King's Church Hastings: Recent Episodes
King's Church Hastings
Download messages given at King's Church Hastings. King's Church is a young, vibrant church, with a vision to make a difference in the heart of Hastings and surrounding area. King's Church Hastings is part of the Newfrontiers family of churches.
Michael Akotia is our guest speaker this week speaking about why it's important to follow the Holy Spirit.
In Hastings, as we take a break from our regular preach series, Caner Mutu speaks about the story of Jesus and the demon possessed man.
Paul Mann continues on our 1 Corinthians preach looking at the subject of marriage and divorce.
Andrew Bunt restarts our 1 Corinthians preach series looking what when Christians should and shouldn't judge.
Jon Wales speaks about why evangelism is so important to do and how God rewards us when we step out in faith.
Paul Mann continues on our 1 Corinthians preach series looking at God's wisdom in leadership.
Andrew Bunt kicks off our 1 Corinthians preach series looking at what it means to live the 'Jesus' way.
Adrian Pursglove speaks in the middle of our Hunger Season about running the race for Jesus,
Sam Akrasi speaks on the first Sunday of the new year about preparing room for Jesus in our hearts.
Jeremy Simpkins gives a round up of our 1 John preach series we've been going through over the last few weeks.
Natalie Williams continues on our 1 John preach series looking at the question: How do we know we're children of God?
Paul Mann gives an introduction to our new 1 John preach series based on a previous prophetic word given a few months ago.
Natalie Williams continues on our Daniel prayer series looking at Daniel's prayer life.
Paul Mann continues our Daniel preach series looking at Nebuchadnezzar's humility and pride.
Paul Edworthy continues on our Luke preach series speaking about how we can come to God.
Sam Akrasi speaks about the kindness and mercy of God. Recorded in the Bexhill venue on Sunday 15 June 2025.
Paul Edworthy speaks this week on what sanctification means. This was recorded in the Hastings venue on Sunday 15 June 2025.
Alfie Head speaks about the parables out of Luke 15 and what Jesus is saying through them. Recorded at the Bexhill venue on Sunday 8 June 2025.
Sam Akrasi continues on our Luke preach series, speaking about the urgency of deciding to follow Jesus.
Andrew Bunt continues our Luke preach series by speaking about whether you're living for the moment or living for Jesus' return.
Jo Mutu speaks about being the people of God in our town and local area.Recorded in the Hastings venue.
Jeremy Simpkins speaks in the Hastings venue about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Sam Akrasi speaks about being faithful witnesses as part of our Luke preach series. Recorded in Bexhill on Sunday 27 April 2025.
In the run up to Easter, Andrew Bunt continues on our preach series in Luke looking at Good Friday.
Caner Mutu continues on our Luke preach series, talking about the importance of communion.
Alfie Head continues on our Luke preach series in the Bexhill venue, talking about the importance of communion.
Dan Glover speaks about Jesus being Emmanuel, God with us at our Good News Christmas service on 15 December.
Steve Young is speaking this week in Bexhill as he speaks about Jesus in the run up to Christmas.
Jeremy Simpkins gives us the history of our church and why we have made the next step to join Christ Central Churches.
Tom Head is our guest speaker here in Bexhill this week looking at how to share your faith as part of the Kingdom Life series.
Natalie Williams speaks about the holiness of God in our Behold preach series about the attributes of God.
Paul Edworthy speaks about why people should share their stories. We also hear some stories about what God has done in their lives.
This week, Paul Mann preached as part of our ongoing Behold series titled "Knowledge, Wisdom, and Truthfulness of God". Paul explored how God is all-knowing, all-wise, and completely truthful in every aspect of creation, redemption, the church, and our personal lives.
As we begin this new term, Paul Mann speaks to us and gives us fresh vision on this Vision Sunday.
Jo & Caner speak about mid-week church life and share a heart for Connect Groups for this autumn term.
Aled Cousins is our guest speaker this Sunday speaking about a new season for us as King's Church.
Richard Wilson kicks off our new Elisha preach series talking about costly discipleship.
John Groves is our guest speaker on our 50th Birthday Sunday as we look back at 50 years of God's faithfulness and provision.
Andrew Bunt rounds off our final God's Better Story preach series looking at Transgender.
Paul Edworthy speaks to us on Venue Sunday in Hastings about the woman of courage and faith.
Paul Mann continues our God's Better Story preach series looking at being made male and female.
Sam Akrasi speaks this Sunday morning about why Porn usage has become such an issue in our world today and why God's story for sex and relationships is so much better.
Natalie Williams talks about singleness in the latest in our preach series: God's Better Story.
Sam Akrasi speaks on seeds for the Kingdom taken from the Bexhill Venue on Venue Sunday.
Glen comes to speak to us in the Hastings Venue. Glen is an ordained Church of England minister and evangelist. You may have heard him online with Andrew Wilson or on YouTube. Glen is a national and international speaker and directs Speak Life which seeks to share the good news of Jesus…wanting to see the church and the world re-evangelised through captivating, Christ Centred proclamation of the gospel. Glen lives in Eastbourne and goes to All Souls Church.
Natalie continues on our Identity preach series talking about whether or not I am powerless or powerful.
Natalie Williams speaks about who Jesus is for our annual carol service held on Sunday 17 December 2023.
The journey of the Christmas story taken from Christmas at King's in Bexhill on Sunday 10 December.
Paul Mann continues our Identity preach, looking at are we blessed or cursed and what the bible says.
Paul Edworthy talks about Spiritual Gifts, taken from Sunday 8 October 2023 in the Hastings Venue.
To start off the Autumn term, Paul speaks vision for the church going forward for Vision Sunday.
Paul Mann speaks to us this morning about Eldership as we look to appoint new elders on Sunday 24 September.
Jesus doesn’t want us to fall away. Drawing on some of her own experiences, Natalie explores how Jesus helps us not to fall, how we can help ourselves, and what happens if we do fall away.
Paul Edworthy and Dave & Pam Lyons speak to us this week about kingdom retirement as part of our Kingdom of God preach series.
Paul Mann continues our Kingdom of God preach series on Easter Sunday looking at Kingdom Victory.
This week, we were blessed to have Jon Wales deliver a powerful message on "Kingdom Signs". Through this sermon, we explored the incredible healing and miraculous power of God in our lives. Jon shared with us how God's Kingdom can be revealed through signs and wonders, and how we can experience His healing touch in our own lives.
The Kingdom of God preach series continued this week in Bexhill with a captivating message from Sarah Stone, who emphasised the miraculous healing power of the Almighty.
Today, Andrew Wilson gets technical! How can grace, compassion and steadfast love all be translated as ‘mercy’ in the Old Testament? And what does it look like for that mercy to bring down the haughty, as well as lift up the lowly?
Paul Edworthy continues our preach series 'The Kingdom of God' talking about Kingdom Good News.
Natalie Williams & Richard Wilson speak to us about The God who provides for our Social Action Sunday.
Guest speaker Ian Lettington from Hope Church Sevenoaks speaks about sharing your faith and its importance.
Paul Mann & Dan Glover finish off our Nutrients Preach series looking at Perseverance in forgiveness.
Paul Edworthy and Richard Wilson continue our Nutrients series looking at faith and courage.
Paul Mann speaks to us this Vision Sunday in the run up to our new Nutrients preach series.
Jeremy Simpkins was our guest speaker this week talking about baptism in the Holy Spirit.
In today’s Monday Mercy author and speaker @CMusters considers how our church gatherings can model God’s mercy toward the broken.
Andrew Bunt kicks off our series in Ruth with a dramatic reading of the whole book included.
Paul Mann speaks to us about how, as Christians, we respond to the current cost of living crisis.
As we reach a year of Monday Mercy videos, Natalie shares some things we have coming up, from our kids’ curriculum to a May devotional…
Paul Edworthy continues our Jesus Is preach series looking at why Jesus is worthy of worship.
Paul Mann continues our 'Jesus Is' preach series looking at Jesus being the welcomer. This Sunday was also our Gift Day Sunday for overseas mission.
Natalie speaks to us about what we're living for and gives us an invitation to some of the projects we run here and how we can get involved.
Sam concludes our Hunger Season talking about making space for God and to keep hungering after Him.
Paul Edworthy kicks off our hunger season, talking about making time for God in everyday life.
This preach from Sam Akrasi was recorded at our Celebrate Christmas Together event on Sunday 12 December 2021.
This week, Paul Mann continues our Restored preaching looking at being transformed by renewing our minds from Romans 12.
John Groves continues our restored series looking at forgiveness.
This recording was taken from our Bexhill meeting due to issues with our livestream in Hastings.
Paul Mann and Joanna Mutu continue our Restored preach series, looking at Handling your emotions well.
Paul Mann continues our Restored series this week, talking about choosing to believe the truth.
Aled Cousins rounds up our Blood, Boils and Blessings series looking at blessings and curses.
Andrew Bunt speaks to us about what it means to live holy as part of our Blood, Boils and Blessings preach series.
Andrew Bunt continues our Blood, Boils and Blessings series, looking at the day of atonement.
Paul Mann continues out Blood, Boils and Blessings series in Leviticus, looking at ritual purity.
Andrew Bunt continues our Blood, Boils and Blessings series in Leviticus this week, looking at Sacrifices.
Andrew Bunt kicks off our new 'Blood, Boils and Blessings: Finding Jesus in Leviticus' preach series talking about why we are doing a preach series in Leviticus.
