Living Rock Podcast: Recent Episodes
Living Rock Church
Living Rock Church is a friendly, growing Christian church, meeting each week in Stoney Stanton, Tamworth, Market Harborough & Kenya. We’ve discovered that Jesus changes lives, heals bodies, restores families and gives meaning and purpose to us all. We’re convinced that church should be positive, practical, relevant and great fun! This podcast contains audio recordings from our Sunday gatherings.
Life Groups are integral and indispensable for our church family. Will talks about why we need Life Groups and what we expect when our Life Groups gather in this short message.
God wants us to receive revelation! In fact the word says that He wants us to be continually receiving revelation. To understand the great mysteries of the word, to be empowered and to ultimately become more and more like Him. This morning we look at 5 keys and challenges to attain this goal here are the Five Challenges - that will develop revelation! People, books, experience, observation & thinking and pondering.
In this all-together gathering, we look at the Big Announcements the church is called to make. Announcements of welcome, to one another, to the world and until Christ returns!
We all need friends of faith. In this encouragement message, we focus on what the characteristics of friends of faith might be, how we can implement them in our church family and how we can be friends of faith to those who don't yet know Jesus. We end with a checklist for consideration and challenge!
Towards the end of Ephesians 2 we read some familiar verses that describe Jesus as the cornerstone. In this message we unpack what this means and go through verses 19-22 phrase-by-phrase. We see how Jesus the Cornerstone is placed at the very centre of both the church and our lives individually, providing a strong and stable foundation that everything else can line up to.
Continuing our series in Ephesians, Paul turns his attention at the start of chapter 4 to the practical day to day living of the transformed in-Christ life he has described in chapters 1 to 3. He urges us to walk worthy of our calling together as the One New People of God, guarding our oneness in Christ. And he gives us just the right tools to help… a new wardrobe of designer-label garments. Dare to wear!
As we read through this beautiful psalm of David, we look at what it tells us about God, and want it teaches us about worship.
Scripture tells us that ‘God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church’. In this All-Together gathering we think about how this truth can enable us to approach God in prayer, full of confidence!
In Ephesians 4 we read about the gifts of Christ to the church. So in this session we take a closer look at apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
As we look at Ezekiel 47:1-12, we see how God has a ‘River of Life’ that comes from heaven to bring abundant blessing on earth. We can see this river being an image of: the life of Jesus poured out for us; and then at Pentecost a pouring out of the Holy Spirit; and then as a river of life in the Spirit that flows through believers from house-to-house. The pattern of God’s increasing purpose to fill the earth is seen in the different depths of the river, and shows us how we can be led by the Holy Spirit into greater depths of fellowship together and of reaching others with the power of the gospel. Finally, we see how being led by the Spirit and drawing upon our relationship with Him will cause us to be like the abundant trees who are fruitful every month and have leaves for healing.
When God declared “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26) He was expressing not only His own ’three-in-one’ togetherness, but also His great purpose in creating men and women who would join together in unity and reproduce His image in all the earth! The story of the miraculous catch and the calling of the first disciples (Luke 5) is a powerful example of what can happen when we prepare for a new day, make ourselves wholly available, go deeper, join together, and help each other handle the great increase He wants to give us! This is the power and potential of churches working in partnership with one another…
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” It encompasses all that God is about, all that God feels about us, all that God feels towards us, all that God is. Because God is love. He is a father that loves you! This morning it is vitally important to know this: He is filled with "love and compassion" towards us, even if we are a "long way off”. We have a loving Father; He “sees” us, He is filled with love and compassion towards us, He will come to us - we walk, but He “runs” to us.
In part 2 of this message we are introduced to God as the master architect, who has a master plan - for his Kingdom be be extended and established on earth. How does he choose to do this? Through his people, the Church. We therefore learn that God's plan for our lives is never independent of the Church. Actually we can only fully outwork his plan for our life in the context of church, because it's the church that is his master plan. When we realise what the church is (which we find in the book of Ephesians), and who fills it, it stops being something that we attend. It starts to become part of our everyday lives, as we see His Kingdom established.
As part of our series ‘For Such a Time as This’, we consider the first generation of Christians. In Acts 1, Luke tells us that as the risen Jesus prepares to return to His Father, He shows them what the Kingdom of God means, He tells them to do nothing without the Holy Spirit, and it quickly becomes apparent that every single one of their small number was necessary for the Mission which lay ahead. As our world today finds itself in a state of ‘permacrisis’, God’s unshakeable Kingdom arises, and He is calling us to embrace the moment for which He has shaped us!
About Living Rock Church:
Living Rock Church is a vibrant, growing, family church in 4 locations across the Midlands and multiple locations in Kenya. We believe Church should be fun, relevant and full of life and full of Jesus! 💥
Links:
Website: https://www.livingrock.church
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingrockchurch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingrockchurch/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/livingrockchurch
In Colossians 1:27 we read that God wants everyone to know an amazing secret - if we choose to follow Jesus, He comes to live inside us and comes to transform us so that we are more like him every day. In this message we look at what it means for Christ to live in us; the same Jesus Christ who was there at the very beginning of the bible, the Jesus who is God and desires to be with us! We look at how he raises us to life and how we can experience his presence, his purpose, his provision, his peace and his power.
About Living Rock Church:
Living Rock Church is a vibrant, growing, family church in 4 locations across the Midlands and multiple locations in Kenya. We believe Church should be fun, relevant and full of life and full of Jesus! 💥
Links:
Website: https://www.livingrock.church
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingrockchurch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingrockchurch/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/livingrockchurch
As we kick off a new series looking at the books of Colossians and Ephesians, Stephen takes time to read through the 4 chapters of Colossians. We look at the major themes that we find in the book and discover some of the things that will help shape our lives as we dive deeper into the series!
About Living Rock Church:
Living Rock Church is a vibrant, growing, family church in 4 locations across the Midlands and multiple locations in Kenya. We believe Church should be fun, relevant and full of life and full of Jesus! 💥
Links:
Website: https://www.livingrock.church
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingrockchurch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingrockchurch/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/livingrockchrch
We're delighted to have our good friend Arne Skagen with us sharing the Sunday message. Arne shares about how we can all live life in The Spirit and tells stories of people who have encountered Jesus and experienced the new life he brings.
About Living Rock Church:
Living Rock Church is a vibrant, growing, family church in 4 locations across the Midlands and multiple locations in Kenya. We believe Church should be fun, relevant and full of life and full of Jesus! 💥
Links:
Website: https://www.livingrock.church
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingrockchurch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingrockchurch/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/livingrockchrch
We are called for such a time as this, and this is the time for obedience! Obedience isn’t a fashionable word, it’s not a word that many people would list as a good quality, but God is our shepherd, our master, our God. He deserves and expects an obedient heart that translates to obedient actions. In this message we’ll consider these things and how practically we obey God’s word and His Spirit.
In the latest Meet The Family message Steve shares all about his journey to finding Jesus and how he has discovered his true identity as a child of God.
In the latest Meet The Family message Steve shares all about his journey to finding Jesus and how he has discovered his true identity as a child of God.
In this podcast, Phil gives some personal reflections on what it is about the church that should make our hearts beat a little faster and fill us with a genuine sense of excitement every time we gather!
In this podcast, Phil gives some personal reflections on what it is about the church that should make our hearts beat a little faster and fill us with a genuine sense of excitement every time we gather!
Do gatherings of the church really matter? If so, why? We look at some of the things that happen when the family of God meet together.
Do gatherings of the church really matter? If so, why? We look at some of the things that happen when the family of God meet together.
Jesus promised He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18) and in Acts 2-3 we get the first wonderful glimpses of what it looks like! Here too we discover the kind of church that must arise in the nations “at such a time as this”. It’s secure, relational, generous, exciting, simple, powerful and miraculous! And it’s growing every day, because its members take the blessings they enjoy out into the world around them. The call to the church (our church, your church, His church!) at a time of gathering gloom for so many is to “arise and shine” (Isaiah 60:1) - and in this message we consider what that means for us in practice...
Today four families share their wisdom and experience about raising children with additional needs. They talk about how faith has impacted their families and how we can show the love of Jesus to those around us who have additional needs.
Being a Christian means being a part of the body of Christ. Its like the human body in that each part is important and needs the other parts to function effectively and well. We all need each other to grow and this can be demonstrated in our sharing of the Covenant Meal.
Being a Christian means being a part of the body of Christ. Its like the human body in that each part is important and needs the other parts to function effectively and well. We all need each other to grow and this can be demonstrated in our sharing of the Covenant Meal.
‘Such a child’ is often used as an insult, but when we come into the family of God, they are some of the best three words we can hear. As children of God our pasts have lost their power, we have nothing to prove and we are completely, unconditionally loved by our Heavenly Father. If we can love one another in the same way we’re onto a winner!
‘Such a child’ is often used as an insult, but when we come into the family of God, they are some of the best three words we can hear. As children of God our pasts have lost their power, we have nothing to prove and we are completely, unconditionally loved by our Heavenly Father. If we can love one another in the same way we’re onto a winner!
In this message we continue our Meet The Family series and get to know Pete & Jenni. We hear about how they met, their upbringing in Christian households, and their passion for mums and dads in our local community.
In this message we continue our Meet The Family series and get to know Pete & Jenni. We hear about how they met, their upbringing in Christian households, and their passion for mums and dads in our local community.
Join our church family as we interactively explore the story of a little boat devoted to Jesus and see how it illustrates something of what it means to be devoted to Jesus ourselves. Jesus has a plan for us because He has a purpose for the world!
Spoiler alert includes highlights from the Gospels of Mark, Luke & John, Acts 2:42-47, a dinghy, a big catch or two and a shoreside breakfast invitation. Waterproofs optional!
Join our church family as we interactively explore the story of a little boat devoted to Jesus and see how it illustrates something of what it means to be devoted to Jesus ourselves. Jesus has a plan for us because He has a purpose for the world!
Spoiler alert includes highlights from the Gospels of Mark, Luke & John, Acts 2:42-47, a dinghy, a big catch or two and a shoreside breakfast invitation. Waterproofs optional!
A short all age message about putting faith into action and trusting God to provide all we need in all seasons!
A short all age message about putting faith into action and trusting God to provide all we need in all seasons!
‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.’ (Pr 13:12). In this message we consider those things which we had hoped would come to pass, or which we’re sure we’ve been promised, but seem to remain out of our reach, or delayed in their coming. It can have a huge impact on our lives. And in this message, we consider why we experience deferred hope, how it happens, and what God can achieve in our lives through these times. King David knew all about this process, and his confession can also be ours – ‘Iwould have despaired, had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps 27:13, Amplified)
When Jesus encountered the paralysed man in Mark 2, we read about the faith that was found in his friends, and the faith that was raised in the house. The man was saved and healed, and he walked out carrying his mat - a physical demonstration to all who were watching that Jesus did a miracle in his life. In this message we hear about how we can build a house of faith today; we hear stories of God's goodness and we dream about what a church looks like where we regularly hear the phrase "we have never seen anything like this".
Scripture often describes the church as being ‘family’. Today, we are meeting one of the family! Listen as Kate Boden talks about her early years, and how meeting and knowing Jesus has enabled her to embrace the challenges of life.
Miracles happen all the time. Jesus loves to do miracles to build faith in people and to bring joy, strength and peace into their lives. Will shares lots of stories of miracles and encourages us to expect and ask Jesus for them today.
Paul spent just 3 weeks planting a church in Thessalonica (Acts 17) before being forced out of town! His first letter back to the church a few weeks later reflects his deep affection to the believers there. It starts and ends with descriptions of their faith, hope and love. In this message we hear the epistle read aloud and highlight features that are most relevant to us here and now.
Do we practice what we preach? Mike Shuter pucks out 5 family values that have impacted him as he has seen and heard taught over the years. He encourages and challenges us to consider them afresh and to keep putting them into practice in our lives.
The story of Jonah and God’s amazing love: exploring the amazing depth and breadth of God’s love and grace towards us, whilst recognising the tension that lies in us ultimately needing to make a choice - are we running from God or running towards Him?
God wants His church to grow! From the opening verses of the Bible onwards, we discover that fruitfulness and multiplication is at the heart of His plan and purpose. In this message we look at some simple biblical principles and some vital ingredients of church growth. Embracing these things will enable us to be ‘harvest-ready’ in this time of great uncertainty and upheaval in our world.
Reading Psalms 33, 42 and 43, we look at how hope and praise interact and why they are so important to God and us!
In this all-age gathering, we look at the bible account of Daniel’s life and how, despite his circumstances, he was able to keep his eyes fixed on God’s promise of good for His people.
We take a look at the story of Jonah and the city of Nineveh to see that God’s love is totally faithful and consistent no matter what!
In John chapter 15, Jesus describes his relationship with his followers as being like a vine and branches. We look at 7 things that Jesus said of himself and his disciples and ask ‘can we bring our own YES’, in faith, to all he says.
Today we look in Luke 7 at the extravagant outpouring of worship to Jesus from Mary who knew Jesus as a teacher, friend, healer and the one with power over life & death. Her revelation as to who Jesus was meant that despite her past, she was saved by faith in Him.
The apostle Paul commended the Thessalonians for their work of Faith, labour of Love and steadfastness of Hope (1 Thess 1.3). In this message we’ll start to build on our existing definitions for these three great aspects of our life in God’s Kingdom. And we’ll also consider how together, working in unison, they can prove to be a cord of three strands for us all (Eccl 4.12).
The Father's Love - when we start to understand it, and allow it to effect us - it changes our lives forever! We move into a different realm of faith, of hope, of security. It sets us free!
‘All aboard!’ for a whole family experience as we explore more about David’s faith in contrast to the fear of King Saul. Saul listened to his enemy and became afraid and powerless. David heard God’s word and became full of faith and powerful! We consider Romans 10:17, 'Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God’and take time together to make our own ‘Faith Cards’ as a practical way to help us hear and know what God has said and build up our faith! You can download your own card (above/here - or whatever is appropriate) with some Bible references (they’re just the tip of the iceberg...) and make your own Faith Card too!
Download your Faith Card here!
Roger & Dianne Aubrey join us at Living Rock Church for our 2022 Momentum conference and share about Hope & Faith.
Roger & Dianne Aubrey join us for our 2022 Momentum conference and share about Hope & Faith.
Roger & Dianne Aubrey join us for our 2022 Momentum conference and share about Hope & Faith.
Who we have faith in is a hugely important question. A.W. Tozer says that ‘What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.’ With this in mind we’ll ask these 3 questions: Should we know God? Can we know God? And does knowing who God is make any practical difference to our lives? With the response to all of this being, God help me to know you better!
We take the wonderful opportunity that Easter Sunday gives us, to talk about how God came to restore relationship with us. What does a curtain and cross have to do with all this? Why not watch and find out? 😊
On this Mothers Day, Jonathan Conrathe reminds us of the role mothers and women play in the Bible story and in the life and growth of the church. And, assuring us of the faithfulness of God towards them and all of us, he shares the good news of hope and healing for everyone through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This message has great power for all of us…
In this time when historic global events are taking place around us, we're reminded that God’s great love for the world has implications for all the nations and for all our neighbours; those near and far. And the story of God breaking-in amongst the Gentiles in Acts chapter 10 speaks profoundly into this moment, showing His love and power impacting the lives of family and friends, neighbours and nations - and reminding us that He has prepared "good works" for us to do (Eph 2:10). This message unpacks the story and shows us how we can open our homes, reach out to help and play our part in all that God is doing in these historic days...
Hope, often gets side-lined, it’s a little ambiguous to some it is often misinterpreted as the opposite to faith, “I wasn’t in faith, or I don’t have faith for that, but I can just hope?”. Just to be clear the opposite of faith is fear. The opposite of hope is doubt and confusion – a lack of direction or focus. Hope is important! Hope is not wishing for something to happen. The Bible describes hope much differently. The world is full of people hoping:
- Their children’s future
- Their own futures
- Will their money last?
- Will they stay in health?
- Will they win the lottery?
So, this morning I want to get straight into the definition and unpack hope, to see how it strengthen our lives.
In Luke’s account of Jesus calming a storm, Jesus asks his disciples ‘Where is your faith?, implying that the disciples had faith but it couldn’t be seen. In today’s all-age gathering we consider ways in which we can stir our own faith so that it is visible to ourselves and those around us.
As part of an all age Sunday service, Will talks about giants, lions, whales, storm clouds, technical support, expectant parents and Valentine’s cards as he shares some real life stories of faith, hope and love.
If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. (1 Peter 3:15, NLT)
We’re living in days where hope is in short supply, or just in the wrong things. In such days, God’s people are called to hold out rock solid hope, which is based on the person and work of Christ, rooted in eternity, guaranteed with the seal of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by lives full of Jesus’ resurrection power; and from which none are excluded. In this message, we consider why these five essential reasons explain the glorious hope we have.
