God' and we are each members of that household, each with an important part to play. Pastor Andy shares a superb teaching on this subject, reminding us that we are the family of God, called to love God and love each other.
This week Pastor Andy begins a new series called Heavenly Minded. The first message in this series is Heavenly Rewards, as Andy begins to take some time to look at how the Bible teaches us concerning Heavenly things. We need to be wise with how we spend our time, how we love our families, how we love people around us. We need to be of use to God, understanding there's an eternal life following this temporal life. The Bible reveals to us how our minds will be fully restored; every tear will be wiped away. So we need to understand that things that we do in this life have ramifications in the life that's going to follow – in heaven. Colossians 3, early verses state (NIV) “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God”. Are we heavenly minded? Many are not giving any thought to living in the light of eternity. The Bible teaches us that there are heavenly rewards for those that chose to be faithful to God in His kingdom, in this chapter of Life called the here and now. For the believer, we are able to come to the big white throne (Revelation 20: 11-14) knowing we have salvation through our faith in Christ who saves us, but the bible also speaks of another judgement which gives us inspiration to live for our Lord. The judgement seat of Christ is rewards based – 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (NIV) “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad”. This isn't a punishment based reward or judgment. It's Jesus settling accounts with those who belong to him for how they lived out their lives on the earth before coming to their true home - eternity in heaven with him. The Bible reveals to us here that after we are saved, God Is watching how we live our lives. Do we live for others? Or do we live for ourselves? Do we live for the comfort and benefit of others? Or we just making sure we've got enough. Do we live for what matters to God? Or do we live for what matters to us? All of these things have a reward thats in heaven waiting for those who lived correctly. So our belief on Earth is what positions us in eternity - heaven or hell. But our behaviour on earth, what and who we lived for when we were here, will determine the rewards that we receive in heaven.
The church is referred to as the 'body of Christ'. We are many members, but one body. This message teaches us that, as a member of the body of Christ, we must (1) be submitted to the head, (2) know our function, and (3) work alongside others. Team work makes the dream work!
Today Pastor Gina Elmes speaks about our first love, Jesus Christ. For the Christian there is one central point within our lives that all other parts of our lives should flow - our love for Christ. Together with His love for us we have relationship. Gina looks at various books of the bible (Hosea, Son of Songs) before focusing on the greatest commandment (Mark 12:20 NIV “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”). She then looks in depth at Revelation 2, 1-7 (NIV) “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God”. Pastor Gina explains the background to the Book of Revelation, the meaning behind the references to stars and lampstands then challenges us personally to see whether we have forsaken our first love for Christ, and if so will we follow the instructions given above – will we repent and put Jesus first? Matthew 6:33 (NIV) says “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. If we seek Jesus first all the other things we were worried about will fall into place naturally. This is how God intended us to live.
This powerful teaching reminds us that God's pathway to using the spiritual gifts is love. Before Jesus did miracles He was moved with compassion. God's love has been poured into our hearts and His love in us must be our motivation and drive for using the spiritual gifts.
Pastor Andy Elmes considers what happened next after Easter Sunday – what happened on Monday Morning? Often we pack away the major festivals (Christmas, Easter) very soon after the event and then return to ‘normal’…but what is normal and how should we approach the days afterwards. Let us not think Easter is only a weekend. Let us make what happened 2000 years ago the ‘normal’ for our life. Peter was confused…in John 21:3 we see how he went back to fishing or tries to until Jesus meets with him and restores him to his intended ministry. Are we likewise confused or are we walking in the new creation that we have become? Just as Jesus’ disciples lives were changed forever after the resurrection, so are ours, there is no going back. Jesus followed in the tracks of the Jewish festivals – Passover, Pentecost & Tabernacles are three. The 50 days after Passover and Pentecost are as important to us as they were to the disciples. Jesus was the lamb whose blood was slain for the ceremonial marking of doorposts for Passover. He is our Passover Lamb now as he was then (in Exodus 12). When we place our faith in Jesus we experience a Passover in our lives. John 1:29 states (ESV), ‘The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”’. Death and the works of the enemy have no authority over us when we have Jesus in our lives. Fifty days after Passover came another feast – the feast of Pentecost, a celebration of First Fruits. In the intervening time, Jesus did two things 1), He appeared to many as the resurrected Christ who had conquered death and sin and 2) He spent many occasions teaching his disciples and followers about the Kingdom of God. Then He sent them on their way in the great commission before ascending in to Heaven. Acts 1:1-3 describes this time (NIV) ‘In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God’! A new way of living began – Kingdom living. In all the occasions when Jesus appeared to people (road to Emmaus etc), nobody recognised Him until He broke bread or something familiar. His spiritual, risen body was present and also our eyes need to be ready to be opened by Him daily. Let us not pack Easter away so quickly but live in the risen reality of everything Jesus did for us. Everything is now changed. The kingdom that was previously only in heaven now reigns here on earth. We are commissioned and also empowered. Let us live in the victory of the Passover.
The power gifts are spiritual tools that "do something". This session covers the gift of faith, the gifts of healings and the working of miracles, providing examples of how Jesus and the apostles used them. Now it's our turn. Let's use these "power tools" for God's glory, for the benefit of all.
Today is Easter Sunday and Pastor Andy Elmes delivers his Easter message. He refers to what Jesus did on the cross for us all 2000 years ago and quotes 1 Corinthians 15, 12-22 (NIV) “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive”. So this Resurrection Sunday is most crucial because if there had been no resurrection our hope in Christ would have been in vain. But no other person who claimed to be God or a Messiah made to it through the grave conquering death as Jesus did. Only our Lord can cause the dry bones in our lives to be risen to newness. Job 19:25 (NIV) says “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth”. Job stated these words in a time of trouble, confusion and despair, but he knows that his redeemer lives. Do we know our redeemer and do we know that he lives? Our redeemer saved us and brought us back to life, not just this Easter day but every day. He paid the price for our sins in that divine exchange on the cross. We are now righteous in His sight because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Are we ready for His second coming?, do we know Him as we should? Pastor Andy ends his message by praying for all those listening and watching that they may know the risen Jesus Christ. Amen!
The utterance gifts are spiritual tools that "say something". This session covers prophecy, different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues, clarifying what these spiritual gifts are - and what they are not. Find out how to use these gifts, which God has given for the benefit of all, both within the church and in our lives personally.
This week is My Story Sunday. Pastor Andy interviews a member of our Portsmouth congregation whose life has been transformed from a ‘religious’ view of a ‘distant god’ to a personal relationship with our Lord and Father. Two other congregational members give their stories as well, illustrating how their lives have been transformed by God and how they have come to know Him as their saviour.
The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the discerning of spirits are spiritual gifts that reveal something. Discover how these gifts were used by Jesus and the apostles, and how we can use them today.
This week’s message is by Pastors Sean and Paula, entitled “Turn The Power On - Pause for Thought“. In their own inimitable style, Sean and Paula reflect on the last five weeks of messages from Pastor Andy in his series ‘Turn The Power On’: · Week 1 – You Shall receive Power – turning on the power of God to live a Spirit filled life · Week 2 – Be Filled with Power – know the power of God and his divine ability in our lives · Week 3 – Welcome Holy Spirit – How we need to experience the infilling or indwelling of the Holy Spirit · Week 4 – Walking with The Spirit – How the Spirit lives in us and what we can expect · Week 5 – The Overflow – Holy Spirit living in us to benefit others too Personal insight, husband and wife anecdotes and a revisit of some of the major revelations from this series of messages provides fresh perspective and personal challenge for us all regarding the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, His Temples. A ‘must hear’ message!