This week, Aled continues our Life in the Spirit preach series differently. Inviting Sarah, Neil and Clare up to share about stepping out and being bold when you hear God's voice.
This week, Paul Mann continues our Life in the Spirit preach series looking at Spiritual Gifts.
For this week's Monday Mercy video, Natalie speaks about Job, Mordecai and Nehemiah. From these 3 Old Testament characters, we see that caring for people in need is an act of righteousness, a thankful celebration, and very personal.
Andrew Bunt continues our Life in the Spirit preach series looking at Spirit empowered obedience.
Paul Mann continues our Life In The Spirit preach series talking about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Paul Edworthy kicks off our new preach series 'Life In The Spirit' talking about who the Holy Spirit is and what he does.
Aled Cousins rounds up our Following Jesus preach series, talking about who are you living for and what the cost is to follow Jesus.
Sam Akrasi continues our Following Jesus preach series, talking about the cost of following Jesus.
Natalie Williams talks about who is imitating you and who are you imitating you as part of our Following Jesus preach series.
Andrew Bunt continues our Following Jesus preach series looking at being ready for Jesus' return.
For more resources, please check these out:
‘Be ready! Living ready for Jesus’ return’ – https://kings1066.org/talks/616/be-ready!-living-ready-for-jesus’-return – This is a preach where Andrew go into Matthew 24 in more detail.
Ian Paul, Kingdom, Hope and the End of the World: The ‘Now’ and ‘Not Yet’ of Eschatology (Grove Books, 2016) - https://grovebooks.co.uk/products/b-82-kingdom-hope-and-the-end-of-the-world-the-now-and-not-yet-of-eschatology – This is a short booklet on the Bible’s teaching about the future and Jesus’ return.
Dave Holden is our guest preacher this week, talking about an outpouring of the Holy Spirit as we come out of lockdown and being ready for a huge harvest.
Paul Edworthy starts our Easter at King's series looking at Jesus' anticipation of what was to come.
Andrew Bunt continues with our Origins series looking at Humanity and the subject of Abortion.
If anything said in this message has affected you in any way. Please get in contact with our Reflect team: enquries@reflecthastings.org.uk.
This week, Praveen Darole from the Life Church in Mumbai speaks to us from Revelation 3: 7 - 13.
Andrew Bunt speaks to us about keeping going and running the race as we head into 2021.
Paul Mann goes through the nativity story with us and notices something that stood out to him. This preach was taken from our Christmas Takeover event on Sunday 13 December 2020.
Martin Charlesworth from Barnabus Community Church continues our current preach series, talking about money and possessions.
This Sunday, we are joining with hundreds of other churches in our wider family called New Ground. We will be joining them for worship, hearing stories and testimonies from people all over the world, and Dave Holden will be speaking to us.
Steve Young continues our 'Good News For Everyday Life' preach series, speaking about retirement.
Paul Mann restarts our preach series 'Good News For Everyday Life' talking about work and employment.
Paul Edworthy continues our preach series talking about Anxiety. If you were affected by what was talked about in this preach or would like to chat with someone. Get in touch at hello@kings1066.org.
Aled concludes our Good News For Everyday Life preach series talking about Gospel Relationship.
Andrew Bunt continues our Good News For Everyday Life series titled 'Gospel Empowerment.'
Paul Mann continues our Good News For Everyday Life series titled 'Gospel Forgiveness.'
Andrew Bunt continues our Good News For Everyday Life series titled The Gospel and the Kingdom of God.
Aled Cousins continues our Big Questions series asking why the church is so important and why we should care about it.
Paul Edworthy continues our Big Questions series asking the question: Why should I care about Jesus?
Paul Mann speaks to us about how to pray, reading from Matthew 6 and encourages us to pray during this season.
Guest speaker Dave Holden who leads the New Ground family of Churches speaks to us from Philippians about limitations.
Andrew Bunt speaks to us about learning to be content and generous, continuing in our Philippians series.
Natalie Williams talks to us about knowing peace during a crisis and rejoicing in the Lord during this time of crisis.
Paul Mann continues our Philippians preach series. This week he speaks about still running the race of chasing after God.
Paul Edworthy speaks to us from Matthew 7:24-27 about building your foundations well and God centred.
Paul Mann takes us through Philippians 2:12-30 where we should play our part and take ownership for our own walks with God.
Andrew Bunt takes us through Philippians 2:1-11 which is a letter from Paul which is calling the Philippians to unity through humility, meaning to hold the interest of others in high value which results in bringing people together.
This is our Easter Sunday message, Paul Mann teaches from John 14 about Jesus being the way, the truth and the life.
This is week two of our Philippians series, and Sam focused on chapter 1:19-30. Sam takes us through three points: Faith, honouring Christ and being one.
This Sunday we relaunched our Hastings 10am meeting. Aled and Paul explain to us what the Church is and how we should live within Church life.
This is the first week of the Philippians series. Paul Mann takes us through the first 18 verses of Philippians 1, The first three points in verses 3-18 are praise, prayer and proclamation.
Paul Mann takes us through Matthew Chapter 6 and reminds us to cast our anxieties upon Jesus during this difficult season.
Jesus set the ultimate example for us of how we should live. As we study his life, obedience sticks out most of all. Jesus’ obedience sets the example for our obedience.
Sovereignty of self is at the very heart of sin. That part of our sinful nature which feels we have the right to rule our own lives. And we’re surrounded by a culture shaped by this mentality. Jesus wants us to know from the outset, that the gospel is not another ‘add on’ to an old life. You need to ‘sell it all’ if you want to get the treasure in the field. Don’t think Jesus bore the cross so you don’t have to. He’s just modelled what it looks like (for us) to bear a cross, die to an old life and enter into a new one! He then calls us to do the same.
In this preach we’re going to look at the foundations of discipleship. Using Jesus’ great commission at the end of Matthew’s gospel we will investigate the core elements of discipleship and look to apply them to our lives.
In this preach we’re going to look at the foundations of discipleship. Using Jesus’ great commission at the end of Matthew’s gospel we will investigate the core elements of discipleship and look to apply them to our lives.
All people are made in the image of God. All. But we're so different, and that can make it difficult. But we're called to be united in Christ. What are some of the differences in terms of class that we need to think about?
In this preach we look at two dangers and see what the Bible has to say about them. First, that the gospel gets disconnected from helping people out of poverty. Second, that the church becomes disconnected from helping people out of poverty.
Through the Bible we see that God is compassionate and generous. We’re called to be compassionate and generous too, and this will have a practical outworking of good deeds to those around us in need. If we want a heart like God’s heart, we need to cultivate it.
Natalie shares with us how God's vision for those in poverty goes way beyond a hand-out. We also explore how God calls His followers to be devoted to caring for those in need.
As we step into 2020, some will do it with a real sense of excitement, others with sadness and pain. So where do we start? Lets go back to basics and remind ourselves of Jesus original call, the power of the gospel and our part in talking about Him.
From Eden to Eternity God has always wanted to be with us as His people. He has made this possible through his redemptive plan to bring heaven and earth together ultimately in the work of His son, Jesus – our Emmanuel.
Although we have a wonderful salvation and so much blessing from God we still face suffering in this age. How do we walk through this life in the midst of difficulty, pain and distress as a Christian? The passage we are considering today provides us with a pathway and finishes with an exuberant flourish.
Our new identity of being in the Spirit rather than being in the flesh empowers us to live God’s way. Paul makes clear that having the Spirit living inside of us is the hallmark of the Christian. It is this indwelling of the Holy Spirit which leads to the discussion of adoption because he is the Spirit of adoption.
We live turbulent times as a nation. Politically things seem very unstable with growing division and mistrust. As Christians how do we navigate our way in this election season? What should shape our attitudes and actions at this time?
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But those in Christ Jesus, now have the empowering of the spirit to fulfil the law in a way that was once not possible in the flesh. Although we may not be ‘sinless’, we will certainly ‘sin less’ as we grow in the likeness of Christ and wage war on the flesh.
The Law (Old Testament Ten Commandments etc) was never meant to save us. It does reveal something of God’s holiness, it also shows us that we can never earn our way to God. We can never be good enough! Sin has polluted us and we just cannot do it on our own. As we understand the Law it reveals our desperate need of someone to save us, it gets us looking away from ourselves and towards God.
As Christians we live under grace which means that because of Jesus we are totally loved and accepted by God. We no longer need to be bound up by religious rule keeping but are empowered by the Spirit to live lives that bear fruit and glorify God.
Slavery to sin leads to death, but obedience leads to righteousness and eternal life. Sam reminds us that as Christians we have been set free from sin and are now slaves of righteousness to God. How does this shape how we live?
Our identity and value can be taken from many places – society tells us that our value is found in what we do, not on who we are. Yet with Christ, everything changes. We are no longer a product of what we do, but on what He did on the cross. We are no longer slaves of sin, but righteous before God because of the cross. This enables us to reign in life and wage war on sin.
Jesus was obedient to His father by coming to earth and dying for our sins. What does it mean for us to be obedient to God, have faith in all that he's calling us into and live fully for Him?
It’s really important that Christians know where they’ve come from and who they are now. It has a huge impact on our expectations and how we live life. This passage compares the characteristics of the life we had before we followed Christ (In Adam) with the characteristics of the life we have now (In Christ). The differences are incredible and lead to peace, joy and confidence in our lives.