We kick off our shiny, new series on the wonderful golden attributes of faith, hope and love. Let’s start by looking to define what these wonderful virtues are, and how they mark us out as God’s people.
As we come around the table this morning – it is important to remember that Jesus said this “Anyone who feeds on me will live because of me.” There is something in “taking in Christ” in “feeding on Him” Normal bread doesn’t fill us in the same way. The children of Israel eat the bread in the wilderness – but eventually they all died! But this bread – the body of Jesus – brings eternal life!
It is a strange expression – “feed on me!” But we have all heard the expressions “He was feeding him the lines”, “He feed him a load of lies", “People just seem to feed on this situation or rubbish”. But God doesn’t want us to feed on rubbish, lies, bad situations or be drawn along by the political or devious will of others. He wants us to follow Christ – to believe in Him. He wants the things “we feed” on to be of Him.
If I asked you what you think “strength” is - what would your answer be? What do you think it means to be “strong in the Lord?”Your strength is the energy that you have, which gives you more than the ability to just perform various actions, such as lifting or moving things. But is it easy to say my strength is in God, when we are feeling weak in the mist of problems and issues?! Real strength comes from the Lord and is in the Lord. In life we don’t rely on our own strength and ability – we look to the Lord to supply His strength and attributes in our lives.
We may be in a place of fear or feel weak, but today God wants to teach us something - God wants our faith to be strong all the time! What is this secret? We all need to get into training! He wants us to be strong, full of life, living victoriously despite the challenges that we may face, that we will indeed rule and reign in life!
We look at the parable of the mustard seed to see what we can learn about the Kingdom of God and how we can play our part in seeing it impact our world.
“Go, Give, Gather, Grow!…” is the simple and powerful way that Jesus has commissioned and instructed His followers. We're to GO into all the world (Mt 28:19-20); and as we go we are to GIVE freely (Mt 10:7-8) so that His Kingdom is proclaimed and demonstrated; then as disciples are made we should GATHER together in His name (Mt 18:20); for as do we stay closely connected with Him and GROW in our fruitfulness and influence (Mt 13:31-32, Jn 15:8). In this message we unpack this healthy life-cycle of the church, see it at work in the New Testament, and consider some of the opportunities we face at the start of this year...
Moses set an example for all believers in his attitude to the presence of God. He cared whether God was with him. He understood what God’s presence meant for himself and the Israelites and he responded to the presence of God with passion!
If desire is to seek first God’s presence and his Kingdom then Moses has some great attitudes to take on board!
Is 1 Corinthians 13 is a beautiful piece of prose designed to be read at weddings, or was it written with a different context in mind? Find out in this podcast as Phil Chapman asks the question ‘What’s love got to do (got to do) with it?’.
In the last part of this mini-series HIS HOUSE, OUR HOME we look at the significance of prayer and prophecy in our gatherings - powerful weapons as we advance God's kingdom and build-up the church. Reminding us that the church is "the house of God” and “the gateway to heaven” (Genesis 28:17), David unpacks the apostle Paul’s teachings set out in 1 Corinthians 11, and encourages us to have a heavenly perspective on what happens when we gather together.
To conclude our mini-series HIS HOUSE, OUR HOME we consider some important aspects of the church’s gatherings. In this first part, Sarah shares some vital truths about the power and priority of meeting together and helps us appreciate the importance of each of us playing our part in what God wants to do amongst us whenever we gather in our homes or in our congregations.
In this third instalment of our ‘His House, Our Home’ series, we look at the foundational matter of STEWARDSHIP – why and how we invest our lives, and all that God has placed in our hands. We consider Kingdom Principles, which are inherent in our nature as new creations; and how God uses stewardship to show us what’s in our hearts, grow our faith in Him, and ultimately, to prepare us to be entrusted with the true riches of heaven (Lk 16:11). We also discuss Kingdom Practices, considering the purpose of tithes and offerings in the outworking of these Kingdom Principles in our lives. And to finish … 10 Myth-busters!
The second big theme of our 'His House, Our Home’ series is LEADERSHIP and is in two parts. In this first session we consider what the Bible shows us about the nature and purpose of leadership and what we mean by authority and government in the church and the related ideas of headship and submission. This is followed by personal reflections on the functions and tasks of the two primary expressions of government in the church - that of the apostles and the elders.
This week in Market Harborough Phil shares some personal reflections on maintaining a healthy rhythm of life as we consider together what it means for us to ‘in all your ways acknowledge Him’ (Proverbs 3 v 6)
We begin our series covering our corporate foundations. This introduction takes a look at the nature and mission of the Church and the importance of the Bible.
We begin our series covering our corporate foundations. This introduction takes a look at the nature and mission of the Church and the importance of the Bible.
We're excited to let you know that as we reach the end of this year we will be taking a few weeks to be refreshed and re-focussed together, looking at some vital roots and foundations.
Whether you’re a member or a newcomer to LRC, these sessions will help us all dig deeper into what we believe and why we believe it!
Jesus is building His Church amongst us, and wants us to know the strength and blessing of belonging to a secure family.
Each session will be in ‘workshop’ style, with opportunity for discussion and Q&A - and we trust you’ll really enjoy this investment of our time over the next few weeks.
David shares with us about how we can stay rooted, focussed and encouraged in our life and mission together.
‘Mission Possible’ is an inspirational and practical message to encourage us all to share our faith in our own way. Explaining the unlimited resources of heaven who partner with us in our mission and reminding us of the constant presence of The Spirit of Jesus to empower and enable us to accomplish our mission -‘Should We Choose To Accept It!
As we continue to explore the ways in which we influence the world around us, we take time to consider where God has placed us, and what God has given us. When we dedicate the things we have, and the things we do to God, they are made holy and will become a Kingdom resource!
The success of the early church in following the example of Jesus and spreading the gospel throughout the towns and villages was stunning! Within 20-30 years, vast geographic areas were saturated with the Good News of the Kingdom and vibrant, missional churches were planted in every place. This midweek message looks at some important aspects of the “partnership” between churches, apostles and elders (Phil 1:5,7) that made all this possible, and helps us to reflect on factors that will be key in our own co-mission to our towns and villages.
Come and follow me is the call all believers hear from Jesus as we put our faith in Him, but what does it mean to be a disciple? How do we follow him closely and how does God expect me to be discipled? To help with this process of discipleship we have launched an app called LRC Grow. In this message we’ll explore the need to be devoted disciples of Jesus and how this new tool can help us to do that.
When we are born again the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. From that moment we are salt, Light fragrance that impacts the world around us for Jesus.
Tim and Holly share promises and blessings from the word, purchased on the cross and released to us in breaking bread by the new covenant relationship we have as the result of Jesus’ sacrifice.
We review episodes 1 & 2 of Things That Make You Go Mmmm where we looked at Rewards & Riches and Insightful Imagery, and then look at a group and an individual who are Named & Shamed by Jesus Himself! As we look at these themes in the letters to the churches we can learn about what God wants for us and how we can live fully for Him.
We've seen in the letters to the churches the opportunity for great eternal rewards for those who conquer and are faithful to the end. The question is how do we conquer? As we explore this we'll see the scriptures have great insights for us in what it means to conquer and be victorious in Christ.
In this important time of re-gathering we mustn’t forget that it’s also a vital time of in-gathering. In Part 2 of this mini-series we look at the way Jesus called His disciples to come and follow Him, so that He could transform them into “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18-20) and we consider some of the implications for us. He calls us to come to Him as we are, where we are and with what we’ve got - so He can send us out with His invitations of rest, strength, life, courage and blessing to many others.
In this second episode, we look at how we can interpret the rich imagery that we find in the first 3 chapters of John’s Revelation.
On several occasions in the Gospels we read that Jesus invited people to “COME TO ME”. Some were weary and burdened, others needed strengthening and still others were longing to step out in boldness and bravery. And on every occasion Jesus met their needs. As we look at these occasions together, we know that Jesus will once again invite us to draw near to Him and as we do He will.
The continual refrain of Christ in His letters to the churches, is “I know”. He knew each church and its members intimately. Not as one who had simply left them behind as He returned to the Father. The letters of Revelation are personal and passionate correspondence from Jesus to those whom He loved dearly. As we consider what He knows of each church, much of what Jesus says will resonate with each of us in different ways. This is because He knows us intimately as well – our passions, desires, plans, struggles and weaknesses. He came not only to understand us, but to fill us with His very own fulness and empower us. He knows the beautiful design God has for each of us, and has sent His Spirit to repair and restore, shape and to set us back on track.
We can learn much about how to get things right from those who got things wrong. Laodicea is a prime example: they shut Jesus out through their indifference to him.
As we come to the table, let’s remind ourselves of the outrageous act of love God performed for us, but also looking forward to what things will be like in the Kingdom when He returns. God doesn’t see us for who we were but who he’s called us to be.
We look again at how Jesus taught us to pray. Let’s consider again what we can learn about talking with our Heavenly Father.
When Jesus sends his letters to the churches in revelation he is challenging them, encouraging them but in it all wants them to be all that he has created them to be. To represent him well and for them to experience the life he has for them. The question is at the moment what letter is Jesus writing to us? What is God saying to you in this next season to encourage and challenge you but ultimately to lead you to Him and the life He has for you.
Jesus's letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3) demonstrate just how much He loves His Church, and how deeply concerned He is to ensure that each one represents Him faithfully. And in the very first letter - to Ephesus - we discover how Jesus evaluates or 'measures' things! To our great shock we find that this famous church had "abandoned its first love", with terrible consequences. What is the Spirit saying to us, in our own time and context, two thousand years later?...
As we start a new teaching series called Red Letter Days, from Jesus' letters to the churches in the book of Revelation, we begin with a whistle-stop tour of each church to see the defining characteristic Jesus requires of them and how this matches an aspect of His own nature.
Everything we need to be the church He is preparing, is found in Him, if we will only allow Him to live His resurrected life through us (Ga 2:20). In these days of change, as we look forward to a new season, “… anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches.”
As we break bread, we’re reminded that we can know and experience joy as we share in this amazing covenant meal.
We look back over our time in the book of Numbers and consider what God has been speaking to us around: His plan and purpose for us, His process of purification in us, and His perfect provision for us. We look at how this propels us forward together with strength in numbers!
God has given us all we need to thrive in life. It’s not all happy rainbows and warm hugs, though. There are baddies and boundaries around us which we need to know how to deal with in order to live in the fulness of all God has for us. We can learn a thing or two from what God says in Numbers 33 just before His people entered the Promised Land.
As we come towards the end of our series on Numbers, Stephen shares from Numbers 33 about how we are on a journey, and God is with us! Even during difficult stages of the journey there is a provision and refreshing for us. God wants to fill every aspect of our lives whilst we are on this journey, and despite set backs and, sometimes, failures, we are called to press on and finish the race.
In Numbers 27, tantalisingly close to the Promised Land, we’re introduced to five sisters whose story has much to say to us about the characteristics of those who pursue and possess the promises of God. Step up Generation Faith!
In Numbers 27 we read of the instruction that God gave to Moses at the end of his life. We will be looking at how Moses responded to this instruction and what this teaches us about Moses’s character, about God’s faithfulness and the view that we can enjoy as we look out over God’s covenant promise to us.
This Sunday, as we look at Numbers 25, we’re going to discover the connection and correlation between danger, anger and zeal!
We turn to Numbers 22-24 and read from the prophecy of Balaam the glory and wonder of the church of Jesus Christ…that’s US!
In Numbers 20 and Exodus 17 we find two similar, yet distinct incidents, at the beginning and toward the end of Israel’s wanderings in the desert. Both mark periods of testing, for God and for Israel, and become future reference points in the Scriptures, which demonstrate the dangers of testing God to prove Himself to us, and the reason why God allows us to go through periods of testing. As His workmanship, God is not shaping our circumstances to suit us, but shaping us to suit His purposes. He will sometimes allow us to be tested beyond our limits, so that we rely solely upon the fresh living water, from Jesus, our Spiritual Rock. Water that tastes as sweet at honey! (Ps 81.16)
In the old Testament we read of the Israelites who receive water that gives them life from a rock. In the new Testament Paul tells us that, that rock travelled with them on their journey and that rock was a spiritual rock, and that Rock was Christ! We will look together at the abundance of life in The Rock, poured out for everyone.
In the last part of our New Year trilogy, we see that when Jesus ascended on high and poured out His Spirit He was empowering His church for its mission (Acts 1:4-8): proclaiming and demonstrating the good news of the Kingdom everywhere - and so completing what Jesus had started and preparing the way for His second coming! And we discover that the opening chapters of Acts show us in simple, practical ways what this looks like and how we can all play our part. Great strength and success this year will come from knowing Jesus is Unchangeable, His Kingdom is Unshakeable and His Mission is Unstoppable!...
In the second part of our New Year trilogy, we discover that Jesus is not only "the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) but is also enthroned as Head over "a Kingdom that is unshakeable” (Hebrews 12:28). The Unchanging Person came into our world bringing the good news of an Unshakeable Kingdom! This everlasting, ever-growing Kingdom is God’s total answer to mankind’s total need, and is the new home of every follower of Jesus...
At the start of a year in which so much is changing and uncertain, the Bible assures us that "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is the Rock on which our lives and churches are built and we invite you to join us this Sunday for the first part of our New Year trilogy - Unchangeable, Unshakeable, Unstoppable!...
Numbers 11 helps us to understand that living in uncertainty can cause us to grasp for control. When we’re rooted in the certainty of who God is though, we can let go of control and lay hold of all God has for us. We can live in certain times.
Numbers 7 gives a detailed account of the offerings brought to the Lord on behalf of the people. It’s a passage that’s easy to skim over due to its repetitive nature, but it contains principles that are important for us to grasp as we prepare to gather around The Lord’s Table this morning.
The book of Numbers is a powerful reminder of the vital need for the church to embrace her true identity and enter in to all God has planned and promised for us. In this message, and against the backdrop of Numbers chapter 1, David outlines ten vital attributes and characteristics that we can and must embrace if our amazing church is to thrive and fulfil our great calling in these days!...
As the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness on their way to Canaan they had the best local guide you could think of - The Presence of God. Although they went the long way round to reach their destination, their journey was an important experience for them to go through and a necessary preparation. As believers in 2020 we can know that the presence of God is no longer restricted to a tent, or even a grand temple, but now lives inside us - Transformed people. The presence of God leads us in the wilderness, causes us to worship and moves us to witness. Let’s be a church that is ready to move when The Lord commands and follows the leading of His presence.
God is so good and this is wonderfully expressed at the end of Numbers 6. Let’s look at the powerful priestly blessing, and see what it means for us as Christians today.
The book of Numbers is a story of wanderings. A people on a pilgrimage through the wilderness, called to a promised land flowing with milk and honey. However, not yet ready to take hold of it, they became nomads instead of pilgrims. God has a plan and purpose for each of us as well. A journey which should have taken weeks for the Israelites, instead took them years, with a whole generation dying out. Numbers provides us with a helpful picture about making progress in own journey, to avoid wandering and being taken off course. Like the Israelites, most of the time the biggest obstacle to our progress is US; sometimes it’s our CIRCUMSTANCES, and occasionally GOD Himself steps in, to protect us from our mistakes! Numbers has been given as an instruction to us (1 Co 10:11), so let’s embrace it so we can be pilgrims rather than nomads!
The opening chapter of Numbers describes the census taken to count Israel’s army, before they began their journey to the promised land. And as we read the story in its context we find several features relevant to our day. Everyone was “counted by name”, a reminder that we're known and loved by God. Everyone was “qualified to serve”, a reminder that all of us have a vital part to play. But - tragically - none of those counted (except Joshua and Caleb) ever made it into the promised land, a reminder (and a warning, 1Corinthians 10:11) that we must embrace God’s promises and provision and do all we can to make sure our lives count. This timely message will inspire you to take every opportunity to serve God’s purpose in our generation!...
Mike continues in our new series in the book of Numbers and will be sharing about how we all have a part to play in outworking the mission of the church, no matter who you are or what's going on around us!
We take some time to overview the book of Numbers and then explore hints and pictures that point to Christ, they help us to see who Jesus is and what He has done.
Numbers Overview: BibleProject is the author and owner of the video. To see our full library of free content, please visit BibleProject.com
When we read books of the bible (or any books for that matter!), it is always helpful to know background and context in which they are written. Before we begin to look at the book of Numbers, let’s firstly remind ourselves of the story so far…
Luke 23:32-43 – As we close our 'Gospel Encounters' series, we consider the last encounter, thankfully recorded for us by Luke. This one takes place between the innocent Son of God and the convicted criminal, during the final moments of both their lives. The intensity of this last encounter is obvious, and shows us that at its heart, the gospel message is about injustice, brutality, divisiveness, and is intensely personal!
