King's Church Lewes Podcast: Recent Episodes
Rich Tutt, Al Pickering and Others
Download messages given at King's Church in Lewes. King's Church is a lively community church made up of people of all ages and backgrounds whose lives have been transformed by God though Jesus Christ. We meet together every Sunday morning to encounter God through modern worship and relevant teaching from the Bible. We also meet mid-week as Small Groups in people's homes. We are part of the Newfrontiers family of churches and have a strong emphasis on helping people meet God, live well and make a difference. King's Church is affiliated with the Evangelical Alliance and is a registered charity (number 1081337).
Jesus warns us that we will face troubles and trials in life. How does being a Christian make a difference in dealing with them, and can any good come from them?
Have you ever wondered if anyone really cares about you? If you really matter? For many of us it can feel like no one cares, that people who should care often let us down. When we feel no one cares about us, that’s when things can start to go wrong.Psalm 8 tells us that we do matter, and the person who cares about us most is the person who matters most!
Sometimes we can end up thinking of church as something we have to do to keep God onside. The Bible presents a completely different view! God doesn't need persuading to bless us; he longs to bless us, and church is one of the main 'channels' he loves to use in order to pour his blessings into our lives. That's why we need to learn to love the church, and this message gives us three reasons to do just that.
This week we conclude our ‘Life with Jesus’ series from Mark with the Crucifixion, Death and Burial of Jesus Christ, looking particularly at ‘The Cross and the Curtain’.
The innocent Jesus is condemned, the guilty Barabbas is set free, and the true King is mocked. Discover how these powerful events reveal God's amazing grace as Jesus willingly takes our place so that we can be forgiven, welcomed into God's family, and live under His loving rule.
We spend so much of life building careers, homes, reputations, and comfort—but what will still matter in eternity? Through the story of Nehemiah, we discover how God gives us a new perspective on life and invites ordinary people to join Him in building something that will last forever: His church.
In Mark 14:66–72 we find Peter at one of the lowest moments of his life. The disciple who promised never to abandon Jesus now denies even knowing him. As fear takes hold and Peter follows at a distance, we see how easily any disciple can drift, compromise, and fall.But we will see that this passage is not ultimately about Peter's failure. It points us to Jesus, who remains faithful when disciples are not. In this sermon, we see that while distance from Jesus leads to drift and fear, the cross reveals a saviour who knew every failure before it happened and still went to die for sinners and is worth following closely.
Choices are central to our humanity and form so much of our lives. Two great choices have shaped the human story profoundly and we explore them in this passage. The choice of Adam and Eve to turn from God in disobedience bringing so much destruction and despair, and the choice of Jesus to walk in obedience all the way to the cross bringing so much hope and healing. Have a listen to discover how His great choice can transform our lives and give us power to make better choices ourselves.
It’s the night before Jesus is crucified, and he spends time with his disciples celebrating Passover. Jesus instructs them and us how to remember him.
What sums up the Christian Faith? What is being a Christian all about? What do we need to keep central as a church? Listen to how Jesus would answer that.
In John 21 we meet Peter at a moment of failure. After denying Jesus, he returns to his old life, unsure of what comes next. But instead of rejection, Jesus meets him with grace, restores him, and calls him again.In this sermon, we see that our failure is never the end of the story with Jesus. If we follow him, he doesn’t just forgive, he restores, renews, and gives us a fresh start. Whether you feel far from God or simply stuck, this passage shows how Jesus invites us into new life, where our failures no longer define us, as he leads us forward into something far greater.
These passages give us more insight into the identity of Jesus. They also challenge us to become a willing and vibrant community seeing the Kingdom of God coming here on earth.
The temple was at the heart of Israel's identity and life; the place where their God lived among them. Jesus' actions in the temple therefore cause a huge stir and soon the authorities catch up with him. In the conversation that follows, Jesus subtly claims the authority to judge the temple but then uses a powerful story to predict that they will reject and kill him, but that through his death a new temple will be established, opening the way into God's presence to people from all the nations.
Jesus challenges us to prayerfully fight injustice and hypocrisy in our world, churches, and hearts, trusting that he has already won the war.
Mark’s account of Jesus entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday sees the continuing fulfilment of prophecy in the life of Jesus, and challenges us to make him King of our lives.
Mark wrote his Gospel so help us see Jesus clearly. Many people saw Jesus with their eyes but didn't understand who he was. In Mark 10:46-52 a man who can't see with his eyes helps us to understand who Jesus is and how to respond to him.
How does Jesus respond when questioned about divorce? His answer shows us God's good intentions for marriage and points us to his help and faithfulness when marriage is hard.
In Acts 2 we see a church that was “devoted to prayer”. But what does that actually look like, and how can we grow in prayer?In this sermon, we will see that prayer doesn’t start with trying harder, but with seeing God more clearly. We see how Jesus taught his disciples to pray in Luke 11, and discover the same kind of vision of God that fuels the prayerful life we see in the early church in Acts 2. This same vision can reshape our prayer lives too.
In this third message, looking at what the early Christians were devoted to, we see their commitment to remembering Jesus' death for us with bread and wine and the blessing that brings us.
At the end of another year, we look at Psalm 103 to help stir us to remember and thank God for his goodness and faithfulness.
Have you ever received a gift at Christmas, which seemed like someone dropping a hint about what you needed?The first Christmas, God gave us Jesus to show and provide just what we all need.
We all love a rags to riches story. Well what about a riches to rags story so that millions can become rich?That's how the Bible speaks about why Jesus came that first Christmas.
Mary received the news of Jesus with a song of praise and joy and humility. How can we be a bit more like Mary this Christmas?
A young man wants to inherit eternal life, Jesus' response is both challenging and kind. Am I all in?
This week we examine the theology of safeguarding. * The Mandate - every generation must play its part in caring for vulnerable people. * The Motivation - Every leader must pursue God’s purpose and priorities for vulnerable people * The Mission - Every means must be employed to keep vulnerable people safe, heard and noticed.
Jesus gave His life for "outsiders". Now, He is creating a community who "welcome" each other, value each other above themselves, keep each other faithful and spur each other with love.
Like the disciples we need to take time to listen to Jesus and Gods word, removing distractions and coming ready to hear.Jesus defines greatness as being ‘a servant to all’, his example means we are to follow in his footsteps empowered by the cross
In this sermon, we explore the significance of Jesus glowing on a mountain and two people from the past speaking with him as described in Mark 9:2-13. The event reveals Jesus' divine glory and is meant to encourage us, despite the challenges and suffering we may face, that we can confidently follow him, knowing that his resurrection glory assures us of the ultimate victory.
Halfway through the Gospels, Jesus begins to say that he will suffer. Even worse, he says that being his disciple means suffering too. How should we understand this for being a Christian today? How does Jesus encourage us that it is worth following him?
It's not always enough to see but we also need to see clearly. Jesus' disciples didn't always see (understand) clearly who Jesus was. How can we make sure we understand Jesus clearly today?
Do you ever wish you had learned your lesson from past experiences and mistakes? Here we see Jesus' disciples failing to remember that they can trust Jesus in times of need. We also need not to forget to trust Jesus and remember his faithfulness.
Jesus continues his ministry in the Northern regions, with two more healing encounters. In this passage we see some principles of ‘Asking Prayer’.
Many of us love to be nice and clean but what about on the inside? How can we know inner cleansing and being at peace with God? What strategies don't work?
We are often quick to remind ourselves that the only hero in the Bible is God. This is true, but Moses definitely looked like a hero a lot of the time. We, too, are called to be mini-heroes in the Kingdom of God. Heroes who bring the power of God into the world, and heroes who bring honour and glory and praise to the true ultimate hero: God.
After Jesus ascended into Heaven, the Holy Spirit and his gifts were sent to the early church. This message is an exploration of the gift of tongues, or ‘heavenly language’, and considering what Paul teaches about its devotional and public use.
When we face disaster or people are against us, we can feel disoriented even as Christians. How can we reorientate ourselves and know God's peace and rest?
Jesus encounters rejection in his home town and then commissions his disciples to Go. There are things in this passage that will help us as we go and tell the good news.
Baptism is powerful. It's fundamental. It gets listed alongside Jesus and faith. But why? Why should I be so eager to be baptised, and what actually happens when I am?
What does it mean for God to be "Our Father in Heaven"? What if we have had a bad experience, or no experience, of a human dad? How can we display the Father-heart of God towards others?
Jesus encounters rejection in his home town and then commissions his disciples to Go. There are things in this passage that will help us as we go and tell the good news.
Mark presents us with two possibilities of life and Jesus, and asks us a very challenging question: would Jesus call me family? At the same time he weaves in some beautiful truths about our saviour, Jesus.
Is The Tower of Babel just an interesting story for kids in Sunday clubs? Or does it help answer the question "What on earth are we here for?!" - and lead us to ask, "how can we play our small part in God's big purposes?"
Is one day in the presence of the Lord really better than a thousand days of peak human experience? The scriptures invite us to taste and see that God’s wonderful presence really is as satisfying as it claims to be, and that the truth of God’s word really is sufficient to anchor us through the most difficult of times.
This week we see from the life of Jesus that He has authority to forgive sin in the story of the paralysed man.
Paul wants to protect the unity of the church at Philippi – he focuses on the underlyingattitude that all followers of Christ should have.
What does walking with Jesus mean for the world around us? Like the early readers of Mark, there is chaos everywhere. Both "out there" in the world, but often inside us as well. Where is God in all this, what is his plan, and how can we be part of that plan?
At the beginning of his Gospel, Mark introduces us to who he believes Jesus is but he also brings in some substantial witnesses to back it up.
How do we hold the tension of sickness, aging and the gift of healing? Paul helps us in his letters to the Corinthian Church.
Loneliness is very common problem, and many of know what it's like even if it's just occasionally. What does God think about loneliness and what does he offer us to help?
“ Help I can’t afford it” as a follower of Jesus what is my response when facing challenges around money? Jesus has some challenging words!
Many of us struggle with decisions in life. It could the big issues and changes, or simple everyday choices. To not know what to do can be difficult and stressful, but it's just part of our limitations as human beings. How can faith in Jesus, who was more than human, make a difference and help us with our decision making?
We all have times when we feel we can’t cope - some of us rarely and some of us frequently. How do we handle these situations? Does faith in God make any difference?
The narrative of Jesus’ birth in Matthew’s gospel opens with a genealogy - a really long list of names. Why does such an amazing account start in such an unengaging way? These verses are often ignored or skimmed through to get to the ‘good stuff’. But in doing so we miss out on some crucial things Matthew wants us to know about Jesus.
For our advent series we take a look at Mary the mother of Jesus, focusing on her Song the ‘Magnificat’, and her surrender to God.
Advent is traditionally the time over four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day – a period of expectant waiting, nowadays often with chocolate filled calendars. But what’s the point of waiting when we know the end of the story? In fact, waiting was a very, very, very big part of the whole story.
Sharing what we’ve found in Jesus with other people can feel like a scary thing to do, but what if this could be done in a really natural and normal way? John 1: 43-51 provides us with some inspiration towards gently helping people to see Jesus for themselves.
As followers of Jesus we can ‘shine and sow’ in many different ways. Discover in the story of The Lame Man from Acts chapter 3, an important principle about shining through choosing to freely give.
Many Christians know they should be telling others about Jesus, but feel inadequate to do so. They worry about what people will think or about getting it wrong, and often have mental list of all the times it ‘didn’t work.’ But what if we’ve missed the main point all along?
One of Jesus’ final instructions to his followers was to go and make more followers. Most Christians know they are supposed to be doing this, but many find it hard to how exactly how to do it. Fortunately, Jesus also left two very helpful metaphors to encourage and equip us.
Luke looked at a story from the Old Testament where God's people took the presence of God for granted. He challenges us to think about the authenticity of our worship belonging to God and our expectations for God to be with us and for us being rooted in faith rather than assumption.
What does it look like to be a disciple of Jesus? How can I know if I’m doing well as a disciple? We discover that it all boils down to just two things - and if we keep our focus on them, we will both please God and flourish ourselves.
What did Jesus mean when he said ‘go and make disciples’? What exactly is a disciple, and what does ‘making’ one involve? Looking closer, we discover that all of Jesus’ followers are called to be disciples, and that is something we need to live out all day, every day.
This message looks at teaching from Jesus and the Apostle Paul on the subject of Singleness. Particularly looking at the Pain, the Pressures and the Potential in the single lifestyle.
“Psalm 88 makes people uncomfortable. It confronts the ways we pray and the ways we think prayer must be done. It confronts all of the memories we have of dark and lonely nights in our own lives. It confronts the relationship we have with God. It confronts each of us with its truth stripped bare of any nice platitudes. It shines a bright light on the darkest places where the human soul wallows.” (Beth Tanner)
From the story of Elijah in 1 Kings, we see the importance of Solitude and Silence in our maturing as followers of Jesus.
How can I live a flourishing life? This psalm seems to set out a clear and straightforward approach. But we need to read it carefully, as it’s not quite as straightforward as it looks…
From prison, John the Baptist sends his disciples to check he has not misunderstood Jesus and asks “are you the one?” Jesus response is that the kingdom that John has been waiting for has come, but in an unexpected way.
Paul reminds the church of the importance of prayer, continuing to be devoted to prayer, being watchful and with thanksgiving.
Many people today point to the Bible’s apparent approval of slavery as evidence that it cannot be trusted as a guide to morality. Many Christians are deeply troubled by the way their scriptures appears to support this evil, exploitative abuse of other humans. Is there a credible way through this problem?
Everyone wants happy, healthy relationships with the ones they love. But so often tensions develop, emotions get strained, arguments erupt, and things break down. Why are families so hard, and what can we do to help them to flourish and thrive?
How does being a follower of Jesus affect how I think about politics? How does it shape how I participate in the current General Election?
This Sunday we begin chapter 3 of the book of Colossians, and this is a high point in Paul’s letter. He encourages believers to ‘Set their heart on things above’ in the everyday. Why? …… because Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ has ascended and Christ will come again. It’s All about Jesus!
We live in a world where countless different ideas and beliefs offer us a multitude of ways to become exactly what we want to be. Is the Christian faith just another route to self-fulfilment or does it have something unique to offer?
Many Christians find the Old Testament Law confusing. It can seem like a really strange collection of rules, some of which apparently still apply and some that don’t. What does it all mean? And is does it have anything useful to say to us today?
Jesus frequently taught about how his followers should think about and handle their money. Despite this many Christians feel uncomfortable and nervous about letting God into their finances. What exactly does he ask of us, how could we grow in confidence in this area?
