Family Church Online: Recent Episodes
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Ps Connie concentrates on the various stories associated with David's life in the Old Testament as she unwraps her message about seeking and enquiring of the Lord.
Saul went after David, chasing after him for himself in the wilderness, foreign lands at one point - the Philistines. But in spite of all this, David had a heart for God, he was a strong obedient man. David didnt lead a peferct life, but even after various mishaps he repented and inquired of God.
Maybe we have walked with God a while, but do we really enquire after Him, seek His face before we decide what to do? These are the things Connie discusses in this message.
This week was a Trailblazers takeover for the whole service. After their summer camp 2026 there was lots to share, testimonies, Trailblazer led worship....the whjoel; service was given over to the youth. Ps Sean and Paula did the introductions!
Ps Nacho brings a message centred around 2 Corinthians 4:18, where we are enjoined to "... fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Basically, it's about the difference that living with an eternal or God perspective makes in our lives, especially during tough or challenging seasons. The benefits of developing such a God-oriented perspective include the so-called giants we face being scaled down to their proper size, and we are also enabled to approach them with the mentality of an overcomer, which is what we are in Christ!
Ps Sean today speaks about an interesting topic during the summer. "Did you hear that".....often we hear but dont listen! Sometimes we are so accustomed to sounds and noises we dont hear then any longer.
At Pentecost, they heard the sound, the crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Is it possible for us to become so familiar with God's presence? Cab we stop noticing the sound of God and what he is doing? Are we noticing him today?
There's a difference between being familiar with God that we lose reverence to God, ....familiarity where He no longer means anything. This is a real challenge.
A big thank you to Pastor Ezra for sharing God's Word so faithfully. We concluded our New Nature series by looking at the fruit of the Spirit, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It was such an encouraging message, reminding us of the importance of remaining in Him, because it is only as we abide in Christ that this fruit grows in our lives.
The message was shorter due to a medical situation, but we thank God all concened are well.
As we continue through the summer, let us take time to rest, refresh, and continue drawing close to Jesus. Whatever this season looks like for us whether it's full of family, holidays, work, or simply a slower pace may we know His peace, His strength, and His presence each day. Keep abiding in Him, encourage one another, and remember that God is at work in every season.
Following from Ps Steu's message in the New Nature series last week looking at Love, Joy and Peace, this week Ps Sean speaks about Patience, Kindness & Goodness.
He details how our lives are impacted by original sin from the Garden of Eden, how Jesus has overcome all of this for us at the cross, but also how we cannot live with one foot in each camp.....kingdom living or worldly ways.
How can we walk living in the Kingdom of God when we're living according to something that's not of the Kingdom of God - living according to the things of Flesh? We must realise that though the world may walk in this way, it is not our walk.
Our walk is not to be jealous with one another, not to quarrel with one another, to be envious with one another, to be sexually immoral, with the way in which we live.
The Gospel gives us a New Nature. Ps Sean expands on this as he tackles real life issues associated with Patience, Kindness & Goodness.
Pastor Stu shares a brilliant message in our New Nature series, looking at the Fruit of the Spirit and the life we're called to live through the Holy Spirit. He unpackes the themes of love, joy, and peace.
When we accepted Jesus, we were born again spiritually. Our ability to walk in the holy nature (and not in the flesh) comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The extent to which the nature of God is displayed in our character isdirectly related to the extent to which we ‘yield’ (‘give way’, ‘surrender’) to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It’s not by might, not by power, but by God’s Spirit! There are three aspects of God's nature which ought to be displayed in our lives..
- Love - the unmeritied, pure, sacrifical love desiring best for another, rooted in mercy and grace
- Joy - is a treasure inside us not able to be stolen easily
- Peace - is a sense of wellbeing resulting from having peace with God
Ps Steu explains these in detail along with scriptures confirming these fruits of the Holy Spirit. He prays for fresh revelations in all of us being children of God who carry the holy nature of our Heavenly Father, with a committment to walking in that holy nature, not just knowing that we carry it - love, joy, and peace.
Ps Sean continues speaking in the theme of 'We Value Church Family'. His message this week is titled "Growing Up". Our children grow up before our eyes but are we growing up in the church family? This is the challenge of Ps Sean's message today.
Some people have been in church most of their life but still don't always show spiritual maturity. Adults can still exhibit childish behaviours both naturally and spiritually. To become more spiritually mature we need to grow closer to God in a personal relationship.
Ps Sean speaks about whether this can be measured...it can certainly be observed! In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks to the church about poor behaviour, how the church is not ready for 'solid food', how they are worldy, how they quarel before speaking later about the spiritual gifts and the greatest gift - love. If we have not love we are clanging gongs!
Ps Sean leaves us with the three key thoughts
- Growing up means Letting Go to walk in true freedom and love
- Growing up means Showing Up
- Growing up means Helping Up
Ps Carla speaks this week about being consumed or being a consumer, as part of the We Love Family series on FC Values. As a family, we're responsible for one another, it isn't just about ourselves. It's not just about our family as in the people that we're related to or that live in our house.
We are all responsible for the well-being and the spiritual growth of our church family. This involves making disciples and considering where we want to plant our lives.
Ps Carla continues to speak about here we plant our lives in the church as a whole and what this means in terms of Kingdom living. How can the love of God be seen in us if we fail to act when our bothers and sisters are in need and we are in a position to help them?
She then goes on to speak about us as consumers - coming into the church family to receive, or being totally consumed by the love of God that every aspect of our life is oriented around the Father.
Using the parable of the talents and many more scriptures, Ps Carla illustrates how we can become fully consumed by God in order to take on more responsibility in His House in a fully selfless manner. Let us use the gifts we have been given for His glory and the benefit of others in His House.
Ps Paul begins a set of messages looking at Family Church Value #4 -We are Family.
We value our church family and the strength that comes from being planted in the House of God. We are committed to loving and serving one another as people who are 'consumed', not 'consumers'. We do 'family' God's way, helping each other grow as disciples and raising and developing leaders of all ages.
Pa Paula expands on all of the value above and spends considerable time talking about families, family life, relationships and the central need for forgiveness in our hearts towards eachother. We love as Christ loved us. The 1st Book of Corinthians Chaptder 13 spells out what Christian love is like...patient, kind, not envy, not boast....
Forgiveness is never going to be the easiest thing to do but by the grace of God, and by what Christ has done for us, it is possible. In the Lord's prayer we say forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us....So every time we say these words we are being reminded that the same way God has forgiven us... is the same way He wants us to walk in forgiveness.