God’s word has a lot to say about ‘heaven’ yet as believers we rarely seem to talk about it. In today’s message, we look as what we have already been told about heaven and the age to come, asking ourselves ‘how then should we live?’.
Being a Christian isn’t all about sitting in pews while waiting to go to Heaven. In fact, not at all. We’re called to play a very active part in restoring all things! How? By being the salt of the earth: enhancing flavour, enabling wholeness and embodying holiness.
Paul's prayer for the Colossians is that they might be "strengthened with all power” (Col 1:11) and that's our prayer for our church at this time. Paul goes on to set forth many reasons for them to be strong, culminating in his sensational revelation of Jesus, who is Lord of all things! As we look together at these great truths it’s our prayer that we too will be really strengthened and really encouraged!
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!...
We consider God’s goodness and how He wants us to know, enjoy and share this goodness with everyone, at every opportunity.
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!...
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!...
Every Gospel encounter with Jesus was sensational in the truest sense of the word. His words and actions came with impact as people heard, saw, touched and even tasted and smelled the nearness of the Kingdom of God through Him. As His body in the world, we have been sent out by Him to be audible, visible and touchable to those around us, filled with compassion and the power of the Holy Spirit. A sensational Church with a sensational commission! Let’s go!
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!...
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!...
During times of questions, debates, conflicting opinions and uncertainties, it is vital that we remember ‘what we have, and what we know’ about Christ Jesus. We can be calm, confident and caring in every situation, sensitive to others and able to offer support, because we know who it is that lives in us. In this message Stephen shares about what we have, and what we know about Jesus.
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!...
Jesus can calm any storm that the people around us face. We are called to love people and pray for them in response to their storms.
Let’s Pray!…
During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel. Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!
We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church. We know God hears and answers our prayers, and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead. Let’s pray!...
It’s thrilling to realise that the New Testament churches multiplied rapidly, grew every day and "turned the world down” (Acts 17:6) - and did so without any church buildings! How? By meeting in small groups "from house to house" and discovering that their homes were the most suitable settings for the presence and power of God! In the story of the church we find salvation, healing, freedom, commissioning, church-planting and many other things all happening in peoples’ homes. The home is the frontier of Kingdom-advance; the glory of God will fill the earth, from house to house!... These truths provide a vital foundation for our churches as we come into a new season in which our house-church meetings will play such an important part of our life and mission. So, let’s stir our faith and embrace this opportunity with great expectation!
Toward the end of Matthew’s gospel, hours are unfolding before us. Jesus, the great Shepherd was to be struck and the sheep scattered, as Zechariah had foretold (Zc 13:7). Even though Jesus had promised never to leave nor forsake His disciples, they were separated. It was during this traumatic time that Peter and the others had to face their FEARS, FLAWS, and FRUSTRATIONS. All of this was necessary – for Jesus had promised to go on ahead of them to Galilee (Mt 26:32), where they would be reunited and restored (Mt 28:16), so they were ready to receive His great commission (Mt 28:18-20). During times when the Shepherd seems far away from us, He has not abandoned us, but He has gone on ahead of us, whilst doing great things within us; beyond which is always reunion and restoration.
God is so generous and kind, He gives the best gifts! The Holy Spirit wants enable every believer to speak tongues, and we look at why this gift is so important and how we can use it well.
In today’s Gospel Encounter, we meet a man oppressed by the devil to the extent that he had seemingly been robbed of everything, including his own identity. Until, that is, he encountered Jesus, the restorer of dignity who brought healing and a new commission.
In this message Keri Jones shares with us about the power of being cheerful and full of joy, and how laughter can be a medicine to our souls. He tells some funny stories and then we follow the message with some jokes told by the Living Rock Church family.
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples whilst they were gathered together in a locked room (John 20:19-25). He gave them His peace, breathed the life of His Spirit into them and then commissioned them to be sent into all the world! Then He came back a week later, to ensure that Thomas was also included in all these things (John 20:26-29). In this message we consider the implications of these events for our own lives and encourage you to 'sign-up’ to all that He has for you in these defining times for the church and the world...
We consider what breaking bread means and how it can benefit us, particularly in helping us to know a deeper unity with our church family.
Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to earth, teaching us a new way to enter, live, and grow in it. Looking at three encounters with Jesus, we can see from the pictures He used, the path each child of God must take to fulfil their God-given destiny in the Kingdom of God. A new creation life starts with rebirth and reaches it fulfilment in complete trusting reliance upon God the Father, just like Jesus Himself. This is our God-designed path to maturity, which unlocks all the seed potential He has placed within each of us.
In this next message from our Gospel Encounters series, Stephen Russell takes us through the story of when the Roman Centurion encountered Jesus in the gospels. He shares with us his 4 key points: 'Be known', 'See the need', 'Know the power of your words', and 'God is all powerful in our lives'.
God, the head gardener, has called us to sow and plant seed to see His Kingdom fill the earth. In this message we look at 3 gardens in the Bible that tell us the greatest story ever, and provide us with the best seed ever! Now is a time to sow generously, and see God’s beautiful garden growing around us.
When Jesus healed ten men from leprosy one of them decided to go back and thank him. He had no idea what lay in store…
God’s church is wonderfully and beautifully diverse, and yet it is also united and expresses perfect one-ness! We look at how different the disciples were, and yet how they were brought together as they followed Jesus.
At the beginning of His ministry Jesus was invited to a wedding, where He performed His first miracle - turning ordinary water into extraordinary fine wine! This true story has meaning and purpose for today, giving us some vital keys to breakthrough wherever transformation is needed. But it was also “a sign”, pointing towards many bigger things. Join us as we consider the power of these principles, and take up Jesus’s invitation to “COME AND SEE” Him in action!
Jesus is the Great Shepherd. Matthew reveals what He was thinking one day when He looked across the crowds of people gathered around Him. He had come for them - those who found themselves feeling harassed and helpless – because He knew they lacked a shepherd to show them the true purpose of their lives and their true value to the Author of life.
Watch it here: https://youtu.be/hkCbozELy6Q
Today we think about Mary Magdalene encountering the risen Jesus in the garden on Resurrection Day. We highlight how Jesus can find us in the crisis, is Himself the cure for mankind’s condition and calls people by name to follow Him.
Easter Sunday is a great day to think about who Jesus is and what He has done. Jesus came for everyone. We look at the story of His crucifixion to see that He truly is a cosmopolitan, all-inclusive redeemer.
In this message we'll explore three things: What is hope? How do faith and hope work together and how can we have hope? When we encounter Jesus we encounter real and living hope. When we know what true biblical hope is we can offer it to a world that is desperate for it!
The story of Zacchaeus is often a story we think about as a children’s story we might have learned in Sunday School but it is a simple and significant story of a man whose encounter with Jesus changed his life forever. In coming to Jesus like a child, he discovered what it was to know repentance, restoration and a right relationship with Jesus, the man who knew him by name. Jesus knows our name and is looking for us and others who are lost today. Will we answer when He calls?
The opening chapter of Mark’s Gospel is a powerful, noisy and fast-paced introduction to the ministry and miracles of Jesus! We meet the Son of God moved with compassion, touching and transforming the lives of dozens of people from every kind of background. We see what it means in practical terms for the Kingdom of God to come on earth as it is in heaven. We receive our own promise of power; the assurance that Jesus will baptise us with His Holy Spirit. And we also discover that much of the action happens in “the wilderness”. For it’s in the wilderness that Jesus is baptised; it’s to the wilderness He is led by the Spirit; it’s there in the wilderness that He beats temptation; it’s to the wilderness that He withdraws to pray; and it’s in the wilderness that the crowds flock to meet Him. These extraordinary times we’re facing are for many of us an enforced slow-down; working from home, avoiding gathering with others, or isolating ourselves for the sake of public health. Maybe this seems like being in a ‘wilderness’ for a few weeks? If so, be encouraged: God is active in these slower times and quieter places; He will meet you in the solitude. The “wilderness” is not a barren place so much as a place waiting to be cultivated. So, let’s present ourselves to Him in these days, draw close to Him, and ask Him to cultivate and enrich the land of our lives!...
Worship is a powerful weapon that we can use to take down the enemy. In 2 Chronicles 20 we read the amazing story of a people who, with hearts of praise and worship, seek God, find God and thank God ahead of an impending battle. God hears their praise and intercedes for them - completely annihilating the enemy. How encouraging for us as we face battles in our own lives with God on our side!
It can be easy to let the busyness of life (and our long todo lists!) distract us from the most important thing - spending time with Jesus and listening to his word. Luke 10:38-42 describes the encounter Jesus had with Mary and Martha. Mary spent time with Jesus whilst Martha busied herself... do we identify with either of these women? God wants us to start 'in rest'; to be in a place of peace, stillness and quiet. We don't confuse rest with inactivity, but we know that The Lord 'leads us beside peaceful streams' and renews our strength as we rest in Him.
One of the things we can expect to receive when we take the bread and the wine at the Lord's table is healing. In this message Nick shares his own testimony of seeing healing power as he regularly took the bread and wine. Although his life group, friends, family and the elders of the church prayed, it was when Nick regularly took bread and wine that he started to see his breakthrough. Why? Here's 10 declarations that Nick confessed at the time, and shared with us:
- I was a sinner and have been redeemed by Jesus blood that was shed as he died for me on the cross. (Romans 3:23)
- I have been bought with a price. I am not my own. (1 Peter 1:18-20)
- I am looking to His return. Jesus will come back victorious. (1 Corinthians 11:26)
- I am not fighting against flesh and blood. (Ephesians 6:12)
- I am raising a banner
- I am under Gods authority. (Matthew 28:18)
- I am a child of the Heavenly Father, the almighty God. (John 1:12)
- I had no part in my redemption, it is the work of Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
- I am loved beyond measure. (John 3:16)
- I am worshiping when I take the bread and wine.
In this message Kim shares with us how participating in the bread and wine joins us together in unity. Although the bread symbolises Christ's body that was broken for us, it is one body that we are all sharing. 1 Corinthians tells us "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake in the one bread" and Ephesians 4 tells us there is 'one body', 'one spirit', 'one hope', 'one Lord', 'one faith', 'one baptism' and 'one God and Father'. The church shares these in common and as we celebrate together around the Lord's table, we celebrate our unity, our togetherness and our oneness.
What will help us continue the mission God has made us for? We talk about some of the key ways we can keep going and change the world with Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom!
“What kind of house will you build for Me?” asks the Lord (Acts 7:49). It’s a great question, forcing us to be clear about what we’re part of and what we’re aiming for. In this message we take a look at three biblical pictures of the church which expand our vision of what God has called us to be.
In this podcast, we ask the question, "Who is shepherding the lost?". We look specifically at how we have the mandate and commission to be those shepherds in our villages and towns and use some practical examples and tools to demonstrate to the world: love, liberty, direction and self-worth. We explore that demonstrating our faith is important but still not enough. It only becomes enough when we share the Good News of Jesus and see people enter into His Kingdom through salvation.
Jesus’ compassion is for everyone. And every one of us is qualified to show and extend His compassion to every person that Jesus gave his life for. With this in mind our prayer is “Lord, move us as You are moved. Break our hearts from what breaks Yours. Drive us forwards and outwards because of Your compassion toward us, in us and through us.” Freely we have received. Let’s freely give.
We take three examples where Jesus shows the importance of how the Holy Spirit helps us to be discerning, and not to judge on the outward appearance.
Today we look at the encounter that Jesus had with Nicodemus, recorded in John chapter 3. We consider how Jesus’s insistence that this God-loving, Torah-memorising, tithing, fasting, teacher of the Jewish faith needed to be born again had dramatic life-changing consequences!
Jesus ministered to multitudes but connected with people ONE AT A TIME. He followed the leading of the Holy Spirit to individual people and asked them a powerful question, which cut to the heart and opened up their lives, so that He could give them what they really needed.
In this first message from our Gospel Encounters series, we start by looking at three such encounters: a woman who felt tainted by her past (Lk 8:40-48), a man who was dissatisfied with the present (Mt 19:16-22), and a man who was despondent about his future (Jn 5:1-9). They’re like people we meet every day, to whom Jesus is now sending us. Are we willing to go into the ‘Mission Field’ to ask the questions He gives us, to meet needs and change lives?
When we lay our hands on others, in faith, God releases His power and His blessing into their lives. In this message Stephen shows us examples of the laying on of hands in the Bible and encourages us that if we are followers of Jesus, saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, we have the right, ability and obligation to lay hands on others. It's good to lay hands on one another!
In a time when there is no more urgent task for the Church than to be fulfilling our great co-mission, this message urges us to believe that in every way we really are ‘made for mission’ - it's the way God has created us, designed us and saved us! Reaching-out with compassion to the people and worlds around us is not too hard, or unnatural, or beyond our comfort zones - it’s exactly what we were made for and the most natural and fulfilling thing we can do. So, as we start a new decade, let’s break out of every mindset that hold us back and embrace the fact that we are made for mission!...
God has made mankind with a clear identity and purpose; to be blessed, fruitful and to bring His rule to bear on earth. With Jesus as our example; we can learn how our physical bodies, when dedicated to God and full of the Holy Spirit, are made for mission!
Prayer is an essential and life giving part of being a Christian. In this message we will look at some practical tools that we can use to help us in our prayer life and engage with our Heavenly Father.
At the time of year when we often think of making new year resolutions, the words of Jesus from John 15 come to us loud and clear: Choose to remain! Jesus says that apart from Him, we can do nothing. Dare we dream of the fruitfulness we will see if Christ-following men and women commit their whole selves to Jesus and His mission in 2020?
As we reach the end of the year it’s vital we do all we can to ‘finish well’ - so that we can start the new year in the best possible way. Hebrews chapter 11 describes some ‘heroes of faith’ - men and women who pressed-on and finished well, and whose lives still speak to us. And the writer to the Hebrews follows these tails of faith and heroism by urging us also to "fix our eyes on Jesus...lay aside every weight...and run with endurance the race that lies before us.” (Heb 12:1). In this message we consider how these faithful men and women might be cheering us, and how we can run into the new year!...
There is immense power in the precious name of Jesus! We look at Acts 4 and see how the name of Jesus changes everything. That by His name we know acceptance with God, association with other Christians and authority to see His power released through us; for His glory.
In the second of two messages from John’s letters looking at 'The World' (how we relate to it and how we should live in it), we turn to John’s amazing statement that we are, AS HE IS, in this world (1 John 4:17). John instructs us not to love the world (1 John 2:15), but he also shows us that 'AS HE IS' means that by our very nature we are, SENT into it, and LOVED. Once again, starting in Genesis and exploring the meaning of the Tree of Life, we can see how this has always been God's plan, to have a people who are maturing into the full stature of His beloved Son, Jesus.
In both his letters and his gospel, John often refers to his readers as ‘children’. John really wants us to be confident of who we are as children of God. From the account of King David and his covenant faithfulness to Mephibosheth, we gain further insights into being God’s children – we’re invited to sit at the King’s table as sons and enjoy relationship with Him, enjoying all the good things he has for us.
From the opening chapters of Genesis onwards, the practice of tithing - giving God the first tenth - has been a distinguishing hallmark of God’s covenant people. But is tithing still relevant? Is it outdated now we’re part of a new covenant? Or is it a timeless, eternal principle to be taken-up by the church today? This message provides biblical answers to these questions, together with practical experience and a testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness over many years. We discover that tithing is God’s way of releasing us from self-effort, materialism and the anxieties that grip so many people, and releasing into peace, security, blessing, revelation and growth!….
For many of us, fear can be one of the most controlling influences in our lives. However 1 John 4:18 tells us that "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." In this message Stephen shares what this 'perfect love' is that dispels all fears. We look at how to foster, experience and develop this love in our lives and how it can move us towards a fearless life, full of joy and triumph.
In his letters, John focuses on the life, light and love of God. In living out the divine life of God, every believer can also expect to live in His light and love. We take time to see how we can enjoy and express a fullness of truth AND love.
In the first of two messages from John’s letters, looking at the world - how we relate to it and how we should live in it - we start with John’s instruction not to love the world. Firstly looking at what John and the other NT writers meant by ‘the world’, and then considering the 3 fundamental elements John describes as being 'in the world'. We trace them back to their roots in Genesis, so that we can see how they came between God and humanity, and how as God’s children we can now live differently, showing others the way back to Him.