In our series, we're beginning to look at how Christians were being told that that Jesus isn't enough and various extras are needed for the Christian life. This week we see how Jesus' death and resurrection mean he is enough for two vital challenges in life.
The Bible often refers to believers as disciples of Jesus. What exactly does that mean, and how should it affect how we live?
What does a healthy church look like? Many Christians today focus on how much they like the services or if the ministries are running well. In contrast, the New Testament is more concerned with the quality of the relationships within in the church. Why does this matter and what does it mean for us at King's?
The Christian Faith is all about what God has done for us through Jesus, not about what we to do for God. Christians reassure themselves that they are saved by God, regardless how they live. Is this true, and does it mean that it doesn't matter how we live?
Running the race of life as a Christian can be challenging and will often require perseverance. Hebrews 12:1-3 encourages us to keep running with our eyes fixed on Jesus.
At Easter Christians all over the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. But is it really such a big deal? To many people it seems impossible, so why don’t we just focus on his teaching instead?
The widespread idea that Jesus was simply a great religious teacher is so wildly at odds with how the first Christians thought of him as to be laughable. The real significance of his rescue mission is so vast that it is almost impossible to imagine.
Jesus is widely admired as a great moral teacher, but the Bible makes claims about his true identity that, if true, make it impossible to see him as just another great religious teacher. Who was he really, and what does that mean for us?
With the many challenges of life, it can be easier to dwell on what needs to change rather than those things for which we are thankful. Why is being thankful such a central part of the Christian faith and what have we got to be grateful for?
Jesus spoke a lot about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. What does Jesus mean and how does it speak to us about the light Jesus wants to bring into our lives: his invitation to fullness of life, freedom and wholeness?
It's striking how the Apostle Paul prays for the Colossian Christians he has never met. What can we learn from his prayers about how we should pray for others and how we might ask them to pray for us?
Christians love to talk about ‘The Gospel’, but what exactly is it? At the start of our series on Colossians we find the gospel is so much more than an ‘offer of salvation’, and that it is literally unstoppable.
Seeing people get baptised is really exciting for Christians, but often puzzling for those who don’t know much about the Christian Faith. What does it mean and why does anyone do it?
This is the last in our series on Hope and Fears. This week we look at teaching from Jesus and Paul, concerning the important subject of money. Our response to money can make us uncomfortable, feeling guilty when we have money, and guilty when we don’t. We consider God’s provision for his people, and what happens when we are in need? And our involvement in supporting those in need.
Social media is full of gossip about the 'love lives' of celebrities and you don't have to look far to find a TV dating programme about those 'looking for love'. What difference can Jesus make to how we love and where we look for it?
Trillions of dollars are spent each year by people wanting to improve their health and fitness. What does the Bible say, and how should Christians think about health, especially when our own bodies or minds start to let us down?
At this time of year, many people are hoping that they will grow to be a better person in the months ahead. What would you like to change about yourself? What difference can Jesus make to both our vision for personal change and the likelihood that it will actually happen?
The big problem with the future is we don’t know what it will be. ‘What if...?’ has a powerful ability to cause us anxiety, stress or even fear. Is there anything we do about this, or is it just something we have to live with?
There is much wonder, peace and joy around the events of the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God. We explore the narrative, consider the virgin birth, and the events that Mary saw and heard. Luke 2:19. “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart”
There is a line in the well-known Carol ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ that says ‘the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.’ But how can something that happened so long ago help us as we face our anxieties and aspirations for the coming year?
This passage looks like everyone’s worst stereotype of the Bible: long, boring, incomprehensible and irrelevant. It does take some hard work to grasp what it’s saying, but when we do it both challenges and encourages us in the pressures of daily life.
Daniel chapter 10 is another turning point in this prophetic book. Daniel has a disturbing vision of an angelic messenger, this comes after and in response to his prayer and fasting. The messenger gives him a glimpse behind the scenes, but more is to come. This is a preparation for a revelation about Kings and the end times.
History is full of acts of great evil and evil people behind them. Where is God amongst the chaos and how does knowing him through Jesus today make a difference as we consider evil in our lives and in the wider world?
Living for Jesus is highly satisfying, but seldom straightforward in a post-Christian culture. There is constant subtle pressure to compromise on what the Bible teaches in order to fit in and avoid trouble. Why is this, and how do we respond?
In a terrifying dream Daniel sees monstrous beasts and mysterious beings in a cosmic clash of power. What does it mean? And how can it help us when we are faced with evil in the world, and in our own hearts?
What does true faith in God look like in everyday life? What does this famous story of Daniel and the lions teach us, not only about Daniel's faith in action but also about the God in whom he trusted?
History is full of rulers, powers and empires that seemed invincible and permanent -until they suddenly weren’t. It’s easy to lose sight of the Bible’s message that there will only ever be one kingdom that will truly never end.
Even a brief look at history or the world today demands that we ask the main question of the book of Daniel: Is God really in charge? And if he is why does it really look like he’s not? How should we act when those in charge seem so unsuitable?
When your life doesn’t work out the way you hoped, what will you rely on to help you through? In the midst of the flames of life, we discover a faithful King who saves and protects us. The question is, will you bow to Him alone?
In Daniel chapter 2 we encounter a dramatic story, an anxious King, a mysterious dream, stunned wisemen, a hero, the foretelling of a different kingdom and learn who really is in charge!
Our series begins with some people who have been taken far from home and plunged into a strange new culture. How can they remain true to their identity and what does this say to us about living as Christians today in a culture which rejects or ignores Jesus?
Today we are appointing Andy as an elder at King’s Church, and so it’s a good time to remind ourselves of exactly what it means to be an ‘elder’ in the church. We need to be careful to hear what the Bible actually says, rather than what we think it is saying!
Jesus sets a very high bar for love in the Bible, but the question is, are we able to meet the standard?
How can there be a good God in a world like this?The bible says that we live in a fallen world. We can see it ourselves, in our everyday lives, things don't quite work right. Fundamentally there is something broken in us, we tend to go bad over time. We look at how Jesus helps us with this and how God wants to work with us to hold back the decay and ultimately renew our broken world.
Many laws in the Old Testament seem obscure, outdated and irrelevant - reading about rules that no longer apply can feel like a waste of time. We look at the regulation about not ‘eating blood’ and discover that it still has so much to say to us today.
Our guest speaker, John Woods, explores the idea of God as our Father, and the difference that makes in how we think, feel and live.
In this concluding message on a healthy spirit filled church we consider three stories from Acts 16. These show us how people from different backgrounds were saved and rescued through the disciples sharing about Jesus and the power of the gospel.
The Christians in the first church were known for praising God. What exactly does that mean, why is it such an important thing for Christians today, and how does it do us good?
Signs, wonders and miracles were a normal part of the early church experience. Do we need miracles to be a healthy church today? Why don’t we see more miracles and how can we overcome this?
The first Christians devoted themselves to prayer. What is prayer and what does being devoted to it look like? What can we learn from the way those early Christians prayed?
The early church were devoted to the meal that Jesus had given them. We consider in this message the practice and meaning behind the breaking of bread and our response to Jesus in remembering him.
It’s another Baptism Sunday at King’s, but what exactly is baptism and why do we do it? Let’s look at the very first Christian baptism to try to find out more...
The first Christians were devoted to one another and being together in fellowship. What did this look like and what can we learn from them today?
The first church loved finding out about Jesus, through the Old Testament and the teaching of those who knew him. The Bible’s message has never been so widely and easily available as it is in our culture, but how hungry are we to actually hear what it says?
Many Christians have strong opinions about what makes a good church, but often are just stating their own personal preferences. We look at the very first Christian church to find out what they were like, and why they were so effective.
Managing our money well is always a challenge; it can feel like whatever we do we’re always one step behind. Too many Christians either ignore the Bible completely, or look for dubious ‘quick-fix’ solutions. So what does the Bible really say about handling our finances?
To pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts’ is a summary of the three chapters we have been looking at in this series. Paul encourages the church to be active in seeking the gifts, especially Prophecy, along with challenging motivation, heart attitudes, and how we can all use the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
When the church meets together, it’s an important time for believers to worship God as a faith community. But what about those present who don’t believe, or are not sure what they believe? How can we ‘do worship’ in a way that helps them too?
A major part of New Testament worship seems to be the individual contributions made by members of the church. How can we make the most of them, whilst avoiding causing unnecessary distractions for the worshipping church?
Part of a Baby Thanksgiving Service. Jesus had a view of children which was quite different from the surrounding culture in 1st century Israel. What can we learn from it and what did he mean about us all needing to be like children?
There is a huge variety of approaches and styles of worship found amongst Christians, all with strengths and weaknesses. However a church worships, the New Testament assumes the worshippers will be adding something to the worship. What might that look like in practice?
People’s experiences of church differ wildly, from feeling part of a warm supportive family to struggling to fit in and connect with others. The Bible’s metaphor of the church as a Body encourages and challenges all of us, whatever our experience may be.
This morning at King’s we celebrated Easter with some baptisms. But when you think about it, getting baptised and Easter itself are both pretty unusual. What’s going on and why does it matter?
This week we focus on a famous chapter from the Bible, about Love and how it relates to Spiritual Gifts. These verses are often read at weddings but is that what they're really about? What is the message for all of us?
What does the Bible mean when it talks about believers being baptised in (or with, or by) the Holy Spirit? What should we expect to see or experience today? Rich carefully examines the development of the idea through the Bible, and draws some (hopefully helpful) conclusions.
One of strangest gifts that God gives to some Christians is the ability to speak in a language they don't understand. What sort of gift is that, how does it work and what could it be for?
We sometimes think of ‘gifted’ people as being exceptionally talented, but in the Bible it usually means ordinary people who God enables to serve him in surprising ways. We are all at our most effective for God when we serve in the ways he has gifted us to.
As an introduction to the series, we look at what spiritual gifts are and what they are for. How are they different from what the world around us thinks of as personal giftedness and it should be used?
Jesus made some pretty strong claims for the effectiveness of prayer, yet many of us have experienced disappointment when we have earnestly prayed. How do we handle that in a way that helps us continue to pray?
Why is it important to keep going as a follower of Jesus? Can’t we just bank all the benefits he promises to us, and then simply get on with our lives as before?
Life and being a Christian isn't always easy. What does Jesus' teaching about the 'Vine & Branches' tell us that will really help us fulfil our purpose in life?
The ‘Vine & Branches’ metaphor shows us that to be connected to God means to be part of what he’s doing in the world. What does that look like, and how should we think of the role we can play?
How we live is decisively shaped by what we think the point of life is. In a culture that says there is no ultimate meaning, how can we find something substantial and satisfying enough to build a life on?
At the start of a new year it’s good to look back and see what God has done for us, in both good and bad times over the last 12 months.
After a difficult year, many of us are hoping for a good Christmas. Even with the ongoing global and national problems, with all the worries that brings, there’s a really good reason to be happy this Christmas.
Feelings of guilt and regret of past failures can choke any peace and joy from our hearts. We look 12 things God has done with our sin so that we can walk in freedom and be with Him forever.
As we come to the end of Peter's letter, we hear the heart of his message for anyone who is finding it hard being a Christian. There's both a challenge and comforting reassurance from God.
This morning we welcomed Andy Johnston from our wider Catalyst network of churches to speak to us about what was at the heart of the mission of Jesus and the freedom he gives.
With a growing crisis of leadership evident in the West, now more than ever we need a different, better way of leading. The Bible’s teaching on church leaders gives us a fundamentally different approach, although it’s not without its own problems and challenges.
Living differently and doing good as a Christian doesn't always seem to come naturally. We can feel more like doing nothing at all or the urge to do the very opposite. What should we do if we find it hard?
‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ is a common objection to the Christian Faith. Unexpectedly, rather than avoiding this problem, the Bible actually tells us that it is something that points people towards faith in God.
Some of the things that Christians believe and do seem backwards, strange, and even harmful. There is real pressure in these areas to try to fit in with everyone else. The irony is that sometimes these differences can also be very appealing.
When life is tough or we are under pressure, we might release that the things we depend on are not really enough. Listen to what Peter wrote to Christians under pressure, about the reliable foundation we can all have in our lives.
To ‘be holy’ means very different things to lots of different people. It covers everything from harsh, judgemental religiousness to other-worldly spirituality, often with a strait-laced seriousness that’s not much fun. What does it actually mean, and why would anyone want to ‘be holy’?
Why should Christians live so differently to other people in our culture? What is it about us that seems so out of step with everybody else? Maybe it’s because we really don’t fit in anymore…
There's a lot that can make us anxious in life, and in the world around us. Listen to these words of Jesus that speak to troubled hearts.
The Bible assures us that God works for good in all the circumstances that Christians face, but can often be difficult to see this. Today we look at the encouragment that God wants to comfort us in our suffering but also how he can use it for good in the lives of others
Many things can shake us in life, not least when things and people we relied on are taken away. How can we stand firm in these times and not give in to fear?
Forgiving other people is a tough one and we might even think that some things are unforgiveable. Let's listen to a story Jesus told to teach about forgiveness, that points us to the motivation and power we need to forgive.
It is often so easy to get consumed with the 'meaningless' things of this world. The book of Ecclesiastes helps us to gain a healthy perspective on life's trivial things, to encourage us to refocus our attentions onto the meaningful things that God calls us to live for.
Looking at God's powerful calling for our lives and how much we need one another to grow as Church family.
Having good friends is great blessing to some of us, but for others friendship is a source of pain or disappointment. Some of us have a choice of friends and others frequently feel lonely. What does the Bible say about friendship, how we can be a good friend and what about the best friend of all?
Some of us are looking forward to a holiday over the summer, or at least the chance to take things a bit easier. Some of us wish we could have a holiday, and others of us are struggling with challenges that even a week away won't fix. This week's message looks at what Jesus says about rest, real rest, rest for the soul.
Marcellus looked at Jesus’ famous words in John 5 v19 ‘he can do only what he sees his father doing’ and found he had a strange reaction to those verses. This led to looking deeper into the wonderful relationship between Jesus the Son and God the Father and how that shapes the way we read the Bible and live our lives.
Many of us are living in the midst of family relationships and workplace relationships. How can we live to honour Jesus with all the challenges these bring, and how can we support others in the church?
The Good Samaritan is one of the most famous stories that Jesus told, but there might be more to it than we think. What does it teach us about how we should show mercy to others?
The last in our series from this incredibly rich letter of Ephesians is entitled “Fully Equipped for Battle”. Paul warns us of the reality of the battle we face. But are you ready and equipped? What is your greatest weapon and do you use it?