God has given His children an array of spiritual 'tools' that are to be used to bring His Kingdom to the world around us. Every Christian has access to the tools which are given for the benefit of both believers and unbelievers.
This week saw the final part of the series by Pastor Andy Elmes titled ‘Turn The Power On’, with this session specifically called ‘Overflow’. In this blockbuster preach, Pastor Andy examines the how, why, what, where and who of the Holy Spirit living in and on us not just for our own benefit but primarily also for that of others around us. Andy speaks of Jesus life described in the scriptures…after His baptism, he is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is then led to a wilderness to be temped but the tempter does not succeed and then we see Jesus in the temple reading from a scroll. In Luke Chapter 4 verses 16 to 21, Jesus went to Nazareth where He had been brought up and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue as was his custom. He stood to read and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He didn't pick this book or that section. It was preordained. He found the place where it was written “The spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight to those who are blind, to set the oppressed free and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour”. Then in verse 20, then he rolled up the scroll. So Jesus was saying that the Spirit was upon him and that Spirit was there to set people free, break dominion over sins and heal people of their sicknesses………which he proceeded to do in the rest of His ministry. But Jesus did not do this in His own strength; it was the Holy Spirit working in and through him according to The Father’s will. We too have been called to do this - the same Spirit that was in Him and on Him and with Him is in us and on us and with us today and Jesus actually said we wouldn't do the same things as him… in fact we would do more! Jesus was speaking of every believer that would be filled with his Holy Spirit having an expectation that our lives aren't just benefited personally by the indwelling of the Spirit, but to bring freedom and wholeness to others. We need to change our expectations. We need to begin to believe to see others in our world touched by the life and the power of God. When we take time to pray for them we've got to stop ignoring them and find courage and confidence that comes from the Holy Spirit to begin to say ‘Hey the same Spirit that was in Jesus that healed the sick then is the same Spirit that now is in me and the agenda of the Father's heart remains the same – that none would perish. Let us be filled with His Spirit so our cup runneth over (Psalm 23) so we also can minister to others and allow Gods Spirit to do exceedingly and abundantly what we can imagine or dream in our lives (Ephesians 3:20). We've got to come to a point where we're not just seeing the filling of the Holy Spirit for our own lives or for our benefit, but that the overflow of the Spirit of God in our life would be that which blesses the lives of others. God looks for our availability rather than our ability.
In order to access the spiritual tools that God has for us, we must understand the tool box that they come in. This session focuses on the grace of God, the "container" in which God provides us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Today’s message by Pastor Andy Elmes is the fourth in the series “Turn the Power On” and is titled “Walking with the Holy Spirit”. Andy speaks about the Holy Spirit today and how He lives in us and what we can expect from this. Last week Andy spoke about us hosting the presence of God in our lives. Today Andy speaks about the purpose of God’s Spirit in our lives; we have the indwelling of God or the inner presence of God within us and ongoing unbroken fellowship with the Holy Spirit. This means an ongoing walk with the Holy Spirit every day! The Second book of Corinthians 13:14 (NIV) says “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” The Holy Spirit is likened to many things in scripture….a dove representing the peace of God; fire which has refining capabilities; oil as in the power in a lamp and also for anointing and also wind, like the mighty rushing wind in our lives. Andy then spoke of four aspects that the Holy Spirit does and provides for in our lives. The Holy Spirit is our helper; we experience divine help as in John 14. This means we have an invisible assistant to help or assist us and also comfort us. God’s plan was not just to leave us after salvation but to provide the Spirit to assist us in our lives. We are not vulnerable or abandoned as orphans, we are children of God. We do need to accept this help and reach out for it though! The Holy Spirit is also our teacher. John 14, 25-25 (NIV) says “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”. The Holy Spirit comes to be the teacher within us helping us to understand what we couldn't understand with our own ability or reasoning; but without mocking or scorning. So the Spirit will help us discern what the words of scripture really mean, rather than us just reading it as any other book for example. Jesus said that when the Spirit of Truth has come, He will guide us into all truth. He will not speak on His own authority, whatever He hears He will speak. The Holy Spirit is listening to the conversation of the Father and the Son and He's transmitting what's being said by God into our hearts and helping us to understand. This is Revelation knowledge - He says He will tell us things to come. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit is there to be our Leader and our guide. John 16:13 (NIV) says “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth”. The Lord has provided his Spirit within our lives to guide us and to lead us in the things that we're doing, but also the things yet to come. So are we just making it on your own? The Spirit is now the leadership of God in our lives and we should be looking to Him for all direction for the way forward. We all need a guide in our lives.. In Acts 8:29 (NIV) it says “The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it”. If Philip had ignored this guidance, the eunuch he met would never have been baptised. Lastly today Andy spoke of the Holy Spirit being the refiner in our lives, to sort out and get rid of the things in our lives that ought not to be there any longer. Although we are partakers of a new divine nature, old habits die hard. The Holy Spirit is there to put these things, thinking, mentalities etc. to death. Romans 8:12-13 (NIV) says “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live”. Here, Paul is telling us that to put to death the misdeeds of the body or the old nature will enable us to live free. The key agenda that the Holy Spirit has for us is to make us Christ-like. Jesus has placed His Spirit in us and as we yield to His Spirit we become like the one whose Spirit...
This is part 8 of the series Building the House. God doesn't need you, He wants you! You are a 'living stone' that God has a purpose for as He builds His church. So make sure Jesus is the foundation of your life and be wholly available to Him.
This week’s message in the series Turn The Power On is titled Welcome Holy Spirit. To fully walk or experienced the power of God in our lives we must experience three baptisms spoken of in scripture. These are the baptism into Christ which is our salvation. The Holy Spirit does this. There is also the baptism in water representing the burial of the old life; this baptism is done by other believers. When a person comes out of the water of baptism, their life is being resurrected into a new way of being - the New Creation life. The third baptism is to experience the infilling or the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is where the power of the Holy Spirit is released in our lives. This third baptism is spoken of in each of the four Gospels. Now if Jesus knew that he needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit to live out the life that God wanted him to on the earth, how can we presume for a moment that we don’t? John 1:32-34 (NIV) states ‘Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One”’. This was a different moment with Jesus from some in the Old Testament (Samson, Gideon…). The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus but remained with him and from this moment Jesus was led by and empowered by The Spirit in his everyday life. Having God’s Spirit come and live inside us is a very significant thing!....as His Spirit floods our lives everything else that's flooded our lives will leave. His presence will drown out every other noise in our lives. All lives have now become His Temple or His Dwelling Place. The Holy Spirit is now longer in a box or the Ark of the Covenant as in the Old Testament, but now lives and resides in us, in our human bodies! We are now invited to host the presence of God. As Spirit-filled people we now recognize the Holy Spirit is now living within us and we dedicate our lives to hosting His presence. Everything changes when we recognise this. Understanding that there is a remaining indwelling presence of God residing in us causes transformation in the life of the believer. Jesus said he would never leave us now, even until the end of the age he will be with us as we host his presence. The record of our sin has been removed – holy cannot sit next to unholy. In First Corinthians 6 verses 18 onwards, Paul addresses the Corinthian church regarding ungodly behaviour. Our lives are not our own any more, they have been bought with a price, and we are temples of the Holy Spirit. This means we are no longer mere human! Where God is celebrated all other authorities fall (1Samuel 5 :3). With God’s Spirit in us, nothing is impossible!