The apostle John describes Jesus as “the Saviour of the World” (1John 4:14), a description also used by the many Samaritans who followed Jesus after He stopped to speak with a woman at their well (John 4:42). The story of Jesus’s encounter with that woman (John 4:1-42) provide us with vital insights about the nature of our mission, and the way in which Jesus demonstrates His great love for the lost and His saving power for the whole world. For all of us committed to the Great Commission, these simple, powerful principles can transform our own approach to the urgent task at hand...
Speaking in tongues has at times been extremely controversial in the modern day church and yet it remains absolutely essential for the Spirit filled believer. This practical message looks at both the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2 and at Paul’s teaching on the use of tongues in the gathered church. It lists 10 reasons why speaking in tongues is so beneficial and it examines some common questions that people ask concerning speaking in tongues. It concludes by encouraging all believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to speak in tongues.
God created us to be an expressive people and in this lively all-age gathering we consider the word ‘praise’ as found in the Psalms. We discover that by looking at the original Hebrew words used for ‘praise’ brings freedom to expressively worship God in a way that is wholehearted, sincere and in line with scripture.
John sets a precedent for us in his writings of being totally fixated on Jesus. His call for all believers throughout his writings is to abide in Christ is pivotal for us and influences everything else that John writes about. As we follow John's directive to abide in Christ we understand that Jesus is more than a moment and that He is the motivation for the mission.
In his letters, John focuses on the life, light and love of God. In living out the divine life of God, every believer can also expect to live in His light and love.
We look at 2 John and 3 John, to see how we can live in, and express a fullness of truth AND love.
In Johns first letter, particularly in chapters 3 and 4 we read many times, that “we live in God and he lives in us”, all who live in love , live in God, and God lives in them”.
God lives inside us and His love inside us is to be revealed to those around us, both our church family, and those around us in the world.
When we live “inside-out” lives, the love of God can transform our fellowship as believers, and transform our villages and towns. We were designed specifically to reveal Jesus through good works already, prepared for us. The challenge is to live our ordinary lives, knowing He is with you, for you and in you. Lets live "inside-out”lives.
At the end of His earthly life Jesus shared a last Passover supper with his closest friends. Filling it with fresh meaning and fulfilling all its prophetic dimensions, He thus inaugurated a new Lord’s Supper for all who follow Him. For us, this simple but sensational meal is an act of Remembrance, a time of Reflection and Recommitment, and a moment of Rendezvous with our Lord and Saviour.
1 John 3:11 - “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another”
In the letters of John we find the exhortation to love one another repeated again and again. John commands, encourages and pleads with his ‘Dear Friends’ to love one another. So why does John focus so heavily on this aspect of our Christian lives? We consider WHY loving one another is so important and HOW can we love one another.
The Apostle John was the ultimate witness for Jesus. At the outset of a new teaching series, based in his affectionate and timely letters to the church, we start with the historical and cultural backdrop in which he wrote them. Writing toward the end of the first century AD, John was most likely the last of Jesus’ original Apostolic company. After a life witnessing events of eternal significance, Jesus’ closest friend opens his heart to us, with a simple and profound message about three fundamental aspects of who Jesus is … LIFE, LIGHT and LOVE!
As we start a new series - "Why do we do that?" - Stephen shares with us about why we fast. Fasting is something practical that we do but with enormous spiritual benefits. As we fast (and accompany it with prayer) we seek God for more of His power in our lives, to see miracles, salvation, a change in attitude and to grow closer to Him. Fasting allows us to rely less on ourselves and what our natural bodies want, and more on the Holy Spirit and what our new spiritual nature needs.
The rapid growth of the early church was the result of not just the well-known ministries of Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Apollos and others, but also the faithful witness of multitudes who played their part in small, anonymous but vitality significant ways. As Acts 8:4 puts it: “the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus.” (Msg). Much as we value our great community, we must never lose sight of our Great Commission. It hasn't changed, and neither has the way we will fulfil it: these are days for a multitude of ‘ordinary heroes’ to arise and shine - carrying good news wherever we go! We will never reach the lost from our church buildings or gatherings; we’re to GO into all our worlds. It’s urgent, it’s simple and it’s do-able!...
How can the church act as a bridge between God and the world? How can we connect with people who don’t know Him? How do we live free from any guilt about our effectiveness? In this honest and down-to-earth message John McGinley explores these issues, shares everyday stories and offers some simple and powerful approaches to making disciples in the 21st century.
The heart of God is to love the poor, to love the nations and to love the lost, and these three great loves were expressed perfectly in the life and ministry of Jesus. Fulfilling His Great Commission requires us to express the same love and concern, and in this message David Hind tells the story of empowering a city-centre church to do just that. Expressing the love of God will cost us and stretch us, but the Lord is urging us to live a life we can be proud of.
God has a plan for every family, He has a plan for your family. When we put God first, our households will be whole and blessed. We look at Joshua’s example in how we can ensure that ‘as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord’.
God is a great promise keeper. There are many times in scripture when God promises that if we do certain things then He will respond! In the final few verses of Acts 2 we see that if we will be devoted to Christ by giving ourselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to breaking bread and to prayer then God will respond by bringing us into a life full of many great and miraculous things as His kingdom comes here on earth. What a promise!
In Joshua 24 and Exodus 23 we read that God goes ahead of His people. We need to remember that He has a plan for our lives, which means He has a plan for us each and every day. As we follow Him we can be totally confident of victory not matter what challenge or situation we might face.
At the start of this new season together we take a look at the account in John 13 of Jesus washing his disciples feet and consider what it means to serve one another, following the example of Jesus.
This artwork features an image from https://lumoproject.com/
Many of us loved to dress us when we were younger; it was so fun to pretend to be someone else... someone better, stronger and braver than ourselves. As we get older, we still dress up or put on a mask for others because we can feel unhappy or uncomfortable with who we really are. In this message Benj shares some simple truths about who we are now that we are born again Christians, comparing our new supernatural lives with the life of Superman!
*This message features the track "Superman: Theme" by John Williams, from the album "Cine Gold, Vol. 3" by Various Artists, © ℗ 2014 ZAN. *
This week explores what it means to be a faithful sower and asks the question, what can we sow today? How can God use us in our normal everyday lives and cause the ordinary seeds we sow to grow into something extraordinary?
Luke 10:38-42– In a few short verses, Luke has recorded an important encounter in the lives of two sister, Mary and Martha, friends of Jesus. At first glance Jesus seemed to be scolding Martha for her activity and praising Mary for her lack of it. But a closer look shows us that much more was taking place than at first glance. Mary had stopped to listen to Jesus and found that only one thing was necessary for her that day. Jesus said, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”Are we prepared to sit at His feet each day, and wait on Him for the one thing that is necessary for us?
On Sunday we celebrated the Lords Table, looking back at the Feast of the Passover (Exodus
14), and how God chose Moses to free His people. God always makes great choices and we
should be ever ready, never doubting when He chooses us. We looked at when Jesus went
into Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. He knew that it would be the last meal that He
would share with His friends, His disciples. Jesus broke bread and shared wine, telling them
they were to do this in remembrance of Him. We shared bread and wine and remembered
in our hearts just how much Jesus means to us. When He became the ultimate sacrifice, we
were set free from sin and were gifted eternal life.
After spending 40 years wandering in the desert of Sinai, the people of Israel were now on the eastern banks of the Jordan. Their challenge: take the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. In this message Stephen shows us how the description of the complete obliteration of Jericho was recorded in Scripture in order to teach us several lessons, most importantly that obedience, even if God’s commands seem foolish, brings victory. When we are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, we must learn that our Jericho victories are won only when our faithful obedience to God is complete. Jericho situations require Jericho victories, which requires Jericho obedience.
From the opening chapter of the Bible onwards, it’s clear that God’s design for all He’s formed and created is multiplication, fruitfulness and growth! He has designed and destined us to keep growing - personally and in our churches. In his letters to the Ephesians and Corinthians the apostle Paul shows us how the church grows and how each member is empowered by the Spirit to play their vital part in this, “so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Eph 4:16). If you want your life and church to experience blessing and meaningful growth then this message is for you!...
In a sneaky look ahead to the teaching series coming this Autumn, we look together at ‘The Prayer Meeting’ and seek to answer the question ‘Why do we do that?’
Over the last couple of months we have considered Israel’s conquest of Canaan, recorded in the book of Joshua. The boundaries of the land God had given then, He clearly laid out for them, so their success was measured by their progress of driving out their enemies, to possess their inheritance in full.
The Apostle Paul tells us (1 Co 10) that these things were recorded to instruct us, His church. In this message we consider principles that can be seen in the record of Joshua of how to reach the boundaries of potential God has for us, and to remain faithfully within the boundaries of God’s protection.
The apostle Paul tells us that the church - the Body of Christ – will be healthy and growing when each member plays their unique part in its life (Eph 4:16). And in his letter to the Corinthians he expands our understanding of the parts of the Body and how they should work together (1Co 12). In this message we consider what all this means in practice and encourage every member to count themselves in, to stir up the gifts of the Spirit, and to serve our mission in whatever ways they can.
In Joshua 4:1-8 we read about memorials that were built by the people of God to remember and commemorate the goodness, blessing, salvation and protection of the Lord. In this message, Stephen shares with us how we can all build memorials in our lives, but often they are not positive and can actually restrict our walk with God. However there is one memorial that we can all look to with great hope and thankfulness - the cross; a memorial that not only reminds us of our sinful condition but also the incredible love and grace of God, turning tragedy into triumph, failure into success and death into life!
Joshua 20 describes cities that God set up to offer safe haven for those who were on the run. In these days, God wants our homes and churches to also be available, accessible, safe and secure; to rescue and restore those who need saving from sin and death.
This week we look at the life of Caleb. There is much that we can be inspired by as we consider his pioneering spirit, his confidence in the promises of God and the legacy he left not just for his own children but for thousands of pioneers for the Kingdom of God who would come after him.
When we look in the word we see time and again the complete and utter faithfulness of God. Joshua saw it toward Moses, and knew it for himself. When we know God is faithful; we can know His company, comfort and courage in our every day lives!
All of life comes about because of the principal of sowing and reaping. Arne shares with us the power of sowing simple seeds of good words and deeds in day to day life, and encourages us never to neglect small beginnings because the biggest fruit can come from the smallest seed.
When we read the account of the Israelites' journey to the promised land, we see the tragic moment where they become too afraid to take what God has promised them; they're faced with an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone, but instead ask if they could go back to Egypt where things were more familiar... more comfortable. But Joshua is a man who is willing to get out of the comfort zone, trust God, and ultimately inherits all the promises 40 years later. In today's message we look at this account and how we can be a church who is willing to step out of their comfort zones in order to see all of God's promises today and not in 40 years' time.
On this Fathers’ Day, Pete, Stephen & John talk about the blessings of fatherhood, sharing both personal testimony and biblical principles.
God loves family! He wants our families and households to be secure and blessed, and to be a blessing. This will come about when we, like Joshua’s declare, ‘As for me and my family, we will worship GOD’. We look at how his example will help us ensure we too have whole households.
For Joshua and his generation the time had come to cross boundaries, overcome obstacles and possess the promises of God - and great strength and courage were the outstanding characteristics needed for their success. These things are true for us too, and this message is a call to recognise the urgent need of our day, the great harvest all around us, and the fact that the clock is ticking…. This is your time, God is with you, and so are we! So be bold, be strong and don’t miss the moment!
This week we look in Joshua 2 and consider how God and His people had a reputation in Jericho, the parallel with Jesus’s life as ‘news about him spread...’ at the start of his earthly ministry as a result of the filling of the Holy Spirit and finishing with an encouragement to dream and bring into being a time when Jesus is the talk of the town in Market Harborough.
Joshua is repeatedly commanded and encouraged to “be strong and courageous” as he leads God’s people into their inheritance, and the same simple phrase is spoken into the lives of several others at different times in the Bible. What does this mean for us today? What is God calling us to that requires great strength and courage, and on what grounds can we be strong and courageous, brave and fearless? We pray that this message will bring fresh confidence to you and your church as you serve the Lord together...
Luke and Cindy inspire and challenge, as they share some very practical principles that have helped them in their prayer life.
In Joshua 2 we discover how the “house of Rahab the prostitute” was significant for the success of the advance God’s people into the promised land. In Rahab’s house we notice that there is radical living, influential reports, hospitality for strangers, faithful promises, and rescue from death and destruction! “Let’s go to Rahab's house and learn from the examples there, for our own success in advancing into all God has promised us.
At the cross, Jesus Christ’s body was broken and His blood was shed. His broken body has brought us into eternal unity with one another and his blood poured out has purchased for us life in new covenant relationship with God. We can’t just sit back, however, expecting to enjoy all of the goodness of these great truths. We are called to stand shoulder to shoulder, soldier to soldier and lay claim of our wonderful inheritance - just like Joshua and the Israelite army!
Everything about being a Christian and walking with the Lord depends on Faith but what exactly is Faith and what difference does it make? This message looks both at Hebrews 11 and at what Jesus said about the power of faith showing that it is never blind. It aims to encourage Christians to use the faith that they already have to fan into flame all the gifts of the Holy Spirit and to live life with a miracle mentality. It highlights seven things that faith does in our lives enabling us live a life of power and demonstration of the Kingdom.
Following on from the message on the spiritual mind, we look at the importance of the body in the context of a renewed and restored spirit. We look at the human body and it's spiritual significance as being a part of Christ, a temple for the Holy Spirit and a vessel for mission and purpose. Then we look at it's earthly significance and our responsibility to look after it well! It's a challenging message that could prolong your life!
Joshua 1:11– In the first chapter of Joshua we enter a new phase in Israel’s history and find a new leader, with a threefold command for God’s people (v.11) to get them ‘fit for the fight’ of their lives! In this message we consider the relevance of this threefold instruction for us today, as we enter a new phase in our history, and how it can help us also to get battle-ready.
Success and prosperity are often misquoted and misunderstood, but the word of God clearly states that by following God's word we will be successful and prosperous. Joshua 1:8 encourages us to "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful". As believers it's important that we know how to define success and prosperity, especially when it can seem like the world is obsessed with greed, status and position. In this message we discover what the word says and how it applies to us as followers of Jesus.
The book of Joshua covers around 30 years of history and describes how God leads His people, by faithful and obedient leadership, into His amazing promises. In this session we set the scene of this great book of the Bible, look at God’s plan and the great heroes of faith within it.
Watch the message here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x13zj5DbaDQ
Using examples from Elisha, Ephesians and his personal life, Ben shares with us the importance of taking our place in the body and focussing on what God has for us - not what our circumstances show us.
Today we look at God’s eternal principal of the tithe; how we see it practiced, defined, enshrined in the law and affirmed by Jesus, before we consider the practicalities today as we worship God by the bringing of the tithe and the giving of offerings.
The Easter message is all about God’s amazing, sacrificial love. We are beloved, and see how this love is powerfully displayed in the story of Jesus and Barabbas.
In many ways, it’s Paul's great longing for unity in the churches that underpins this letter from beginning to end! And now in the final chapter he gives powerful personal expression to this as he sends his affectionate love and greetings to dozens of named members of the church in Rome. They're his “co-workers”, “brothers" and “dear friends”; they “work hard” and are “approved in Christ”; they’re like family to Paul. They comprise men and women, Jews and Greeks, slaves and freed-men; and all are loved dearly and greatly valued by Paul. This great apostle didn’t just write about fellowship, teamwork and unity in Christ - he set us all a great example by living it out in his life and ministry!
As we share bread and wine together, John 13 introduces us to Jesus’ most lavish hospitality as we gather around His table. So here we are - invited by our Host, Jesus, announced as His ‘Loved Ones’, named and placed at His generous table, washed and cleansed to the core and free to feast on His abundant provision. What a banquet!
Ephesians 6:10-18– The sword of the Spirit (v.17), the word of God is our weapon of advance! This includes the ‘now’ words of God (rhema), which the Spirit of God speaks over each of our lives. We need to know what they are and what to do with them. Paul told Timothy to wage warfare with the prophetic words given to him (1 Tim 1:18). God wants each of us to have such specific and clear words. When God has spoken, we can ‘recall’ them, until they come into being.
In the book of Judges 20, we see war breaking out between the Israelites and the Benjamites. Although God told the Israelites they would win the war, they faced significant losses in the first two battles. It was only during the third battle that the Israelites saw the fulfilment of God’s word to them in victory. In the midst of setbacks they learned to persevere in waging warfare with God’s words. In the heat of the battle they learned how to encourage and stand by one another, when things seemed to get worse, and not better. We have an enemy whose strategy has always been to tempt God’s children to doubt His words, in order to dispossess us of our inheritance. We need to wage warfare with those words until we see their fulfilment. In this, God will make us overcomers, together!