Marriage is a great blessing to many people but can also be a place of pain and sadness. What is God's intention in marriage, how does Jesus make a difference to it and how can marriage teach us about Jesus?
The Bible says that Christians are called to be holy people? It's not a phrase we use every day. What does it mean and what does this look like practically? Why is it such a good thing?
The Bible talks a lot about disciples, but often people are unsure what exactly the word means. Was it just ‘the twelve’, does it refer to a really keen Christian, or might it mean something else entirely? And what could it mean for me?
What does it mean to be a Christian and part of a church? Ephesians paints a helpful picture of what church should be like: a place where everyone is valued, works together and grows together.
Many people think that they could never be people of faith, never be a Christian, because they are not that sort of person. On the other hand, of course they believe in things like: freedom, kindness, progress and equality. But where did these values come from?
Imagine someone you greatly respected gave you responsibility for something beautiful and precious that they had painstakingly crafted themselves. You’d make every effort to look after it, protect it and care for it, wouldn’t you? What if this someone was God himself? Paul describes what this looks like for us and how we can work together to maintain what God values most.
Most Christians will say they want to be part of a healthy, thriving church. But how could we objectively measure that, and what can we do to help make our church stronger?
We're so pleased to welcome back Natalie to encourage us in our Social Action and care for those in need. Natalie is the chief executive of Jubilee+, which equips UK churches to change the lives those in poverty in their communities.
The way we ‘do church’ shows a lot about what we really think and believe, regardless of what we say. How much of our involvement in church is shaped by the Bible and how much is simply a product of our western 21st Century culture?
Jesus rising from the dead is at the heart of the Christian faith and the Christian celebration of Easter. But how can we believe that someone died and came back to life, and even that it changes life for us today? Didn't the people back in those days believe all sorts of strange things?
Most churches are a mix of warm, loving community and difficult relational dynamics. Most Christians want their church to be an inspiring, thriving family of believers, but sometimes find themselves disillusioned and unimpressed. Why is this, and what could we do about it?
Paul continues to paint his masterpiece of salvation with a dramatic 'before' and 'after' image of the change that takes place when someone becomes a Christian. We discover how this radical change takes place, what our new position is, and why God decides to save us.
So far in the series we looked at the spiritual blessings we have in Christ, but there's a lot to get your head round. How can we grasp these blessings in our hearts and see them affect our lives?
Christians are often amazed at the incredible salvation that Jesus brings. But many believers are also unaware that God’s plans are much, much bigger than simply forgiving a few people. Personal salvation is really just the very tip of the iceberg...
Christians talk a lot about Jesus bringing ‘salvation’, saving us through his death on the cross. If we’re not careful, we can end up thinking this is about ‘being religious’ or simply ‘being forgiven’. However, it turns out it is so much more than that...
As we pray for some of our youngest children and their parents, what can we learn from Jesus as a child and his parents? It turns out there are valuable lessons not just for parents but for any of us.
No one likes being ill, but most of the time we get better fairly quickly. But how do we cope when that doesn’t happen and we have to face serious or long term health problems?
If being a Christian is all about believing, what do we do when we find belief difficult? Is it okay to doubt or is at a disturbing lack of faith? How did Jesus react when people struggled to believe?
Money can be a blessing and a curse, and most of us have experienced its problems: from niggles, concerns to full blow crises. Does the Bible have anything relevant to say about money and how can faith in Jesus make a practical difference to our money problems?
No one likes feeling guilty, which is probably why we try so hard to insulate ourselves from it - rejecting or suppressing it to protect our self-esteem. But what if there is a better way that brings real freedom, but without denying our ability to do wrong?
We all have people, places or things which we turn to give us some sort of refuge or respite when we hit difficulties in life? But how effective are they at providing a lasting solution? What if someone could give us something that really works and really lasts?
We live in a culture that has many very effective ways of distracting us from the deepest questions of our existence. What do we actually find when we cut out those distractions, and what can we do about it?
Many people experience Anxiety and Worry from the mild to the severe. Can Jesus, and faith in him, make any difference in the dark times of anxiety?
Loneliness is a growing problem in Western society today, with increasing numbers feeling alone and isolated. What does the Bible say about this? Can faith in Jesus make a difference when we experience loneliness?
We all long to change and, as we start a new year, many of us consider making new year resolutions. We long for personal fulfilment and happiness, but what if it’s not about us and these new year resolutions are never going to be enough? What does the Bible say about change and the person God created us to be?
Jesus came as Emmanuel (God with us) at Christmas. What does it look like for God to be with us and near to us in everyday life?
Christmas lights are everywhere at the moment, brightening up the winter evenings, but we need more than a few lights to give us lasting joy. What does the Bible mean about Jesus being the true light who came to bring light to everyone?
Everyone’s hoping that Christmas this year will go ahead with minimal Covid restrictions, something to look forward to. And despite its questionable place in the calendar, Christmas is also the perfect time to remember the difference Jesus can still make today.
The core of the Christian faith is the belief that Jesus physically rose from the dead, and that this changes everything. But why do Christians believe this, and what does it have to do with baptism?
Many people think that God is only interested in certain kinds of people. Jesus taught and demonstrated that he welcomes everyone, even those who many people are happy to leave on the margins of society.
If you know anything at about Jesus, you'll probably know that he died by execution on a Roman cross. What was amazing about Jesus' death, and even in the way he died?
One of the last things Jesus did with his final hours of freedom was to eat a meal with his disciples. Was it just a final meal before his execution, or was there something more important going on?
We're taking a break from our Amazed by Jesus series to look at how David found strength in God, even in the middle of a mess of his own making. When we're exhausted or discouraged, we can a believe the lie that our situation is hopeless and that God is not good and able to help us. Nothing could be further from the truth.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem at the peak of his popularity, the crowds went wild. But not everyone was pleased to welcome him, and the mood soon turned nasty. This mix of emotions can also raise difficult questions for everyone today who thinks seriously about Jesus.
There are very few things more baffling than when someone doesn’t understand something that’s blatantly obvious to you. Christians can become very frustrated when others don’t see how great the message about Jesus really is. Why is this, and what can be done about it?
The amazing things Jesus did raised a lot of questions about who he really was and how he did these things. Today we look at an incredible encounter which should have left his disciples in no doubt.
Today we look at an incredible miracle of Jesus. But how could it have happened back then and what does it teach us about Jesus for today?
Jesus saves the disciples from a storm at sea and they’re left asking - “who is this man?”. What does this miracle teach us about Jesus and how can he help us during the storms of life today?
Jesus gave amazing teaching and we've heard about some of his healings in this series, but what about the problem of death? What did Jesus have to offer to the dying and what hope can he give us today in face of our own death or the death of loved ones?
Even a cursory reading of the accounts of Jesus in the New Testament reveals an extraordinary number of miraculous healings. What do they tell us about Jesus, and how should we understand them today?
Why did Jesus come? What was he all about? Here we look at a powerful moment when Jesus announced his mission and spoke of the life-changing impact it would have on people's lives.
Jesus starts his public ministry by doing two unexpected and apparently unnecessary things. Yet despite being familiar to many Christians, their real significance is often overlooked. So what was really going on, and how does that change how we think about Jesus?
Build the church. Why? How? What, me? Through a parable of Jesus we look at the powerful potential of the gifts he gives us and our responsibility to use them well.
Some Christians seem perpetually weighed down by feelings of guilt about their sin, while others don’t seem to care at all about living blatantly ungodly lives. Neither are very appealing, so is there a better way?
Jesus often spoke about his followers being fruitful, like a thriving plant or tree. How can we live the fruitful life he talks about, and how can we be fruitful in seeing other people become fruitful disciples of Jesus as well?
Are you feeling tired and weary? Exhausted from the treadmill of life, and the challenges of this past year? We can be prone to think that Jesus has more burdens to put on us, in living the Christian life. Nothing could be further from the truth.
When God promises there will be a glorious future for the church what should we expect? What exactly does that sort of glory look like?
Getting started on building the church is one thing, keeping going and building well is another. This week, Haggai delivers three encouraging challenges which help us keep going and building well.
How can we handle those times when God doesn’t seem to be doing very much? It’s easy to become deflated and discouraged, but our disappointment can also mean we miss seeing what God is actually doing.
Getting back to rebuilding the temple in Haggai's time was a big ask, just like when we commit to building the church today. How did the people respond back then and what can we learn about how God reassures us and enables us today?
If we are to rise to the challenge to build the church, we need to think carefully about the difficulties and distractions we will inevitably face. We need to know why we should sacrifice our time, energy and money for something that can be so disappointing.
The last year and a bit have brought all sorts of changes to how we interact with church. Now that things are getting closer to normal how should we respond, and what would God want to say about it?
Straight after the Lord’s Prayer Jesus starts talking about fasting. In our culture we might associate fasting with special diets or with Muslims observing Ramadan, so what exactly has it got to do with Jesus, or with us?
Popular opinion says that temptation is mainly about cake, booze and sex. Jesus has a much wider view on it and wants to help us make the right choices, even in the most challenging situations.
Forgiveness is absolutely central to Jesus and a life following him. But actually trying to forgive can be really hard. How can our prayer lives reflect and support our need to be forgiven and to forgive?
In many affluent Western countries it can feel unnecessary to ask God for bread when we can easily buy pretty much anything we want to eat. But what if we are not so well off? And what if actually we need more than just something to eat?
We look at what is probably the most challenging line of all in the Lord’s prayer. Why is it so challenging, and what does it mean for me to pray it?
The second line of the Lord’s Prayer is one we might easily skip over, and even misunderstand, but it’s a powerful prayer that is life-changing and even world-changing.
The opening line of the Lord’s Prayer is so much more than an introductory ‘Dear God...’ How we address God can both reflect and subtly shape how we think about him and, as a result, change how we pray.
Few things are as basic to the Christian faith as praying, yet few things provoke as much guilt and discouragement. We know we should be better at prayer but struggle to make it happen. Is there anything that can help?
The events of the first Easter were pretty extraordinary, as well the implications of them for life today. But if we weren’t there and able to see what happened, how can we know it’s true and believe it?
Most of us know the experience of being worn down and worn out by something outside of our control. What difference can our faith in God make when we feel like we can't carry on?
How do you react when other people seem to get all the breaks and you end up drawing the short straw? How can we handle it when it feels like God himself is not treating us fairly?
Most of us want to know that we matter to someone, that we are valued for who we are not for what we do. But how do we cope when people treat us as if we don’t matter? Or even worse, when God seems not to care?
Sometimes the Bible seems to describe really shocking events as if nothing is wrong: The heroes of faith behave in appalling ways, and God doesn’t seem to mind. What’s going on and how does it affect how we think about the Bible itself?
They say that a problem shared is a problem halved, but there’s someone we can talk to who gives us more than just a listening ear. Today we look at how David in the Bible received God’s grace under pressure when he talked things over with God.
How does Jesus respond to his darkest hour and why is he experiencing such agony? We discover that his suffering is the foundation of this whole series as two very different cups are exchanged.
Even if we’re Christians, we can find it hard when we face tragedies and difficulties in life. How should we respond and how can we get better at recognising the kindness and grace of God to us?
Today we welcome Jono Hayward from Crowborough Community Church (another church in our Catalyst network).
When we face trouble, pain and challenges in life it's easy to lose heart and perspective. What does God say that can bring us hope and fresh clarity for our lives?
There aren't enough hours in the day. There aren't enough hours at night either! Exhaustion affects us all. So how do we avoid being overwhelmed? How do we avoid the kind of despair that plagued Elijah?
‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ we instinctively ask when we see people suffering, and when we are suffering ourselves we ask ‘Why is this happening to me?’ We are in good company, as the Bible asks exactly the same questions.
Sometimes the pressures we face are just too much to bear and it feels like we can’t go on. What do we do when we have nothing left and can no longer cope?
There are all kinds of things to make us feel uncertain about the year ahead. Today we hear from someone who was right in the middle of suffering and uncertainty but something gave him hope for the times ahead.
2020 was a pretty difficult year for most of us in all sorts of ways. We’re all hoping that 2021 will be a bit more normal and a bit less stressful. You may even have decided what you’ll do to make it better. But will it be, and what if it isn’t?
After Christmas there are usually just a few days of festivities left and then it’s back to normal, ordinary life. However the Bible’s Christmas story also ends with a return to normality, and this anti-climax helps change our perspective on mundane day to day life.
Christmas can bring us a lot of joy but it also has its challenges, especially this year. What help is the message of the original Christmas to your (perhaps challenging) Christmas in 2020?
The birth of Jesus 2000 years ago is the historical event may people remember at Christmas, but what why did he come and what difference does it make to our lives today?
Many people know the Christmas story, often from school Nativity plays: The baby Jesus is born to the Virgin Mary and placed in a manger. But is it just a story for children or is it possible to believe that it actually happened?
Many people would feel that Christmas is definitely for them, except for the Jesus bit. You may feel you’re not the right sort of person, but today we look at the family history of Jesus and find that you might be in good company.
We love the idea of peace at Christmas, both around the world and in our homes. Unfortunately, many things aren’t peaceful at Christmas. What impact does Jesus and the first Christmas make to us having “Peace on Earth”?
After a very difficult year almost everyone’s looking forward to Christmas and hoping to celebrate it in a way that is at least close to normal. But even if it is, we will still face all sorts of problems and difficulties going into next year – maybe we need something more?
There's a great need to serve another at the moment, both inside the church and in the wider community. What can we learn from Jesus, the ultimate servant?
Sometimes the instructions in the Bible seem a little strange because they were written a long time ago in a very different culture. This command is certainly like that, so we need think carefully to find out what it’s really saying to us today.
Compared to many of the ‘One Another’ commands this idea can feel daunting to many and impossible to others: How could I possibly be able to teach others when I’m find things challenging myself? Shouldn’t we just leave it to the experts?
There are times in life when we all need support and for some it is a constant need. Who should be providing this support and how can we be a church we does this better and better.
Encouraging each other seems a good and obvious thing to do, but what does it actually mean to encourage one another and build each other up to do love and good deeds for the sake of God's Kingdom?
The last 6 months of life in the UK have been totally different to anything we’ve experienced before, and we are far from ‘back to normal’. How should we approach the next 6 months and how can we stay spiritually and psychologically healthy?
Please click here for a worship playlist to help you respond to the message this morning.
Forgiveness is at the very heart of the Christian faith, so it’s surprising that Christians often have problems forgiving others. Are we expecting too much of each other, or have we just forgotten what being following Jesus is really all about?