In this first of two sessions dealing with Faith and Finance Ps Steu speaks about how to deal with a cost of living crisis using Kingdom principles. His message is a very practical one, where all the best practice is taken from scripture. All around us, news is worrying, prices keep rising, the world peddles fear, so how should we as Chistians live?
When speaking on money, Jesus says, “Do not worry.” - yes, be diligent; yes, be responsible; but remember that God is ultimately your Provider! (Matthew 6:25-33). God is faithful, and He does not change - inflation rates and interest rates change; our jobs aren’t always secure; fuel prices change; retirement age changes; the energy cap changes - but our God does not change! But here’s the key - if we want to live under God’s blessing and protection, we first need to be willing to live according to His instruction...and the Bible sets out clear prociples for Kingdom economics.
In this message, Ps Steu speaks about good stewardship of what we have been entrusted with, money and possessions. He covers the need to Budget; to Tithe; to be Intentional with our spending; to pay off Debts; to look to Save and to live Generously.
This short summary does not do justice to the importance of this challenging message. We must realise we are not defined by what we have, but rather by who we are in Christ. Jesus taught us to be wise stewards of what he has entrusted to us. He also paid the ultimate price for our sins and daily misdemeanours. Let us examine our hearts and seek help if we need to.
This Sunday is Global Sunday, the Sunday in the year where Family Church celebrates the rich diversity of its congregation, so many countries, cultures and languages represented. We come into the house of God and regardless of where we are from we all have something in common - Jesus saved us, this is changing our lives.
Ps Paula's message focuses on the life of Moses. She brings out some clear points from this
- God wants our attention, He is looking for us and waiting for us. He waited 40 years for Moses!
- We need to say 'Here I am' just as Moses did
- When God has our attention we need to be willing to share all of our life not just parts we are happy with
This is a clear challenging message asking us to check our hearts, are we open ot God's calling, are we willing to obey,,,,or are we so caught up with daily life God is shut out. God's miracles happen with His people's workmanship.
This week in Portsmouth Congregation we had a visitor, Hope Prosser from the charity Hope & Soul Tanzania, following a visit in country by some members of the congregation. She spoke briefly about the charity, its wonderful work in Tanzania with deprived children and we watched short video. All of the audio is captured here prior to Ps Steu's message. Thewebsite for the charity is https://hopeandsoul.org.uk/
Ps Steu then rounded off the current serries on our relationship with God by speaking about worship, how worship is derived from words relating to worth. Worship is our expression to God in recognition of who He is. God is awesome, powerful, creator, mighty, glorious, holy, loving, faithful, merciful and gracious. He is our saviour and our redeemer.
We worship Him not because of what He does but because of who He is. Listen as Ps Steu unwraps even more of this amazing topic.
Worship is how we live, not just songs!
Following on the current series of messages based around the Prodigal Son, Ps Ezra speaks about our relationship with God. He focuses on the Word of God, scripture being the all powerful, active, faith creating source of knowledge about our Lord.
His message focuses around the fact that unless we are well versed in the Word, we will now Know our God, or know how to Pray. If we go to The Father without understanding we go before our God at a complete loss.
He ends by inviting the whole church to pray earnestly and to invite the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and minds this Pentecost Sunday.
Ps Steu speaks on our third Family Church Value - Relationship with God. This is the first of three Sundays on this value. The whole point of being saved is to walk in relationship with God. This is a relationship based on an agreement (covenant relationship) where the conditions of the agreement have been met by God, in Christ.
Ps Steu then focused on how the Word of God will help us to build our relationship with God.
This week Ps Sean focuses on The God Of The Impossible, having last week spoken about The God of The Immeasurable. The two messages follow on....when we see how immeasurable God is, we begin to also see how only He can put the "possible" into what we see as "impossible". God sees beyond the chaos, He sees a human being and says, ah, what you see is different to what I see, where you see impossibility, I see possibility!
Ps Sean quoted William Temple, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury during World War II. He said "when I pray Coincidences happen". Coincidences are so linked with the fact that when we pray into situations and circumstances and believe for them, these so-called coincidences, these impossible situations all of a sudden, turn around and become possible.
Ps Sean quotes the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-27....Jesus told him it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God. So we all think we are doomed but Jesus then replied with "What is impossible with man is possible with God". In fact Jesus was talking about salvation, the greatest immeasurable impossible act Jesus could ever do. We cannot enter into the kingdom of God on our own, but with Him, we enter in to a new way of living.
The second greatest remarkable act about God's presence is himself living in his people. We stand In this generation able to receive the Living God inside of us and walk with the power of the Holy Spirit. Ps Sean goes onto speak about the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us and how we can be a house of miracles when we fully trust in the living God.
Listen to this challenging message...
Today Ps Sean gives us an amazing message about how "immeasurable" God is. Once, we walk with him and think we are close, but really what God does, he takes us closer and closer to him as he did with Moses going up the mountain.
Ephesians 3:20-21 says, NIV says "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
To be immeasurable means impossible to measure, vast, boundless. Our minds get lost in this ability to not be able to understand how incredibly vast God is…. beyond human capacity to calculate but God works outside everything we can contain and control. We serve a God, we know a God who is able to work outside of everything that we measure. He is immeasurably bigger. He can do immeasurably more than we ask or think.
Ps Sean looks at more scriptures showing how everything is under God's creation. Genesis 1:1 (NIV) “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” God created everything.
Ps Sean looks at the Galaxy, the Milky Way, even further into space and gives insight to the size of the stars and planets....we cannot fathom nor understand. But trying to do this in our own strength, our own understanding is not possible. Even the most advanced human measurement still cannot contain what God created.
We need a next level thinking of trusting God.
Our acknowledgement of the power of the cross and the sacrifice Jesus made in taking our place and exchanging His righteousness for our sinfulness Made Us Alive to God. Therefore, it’s time to put on the robe of righteousness, and live according to our calling and new position in Christ…
Ps Steve speaks on the second of the Family Church Values - We Value New Life, introducing this topic and giving a foundational message. This is an amazing message looking at the New Life we have in Jesus when we accept Him as saviour. If we make the same mistakes over and over again in our relationships and other areas of our lives, this message is perfectly aimed at helping us understand the value of the New Life we really have.
Ps Steve speaks about what value life is, why this matters and how we can live in the power of this life.