In Romans 5:1-11, Paul begins to talk about the outworkings of being justified by faith which guarantee our future salvation. As he does so he talks about two foundations which are vital for Christian living:
The first foundation is knowing that we are fully accepted by God. As those who have been justified there is peace between us and God and we stand in the sphere of God’s grace, meaning we always experience his favour and goodness, even though we are undeserving (5:1-2a)
The second foundation is hope in the glory of God, i.e. certain hope in the coming new creation where we will spend eternity with God in perfection (5:2b) and which is strengthened by facing suffering (5:3-4). How can we be confident in this hope?
Because of God’s love which is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit as we reflect on the death of Christ (5:5-8). Because of God’s actions for us. If he has already done the huge things of justifying us and reconciling us while we were enemies, he will certainly do the comparably small thing of saving us in the future (5:9-10).
These are both vital foundations to have in place for Christian living.
What does it mean to be justified by faith? Andrew outlined two key foundations that are vital for Christian living.
We apologise for problems that have been experienced with this recording. We hope to have a better version available soon.
God takes ordinary people and with them he does extraordinary things. God has chosen you - with all your idiosyncrasies and your weaknesses - to be an arrow that brings his salvation to others.
In September 2016 we shared how we wanted to reach beyond Hastings and grow healthy church right across 1066 country. This preach recaps on how things have been going and all that God is calling us into.
Jesus makes promises, but these promises have conditions - we must first ask in his name, then believe and then we must be open to receive.
God: God longs to dwell with his people. Through Haggai, God calls the people to build his house and not just focus on their own houses. Why does God care so much? Because he longs to dwell with his people (1:1-11). The rebuilt temple is disappointing, but God promises a great future temple (2:1-9). The Gospel: God makes promises to Zerubabbel, part of the royal line of David. This reaffirms the promises made to David (2 Sam. 7:4-17). Is Zerubabbel the promised king and temple builder? No. The true king and greater temple builder doesn’t arrive for another 500 years – Jesus.
Obadiah is a message of judgement for Esau’s descendants (Edom) and of hope to Jacob’s descendants (Judah/ Israel). For centuries Edom has oppressed its brother nation Judah in different ways and now God is bringing judgement by taking everything away from Edom. It also shows that the judgement shown to Edom will be shown to the nations. In contrast to this, God’s people Judah/ Israel will be delivered and God will stay true to His promised towards his people and also restore all that’s been lost.
The book of Habakkuk records a conversation between the prophet and God. As we overhear this conversation we get to learn about the gospel and about God. Habakkuk shows us that salvation has always been through faith and that true life is found through relationship with God.
Zephaniah tells us that as the people of Judah turned back to God their relationship with him was restored. Being restored to God resulted in praise and worship and an absence of fear. As they turn back to God he rejoices enthusiastically over them.
For us, we have the opportunity to come into right relationship with God through Jesus. As we come to him as his beloved children we know that he delights in us. We need to choose to live in this relationship as loved, chosen children of God, saved by him for purpose.
The radical call on Hosea’s life is a humbling and sobering reminder of the affects of our sin and it’s impact on God. Through Hosea’s obedience, we experience a foretaste of God’s intention to rescue those who have run far from Him and how his mercy triumphs over judgement.
The minor prophets communicate so much about God and the gospel & Amos is no exception. In this book we understand Gods hatred of sin and injustice in-particular, but also his incredible capacity to save those who turn to Him in repentance.
There are three types of people - the high-fliers, the faithful and the flippin’ useless. Jesus-followers are called to use their gifts and talents in the service of the Master.
The OT provides an excellent overview of Gods work through the generations. We can see one generation serving God’s purposes and then passing the battern to the following generation, David, Solomon and Rehoboam provide an excellent example for us.
The world is trying to find satisfaction in all kinds of places. Self help culture says all we need is a better you. Jesus offers something different... Come to me, and i can make you a new creation.
We are transformed by God into a beautiful new identity. Why? For purpose - so that we can be ambassadors of Christ, representing him wherever we go.
Jesus is the bread of life. There is something more than what He provides, it's the gift of Christ himself. We are in Him, and through the ups and downs of life, we learn that Jesus is always enough for us. We carry the manna of Jesus everywhere we go.
The torn curtain in the temple meant that people can come into the presence of God. Paul explains how this happened and looks at the God who’s on the other side of the curtain.
The Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence is vital for every Christian. We all need to be baptised in the Holy Spirit and regularly coming to God for fresh filling.
UP, IN, OUT – looking at how our view of Jesus on the throne and the certain hope we have in His gospel and eternity with God won for us changes how we live now, how we’re radical with ridding sin and pursuing Christ in our lives now, how we love others, how we make disciples, all empowered by the Holy Spirit - ready for that moment where we see Jesus face to face.
As Christians we have an incredible new identity, and yet it is very easy to know this identity and yet not really experience it. To really experience our identity we have to have the right foundation in place. The foundation for Christian identity is what God says, and so to experience our identity we have to make God’s voice the loudest in our life so that we are listening to what he says about us, and not what anyone or anything else says about us. Experiencing Christian identity must therefore be an active thing; we have to be deliberate about letting God tell us who we are.
Sometimes we struggle to experience the truth that we are children of God and are loved by God, because we are actually believing lies. Highlighting these lies and using the truth to battle against them can help us to begin to experience the love God already has for us. What are some of the key lies that stop us from experiencing God’s love? And what truth do we need to take hold of to destroy the lies?
Jacob wrestles with God all night and comes through on the other side a completely different man; He has a new name, a new Blessing and a new way of walking (literally). Will we be a worshipping people who are not content to sleep through the night (spiritually speaking) and wake in the morning unchanged? Like Jacob, will we enter into the wrestle with God, dare to know Him more intimately and be changed in the process?
Looking at the church in Antioch in the book of Acts, Angela reminds us of who we are as church and that God has called some of us to stay and strengthen, while others go and lengthen.
It’s time for us to take possession of all God has for us, to proclaim over all of his promises: “I want them!”
It's the start of our 'Hunger Season' as a church together and in this preach Paul helps us look at gaining a biblical perspective on what it means to really hunger after God.
Aled reminds us that our salvation is not initiated by us, that we are saved by the Spirit. We are spiritually dead, spiritually cut off until the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us. We are now united to the Spirit and we are to keep in step with the Spirit, to fully rely on Him.
God created a perfect world with no poverty, yet after sin came in, poverty soon followed, and God has been especially concerned about the poor ever since. Do you think His followers should be too? Do you think this is for all Christians or just some of us?
The biggest problem that faces humanity is death. It’s the one thing that affects every single one of us, both physical death and the death of our hopes and dreams. Humans have tried all sorts of ways to deal with the problem of death, but only the resurrection of Jesus offers a real solution, a solution based not on wishful thinking but on a historical fact. Because Jesus has been raised from the dead, we too can be raised from the dead. But far more than that, because Jesus has been raised from the dead, we can have true life right now.
We are salt and light. It’s part of our new identity as Christians, part of our DNA. We are called to bring God’s kingdom flavour and light into everyday living, through how we live, what we say and the things we do. As we do this we make a difference, extending God’s kingdom and brining glory to his name.
God wants us to fight for the powerless, the unclean and those facing both literal and spiritual death. Jon reminds us how Jesus extends the kingdom to unexpected people and places and how we are called to do the same.
Jesus knows that he is soon going to return to be with God the Father and so he gives the disciples an important commandment about how they are to live when he has gone. Andrew teaches us how we too can live in community and be missional.
All of Christian life is meant to be an expression of worship, but we’re also called to gather as a church family and to worship together. What are these times of corporate worship for? What should corporate worship look like? And how can we all play our part in our corporate worship?
Signs and wonders are about the Kingdom breaking in. They also point to God’s Messiah and King-Jesus, who gives authority to bring his Kingdom in. If we believe the Kingdom has come and is advancing, we can have expectation of seeing more signs and wonders.
There was a barrier between God and us but He dealt with it and when we turn to Him, He gives us an extravagant welcome. He calls us to love with abandon in the way we welcome others too.
Paul writes an incredible letter to the church in Philippi in AD60, while in Rome. He loves this church and its full of rejoicing and joy, but also pain and struggles as well. (The two are not mutually exclusive.) We can learn much from Paul in this letter… as we find both comfort and encouragement to press on.
Jesus carried two attitudes which enhanced his ministry. Love for everyone and understanding everyone is different. Growing in these two attitudes really help us talk to people about Jesus. Love for everyone comes from us all being made in God’s image. Understanding we’re all different helps us think about how to communicate well with others. Perhaps the group can consider what the true nature of love looks like when communicating with people. Is love always nice etc? What does love look like in conversation?
Can the group consider ways to help understand others more? Listening/ taking time.
Only God is able to give us a new heart. When we receive that new heart we grow a new appetite for the things of God and also a new perspective on life.
Trying to grow in likeness of Christ is impossible without his help. We are saved by Christ and we become more and more like him, by help with his spirit.
God’s salvation is a wonderful gift. He is the planner, initiator and provider. He sent his Son to earn salvation for us.
It starts in God choosing of us (election) and is not dependant on anything good being found in us. God chose us because he loves us, as it says in Ephesians 1.
The bible is also clear that each person has to make a their own choice to follow God. We’re not preprogrammed robots, but human beings with the ability and responsibility to make real decisions.
Lastly, this also leads us into mission, to sharing our faith with those that don’t know Jesus. God has chosen to save many living in 1066 country – we’ve just got to find them. Not everyone will respond positively, but some will. So as step out; talking about what Jesus has done, with kind actions, praying for the sick etc we can be confident in God’s blessing.
We are called to be generous reflecting the generosity of God’s grace to us. Generosity results in glory to God and an overflow of praise to Him.