A worship playlist to help you respond is here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF30fud-PW05viec5f3q82iGKxrYL2bXv
We all know that none of us are perfect, yet it can be so difficult to accept those who are different from us and who might frustrate, inconvenience or upset us. How can our church community be a more accepting place and a demonstration of God’s acceptance?
No one would seriously disagree with Jesus telling us to love one another. And yet it can be so hard to actually live it out day to day. Do we just need to try harder, or is there a better way?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the strength of a church is found in its services and programs – but if all that stops, what’s left? In fact, the real strength of a church is in our relationships – how we are with ‘one another’.
When Jesus was in the darkest of times, he quoted a song. Why did he quote this song, and how does that help us when we suffer?
Jesus uses the simple but profound picture of a vine and its branches to help us understand the importance of staying 'rooted' in him. Doing so will help us to overflow with fruitfulness and love for others.
We are looking at Jesus’s parable about the 'Wise and Foolish Virgins’. It is part of a large section of his teaching on the ‘End Times’ (all of Matthew 24 & 25) and we will be asking the question 'are we ready?’
Many people, including Christians, have an unbalanced view of what God is like. It’s easy to overemphasise certain aspects of his character and end up with a bland, non-threatening and deeply uninspiring idea of God. The reality, by contrast, is breath-taking.
If you’ve ever broken down on a car journey, you’ll know how frustrating it can be. Wouldn’t it be great to know there is someone we can call on when things break-down in our journey of life?
A raging storm is about to swamp a boat full of experienced fishermen. The shipmates are panicking and Jesus is asleep in the stern. What can we learn from this as we face storms in our own lives?
Waiting around always creates challenges and sometimes we don’t respond well to them. What can we learn from a spectacular failure of waiting and how can we be encouraged when we fail ourselves?
Like us, the Israelites are facing social distancing measures to keep them safe from danger. However, God has a plan to draw us close to Him. It starts with putting up a tent.
The 10 Commandments are amongst the most famous rules in the world, but it’s easy to misunderstand what they’re all about. What can we learn from these ancient rules to help us today?
Now is not the time to fall. But, how do we remember and experience the good things of God in difficult times and avoid the kind of "grumbling" that plagued the Hebrews when they too were living in between times?
The story of the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the Promised Land was a bumpy one. What can we learn from their journey to help us along the bumpy, imperfect journey of life?
When we are in trouble or suffering we can feel alone with no-one to help. This ancient song teaches us how we can cry out for help and be sure of an answer.
Can we really find joy in the midst of a global pandemic? We discover a remarkably happy song that brings joy to the whole world and calls us to respond.
The last thing many people associate with religious faith is strong emotions, yet that’s exactly what we find in this psalm. But why is that, and what do we do when we don’t feel like this?
Is God really all we need when life seems tough, difficult or tedious? What about when other people’s lives seem simpler, easier or better than ours? This Psalm is the journey of faith of someone who feels exactly that way.
This psalm encourages us to think wider than just our own personal situation. Although we can feel powerless in the face of a national and global crisis it reminds us we can make a real difference. Let’s find out how...
Looking to God for security and safety in difficult times makes a lot of sense, but what does that mean? What can we actually expect God to do for us and how does that change the way we feel?
You’re probably asking how long this current crisis will go on for. Maybe you’re facing other difficulties which you wish would end. This Psalm from the Bible helps us when we have questions about life and we need help in trouble.
Life in lockdown is really challenging, without so many of the things that made life both normal and enjoyable. Is it just something to be endured, or can we hope for something more?
In these uncertain times we need hope. What does the Easter message offer and can it be trusted? We look at the evidence and the certain hope it can bring to your life today.
There’s a real need for patience at the moment, as we don’t know how long this crisis will go on for. But many of us struggle to not let our frustrations get the better of us. How can we wait well at this time, with trust in God and care for others?
In uncertain times we need something more than a vague sense that God will ‘make everything okay’. We need more than a shallow, superficial faith – and in Psalm 23 we find a realistic, robust confidence in God that can support us through the very worst of times.
The speed and scale of the changes to our national life over the last week as a result of the coronavirus pandemic have been staggering. We are not currently able to meet together as a church so Rich talks about how we can both have confidence in God and respond sensibly to the situation.
Work is not just about having a job, but the many things we have to do in life to provide for ourselves and our families and to simply keep life going around the home. How can we know purpose, fulfilment and be helped when work is often frustrating, tiring or difficult?
Jesus calls us we should long to see other people come to know him and be active in tell them about him. But he also tells us that what we do is often just as important as what we say.
Are you the sort of person who feels joyful a lot of the time, sometimes or perhaps not at all? Jesus made a rather extraordinary claim that he can give all of us joy which no-one can take away. What does he mean and how and can we get it?
If Jesus is such great news, why can it be so tough to tell other people about him? But this is not a new challenge. Thankfully God has promised to be with us and help us as we go and try to point people to Jesus.
Relational difficulties can be hugely upsetting, especially with people close to us. How does Jesus make any difference and how can we learn to handle things better?
The future can cause us anxiety on many levels due to the uncertainty of tomorrow. Where does this anxiety come from, how can we fight it and what difference does Jesus make?
On any list of worries money is usually right up near the top. Even with all the practical tools available to help us it can still be a real struggle to stay in control. What does Jesus say, and how is it even more valuable than financial planning?
Many of us are concerned about either our health or the health of those we care for. Does God care about our health problems? What can he offer us to help?
Many of us experience occasional (or frequent) battles with worry or anxiety and know that it’s unpleasant, draining and unproductive. So why do we do it and is there a better way of handling our concerns and fears?
It can be hard to keep going in pointing people to Jesus. In the last talk of the series we look at a classic story Jesus told to encourage us with 3 key reasons why we should keep going in spreading his message.
With a General Election coming up, the UK media is full of politicians and political viewpoints vying for our attention. But let’s make sure our opinions, and vote, are shaped by the Bible, not just the current political climate.
What do we do when God doesn't answer our prayers? We might have prayed once or many times for something that really matters to us. Unanswered prayer can be a painful experience. What should we do?
Praying seems like it should be easy but usually turns out to be quite hard. We look at the one of the most well-known prayers in the Bible to see how we can learn to pray better.
Telling people about Jesus is what all Christians are called to do, but we can find it difficult. When we look carefully at Jesus’ instruction to talk to people about him we discover that it contains as much encouragement as commandment.
What makes the most impact in us seeing lives transformed by the love of Jesus? Is it what we say as Christians or what we do? This message looks at the huge impact Jesus says we can have by our good works and serving others in practical ways.
Many Christians want to tell other people about Jesus but find it awkward or embarrassing. How is it that we can be nervous about discussing the most important thing in our lives? And is there anything we do about it?
Do you find praying for people to come to know Jesus hard? Do you tend to become discouraged and give up after a while? Maybe we need to think again about why we pray, and what could happen when we do.
Most Christians know that they should be telling other people about Jesus, but don’t. It’s too easy to get disappointed and discouraged by the lack of interest and give up. However Jesus says that the reality is very different...
It can be so easy in life to get weighed down by earthly struggles and take our focus off what God has called us to. Living with an eternal perspective helps to keep our eyes on Jesus, who wants to help us with the struggles and propel us into mission.
Paul reveals the true north of the compasses of our lives by pointing us to the One who is supreme. We discover six big things about Jesus to help us to realign our lives to Him.
With something as fundamental to the Christian faith as worship you’d think that it would all be fairly straightforward. However we can sometimes end up drifting away from what it’s really all about. Let’s go back to basics and try to avoid some of the common pitfalls...
Jesus said things that could easily put off anyone considering becoming a Christian and worry anyone who already is. He said that people will hate you if you’re a Christian. But he also tells us, that in spite of this, why it’s still well worth it to follow him.
Christians often say that it doesn’t matter what you do or how you live - as long as you believe in Jesus you are ‘saved’. Unfortunately Jesus himself says exactly the opposite of this, and that it’s really important we understand why.
Being a parent isn’t easy, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. The Bible frequently depicts God as a parent and can teach us a lot about how to raise our own children, and about how we relate to God himself.
Jesus told his disciples that he was going to return to heaven after his death and resurrection. He also said that he will be with them forever. How can both be true and how is Jesus with Christians today to help them?
Jesus said many things that were controversial in his day. In this message we look at what is probably his most offensive teaching to modern ears. Can we really accept it as true today and if so how does it help us think clearly about life, faith and God?
Most of us like to think that we are kind, loving people – however Jesus sets the standard way higher. How loving are we really when he sets the standard – and what can we do if we find ourselves less loving than we’d thought?
How do you show love to other people and what makes you feel loved? How about taking off your friend's socks and washing their feet? Yet, this is what Jesus did for his friends and behind it lies a very important message for us about loving and serving others.
Jesus' path to the cross was completely expected at the hands of those blinded by his light. If Jesus is the light, as Christians we should be lovers of the light.
The Bible has loads to say about how we should handle our money. We look at one of the strangest parables Jesus told to try and get a better idea of just how radical his teaching was.
Jesus is at the height of his popularity and some people want to meet him. But this gets Jesus talking about his death. Why? And what relevance does his death have for us today? Jesus gives us three things to make us stop listen and consider!
Didn't people in Bible times just believe anything in those days? Or weren't they just seeing what they expected to see? If you are sceptical about stories of people rising from the dead, you might be surprised to know that the first witnesses were sceptical too - but then everything changed.
When Jesus arrived at Jerusalem he was hailed as a hero. A week later he was dead. And all because so much of what we see is what we expect to see, whether it’s actually there or not.
Have you ever found Christians embarrassing or off-putting? Have you ever thought they were taking it a bit too far? Have you ever wondered if perhaps there’s a good reason they are like that? Maybe there is…
What's the biggest problem in this country today? Death would certainly be high on the list. Few of us have not been saddened by, angered by or even fearful of death. Yet with an incredible miracle, Jesus shows us God's answer to the problem of death.
The Old Testament people of Israel experienced God with them in very tangible ways. Can we know that God is with us today and what difference does that make to our lives?
Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd and his true followers as his flock of sheep. How can we challenge ourselves to look for any evidence of non-flock behaviour in our lives? Do we really know, listen to and follow Jesus?
There are many voices, influences and leaders we trust and follow in life, sometimes subconsciously. Jesus talks about himself as the Good Shepherd. Why would anyone want to trust him and follow his lead for their life?
Christians are often baffled as to why more people don’t believe. We share the reasons we believe and our experiences of faith and yet people seem indifferent. Are we doing it wrong or is there something else going on?
Many people today believe that that true fulfilment is found in being free to be whoever you want to be - that to have your freedom restricted is necessarily to have your happiness restricted. But what if it’s not as simple as that?
Jesus made some pretty big claims for himself, including being able to dispel the oppressive darkness that blights our lives. But why should we believe him? Isn’t this just one of many valid ways of thinking about life and faith?
Who would you be happy to have a meal with? Jesus faced criticism for eating with and spending time with people who others rejected. How can following Jesus' example be a way of showing God's love and mercy to others?
Jesus promises that fresh water will flow out from people who believe in him. But what does this vivid metaphor actually mean? Who is he talking to and what does it look like in real life?
Why is Jesus so controversial? For someone who did so much good (helping, healing, feeding the hungry) it's surprising that everyone doesn't like him. Why are so many people confused about Jesus or even hate him?
Many people are looking for ‘something more’ to satisfy them in life. Jesus promises to be that something more, but he does so using a bizarre and unpleasant metaphor. What does he actually mean and why does he make it sound so unappealing?
The Gospel accounts of Jesus are full of impossible miracles. Sometimes Christians see them as a template for what God will do right now, while other people find them utterly unbelievable. So how should we handle these incredible accounts?
You might be feeling exciting, daunted or pretty neutral about the New Year. But however you see it, Jesus has a new year challenge for us that comes with an amazing promise. It's not even just for new years but for any time at all!
Why should we care about other people? Why should I care about myself? Where do I find my dignity and worth? These are all important questions which everyone struggles with. In Psalm 8 we see the Bible’s answer and how God makes all the difference.
This morning we're digging into a classic Christmas Bible reading that covers many basics of the traditional Christmas story. But can we trust that it really happened, what's so special about baby Jesus and what difference can he make to life today?
Jesus makes great claims for himself, but why should we believe him? Anyone can make wild, self-aggrandising claims, but that doesn’t mean we should believe them. So then why should we believe Jesus?
As much as many people love him, do we really need Jesus? Why can’t we just go straight to God, regardless of whatever religious views we hold? Why would God make things harder than they already are for us to come to him?
The account of Jesus clearing the Temple courts is so the opposite of our cultural expectations of Jesus: Furious at the retail outlets filling the outer court he forcibly drives them out with a homemade whip and confronts the religious authorities with an outrageous challenge. What’s going on, and why?
In one of the strangest passages in the Gospels Jesus performs a very puzzling miracle: turning water into wine. It is possible to actually believe that he really did it? And why would he do such a thing if he could?
Jesus once said that the whole Old Testament was all about him, understanding himself as the fulfilment of every prophecy, picture and storyline. John's gospel begins right at the start and unveils a magnificent portrait of an utterly unexpected Messiah.
What did it mean to the Old Testament people? What did it mean to Jesus? What does it mean for us?
If you could have anything you want right now, what would you choose? How good would it be? How long would it still delight you for? Would you ever want anything else? So, perhaps there’s something better to long for instead?
As we come to the end of our 'Better Together' series from Philippians, what are the key messages to take away? Why does God say we are better together?
Let's take another look at this familiar story Jesus told. Perhaps there is more to it than it at first seems.
Worry and anxiety are so common these days and can ruin our lives. Paul tells us about a powerful solution to anxiety.
If you’re sporty you probably love the athletic metaphors in the Bible, if you’re not you may feel more discouraged than inspired by them. Yet in one simple analogy this passage challenges our whole view of the Christian faith and our turns the spotlight on our deepest motivations for how we live it.
Many of are wary of dangers and try to keep ourselves and others safe. Paul warns us here of a subtle danger that can be so harmful to our relationship with God or even coming to know him in the first place.
Edi & Artina, our church partners in Albania, shared stories of what God is doing in their country, items for prayer and a message of how we can all live under the power of the Holy Spirit in everyday life.
What kind of people does God love to use extend his kingdom? Do I have to be incredibly gifted, dynamic and talented to be useful to him? Through the examples of two of Paul’s companions we discover what God is actually looking for.
How can we grow and make progress towards being the people God wants us to be. Work hard, or relax and let God do it all? How does the Bible say we are to work together with God towards growth?