Are we actually living in the power of a simple gospel? This is the crux of Ps Steve's message today. Are we living in the power of what Jesus has done for us? Jesus makes a point that when we were born in the natural sense, we were dead in the spiritual sense, right. When we came out of the womb, our first breath, our first tears, we were physically alive that day, but the Bible says that we were spiritually dead (John 3:1 & following - Jesus Teaches Nicodemus).
Ps Steve lays the foundation that as a result of the fall (Adam & Eve), we are all born into sin spiritually. However God, who is so rich in mercy because he loved us so much, even when we were dead in our sins and our trespasses, gave us new life when he raised Christ from the dead. And so, when Jesus went to the cross, we went to the cross. When Jesus was buried in the tomb, we were buried in the tomb. The Bible says that we have also been raised to newness of life in him, we've been given a brand new life. We have been born again.
Romans 12:2 (NIV) says "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Let God transform us into new people. We are now in Christ. How can we do this?, only by changing the way we think & see. We've got to change the way we think in order to change the way we live because we will always live in accordance with what we believe.
If we renew our minds, we can wake knowing old addictions & habits no longer form who we are because we are free!!!
On this Easter Day 2026, Resurrection Sunday, Ps Sean speaks about the glorious exchange which happened on the cross to save our sins. This was not just a story but a real event in history, the Bible describes in each of the gospels. Today Ps Sean reads from book of Matthew (Matthew 27), speaking abut the story of the crucifixion of Jesus, the decision made by Pilate to wash his hands of the seemingly ridiculous decision to crucify Jesus and release Barabbas, a known murderer and thoroughly bad person.
What did Jesus do?...He broke their traditions...of the Jewish culture...healing on the Sabbath, setting people free, exposing hypocrisy, challenging their authority.
God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, to be a sin offering. He condemns sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us who do not live according to the flesh but according to the spirit. Jesus was the offering pay for our sin, the penalty we could not pay.
This is a masterly expose of the story of the crucifixion, the real meaning behind the cross.
Ps Sean Continues in the theme of 'We Value People', this week looking at the value People inspired by God's Compassionate and Merciful heart. We are committing to healing and restoration. We want every person to feel safe and secure and included as valued members of our church family.
Ps Sean looks at definitions of healing and restoration, reminding us that the context here is not purely physical but spiritual as well in order to cover mind, body and soul.
Again the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is the basis here, the son goes from being in a position of total fulfilment as a son of a well off Father to selling himself and wishing he was eating pig food - lowest of the low - to being then fully restored and healed by his Father upon his return. Jesus tells this as a wonderful way of demonstrating God's love for us and his ever open arms no matter how awful we may feel our world has become. If we lack self esteem or identity we need to look no further than these scriptures to see how God views us and how our feelings do not align with God's truth.
Ps Sean also reminds us that from the fall (Adam & Eve) we were born into a similar position, but the revelation here is that when we realise our Heavenly Father's arms are open wide... we can likewise be restored back to sonship in a moment through the blood of Jesus.
Ps Sean gives us seven things as takeaways to restore our lives....
- Panic to Peace
- Despair to Joy
- Bound to Free
- Poverty to Provision
- Sick to Strength
- Disconnect to Connect
- Hopeless to hope
Listen to how Ps Sean unpacks each of these takeaway nuggets for our lives to be healed and fully restored to our Lord and God. Amen!
Following the description two weeks ago of the Family Church Values, Ps Paula this week speaks specifically about "We Value People". Every person is loved by God and we want to make sure that as a church and as people who are Kingdom-minded and who love the Lord, we want to make sure that we reflect His heart. So if we want to be Christ-like, we need to know what Christ is like!
John 3:16-17 (NIV) describes the character of God perfectly..."For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him".
Ps Paula then spends most of her message speaking about the subject of compassion, how we all need compassion at times in our lives and how this aspect of God's character so illustrates the value of loving people. In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), it is the seemingly despised Samaritan, not the religious priest who has compassion, but this compassion costs him, as it does us and indeed it cost Jesus' life.
Real compassion is not just a thought but an action too!
Lamentations 3:22 (ESV) says "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end..."
Do we exhibit compassion or religion....listen to this challenging podcast!
Ps Sean takes a moment to review the massive help gained from Vision Sunday last year and the increase in capability this had brought to youth and schools mission. Personal anecdotes show how souls have been saved and people grown as a result of the generosity during 2025.
Ps Sean then looks forward to the rest of 2926 outlining some of the many exciting aspects of the vision for Family Church as far as the Portsmouth congregation is concerned. The mission statement for the church is Reach | Grow | Empower. Ps Sean spends time unpacking these words and speaks about 'Reaching' many souls near our present boundaries. He emphasises the need for whole congregation prayer to support and undergird any such activity.
Listen to this podcast to glimpse what is in store for the rest of the year!
Today is Vision Sunday 2026 for the whole of Family Church. Here in the Portsmouth congregation, Ps Steu speaks about the Mission and Vision of the church and introduces the six Family Church Values which will be expounded during the following weeks...
- We Value People
- We Value New life
- We Value Relationship with God
- We Value Church Family
- We Value Gathering
- We Value Commissioning
Each of these is represented by a part of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) - a central Christian teaching on God's unconditional love and forgiveness. All other Family Church congregations heard a recorded version of this message and everyone received a booklet entitled Reach, Grow, Empower, explaining these values. Please refer to www.family.church for further details.
This week Ps Carla caries on the theme begun by Ps Steu last week. She begins speaking about Saul (who became Paul) and how he persecuted the Christians - Acts 8:3 (NLT) “But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.” Later, scripture tells us - Acts 9:1 (NLT) “Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest.”
This continues in Acts 9, but then Saul has a life-changing encounter with Jesus! He had to let go of the “old” life in order to live in the new life that God had for him. As Paul, he wrote a huge part of the New Testament, teaching the early Christians about salvation by grace and the “New Creation”. Paul endured much hardship, but at the end of his life he was able to say this: “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” (2 Timothy 4:6-7 NLT).
Paul completed the race that God had given him. He was totally reliant on God as he ran his race. Two major things that can hinder us to run the race that God has set before us are self-reliance & pride. The race that God has called us to requires faithfulness and consistency.
We must strip off the things that are unnecessary - sin, weights, offence, hurt, shame, self-reliance, pride, distractions etc. Ps Carla takes us through many scriptures illustrating these points and ends with the challenge that we must run into the presence of God and hold on to the hope that He brings to our lives.
This hope is JESUS!
This week Ps Steu thanks Pastors Andy & Gina for the amazing foundation they created in Family Church, reflecting on last week which was a celebration of Ps Andy's & Ps Gina's ministry as they move towards their international soul saving calling.