What is marriage? Marriage is a covenant commitment (a set of promises) between one man and one women. In marriage they promise to actively love each other until separated by death. This love is primarily an action, which then fosters feeling. Husbands express this love through servant-hearted leadership. Wives express it through joyful submission to the husband’s leadership.
Why is marriage that? Because marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. It exists to help us see something of what God is like, how he feels about us, and our future with him.
When we know how amazing Jesus is, we want to share Him with others. But some of us find this hard. Natalie Williams, Steve Barnes and Dan Glover share how they talk to people about Jesus.
Paul speaks on how important it is for Christians to pray first in all circumstances, and what a privilege it is to have access to God!
Reconciliation is important as it maintains “Koinonia”, which means communion or one another. Koinonia is a big part of who the church is and it’s important to be thankful for each other.
Christmas shows us that God is not distant and uncaring, rather he is close and understanding. Because Jesus took on humanity and lived on earth as a human, he understands what human life is like and therefore God is able to understand and empathise with us. Because of Christmas, God gets us.
The gospel of John starts with an explosion of news – It describes who Jesus is, where He came from and what He came to do! It provides the context for all that follows in the next 21 chapters and understanding this news is essential if you’re to understand Christmas.
The whole of Romans is about God’s power seen in the gospel... • Chapters 1-4: God’s power for present salvation. • Chapters 5-8: God’s power for future salvation. • Chapters 9-11: God’s power to fulfil his promises. • Chapters 12-16: God’s power for transformed living. The personal greetings in 16 remind us that everybody has a role to play in God’s mission to proclaim his gospel.
See also the summary on the King’s blog: www.kings1066.org/words
How do you get right with God? Its not by works, not by circumcision or following the law but by Faith and trusting in God.
As we continue through Romans, Paul explores how salvation is not just one dimensional but has many facets for us to explore. Through these verses we see how we should have borne God’s wrath for our sin, but Jesus was substituted in our place. God is loving, holy and just; sin cannot be ignored or swept under the carpet, it must be judged. Jesus took the punishment we deserved so that we don’t need to.
External things – such as having the law and circumcision – don’t mark one as a true member of God’s people and so don’t protect from judgement and the wrath of God. Only an internal transformation – the circumcision of the heart by the Spirit – marks one as part of God’s people and so saved from judgement and wrath. It’s what’s inside that counts.
Aled Cousins reminds us of how Jesus, the righteous judge and our defender, has already served our sentence on the cross. This should motivate us to love, encourage and share God's gospel with all who are in desperate need of it.
Paul Mann speaks on Baptism and how each of our journeys towards this moment are totally different.
Guest speaker: Steve Alliston, spoke about the Gospel with 5 kingdom expectations. No matter who we are we can still do works for the Lord.
Paul is eager to preach the gospel because he is not ashamed of it as he knows that it is God’s power for salvation in which the righteousness of God is revealed. If we want to become more missional, we also need to be unashamed of the gospel.
What stands out to you in the passage?
We see that God’s of His spirit in all that believe, God has done everything possible to give everyone a seat at the table. Often we can be selective of who we spend time with – maybe because they are like us or can offer us something – but Jesus demonstrates that true love and community is best demonstrated in how many people are invited to your table.
What’s the main point?
God’s heart from the beginning is that everyone would come to the knowledge of the truth and find a place at His table. At God’s table, we find love, community and an understanding of who we truly are.
What would it look like if Christians apply this main point, or follow this principle, in their lives today?
Someone once said that love is spelt t.i.m.e. It is not possible to love, honour, support and encourage others without giving the time to do it. Jesus spent much of his time sitting at tables and sharing life with them, we have the encouragement to do the same. Not out of duty, but out of love.
Paul Mann speaks on what Eldership means to us at King's Church 1066 and the purpose and process behind this role within the church.
Guest Speaker, Akhtar Shah spoke to us on the gift and grace of God and his favour over us.
This Sunday we had Paul Mann speak about our Vision and Eldership for the next academic year as a church.
The famous African proverb says ‘It takes a village to raise a child’, but it also takes a village to raise a Christian, and that village is meant to be the church, a community where everyone can experience family. Church as family is who we are, but it should also be what we do.
Paul explains how elements of the meal in Mark 14 can bring more meaning and celebration to communion today.
Jon Wales speaks on when the law was given in Exodus and the commandments which are like a blue print to how we should live.
Steve Young speaks about one of the historical moments in Exodus, the crossing of the Red Sea.
The Passover lambs act as a substitute for the firstborn of God’s people. Though they too deserve to receive the final plague, God allows them to kill a lamb in their place. For us, Jesus is the great substitute who ensures our salvation. But also important in the story of the Passover is the need to actively remember this salvation. God gives several ways the Israelites can do this, just as Jesus has for us.
In this preach we see that salvation includes the defeat of Gods enemies which reveals Gods sovereign rule over all. God has authority and victory over Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt, he is far above all claimed rivals. Jesus victory on the cross also demonstrates Gods utter sovereignty over all. He has triumphed over all the powers that seek to oppose him and one day every knee will bow before him.
We see from scripture that God not only sees and hears the cry of His people, but his compassion leads him to action. In Moses, He uses the seemingly weak, to demonstrate his wonders tot he world. The great i am, the unchanging one who made a promise generations before has come to free His people.
In Matthew 24-25 Jesus teaches about the future. The chapters are complex, but the overall message is clear: One day Jesus will return, judge all people and inaugurate the new age. Jesus doesn’t give his followers a timetable for when this will happen, but rather explains that it could happen at any point and, therefore, we are to live ever ready for his return.
The bible isn’t silent on the subject of parenting. How we use our words is important. We have a responsibility to teach our children, if we don’t - someone else will. Our children shall imitate us so we therefore need to imitate Christ. We correct out of love and through prayer, we can keep on going and trust him with our children’s futures.
Throughout the bible we see how Gods people are defined by their ‘calling out on the name of the Lord. Without prayer we have nothing. It is the channel of Gods blessing, it’s the means for repentance and reconciliation, it’s the invitation of the spirit to be poured out on all flesh. As a venue, we want to be characterised by our dependency on God and our willingness to give up our pride and self-sufficiency to see him move in greater power. In our weakness he is strong.
Life is full of decisions, some big and some small. To make good decisions that glorify God we need spiritual wisdom. The Bible tells us that God is eager to give us spiritual wisdom as we ask him and as we walk with him through our lives.
throughout the bible we see how Gods people are defined by their ‘calling out on the name of the Lord. Without prayer we have nothing. It is the channel of Gods blessing, it’s the means for repentance and reconciliation, it’s the invitation of the spirit to be poured out on all flesh. As a venue, we want to be characterised by our dependency on God and our willingness to give up our pride and self-sufficiency to see him move in greater power. In our weakness he is strong.
Jon Wales talks on celebrating the role of Dads in society and family but also showing that, that role comes with great responsibility. He also acknowledges that some people haven't experienced what it is to have a Father, but paints an amazing picture of what our Father in heaven is like.
Paul speaks on how as Christians, even through the hardships life throws at us we can still experience inexpressible joy.
Sam Akrasi really dives into the grace of God and what that means.
Apologies for the quality of sound.
In Matthew 16 we reach a significant milestone in Matthew’s Gospel. The disciples correctly identify Jesus as the Christ, but they quickly show that they don’t really understand what this means. They have their own ideas of what it means, not God’s ideas. Once Jesus has taught them what his role as the Christ is (to suffer and die) he can then teach the disciples what it is to follow him (to follow him on the path of suffering).
Church leader Paul Mann looks back at some of the things we have to thank God for over the last 12-18 months and outlines plans for a future community action space at the Hastings Centre. You can also check out a short video about the plans at http://kings1066.org/video
Jesus has just faced opposition and rejection from the Jewish authorities and in response to this he tells the crowd the parable of the sower. Within this passage we see the seed of Gods kingdom being planted into peoples hearts, but its not always fruitful. It’s not bad seed, but the soil that can be the problem. Jesus uses this parable to explain how the condition of our hearts affect the fruitfulness of the seed. It comes as a warning and encouragement to us all. We need to cultivate the soil of our hearts in order to be fruitful for God.
Every other faith system is based on the “do” plan (pay alms, go on pilgrimages, work off karma, undergo reincarnations, etc.) to try to somehow earn their way back to God. Christianity is unique. It’s based on the “done” plan – Jesus has done for us on the cross what we cannot do for ourselves: he has paid the death penalty that we deserve for our rebellion and wrongdoing, so we can become reconciled with God. Have we been, and are we living as those who are plugged into the life source of Jesus?
Being a disciple of Jesus meant they got to see and experience first hand the reactions peope had towards him as he proclaimed the message of the kingdom. Now it was their turn! Jesus has given them authority to do so and in Matthew 10:16-42 He gives them advice. In a nutshell, Jesus lets them know that allegiance to Him can mean persecution because when you align yourself to Him, you have to handle the things that aren’t aligned to him and this can make you stand out in the crowd.
Jesus is moved with compassion when he sees the crowds who he describes as “harassed and helpless”. He declares that God has prepared a plentiful harvest to be brought in so asks his disciples to pray for workers to be sent out into the fields. He then commissions the disciples to go and be those who will proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and to demonstrate this with healings and through deliverance.