At the high point of Paul's letter we find a magnificent song of Christ as the ultimate revelation. As we see the mind of the Servant King we learn the key to our unity and discover that the way up is down!
What we ultimately want most shapes our whole life. However sometimes what we think we want or think we should want is not what we actually want the most. Does this matter and if so how do we handle it?
Working together in partnership to share the good news of Jesus sounds great, but we're not always together and sometimes there are big obstacles. It was just like this for Paul and Christians in Philippi. He encourages them to help one another see things from God's perspective and he encourages us to do the same.
Following Jesus is never easy so it makes sense to take advantage of all the help available. And it turns out that not only is serving God easier alongside others, we often find that we do better as well.
What’s the Easter Story actually about? A story of hope in dark times, of fresh beginnings, the triumph of love over hate and hope for a better future? It is all those things, but also so much more: it’s ultimately the story of a great feast, one that’s already started & yet still to begin.
How do you cope when you encounter chaos in life or things seem out of control? This Psalm has a great message for us about how to react and how to respond to God. (The first 15 mins of this recording is Rich speaking about important changes to our Small Groups after Easter)
Healthy churches grow don't they? What gift could Jesus us give us to help us grow as a church and what sort of growth does he want for us anyway? It turns out that he's already given us all that we need to grow.
As a City on a Hill, how do we shine as a light before the world? In this episode, we discover that we are the lighthouse family who love one another and we see what that love looks like.
Western 21st Century culture is extreme in its elevation of personal and individual identity and assumes this is normal and healthy. This unbalanced conception of the world leads to a range of problems - many of which creep subtly into contemporary Christian thinking. Is this a problem and if so what can we do about it?
What do you think about when you think of church? Are there things you like about church? Are there things that frustrate you about church? How should we view church, with all its strengths and weaknesses? And does it really matter anyway?
After Christmas is sometimes a bit of an anti-climax: all the preparations are over & the big day has come and gone. So what next? In many ways it was the same after the first Christmas - after all the excitement, life just carried on as usual. So what can we learn from this passage where Jesus doesn't do anything?
After centuries of silence, we see that God is on the move as he sends his messenger to prepare people for the first ever Christmas. We are left with a big decision - how will we respond to God's Word today?
Many Christians in the 1st Century church were bold and courageous. They were even willing to risk their lives to share the good news of Jesus with people. Where did they get this courage and how can we get it today?
One feature of the growing church in 1st century AD was radical generosity. Is it really needed in churches today? How can we make progress towards it? What do we need to watch out for?
We often feel weighed down and burdened in life. Sometimes it's even because of bad choices we've made. What does God offer us and how can we make the most of his promise?
How should we react when we hear stories of God at work in people's lives today? What about stories of healing, faith and people becoming Christians? What about stories of suffering and opposition for being a Christian? How can we react well to those stories and even when we are persecuted for our faith today?
Mercy is not a popular word today and rarely trends on social media, and yet it filled the life of Jesus. Why should we be merciful today and what can be obstacles to us showing mercy?
What's the best offer or special deal you've come across? Peter & John in the early church offered a man in need something way more than he was expecting. What can we learn from this today?
Sometimes Christians might hope that the message of Jesus will just shine through their lives, without them having to say anything about him. But the early Christians took a different approach. What can we learn from them that can help us as witnesses for Jesus today?
How do you respond when someone makes you a promise? Leave them to it or keep reminding them until they do it? Jesus has made his disciples a huge promise to empower them for mission. How do they respond and how should we respond today?
Luke starts off his second volume with a reminder that there is a powerful King who continues to act and speak today. In episode one, we look at how we can be effective witnesses for this great King as we continue His global mission.
Some people are naturally confident. Others lack confidence or are over-confident. As we come to the end of John's letter, how can we have a right confidence from God that we really know him as Christians and what difference should that confidence make to our lives?
So far in John's letter, the importance of faith in Jesus has come up a lot. But what does it mean to have faith in Jesus, what difference does it make to us and what if it just doesn't make sense to us?
God loves us. But do you know that? What if you don't feel loved by God, maybe because life is difficult? How can you be reassured of God's love for you?
If someone claims to be teaching about God, or on behalf of God, how do we know if we should trust them? What about if they are very familiar to us or seem very spiritual? What is the mark of someone speaking by the Spirit of God?
Does it matter how I behave as a Christian? What does my attitude towards sin and obeying God say about my faith? How can it reassure me that I really know God, even though I'm far from perfect?
It's not usual to hear of people leaving churches, giving up on their faith and even changing their views on Jesus. It can unnerve Christians to see other people doing a U-turn in their faith. Should we follow them? Who's to say who's right?
How certain are you that you know God? We can have doubts because of the claims of other people and our own performance. However, John shows us why Jesus is the foundation of our confidence in knowing God.
What do you boast about in life or what are you proud of? The early church leader, the Apostle Paul, boasted in the Cross of Jesus: a symbol of execution. Why is the Cross so important to Christians? What are the amazing blessings that come to us through the Cross?
What does it mean to be part of the Kingdom of God, or the Family of God? How good are the benefits of being part of God's Kingdom? Is it all about us doing things to qualify us for citizenship or do we enter another way?
TV shows, from the Apprentice to Bargain Hunt, feature people entrusted with money, trying to make the most of it and finally their efforts are brought to light. But that's just TV not real life, isn't it? Well, Jesus told a story along similar lines saying that we all need to make the most of our money. But how?
How would you sign-off a letter or a conversation to someone you care about but may not see for a long time? As the Apostle Paul comes to the end of his letter to the Christians in Rome, what final instructions will he leave? He tells them, and through them tells us, to stay strong in the Gospel which he has not stopped teaching about since the start of the letter.
Jesus rising from the dead is at the heart of the Christian faith and the Christian celebration of Easter. But is it really that important to believe that someone died and came back to life? Anyway, didn't the people who claimed to have witnessed it believe anything back in those days?
What's your ambition or goal in life? As we approach the end of Paul's letter to the 1st century Christians in Rome, we hear what drives him on in life. It turns out to be something which should drive us too.
How can you know that God is real today? A powerful piece of the evidence should be seen when you look at a local church. There's an amazing miracle going on there, as God unites people who are naturally incompatible. It can be hard work to stay united. Why is it worth it and how does God help us?
What happens when Christians have different opinions? When they can't agree with each other - either in the same church or across different denominations and networks? Is it inevitable we fall out with each other or is there a way of living with our differences?
We look at two widely-neglected aspects of the Christian faith. An honest reading of the Bible would put them as key components of healthy Christianity, as did previous generations of believers. But today they have virtually disappeared from most believers' world views.
What was it like to be the mother and human father of Jesus? What was he like as a child? This rare insight into Jesus' childhood might surprise you, as well as challenge and encourage you, whether you are a parent or not.
Two subjects to avoid at polite dinner parties. Each guaranteed to stir up strong emotions and cause heated arguments. Best avoided wherever possible? Or so important we can't afford to ignore them? We tackle them both together as our response to one will radically alter our view of the other.
How can you have a genuine love for someone who has wronged you? The instructions for living as a Christian seem to get ridiculously difficult as we're told to love our enemies. How does this work practically and where can we find the power to love in this radical way?
Where do you come across the best example of love in everyday life? Is it between good friends, a parent and child or a couple still going strong at their Golden Wedding Anniversary? Jesus said we ought to see great love between Christians in the church. What should it look like and how do we keep going when there are problems and we want to give up?
What does God really want from me? Does he expect a lifetime of sacrificial drudgery and duty? Or does he just want to add some spirituality to enrich my current lifestyle? Are either of those alternatives really worth dying on a cross for?
After centuries of waiting, the promised King arrives but he’s not what anybody expected. Through a dream we receive a staggering revelation about this babies identity which has life-changing implications!
Christmas seems to come around so fast. Whether you're ready or not, excited or apprehensive, our 3 part Advent series will help you pause to reflect on the heart of the good news of Christmas - before things get too busy!
There is a great deal of confusion amongst Christians as to how we should view Israel: views range from fierce support to high-handed dismissal. The question can affect our whole reading of the bible as well as our approach to evangelism & mission. So can we get any real clarity on such a controversial issue?
Ever seen an offer that seems too good to be true? If the message of Jesus is such good news, why do so many reject it? What is it about Jesus that puts people off?
How should Christians think about Israel? With a huge range of views promoted and considerable disagreement over what they might mean - for everything from how we pray to Western foreign policy in the Middle East, it's a question worth asking. In the first of three messages on this subject we examine the lack of Jewish believers and the question of God's fairness.
Money can have a powerful effect on us. It can give you great joy. It can make you take big risks. It can strike fear into the heart. But what does God say should be our attitude towards money? What does he offer us that's even better?
It's not easy following Jesus in a culture than views faith as primitive, restrictive and bigoted.It's not easy living a God-centred life with so much discouragement, so many distractions and so many reasons to give up. Can we really be sure we will make it in the end, or is our future in serious doubt?
Nearly everyone has theology of suffering - a way of understanding suffering in light of God - whether they know it or not. Unfortunately many are woefully inadequate, as evidenced by the number of professing Christians who give up when life gets painful. We need a theology of suffering that is based on more than just an optimistic and comfortable Western worldview - and that is just what we find in the Bible.
Charity begins at home, but unfortunately it also often stops at home. What does Jesus have to say to help us show kindness and generosity to people in need, even when we naturally want to put limits on who we help?
Natalie works for King's Church Hastings, co-ordinating their social action and community work.
There are many ways of trying to make faith attractive but Jesus sometimes seems to go out of his way to put people off, including asking them to do things that appear to go against their own best interests. Is this really the case or is there something more going on?
How Risk Averse are you? What about when it comes to taking steps of faith for Jesus? Some people are naturally cautious and others are verge on gung ho. How can we all make sure we don't let undue caution hold us back? Or that we don't plough in unhelpfully?
Everyone wants to be great in one way or another. But what does it really mean to be great? How can we become great? What does being great actually look like? Who is the greatest of them all? These are all things that Jesus deals with in this second conversation in our latest series.
What would you be willing to give up to follow your dreams? Is the Christian life worth giving up things for? Jesus talked to a man who wouldn't give up what Jesus was asking him to. He thought it wouldn't be worth it. Was he making a big mistake?
How do I know if I'm really a Christian? Does it all depend on how sincere I am or how strongly I believe? Can I even be sure or would that be presumptuous? The clue is in the title....
What does Father's Day mean to you? Maybe it's a lot, a little or something quite negative. We think about a story Jesus told which shows us that God wants to be, and can be, a Fantastic Father to us.
Many people say that religion in general, and Christianity in particular, is psychologically damaging: it piles on guilt by telling us to try and be something we are not. At first sight this passage in Romans appears to confirm that view. But we need to look a bit closer to avoid misreading it entirely.
Do you know God? We trace what the presence of God meant in the Old Testament, the New Testament and then for us today as God's way of coming has got bigger and bigger. We see how you can know God in your everyday life and what it really means to have His presence with us.
If we are freely accepted by God because of his grace what do we need to do about God's Law from the Old Testament? Do we need to keep it or can we just ignore it or what? And what about when Christians still break the Law?
Do you have a problem with Sin? Do you ever find it hard to do the right thing? There's something inside of us that seems to find it so hard to make the right choices and live the right way. What is it and how can we finally win our inner battles?
Last week we heard about the joyful confidence we can have in God through Jesus. But what about the powerful forces of death and sin which still affect us all? Where do they come from and will they eventually take us down? Or has God got them covered?
Any serious attempt to live for God must involve our finances. We cannot claim a connection with God and at the same time refuse him to influence what we do with our money.
It's easy to celebrate what God has done for us when life is going well, but what about when life is hard? How does being a Christian make a difference when we are struggling with all kinds of difficulties?
What really happened on the first Easter Sunday? Either it was a unique world-changing event or a non-event that is of no consequence besides accidentally spawning a new religion. How should we examine the claims of Jesus rising from the dead whilst maintaining our intellectual integrity?
Many people believe religion is dying out in the face of overwhelming evidence from science and from secular philosophy. Many Christians are pessimistic about ever seeing any more than a trickle of people come to Christ. Is there any reason to believe they are wrong?
Many things in life are not open to everyone but restricted to those to qualify: sports competitions, credit cards, university entrance, to name a few. Is it like that with God? Do we need to exceptional people to be right with God or does he have a different approach?
It's possible to spend our whole lives trying to find meaning and significance by what we do or who we're with or what we achieve. Sadly many people see the message of Jesus as an added burden placed on top of everything else, to try and justify ourselves before God. In fact the very literal opposite is true.
Paul gives his summary of what is wrong with the human race and we discover that we have all been shockingly unfaithful. If no one seeks God, is there any way to restore our broken relationship?
We can often be very quick to reassure ourselves and each other that we are all ok. However what can we do when it becomes apparent that the spiritual diagnosis is too serious for us to deal with ourselves?
No one likes hearing bad news but sometimes it's vital that we do: if there's a nasty problem or a serious diagnosis it's better to know than to remain unaware. When it comes to problems of our own making it's even harder to face up to the truth, but sometimes even more vital that we do. So just how bad are things between us and God? And is there any possibility of things ending well?
What's wrong with the world? People and what they do would be at least part of most people's answer. So what is God doing about them and how should we view people who don't do what we think they should? The answers from the Bible might surprise us.
Do you prefer a cheap knock-off or the genuine article? Do you want the real thing or a poor imitation? How much more should this apply to God. It makes sense to aim to build our lives on the real God rather than cheap substitutes - even if the real God turns out to be not quite as safe as we like to think.
No one likes having to do as they're told, it's humiliating - we want to make our own decisions, rightly or wrongly. Even many Christians assume that because salvation is a free gift from God it doesn't matter how they live, as long as they 'believe'. So how does the concept of Obedience fit into the message of unearned acceptance by God?
Is it really Christmas already? It only seems like a few weeks since last December! Christmas is a familiar time, with the traditional festivities, food and fun. But is there any more to it than that? Are the traditional stories of Mary, Joseph and the bay Jesus just there to help with the festive feel, or do they tell us something more?
Why does the Bible tell us to love each other? Isn't there something inherently fake about love that has to be commanded? And don't we all know deep down what love is really like anyway?
What is God's Kingdom all about and why is it still so relevant to the problems in the world today? How does God plan to bring His Kingdom to us and the people we meet?
For many people, including many Christians, holiness sounds like an outdated concept designed restrict our enjoyment of life. Is that really what holiness is or have we been too quick to discard something important that could enrich our spiritual lives?