As the Lord builds the house (of your life personally, and of His Church), make sure the gates closed and keep guard - keep your heart with all diligence for out of it flows the issues of life.
This is week two of a series called Turn on the Power. The message today is titled Be Filled With Power. The series is about knowing the power of God and His divine ability in our daily lives. In John 7:37-39 we see Jesus making a prophetic statement for our experience the other side of the cross where we now live! – NIV “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” In the verse here Jesus qualifies the statement by saying that this Spirit would emanate from the centre of our being, our belly, our heart, our inner most self…..So His holy spirit was not to live in buildings, but to live in those who were and are His followers. Jesus was announcing in that scripture that which was fulfilled in the day of Pentecost. A key question to ask now is how does a person experience this situation or the baptism of the Holy Spirit personally? It’s profound maybe but simple as it involves faith, just as in anything we receive from God. Did we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we believed? It's not about straining, attaining or travailing but receiving! There is no Holy Spirit part 1 and part 2! The Bible says we are born of the Spirit, belong to God and His Spirit now lives in us - we are temples of the Holy Spirit. Some people unfortunately have received the baptism of salvation, but not yet experienced the baptism or the infilling of the spirit, so have not yet experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Gods plan was to reposition us in salvation and empower us. The filling of the Holy Spirit is relationally oriented, rather than us being in a special place, building or meeting. We can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the infilling of the Spirit by other people praying for as Paul did in scripture, but also by simply coming to God and asking in prayer. Often we wait for something to ‘fall on us’ rather than experiencing something that God is now releasing from ‘within us’. This is not something outside of us but a releasing of that which is dwelling in our inner most parts (John 7 scripture again). Often when people don't experience the power of God or the ability of God in their lives, it's because a section of their lives has not yet been submitted to God. We must come before God saying “Lord, I will not hold back an area of my life”. We need to be being regularly refilled or infilled with the Holy Spirit just as our cars require refuelling. In Ephesians 5:18 scripture tells us to be filled with the Spirit rather than wine that leads to debauchery. Paul is telling us not to be satisfied with broken things giving momentary pleasure but with the Holy Spirit. Other translations say “Be filled with the Holy Spirit”. This is the present continuous tense, ie an ongoing reality or experience in the life we live for God. This needs to be our daily prayer.
This is Part 6 of the series Building the House. The enemy wants to disrupt, distract, delay and destroy the work of God. Our response to this should be like David with Goliath. The enemy has no right to stand against God’s people and God will empower us to take the enemy down and move forward.
Today saw the start of a brand new series (Turn The Power On). Earlier, we spoke about being awoken by God, being set apart and living surrendered to His will, the result being that we can be ready for God to use us. If we have a desire for God to use us, this will not be in our own strength, but by God’s power and ability operating in and through us. The next four weeks is about turning the power on in our lives - living a Spirit filled life and how it was always the plan of God for us in the Salvation that he provided for us. God's plan in Salvation was not just to reposition us but also to empower our lives. 2 Corinthians 5 tells us that the “the old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV verse 17). Ephesians 1:13 says that we've been sealed by the Holy Spirit but also but we would be filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to know that the word of God reveals we are to be filled with the spirit for the work of regeneration. Sealing us in the Spirit labels us but being filled with the Holy Spirit enables us to live a Spirit filled life – real Christianity! Romans 8:9 even states (NIV) “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ”. A few verses later it says “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God”. In reality, it’s impossible to live the Christian life God expects without His spirit in us enabling us. We shouldn't settle for being a powerless church when the Bible says that his church should actually be a people of power and authority that make a difference on earth. The messages in this new series over the next three or four weeks will lay out how God intended us to be repositioned with a brand new life, but also that we would know His Spirit coming to live inside of us to enable and empower us to be all that he says we can be. The Bible teaches that God Almighty places His own Spirit in the lives of those he has redeemed - a powerful perhaps radical statement yet totally true. The next few weeks is about establishing the reality of this. If you've never experienced the baptism of a power of God, if you've never seen God turn up his power on in your life, why not take a moment to ask Him today. We're going to come back next week and carry on this new series about turning on the power in our lives.
Building the House - Taking new ground | Steuart Payne | 7th February 2021. This is part 5 of the series 'Building the House'.
Sunday 7th February 2021 is My Sunday in Family Church. Today, after our Praise and Worship, three people give their story of how they came to know Jesus and how he has subsequently changed their lives for ever. Following this Pastor Andy interviews another church member as we discover how Jesus meets people in every walk of life, gives them peace, hope and love in an individual and wonderful way. The meeting today ends with opportunity for us all to resubmit our lives to The Lord and receive His Spirit.
Building the House - The Importance of Unity | Nacho Okonkwo | 31st January 2021. This is part 4 in the series Building the House.
The title for this week’s message is “Pause for Thought”. Pastors Sean & Paula deliver an action packed MUST HEAR message which recaps and rediscovers the messages from January 2021 so far. Personal anecdotes and Godly insight into the gradually building themes of Awakening the Sleeping, Set Apart, All in for God, and Being Used by God bring fresh revelation and challenge to us personally regarding the true nature of our relationship with God. As Paula and Sean speak of Jesus surrendering His life for us in the most demeaning way possible how can our response be other than to wholly be available for Him and for His glory on earth?
Pastor Andy speaks about being used by God as we move out of the 21 days of fasting that began the year 2021. The set of messages so far this year have deliberately linked as God has inspired Andy in thought for this journey. God has awoken us and touched us with His Spirit, we made choices about being set apart for Him, we surrendered and submitted our lives unto Him and naturally now God wants to be able to use us………a wonderful destination to have arrived at in this early 2021 journey. Now our lives have become useable to Him as we belong to Him through the faith we set in Christ. We need to be ready for Gods purposes - Ephesians 2, v8-10 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. So God had a clear agenda always to save us, set us apart as we are his workmanship in order to do good or noble works - God’s business on earth.
Part two of the new series. Building the House - Beauty for Ashes | Philippa Dickin | 17th January 202
This week Pastor Andy speaks of being “All In” for God. The message begins by recapping on the last weeks of prayer and fasting bringing fresh presence of God to our lives. Scripture tells us if we draw closer to Him, he will draw closer to us. Recent messages have spoken of awakening to God from our slumbers, being consecrated for Him, being set apart and being part of His family. Last week referenced Romans 12 verses 1-2 (NIV) “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God”. The Lord made us holy so He could fill us with His righteousness and Spirit! It says to be transformed by the renewing of our minds allowing the Word to renew what we think not about some things but all things. So having been awoken and consecrated will we live in submission to God, to the leading of His Spirit in our lives? Daily, we must resubmit our lives. Submission is not popular in the world but scripture endorses this for the best experience with God. James 4 verse 7 (NIV) states “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”. Scripture also instructs us to submit to the authority of government as well - Romans 13 verse 1 (NIV) “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God”. God is a God of authority. Likewise we submit to our spiritual leaders – Hebrews 13 verse 7 (NIV) says “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith”. What causes us to walk in submission? Ephesians 5 verse 21 (NIV) states “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”. Our revelation of God will cause us to submit to Him but we submit to each other through respect for Christ. Submission is equivalent to saying “I am all in”. Jesus said to the Pharisee (Luke 10 verse 27, NIV) “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbour as yourself”. That’s pretty much “all in”! All the great things that happened in the book of Acts happened because people were “all in” for God. His plans for us will not be fully evident if we are not fully “all in” for Him.