Paul concludes his letters to the Corinthians by commending the church to "The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit". In this message, Arne Skagen explores what this means for us practically: How do we enjoy a close relationship with the Holy Spirit? How does He lead and guide us day by day? And how do we play our part in this wonderful fellowship with Him?
We read in Ephesians 4:16 about how God is building His church: “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”. As we look at this further we discover that the Church that is being built is not made of bricks and mortar, but of people! It can be easy to become focussed on physical buildings, but as we develop our understanding of the Church, we see how each person fits in to the whole ‘building’ and how we can make room for each of us to be shaped and cut to size, in order that God’s Church is built according to His plan and purpose.
Romans 4:13-21– The righteous have always lived by faith (Rom 1:17). God revealed to Abraham who He had MADE HIM TO BE, and in so doing, showed Himself to be the God who GIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD and CALLS INTO EXISTENCE THE THINGS THAT DO NOT EXIST
Abraham’s resulting faith enabled him to see, beyond all human hope, what God was going to do in his life. It enabled him to see his own future promised son, Isaac whom God was calling into being, and even beyond to God’s Promised Son, Jesus through whom many nations would come into the same faith. Abraham’s example can show us how to see what God has MADE YOU to be, what the Spirit is doing IN YOU to bring you into the full stature of Christ, and all that God is seeking to do THROUGH YOU to call many nations into His Kingdom. Let us align ourselves with what God has said He will do, and call into existence those things which He has promised, but do not yet exist!
In Romans 12:9-10 Paul exhorts us to really love our Christian brother and sister, to be committed to philadelphia. So how can we love one another in this way, how can we express and enjoy this precious brotherly love?
When God says to us “I Promise” we can expect that we will be stretched and changed us to become more like Christ, we can expect to grow in clearly hearing and diligently responding to the voice of God, and we can expect that our faith in God can inspire faith in others to believe that the One who promises is faithful. How awesome that God loves us and considers us to be a people whom He can bless and trust with His promises.
What does the bible say about our salvation in terms of our body, soul and spirit? In this message, we attempt to sensitively unpack the elements that make up the whole human person and look at some of this in the context of anxiety, stress and depression. We then look at some keys to help us live in fullness with a spiritual mind.
In Romans chapter 8 the great apostle Paul introduces us to what he’s previously described as “the new way of living” (Ro 7:6), and which we now discover is a life filled with, led by and in the power of the wonderful Holy Spirit! In this fantastic chapter we find that the Spirit frees us from failure and liberates us from legalism; He the One who verifies our sonship and gives us victory over sin; and He’s the One who energises our bodies and empowers our prayers! The Holy Spirit is our greatest advocate and we pray that this message will encourage and enrich you in your walk with God.
This week we consider Paul’s description of the believer – not controlled by sinful nature but rather in radical relationship with the Holy Spirit. We think about how the Holy Spirit confirms our adoption, identity and inheritance as children of God and we take a look how Paul’s ‘theory’ found in the book of Romans played out in practice in his real-life care for the churches.
Romans 13:8 tells is about one 'debt' that you will always owe and can never pay off - the debt of love to others. As we explore what this means together, we see how we will never be able to reach the point where we can say “now I love others as much as I should”! No matter how much we have grown as a Christian, we still have room to grow in love.
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How radical is our rationale? How radical is our way of thinking? Paul tells us in Romans 12 to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice but then goes on to tell us that this is our rational service - our totally rational response to all God has done for us. God wants to challenge us not only to think radically as our minds are renewed but also then to live radically in light of that... and Romans 12 gives us some great keys on how we can do that.
Every home has its own distinct emphases and characteristics; things which form the essential hallmarks of that house and its inhabitants. In the second half of this mini-series we describe in further detail the kind of churches we're seeking to build on the foundations of our gospel. What will this house and family be like? What will it look like, sound like, feel like? It’s our prayer that this message will inspire and encourage you as you give yourself to be part of Christ’s church, which is to be the dwelling-place of His Spirit (Ephesians 2:20).
"What kind of house will you build for me?” asks the Lord (Acts 7:49). It’s a rhetorical question, but nevertheless provokes us to think carefully about the kind of churches we're establishing and building. In the first half of this mini-series we set forth the good news of "our gospel” here at Living Rock. These foundational teachings are centred around the resurrected Christ: they bring great security and peace; they liberate the church and her leaders to function with gift and grace; they offer real hope to all people; and they inspire and empower our mission together!...
In looking at Romans 8:27-39 we read about Jesus’ covenant love for those who believe. Is it really unbreakable, unchangeable, relentlessly faithful; even in the face of pressures, troubles, loss and death? The answer is a resounding and wonderful ‘Yes!’.
Romans 8:28 - In our present uncertain age, this Biblical truth is a steel peg which can be punched into the Rock. It is an anchor point in the storms of life. During this message we examine the different parts of this wonderful declaration, to consider some important aspects which we often overlook, and discover some revelatory truths we may not have known were there! The Apostle Paul acknowledges that there are things in life which we don’t know (v.26), but tells us emphatically that this is an eternal truth we MUST know, with a confidence that nothing is equal to shaking.
This week we turn to Romans 7 and examine the Radical Redirection that comes by asking the question ‘In the light of God’s free gift of righteousness to believers, what was and is the point of the law as given by God to His people in the time of Moses?’
As we read through Romans 12, we see what our ’new life’ should look like. Paul encourages us in this chapter that we are no longer bound by sin and death because Christ has been raised up and we sit alongside him in heavenly places. In this message, Stephen unpacks what this means for us and gives us some practical ways that we can enjoy our new life in Christ.
We look again at the importance of small groups in the life of the church, and consider how we can play our part as a member of the Body of Christ in making our group strong, healthy and full of life!
In Romans 6 Paul describes believers as being ‘dead to sin’, but what does actually look like? Today we look to answer the question ‘How can I be set free from the power of sin in my life?’
It’s a wonderful thing to have a place to sit at the table and enjoy food, friendship and fun. We look at how Jesus Christ invites, prepares and blesses us as we remember Him at the Lords Table.
In Romans 5 Paul continues to tell of the God-given Radical Righteousness that is freely ours when we repent and make Jesus the Lord of our lives. Unless we are completely convinced that God has given us a free gift of righteousness that makes us completely acceptable to Him, we can be forever battling a sense of guilt and unworthiness which can paralyse us spiritually and if uncorrected will prevent us from being effective within our families, in the body and in the mission of the church.
Reading Romans chapter 5 is like taking giant strides to the very top of a magnificent mountain-peak, and from that vantage point gazing at the vast panoramic views now spread before us! Because we've been “declared righteous by faith”, Paul explains, we now have blessing-upon-blessing (v1-11): Peace, access into Grace, Joy, Hope, indwelling Love, the Holy Spirit, Salvation! And all this is made possible because Christ came to create a new humanity: to reverse the effects of Adam’s sin, to restore mankind completely, and by “one righteous act” on the Cross to obtain life for everyone! May this great message of new life and fresh hope bless you and strengthen you for the year ahead...
We learn in Romans that we have the freedom to become like Christ, and discover God’s limitlessness love and power in our lives. We can be identified or defined by many things, but in this message we discover how we can find out identity in Jesus Christ. Romans 8:5-17 says that Christ lives in you; the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells within us! We are adopted as His own children and we are heirs of Gods glory. Once you become a new creation in Him, everything changes for the better. You're given a new name. Your whole identity changes because you've been rescued and redeemed from sin and darkness and welcomed into God's Kingdom family.
In this lively all-age gathering, we look at the story Jesus told about two brothers and how both ‘younger brother types’ and ‘older brother types’ are portrayed in chapters 1 and 2 of Romans.
If we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. Our hearts matter most to God, because what is in our hearts matters most to us! In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, we read that God looks at the heart, and only He can truly change our hearts.
In the opening verses of Romans chapter 1 Paul introduces himself to the church at the heart of the Empire as a “slave of Christ” who’s been "set apart for the Gospel of God”. In this message, we discover that we too are “set apart” by God, saved by a powerful and gigantic gospel, and called to join the 'revolution’ - declaring that JESUS IS LORD and abandoning our allegiance to anything else!...
God is a God of restoration, and He does not want to return things to their original condition, but rather to advance all things to the fullness His original intention! As the church we are to play our part in this, to be restored and to be restorers, those who are giving our all to serve God’s purposes in our generation.
As we launch our teaching series, based in the letter to the Romans, we start by considering the background and circumstances of this great work of the Apostle Paul. We also consider what it has to say about 3 great existential questions of our time, (1) Who am I? (2) What am I here for? and (3) What does the future hold for me? The unfolding divine revelation in these pages speaks of our IDENTITY in Christ, our PURPOSE in His Kingdom, and our DESTINY as faithful children laying hold of God’s promises for a glorious future!
The apostle Paul describes himself as being compelled to preach the gospel (1Co 9:16) and in this message Slava talks about the joy of serving God’s purpose and making his mission the overwhelming priority in our lives. He shows us that having the attitude of “I must!…” brings the ultimate joy and fulfilment.
Acts 11:19ff & 13:1-3 - The church in Antioch, was expansive and outward looking from its beginnings. Aptly described as a 'church bursting its banks', Luke's account gives us a clear picture of the prevailing culture and values that made this the epicentre of a gospel explosion across the Roman world. In this message we explore these features of such a vibrant, multi-gifted church to see what made them instinctively outward looking, Christ-centred and fruitfully nurtured - a place where 'living stones' had room to grow!!
We look at the revelation that we are rooted in; considering again God’s plan and purpose of restoration and how we as His church, are the glorious City of God and beautiful Bride of Christ.
Jesus said “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. Jesus has given a great commission to carry on His work in the world today, equipped by the “same” spirit. The fields are white for harvest, and we are the labours - therefore go, and bring in the harvest!
In this podcast, we explore Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus encouraging the body of believers to see themselves as a family. We are united with Christ, chosen, adopted and we belong to Him.
As we head into the final term of 2018 we remind ourselves who it is that we are walking with as we take a look at the encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, found in Luke 24.
The role of the Evangelist is to equip the church to evangelise. Hear Arne Skagen doing just that as he shares stories designed to challenge, increase faith and equip the church for the mission!
Jesus assures us the spiritual ‘harvest’ is here and now (John 4:345) and Joshua 3:15 gives us a picture of the river Jordan (representing healing power and resurrection life) "overflowing all its bank" throughout the harvest season! In this keynote message we see the urgent need for the church to be carrying life and bursting its banks, and consider what this means in practice. For all of us at LRC the new season we will soon embrace is our greatest ever opportunity to experience such powerful and far-reaching overflow!...
Dave Vasey and Beth Guy inspire and challenge as they describe (very practically), how the life of the Holy Spirit can overflow and impact others in our everyday lives!
We are living in days where people are ready to respond to the Good News! We look at how we, as Spirit-filled believers, will transform the world around us. The Holy Spirit in us is a flood that can overcome obstacles. He is a well spring that blesses and refreshes others. That the church is river to restore and bring life to our local schools, work places, communities and neighbourhoods!
The lyrics of the song ‘These are the Days of Elijah’ are full of biblical truth to help us declare who we are as God’s people and how we are to be in the times we live in. As we look at the examples of Elijah, Moses, Ezekiel and David; we see the kind of people God is calling us to be in the world today.
As we read the book of Acts we see a church that lives in the expectation, experience and appreciation of the miraculous. Tim encourages us to open our eyes to the miracles we see in our every day lives, and position ourselves to hear the Holy Spirit; as we do this faith and power will be unlocked for us to see even greater miracles in the church.
Fear is the enemy of faith, but the Gospel is the power of God that leads to salvation! It really is harvest time and Simon takes us through the parable of the Good Samaritan and then provides 3 biblical keys to help us to be fruitful in this exciting season.
We can be passionate about lots of different things in our lives, but are we passionate about Jesus and His Kingdom? In this message, Stephen encourages us to be those who are consumed by Jesus and know what it means to have a passion for the things of God. Will we be known as those whose passions for God define our lives?
Jesus tells us that the harvest is great and the harvest is ripe! People all around us are ready to respond to the Good News of the Kingdom that we carry. Like Jesus we have the Holy Spirit and power, God is with us! As we go around each day, and go on our way; God wants us to look up, look around and see the opportunities we have to change the world around us!
2 Samuel 11-12 tell the awful story of King David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his attempts to cover things up afterwards, before being confronted by Nathan the prophet. “I have sinned against the Lord”, David finally admits, and Psalm 51 is his heartfelt prayer of repentance; the public outpouring of a contrite heart in all its humiliation. David was forgiven and restored, and enjoyed many more years of fellowship with His beloved God. This tragic episode serves as both a warning and an encouragement to all God‘s people. On the one hand, sin is no respecter of persons, and we must be aware of our weak-spots. Nevertheless, however we may have fallen and whatever the past, when we come clean with the Lord there is bright hope for great future!
David is described in the bible as being ‘A man after God’s own heart’. What does that mean? What characteristics can we see in David that give rise to such a description and could we ourselves aspire to be men and women ‘after God’s own heart’?
As we continue to look through the Psalms together we focus on Psalm 16 and how we can follow in David's footsteps as we know and trust in God in our every day lives.
Using Psalm 100, we look at What worship is as an expression, Who it is that we have been created to worship, How we should come and approach worship, and Why God is so worthy of all thanks, worship and praise!
Knowing which path to take is a constant in life. This week we look at Psalm 25 and discover how by dedication, supplication and declaration David sought God to show him The Right Path.
Jesus repeatedly assures His disciples the ‘harvest' is abundant and ready! In Joshua 3:15 we read that “the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season”, and in this message we draw these images together and consider what it means for our own lives to ‘overflow' with life, promise and hope to others during this this present harvestime. This is an essential message for all of us who want to play our part in the greatest ingathering of our generation!...
At the heart of the supernatural church is a supernatural house but what kind of people live in a house like this? Here are five key character traits that mark out such a people and provide a blueprint for Christian life together.
When we accept Jesus into our lives, we are given access to the most amazing rack of spiritual clothing to help us walk as God intended. In this message, Ben takes us on a whistle-stop tour of Joseph and his different outfits... and how he doesn’t get distracted en route to fulfilling God’s purpose for his life.
As we look at the first miracle that Jesus performed, turning water into wine at a wedding, we discover how the wedding signifies the reason that the Word became flesh; to rescue us and give us eternal life and right standing with God. Through this story we see that we are to embrace all that Jesus has for us in His new covenant.
Hebrews 12:18-29 The writer to the Hebrews points back to the time of the prophet Haggai, who spoke of God's intention to shake everything in this world, in order that 'treasures of the nations' would come into His kingdom and His house would be filled with glory. In Hebrews we see that this remains God's plan, and we consider (i) The Context in which we live, (ii) The Company in which stand and (iii) The Core of who we are ... a 'Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken', ready to reach out to a world in need of hope!
In Hebrews 10:19-25 we see that, because of Jesus, there is a perfect provision for us as God’s people to boldly enter the Most Holy Place. We look at what this means for us and how we can experience wonderful God’s Presence together.
In the beginning of beginnings God let shine into the darkness and began the creation of all things on earth (Ge 1:2-3). When He later entered the world He had made, Jesus declared Himself to be “the light of the world”, and His dynamic, life-changing ministry demonstrated just that - bringing hope to the sinful (Jn 8:12), sight to the blind (Jn 9:5) and much more! But He also declared that we too are “the light of the world” (Mt 5:14), and He equips and expects us to continue His ministry - bringing great light into the darkness of our worlds!...
The supernatural church speaks with an authoritative, faith filled, supernatural voice. A voice with the power to proclaim that what is already bound in heaven will be bound on earth and what is already loosed in heaven will be loosed on earth. As we draw near to God to hear His heart, we can boldly speak the word of God with the assurance that the Spirit of God is ready to bring dynamic life and power to the words that leave our mouths.
Time and time again in scripture, God promises to bless those who honour Him – but is such blessing possible in our day? This week we examine three areas of our life in which God promises His blessing with an expectation that we can indeed choose to walk in the blessing of God.
Over recent months the Lord has been drawing us further into His presence, around the throne, where there is everything we need. One of those essential things is God’s Promised Rest. In fact, we find in the letter to the Hebrews (3:7-4:11), that there is an ever-present invitation to join Him in ‘His’ rest. From here we take a journey through the Scriptures to see want this means, and how finding this rest will impact our past, present and future.
God is a shepherd to His people, and He has appointed ‘under-shepherds’ with delegated spiritual authority to care for His flock. We look at how they are a means of supernatural provision for the church.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to be used by the Supernatural Church. As we strengthen our relationship with the Holy Spirit, He asks us if we are willing to be used by Him and willing to receive and activate the gifts that He gives. It's not about us or the way we see ourselves, it's about working with Him and being ready to move when He tells us to. When we look at these gifts there is no requirement in terms of character; it's nothing to do with the recipient and is everything to do with the giver.