Ps Steu's keystone verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" There is a past work that has occurred in our lives, that in this present day causes us to stand before God as the new creations. That past work is the moment our faith was placed in Jesus Christ. An incredible Exchange of the Cross happened in our lives.
The theme of this message is very much that with God all things can be made new. There is nothing that God cannot make new. Our lives have been redeemed, fully. We have been brought back through Jesus to God, but God is now in the process of restoring that which was brought back to him. Often, even when we were straight, we walked away from God. We all have to come to the point where we come to our senses and accept Jesus, returning to God.
Ps Steu continues by recounting the story of Jairus daughter, after Jesus healed the woman who touched the hem of His garment. He speaks about the crowd that needs to be got out of the way on order for us to unblock the way to Jesus. Some of us need to clear a path, get rid of the crowd, the distraction, the opinions, the the stuff that is just blocking us getting to what Jesus wants to do in our lives.
Let us have the faith to move away from the 'crowds' in our lives so we can focus on Jesus to know Him, obey Him, love Him. It's time to have faith in God in order He can do a new thing in the impossible situations in our lives.
In his last Sunday morning message to the Portsmouth congregation of Family Church, Ps Andy speaks about one of his original messages when he began the church nearly 30 years ago.
Through the blood of Jesus we have Redemption - we are redeemed, and at the cross, the Divine Exchange took place where the sins of us all were taken by Jesus, the only sin free man ever.
Andy illustrates this with a personal story about a model boat which was stolen then rescued from a charity shop.....it had to be bought back, at a price, indicating its value. This mirrors God's love for us and the sacrifice of Jesus.
Listen with intent at this wonderful inspiring message!
Today was a momentous occasion in Family Church....Ps Andy & Gina Elmes passed the Family Church Baton of Leadership to Ps Steu & Carla Payne. The following words were written by Ps Andy & Gina...
There are moments in life when you realise you are standing on holy ground - not because something is ending, but because something has been faithfully completed.
After 28 years of founding, leading, pastoring, and building this church and ministry, the time has come for us to step aside and step forward. To release what has been entrusted to us, and to trust God for what He has entrusted to others.
Ecclesiastes reminds us, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Seasons change, not because something has failed, but because God is faithful to finish what He starts - and bold enough to begin something new. When we first said 'yes' to God all those years ago, we had little more than obedience, faith, and a burning conviction that Jesus deserved a church alive with His presence and His power. We dreamed of a people who would love God deeply, love one another fiercely, and reach the lost relentlessly. What God has done since then has exceeded anything we could have planned or imagined.
We have seen lives transformed, families restored, leaders raised, nations touched, and Jesus glorified. This house has been built on prayer, faith, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to the Gospel. It has been the honour of our lives to carry that responsibility. And while this chapter closes, let me say this clearly: our voice is not stopping - it is simply shifting. The message God has placed in us, the convictions we carry, and the call to equip, awaken, and send will continue. It will simply be expressed in new spaces, new contexts, and new assignments. For those who still want that voice in their lives, it will be there - faithful to the same Jesus, shaped by the same fire.
This church was never built to rest on one person - it was built to run on mission and vision. Paul wrote, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God gave the increase.” I may have planted, others have watered, but it has always been God who makes things grow. And He is not finished - not even close.
To those now stepping into leadership: you carry this house with heaven’s backing. God trusts you. We trust you. Lead with courage. Guard the culture. Keep Jesus at the centre. Stay hungry for His presence and bold in your faith. The best chapters are not behind you - they are ahead. To every member, volunteer, giver, intercessor, and faithful servant: thank you. Thank you for believing, for standing, for serving, for loving, and for never giving up. You are the living stones of this house, and the future is strong because you are strong.
As for us, we now step into the next adventure with the same heart that started this one - faith-filled, surrendered, and expectant. Abraham went out not knowing where he was going, but knowing who was leading him. That is enough.
This is not goodbye as in separation - it is goodbye as in sending. And sending is always filled with hope.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God has been faithful. He is faithful. And He will be faithful still.
Thank you for the journey. Thank you for the trust. Thank you for the love.
The story continues...
Andy & Gina
This week, Ps Sean's message is about the 'Edge of the Unknown'. Matthew 5:6 (NIV) says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled". We are all made to be satisfied, but often we 'fill up' from the wrong tank of satisfaction! God is the true source of satisfaction. Many scriptures speak of this, Psalm 90:14 (NIV) says "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days". Psalm 107:9 (NIV) says "..for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things".
We need filling up with God on a daily basis, otherwise we shall break down like a car without fuel. We need filling up with God, but God's satisfaction is not giving some settlement of comfort staying safe within familiar walls. God's infilling is designed to take us to the edge of the unknown and it's often an uncomfortable step.
Ps Sean is telling us we need to live comfortably uncomfortable lives . He then takes some situations from the Scriptures to illustrate how God uses us when we are 'on the edge of our comfort zone'. When the Lord meets Gideon, nothing is the same thereafter - going to win a battle with only trumpets and lanterns is pretty amazing! In the story of David & Goliath, the army was learning how to fight physically, how to come up with the latest strategies. David was learning to fight lions and bears by faith in God, it took him over the edge of the unknown.
We cannot allow ourselves to always understand in the natural, we have to trust God by faith and watch Him come through. The fruit of that spiritual satisfaction creates bonus, freedom, and faith. When we are filled with His Spirit, we shall have boldness walking in freedom, audacious faith, proclaiming the gospel.
We need to be in His presence. We need to seek Him that we would be filled. Recall that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be satisfied, not for our own sakes, but for the sake of everyone around us.
Ps Paula speaks about the hungry who shall be filled.....She references Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled". Many people are getting tired of what the world has to offer because they're realising that it does not satisfy. Paula was reading this verse excitedly as the Bible says that we shall be filled - this is not just for us, but also for anyone who does not know Jesus yet. Often we hunger and thirst for something more than the world can offer.
Ps Paula goes on to speak about Matthew 9:14-15 (NKJV) "Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast." Jesus was basically saying here, why should his disciples fast when God himself is right with them? There was no need to fast, but he explained that one day when Jesus goes, then his disciples will need to fast. And that one day has carried on ever since Jesus ascended to Heaven....
This week we have a period of Prayer and Fasting in the church so these verses are relevant as Ps Paula carries on to explain how fasting with prayer is a spiritual discipline we can include in our lives to move ever closer to our Lord.