Building your House. The first in an eight week new series of Sunday Night Local. This from Pastor Andy speaking about building the house of The Lord to survive severe storms.
Pastor Andy again speaks of the breakthrough he believes will occur to us all in taking part in the twenty one days of fasting at the start of this New Year 2021. He speaks of the need for us to come before The Lord and rid ourselves of junk, pride and so forth, in bringing ourselves to God. Sometimes we need to rid ourselves of things first before we are able to come before The Lord. When we present ourselves to God, it is not the old but the new creation we present to Him. The blood of Jesus has washed away our past sins. Consecration is an interesting and important word if we live with Jesus. It means to be set apart. During Old Testament times it referred to material things being set aside, set apart for His use. Now it is relevant to us, God wants us he wants us to set our lives apart for His use. Consecration begins by us knowing we now belong to God; we have been set apart and bought at a price, by His own blood. Our lives are not our own. In 1 Corinthians 6 verse 15 (NKJV), scripture says “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” So we need to honour God with our bodies. Now we know and believe in the work of the cross, of salvation, we belong to the household of God. We need to understand this not through fear but from love. When we were our own we all messed up! Thankfully Jesus has saved us so this grace of God causes us to live a set apart life for The Lord.
This week Pastor Andy speaks about “Awakening the Sleeping”. He began by restating the invitation to a time of prayer and fasting for the first twenty one days of 2021. Fasting is not just about giving up things but being able to hear God in our spirits. Take moments not to feed our soul but our Spirits. Pray for our nation, our church, our families and ourselves. Laying aside things that get in the way of our pursuit of God will allow God to speak into our lives much more. God is in control! We should not be casual – it is vital we hear Him and see Him in our lives. We need an awakening in ourselves, in our nation, in our churches, so the hearts of men and women are awakened to the reality of God and His love. Isaiah 60 speaks of days of great darkness but these announce days of great light…that break and penetrate darkness. Let us pray prayers of awakening, an awakening that comes from heaven. An awakening in the world must start from an awakening in the church. We long in this New Year 2021 to see moves of Gods Spirit that will draw the hearts of the lost back home. But we need this in our churches and ourselves first. We need to see a move of God and kingdom mindedness rising up in the courtyards of government and the nation. But first we need to shake off slumber and awaken to a new place of intimacy with God…..walking closely with God. Oh that the church would awaken to the purposes of God – the great commission. Our lives need to crave the intimacy of God and be busy with His purposes. Romans 13, verse 11 onwards speaks of the time we are in and waking from slumber…. (NIV) “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh”. Ephesians 5, verse 8 onwards encourages us regarding who we were and who we now are (NIV) “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light”. This talks about our intimacy with God and then in verse 14..” This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”. Only a person who is awake can awaken another, so we need to commit to being a people who are fully awake with Him. Only the prince of peace, the touch of the Holy Spirit will awaken us. Intimacy with God will awaken us for His purpose. We pray “Lord in these next twenty one days come and lean over your bride the church and awaken her from her slumbers, give her a fresh touch of your Holy Spirit to stir and shake hearts and let us all rise from any sleeping to seek your face in true devotion”.
The week Pastor Andy looks back at the year 2020 and rather more looks forwards into the year 2021. Covid has stolen much of what we came to know as Christmas but as the 25th December emerged we were left with Jesus. Nothing had affected the fact that The Father has given us His Son to bring us back to Himself. As we stand at the door of 2021 we step out of a very unusual 2020. Although life has been hideous in some ways, elsewhere the church has blossomed for example in the small groups and community work. But we can look into 2021 with hearts full of joy rather than disillusionment because Gods word still stands. His promises remain true. He has plans for us, the church and the nation. We need to be committed to these plans as God rebuilds in 2021. Andy spoke about how we need to be ready to seize the day or even seize the year (Carpe 2021) to make full use and enjoy the new season. In Philippians 3, verse 13, Paul speaks of his life and forgetting what lays behind and reaching forward for what is yet unknown. Andy speaks about how we also need to forget the negatives and disappointments of 2020 and be found reaching forward for the plan God has for us in 2021. In the next few days we need to be getting our hearts afresh for 2021 and for what God wants to do in our lives. In Jeremiah 21 it tells of the plans God has for us….to prosper us and plans of future and hope. The year 21 is often associated with getting keys to the door. In Matthew 16 verse 19 scripture speaks of The Lord promising us the keys of the Kingdom. Keys which can loose things and also bind things. Here, Jesus was speaking to His Church. Immediately before this Jesus speaks about building His church. During 2020 we rediscovered a fresh approach ot what the church really was, certainly not a building. God is standing ready to build His Church in 2021 with spiritual keys that have the power to bind evil and loose Heaven. Andy then spoke of the invitation for Prayer and Fasting starting day one of the New Year. A time to focus and pray for our nation, government, our church and be intentional not drifting as we commence 2021. Fasting takes prayer to a new level, it cannot be casual when we fast but intentional, releasing supernatural keys for supernatural breakthroughs.
This week Pastor Andy speaks of how even when the most stringent government regulations appear to strip back everything many of us associate with Christmas, that the Kingdom of Heaven is not stripped back, and in many ways the true purpose of Christmas remains…as Jesus for us all to see. Andy goes on to remind us to have a listening ear and a warm heart for those around us, let us make sure no one goes without, no one feels cut off from the world. Stripping back the Christmas allows us to see more clearly the wonderful gift of God’s son given to us for our salvation, to give us eternal life. He is the true gift this Christmas. Jesus is the constant, the usual within these unusual times. Let us celebrate Him.
Following from last week’s message by Pastor Steve telling us not to shrink back, this week Pastor Steu addresses the subject of rebuilding our Christian lives. In 586BC the Babylonian army ransacked, set on fire and ruined the city of Jerusalem. But behind the scenes of the ensuing period of captivity God was at work. In a way, at this time we have also undergone a period of captivity where some of our freedoms have been removed. Using the Old Testament stories, in the book of Nehemiah and more, Pastor Steu prophecies over an incredible time of rebuilding in our lives just as the Jewish peoples did after their captivity in Babylon. The Temple was rebuilt, the city walls were rebuilt. We shall see renewed worship, renewed commitment to Jesus and that all ground that has been lost will be taken back. God is still at work!
Ps Paula shares an amazing message about being safe and protected under the covering of God, which is ours through our faith in Jesus.