The crowds had been astonished that Jesus taught with such authority and now they witnessed his authority in what he did. In this passage we see three different people healed and in each case we see Jesus compassion for those involved. It cumulates in verse 17 where Matthew quotes Isa53v4, ‘He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.’ All this points to who Jesus is and what he came to do. The other thing to mention is that Jesus marvels at the ‘faith’ of the roman centurion.
Mercy is not a word commonly used in our society, but God revealed Himself to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious” and Jesus demonstrated the radical, outrageous mercy of God by the people He called to follow Him, such as Matthew the tax collector, and the ‘sinners’ He mixed with. We are called to be merciful too – we have an opportunity to show the incredible mercy of God to those society doesn’t care about.
Hope is vital to living, but so often we place our hope in things that are only temporary and could be lost at any moment. The only solid hope is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus. Matthew's account of the resurrection is designed to stress the solid historical basis of this hope and to challenge us to respond rightly to the fact of the resurrection in order to enjoy this eternal hope.
This is one the most moving, powerful and important passages we will ever read. Following Jesus’ sham trial and Roman flogging, we see Jesus mocked, crucified and die. For large parts of this passage it seems as though Jesus is passive, just helpless in each step of the process. But as we read on, we start to pick up clues and echoes of the past prophecies that show who Jesus is and that he isn’t helpless. He’s fulfilling the fathers plan of salvation. We find that Jesus is both the Son of God and King of Kings and that his death (and what followed) wasn’t just some horrific miscarriage of justice, but achieved complete forgiveness, free access and resurrection life for those who turn to him.
The church comprises imperfect redeemed sinners. As a result it doesn’t always get things right and we can be hurt by it. Through the preach, Steve showed us a higher view of the church as a place:
Where God dwells That shows God to the world and Where disciples are built up.
This is God’s work although we work with Him to bring it about. One day though, when Jesus returns again, we will see the church in all its glorious fullness. Our calling is to build the church here in 1066 country to show the manifold wisdom of God to the world.
As we read Hannah’s story we can learn many things. Her circumstances were extremely challenging, but the way she responded provides us with a helpful provocation for our own lives. But this is only part of what’s going on. We also learn about God from this account. We see a God who is in control, who cares for the broken-hearted and who weaves his purposes into our lives over the long term.
Guest speaker called James Woolley from IJM (International Justice Mission) spoke about how we as a Church can get rid of slavery, poverty and injustice.
Jesus said more on money than anything else. The bible makes it clear that money can be a big stumbling block to us giving God our all in our lives. In this passage Jesus explains how we cannot serve two masters (God and money) but also provides us with a solution to our problem. Often orphan-like thinking can prevent us from walking in the freedom of living generously; but when we have an understanding of our identity, God’s father heart and his endless supply – we can give in confidence knowing He shall provide what we need.
Guest speaker Angela Kemm brought a message of the Church's role in the nation, to bring help and hope.
Jesus states how important it is that when we pray and fast we ensure that we are doing so from pure heart motives. Jesus through the Lord’s prayer gives us a pattern for our own personal prayer times. Through the preach the speaker emphasized the need for us all to give time to personal prayer and sometimes fasting. He encouraged us each to go deeper with God in our personal times with Him in order that we may grow as disciples and become more like Jesus.
Jesus states how important it is that when we pray and fast we ensure that we are doing so from pure heart motives. Jesus through the Lord’s prayer gives us a pattern for our own personal prayer times. Through the preach the speaker emphasized the need for us all to give time to personal prayer and sometimes fasting. He encouraged us each to go deeper with God in our personal times with Him in order that we may grow as disciples and become more like Jesus.
Jesus didn’t come to abolish the Law. He actually raised the bar. What does this mean for us today?
“I’m just being 100% real!” “It’s just the way I am!” “I’m just being true to myself!” These are all slogans of our day. But Jesus came proclaiming: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The way into God’s kingdom isn’t ‘being true to myself’, but repentance. In Matthew 5:1-16 Jesus starts to describe what this new kingdom looks like and the blessings that come as we respond to God’s grace and work in our lives.
Matthew starts his account of Jesus’ public ministry with an introductory summary to give us a flavor of what’s coming. He shows us that Jesus came to reclaim God’s position as king over all and calls us to repent and come under the reign of God.
Jesus challenges a man who had been freed from an evil spirit to go back to his family and tell them what the Lord had done for him. He heeds Jesus' call and begins to tell his story. When we put our faith in the risen Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, we are changed, our lives are never the same. We stand forgiven and free. Our experience of how we got saved becomes our Jesus story and he calls us to let the world know of his love and mercy for all who would believe.
Christmas is a story of finding love in a surprising place: we find the love of the God who made us being revealed in the birth of a baby in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. At the first Christmas, God went public with his love by sending his son to be born on earth that he might die to give us life.
The Christmas Story is all about Jesus. He came with a purpose to solve the problem of sin. Within this preach we look to understand the problems sin causes and how Jesus solves it through being Emmanuel God with us.
Materialism is rife in our culture. While we might like to think we're immune from it, there's a danger that the love of money and possessions has crept into our hearts too. As followers of Jesus, we need to ask ourselves if it has, and then be rich in gratitude and rich in generosity as two antidotes to materialism.
In Psalm 23, we see that God is the only place in which we can find restoration for our souls, guidance for our daily lives and a hope beyond the grave. However, we are only able to sing the truths of Psalm 23, because Jesus experienced the pain of Psalm 22. Jesus is the good, good shepherd.
We are busy. Busyness is affecting our work, our health and our relationships. But the problem is not just in our diaries; it’s in our hearts. We feel unhealthily busy when we try to do more than God expects us to do, and we try to do more than God expects us to do because we believe lies about God and ourselves. To begin to tackle the busyness in our diaries, we first have to tackle the busyness in our hearts.
Do we ever have the right to end a human life? Many people in the UK believe that in cases of extreme suffering or life-limiting illness or injury, individuals should be able to request and receive help to end their lives. How does this fit with what God says in the Bible? What should our response as Christians be to cases of extreme suffering and life-limiting conditions?
This Sunday was the first time Bexhill venue met for a Sunday meeting. It’s an exciting and challenging time for King’s and we need to remind ourselves of Gods promises. Isaiah 54:1-5 contains great promises for us to grab hold of as we consider joy, expansion and confidence. It reminds us of our reliance on God in all things and that we get to play a part as well. As William Carey said: “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”
Our connect group might look like a really random mix of diverse people, but in Jesus we can be united in our diversity and can embrace the diversity within our unity. As God’s people, we are united in our diversity through receiving the same gift of eternal life from Jesus and worshipping the same God in spirit and in truth. But our unity doesn’t erase our diversity. Within out unity is diversity which brings glory to God.
God's kingdom (His rule and reign) is like a mustard seed that is planted in the garden. Although it's the smallest of seeds, it becomes the largest plant. In a similar way as we keep in step with the Holy Spirit and respond to His direction, God's kingdom grows in our lives affecting everything from work and money to family and church. We find our attitudes changing: instead of fear, courage; grumbling replaced by joy; authenticity, honour and generosity where we wouldn't have expected to find them. These are the shared values that we'd love to see grow in Connect Groups.
What does true friendship look like? What is the most important ingredient if it’s going to work over the long-haul? In John 13, we see Jesus loving his disciples in a very practical and down to earth way. It’s not a love based on feelings or circumstances, but is strong, deliberate, gentle, kind, patient, enduring and sacrificial. Our love for others flows from God’s wonderful love for us, demonstrated in sending His Son to save us from our sin – not because we are worthy, but in spite of our unworthiness.
These verses show us the moment when Jesus called Matthew. Matthew was a Jewish tax collector working for the Romans, which didn’t make him a popular person. But Jesus invited Matthew to follow him and the response was Matthew immediately got up, and then they ate food together. Matthew went on to become one of the 12 disciples. Jesus accepted first, then connected (over food and in a group).
We see throughout the Bible that God has a big vision. God wants King's Church involved in His purposes and plans: He has a part for us to play corporately and individually. As a church we have a rich 40-year history and we're looking forward to taking the next steps with Him. This is done in numerous ways every day, but there are two key áreas Paul focused on here. Firstly, the move towards becoming one church with four venues, and specifically the Bexhill venue launch. Secondly, in launching Connect Groups across each of the venues. These two steps will help strengthen the health of King's and reach new communities as we move closer to them.
God uses weak people and difficult circumstances for His glory. These things don't disqualify you from being used by God. God asks us to use what we have.
God doesn't want us to live in the past, longing for former glories or dwelling on mistakes and failures. He's calling us to a new season. He says it's spring time, when things that look dead come to life again and blossom and flourish. God promises us streams in the wasteland.
Things change very rapidly. When the Berlin Wall came down, the relationship between East and West Germany changed overnight. When the banks crashed almost 10 years ago, things changed in a moment. Everything around us and in our lives is subject to change, but God is steadfast. He's the same yesterday, today and forever. When our faith is tested, we can remain confident in the unchanging One.
God calls us to a walk of faith. From beginning to end, He calls us to trust Him. Not some of the time, but all of the time. What does this look like? And how do we do it?
Just like the iconic Star Wars moment, the Bible has a shocking 'I am your father' revelation when Paul calls Abraham 'the father of us all' (Romans 4:16). But in what way is Abraham our father and why does it matter?
In our final Vision & Values session, Steve talks about the final part of our vision: Going on mission.
Abraham Lincoln carried eight newspaper clippings in his wallet - eight articles that were positive about his leadership. Hebrews was written to a group of people who needed a wallet-full of encouragement. There are five things in this passage that are encouragement for us to put into our 'wallets'.