What could be more Christian than praying? So why do most Christians find prayer so difficult? Thankfully Jesus' disciples were puzzled about prayer too. What did he tell them about simply talking to God which can revolutionise prayer for us today?
How generous are you? How can you tell? Is it enough to feel generous or might you be kidding yourself? And what can you do if you struggle to give generously in the way that others seem to?
When it comes to the bible is is all well and good giving a simple how to guide. But that doesn't mean you'll actually read it. Before we put a plan into operation we are first going to look at the motivation. Why should we even bother reading the bible. And we find out from Jesus that it is a must if you want to stay alive!
There are always loads of reasons why we haven't got the time or the energy for church. And even if we have does it really matter anyway? Why can't I just love God and follow Jesus on my own, without having to bother with all these other frustrating people?
Most Christians know we are called to make an incredible difference to our communities as we share God's love with the people around us, but many believers just don't feel up to the task. It can be very demotivating: if failure is inevitable then why bother trying?
Noah's family take on their own building project and end up establishing Babel, the City of Man, with devastating consequences for humanity as they are scattered. However, we see how God has established a second city as a global rescue plan to reverse all that was lost at Babel.
Part of a Baby Thanksgiving Service. Jesus had a view of children which was quite different from the surrounding culture in 1st century Palestine. What can we learn from it and what did he mean about us all needing to be like children?
Here we look at Jesus giving some advice on how to attend a party, throw a party and then an example story about a party. But there is a twist that has big implications for us that we can learn from...
What if you suddenly won a million pounds? What would you do with it? How would it change you? What would it show about what's important to you? Hear Jesus tell the story of a man who had a massive windfall, the effect it had on him and the message for us today.
Noah and the Flood must be one of the best known Bible stories but is it really believable? If it is, what does it tell us about what we are like today, what God is like and how God still offers the rescue we need.
Why is often a struggle to keep going with anything worthwhile in life? It could be healthy eating, fitness, staying on top of finances or spending quality time with those we love. It could be something spiritual like praying regularly, Bible reading or obeying God in daily life. In Genesis we see how people failed right from the beginning but God was determined to get them back on track. What does God want to teach us about getting back on track in our own lives in the things that matter most?
What does life outside the garden of Eden looks like? Things turn ugly as violence and vengeance emerge with a tragic murder. As a further exile is imposed, is there any hope for a way back without compromising justice?
Why does God seem so distant sometimes? Why does life seem so imperfect, even after we have become Christians? And why do we really need Jesus anyway? Can't we just come to God by ourselves just as we are?
Christians are often surprised when they are not popular: after all, why would anyone dislike people whose aim is to love everyone and to share good news? But there is more going on than just a few people taking offence - there is a hidden war raging and victory will not be cheap.
We live in a culture where people go to great lengths to prevent and assuage negative feelings of guilt or shame. We want to help people feel good about themselves, regardless of anything they might have done. Is this really helpful, and is there a better way to handle these unpleasant emotions?
Why is it said that forbidden fruit always tastes sweeter? Why is it so hard sometimes to do the right thing, even when we have the best intentions? Is there an solution, or are we just doomed to fail when we try to resist temptation?
What, if anything, can we learn from the story of a talking snake trying to trick people into eating forbidden fruit? Is it an outdated and irrelevant relic from a gullible past? We find instead that it sheds light on much of what goes on inside our heads and hearts as we also face questions of truth and reality.
Friendships can give us great joy in life as well as great pain. The same is true of marriage. Why are relationships worth pursuing and how does God help us in them and through them?
Whether you love or loathe politics it's hard to avoid them in the run up to a General Election. Does the Bible have anything to say about to us about our involvement or our voting decisions.
Money is often a tricky subject to talk about, as we can be naturally protective of our own 'stuff' and our own right to decide what to do with it. However when we look closer at God and what he is like, we discover that we've not been thinking that clearly about money after all.
What is Easter really all about? For many people it is simply an inspiring message of hope when things get tough, and new opportunities rising from the ashes of disappointment. However when we take a closer look we discover something rather more unsettling...
How important are our gender differences? Are they just physical plus what our culture has told us about how we should behave? In this message we look at what Genesis tells us about being male and female, as well as covering questions about whether Adam and Eve were real people or the first people.
The story of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden is pretty well known, even by people who know very little else of the Bible. But what should we make of it today? Is it just a fairy story that has no relevance to my life today?
Have you ever felt like you can't keep up with the pace of life? Ever felt that there is just too much to do in too little time and you have too little energy to do it? Is your to-do-list constantly expanding despite your best efforts? Maybe you need some rest?
Why do we work? Is it a necessary evil that we all have to do? In this sermon we are going to see what Genesis tells us about work and its place in our lives.
Many people have no idea what their life is for. Many more are convinced that it's just what you make of it. If we have a designer, wouldn't it be great to hear what he says we're here for?
How does the bible define the human race and what does true humanity look like? What implications does this have for how we view ourselves and how we view other people? Genesis 1 is a game-changing revelation for us all.
All Christians believe that God created everything that exists, even if they don't agree on how he did it. But if Genesis chapter one isn't primarily intended to be a step-by-step guide to assembling a universe what does it actually tell us? And what difference does the belief in God as Creator make to how we view the world?
For many people modern science provides a complete description of how we came to be here and the Genesis account is thoroughly irrelevant. Is it possible to reconcile these two seemingly contradictory descriptions of our origins, or is conflict over science and faith always inevitable?
Today we baptised 4 Christians in water as a picture of God changing their lives. What kind of difference can God make and it is change that is really worth having?
Why is it so difficult to get our personal finances under control? With so many demands on our wallet it often feels like we are powerless to keep our bank balance out of the red. Rich looks at five or six ways to help us gain the upper hand in our war with our wallets.
New Year is a great time for looking ahead and thinking about what we want to achieve and who we want to be in the coming year. Many people are serious about change and make resolutions to help them, yet the vast majority of resolutions are dead by February. Why is it so hard to change, and is there anything we can do about it?
With some very specific advice, James reminds us that we just can't live a God centred life without a church family around us. Healthy Christianity just can't be done on our own, we're simply not designed that way. If we don't genuinely belong to a church we will always miss out God's best for us.
Why is it so hard to tell the truth? Even when we know it's wrong to lie it so often seems such an easy and convenient solution. But is there really any problem with occasionally stretching the truth a bit? Or should we always be scrupulously truthful, even when it costs us?
What are you like at waiting? What about when you're waiting for things to life to improve and the tough times to end? What does God offer to help us and how should we live as we wait?
Western culture has achieved so much and has vastly improved the quality of life for millions of people. However along the way we have also forgotten the finite and limited nature of human beings. Despite everything we are far from the independent, unrestricted beings we like to think we are.
Everyone struggles to do the right thing at times, and we disappoint ourselves when we fail. But how does God feel about some of our less-than-good choices? And what hope is there of making better choices next time?
Why are relationships difficult? Can we really find lasting peace? James shows us how a God-centred life impacts our relationships together as we find that we can be loving the peace.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me." Is there any truth in this old saying? Words can have much more of an effect than we imagine. What different does a God-centred life make to our mouth?
Why are there so many people who would claim to be a Christian, yet who don't seem to live like one? Can they still reassure themselves that they are accepted by God and will be with him when they die? And if so why should anyone bother with the inevitable difficulties that living as a Christian brings?
In lots of places the Bible tells believers to give financially to God, but how should we view this? Is it an unwelcome economic burden on us? Or is it a crafty way to make more money? Or is it about something altogether more profound, something much more important to true spirituality?
What does a man who smells nice, looks nice and has a nice gold ring got to do with a God centred life? What does a man who smells bad, looks bad and has bad clothes got to do with a God centred life? In James we see it is all to do with favouritism, and we learn what its place is in a God centred life.
Where do you go for guidance and direction in life? What does it look like to have a God-centred approach to this and what are the benefits?
Have you ever had trouble doing the right thing? Have you ever done things that you are now ashamed of or embarrassed by? Why is it sometimes so difficult to do what we know we should do? Is resisting temptation all a matter of will power or is there some other way to avoid sinning?
No one likes it when life is tough, so why does the Bible tell us to find encouragement and joy in those times? Is it just wishful thinking or can something good come out of tragedy and loss?
Does your life ever feel like a journey where you're not quite sure where you're heading? How is it possible to trust God for the next steps in life when you can't see what will happen further down the line?
We'll be running our next Money Course in October, in Partnership with CAP (Christians Against Poverty). This Sunday we heard from guest Bill Allen about the excellent work CAP do. We also heard Abbie and Nathan share how the course helped them and Al wrapped things up with a talk on Trusting God not Money. See more about the course here: www.kingschurchlewes.org/capmoney
this question dominates much of our lives, how do I get in to that group if friends, that university, that job or that relationship? But today we look at a far more important question. How do I get in to the kingdom of God?
We live in an age of revolution. The Arab Spring kicked off and is changing the Middle East and North Africa. But today we look at a revolution bigger than all other revolutions. But what does a picnic have to do with it and how does it affect us?
What should worship look like when the Holy Spirit is present and active? How can people contribute in worship in a way that helps everyone else? Is it possible to have an unstructured worship service that doesn't meander into tedium?
Guest Speaker Marcus Tutt from King's Community Church Norwich, talks to us about Supernatural healing.
How do we balance the needs of both Christians and non-Christian guests in our corporate worship? Do we have to tone down the gifts of the spirit to be relevant to un-churched people or should we press on regardless and risk excluding the very people we are trying to reach? Or is there a way of successfully doing both?
Pete West leads a church in Lesotho which as a church we're working with. Pete gives us an update on Lesotho.
How enthusiastic should we really be about spiritual gifts? Are they simply a distraction from the real work of living a God-centred life? Or might they be useful than they first appear? We look at 'Speaking in Tongues' and 'Prophecy' to try and decide.
Have you ever felt that you didn't fit in somewhere because you weren't like the other people? We can even feel like that in church. How can we know we have a genuine part to play?
One of the most controversial topics amongst Christians is the work of the Holy Spirit. Is he secretly working in the background or dramatically causing all sorts of wild & wacky experiences? How might we understand him better? And what do we do with some of the more unusual effects attributed to him?
We're looking at 3 chapters of a letter about spiritual gifts. But what are they? How do they work? Aren't they just weird, wacky or worse? Actually we are going to find that the gifts are important, beneficial and help make us just like Jesus.
Do you know someone who became a Christian & was 'on fire' for Jesus, but who now given up on God? Why does that happen? Were they just pretending all along? And more worryingly, could the same thing happen anyone?
Building a strong, healthy church that genuinely makes a difference is really hard work. It intrudes on our time, drains our energy and depletes our resources. So why should we bother? Wouldn't it be easier to settle for what we already have?
Are you tempted to think that evangelism is about having the skills to effortlessly turn conversations to Jesus? Is there a more biblical view which encourages us all to see we can play our part in mission?
Why do Christians obey some parts of the Old Testament Law and ignore others? Isn't this simply cherry-picking which parts they like and ditching those they don't? Doesn't this undermine any attempt to use the Bible to define morality? Or is there something more subtle going on?
Surprisingly, Jesus early followers were not expecting him to rise from the dead at all. What convinced them that he had and what difference does that make to us today?
Today we look at the most important question in the world! And the answer to this determines everything.
The Old Testament isn't always the easiest book to understand. It seems a mixture of Weird Stories, Odd Laws and Long Prophecies. What's it really all about & how does that affect us today?
How is it possible to build a church that thrives in the midst of a culture increasingly antagonistic to the Christian faith? How can we live lives that are both fulfilling and robust enough to cope with anything life throws at us?
There are all kinds of ways we mark the arrival of a new baby, some wackier than others. As we welcome some new arrivals at King's, Rich looks at a fairly odd example from the Bible. This unusual procedure tells us some pretty helpful stuff - both for parents and others.
Why should churches have leaders? Wouldn't it be better if everyone had a hand in running the church? Rich examines why - despite many of our cultural preconceptions - we really need these guys.
Nehemiah was pretty focussed on building the wall around Jerusalem, but he knew it was part of a much bigger project. Do we sometimes lose focus on the bigger picture of building God's church and get side-tracked?
What's the ideal size for a church? Is there a critical mass where building a church becomes easier? Is it even possible to build an effective, growing church in a culture that finds church largely irrelevant?
The people of God face considerable opposition as they continue their building project. There is a common response by the people which we can learn so much from as we press on with God in our mission today.
Even when we become convinced we need to take responsibility for building a strong church in a largely indifferent culture it can be hard to know how to do so effectively. We can be tempted to think that if God is with us it should all fall into place naturally. However there is a bit more to it than that...
Have you ever felt insignificant in the face of a huge problem? Or feel like nothing you can do will make any real difference? We look at what to do when God's plan for the world looks feeble, irrelevant and unimpressive.
What does a thriving Church look like? What does a well-balanced Christian life look like? How do I know if I am really living effectively for God? Rich looks at three Key Diagnostics for healthy Christianity and ask the question, 'How are you doing?'
Abraham gets one tough test from God. It looks like he is going to loose one of the most important things in his life! Here we look at why God tests Abraham (and us) and what we can learn from him when we go through a tough test.
Many people are familiar with the gist of the Christmas story, but sometimes over-familiarity can blunt the edge of it. However it turns out that amongst the familiar events there are some extraordinary implications...
Why do we care about the nativity? What is its purpose? Is it simply so kids can dress-up and perform? No (although that is a benefit), there is so much more. This is the beginning of the world being made right, of everything changing, of true transformation. Here we delve into how God changes the world for the better through the birth of one small child.
More new arrivals at King's gives us another opportunity to thank God and pray for his blessing in their lives. We also pray for the parents and the challenges they will face, knowing that their children will one day need to make their own decisions about Jesus...
No soldier would want to go into battle improperly equipped, yet many Christians are poorly prepared when it comes to sharing their faith. What do we need to do to ensure we are ready for action?
With so many people poor and with other needs, should we really have such a big emphasis on evangelism? How we can bring Good News to the Poor which helps them both practically and spiritually?
However much the Bible tells Christians to share their faith many of us still feel weak and inadequate to do so effectively. It turns out that the solution is to deliberately focus much more ourselves but also much less on ourselves. The results, it seems, can be truly staggering...
Some Christians seem to have amazing conversations about Jesus with people who don't believe. How can each one of us get going at making more of these opportunities, in our own style, and who is the expert we all need to learn from?
Handling our money well is always a challenge; it often seems like whatever we do we are always one step behind. Too many Christians focus only on dubious pseudo-spiritual shortcuts instead of listening carefully to what the bible actually says. So how can we really keep the upper hand when dealing with our finances?