God wants fire in our lives! Not only for ourselves, but so that we can be effective in reaching those around us. Paul encourages Timothy to “fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” We are called to yield to the total control of the Holy Spirit, so every emotion, thought and act is under His direction. That kind of complete spiritual control is for our benefit and in-line with God's will.
The Bible’s big story of God’s purpose for His people is centred at various times around a significant encounter with a particular person! Both Old and New Testaments contain numerous stories of individuals having an encounter with God that changes everything! In this message we look at Jacob’s powerful encounter with the Lord (Genesis 28) and find characteristics we should expect when we meet Him ourselves. Get ready to meet Him in this way!...
Jesus has made us children of God; we have been born of God and we are adopted into His family, but like Christ we are not to grasp at this but instead be willing to serve and follow His example. When the Spirit came into us He didn't only give us the ability to be servants but servants who are supernatural and live powerfully! We are a Supernatural Church because the people who make it up are supernatural and we will be effective in this world because we are willing to serve it, just like Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is speaking all the time, and as the Supernatural Church we can hear Him speak to us. He is God and He lives in us! As we learn more about the Master's voice, we see some of the reasons He speaks to us, the ways we can prepare ourselves in order to hear Him speak, the things He speaks to us about and what we are to do when we hear Him speak. Hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit isn't complicated; it's one of the most natural things that the Supernatural Church can do.
The small letter of Paul to Titus contains a big message for our day! The church is to be built on SOUND TEACHING and to be devoted to GOOD WORKS. This is the vital ‘inflow’ and ‘outflow’ that ensures we stay healthy and fruitful. We must remain biblically balanced in our joint-focus on the Message and the Mission - and be ready at all times to meet the urgent needs that are all around us.
God’s “House of the Spirit” is filled with powerful, spirit-filled believers. They confess Gods Word to encourage and strengthen themselves. Filled with the Spirit they declare and share the Word of God as the church gathers, and they have words of life to share with friends and colleagues everyday. A Supernatural Church has a tremendous announcement to make to the world, that Jesus is alive!
When we truly realise the extreme work God has done in us then we can live in the fullness of our calling to bring God’s glory into the world.
It’s clear from reading the letters of Paul that one of his chief concerns as an apostle and spiritual father was that believers should grow into maturity, both individually and collectively. As we strive for maturity together, our unity in the Spirit is crucial. A supernatural church will exhibit supernatural unity!
Hebrews 4:14-16 - Approaching the Throne of God is an awesome thing! Thankfully we can do so because we have One who has gone before us, securing our inheritance and our acceptance forever. As we approach we need to hold fast to a confession based on the Word of Truth about who He is, and who we now are (in Him). By embracing Jesus’ humanity, as well as knowing we are accepted we can also know we are fully ‘understood’. By a revelation of such things we can learn how to lay hold of the Grace of God, in its various forms, not only for ourselves, but also for the world He loves and came to save!
We read in 1 Corinthians 12 that when the church meets together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. Everything that is done is to strengthen the body. Spiritual gifts are for every born-again believer; no one is missed out! When we share, verbally, with singing, shouting, and testimony, we strengthen the body, and one another. When we worship “extravagantly” we encourage others to do also, we encourage our children, we help others. It is the first thing we can all do to encourage and strengthen the body. We all need to be those that prepare to share; not be prepared to share but “Prepare to Share”.
God sent Jesus so that we can have an abundant life, lived to the full. He has plans for us to live a life full of joy, love, victory, power in close relationship with Him. In this podcast we consider how we can live this full and vibrant life God has for us.
John’s gospel ends with a wonderful story of hope and restoration: Jesus is alive and appears to his disciples at the Sea of Galilee, providing them with a miraculous catch of fish! Join us as see how Jesus transforms dejection and defeat into hope and wholeness, and how He offers each of us the opportunity to start a ‘New Day’ with Him...
God’s creation of “heaven and earth” (Ge 1:1) was a two-fold manifestation of Himself, and His eternal purpose is the harmony of things on earth with things in heaven! This purpose finds it fulfilment in His supernatural church: people born from above; the dwelling-place of the Spirit (Eph 2:22); the Body of Christ extending His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In this message we consider how the Holy Spirit is at work in the church and how He wants to lift us into a new dimension of purpose and power.
We look at how the Church is here to represent Jesus in the world. The church is not super-spiritual, superstitious, superficial or super-serious, we are supernatural! By nature, (just like Jesus) we are heavenly, full of life, and full of the Spirit!
Because we belong to Jesus, we have been anointed and sealed by the Holy Spirit! As supernatural church, we can be certain of our identity and our inheritance because of this Divine Deposit of the Holy Spirit within us. It’s time for faith to make a drawdown on this Deposit and an investment to see God’s inheritance realised more fully!
The bible tells us to ‘Honour your father and mother’ on a number of occasions. As we celebrate Mothers Day, we look at the wonderful story of Ruth, learning for her example and seeing how much God really values honour.
On this Mothers’ Day, we look in Luke 11 at the account of Jesus when given the opportunity to praise and honour His own mother, considered it vital to redirect his listeners to where true blessing is to be found. In hearing the word of God and putting it into practice.
In these days the Lord is impressing upon us the importance of spending time around His throne together. The writer to the Hebrews (8:1-7) shows us the reality of what this means, whether we gather in twos or two-hundreds. It is a place of REVELATION - where the Lord wants to show us who He is and who we are in Him, of TRANSFORMATION – where our line of sight and our thinking comes into line with Spiritual realities, and COMMISSION – where the Lord wants to equip and instruct us, so that we can build according to the pattern He has shown us around His throne. From this place Mission becomes for us, simply an overflow of the Holy Spirit’s life within us.
The Church Jesus is building is fundamentally ‘supernatural’: its members are “born from above” (Jn 3:7); we’re “baptised by one Spirit into one Body” (1Co 12:13) and are being “built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit: (Eph 2:22) - everything about us is supernatural! The Holy Spirit is a Wonderful Person and an Amazing Creator. And He invites us to begin living in a new dimension - life in the Spirit - characterised by dynamic lives and gatherings and an overwhelming passion to join Him in His mission to reach the world!...
We learn from Psalm 84, why the Sons of Korah had a profound appreciation of and desire for the presence of God and what this can mean for us today.
When John the Baptist heard that crowds were flocking to Jesus, he declared “He must increase, but I must decrease”. As Christians, we have followed a Person, not a cause or a creed. And Jesus must totally eclipse all things in our lives if we're to find our proper place and play our proper part. His offer and provision for each of us is: “all of Me, for all of you” - He is all we need! But that is also his demand: if we want all of Him we have to surrender all of ourselves to Him. It cannot work any other way, but it is the most blessed exchange imaginable!...
For many Christians, ‘stewardship’ is associated with finances and budgets, but in this message Stephen helps us to see that stewardship is so much more than this. Stewardship includes our time, our gifting, our families and our own walk with God… stewardship is about our whole lives; it is about faithfully developing and using our gifts, talents and resources within the amount of time God has allotted to us.
There are many physical and natural activities that the Bible instructs us to do, e.g. fasting, sharing the Lord’s Supper, anointing with oil, caring for the sick. They key is that when we do these things, we apply our faith and obedience to the Spirit of Christ. They become a means of grace; physical acts that carry real spiritual power and significance and set us apart as God’s people!
The story of the Israelites is the story of ‘our forefathers’ says the Apostle Paul (1 Co 10), laden with warnings and promise. From God’s first promise to Abraham, the Apostle traces the history of his own people, including the ups and the downs, to show us God’s intended fulfilment through Abraham’s Seed, Christ Jesus. It is the story of a loving and faithful God whose GRACE to Jew and Gentile alike is displayed, and of RESTORATION, as Paul shows us God’s great plan to bring a future remnant from Israel back to Him, through Jesus.
God wants our homes to be places of order, goodness and power, where His Kingdom is gloriously, beautifully and uniquely expressed. Your home is where God’s heart is!
In these critical days God wants us to keep pace with what He is doing. Our job is to ensure that we practically facilitate everything the Holy Spirit wants to do. That the wineskin is suitable for the new wine!
We start this new year encouraged by the apostle Peter’s assurance that “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) so that we now “share in the divine nature” (1:4) - these are incredible statements and in this message we explore how we can live in the good of these truths! We discover that what God did for us at our conversion - through our repentance, baptism, being filled with the Spirit and being added to His Church (Ac 2:38-41) - are the reasons we now lack nothing. Here and now, we already have all we need to succeed in our mission, as we cultivate all the fruit of the Spirit and activate all the gifts of the Spirit!...
As citizens of The Strong City, our vantage point has changed. And this new vantage point brings a change of mindset as we look out into 2018 and beyond.
In Luke 2 we read how two faithful servants of God hold onto His amazing promises. We consider how being people of promise keeps us alive, alert and active!
We look at the account of Simeon, a man who believed and eagerly awaited God’s promise, and who recognised and embraced the new thing God was doing.
Revelation 19 shows us a picture of the Bride of Christ, which is His church. We see that a day is coming where we will have made ourselves ready for His return, but what does that mean for us today? How do we make ourselves ready to be the Bride that Christ deserves?
God wants to pour out His Spirit on you! God doesn’t just want to refresh us when times are tough or have been difficult, He wants us to be in a place of refreshing all the time! He wants us to be those that are a well spring of life to all those around us, as we “hasten” the day of His return. The well spring of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the key to a restored Kingdom - The Kingdom of God! God wants to restore back to the original intention! The restoration of Eden in our lives - the perfect relationship, man having dominion, multiplying and subduing the earth, and unbroken fellowship with God. A Church where healing and miracles are common place, where believers are all filled with the Holy Spirit in abundant measure and move in a divine purpose and anointing. A Church that is a haven of health, full of blessing, provision and joy! The Acts Church was a model - we are destined to go beyond Acts. We are writing Acts 29! We have and are having a glimpse of the age to come. He is preparing His Church, His bride, and The established Kingdom is coming!
What kind of people ought we to be in the light of His return? In this podcast, we explore the essential framework needed to be in place in order for us to be productive in playing our part in God's purposes for our lives. Viewing the world through the lens of mission means very little unless we have the frame in place to support the lenses. We explore several themes which will help us focus our time and priorities better and be more productive in our time here on earth between His ascent up to heaven and our wait for His return!
Jesus will return at the time of “the restoration of all things” (Acs 3:21), which, crucially, will include the restoration of the Church. In this message we consider what this means and explore some of the big pictures and magnificent images the apostles use to describe the mature, restored church. Jesus is not returning to rescue a weak and powerless remnant of people, but rather to be joined with His glorious Bride! The restored church is the City of God, the Temple of the Spirit and an expression of all the Fulness of Christ...
Jesus is coming back! This week we look at what Jesus Himself said about His return and we ask ourselves the question: ‘How should we live in the light of the return of Jesus?’.
Jesus is coming back! We look at the nature of Christ's return and why we should anticipate and prepare for this awesome event with great eagerness and excitement.
Christ’s return is the ultimate unfulfilled prophecy, and when it happens it will mark the end of the Present Age and the start of the Age to Come. The 'Second Coming' will transcend and eclipse everything else in human history! However, the NT writers want us to be filled with faith not with fear and to focus on WHY Jesus will return rather than WHEN - and on what the Church should be doing in the meantime...
When God sent a great flood to the earth, He had a plan. Noah couldn’t see it physically, but he could "see" it with the eye of the spirit. We are building something wonderful and it's important that we 'see' it. The good news is it is by His strength and not our own. God doesn’t want you to miss the boat, in fact He doesn’t want anyone to miss the boat! We all need to be “on board” with Him; His presence, His people, His power! Are you on board?
Jesus Christ did a magnificent thing on the cross. Although He could have been overwhelmed by the influences of the fleshly human nature He had taken on, Christ, in loving submission and obedience to His father, overcame the flesh and defeated it completely. It was as He did this that the veil was torn in two and access into God’s most holy place was granted. In His presence we are made more like Christ and can expect to receive gladness, refreshing and forgiveness!
The Cross has changed everything, including how we are to perceive every aspect of life! We consider how this can rightly impact our view of God, ourselves, our future and purpose, the mission, the situations we face, other people, and the world around us. We must learn to look at all things through the lens of the Cross of Jesus Christ.
The prayer of King Jehoshaphat and the example given by him and his people to worship God in the face of adversity is a timely reminder for us in our day to gather ‘heavily-armed’ and ready to find our voices.
Recently the Lord has been speaking to us about seeing all things through the Cross, but also moving out of 'maintenance mode' into 'mission mode'. At the heart of the Mission, is the Cross. And the purpose of the Cross is the Mission. We have been co-Missioned by Jesus, to continue His great work of restoring all things to God. In this message we look at Paul's words, to the Philippians (2:6-11), describing how Jesus embraced His own co-Mission from the Father, by embracing the Cross - inviting us to do the same. We consider how we should therefore view the Mission through the 'lens' of the Cross, and approach the Cross in light of the Mission.
When we read the account of Jesus going to raise Jairus' daughter from the dead, we see how, on the way, a woman with internal bleeding pushed through the crowd to receive healing. Jesus met her where she was at, but remained a 'man on a mission' as he continued to raise the girl from the dead. Stephen picks up this story and asks us "what is our testimony – are we in mission mode?". Our testimony is more powerful than our beliefs. Sometimes seeing is more powerful than hearing! We are Jesus to all those around us, because we are filed with His spirit. Let's all be men and women on a mission.
Luke 24 tells of two ordinary disciples who met the risen Lord Jesus on their way to an obscure village near Jerusalem. Along the way He addresses their sadness and disappointment, before revealing His identity to them in the breaking of bread. In this beautiful story, with its many practical implications for the church today, Jesus shows that the suffering of the Cross has resulted in a glorious Crown and a great Commission.
The Cross of Jesus Christ changes everything. When we look through the lens of the Cross it changes how we see God, ourselves, one another and the world!
The feeding of the 5000 was a miracle of unprecedented scale and impact, and tells us vital things about the mission of the Church in these critical days. We're here to FEED THE WORLD and In this message we're challenged to do so with as much compassion, bravery and generosity as Jesus Himself.
As we start a new season together we are putting a focus on all that it means to serve the Lord and one another as part of the body of Christ, His Church. We want to excel in all we do together to glorify God and to win people to Christ. Today we set a biblical context for our serving, that we may consider our serving to be part of the normal Christian life.
Mankind is wired to worship. Psalm 107 gives us different perspectives to consider of God's nature, our redemption and with it our rightful response to Him.
In 2 Chronicles 5 and 6 we see the impact of a completed Temple and the provision of God that was there, but also can be found at the Table as we break bread together today.
The Bible’s first mention of “worship” occurs in the story of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22), and provides us with a rich understanding of what worship involves and what it produces. Just as God put Abraham to the test, so He asks whether we will put Him first, offer everything to Him, and learn what AW Tozer called “the blessedness of possessing nothing.”
God is calling us to be those who are preparing the way in our lives- every day! To allow us to more fully embrace the cross of Christ, we make sure that our priority is Him, His word and His people. As we do this, our valleys are filled in, our mountains flattened, and the twists and turns of our lives are straightened.
When we look at the great commission in Matthew 28, we read how Jesus told his disciples to “GO”. The church today also shares this commission. We take a look at three steps we can take to get to the ‘go’; we first get ready, by being filled with the Holy Spirit daily. Next we get set, by being filled with love, faith, zeal and boldness. Lastly, we go! We choose to respond to the Holy Spirit by saying yes and being men and women of action.
The story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50) is an amazing account of God working in a man’s life to fulfil his dreams and his destiny! In this message we explore some of the key moments in Joseph’s journey from the pit to the palace and discover three powerful principles that worked for Joseph and can work for you too!...
Because of the Cross and the Crown we are a people of the presence of God, set apart and commissioned for the purpose of God wherever we are. As we proclaim and demonstrate the Kingdom of God, we leave strong and powerful Kingdom footprints in our homes, communities and the nations! 'Wherever you set your foot'...
The gospels of Matthew, Mark & Luke all contain a tantalisingly short account of Jesus blessing little children. But what did He pray? What did he say as he blessed them? Who were these children and what became of them? What great potential and purpose was released in their lives just because Jesus laid His hands on them? Whilst we don’t know all the detail, we can examine some principles and promises that God makes over children and encourage one another to be quick to bless our own children.
God is in the business of setting people free. From sin, from guilt, from the baggage of past, from being reliant on ourselves alone to live in a way that honours Him.
When we see Jesus in Revelation 19, He is described as having many crowns on His head, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! In His amazing generosity Christ has adorned our heads with crowns as well. As we look at what they are, we look at the appropriate response to these Crowns which is to cast them before our King who is the source of all we have.