James gives a lot of attention to the evidence of faith. We are saved by faith alone, but faith alone is not real faith. Real faith works out in actions: it will have an impact on your life. One of the fruits that comes from real faith is perseverance. Real faith may not always be tidy, but it always goes back to God because it knows where to find the words of life. Prayer is another fruit of real faith. And real faith is also preserved – your conduct doesn’t determine the relationship; the work of God does. It’s not about your performance it’s about your heart.
Isaiah 56-66 bring together the themes of the first two sections of Isaiah. They teach us how to live God's way in the light of God's coming salvation.
Please note that the final session on Thursday 20th July has been cancelled.
In the next of our Vision & Values session, Aled Cousins shares about the importance of worship.
James is nearing the end of his letter, but he’s not done challenging us yet. In two ‘Listen up!’ sections, two of the most punchy paragraphs in the letter, he challenges us about our heart attitude in planning for the future and about how we handle our material wealth.
Session 3 focuses on the second main section of Isaiah 40-55. Through exploring the Servant Songs we trace out the message of these chapters as they explain how God is going to solve the problems laid out in Isaiah 1-39.
Our attitudes on refugees and migrants in general can be shaped so easily by what we hear from politicians, journalists and social media, but what is God's view? What does He have to say about foreigners moving from one land to another, and how we should treat them?
James desire is to root out the issue of arguments among the Christians he’s writing to, with the aim them developing as disciples. He does this by asking a question (verse 1), answering it (verse 1-2), explaining the effects of the situation (2-4), showing a way forward (verse 6-12). Arguments happen from their own individual desires that battle within, which in tern affect their prayer life and relationship with God and others. But James tells us there is more grace for us, that we should repent (change) and we should obey the word (choice).
In session 2, we explore the first major section of Isaiah, chapters 1-39, which is focused around the theme of trust in God. We look at the overall shape and message of the chapters and their teaching about the Messiah.
Great to have Santino Hamberis back as a guest speaker on the subject of knowing God and knowing His power!
In this session, we ask some key questions about Old Testament prophecy and prophets, as well ask looking at how we can learn to interpret them well. The session ends by introducing the book of Isaiah.
Steve Young talks about the church: how does the Bible describe the church and how do we seek to live this out?
James reminds us that though the tongue is only a small part of our body, it has incredible power and can do great harm. Taming the tongue is impossible for us as humans, but nothing is impossible for God. If we want to learn to control our speech, we need God to work in our hearts.
Partiality (favouritism) and judgements (passing judgment on someone) are two sides of the same coin and both sins exist within the church, within our hearts. Although to many they may not be seen as bad as adultery or murder, James is keen to deal with this issue early in his letter. He uses the example of partiality shown to the rich over the poor within a church gathering and how offensive this is to God. But it isn't only limited to this example and we find it in many areas of our lives... either judgements or partiality.
In Psalm 7:1-2 David doesn't have the same confidence in God that James has. In trials, do we reflect Psalm 7 - the desperate cry - or the confidence of James 1.
James tells us that God wants us to be religious; he doesn’t want us to be legalistic or hypocritical, but he wants our relationship with him to be evident in the way we live; we are to be doers and not only hearers. Having explained this, James gives us three examples of the religion that God accepts.
Paul Mann talks about one of the three things we want to focus on doing : care for the poor.
James is a very provoking and stirring book. His style is punchy and it can take time to let his words settle and fully appreciate the implication of what he is saying. His opening words are no exception, he starts with an outrageous statement, 'count it all joy, when you meet trials of various kinds!' James says that these trials can become stepping-stones to maturity, if we respond in the right way. He then unpacks his logic, shares a practical example and highlights some dangers that we can fall into.
James is a very provoking and stirring book. His style is punchy and it can take time to let his words settle and fully appreciate the implication of what he is saying. His opening words are no exception, he starts with an outrageous statement, 'count it all joy, when you meet trials of various kinds!' James says that these trials can become stepping-stones to maturity, if we respond in the right way. He then unpacks his logic, shares a practical example and highlights some dangers that we can fall into.
The Bible reveals that God exists in Trinity: One God, three persons. God has always existed as a community of love and so is truly all loving. Both creation and salvation are an overflowing of the love that has always existed within God. You are made to be loved and to love.
Sweets and Chocolate are all good when it comes to Easter but there is such a deeper meaning to Easter.
Change is something that we either make happen or something that happens to us. The bible is packed with examples of change from which we can learn some great anchor points which steady us through transitions.
With all that happens in life and is currently happening around the world, we need to know that our God is Both powerful and loving, We need to understand that he is both the Lion and the Lamb. I’m going to explain how this can be so and the significance of this truth.
Steve Young talks about another key aspect of making disciples at King's Church: being filled with the Spirit and walking in partnership with Him.
Whatever stage of life you’re in, busyness is here to stay. Whether it’s responsibilities at work or people to look after at home, everyone is in need for your time and attention. At Mother’s Day, we unpack a few top tips on how to keep your peace in whatever season you’re in.
Part of the Christian package is to have access to and to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit who reveals God to us, who restores us into a relationship with him and who empowers us to live Christ-like lives. Our salvation was dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit, so our Christian lives should continue to be ones that are characterised by a dependency of the Spirit.
Andrew Bunt talks about a key aspect of making disciples at King's Church: understanding and living out our new identity in Christ.
Paul had an amazing story of life transformation, but he knew that even more amazing and important was the story of the forgiveness of his sins. For every Christian, forgiveness of sins is at the heart of our story. This means that every Christian has a great story. The centrality of forgiveness of sins in the gospel helps us in discipleship – it reminds us that the gospel isn’t about having a better life – and it helps us in mission – it reminds us to use our stories to point people to the forgiveness of sins.
The apostle Paul suffered a huge amount. Suffering and pain are things we all experience, but our answers to four questions can help us to find hope in our suffering: the why question; the identity question; the comfort question; and the hope question.
There's a physical realm and a spiritual realm. They coexist and affect one another. We need to be aware of what is going on in both realms, looking through both lenses simultaneously. Whenever we're talking about the spiritual realm, it's not about power, but about position. We fight power with authority; with who we stand in. The question we're asked is not 'what have you done?' but 'who are you?'
When the apostle Paul arrived in Corinth, he didn't ask for miraculous provision or a gift; he worked. We often speak about work as if it's a bad thing, but God is a worker. Adam and Eve worked before sin entered the world. God has designed us for work. It's a good thing. And it's also fundamental for mission, as we see in the lives of Priscilla and Aquila.
Paul Mann, lead elder of King's Church, shares the overall vision for King's as one church with four venues and explains how the King's Bexhill venue fits within the wider vision.
God has invited us to partner with Him on mission. The starting pistol has gone: Jesus said: "Go!" But how do we know which way to go? The apostle Paul used common sense; he followed the doors God opened (and moved away from the ones He closed); he also learnt through the Holy Spirit revealing things to him; and through spending time with godly people, seeking their counsel. We carry a message, and God's more interested in us partnering with Him in sharing it than us being perfect at it.
Worship is a decision we make. It's a deliberate, individual decision to connect with God. Mission came out of worship. The church isn't here for us; we're on a mission to proclaim the gospel, care for the poor, make disciples and see people's lives transformed. Every single one of us is precious, important and needed. We all need to step up and get out of our comfort zones in fresh ways. As we encounter God in worship, we are filled with joy and courage to take out the gospel.
Lazarus had a problem: he was dead. But no problem is too big for Jesus; he can bring the dead to life. We've all got problems, and we all start with one problem that is bigger even that Lazarus's problem: we're spiritually dead in our sins. But no problem is too big for Jesus; no one is too hard for him to rescue. Jesus can bring new life to anyone.
Christians should expect opposition. It's inevitable; the Bible promises it will happen. It also tells us how to prepare for it. So, how are we to respond to opposition? What are the results of it? And how will it be resolved?
Ananias was just a normal disciple of Jesus, like any one of us, and yet God was able to use him for a hugely significant role. Paul explores why it was that God was able to use Ananias and how we can learn from him to become the kind of people God can use.
At its heart Christianity is about an encounter with the resurrected Lord Jesus and embracing Him with your whole heart, not just giving Him a few aspects of your life, but giving Him full reign.
We can learn a lot about faith from the story of Bartimaeus. Faith seeks Jesus, it acknowledges Jesus, it perseveres. Faith listens, dislodges, obeys / is responsive. It is clear what it wants. It receives. Faith embraces Jesus.
This Jesus who came as a baby is the eternal One, with no beginning and no end. He's the all-powerful One, the Creator. On Christmas Day we remember Him not only as a baby, but also who He was and who He is.
Home of one of those quintessentially Christmas things. At our Carols by Candlelight event, Andrew spoke on the connection between home and Christmas.
Some of the gifts we receive at Christmas are lovely, some are funny, and some are just strange. But Christmas is the time when we focus on God's inexpressible gift to us, Jesus.
When the wise men found Jesus, He would not have been as they might have expected... It wasn't the external things that were amazing, but the baby born in a stable, placed in a manger, that they realised was the King of Kings. It's not the normal response when you see a baby, but they worshipped Him.
What is death? The Bible says that death is an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). We think it's natural because it happens to everyone, but God didn't create us for death, it came into the world through sin and is a sign of our brokenness (Romans 5:12). Death is unnatural. But death is also defeated (Isaiah 25:7-8, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55). We still die, because we live in a fallen world. But what happens when we die? And what comes at the end?