Telling others about Jesus is a key part of living as a Christian, yet many believers have found that it doesn't seem to work out for them like it should. People ignore, reject or ridicule us and our message; or if they do respond their interest is short-lived and peters out over time. Is there something wrong with our message or our methods? The surprising answer is, 'Probably not.'
We start this series by travelling back in time to look at a dangerous letter announcing the new King in town. The King has Mail which needs to be delivered and we have a great Mission to take part in so that all know this news!
Like Jonah many of us struggle to live life the way God wants us too. And when difficulties come it only seems to discourage us even more. So what should a life lived in relationship with a Gracious and Compassionate God really look like? How should that spill over into the lives of the people around me?
Changing our external behaviour is hard; trying to change on the inside is even harder. Self-centredness, hard heartedness and laziness all lurk just below the surface, contaminating many of our best efforts at goodness. How can we make any progress in real obedience to God when he sees just how flawed we really are?
Ever felt like life just isn't working? Sometimes that's just the way things go, but we also need to be open to the possibility that God just might have a reason for it. Being stuck inside a fish is never fun but, approached the right way, it can be extremely productive.
The story of Jonah and the whale is one of the best known episodes of the Old Testament but also one of the least understood. Far from being a kind of biblical 'Just-So Story', it is a genuinely insightful account of the way a loving God patiently interacts with unloving people like you and me.
The Bible talks about God as not just a king, but the great King over all the earth. But how can that be true when we see many things wrong in the world and wonder why God doesn't step in and use his power? What proof is there that God really is the King in control of the world?
What is redemption? How is God our redeemer? And what on earth has it got to do with a guy marrying a prostitute?
Jack explains that this odd passage is an amazing picture of God and his people and how it applies to today.
If your life was like a house of cards, which card would you most fear being removed and everything crashing down? We read about someone in the Bible who had massive things taken away from him but he still hung on to God. Would we be like that?
Everyone needs a good defence strategy. This morning we look at 3 steps to a good defence in the midst of the troubles of life.
Christians sometimes pray prayers that are too small. A proper grasp of the revolutionary and universal nature of God's plan for the world should transform our prayers from local individualism into global inclusivism.
Sometimes we hear amazing stories of fearless Christians, spreading the message of Jesus in hostile situations. It can seem worlds away from our life when we feel fearful of speaking of our faith in Christ, and concerned about how others will react if we do. How should we pray about it today?
A very weird story about some arrows turns out to have something very helpful to teach us about our mission as a church. It turns out that what we do or don't do can have really far-reaching consequences.
If we don't know why our church exists how will we ever know if we are successful or not? And even if we know what God has asked us to do, how come it so often feels like a battle to get anywhere? Isn't there an easy answer somewhere?
Life often brings difficult times when it feels like everything is just too much for us to handle. Whether you are a Christian or not, you are not immune to these tough times. As we look at Jesus' darkest night we can learn how to pray whilst under intense pressure.
The simplest way of learning how to do something is often by listening and learning from other people. Today we get will listen in on how a guy called Paul prayed for a Church many years ago and learn from him on how we can be stronger in prayer.
Is there a 'right' way to pray? Some Christians pray at regular times following a set pattern, perhaps with a list of requests. Others talk to God in a more spontaneous way on the hoof. But which is better?
For many Christians the subject of prayer is usually an unwelcome reminder of the failure of our own prayer life. We know that we should pray more than we do and pray better than we do, and we feel bad enough about it already. So instead of trying harder, let's try a totally different approach altogether...
Why are there are so many different sorts of Christians, all claiming to be the real thing and all criticising the others? Surely if they're all worshipping the same God they should at least get along with each other? And with so many different perspectives how can we ever really be sure about anything Christian?
Many people find the Old Testament an irrelevant collection of unpleasant stories and bizarre religious rules. They see in it a vindictive and barbaric God who is a million miles away from the loving God proclaimed by Jesus Christ. Is there really any reason to keep this outdated and redundant relic of a primitive religion?
Understanding a persons True Identity can be really important. This morning we look at the huge question 'Who is God?' and how might this affect our own identities. We see how Jesus came to shift our understanding of God and how that brings freedom in our lives to enjoy Him in this unique relationship.
What is Easter really all about? Why do millions of people celebrate this each year? And why do we follow the custom too? Well here we look at Jesus and what Mark's account says about the resurrection and how this answers the question 'Why Easter?'
Many people today feel they have no need of primitive and out-dated religious beliefs. Thanks to modern science we now know how both the universe and life on earth began. Does this finally mean we can stop talking about faith as a valid way of understanding our place in the cosmos?
Why should God care what goes on in bed between consenting adults? Hasn't he got better things to do than prudishly poke his nose into our sex lives? What does it matter who I sleep with anyway, as long as no one gets hurt?
For many the idea that God would condemn human beings to an eternity of conscious punishment is utterly abhorrent. Surely a God who did such a thing would be cruel and monstrous beyond imagination, on a par with the worst dictators in history? Can this really the same God that Jesus told us is our loving heavenly father?
If God is so good why does he let bad things happen to good people? Why does God let horrific things, things which we would certainly prevent if we had the ability, happen to perfectly nice people? We take a long hard look at one of the toughest questions facing the Christian faith.
This is the mother of all tough questions for Christianity. Surely to believe in a resurrection in this day and age you have to throw your mind away and have pie in the sky belief... don't you? Here we survey the historical evidence for resurrection and see if anything else can fit, or if the resurrection really does make sense.
No one likes being told they're wrong, especially about deeply personal areas of faith and belief. But does that mean we should accept everyone's beliefs as equally valid?
Why should I trust the bible and is it really reliable and accurate and true? Many people would say that you can't trust the bible, and so you can't trust the accounts of Jesus and therefore you can't trust Christianity! Well let's look at 9 big challenges to trusting the bible and see if we can get some answers to this tough question.
Some questions seem just too big to think about or too impossible to answer: 'Why am I here?', 'What's the point of my life?' Unfortunately ignoring them doesn't make them go away.
What is the single most significant thing you can do with your life? What can you invest all your time and energy into that will last forever? There is only one answer: but are you up to the challenge?
This is surely the most important question there is; but how close to a real answer can we really get? Isn't it all just a matter of personal opinion anyway? Is it ever possible to actually prove God is real or does the evidence tell us the exact the opposite?
There's lots of good stuff about Christmas, but sometimes we miss out because we don't think enough about 'That Christmas Guy'. Let's see if we can disentangle fact from fiction, and find out what the message of Christmas really is.
In this time of pantomimes, nativity scenes, peace and good will to all men, we are looking at the true meaning of Christmas. And I think you'll find the initial answer very surprising...
Everyone loves food don't they? What does your diet consist of and are you loving good food? Let's look at the Church in Acts and see how we can be a healthy church and what is Jesus' favourite food.
Many people think that faith is a personal and private thing, and that it's arrogant to go around telling people what to believe. However, serious followers of Jesus must take seriously the 'Great Commission' to tell everybody about him. The mission is just too big for us not to play our part.
The most controversial aspect of Christian faith is also the most important: Did Jesus really rise from the dead? How do we cope when asked to believe something impossible? Do we have to trade in our intellectual integrity for blind faith, or is there another way? Let's investigate....
The crucifixion of Jesus has turned the world upside down, dramatically affecting theology, culture, art and billions of lives around the globe. Let's look at six ways that the crucifixion itself is upside down.
Imagine spending 25 years in prison for a crime you didn't commit: The sense of powerless frustration and outrage could easily eat away at your soul. In this message we find Jesus calmly walking through the greatest miscarriage of justice the world has ever seen. As we look closer we discover there is more than meets the eye in this judicial tragedy.
Possibly the lowest moment of Peter's career as a follower of Jesus comes after Jesus is arrested. Peter disowns him three times, publically denying ever knowing him. We find this lowest point in the life of one of the early church's greatest leaders has much to teach us about our own fragility.
The last few hours of Jesus's freedom were less than pleasant; struggling in prayer and betrayed by a close friend. But surprisingly there's much we can learn about how we can please Jesus now.
More new arrivals at King's gives us another opportunity to thank God and pray for his blessing in their lives. We also pray for the parents and the challenges they will face, knowing that their children will one day need to make their own decisions about Jesus...
Most Christians want God's kingdom to be extended and his church to be build: however many are put off by the difficulty of praying persistently. However, given that there is no shortcut, how can we help ourselves to keep fighting in prayer and not giving up?
Despite many other differences one thing all Christians have in common is using bread & wine to remember Jesus death on the cross. Where does this idea come from and does it still have any meaning for us today? Let's go back to the very first time it happened and see what we can learn.
How would you describe yourself? Sporty or Skater, Cool or Nerdy, Goth or Pop, Good or Bad, In or Out, or someone Totally Different? Actually none of these things is who you really are: Bizarrely, to find your Real Self, you need to look back 2000 years to a barbaric execution on a Mediterranean hillside.
How can I really please God? Do I need to keep trying harder and harder to be good enough? Is he always looking for even more from me, never satisfied with my performance? Many Christians think so. The reality however is very different.....
Worshipping together is an essential part of what it means to be a church, but what exactly are we trying to do? How can we make sure that our worship times together are meaningful? And what should my personal expectation be when I take part in corporate worship?
Here we see David from the Old Testament lose everything. He goes from the highest heights and then, through no fault of his own, he plummets down to the deepest depths of despair. What does David feel in that time? How does David deal with this difficulty? What on earth can we learn from it all? And does this tell us anything about Jesus? Well, let's take a look and see...
Does God really speak to us today? If so, how does he do it and what should we do with what we hear?
Lots of the ways the Bible talks about God, us, and the church are based on family relationships. God is described as 'Our Father' and Christians are called 'brothers.' So why is it not true that being part of a church is a bit like being part of a family?
Pete West who leads a number of Newfrontiers churches in Lesotho, tells us about what God's doing there and also brings out some principles he's learnt for extending the Kingdom of God.
Here in the third and final parable about Jesus' return we are going to play a game of spot the difference. We have a whole bunch of sheep and goats... how does the real Jesus explain we can know the difference between the two? What surprises does he give us? And how does this affect us now?
There have been so many wrong predictions about when Jesus will return that many Christians treat the whole thing as pure fiction. Jesus, however, tells us that he most certainly will return even though we simply don't know when. But what will his return really be like and how should it affect us now?
Few aspects of the Christian faith excite more discussion, emotion and imagination than Jesus' final return. Many believers have got all of their understanding of it from dramatic novels, DVDs or websites. To help us properly get to grips with this tricky subject let's look at Jesus' own words on the subject.
Despite nearly half a million babies being born every day each new arrival is special and something to celebrate & thank God for. Each new member of the family also brings fresh demands and challenges for the parents. While celebrating a new arrival at King's we also take a moment to consider where our lives are going...
Have you ever been caught out by a tricky question about your faith, to which you have no answer? Jesus finds himself on the sharp end of such questions but reflects them back, putting his questioners under the spotlight. But other than winning an argument back then, how do his answers help us to live well today and in the future??
Have you ever felt upset by friends or family neglecting a special occasion? Forgetting an anniversary or not turning up to a party can send the message that 'You are not important to me.' Jesus throws that idea back at us, giving a valuable if uncomfortable insight into how we treat God.
Why do people who follow Jesus get up in front of a large group of people, get soaking wet in a bath and go home? It seems weird. Why did Jesus ask us to do this? Well it one section of a three part response to Jesus and that's what we're exploring today!
Jesus often clashed with the religious types of his day - the very people who should have been most ready to accept him. It can be still true of us today: we can have all sorts of ways of resisting God, whilst still thinking we're doing what he wants. Which ones do you recognise?
How can you get a drink of water in the middle of a desert? How can we build a large, strong, growing church in a little town in Sussex? In both cases we need to remember who brought us here and where he's taking us.
When Jesus triumphantly arrives in Jerusalem, hailed as a king, everyone expected him to act like a king. Instead he acts like a vandal, starting a one man riot in the temple & killing a tree. What's going on? And what does it have to do with us today?
Here is a weird passage involving cloaks, leaves and donkeys. What is going on in this weird passage? Here we will look at the imagery showing us Jesus as king, how that relates to us and how we should respond like a donkey.
Many people know the Easter story but think it is simply just that: a made-up story. When we investigate it however, it turns out there is evidence for a different conclusion. What do you think?
No one wants to be a loser, but when we come to Jesus aren't we supposed to be all humble, meek and mild? In a short conversation with a pair of loudmouths Jesus turns our expectations upside down and challenges us to achieve true greatness.
Fairness in the workplace is a hot topic, particularly when it comes to what we get paid. Jesus teaches us about his workplace as we face an interview with the Boss and our staff appraisal all in one morning!
We can sometimes be very unhappy with what God seems to be doing. We often have our own view on the way things should work out and how he should treat other people. Like the prophet Jonah it seems we still have a lot to learn...
When a nice, respectable young man asks Jesus for advice things don't go quite as he was expecting. After his encounter with Jesus he goes away disappointed and unhappy. Why did he react so badly to Jesus words, and how can this conversation enrich our lives?
Married life is not always easy and sometimes it seems as if it is no longer possible to carry on together. What can we do when the honeymoon is over and romance seems to have died?
There are many things in life that can distract us and cause us to drift off course. Let's make sure we keep our focus on the most important thing.
Like any family, church life has its ups and downs. Inevitably things will go wrong, people will upset you, frustrate you and let you down. Jesus gives us clear instructions making sure these bumps in the road don't cause a relational write-off.
Everyone desires to be great. Everyone wants to be seen as the best, and the disciples are no different. Here we see them ask 'who is the greatest?' And Jesus gives them (and us) three ways to become great in the Kingdom of heaven. But it might not be how you expect...
Have you ever stepped out in faith only to discover God doesn't seem to have stepped out with you? How do you react when God doesn't do what you expect him to? Is there an alternative to playing it safe to avoid further embarrassing failures?
Jeff Fletcher Reading Verse. Living for Jesus today has many challenges: What does the bible say to help us stay true to our faith in an increasingly hostile culture?
Some experiences change lives forever,either for better or for worse. A real encounter with the Real God should surely be the ultimate life changing encounter: So why then do so many people settle for a mundane and predictable religious experience?
It's easy to think we know all about who Jesus is and what God should do. However, as one of his closest followers finds out, Jesus refuses to allow us to tell him what to do - even concerning our own lives. But how can that really be fair?
The turkey's eaten, the tree's been taken down, the New Year's been welcomed in - what's next? At the start of 2012 we look at where we hope to be as a church this time next year. It won't be easy, but Jesus never said it would be.....