This week Pastor Steve Carey speaks with a title ‘Don't Shrink Back’. His word from God is like a set of antibodies similar to a vaccine to kill off disease in our lives and release back faith. In Hebrews 10 verse 32, we read how the Hebrew believers were starting to ask questions about life as we might do now in 2020. The scripture goes on to tell us not to throw away our confidence which has great reward. We likewise must not shrink back in our lives. In Numbers 13 the Israelites are on the edge of inheriting the Promised Land and send in spies to check things out…Caleb and Joshua come back positively, but the rest came back with reports saying the opposite – that the people inhabiting the land were stronger and not able to be defeated – they felt like grasshoppers among giants. They had shrunk back! - In vision, faith and speech. Do we feel like them in 2020? Are we facing seemingly impossible mountains? Let it not be so. Let us not shrink back and be empowered by the word of God and power of His Spirit. Some key things…Let us Believe Big, God has not changed in 2020, He is faithful, loving, pure and true, unlimited by anything including Covid! His plans are not limited, shrunk, interrupted, socially distanced etc. Ephesians 3 verse 20 tells us how He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we ask or think! Heaven is not bankrupt! In Proverbs 23 verse 7 we are reminded how we are what we think. This is challenging….maybe we need to think about what we think, taking our thoughts captive as per 2 Corinthians 10 verse 5. Let us not forget the basics. Now let us speak big, not complaining, criticizing, not limiting what God can do through us. Great practical tip here is to speak the word of God out loud, declaring His truths and promises. Also, let us Live Big again. Let us not shrink our lives, our social circles, our contributions to our church. Let us be givers rather than receivers only. Let us concentrate more on living what is best for Jesus, putting ourselves aside. The world of the generous get larger and larger… the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller (Proverbs 11 verse 24). Living with a generous spirit will cause our lives to change and we will not shrink back. Do we look to how God can bless us or how God can use us? The latter will cause the former. Let us this week set out to bless a few people in the ways we can and not shrink back in believing, speaking or living.
Sunday 29th November is Global Sunday, Pastor Andy Elmes has Ray Mills with him who has recently returned from the mission field in the Philippines with his wife and children. Today we are focusing on the global aspects of what Family Church is doing across the nations, as a local church but with a global vision. A video compiled by Ray showed many of the missionary peoples and their families and gave us wonderful insight into their work, their situation and cultures. After watching the video, Pastor Andy chatted with Ray about his time in the Philippines. Ray spoke of the isolation that many missionaries feel when communications are poor or their lives are distracted. Pastor Andy encouraged all of us to be focused on supporting the world wide activities of God as well as our local tasks with our prayers, our communication and our giving. Our missionaries are an extension of our church family and do not, cannot, operate alone.
Pastor Andy’s message this week begins by recounting the story In Luke Chapter 19, verse 28, and the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. However, the key here is the part where Jesus sent two disciples on ahead to locate and untie a colt that had never been ridden. He told them to say that “The Lord had Need of it”, if anyone should ask why they were taking the colt. Jesus sat on the donkey and people shouted their praises for the miracles he had done as he rode into Jerusalem….a famous bible verse. As Pastor Andy explained, this must have been a pretty amazing time for the disciples – feeling they were about the steal a donkey but apparently Jesus knew the plan for this all along. In effect, Jesus had set the donkey free from being tethered….because he had a plan for the donkeys life…to carry The Messiah. Jesus had sent His messengers on ahead carrying a message of freedom for the donkey; it was to be untied from all the things that had held it, no longer captive, no longer a slave. In the same way, Jesus has a purpose for our lives and can set us free from everything that has been binding us. But what will we do with our freedom? Jesus has a purpose for it that brings fulfilment, alternatively we can do nothing. Just as in Luke 19, we too have a purpose in life and can carry Jesus to others. The Lord has need of us! He needs us to be a soul winner, a carrier of His presence. Jesus wants us to use the freedom he has given us to take His presence to our friends, families, neighbours and so on. Someone will have been the ‘donkey’ who brought Jesus to us. They cared enough for us to make sure we spent eternity with God. God now wants to use our lives to bring freedom to people in our circles from everything that binds them. The Lord has need of us for this purpose. Will we join Him in this great Commission? If we want to get the zing back in our Christian lives then we need to start telling others about Jesus. God needs our availability not ability. Are we available?
This week Pastor Andy speaks about “Keeping it Simple”. He begins by recounting the story in Gospel of Mark, Chapter 7, Verse 1 where Pharisees came asking Jesus questions about religious practices, ceremonial washing, and other traditions. Their question was based on an understanding of the law & religion only. Jesus told them in no uncertain terms that their hearts were not where their lips were, that they were hypocritical! Jesus told them they had let go of the commands of God and were holding onto the traditions of men. There is a dichotomy between the religious do’s and don’ts and a simple relationship between us and The Lord. This simple relationship is what Pastor Andy was reminding us of today. Walking with God is meant to be a heart thing, a relational experience, quite simply. Adding religion to a walk or a desire for God turns the simple into something complex and confusing. We need to purpose in keeping our walk with God as simple as the first followers of Jesus did. Religion leaves us confused but relationship with Jesus leaves us fulfilled. Pastor Andy referred to the industry wide KISS principle – Keep It Simple, Saint! We are not to get bogged down missing the point. The relationship with God is not complex - in fact it is profoundly simple. Pastor Andy has three words to guide us through these Covid times and other circumstances (like the prime minister’s podium strapline has been). These are Love, Obedience and Faith. Love, First Book of Corinthians Chapter 13 reminds us of the qualities of real love, this is the love of God defining who He is. Verse 2 reminds us we have nothing without love even if we can move mountains, have all knowledge. Other verses tell us we can do all manner of wonderful things but they are worthless without love. Obedience is the true expression of our love. Gospel of Luke Chapter 6 and verse 46 is profound - it says ‘you call me Lord but you don’t do what I say’. Recognising the Lordship of Christ is simple but we confuse it with manmade issues. In a love relationship with God we are joined at the branch of his love and the natural expression of that should now be in the heart of one who was once rebellious. The favourite word of all Christians should be obedience. There are great consequences to obedience and also disobedience…Obedience means living in accordance with His Word. Faith to really believe as the scriptures tell us many people did like the Father with his mute child who came to Jesus immediately after the transfiguration in Gospel of Mark, Chapter 9 and Verse 17. The Father cries out to Jesus saying “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” then Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit in the boy. All things are possible to those who believe. Jesus told blind Bartimaeus, “your faith has made you whole”, after he healed his sight…… Pastor Andy spoke about how God brought us into a love relationship not slavery….he never brought us into something we were not meant to enjoy. Jesus loved us first and we did nothing to deserve it. So this week we need to just concentrate on loving at God loved us, being obedient to his word and having child-like faith. The bible says we are saved when we place faith in Jesus Christ.
After a particularly poignant live remembrance service today, Pastor Geoff Speaks on the subject of Remembrance. Geoff looks back not only at what our service men and women have done for us but also what Jesus has done for us on the cross. All of us are in daily battles, some we fail to recognise. We often sit and recall events of the past so Remembrance is part of life’s journey. However we need to bring back into that Remembrance some of the things God has done in our lives and the victories overcome. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to bring into our minds such things. We all face physical, mental and spiritual battles….. Then we need to hear the word of God in our lives today. Geoff continues to speak of us having a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit in our lives in order to live the abundant life God intends. The enemy comes to steal and destroy with anxieties, fears and troubling thoughts. The decision is ours though….to look towards our Father and choose to believe Him over our circumstances.