When the Israelites first came to the Promised Land, there were four perspectives on the situation. Three were right; one was wrong. God's people believed the wrong one! It's not uncommon for God's people to have a wrong perspective of a situation. Through our 40 days of hungering after God, we were freshly provoked to see God as He is, to see ourselves as He sees us, and to lift our heads to follow Him where He's leading us, shedding the grasshopper mentality.
God's plan to bring peace and hope and reconciliation to our friends and our town is actually you! In January we will be officially starting to go from one church with two meetings, to one church with four venues, when we (re)launch the first venue. What's it going to look like? What's our vision for it?
On baptism Sunday, exploring that those who follow Jesus are part of a called and commissioned community, a diverse group of people doing life together, glorifying God and spreading the gospel.
Jesus is the One who was and is and is to come. There is power in His name. He came not to condemn but to save. He was lifted up on a cross (see John 3:13-17), dying for our sin. Then he was lifted up into heaven (Acts 4:1-11), where He has all authority. He will be lifted up in glory, and every knee will bow (Revelation 1:7-8).
We were made to behold God, in the glory of His holiness, and to be held by Him. When we behold and are held by Him, it propels us into loving others.
Jesus proclaimed the gospel, healing the sick and showing compassion to the crowds, then told his disciples that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. We're the workers. We've been given the authority of Jesus to heal, to cleanse, to bring deliverance. This is our inheritance.
It is so easy for us to put on fear and unbelief, but God wants us to put on love and faith. So how do we do that?
When someone becomes a Christian, they may look the same on the outside, but they've been completely transformed on the inside. We can now live according to the Spirit, being conscious that the Spirit of God is within us, deciding to live a life (with the Spirit's help) that pleases God, and enjoying the knowledge that we are sons and daughters of the living God.
Disappointment with God is something that so many of us feel, but often we don't talk about it because we're not sure if it's ok as Christians to feel it. But if we admit you, there are a few antidotes to help us deal with it... These include dying, gazing, and thanking.
True fulfilment in life comes from doing what we were designed to do. We were created for intimacy with God. The whole of the Bible is about God's chief purpose in creating us: that we might enjoy Him forever.
Part 2 of the September 2016 What's Next? vision series: God changes lives and does people good. The Kingdom of God can have a powerful impact and bring change and transformation as we take it out. That's why we're planting four venues. To find out more about what's coming up and the church we want to be, listen here...
We believe God has some exciting adventures for us over the next few years. In the coming months we will become one church with four venues. Click below to listen to Paul outline some of the details.
The Psalms are beautiful examples of how ordinary people interact with God. In Psalm 139 we learn about the God who knows us, pursues us, is with us, created us, and gives us His heart.
God is a great encourager (see Romans 15:5, 2 Thess. 2:16, etc). He has called His children to encourage one another and everyone we encounter. To encourage is to build up, to fortify, to spur forward. We are to encourage when someone has blessed us, when people are succeeding (which actually just means stepping out, whether or not it went well), when people are failing, and in all of life, to people who aren't in the Church. Encouragement is powerful: it instils courage and helps us to see things how God sees them.
Psalm 107 describes four groups of people in dire need, some through their own making, others through no fault of their own. How does God respond to them? And what does that mean for how we should treat people in need?
In Psalm 19, David tells us how we get to know God. He reminds us that all of creation proclaims the glory of God, so we can know Him through all that He has made. We also get to know God through His Word, which is trustworthy, perfect, pure, true and dependable. As we read the Bible, God works in us and it does us good: it revives the soul; it makes wise the simple; it rejoices the heart; and it enlightens the eyes. Another way we get to know God is through Jesus, who is the exact representation of the Father, and who came to Earth to show us exactly what God is like.
David is described as a man after God's heart, who served the purposes of God in his generation. How did he do that? Psalm 27 shows us the journey David went on. He knew exactly where to turn, and made His home in God's presence.
In this final session we address one important motif found in each of the four Gospels, tackle two difficult passages and seek to give a conclusion to the question we posed at the very beginning, 'Why are there four Gospels rather than just one?'
We cannot flee from God - He is everywhere. There's no physical space where He is not. God is always present with us and wanting to speak to us. But are we listening?
We cannot flee from God - He is everywhere. There's no physical space where He is not. God is always present with us and wanting to speak to us. But are we listening?
After some exciting announcements about changes to the church leadership team, Paul spoke on seven things we can learn from Joshua 5.
In session 6 we look at John's Gospel. When compared with the Synoptics, John seems quite distinctive. We explore some of these distinctives and the rich theology of John's Gospel.
Session 5 looks at Luke's Gospel. We see how Luke has written his account of Jesus' life, death and resurrection to present Jesus as the Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost and how he uses the life of Jesus to teach us about how to live as a Christian.
God "dwells in unapproachable light" and "in him is no darkness at all". That is why holiness and purity is important. We are called to a wonderful relationship with Jesus, which means we take off the things of darkness and are clothed in light. It effects every area of our lives. When we want to see how we're doing in terms of holiness, we like to look at people around us and feel like we're doing ok, rather than looking at God, who is perfect in holiness. The closer we walk with Jesus, the more aware we become of how much we need a saviour. But Jesus' blood cleanses us from all of our sin; the mercy of God gives us the wonderful gift of Jesus' righteousness. When we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us because we have an advocate in Jesus Christ, who is our guarantee of salvation!
The greatest privilege we have as Christians is that we have been adopted into God's family. We too can offer adoption and fostering to the many children who need homes in the UK today.
In session 4 we explore Matthew's Gospel. Through looking at four key elements of the Gospel (the infancy narratives, the Sermon on the Mount, the parables and the resurrection account) we see how Matthew has presented Jesus as the obedient Son of God who comes to continue and complete the story of Israel.
If you have given your life to Christ, you have been made brand new! You've been reconciled to God, who has given you a message to carry as an ambassador for Christ.
Session 3 focuses on Mark's Gospel. By walking through the Gospel we explore the journey that Mark wants his readers to go on. This journey reveals the true meaning of Jesus' identity as the Son of God and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
Through the story of Ruth and her kinsman-redeemer, Boaz, we learn much about the extraordinary redemption Jesus has given us.
In session 2 we explore some of the contexts which are vital to a good understanding of the Gospels. We start with the scriptural context, asking what has come before the Gospels in the Bible story, before considering the religious context of Jesus' day. Placing Jesus and the Gospels' accounts of him in these contexts helps us to appreciate more of what they are saying about who he is, why he came and what he achieved.
In the gospels we read that Jesus marvelled at the centurion's faith (Matt. 8), but he also marvelled at the unbelief in his hometown (Mark 6). Three things that attack our faith are disappointment, fear and offence. But we can grow our faith by knowing who God is, who we are, and what we carry.
In this first session of 'Going Deeper: The Gospels' we explore four key questions which help us to read and understand the Gospels: What are the Gospels? How were they written? How should we read them? Why are there four?
God has given us the resources we need so that we can stand strong in the fight. We have a real enemy, but we're not to hide in a bunker but to stand and fight. We're to be prepared by putting on spiritual armour and to be prayerful because it makes a difference.
Our attitudes to work are shaped by many things. We worship a God who works and who created us to work. Work benefits us and it also benefits society.
Being a parent is one of the hardest thing. It's a huge area for comparison and condemnation. How can parents require obedience from their kids? And children are told to honour their parents, but what does this look like as a child and as an adult?
What is God's design for marriage? We react strongly to words such as 'submission' and 'headship', but what do they actually look like according to the Bible?
Our motivation to walk and talk in a Christ-like way is based on who our Father is, the wrath of God that we've been saved from, and how we are now the light of the world called to reflect God's glory.
The Bible says that before we came to Jesus, we had an old, selfish life that has now died, and we now have a new life in Christ with a new nature. We have been radically changed. Are you walking in the good of your new life?
God loves to give gifts to His children freely. Gifts aren't about what we can do for others, but about who we are, who He has created us to be. God wants us to be at peace with who we are and our unique contribution. The key ingredient for the gifts functioning well together is unity.
In the story of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus, we find the answers to these questions: who is He? Does He care? Can He help? The message of Easter isn't 'come to church and try a bit harder', but come to Jesus and find life in all its fullness, both now and forevermore.
Christian life is meant to be like running for the prize, but sometimes it is more like running for the bus! What's the difference? And how can we pick up the pace?
As we look carefully through the book of Acts, we can see that care for the poor was in the DNA of all of the churches that were planted. New Testament churches care for the poor. It's just part of who they are.
The first word used to describe love in 1 Corinthians 13 is 'patient'. Most of us would admit we could be more patient. Real love is patient...
The story of Noah and the ark is like a trailer, pointing us towards what is to come. It tells us about the problem with humanity and God's solution, and points towards Jesus, a greater and better ark.
As we engage with God, we gain spiritual strength. God’s goodness isn’t dependent on what we go through. We can have strength every day in our inner being through the Holy Spirit. We can know and experience the love of God that goes far beyond just head knowledge, transforming us, bringing security, and galvanising us from the inside out. Whatever you’re facing, the amazing truths in these verses can help you to praise your Father in heaven.
God will not disqualify you from His plans and purposes on account of your background or circumstances. His power is made perfect in our weakness, and His Church is called to reveal His manifold wisdom.
We don’t have to look hard for hostility. We see it in wars and cold wars. We see it even in our own families and neighbourhoods. There’s hostility in the church. But God has broken down every dividing wall and we are now family together, called to bear with one another in love.