Prayer & Fasting is a gift to us, when we seek God we find him, we are humbled before God. In God's presence we find freedom, breakthrough and release from oppression. This week we shall pray for a fresh commitment to
- seek the Lord afresh, humility & urgency to ask for His presence, wisdom, and power for this next season
- consecration to examine our hearts before God returning to holiness & wholeheartedness
- bold living, to be courageous in our witness, bold in our faith, and unashamed of the Gospel to live lives that provoke questions that carry hope displaying God's kingdom
Following last week's message by Ps Andy (Rise up and Build), this week Ps Steu starts to lay detail by looking at the nature of our foundations - individually and as a whole church. Everything God builds is spectacular, strong and stands through the storms. We all have storms in our lives at times, but everything God builds has strong foundations to last for ever.
Ps Steu explains how foundations need to be adequate for the shape of the building, the reach of the building, or the size of the building also, the height and longevity of the building. This is true in physical terms and also in spiritual terms for what God is to accomplish in our lives.
If we are to build something significant, it starts with a strong foundation. As we step into the next season for Family Church, God is asking us to make sure the foundation is right for what He wants to do next. God wants our next to be significant, so it's important to take time to make sure the foundations are good - no shortcuts. In Matthew 16:18, He said to Peter who had an amazing revelation of who Jesus is - "I also say to you that you're Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail".
Ps Steu continues to unpack revelation between the physical and spiritual, and asks key questions...
- What foundations need to be laid in our lives to correctly prepare for what God wants to build
- If we have ideas of what God wants to build in our lives, what foundations need to be laid in order to correctly prepare here
- Are our foundations going deep enough, are we aware that its possible that foundations laid so far are not deep enough, so more time is required to correct this
- When we do rise to a great height and God uses us in glorious ways, this has to be a sustainable position for the future....to reach out further, we must ensure foundations are deep enough
We are all living stones in the work God is doing in the church. He is building every one of us. We all have a part to play in the building of God's house, to be filled with His presence, His Glory and Splendour.
Ps Andy has been hearing from the Lord for things in his and Ps Gina's lives for this new year, also things for other people, especially the rest of Family Church.
Ps Andy takes as a key scripture the verses in Nehemiah 2, especially verses 17-20 (NKJV) "Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”
Ps Andy emphasises that we all personally need to have an agenda of 'Rise up and Build' for the new year. We need to be servant hearted as was Nehemiah, not rest on our laurels, be thankful for the foundations well laid in our lives and those of Family Church itself, being prepared to get behind the leadership in building the future. Time for procrastination is over!
Interestingly the story in the scripture above shows how having a word from God, having a servant heart and having determination in the face of opposition will bring success in short order. Nehemiah rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days!
This a challenging message for 2026!
Ps Andy provides an encouraging message that provokes the listener to step out of an old year into a new year by faith. Both our leaving and arriving need to be bold steps of faith that see God behind and God ahead. Using the keys of thankfulness and faith we cross over in strength.
Ps Andy speaks ta the end of the Christmas service emphasising the difference between happiness and true joy. Joy comes from the Lord, happiness is a feeling....
Following from previous messages, Ps Sean carries the theme of speaking about Faith. This week, he concentrates on 'Faith to Wait'. Sean speaks about Simeon, (Luke 2, 25vv). Simeon had been waiting along time for a promise to be fulfilled, but having seen the Christ Child in the Temple, he was happy to be 'dismissed in peace' as his eyes had seen the salvation of all peoples. Another prophet Anna, also in the temple gave thanks to God over the child and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
These two people were quite elderly and had been waiting a long time on the promises they had been given. Their lives were a faith walk. We cannot rush God, His timing will never be our timing! Ps Sean points out that incredibly a promise made to Abraham thousands of years ago is still being outworked on the Earth today - Father of many nations right now!
Ps Sean goes on to provide more examples of how our lives need to be a faith journey trusting in God, based on promises given to us.
Following form Ps Andy's previous messages about the classroom of faith, Ps Gina this week speaks about how God provides encouragement to us through His word. At times she sprinkles this message with personal anecdotes about how God has literally spoken to her through nature, through the Bible and even a message on a note left wedged in a table!
Ps Gina also speaks what may be some of her last messages to the church as a whole as senior leadership changes take place early 2026. She is keen to impart a message to us "Be strong and courageous and trust God". The faith we have learnt about in the classroom of faith messages demands courage. In the early verses of the book of Joshua, God speaks to someone who is about to lead His people into the promised land...
Joshua 1:6 & following (NIV) " Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Ps Gina's message today builds on this text by talking about the courage that Faith demands.
Ps Andy continues speaking in his Classroom of Faith series but moves away from looking at Abraham & Sarah (even though he admits there are moany more lessons to be leant there). This week, he looks specifically at the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. Ps Andy takes us on a tour of the story of Joseph, his sons, his multi coloured coat and life full of dreams, Pit, Potiphar, accusation, prison, waiting, appointment then palace, more dreams and eventual fulfilment!
Ps Andy then summarises the life of Joseph with ten learning lessons of faith.....
- Faith starts with a God given dream
- Faith trusts God when people fail you
- Faith refuses to let circumstance define identity
- Faith stays faithful in unfair places
- Faith chooses integrity over opportunity
- Faith trusts God in delays and silence
- Faith serves others even while waiting on its own breakthrough
- Faith believes that God can change everything in a moment
- Faith recognises that promotion comes from god, not people
- Faith sees God’s hand in every chapter – even the painful ones
Every point here which comes from the story of Joseph equally well reflects into our own lives!
Ps Andy carries on his series about Abraham's Classroom, this week looking at How to take hold of something by faith. He recaps last week - Abraham and Sarah stepping out in faith on a promise from God. If we are to take a faith Journey with God, its must start with a promise. Every time Abraham had a breakthrough, every time he met with God on the journey, he would take time to stop and worship, build an altar. Last week we crossed into Genesis 13 and we saw how Abraham separated from Lot & leant how we need to be ready to leave something old natural, in order to take on something new.
How to take hold of something by faith? We have the promise, we are stepping out, we have a word for the situation but we are not yet holding the outcome. Ps Andy looks at how Abraham conducted himself here in his journey after being told he would be Father of many nations yet had no son. He made mistakes (Ishmael) and more. Ps Andy walks us through this story looking at how we can be frustrated at waiting for fulfilment of God's promises yet the last thing God needs is for us to step in and "help Him". God is Almighty, he needs no help from us!