Pastor Andy’s message speaks this week about going into the harvest. Andy speaks today as his new book Soul Winner is launched [soulwinner.co.uk]. This is a crucial time for us to understand the importance of salvation on a person’s life. Pastor Andy has authored his new book to mobilize and equip God’s people to be harvesters in their daily harvest, in their local Jerusalem. In these unprecedented times, God is still God, he is still our shepherd and is still holding our hand. We need to comprehend the times we are in from a biblical lens and then be active in responding to what God needs us to do. This may be ministering to people’s needs as well as ministering to God….the two great commandments! We need to be God’s light in moments of confusion ready to step in and help people navigate through their storms. However, we must not forget that the greatest need anyone may have is salvation, as this impacts them eternally as well as on earth immediately. Mark 8:36-37 instructs us it is no use for man to gain the whole world but lose his soul. All of us need to be ministers, introducers of Jesus to friends, family and those near to us. The Harvest is calling and we must go.
Pastor Andy continues speaking about walking with Jesus, this week Jesus the Good Shepherd. Last week we looked at Jesus the Lion of Judah as well as being the Lamb who was slain to take away our sins. The bible has portrayed Jesus in many differing ways each declaring a special part of who He is ….Son of God, Prince of Peace, Lamb of God, Lion of Judah, bread of life, the True Vine and the Good Shepherd. In the Gospel of John Chapter 10, many verses are devoted to Jesus being the Good Shepherd. Verses 1 through 6 speak of us knowing the Shepherd’s voice, how the true sheep know the voice of their shepherd. Further verses speak of Jesus being the gateway to God’s field. We can enter relationship with God, come into his field of safe pasture through Jesus only. Verse 10 also speaks of the enemy, the bad shepherd whose only purpose is to kill, steal and destroy. Jesus, the good shepherd is here to give us life in all its fullness. Verse 11 tells us that the Good Shepherd lays down his life for us. In Verse 12 we find that the hireling is not the shepherd who owns the sheep so will abandon us in the face of trouble….a wolf attacks and scatters the flock of sheep in the face of a hired hand because he has no regard for the flock, he is just a hired hand. In Verses 16 to 17 scripture speaks of a gathering, the plan of God for us – bringing the different cultures into the same ‘sheep pen’, one kingdom. In the Old Testament God also reveals Himself as a shepherd. In Ezekiel 34, the first ten verses rebuke bad shepherds of the day (we still have them now!). Verses 11 through 16 prophetically speak of God being the Good Shepherd in our lives, enabling us to lay down in good rich pasture (sheep only lay down when they feel no fear). This refers to us having a sense of well-being and safety, as we should feel with God at the helm of our lives. David’s Psalm 23 reveals the same things God revealed to Ezekiel earlier. God has our back; we just need to ensure we are listening to His voice, not the myriad of others trying to deceive us. Scripture is so powerful Pastor Andy ended the service with every home reading this scripture out loud.
Psalm 23 (NKJV) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Walking with Jesus – The Lion of Judah. Pastor Andy shares today from lessons, experiences and thoughts from his recent missionary trip to Zambia where he walked with lions! Before you walk with lions you need to be a member of their pack. This means going behind them and submitting to their pace. Also, letting them let them know you are there. In Daniel Chapter 6 there was a scary moment for Daniel in the pit with lions - but he knew the greater one the creator who made him was with him. Andy became conscious of the majesty of the lions when walking with them. Jesus is the Lion of Judah but also the Lamb of God. In Revelation 5:5 scripture speaks of “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed….” then in verse 6, reference to the Lamb who was slain. We need to know that Jesus is both the lion and the lamb. Seeing Jesus as a lamb is vitally important but we need to be able to relate to him as the Lion of Judah. Both these descriptions fully relate to Him. Proverbs 30:29 speaks of the Lion being majestic in pace and mighty among beasts. When it comes to walking with Jesus, we also need to avoid familiarity, keeping an awe of God in our hearts. When walking with a lion it’s important not to touch its head or mane as this represents its authority. So even though we are heirs to the throne and can walk in friendship we should never be over familiar with The Lord. We need to walk with a healthy honour and respect in our lives for Jesus, carrying reverence in our hearts. Additionally we need to walk in step behind Jesus, as you would do if walking with lions. We are followers of Jesus, as a follower we do not push in front. However, as followers, we also do not shrink back! If we shrink back and don’t keep being part of the pack, we lose our safety from being with the mighty lion of Judah. Galatians 5:25 (NIV) tells us “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. If we do this no matter what storms come along we have safety and victory in our lives.
Pastor Andy speaks about Storm Management - Knowing How to Navigate the Storm. Last week Pastor Andy spoke about Jesus being in the boat of our storms. This week carries on reading from Psalm 46. In verse 10 the bible tells us “Be still and know that I am God”. This means let go of our striving and lean back into the Lord to experience stillness in the midst of storms, surrender our anxiety. Pastor Andy carries on from last week with four key things about storms we may all face. Firstly storms come in many forms – health, physical, mental, emotional, relational, financial, and spiritual, but Jesus is in the boat of all of these even if we face many at a time. Secondly, storms may come from different places – ourselves if we acted wrongly, the devil (but we do have authority to rebuke these!), even God might originate a storm as in Jonah Chapter 1 because Jonah was walking in disobedience and God wanted him in his perfect plan for life. Thirdly a storm we experience may have a purpose attached to it. If from the devil it’s to steal kill and destroy, perhaps to prevent you benefitting others. In Mark 4 &5 we see the purpose of the boat crossing the Sea of Galilee was to relive a man possessed by a legion of devils. Fourthly, to create simple faith in Jesus. Maybe faith isn’t effective or powerful until it’s all you have. Luke 10:19 clearly states that we have been given authority over all the works of the evil one. God is waiting for us to realise who we are in Christ, see that the keys that were stolen from Adam by the devil have been returned to us through Jesus. We must stand in the boat of our lives and speak the word of God because we have authority to do this. We do need to seek repentance, forgiveness, if necessary and also make sure our perspective on our storm is appropriate…..many people will be experiencing far worse. Life needs to be more than about our boat purely so we must be ready to assist and help others. These are all opportunities for outreach ministries. When we help other people with their storms, God will take care of ours. Proverbs 10:25 (TPT) states “The wicked are blown away by every stormy wind. But when a catastrophe comes, the lovers of God have a secure anchor”.
Pastor Andy speaks this week on “Know Jesus, Know Peace”. There are many storms in our loves right now so knowing Jesus and having His peace in our lives is really important. This is increasingly a time of anxiety and worry and people are experiencing uncertainty and pressure in aspects they used to have security in. The natural response here is fear. Just because we are believers and followers of Jesus does not make us exempt of storms in our lives. Jesus never took us out of the world when we were saved so we're going to experience and encounter things that the world experiences and encounters, but our experience in these storms should be a different experience. We are part of another kingdom, an unshakable Kingdom. Hebrews 12 says that everything that can be shaken will be shaken….this is happening now! We need to be making sure that our feet and lives are grounded in this unshakeable kingdom. God is our refuge and our strength. That's the truth but the truth is being tested in our lives today. God is our ever present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46). Therefore, we will not fear…… A very important fruit of the Holy Spirit living in us is peace - not the world’s peace but the peace that passes all understanding. In Mark’s gospel, the story of the disciples being in the boat with Jesus in a storm is recounted. A great storm rises up and it causes the disciples (even though they had the presence of God in the boat) great concern. The waves began to crash and break against the boat so that it was nearly swamped as Jesus was in the stern of the boat sleeping on a cushion. We are not exempt of storms around us, but we are different because we have Jesus in the boat of our lives and we can likewise have God’s peace in our lives which passes all natural understanding during stormy times.