These verses set out the glorious truth that the work of salvation is all about God’s grace reaching out to us when we could not save ourselves. As a result of Jesus sacrifice on the cross we are now raised to new life. Because Jesus is now seated in heaven our eternal salvation is sure and certain. Whilst we are here on earth our calling is to walk as Jesus walked and to bring His kingdom into every situation of life.
When Paul prays for the believers to whom he is writing, he shows us that Christian growth is like cake baking: you need both the ingredients and the cooking process. He asks that the Holy Spirit would bring revelation to them, bringing knowledge that affects how they think, feel and live. But he also shows that we need to fill ourselves with biblical truth so the Holy Spirit can make it real in our hearts. Truth and revelation, like ingredients and cooking.
We have been redeemed by Jesus: if you are in Christ, He has paid your ransom in full! And we have been sealed by the Spirit, bringing power and security to us.
The incredible verses at the beginning of Ephesians were written to the saints – they’re true of every believer. If you have given your life to Jesus, you have every spiritual blessing! You’ve been chosen to be holy and blameless, to be adopted by your Father in heaven, saved for His pleasure.
It's a bit odd that 2,000 years after His birth, we are still worshipping a baby who was born in Bethlehem. Why do millions of people still adore Jesus today?
Jesus is the greatest gift of all, given for us from heaven so that we could have true peace.
Whether you're facing Christmas sinking under a to do list, excited about your presents, or with dread... whatever Christmas means for you, let your soul be freshly anchored in the greatest rescue story ever told. Don't miss what we get to celebrate, enjoy and revel in!
If we’re going to see Hastings and the surrounding communities transformed by the gospel, we need to care for those in need. It's not an optional extra if we feel like it. If we don’t remember the poor, we’re not reflecting God’s heart. It’s what we’re called to do.
We can sometimes have the mindset that we're on our own mission, but actually it's a great privilege that we get caught up in God's mission.
Andy Robinson from King's Church Horsham speaking at the Saturday morning session in our Encounter: Worship weekend.
Santino Hamberis speaking at the Saturday afternoon session in our Encounter: Worship weekend.
The importance of what we do with our money and possessions, in connection with our spiritual health.
Our purpose is to live from the Father’s love – His unstoppable love. What it means to be co-heirs with Christ is that we take the presence and goodness of God whenever we go and we can distribute it to others.
We have been made for a purpose – to have intimacy with our Maker: to know the Father and be known by Him. God accepts you. He adores you. He welcomes you. He calls you His child. It’s only when we know who we are in Christ that we can understand the intimacy we’ve been beckoned into...
Being a Christian is all about knowing God. Jesus came to save us and bring us to the Father. He promised that He would not leave us as orphans...
Guest speaker Adrian Holloway - former BBC journalist, author and popular speaker - explores how a 'good' God could allow suffering...
It can be easy to hide behind busyness, fear or apathy, but Jesus has commissioned His disciples to see God’s Kingdom extended by going on mission. If people aren’t reading the Bible, going to church or hearing anything good about God in the media, how will they find out what a wonderful Saviour Jesus is? Our everyday lives paint a picture of what God is like. You and I could be the only way people find out about the God who loves them.
What does a disciple of Jesus look like? There are five particular characteristics of Jesus that we would like to give ourselves – individually and as a church collectively – to growing in. These are courage, joy, authenticity, honour and generosity. Those who are following Jesus grow in all of these – they’re not just for church meetings, but they should pour out from us to those around us, because we have received so much from God and He is with us.
Being a Christian isn't predominantly about attending church or being good or stopping bad habits or doing good works. The heart of it is about following Jesus Christ, and it costs everything. You don't have to be good, you don't have to be sinless, you don't have to be all sorted – but you do have to give Him your heart.
You were made in God’s image. He is the Author of life itself – He brought you into this world. You are not an accident; you were created by God. Not only that, but you are very precious to Him. You have great value. So much so that Jesus died for you! This should affect how you look at yourself and how you look at others, because every human life was made in His image and is valuable to Him, created for purpose and for intimacy with Him.
If you are a Christian, Christ is in you. Wherever you go, He goes with you. This means, firstly, you will be transformed internally – you are being transformed from one degree of glory to another. You have the mind of Christ. You can know peace, rest and joy, regardless of your circumstances. Secondly, we transform the world around us: we carry the Kingdom and are supposed to pour out love, grace, mercy – everything we’ve been given – to those around us.
The glory of God is His goodness and His sovereignty. He is both good and in control. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s glory, and Christians, as those who are “in Christ”, are now carriers of God’s glory wherever we go.
As we come to the end of our Acts of Courage series, we find that prayer is the foundation for our courage. It enables us to get a right vision of God and strengthens our faith.
Have you ever had a nickname? Some nicknames are just a fun play on our actual names; others have a meaning. Barnabas had a nickname with a meaning. His actual name was Joseph, but it was changed to ‘Barnabas, son of encouragement’. Would a nickname such as that fit you?
Sometimes when we read the Old Testament it can look like God is only interested in some people – a select few. But the truth is that God has always had a plan to provide a means for salvation for all who would come to Him. When Jesus came, the boundaries of God’s Kingdom and grace changed! The distinction between Jews and Gentiles has disappeared as all who accept Jesus become one in Him. You were cut off, but have now been brought near!
There should be no intimidation in the life of a Christian, yet so often we can be intimidated by the situations we face or the people around us. Jesus faced temptation to be intimidated by all kinds of things, but He overcame. So can we!
Our faith is based on One who is constant, who doesn’t fail, who never changes and is always faithful: Jesus. Faith stems from God’s faithfulness – it’s only because God is faithful that we can exercise courageous faith.
Simon the magician was amazed at the signs and wonders he saw the disciples perform, but he missed what the miracles were pointing to: Jesus. We, too, can be amazed at the wrong things rather than captivated by Jesus. Are you amazed at the right thing?
When we look at Philip in the book of Acts, there are nine godly character traits we can imitate: he was a man full of wisdom, full of the Holy Spirit, who handled disappointment well; he was courageous, took initiative, lived under authority; he was a man of the Bible, of good reputation and he was obedient. Which of the these qualities do you exhibit?
We are all in danger of compromising on the gospel of grace and need constantly to be taught and encouraged.
When we read the gospels, as much as we are impressed with the life of Jesus, we are unimpressed with the disciples! But a turning point came that transformed them from being ineffective and scared to courageous and powerful. That turning point was baptism in the Holy Spirit – and the same Spirit is available to followers of Jesus today!
John the Baptist challenged the religious people of Jesus' day and called them to repent and be baptised. The same challenge applies to us today.
In 21st century Britain, why would anyone join a church? Here are a number of reasons...
There are some important differences between Stephen and the Pharisees. The first is identity versus significance. The Pharisees were caught up in roles and status, but Stephen knew he was a child of God. The second is faith versus control – there is no place for fear in the Christian heart: it’s an imposter. The third is presence versus principles. We need to make an active choice to prioritise God’s presence. When we know who we are, it changes how we live.
God has called each one of us to play a specific part in the family of God. We are all equal and all equally needed in the Church. We need courage to be ourselves and do what we are called to do. It’s not that some tasks are menial and others are important – every task is about the condition of our hearts and serving an audience of One. Whatever you are, be the best. Understand the value of your contribution to something bigger than you: the Kingdom of God.
God’s desire is that we love people and not things. In fact, as we follow Christ we should expect our desire for more stuff to reduce, and our compassionate love for others to grow.
So often in life we can be more aware of our fears than of courage. We can mistakenly believe that fear and courage can’t co-exist. But they can. As Nelson Mandela said: “I learned that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” Peter and John led by example as they stepped out in boldness and courage. Jesus was the source of their courage; they had been filled with His Spirit. But they also prayed, remembered who God was, and they stepped out.
Peter and John were stopped in their tracks on the way to the temple by a man crippled from birth. What would you have done in that situation? They had been utterly transformed by the Holy Spirit – they had received boldness and courage from God that wasn’t just equipping them to speak about Jesus, but also to act like Jesus! They not only proclaimed that Jesus was alive, but they also demonstrated it by healing people in His name. We are called and have the privilege to do likewise.
True fellowship isn't idyllic, but it's authentic and it takes a lot of courage. The awkward truth is that none of us will reach the maturity God has planned for us if we can't encourage, exhort and admonish one another.
The central claim of Christianity is that Jesus rose from the dead. Is it true? Does it matter? Yes, and yes! And there are five gifts that are now ours because of the resurrection.
Jesus’ disciples needed to be clothed with power from God. So do we! Jesus told them to wait for the Spirit rather than go in their own strength. Likewise, we need the empowering of the Spirit so we can be bold and courageous. We are meant to be filled again and again and again, living in step with the Spirit, continually under His influence, so we can increasingly act, think and look like Jesus to those around us. Be filled with the Spirit and take courage!
God wants us to come to Him in difficult times and be honest with Him, so that we can have His peace. He doesn't want us to be negative, but to rejoice, and He gives us tools to do so!
At the time of Pentecost, Jesus’ followers saw fire coming from the heavens and they found themselves speaking in different languages! Back in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, the question: “What is this?” was answered. It’s still just as relevant today, for us.
On the day of Pentecost, how did Peter describe what was happening? And what does it mean for us today?
A Christian is not trying to be different — they have been transformed by the power of God in Christ.
Christmas is celebrated by many people, but its true meaning and signifiance can be missed. God with us — this is the reality of Christmas.
A look at the Christmas story, encouraging everyone to consider the amazing gift of peace that is available to us because Jesus came to earth.