When God gives a promise, the Fulfilment of that promise is on Him, not on us. We need to walk in alignment with the promise but the fulfilling of the promise is based on Him which means He puts His character and His name on the line. We settle back not in apathy, but in simple Faith saying God I don't know how or when but if you promised I know you will. When we have a promise from God, we need to be speaking in alignment with that promise.
This is an action packed message, Ps Andy concludes explaining the situation about Abraham and Isaac, where God appears to test Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac after he had waited many years to get him.
When God said, take the promised child, go to the region where Jesus was also crucified, sacrifice him as a burnt offering, it was a massive challenge of faith. When God gives something he promised then steps into our world saying can you trust me, we see the maturity of Abraham's faith. In Hebrews 11, Abraham takes Isaac, ready to sacrifice, but knows God will intervene. Abraham reasoned he would receive Isaac back from the dead. Abraham holds a child knowing he's in covenant with God. So God speaks to him telling him to offer his son just as Jesus would die many years later and rise. Abraham does not know God's plan here but does know his son will live. He was releasing God to do something that would save us.
This is an amazing and challenging message!
Ps Andy speaks today on the first of a new short series titled 'Classroom of Faith'. His message focuses on the story of Abram becoming Abraham, going on a journey of faith as directed by God (book of Genesis), but also leaning very much on the words of Hebrews 11 that tells us without faith it is impossible to please God.
As Pastor of Family Church, Andy implores us to be people having unshakable faith. We are not to place reason above faith. Let Faith be first in our lives. Before every miracle we read of in scripture, there's always an unreasonable request demanding people of unreasonable faith! Andy concentrates today on the story of Abraham found in Genesis 12 to 14. God told him to go from the country he knew to a place he did not, but that many promises would be his - the Father of many nations and more....
Andy underlines the importance of stepping out not in our own strength, but on a promise from God as Abraham did, even if the full details are not known at that time. Foolishness and presumption have no place here. We need a word from Heaven to take a journey to somewhere called seemingly impossible - just as Ps Andy & Gina are taking on their own next steps of ministry. In Genesis 13:14 and following, scripture says (NIV) The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
We can liken Lot to people, relationships, activity, habits etc in our own lives today and realise that we cannot expect to step out in faith somewhere new until we leave behind what we have naturally known. Only then will God show us the stars of tomorrow and all the sand of unstoppable promises.
Today is Remembrance Sunday. After a service of remembrance, Ps Sean reflects not only on those who gave their lives sacrificially for our freedom during wars and conflicts; but also upon the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross.
Just as many did during military conflicts, we are called to lay our lives down for God's purpose. Ps Sean recalls John 3:16 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life". This is a picture of sacrifice, the offering of God giving His son was a gift, it cost God our Father - the nature of sacrifice.
John 15:12-14 (NIV) says "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command". Ps Sean makes no apologies for telling us we cannot live a life ignoring Jesus' commands calling ourselves Christian & expecting the benefits!
Ps Sean continues referring to Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship". He continues speaking about three key ingredients of sacrifice:
- Surrender
- Selflessness
- Suffering
Jesus lived this kind of life, not because he needed to but because we needed him to do this for us.
This Sunday is our Missions Sunday. During the service, the congregation listened to videos from all the missionaries we support across the world (audio of this omitted here). Ps Steu then spoke about why we do what we do and why this is important to us all.
The only true complete and lasting answer to the needs of humanity is found in Christ Jesus. There is nothing and nobody else that can be bring true hope, true healing and restoration outside of Salvation found in Jesus Christ. God's desire is that every human being on the face of this planet would find salvation in Jesus. Ps Steu refers to the well known verse John 3:16....(NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life".
Salvation is something every person can receive. All we have to do is put our faith in Jesus, repent of our sins and come to Jesus. Ps Steu explains at great length with many other scripture references how this is the plan of God for all humanity, to have the opportunity to be saved. This was revealed to Peter in Acts chapters 10 and 11. We have all been given an incredible message by God to share with the people around our lives.
We are Christ's ambassadors. Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news!
Last week Ps Carla began a news series looking at 'Life is a Garden'. Following this, Ps Sean this week takes a look specifically at what we can sow with a focus on our finances.
Amongst many scripture references, Sean looks at Luke 6:38 (NIV) "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” The law of sowing and reaping is as relevant today as it was thousands of years back when the scripture was written. He follows this with Matthew 6:19..."“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".
Ps Sean points out that there are two fields we can sow into - the immediate field in front of us and the eternal field beyond our temporal lifespan. Which is worth more to sow into? The Bible tells us to set our minds on Heavenly things, not earthy things. Gaining the whole world but losing our soul is not wise..
Ps Sean goes on to speak about the love of money and our love for the Lord. 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV) says "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Money helps us achieve many things, the key here is our heart attitude. Are we doing something because of our love of a monetary reward (perhaps), or our love for our Lord?
He ended with three key points on sowing with finances
- Get to give - not give to get
- Love is our motive - generosity, kindness, & love from the overflow of a grateful heart
- Joyful Obedience - have a merry spirit when giving
This is a challenging message!
Ps Carla begins a new series of messages entitled 'Life is a Garden'. The first message is subtitled 'Wilderness to Promised Land'. All through scripture from Genesis to the New Testament we find numerous references to gardens, agriculture, seed time and harvest (we reap what we sow).
Today Carla speaks about how in Genesis 2:8, Our Father God planted a garden. NIV verses..."Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed". In verse 15, God told Adam to work the garden and care for it "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it".
The Bible says God planted and Ps Carla envisages God crouching down putting seeds into the ground, perhaps with dirty hands. So the Bible is full of imagery around gardening, all this relating to our relationship with God, who is the planter & cultivator of both creation and of our hearts.
Ps Carla explains how the story of the Israelites who eventually feed not from manna & quail, but planted crops is similar. No longer was God going to rain down provision but to do something different. He was saying now you need to work the land and care for it. The Israelites had come into a place where the principle of seed time and harvest were put in motion.
Ps Carla leaves us with thoughts on three key seeds we have the ability to sow daily
- Speech - how we speak really matters. Proverbs 19:21 says death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat of its fruits.
- Tears - Psalm 126:5 (NIV) says "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy". We may be moved to tears in our prayers of closeness to our Lord...
- Energy or money or capabilities - God loves a cheerful giver, all that we have is His anyway!
Ps Andy rounds off the series on a "Growing Church" by speaking about Communion and Prayer. During the service he then led the whole church into taking communion together.