Pastor Andy speaks about us being a Missional Church. Recently back from a trip to African nations, he is keen to impart his experiences. We need to shift our thinking from being church attenders and church members to be missionaries. Right now, the world is crying out for truth. For those of us who are followers of Jesus, we have the answer! As we move forward into whatever this journey we're taking together looks like, we would dare each of us to think more missional. Let's not be caught up in an attendee way of thinking. There's no lock down on us being missional. So let's begin to turn our focus and shift on reaching people. This is a challenge to our hearts today! If you send Pastor Andy who's been unable to travel for six months to Zambia and place him in front of two hundred odd hungry missionary guys, you're going to have an explosion! But that explosion wasn't just for them. It was for all of us. I came back feeling enthused. What if we change the way we see ourselves and become a missional church more than we've ever been before. We are all missionaries in the places we live, work and relax. This is the challenge!
Learn from Jesus is the title for this week’s message given by Pastor Steuart Payne. Lockdown and loss of weekly gatherings has presented many challenges, the loss of God’s presence in a large meeting possibly the greatest. The need for our own personal relationship with God is now paramount. In Matthew 11 Jesus speaks of taking the yoke from those who are heavy laden, giving them rest. There are two actions we must take daily – coming to Him and learning from Him. Jesus is the one who releases us from every burden including all our sins. We need to draw close to Jesus, opening our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s role is to lead us and teach us every step of way as we make the choice to walk with Jesus and couple ourselves to him. Sometimes ignorance, laziness, fear of losing control or pride makes us unteachable but we need to walk with and learn from Jesus every day, not just hang out with him occasionally.
Pastor Andy speaks about Jesus being the centre of our lives, being Jesus Centric. Jesus deserves to be central to everything we are and everything we do now. We can look at an example of a person being egocentric where they are self-centred believing everything involves around them. But for followers of Jesus, He is to be the centre of all things in our lives. But we've sung more recently where it says Jesus at the centre of it all …..It’s a great song but we have to ask ourselves a question: Is that more than a song in our life? Is Jesus the centre of it all? Is He the centre of our relationships, finances and our view on things happening in life? Romans 11:36 (ESV) says “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” speaking of the supremacy of Christ. In reality, we need to divide our lives up into sections or subcategorize things so that we can begin to ask ourselves honest questions. He should be central to our Gospel message when we're sharing the gospel which should be Jesus centric not work centric based upon what people do or how people perform but Christ centric. All roads do not lead to God. There's one way to Salvation. There's one way to remove the separation between God and man and that's through Jesus Christ only. Acts 4:12 bluntly states (NIV) “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved”. Jesus went to the cross, shed his blood for our sins and caused a divine exchange that made the guilty innocent. Christ alone did this. Christ Jesus is the key component causing a person to be saved. Salvation is not possible without Jesus. Worship is an expression of our Salvation to the one who saved us - an expression of thanksgiving and gratitude to Jesus. We turn our eyes in worship, bringing our adoration. Let's start a worship revolution and get our eyes back on Jesus. Let's get Jesus centric again and say Jesus my worship may be out of tune, but it's all for you! Let's be Jesus Centric in our worship. The simplest of songs sang out of tune but dedicated from an earnest heart to the one who is seated on the throne are the songs that change the atmosphere. Be encouraged to be a worshipper not when you gather with others. Psalm 22:3 (NIV) says “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises”…..Jesus is enthroned in our praises again. Jesus Christ deserves the throne of our lives…..the central place of our lives where everything comes from, everything comes through, and everything returns back to him to enthrone. The key question is however …Who is sitting on the throne of our heart today?
The title for this week’s message by Pastor Andy is “Seeing Jesus for who He is”. This is in theme of celebrating our children. Matthew 19:13-15 (NIV) says” Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there”. Maybe we do not prevent children from coming to Jesus physically but perhaps by not allowing them to have real encounters with Jesus. We can learn from watching the way children are with Jesus. They have no agenda, but a child-like purity. In Matthew 18 Jesus tells his Disciples that if they want to become great in the Kingdom, they need to become child-like (not childish!) in our approach to God. When we are walking with the Lord, we need to have a child-like faith in acceptance of what he says. Adults often become sceptical but this robs us of receiving Jesus, but Jesus actually encourages us to be child-like in their approach. Children see and want Jesus for what He is. Often we see and want Him for what He can do for us! We need to see and know Jesus for what He really is. Jesus is a God of much more than what we usually see Him for. Even during Jesus time on earth, people missed Him because He was not what they were looking for. When the Messiah came, many could not see Him as He didn’t look like they expected or do what they thought He ought to. Such preconceived agendas are only one aspect of a hugely bigger God. The children of Israel in Exodus 24 were busy melting jewellery to make a representation of God as they wanted; meanwhile Moses was on the top of the mountain having a life changing experience! Many of Gods people could not see Jesus even when he was in the room with them as they were looking for a warrior character to overthrow the Roman Empire. Others looked for a ruling king like King David to rule as he did, but rather missed the point that Jesus’ throne was a heavenly one! Being saved from their own sins was more necessary than being saved from the Roman rule but this passed them by. Even after Jesus had died and risen before their eyes (Acts 1) the disciples ask if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel. Their preconditioned thinking was of a Messiah coming to overthrow natural rule, missing the point of who Jesus was and why He had come to earth. Even John the Baptist got confused for a while because what Jesus was doing didn’t register with his expectations - (Luke 7:19 NIV) says “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” John had also thought Jesus should be overthrowing Rome, not sitting with children, healing people, forgiving sins. Children tend to have an attitude of “we want to know you as you are”. Adults tend to want to fit Jesus into their self-made boxes. Jesus was God on earth, the full and total manifestation of everything God the Father was and is. Colossians 2:9 (ESV) states “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”. Jesus is not just a representative of heaven; He is the fullness of God in every respect. All we need to know about God we can see in Jesus and His Word. Let us see Jesus for who He really is. Let us have a child-like faith and a child-like approach.