Jesus is the ultimate Quiz-Master and he shows us how to do it with two questions which are pivotal to this whole series. Take part in the big Quiz, compare your answers and see whether you will get a prize!
Getting on with each other is not always easy - even in the church. We need to find a way to handle the inevitable conflicts and personality clashes that will otherwise seriously damage the church.
The safe arrival of the newest member of the family is always a time to celebrate & thank God. It also brings fresh demands and challenges for the parents. We take some time out to ask God's blessing on some new arrivals at King's.
Why doesn't God do something to show he really exists? Surely there must be some convincing way of proving his existence to us? Jesus gives us a rather fishy answer when he's challenged to 'put up, or shut up'.
We expect Jesus to friendly, polite and above all nice. However it seems the real Jesus can be a lot more blunt than we'd like him to be. So what should we do when it seems like God doesn't want to know?
Why is it so easy for churches to become boring? And for Christians to live dull, unsatisfying lives? It's because it's so easy for us to make exactly the same mistakes as the religious types of Jesus' time. So how can we make sure we don't just settle for second best?
Would you ask a starving widow to give you some of her last meal? Elijah does, an in doing so teaches us an important lesson for all sorts of areas of our lives.
Here even Jesus own followers mistake Jesus for something else. During intense pressure and difficulties of a storm they mistake the Real Jesus for a ghost. In this sermon we will do some ghost busting by looking at the Real Jesus and see what he has to say to us in times of pressure during a storm.
When Jesus feeds a massive crowd with one small packed lunch it raises all sorts of questions. How did he actually do it? Why did he decide to do it? What does it mean for us?
Think you really know about Jesus? Think again. Many people, including many Christians, walk around with an inadequate understanding of the Real Jesus, settling instead for a weak, watered down, low-calorie imitation. How can we make sure that we don't make the same mistake?
It's all too easy to have a simplistic or watered-down idea of who Jesus is. When we look closer we discover he is more awesome than we can possible imagine.
This is one of the most common questions Christians ask. What does the bible really say about our future after our body dies?
Jesus' parables were more than just nice stories to entertain bored listeners - they are challenges to take God seriously. As we dig into them we discover that Jesus isn't offering a bit of personal spirituality but calling us to stake everything we have on him.
Why do some Christians seem to be doing superbly well in living for Jesus but others never seem to get out of first gear? Why do some of us find it so hard to live the way we should? Jesus tells a story that gives some of us the answer....
All families have their ups and downs, including Jesus' family. When his mum and his brothers can't take any more of his unusual behaviour Jesus takes the opportunity to spell out some hard truths about family. We still need to hear them today, if we're going to do church the way Jesus wants us to.
Christians will always tell you that God is merciful but here we discover it is more than just what God does - it's actually who he is...
Revelation 6v12-17 and Revelation 19v11-16
Hell is not popular in our culture: too many Christians try to sweep it under the carpet or explain it away. However, if we really want to understand what Jesus has done we need to understand what he saves us from.
Wouldn't it be great if God really showed up? When Isaiah actually encounters God we find that the presence of God is a lot less comfortable than we might think.
Whatever struggles and battles we face as Christians getting closer to the cross is always a good idea. Let's draw near to see what happens in Jesus' horrific crucifixion, and what a huge difference it makes for us.
It's time to go to the doctors as we examine our hearts and see what the real Jesus has to say about our health. How's your heart?
This passage has it all, healing, Beelzebub, demons, and the unforgivable sin. And Jesus deals with it all. But how does the real Jesus do it all? and what do we learn about him?
Ever just felt shattered? Do you get those times were you just need to stop and rest? Well Jesus understands! Here we are going to look at a day of rest called the Sabbath. What actually is the Sabbath? What should we do on the Sabbath? And what does all this tell us about the real Jesus?
Ever wondered why some people take so long to become Christians and others never make it at all? Why do they just not get it, even when it's really well explained? Jesus tells us why this is, and what we can do about it...
Not everyone likes Jesus. Many people rejected him to his face and many people do so today. But does it really matter? What's the problem if someone decides that the gospel is not for them? And what if they just don't get it?
God seems to have an annoying habit of doing things in ways we don't expect. Christians have an even more annoying habit of expecting God to only do things our way. How can we avoid missing what God is doing because of our own preconceptions?
Not everyone likes the message of Jesus and sometimes we can find ourselves on the receiving end of some pretty nasty responses. Is it our fault for not presenting it clearly enough? What should we do when we find ourselves taking flak for Jesus?
Don't be too quick to answer 'no I'm not' to the title question. Wherever you live, work or play Jesus has decided that you are the one he wants to point people to him. Let's see how he wants us to do it...
Sometimes Jesus doesn't do what we expect him to or what we ask him to. Is it because he doesn't care or isn't able to, or is there a different reason? How can we be confident in a saviour who seems so unpredictable?
Why do we find change so hard to handle? Why do churches so quickly get set in their ways? Jesus shows us that if we want God's best for us we need to be flexible, always ready to respond to what God is doing today.
Here we are going to see what happens when we take a paralysed man, his friends, a bunch of religious guy and the most hated men in 1st century Palestine and put them all together with Jesus!
We see authority challenged, what makes up a true disciple and an exciting mission to fulfil
Jesus' mates asked what is arguably the most important question EVER on a very eventful 'day off' which involved violent storms and crazy naked men. What kind of man is this Jesus fella? And most importantly how will you respond?....
Jesus seemed to have no problem healing anyone who came to him, yet despite this we can struggle to believe he will heal people through us today. What is it about the real Jesus that can lift our faith and expectation for miracles?
Ephesians 6v10-20 and Judges3v31 Living in the good of what God has done isn't always an easy ride. Sometimes we feel under-resourced and ill-equipped, but we still need to fight. Let's see how...
All that glitters isn't gold, and not everyone who claims to be a Christian really is. How can you tell the real believers from imitations? And more importantly how can you know if you're the real deal or just a cheap knock-off?
Ever felt like praying is a waste of time and God's not listening? You're not alone; which is why Jesus gives us this cast-iron guarantee of the effectiveness of prayer. So grab hold of it and keep praying!
Everyone likes chocolate eggs, but surely Jesus rising from the dead is taking Easter a bit far? Do we have to turn our brains off in order to believe or is there a better option available?
No one likes a hypocrite: Especially Jesus. With a strong warning and with humour he warns us to be careful how we deal with other people when we ourselves are not perfect.
Everyone has money worries at some time or other - but what has it got to do with Jesus? Surely he's not interested in our bank accounts? Turns out he is, and has a very promising investment opportunity for us.
As we look at this Godfather trilogy, do you have what it takes to be a secret agent? Do you really know your Godfather and is there a secret formula for prayer? Let's see what the real Jesus has to say...
What does it take to be a good person? How good exactly does God require us to be? How can we really know if we are ever good enough? It turns out it's not really about trying harder at all...
Christians can often feel like an unwanted minority in a godless society and retreat into a bunker mentality. However Jesus tells us we are to affect the whole of our culture with what God has given us. But how can so few of us make such big difference?
The beatitudes are a well known but little understood part of Jesus' teaching. What do they really mean for us today?
When Jesus calls people to follow him, telling others is part of the package. But what about those of us who find it tricky? And exactly what is Jesus' strategy for making disciples?
Many churches never fulfil their potential and remain small and ineffective. So how can we grow into all God has for us as a church?
Battling with temptation is a normal part of living as a Christian. But often it can seem like we are facing an inevitable defeat as we just don't feel strong enough to succeed. Let's learn from Jesus' desert battles how we can fight, and win.
Fighting temptation is part and parcel of the Christian life. Let's see how we can take the sting out of the battle.
At the very start of his 3 years of ministry Jesus gets baptised in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. But why does Jesus, a man who never sinned, need to do this if it's all about dealing with sin? Is it some kind of mistake?
Here we are going to look at three different responses to Jesus. But what reason could there be for such varied response. How will you respond to Jesus? Why must you respond to him?
4 adults were baptised at King's Church this Sunday: Rich explains what's really going on.....
Christianity isn't primarily about what we do or even what we believe. Above all it is about who we know. It's about Jesus, who fundamentally changed the world by his life and death. So to get to know him, where should we start?
When you're a kid Christmas can take forever to finally arrive. 2000 years ago, before the first Christmas, there was also a great sense of expectancy in Israel. But what happened next wasn't exactly what anyone was expecting...
We all fear something in our lives, and our fears can cause worry and anxiety. What are you anxious about and where do you run to when you're afraid? Can we really live in freedom from worry? Jesus specifically addresses these issues and gives us an amazing invitation!
Always wanting what we don't have is a slippery slope leading to increasing frustration and dissatisfaction. Is there any way we can rein in our tendency to see everyone else's grass as greener? Thankfully there is....
From tiny white Lies to massive whoppers lying seems to come so easily to us. Why is it so hard to be honest, and in the absence of having a Pinocchio style lie-detecting extending nose, is there anything we can do about it?
Everyone knows theft is wrong but many of us are unwittingly breaking this commandment in all sorts of subtle ways. Let's see how we can really appreciate God's generosity towards us.
The bible has a lot to say about sex, so it's no surprise to see one of the big ten commandments addressing the subject. Whether married or single this one affects us all, and it turns out there is a lot more in it than first meets the eye.
Pretty much everyone agrees murder's a bad thing. So presumably as long as I haven't killed anyone recently I don't need to worry about this commandment? Well, according to Jesus it's not quite that simple....
Families aren't automatically 'Happy Families', even for Christians. Parents can be frustrating and annoying; being a parent can be hard work and feel unrewarding. So where should we start in our efforts to have strong Families?
Have you ever felt tired, weary, run down and worn out? The good news is that God understands and has given us a commandment specifically to give us a break. But how does it work in a fast-paced 24/7 society like ours?
When wealthy young man asks Jesus for some spiritual advice he is stunned by the response. Jesus seems to be far less approachable then he'd expected, and sets the bar way too high for him. How will you respond to Jesus' ultimate challenge?
How should we respond when God tells us not to 'misuse' his name? Should we avoid using it altogether to avoid unpredictable consequences? Or perhaps we shouldn't worry about something as trivial as the words we say? Let's talk it through....
Have you ever found worshipping God difficult or even boring? Sometimes it's really hard to focus on someone who's invisible. Is there anything we can do to help ourselves or is that just the way it has to be? Let's have a look...
The first commandment says the most important thing is to put the Real God first in our lives. Why is this so hard to do? And how do we deal with all the other things competing for the Top Slot in our hearts?
Why are there so many rules in the Bible? The Old Testament seems full of them, yet Christians say it is all about 'having a relationship with God' and not about 'following rules'. So what should we do with all those Laws in the Bible?
'Israel faced a 'Giant' problem which looked like mission impossible, but one man stepped up and we can learn from his example. How can we face our own giants and be victorious?'
Ever felt short of resources? Ever felt like you need more? It seems there is more for us, if we are prepared to trust God with what we have.
Do you submit to Jesus' Awesome Authority which he has as the Ultimate Owner? Here in this sermon we are going to look at how Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants applies to us today and see how Jesus with Awesome Authority as the Ultimate Owner affects us.
Having received such a great salvation from God how should we live? This passage suggests we should apply ourselves vigorously to making the most of who we are in Christ. But what exactly does that involve?
The Bible tells us that one of the first things we need to do once we have become Christians is to be baptised. But Why? What's it really all about?
'We're all going to the law courts to decide the most significant court case there will ever be! Do you know that YOU have a part to play! What's YOUR verdict and do you really understand your sentence?'
Regeneration, what is it? How does it work? Do we need it? Christians undergo a huge change when they choose to follow Jesus. This is called regeneration and here we see whether it is anything like Dr. Who's regeneration or not. .....here's a clue... No it's not.
One of the greatest truths of the gospel is that when we are saved we are 'in Christ' - meaning all he is and does is counted for our benefit. What exactly does this really mean?
Salvation is not just about making this life better; many people really suffer for their faith in Jesus. So why does it still make sense to follow Jesus? Will everything really be finally ok?
Why do some people respond positively to Jesus while others ignore him? Is it because we are somehow spiritually or morally better than them? Nothing could be further from the truth, as we find out in Genesis chapter 0.....
The fact that God is 'our father' is such a well known part of Christianity that we can miss the awesomeness of it. How exactly is God our father and why doesn't it amaze us more?
If you tell people that God loves them they are normally fairly unimpressed. Yet this is the most staggering, incomprehensible & extraordinary statement on earth! So why are we so unmoved by it?
Why did Jesus come to earth? What was his mission? It turns out that Jesus was determined to find and rescue lost people. But do we really need his help?
Each one of us has a body and we are affected by how it works every day. There is a special heavenly body which we have the privilege of being part of as Christians and each of us have a vital part. Do you want a heavenly body and are you ready to play your part?
What are the most important things we need to be doing as Christians? How do we make sure we are living in a way that pleases God? It turns out there is a surprisingly simple answer...
What is real worship & how can we make sure we really please God when we are worshipping?
Ever felt like there's 'too much month left at the end of the money'? Staying on top of our finances can be really difficult. Jesus does enable us to take control, but only if we're prepared to tackle the problem head on.
Jesus has left us with very clear instructions about our mission on earth: We are to find as many ways as possible to help as many people as possible become his followers. Yet we can find it so hard to do. So how can we start to take our mission more seriously?
Most of us spend much of our waking lives either at work or thinking about work. For some of us work is also the last thing we want to think about on a Sunday! But how does being a Christian impact what I do for the rest of the week?
By looking at Hebrews 11 we will look at how our faith works and how we can practicaly just step out in faith.
Many Christians live with a underlying sense of inadequacy: They find it hard to talk about Jesus, struggle to engage in worship, and lack many of the spiritual gifts found in the New Testament. So how can we get some real oomph into our Christian lives?
Almost all Christians say they would like to be better at praying. Why do we find it so hard and how can we learn to pray better?
Everyone needs a good diet to be healthy and fit. The same is true for our spiritual health - but what can give us the spiritual nutrients we need? As a Christian can I really 'Feed myself Fit'?
Jesus didn't just die to forgive a bunch of people. He gave his life for the church, to build an awesome new community of people totally devoted to God. So what does that mean for me and my priorities in life?
Dealing with our sin is central to why we become Christians. But so many Christians find that they still have sin problems and failings. Why is this? How can we beat the sin still in our lives?
Being a Christian can be hard. How can we make sure we keep going and make the most of our life? What's the secret to a long, successful, enjoyable Christian life?