As we come to The Lord’s table together, we remind ourselves of the fullness of the cross of Christ; not just His death, not even just His resurrection, but everything that He has achieved for us because of the cross. We celebrate together and remind ourselves of His provision, healing, power, love, the life that He gives us and our new identity in Him. We’re not at a funeral service, we’re at a celebration!
The Old Testament sacrifices described in Leviticus give us a glimpse of the far superior sacrifice of Jesus Christ that was coming. They help us to see that at the cross we have a table set before us; a feast where full provision has been made for sin, sickness, suffering, peace and a right relationship with God. Jesus is our full portion forever!
The Covenant Meal is about Remembrance of what He has done, our Royal identity in Him and Rejoicing in all he accomplished. In Jesus, we are made alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ, raised up together with Him and are seated together in the heavenly realms by virtue of our being in Christ Jesus. Jesus gave His life so that humanity might gain life. Join me as we explore, in only some part, God's heart behind the Covenant Meal.
The Cross of Christ must be understood within the wider perspective of God’s eternal plan, and in this message Roger shows us how God stripped His enemies bare, displayed His power in the supernatural realm, and dealt with human sin - in order to use us in His purpose. The Father sowed His Son, in order to reap a family of sons.
Our revelation and appreciation of all that Jesus achieved for us through the work of the Cross must have a very practical outworking. What does it mean for us here and now and how does it affect the kind of church we are building in our locality? In this message, we consider some of these things including the way we love and care for the lost, our experience of healing and the way we relate together as God’s family.
This Father’s Day we look at the pattern Jesus sets in how we too can know God as our father. In His prayer “Abba Father” we discover the relationship we have as sons of God and the reliance and respect we should have in and for Him.
As we continue to unpack The Cross & The Crown series, Stefan Ruhig brings us this powerful message on how to live out the power of the cross in our daily lives. God, the Holy Spirit lives in us and He wants to reveal Jesus through us.
In his awesome vision of Jesus, the apostle John sees Him "wearing many royal crowns" (Rev 19:12). These many crowns were received as He defeated every enemy on the Cross: embracing a "crown of thorns", Jesus rose victorious to be crowned King of kings and Lord of lords! This message considers what this means for us and how we too can wear the crowns He has won for us.
In His death and resurrection Jesus not only saves us and pays, He also shows us the way. The pattern we are to follow is that to share in His glory, we must first share in His sufferings.
God has always intended his people to be full of His life! Jesus's time on earth as a Man and His death on the cross, tell us about the life God intends us live. And His resurrection and ascension reveal more of that amazing, powerful "life" that has been poured into us as believers. We have been filled with the fullness of the "life" of God.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul writes about the power of the Cross and the dangers of allowing clever words or human wisdom to rob us of receiving its full impact and effect (1Co 1:17-18). In this message we consider how the Cross is God's mighty power for us (bringing salvation, healing and restoration), in us (enabling us to live in the power and freedom of a ‘crucified life’), and through us (as God’s power to reach the lost and address the intense needs of our day). There are no substitutes: we must allow the Cross to speak for itself and do its work!...
As we come to the Cross we find such love and such power that many things that previously troubled us are dealt with. But there's more - if we are prepared to dwell there long enough we will ultimately come to the place where we realise it's really all about Jesus. Then, in that place, we can give Him our will, we can yield our lives fully, we can give Him our all.
The Cross shines a spotlight on God's character. In this message we consider what the Bible says about His character, as well as the lens through which we often choose to view Him, and why this matters. Lastly we examine what actually happened on the Cross, when God's wrath was fully vented in order to decisively deal with the problem of sin; and how important it is for us not to 'reinterpret' this event, so as not to offend 'modern ears'.
This Easter we focus on God’s love revealed to us at the cross. God shows just how much He loves us. How much we are Valued, have an Identity and a Purpose in life!
When Jesus removed his robe, bent down and washed his disciples’ feet (John 13), He provided a powerful, dramatic picture of His Incarnation (when He laid aside His majesty and came down to earth to rescue mankind) and of His imminent Crucifixion (as He gave up His life to cleanse us from sin). As king David wrote centuries earlier, “You have stooped to make me great” (Ps 18:35) - and in this devotional message we stand in awe of the work of Christ and consider some of the ways we can respond.
The cross may seem too brutal, too violent, too dark a place for God’s love to be seen. Yet when we look closely, we begin to see how it wonderfully reveals the unfailing, perfect, sacrificial, awesome love of the Father and Son. How the cross presents and proves God’s love for the world more perfectly and completely than any other act or display of His nature and power in history! To watch the video clip used in this message, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0qvwKtZNmg
Far too often we feel the need to see something before we will believe it. As Christians God wants us to believe in Him even though we don’t see Him. As we do so, He reveals His goodness in our lives, and I will describe seven stories in my own life that have revealed different aspects of God's goodness.
Paul instructed the Ephesian elders to “keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers” (Acts 20:28). As we expand our eldership here at Living Rock, Keri explains why and how we must outwork this apostolic instruction today.
The New Testament shows us that the Apostles appointed Elders in every church (Acts 14:23) and in every town (Titus 1:5): Elders were the God-ordained leaders of the NT churches and His plan has not changed since then! So, what is an Elder and how does an Eldership function most fruitfully in the church today?
The Cross of Christ presents every person with a choice, to either embrace it as God’s magnificent power to save mankind, or to reject it as foolishness (‘sheer absurdity and folly’ - 1 Co 1:18, Amplified version). The gospel brings us to a ‘crossroad’ at which we must choose either God’s way or the way of the world. In this message we look at the underlying reasons why the ‘spirit of the world’ (1 Co 2:12) has always rejected the Cross of Christ and why the Christian must not only embrace the Cross in order to live, but must also choose daily to follow Jesus down the ‘Cross-road’.
It’s impossible for us to fully understand the agony of the cross, the victory over the grave, or the full glory of the ascension and crowning of King Jesus, but these three messianic Psalms do give us some glimpses and insights. Join us as we consider what "David…a prophet...spoke about the resurrection of the Christ” (Ac 2:30-31).
Within the treasure chest of the Old Testament there are many precious portraits and images that point to the Cross of Christ. We pick a few such images and explore how they demonstrate God's glory, reveal the destruction of the enemy, the dressing and dignifying of mankind, and display life and hope for all who look to Jesus Christ!
Presenting the new life groups to the church, we remind ourselves of the huge importance of small groups and our homes. As we express Kingdom community in our communities, we will have a wonderful impact on the towns and villages we live in.
As we begin this major new series, we start to see that the work of Jesus on the Cross is far bigger than we could ever grasp or imagine! Standing at the crossroads of time and eternity, the Cross concerns much more than our personal forgiveness and healing. Beginning in Genesis, we see that on the Cross Jesus defeated every enemy, brought forth a new order of humanity, gave hope to all the world and brought ultimate glory to God!...
The opening chapters of Acts show us vital details and characteristics of the church that Jesus planted. It was led by men He’d personally discipled and was filled with His power and His Spirit: it’s no wonder it was a church that couldn’t stop growing! Has your church been planted by Jesus? Join us as we consider some of the vital characteristics of such a church and look at some key growth factors in 2017...
God's intention for His Church in this new year is that we would not only start well, but continue well and finish well - being secure, fulfilled and fruitful in every way! Join us as we consider some important 'opening verses' in God's Word and discover the priorities and choices that will help us succeed in the coming year...
Psalm 122 is the heart-cry of a pilgrim arriving in Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. There he finds a city solidly built, where the tribes have converged as one people; a place of peace and prosperity! For us, it’s a picture of the ‘new Jerusalem’, the City of God where His House is firmly established. Psalm 122 describes the Church in all her glory, and "zeal for this house” consumes the Lord and all His visionary people!...
As we read through the Psalms we come across many fantastic verses that give us reason to approach the Lord’s table wholeheartedly, laying all that we are before Him and asking Him to forgive us, knowing that he is gracious and merciful to do so. As we draw near to Him at His table in His house, we can be confident that He too draws near to us and loves to share this precious meal with us.
In days of change and upheaval in the world, our need to seek the Lord and spend time in His presence has never been greater. In our journey through the Psalms, we have seen the word ‘selah’ mark a pause in the verses, to enable us to stop and reflect on what we’ve read. In this message we take a tour of seven psalms which show us why the selah is so important for each of us, and the strength and anointing which flow out of such times in the presence of the Lord. We also look at the illustrative story recorded by Luke, regarding two sisters, one of whom chose to busy herself in an effort to avoid her problems and one who chose instead to sit at Jesus’ feet.
Ian Jones shares his heart for reaching the lost and practical ways that we can all love and care for people in a pastoral way, leading them into a relationship with Jesus.
During the walk along the road to Emmaus, Jesus explained to the two disciples all the references concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. What a journey that must have been! We look at how seeing Jesus (the Word) in the word, impacts us as His disciples today and from Psalms consider the Messianic verses that show that He is our 'Where, Why, How and What!'
Jesus began his public ministry and set forth his mission (Luke 4) by quoting from Isaiah 61. In this great message, Tony Ling shows how the prophet sums up God’s intention to restore everything. Restoration starts personally (“beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair”) but goes on to involve the restoration of the church, and of the entire world - as our lives flow outwards and touch others!...
Jesus assures us the harvest is plentiful everywhere (Mt 9:35ff) and the New Testament attests to this by showing how the good news spread like wildfire from house-to-house and from village-to-village! How does this perspective affect the way we see the hundreds of towns and villages all around us?...
God’s purpose for our lives and church is always far bigger than we realise! But when we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and work through us we begin to see the incredible heavenly strategy… In this message, Arne Skagen encourages us to open our lives up to a dynamic and powerful friendship with the Spirit and to begin experiencing the growth He has planned for us.
In the latest in our ‘School of Ministry’ series, Arne Skagen describes the heart and burden of an Ephesians 4:11 “evangelist”. Drawing from the Scriptures, and from his own experiences of being used by God to bring hope and healing to many, Arne emphasises the importance of being secure in our own identity as he equips the church to look outwards and lay hold of our destiny together!...
When we enjoy the covenant meal together we remember Christ's death and resurrection! As we look around the room together we can be thankful that the Lord has joined us to one another. We see again as we think of Christ's sacrifice that in His sight we all stand equal before Him and with each other. As we break bread we have to stop and consider again our need of Christ everyday; and as we take this meal together we all proclaim His death and that one day He is coming again for His glorious bride.
Psalm 46 contrasts the difference between a chaotic and unstable world with a mighty faithful God and His City. The river of Spirit flows through the church, the City of God. We see the power and peace of a people who look to Jesus together, and stand out as they together are still!
The story of Abram and Lot in Genesis 13 reminds us that we always travel in the direction of our vision and gaze. Lot looked ahead, saw the bright lights of Sodom, and made choices that served his own self-interests; but Abraham looked up, saw the whole land as his inheritance, and made choices that benefited generations of believers! In this message, Mick highlights the need to see beyond our own limitations and embrace the vast purpose God has for His church!…
Written after a narrow escape at the hands of a Philistine King, David tells us that praise is always the answer in the midst of trouble, because it opens our eyes to the spiritual realities all around us. He teaches us that natural fear is often our enemy, but the 'fear of the Lord' is always our friend. The fear of the Lord starts with our tongues and ends with the total surrender of our hearts. The question is ... are you going to be faithfully fearful, or fearfully faithful?
In Psalms 22-33 King David describes a wide range of circumstances, and the widest range of emotions and heart-cries. But whatever situations he faced, each Psalm concludes with a ‘last word’ or ‘bottom-line’ -expressing his overriding confidence in God’s goodness and faithfulness. These Psalms remind us how vital it is to have a sure and certain ‘bottom line’ that God is good, all the time.
In the closing message from our Momentum conference, David outlines a fantastic vision of the church we see, and encourages us to ‘step-up’ and ‘step-out’ - so that we can be part of the fulfilment of all we long for!...
In this opening message from our Momentum conference, Ezekiel shows us how God’s people are to “rise and shine”: as we fulfil the various, unique God-given callings on our lives, living as we were made to, we radiate light to others and start to influnce our workplaces and communities in the way God intends...
The shepherd loved and watches over the sheep. The Great shepherd lives in us and has given us a tender and responsive heart, to help us to gather in, "the sheep without a shepherd". It's ALL about the sheep and it's about ALL the sheep.
An introduction to a wonderful book written over 1000 years by those who look for and love the Lord. Full of poetic prayer, praise, petition and prophecy; we look at some of the authors, the poetry they use and the nature of the Psalms, and also begin to explore the first Psalm together.
Andrew shows us the importance of hearing the word of The Lord and helps us understand how we can use God's promises to speak over ourselves and see breakthrough. In the context of breaking bread and wine, Andrew invites us to draw upon the power of God's word to us, to hear the word of The Lord and to prophesy the word to ourselves.
A look back at the key messages from the Without Borders 16 ’Kingdom Established’ Conference.
As Spirit-filled believers we can experience God’s presence all the time! Nevertheless, when we gather round the Lord’s Table there’s a real sense in which we enjoy the special ‘flesh and blood’ presence of the Lord, and are reminded of what He’s done for us and who we are ‘in Christ’. This is HIS Table, He is our Host, and the covenant meal is His appointed ‘rendezvous' with His Church!...
Our First Love: Let's keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, our relationship with Christ is our most important call. Let's press on to see His love for us and see our relationship grow ever closer with our wonderful Lord and saviour. Authority In Congregational Worship: Our worship is an overflow of what is in our hearts. Because our hearts are under the lordship and authority of Jesus Christ, it means that they are also in authority, and so what flows out of them carries authority too. There’s authority in what we sing. There’s authority in what we do. There’s authority in gathering together. There’s great authority in our worship!
Tony Ling describes the type of prophetic ministry that the whole church is called into and - drawing from the opening chapter of Revelation - he outlines three vital ways we can all prophesy so as to see the church built-up and the Kingdom of God enlarged.
In Matthew 28:18, Jesus announces His supreme authority and with the Great Commission, tells His disciples to ‘Therefore, go…’. So how should we view His authority, and how should we go in that authority as believers to impact the world with the Good News?
Having seen how Authority is expressed so beautifully in the relationships within the Godhead, we now discover how it is to be outworked in the Church. Who has authority in the Church and how is it to be expressed? What is the role of the Apostles and the Elders? And what about the power and authority Jesus has given to all believers?…
Patrick and Adele, members of Living Rock’s youth group , each share aspects of what the fatherhood of God means to them.
In our latest School of Ministry session Matthew Ling outlines some of the vital characteristics of authentic prophetic ministry and encourages the church to be prophetic.
In this second message in our series, we consider God's credentials as Creator to be the source of all authority in His creation and the only fixed point of reference by which all moral judgements can be made. We also examine the lie which Lucifer first told himself and then sold to Adam and Eve, which has cascaded through every generation since, to our day where we see 'truth' being democratised under the delusion mankind can set its own boundaries.
From the time of the two great ‘Falls' (of Lucifer and of Man), the issues of the universe have concerned ‘Authority’. Yet due to the many abuses, misuses and corruptions of authority and power so frequently seen, it’s a topic many shy away from. In this message we explore the nature of the Authority God established in creation and the patterns of headship and submission seen in the Godhead, and consider how these beautiful concepts can be outworked at home...
Following our journey through the gospel of Mark together, we conclude our time in this action packed account of Jesus's life with some personal reflections from Mary Ullyatt, Richard Pemberton, Jo Wheway, and Simon Rowland. Just like the gospels themselves each of them brings something of their own personal revelation of Christ from the pages of Mark!
Reading through the last four chapters of Mark’s Gospel together, we look again at the incredible work of Jesus Christ. We consider the three contexts (of the Temple, Garden and Cross) that reveal something of how His life, death, burial and resurrection fulfilled all that was required to restore mankind’s relationship with the Father and more besides!
Mary was a woman who knew what it was to give her all to Jesus, to pour out what was most costly to her. We consider today what it means for us to be like her: will we linger long enough to listen to Jesus, to "waste" our lives in worship at His feet, to surrender our lives as a sweet-smelling sacrifice and to see many saved as a result of the overflow of our time in His presence?
In Matthew 13:33 Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is like yeast that spreads everywhere. In this message Tim encourages us to know that this ‘yeast' works in every believer and will work in every environment - but will work much better and much quicker in the right environment! As we say ‘yes’ to God and stay properly connected with other believers, we find great fulfilment as the Kingdom extends and expands through us!...
Based on the story of the transformed man in Mark 5, Tim Jones shares personal testimonies and insights that help us understand more of the task and burden of the ‘evangelist’.