Pastor Andy asks us “What is true repentance?” Recently we have focused on the gospel message, salvation, transformation, evangelism, believing and communicating the gospel. Communicating the message of Jesus is the key evangelistic activity. True salvation will allow God to move in someone’s life in a transforming way. This is often based on the decision made at the time of accepting Jesus. The difference between belonging to God and experiencing life change depends on whether true repentance has occurred. Repentance needs to be part of our invitation we make to people when giving the gospel message. The word must be understood correctly. It’s an invitation to come into a life better than anything known before. Jesus calls people to repent. Luke 13:3 or Matthew 4:17 (NIV) says “From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."” In Luke 5:32 Jesus calls sinners to repentance. In Acts 2:38, Peter preaches a similar message to that of Jesus “Repent and be baptized……” What did Jesus expect of someone who needed to repent? Old Testament repentance is more about feeling of remorse and regret. Wikipedia aligns with New Testament thinking and suggests that repentance as taught in the Bible is a call to persons to make a radical turn from one way of life to another. The repentance (metanoia) called for throughout the Bible is a summons to a personal, absolute and ultimate unconditional surrender to God as Sovereign. So New Testament meaning of repentance includes sorrow and regret but includes a 180 degree turn from self towards God. Changing the way we think to bringing into alignment with Gods will brings the transformed life. The dual action is ‘turning from’ and also ‘turning towards’. Without the ‘turning towards’, we are left in no man’s land so to speak. The speed of this ‘turn’ determines the transformation experience. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV) illustrates this “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land”. God is willing to forgive us when we turn away ‘from’ (self) and ‘towards’ (Him). There needs to be an absolute turning from our will to God’s will for our life. This is almost a reverse manoeuvre from that of Adam in Genesis when Satan deceived him. Our prayer of salvation needs to include a turning away from our way and bringing our will into God’s will. Then we will fly and soar in our lives. If we are willing to change the way we live and think our lives can change beyond our imagination. We also need to be able to apply forgiveness and grace to someone who has turned away and towards. Romans 2:4 tells us that it is God’s goodness and His Kindness that causes a person to repent.
Steve speaks about Sharing Jesus with Confidence. Steve says that he finds God is speaking the same thing across the whole people of God, so coming from Bookham Baptist Church, this message is totally in line with our current journey. Sharing Jesus with others is a key thing and our attempts can have varying success. Scripture is the greatest teacher; in John 4, Jesus shares with a Samaritan woman. He begins by asking the women for a drink. This is an act of friendship and breaks through the Jew/Samaritan barrier building a relationship lovingly (as is the gospel itself). Jesus then artfully interacts with the woman in a respectful way. The four qualities of conversation are to listen, to notice, to serve and to wonder. To listen well is really crucial. If we listen well, we will notice and will then be able to serve or pray for people. Sometimes we need to remember we are just a link in the chain of bringing someone to Christ. We need to learn from Jesus about the art of conversation. There are ways of going deep with a person by wondering rather than interrogating…..much less confrontational…. We can also notice if we listen well, notice the tone of someone’s words and this can open up a conversation. This may give us an opportunity to share about Jesus. The story we all have to tell is an amazing one. Our personal story of how grace came to us and how God filled our lives is a key one. Knowing the whole story allows us to bring connection to someone else by bringing them to part of it. Situation is important too. We don’t speak about Jesus in a vacuum. Often it starts by “how are you in this situation”, perhaps, lockdown….etc. If God has placed us in a situation, God will use us there too, however unsuited we may feel. Without the Holy Spirit there is nothing. We speak Gods work by the empowering presence of Him in our lives. In the story of the woman at the well, Jesus has a supernatural insight into the woman’s life and this opens the women’s heart. We are all called to live in the power of the spirit as Jesus did. The company of God, the presence is God is vital. Jesus told people to wait for the Holy Spirit before going out. As we begin to use spiritual gifts and insights we will not always get it right nor necessarily be successful first time, but God does also always use our mistakes! Sharing Jesus belongs to all the people of God. The words “Soul Winner” are for all of us.
Olivia asks us a key question – What do you believe about the Gospel? This is not what we have heard, or think, but what do we truly believe about the gospel. Many versions of what the gospel means exist for many people, but what does this mean for us? What we think can be fleeting but what we believe models our lives as deeply rooted convictions. What we believe determines our responses, rather than what we think. Romans 1:16 (NKJV) states “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek”. This is powerful! The gospel is the power of God to salvation for believers. It is not a story but the power of God and hence a call to action. We can know a lot about the gospel but it’s not until we believe with our hearts that our lives change. Do we know what we believe about the gospel? This is important. Sometimes we live in a glass box and we hear and know about the gospel but do not let Jesus into our lives because we have not believed His gospel message. The glass boxes need smashing! Are we hot or cold for Jesus? There is no middle ground or sitting on the fence. At some time we need to make the decision to believe the gospel for ourselves and become saved in reality. The gospel is a story of God’s love for us, a creator God loving His masterpiece of creation. But sin entered the world through Adam. Sin payments were made all the way through the Old Testament but the full payment was made by Jesus’ blood as He was sacrificed on the cross. John 3:16 (NKJV) says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. Note this does not say that God tolerated the world or similar words; it is an expression of His love. It also tells us that salvation comes from believing, not doing or anything else, solely believing. This is why the question about what we believe is so crucial. It is a call to action, what do we believe? All roads do not lead to God, only Jesus leads to Lord God. We were created for relationship with God. Let us make the decision to start this relationship with God.
There are similarities but great differences between the two. In Matthew 28, the Lord asks us to be a going people, to make disciples, not just to be saved. Help the people to learn of me, believe in me and obey my words and observe my commands….are words from the Amplified version of Matthew 28. So we are to go and make disciples and teach people to obey Jesus commands. Believing is having faith in something or someone. Believing in God is a powerful thing but even demons believe in God also! - James 2:19 (NKJV) “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” So God does want us to experience the powerful salvation which comes from believing….. But also more……. being a disciple as well. In believing, lives are saved but not transformed. When lives are positioned as disciples, followers of Christ, transformation takes place. It’s an ongoing commitment to the work of the Holy Spirit within. Unlike the thief on the cross next to Jesus, we do have time in our lives for the Holy Spirit to change us. Moving from being a believer to being a disciple was Jesus’ plan in order to transform lives. This is what he called us to be. Believing is not the final thing! Jesus ministered not only to many crowds but also to his disciples when he was not with crowds. Crowds maybe are there for what they can get but disciples are there for what they can become. Being a disciple means becoming subject to the disciplines of the person you follow. A life being transformed will always involve a level of discipline in order to cause the changes required. God calls us to be subject to His teachings and truths. Do we want our lives to adhere to Jesus’ teaching? The bible calls all believers to achieve Christ-likeness choosing discipleship over pure membership. We need to let Jesus train us or disciple us into a better way of living. This means living in the Word allowing the Holy Spirit to challenge us and moving from being in a crowd experience about God to being a follower of God. Believing is belonging but disciplining is submitting, allowing changes to occur, daily. When we are living in the Word of God we will be transformed – Romans 12:2 (NKJV) “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. Our thinking will be challenged and our wisdom altered, this needs to be our prayer. We must exchange incorrect philosophies for correct ones. Colossians 2:8 tells us (NIV) “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ”. The Passion Translation colours this in with even greater clarity in modern day English “Beware that no one distracts you or intimidates you in their attempt to lead you away from Christ’s fullness by pretending to be full of wisdom when they’re filled with endless arguments of human logic. For they operate with humanistic and clouded judgments based on the mindset of this world system, and not the anointed truths of the Anointed One.” So we have a choice as believers, carry on as we are or turn to God and choose His wisdom to operate in inside us. This means we redefine our belief system in accordance with Jesus words. As Jesus said, disciples live by and are obedient to His words (he was speaking to Jewish believers), read John 8:31 (NIV) “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples’”. So Jesus was speaking to people who were saved telling them they needed to hold true to His words. The same is true for us in order to be disciples.