Acts 2:42 (NIV) says "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer". This has been the central theme for the series on growing the church. Every time we touch the bread, whether it's a cracker, a wafer or sourdough, whatever bread we're using, let it remind us that a body was broken for our freedom. When we take the cup, that Jesus Christ paid the price of his blood, so that we could be set free from religious experience and obligation and brought into a relationship with Him and His Father.
Ps Andy explains the deeper spiritual meaning behind the taking of communion before speaking about prayer and the importance of prayer in our lives. He speaks about us being a house of prayer, not entertainment and how prayer should be ta the heart of our lives.
Prayer and communion go hand in hand, together they are a crucial part of the fellowship of believers as described in Acts 2:42.
Within the context of our series on a Growing Church, today Pastors Andy & Gina Elmes made a significant announcement to all of Family Church held dear to their hearts. The following words accompany the message today from Pastors Andy & Gina.....
After 28 years of pioneering and leading Family Church, on Sunday, 1st February 2026, we will be handing over the leadership of Family Church to Steuart & Carla Payne, who will step into the role of Senior Pastors. This transition comes after much prayer, preparation, and a clear sense that the assignment God gave us nearly three decades ago is now complete. We are confident that this next chapter will be filled with fresh vision, strength, and fruitfulness under Steuart & Carla’s leadership. They are trusted, tested, and called by God to lead Family Church into its next chapter. We are excited about what God will continue to do in and through the church under Steuart & Carla's leadership. Please know that this transition is not an end, but a continuation of the faith journey God has us all on. Thank you for standing with us, for loving us, and for continuing to build God’s house with faith and unity. With love and blessings, Andy & Gina.
Ps Andy further explained how this indeed fits with the biblical pattern of change and transition seen in the New Testament church. Paul raised people, trusted them, pastored them, taught them, established churches and also moved on to new things as God called him. Whilst the news today does seem a huge change, it is a reflection of Ps Andy's willingness to be obedient to God's calling even when the future is uncertain. God is a God of movement, we all need to become open and able to hear His call upon our own lives.
Following in the series about a Growing Church, today Ps Connie speaks about being devoted to one another and walking in shared fellowship with God (as well as with each other).
This is a deep spiritual connection. It is about us having a shared life, walking together in unity and in love with a community of people who love God. We must purpose to walk together in all seasons of life, be it in joy or in sorrow.
At the end of this message Ps Sean speaks briefly about the vision the church has for provision of Connect Groups across our postal area, providing a means of outworking the building of relationships together and discipling individuals in their Christian walk.
Last Week, Ps Andy gave an introduction to the new series "A Growing Church", and explained how this also fits within our overall theme of Magnify and Multiply.
This week, Ps Paula begins the series in earnest by speaking about being 'Devoted to the Word'. The key scripture here is Acts 2:42 (NLT) "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer".
In Acts 2, we read that Peter, a disciple, had just preached the gospel to a crowd. In verse 41, it lets us know that the ones who devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching were those who received Jesus' words, were baptised and added to the church - 3000 souls! Those who gave their lives to Jesus became devoted to His words. What we see in the book of Acts is the word of God come alive to people who were willing to be devoted and were willing to change their lives.
The whole of Paula's message is about how our lives become shaped by reading and being devoted to the word of God. Without this, our lives drift, according to our feelings at times and certainly not in alignment with God's plans for us. We must read and apply Gods word if we want to grow.
2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) says "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right". We need the bible and Christian friends to feed us truths not pander to our emotions!
This year, Family Church has had a them of Magnify & Multiply in its messages. Ps Andy recaps on these and moves to look at how this theme also applies to the church at large, providing an introduction to a new series entitled "A Growing Church".
After defining what 'church' really is, Ps Andy looks at the cardinal way a church might grow, seeking always to base his thoughts on Biblical principles and patterns.
The early church managed to grow exponentially without social media, internet etc but purely as described in Acts 2, verses 42 onwards (NIV) "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved".
Ps Andy dwelt on the key tenets of these verses, serving as an introduction to the forthcoming messages in the next few weeks.
Ps Gina picks a selection of biblical characters and explains how they show us real people living through real situations and struggles witnessing the overwhelming grace and power of God. These people got through their journey of life and can help us in our journey of life as well. The Bible is a grace gift from God which we all need to delve into and fill our minds with the scriptural truths associated with Kingdom living; the world would have us believe differently if we are not careful! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) says "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work".
Ps Gina speaks about
- Gideon (from the weakest Clan in Manassa). Here God is showing His strength in the midst of Gideon's weakness.
- Daniel was taken Exile by the evil Babylonians. He grew up in a culture where he knew he was the child of God but they stole it out of that culture, put him in the Babylonian culture, which is a god-hating, Bible hating culture. He was told to eat from the king's table, to eat things that were against the law of Moses which is what Daniel lived. But he ate just vegetables and water, not the king's food, and ended up the strongest man there, his Godly defiance and prayer is something for us all to take on our journey of life.
- PS Gina also talks about Hannah and Anna, linked by name and a thousand year gap in the Biblical history. Both these women get to come on her journey because they were amazing, understanding what it's like to labour and pray, when not seeing anything for years and years and years. Then they experience God, He comes through. They understood what it is to go to God in the worst times of their lives so they didnt get bitter and twisted. They understood that God had purposes and plans.
Her message is clear - the Bible is not religion, it is the word of God gifted by grace to us to show us how to live and to give us hope, peace and strength in the ups and downs of daily life.
On the back of this year's Youth Summer Camp, Nathan speaks this morning about a theme that has been on his mind before, during and after the camp time. His words are not only aimed at the youth of our church but the whole congregation!
Nathan's key verse is from Luke 6:46-49 (NIV) "Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
Illustrating his message with many other scriptures, he presents three cardinal points about the House of the Lord...
- Point number one - the house that stands, stands together
- Point number two - the house that stands, stands whatever the weather
- Point number three - the house that stands, stands forever
Nathan expands on each of these points and presents a challenging message pointing to the fact that the house that God is building in our lives will stand forever if we build it on Him and remain faithful to Him.
Pastor Andy preaches on one of his all time favourite scriptures in our Signature series of messages. He begins in the book of John, chapter 15, all about abiding in the vine.
Jesus is talking to his disciples and looks at them and says, I am the true vine and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away, He prunes it, so that it may bear more fruit. The only time God prunes is when he's got more fruit in mind. He says abide in me and I in you. A branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My father is glorified by this but you bear much fruit. And so prove to be my disciples, just as the father has loved me. I have also loved you, abide in my love. These are such powerful truths, covering the fruitfulness of a believer's life.