The last four chapters of Mark’s Gospel are an intense journey through the final week of Jesus’s earthly life. Here we find distress, denial, betrayal, torment, abandonment and death. But then…glorious resurrection and an epic ‘Great Commission’! It’s the end of the first phase of Christ’s ministry and the beginning of the second, as the Church is sent into the World to proclaim Good News! This message highlights 4 key things that help us stay focussed and fruitful in our task...
In Mark 11 we read the account of Jesus clearing the Temple. Jesus is passionate about His Father’s House, so we take time to consider some the incredible things this means for His church today.
Steve Wilkins (Ottawa, Canada) shares some aspects of his own calling and commissioning, and describes the kind of Church the world is longing to see.
When Jesus meets a woman at a well (John 4) and promises that life-giving water will flow from within her, He introduces us to the truth that it is what flows out of us (rather than what we drink in) that really determines whether we are dry or watered. In this message Steve Wilkins (Ottawa, Canada) explains how we can stay refreshed and ‘well-watered’ as we enjoy our relationship with God, and describes the impact this will have on our lives...
Todd Pulsifer (Ottawa, Canada) shares some vital perspectives on wehat prophecy is, why the Church needs prophetic ministry, and how every Spirit-filled believer can attune his ear to what God is saying and find ways of expressing it so that the church is built-up...
This week we are joined by Jordan McFarlane and the Cardiff School of Mission. Jordan encourages us from Mark's gospel in how to have faith that can move mountains. It starts by knowing who God is; the healer, provider, restorer. Then, we discover the hope to which He has called us; health, provision and restoration. Then, we can have faith for these things.
In the first 9 chapters of Mark’s Gospel we see that people can’t stop telling others about Jesus and what He has done for them! There is great power in our testimony and a need for us to understand that we are messengers with a great message!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is pivotal and crucial to the Christian faith and celebrated on Easter Sunday. In this short talk we look at five individuals who witnessed and were therefore transformed by this historical event; we have to acknowledge that they must have seen something!
The only way that we can ever truly succeed is to be like Jesus; to have the same attitude as Christ. Ezekiel shares brilliantly about the importance of humility and submission in helping us know real success in life!
In the last week of His earthly life, Jesus shared a final meal with His disciples. At this Last Supper He took bread and wine and gave these familiar ‘Passover’ elements brand new meaning, declaring them to be His body and blood - powerful indicators of His Presence amongst His Church whenever we share the Lord’s Supper. Join us as we consider what it means to “do this in remembrance of Him” and what happens when we gather around the Table together...
As we progress through Mark’s gospel together, one thing we see is that Jesus’ radical teaching often inspired opposition, and sometimes unnatural alliances between His enemies (Mark 3:6). In Mark 7 (v.24) we see Jesus departing the busy activity around the Sea of Galilee, to head north into Gentile territory. Given the distance, this trip was unlikely to have been a quick journey and in this message we ponder on the possible reasons for it, as well as the fruit which came out of it, which may have sowed seeds toward the later gospel explosion from Israel to the ends of the earth!
In Mark 5 we read a fantastic story of Jesus's encounter with two 'daughters': a little girl who's been living for 12 short years and a woman who's been bleeding for 12 long years. Both need a miracle; a powerful touch from the Lord of Life...and, once again, Jesus never disappoints!
As we read chapters 4 to 6 of Mark’s Gospel, we see that Jesus has expectations of His disciples, as He does for us today! We see how He teaches, models and commissions them (and us today); to Go like there’s no tomorrow, give like we won’t run out, gather like we make a difference and grow like never before.
In our first School of Ministry for 2016, Andrew equips the church and helps us to learn that being prophetic is for everyone, not just a select few. We understand that the prophetic must begin with a heart of love and a servant's attitude. We should be good stewards and give time to understanding the true riches of The Word.
Much of Genesis is devoted to the story of Joseph and the outworking of the God-given dreams that propelled him from a dysfunctional family to a place of worldwide influence! God has a purpose for our lives and our churches: He wants us to embrace big dreams that will capture our hearts and minds, shape our destinies and make us fruitful day to day!...
In the opening chapters of Mark’s Gospel we meet Jesus as He starts to transform the lives of all who come to Him. Join us as we discover what it was that caused great multitudes of ordinary people to follow Him and respond to His profound teaching and His powerful touch.
The ministry of Jesus began just as His Father said it would (Mk 1:1-2). The words of the Father spoken over the life of the Son were His secure foundation, His road map and His springboard into action in every situation. Jesus declared, ‘The time has come’ (Mk 1:15) because He saw in every situation the moment pregnant with God's purpose (kairos), such that He was able to move in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring to everyone He met just what they needed. Mark’s fast paced narrative illustrates for us how this enabled Jesus to pursue His Father’s will without being deviated or distracted from His course, by giving Himself completely to every God-appointed kairos.
The Gospels of the New Testament present a 4 dimensional portrait of Jesus Christ! As we begin our study of Mark's Gospel, we take an overview of the book and look at what we can learn specifically from the emphasis Mark places on Christ as a servant who moves in authority and miracle working power!
Mark’s Gospel is a fast-paced account of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and in the opening chapter we find an action-packed ‘explosion’ of life and hope, as Jesus begins his public ministry! Join us as we take a closer look at some vital aspects of this “good news” and consider the implications for us if we’re to experience a ‘gospel explosion’ today...
At the start of the New Year we are reminded of the ‘totality’ of Christ’s finished work - His total forgiveness, total healing, total compassion, total dominion and total restoration. And our response this year is total praise and total commitment - fully enabled by His total empowering!
God is great, He makes us great and we see that the Nativity expresses great joy. This Christmas, we remind ourselves of what we’ve learned together over the past 6 months; and looking ahead declare...'Yule Be Great!’
The Church is a family! As part of that diverse family God gives us spiritual Mothers and Fathers, those whose nature it is to be so, including those in positions of leadership. What is the role and function of those 'Mothers and Fathers'? And why does the Word tell us to submit to them? These and other questions are considered in this message.
Now more than ever it is vitally important that we know God is good, in His nature and in all He does. We must know and understand the fact not just because it is what we say, but because we really understand the truth of the Word and experience His goodness in the land of the living!
As believers we must always remember and grow in our understanding that God is our Father and we are His children; created for relationship with Him and with one another as brothers and sisters - We are family!
In this message we explore the power of the meal which we share to mark Jesus' death and resurrection, the New Covenant in His body and blood. We consider the 'Power of REMEMBRANCE', the 'Power to REALISE' His love for us, the 'Power to RENEW' our love for Him, and lastly the 'Power to RECLAIM' that which we've lost, or let go of, from the promises of His Covenant. If God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us, how much more will He not give us all things (Rom 8:32). We shouldn't therefore settle for anything less than God's best for our lives!
This important 2-part series explores God's purpose in creating and defining marriage (Genesis 2:24), and considers how the Church should respond to some of the related moral and ethical issues of our day.
This important 2-part series explores God's purpose in creating and defining marriage (Genesis 2:24), and considers how the Church should respond to some of the related moral and ethical issues of our day.
Tim Jones shows us how the Kingdom of God has come to bring life and light and invade darkness; and the power and potential available to believers who work together to see these things happening (Matthew 18:19-20).
Using 1 Corinthians 13 to help us understand what covenant love is, we apply the attributes of covenant love to the love shown to David, by both Saul and Jonathan. How is covenant love to be expressed by us today? How can we be a true covenant community that brings glory to Jesus, our shared first love?
As a Kingdom community, we are to relate to one another in covenant love. What is this love like and how do we fulfil the command to love one another with a covenant love and not just a convenient love? In the light of 1 Corinthians 13, we begin to consider the differences between Saul's and Jonathan's love for David.
The book of Hebrews tells the wonderful story of a great heart transplant. Our holy and righteous Father made obsolete the Old Covenant which cleansed the body but not the heart, and sent his Son to establish a new and better Covenant so that we, like Jesus, could be made holy and righteous and enjoy perfect fellowship with our Father by receiving a new and perfect heart. With this new heart we can enjoy God's rest, strengthening and presence and should put it into action!
Reading Zechariah 3, we discover that God is ready to forgive us and dress us in clean clothes, and that the accusations of Satan have no power over a child of God. We find that God gives us freedom and prepares places where we can walk. We also learn that the people of God should invite their neighbours to sit peaceably with them and share the goodness of God.
What does it look like when a church opens its windows wide to let the fresh air of heaven flow in and the life of the Spirit flow out? Key moments in the lives of Noah, Rahab and Daniel show us what can happen when we live with open lives, open hearts and open windows.
Richard and Annie Pemberton lead us in a time of looking at the Covenant Meal together. We look at the work that Jesus did on the cross and are encouraged to look up, look in and look out.
Our God-given mandate is to reach out to the Harvest; to be a REFUGE for the Needy, to REFRESH the Weary, to RESTORE the Broken and to REDIRECT the Lost. In this message we look at what it means to be REFRESHED in the Lord ourselves, by being rooted in Jesus, … in the dry place, the hostile place, and most of all in times of prosperity. We daily face the decision of whether to be sustained from the Fountain of Living Water, or to dig our own leaky wells!
In this short message we review aspects of our recent family camp and consider what it means for us as a local expression as the body of christ.
God wants us to thrive in every way over the next few weeks and months, and 1 Thessalonians gives us lots of practical help and instruction to do so.
The New Covenant brings us into relationship with God and with all who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. This relationship is held together by covenant love. As we read the book of 1 John together, we see how we are to experience and express God's love in real and practical ways.
When Paul left Timothy in Ephesus he left him with a very challenging assignment in a very demanding situation! False teachers were infiltrating the church and leading some astray, but Paul urged Timothy to stand out from the crowd, and hold fast to his convictions! "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of" (2Ti 3:14). These are similar days, in which we must be courageous, and continue living in the good of all we are convinced of!
The Bible is a very honest book. Habakkuk openly questions God's care in the light of severe hardship and persecution. We all face challenges that may even cause us to question God. This is fine as long as we then follow Habakkuk's example by positioning ourselves to hear what God has to say!
God wants His Church to experience consistent growth, progress and momentum. He makes the first move, but what matters most is always 'What Happens Next?' How do we respond? What do we do? Will we be satisfied with special moments... or will we press-on to sensational momentum?
In Isaiah 35 God speaks of a progressive revival that leads to restoration. We learn that we are to be (and how to become) a people of courage, conviction, consecration and celebration. That a community who live this out will pull on God and bring about restoration in the earth and beyond!
When we meet Jesus, our lives are transformed! In Luke 18:35-19:10, we read the accounts of two seemingly very different men; yet both were blinded in their own way, both desperate to meet with Jesus and changed as a result of encountering Him. We learn how we too can encounter Jesus for ourselves!
We were ‘Created for Covenant’ – to enjoy the love which the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have shared together for eternity. In this message we consider how Covenant formed the cradle of creation; we step back to see it as the unstoppable wave of God’s purpose through world history, and look ahead to understand how it also holds the key to our future, maturing into our God-intended true potential as His children, within our Covenant relationship with Him.
We look at how the covenants God establishes with His people throughout the bible all reveal something of His incredible nature!
From Genesis to Revelation, God has expressed and unfolded His purposes on the basis of 'covenant'. With Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and now through the 'new covenant', He has drawn men, families, and nations into a bond and relationship with Himself - He makes, keeps and empowers covenant! This message introduces the great biblical covenants and shows us that, in all His dealings with mankind, God expresses His loyalty, commitment and faithfulness towards us through his unfailing covenant-love.
The Bible warns us "do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers" (Pr 22:28). Yet, when it comes to some of the 'boundary stones' provided by the Word of God - doctrines and teachings that have given the Church certainty and security for centuries - we find ourselves living in times when waves of heresy and false doctrine are rolling in and boundary stones are being moved. This new series will put the anchor down firmly, as we take a fresh look at what the Bible says concerning some of the key issue of our day, including marriage, prosperity, heaven and hell, restoration and the Bride of Christ...
Our God-given mandate is to reach out to the Harvest; as a REFUGE for the Needy, to REFRESH the Weary, to RESTORE the Broken and to REDIRECT the Lost. In this message we look at what it means for us to know God as OUR REFUGE. Only then can we offer what we have to others - A Refuge from SIN that holds creation in bondage, the SHIFTING SANDS of the world and the SECRETS of men. Like the Cities of Refuge from the Old Testament God wants us to be accessible, prominent and prepared.
The entire Christian faith rests on the resurrection of Jesus Christ! His coming back to life, makes a way for all people to find the way back to life through faith in Him. In the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, we see just how the cross opened the way for us all to come back into relationship with our heavenly Father and find everlasting life!
God’s House, the covenant of God’s people and how we reach God’s world are three very important things. If we continually increase the way we think about these things, viewing them more and more in the way that God does, then seeing the world transformed will be inevitable.
As we celebrate and honour our mums on Mothering Sunday, we look at the incredible influence of five Godly mothers in Bible, and see how they shape the lives of their children.
In the opening chapters of Joshua, God's people are told to get their supplies ready for crossing into the land He's promised them - a place they've never been to before. Like them, we too must get our supplies ready for a new phase, and in this message Roger Aubrey shares six specific things we will need to take with us as God leads us on.
Jesus tells us to receive the Kingdom like 'like children' (Mark 10:15). To do this it requires Faith and totally trusting in what God tells us. But what does this look like? Listen as Toby continues with our series 'Deeper, Stronger, Higher' on FAITH.
God has spoken to us, He has given us instruction and vision. With His word comes the Grace to see what He has said come to pass. The question is, will we embrace the grace God has given us or not? Like Paul, we will be a people who can say that His Grace was not in vain towards us but we worked with His grace to see what He has spoken to us come to pass.
The Passover meal had been celebrated every year for centuries leading up to the Last Supper in Matthew’s Gospel. We consider why this meal was so important and how Jesus is the fulfilment of this incredibly powerful feast.
Hebrew 6 describes the "laying on of hands" as a foundational doctrine, and both Old and New Testaments reveal the power of putting it into practice. Properly understood, the laying on of hands can be a vital part of blessing, healing, commissioning and impartation - and therefore a practice that will benefit both the Church and the World!
We have the divine Seed within us to enable us to fulfil our Mission of filling the earth with God’s glory. Motivated by the unmatchable love of Jesus to move in the unstoppable power of the Holy Spirit, we consider in this message 4 ways in which the Lord wants us to reach out to the Harvest; (1) as a REFUGE for the Needy, to (2) REFRESH the Weary (3) RESTORE the Broken and (4) REDIRECT the Lost.
Our 'worldview' this year will provide the essential backdrop to our life and mission together as a church - and it's vital that we are firmly anchored with a thoroughly biblical perspective. In Genesis ch 1 we discover that the universe was created for the earth, the earth was created for the man, and the man was created for God and His purposes - which was to see the man multiplying so that the earth would be filled with God's people and glory! Everything was designed to enable the man to succeed, and to remind us in 2015 that our environment is conducive to huge growth and expansion this year!...
The Kingdom of God is to invade our lives and impact our world. As we surrender to King Jesus and give Him what we have, He gives us so much more in return! In Isaiah 61, we begin to see the great exchange that He has for us!
The story of Israel and the Golden Calf is one of the most absurd events in the nation’s history. Why would a people who were powerfully loved, rescued and provided for by the Living God stop short of following him into all the blessings he had for them, and choose to bow down to a cow-statue instead? Jesus Christ is our all-sufficient saviour and his promises for us are beyond compare. Let’s not stop short of moving in to all that he has and allow ourselves to be distracted by the things that compete with him for 1st place in our heart.
God has called each and every one of us to rise and take the land. Just like Joshua we are called to lay hold of God's promises, never giving up and never wasting a single moment! Be strong and courageous as God uses you to do mighty things for Him!
Jesus said ‘I no longer call you slaves… Now you are my friends…’ The body of Christ, more than ever, is in need of friendship. People that you can call friends. Keri Jones encourages us in the importance of having true friends that stick closer than a brother.
When Jesus teaches about basic Christian lifestyles in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6), the first item on his agenda (before prayer or fasting) is 'giving' (Mt 6:1-4) - that should tell us how much this matters! This message explores what it means to be 'A Giver', how this perspective transforms our giving to God and to others, and how the Lord 'rewards' us when we're faithful and generous in our giving.
The Word of God is our Spiritual Food, our Sword and our Plumbline, enabling us to stay healthy, fight an enemy who is on the run and build God’s glorious Kingdom together.
The Bible clearly states time and again the significance and value of fasting. Jesus describes it as a 'Kingdom Basic' in Matthew 6:16-18. We consider why we need to fast, how to fast the right way, and the amazing impact fasting will have in us and the world around us!
“Based on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6, this message considers prayer as the passionate pursuit of God’s presence for Kingdom purpose.”