Ps Andy spends considerable time reflecting on the fact that once we have given our lives to Christ we now have Him abiding in us, we are joined to the vine, we are able to do many things we previously could not (all things are possible with Christ Jesus), and that our lives reflect the glory of God in the fruit we produce which is good fruit, not that which we once created when we were born in sin.
This is a powerful message, listen, be amazed!
Ps Sean speaks in the second of our 'Signature' series this week (messages close to the hearts of the speakers), with specific focus on the storms of our lives and how to act and react when a storm hits us.
He begins with the scripture Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus calms the storm amidst petrified disciples who thought they were going to drown. Sean has three props he describes which define powerful attributes to our Christian walk, often navigating storms in our lives.
First is a compass to provide direction. Without direction in our lives we become lost, we end up being places we didn't want to be, often doing things we didn't want to be doing. Ps 119:105 (NIV) says "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path". When we are illuminated by God's love and His word, our path has a sense of direction and purpose that we didn't see before. But if we don't know his word, we run without a compass, at a loss when it comes to the storms of life.
Second is an old school metronome to keep us in God's Rhythm. When a storm break out, the rhythm changes, we panic, stress sets in. But was Jesus stressed, no He was resting in the boat when the storm came. English cultures tend to be stressful, we need to change this, reverse it and become more calm and relaxed in the way we do life. God's rhythm is one of gentleness and calmness.
Thirdly, Sean had a ruler, not easily bendable reminding him of the need to be flexible & adaptable. The reality is, we cannot be rigid in our faith if we are to have a Christian walk with God. Being adaptable to what God is saying is very key to living through the storm. Being able to bend to what He's saying, living to His rhythm, walking in His direction requires us to be like Romans 12:2 (NIV) says "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Ps Sean ends with thoughts about storms that occur inside our heads, thoughts, anxieties, jealousies, fear, psychotic behaviours.... Let us understand that with Jesus in our lives, we are forgiven, accepted, redeemed, saved and given new life. He ended with prayers rebuking negative thoughts in our heads, praying for the peace of God to invade our hearts and minds this day and for ever Amen!
Ps Steu returns to Portsmouth this week for a special message entitled 'Come to Me' - the words that Jesus says to each of us every day.
Ps Steu talks about a young man trapped in a bird cage, a place of pain and fear and uses this picture to formulate his message. Some of us are still in a cage, trapped by the things of life. Maybe we are not fully free as a bird when the cage door opens. But Jesus came to set us free! We are set free the second we accept Jesus as our saviour - this is salvation. In John 10:9-10, Jesus says, 'I am the gate, those who come through me will be saved, they will come and go freely and find good pastures'. Psalm 23 also refers, our shepherd leads us into green pastures & gives us rest. Nothing else in this world can possibly satisfy our lives but Jesus.
The key to living in the freedom that Christ has given us is to walk closely with Jesus, there is no other way! Matthew 11:28-30 says 'come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls'.
Ps Steu describes a three step process...
- Coming to Him
- Walking with Him
- Learning from Him
Then we find true rest, true freedom, and our burdens become light. Ps Steu brings many other scriptural pictures together which describe the grace of our Lord in our lives and how we are discipled by abiding in his word. We fly out of the bird cage and rest under his eagles wings....the freedom of God's Kingdom.
Following the previous week's messages on Miracles, Ps Andy takes a 'Selah Sunday' to summarise the key points from all the previous messages and further emphasise the common themes across the whole of scripture where miracles are described.
Multiplication of provision, be it loaves and fish, oil in a jar, grain and oil to make a loaf of bread are all a result of people experiencing God increase things in their lives. Ps Andy then goes on to speak about the common denominators in these miracles (and many more miracles all across the whole of scripture).
Miracles, always followed unusual, unreasonable, often unfathomable quite crazy requests coming directly from God or a prophet. When a person dared to do what they were being told to do in obedience, suddenly what God had promised them or intended for them came into being! But for them to come into the promised experience, they had to step out by faith, usually defying their own reasoning to do what God had told them to do.
Stepping out by faith and walking by faith causes us to enter into the promised things that God has for us. God has promised things for us all in situations we face daily, sometimes that look hopeless. Have we got the faith and the courage, sometimes along with with wise council, to step into that which God is asking us to do?
We should, because we have already experienced the greatest miracle ever likely to happen in our lives when we gave our life to Christ!
Ps Andy carries on the series about Miracles within our overall theme of Magnify and Multiply. After a recap of theprevious weeks' messages he focuses this week on the miracle of the flour & oil that did not run out. Miracles follow obedience to God with faith. God always multiplies what we surrender, whether its a little boy's picnic, a fishing boat of fishermen or a jar of oil.
The story of Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath is found in 1 Kings 17:7-16 (NIV) " Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of he Lord came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
It's interesting that God picks a widow to supply food to the prophet Elijah. Scarcity meets obedience in the lives of the two characters here. God in heaven sees us in the time of famine, He sees us in the time of need and He has a plan for us in that time of need. But sometimes the way to get what He's got for us is to do something He's asking us to do that's unusual or we'd prefer not to.
So God sees us and cares for us in famine Seasons!
Ps Andy continues the series on Miracles withinour overall theme of Magnify and Multiply. God's heart is one of multiplication for us, through miracles. Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:1-14 are the key bible verses for Ps Andy's message today where Jesus instructs Simon Peter to put down his nets the other side of the boat after an unproductive evening of fishing. The second passage refers to side of the boat after an unproductive evening of fishing. The second passage refers to a similar instruction, this time after Jesus' resurrection.
Ps Andy continues his explanation here that the miracle occured again after the fishermen were asked by Jesus to undertake a seemingly embarressing and unusual request. Experienced fishermen had been up all night and caught nothing, yet here was a carpenter telling them what to do. This was a challenge of obedience for them.
In this moment there was a revelation of who Jesus was for Peter because Jesus had been preaching earlier and Peter had been on the shore listening, but the penny had'nt dropped. This was not just a man, this was the son of God and suddenly Peter sees his miracle knowing it was a miracle because he was a fisherman and he said, "this doesn't happen, I've been doing this since I was a kid, this doesn't happen.....". But it did!!
After this, Jesus tells Peter to leave his boat, leave everything, join Him and He would make him a fisher of men. This was a miracle that positioned him In what God had designed for him to be - not just provision but intention. Sometimes we eat the fish, move on and forget to stop and say, "God, what are you doing in this moment that concerns me and my future. Miracles reveal the hand of God, but often they also reveal his intentions.
Are we positioned to listen to God in the moment and be obedient to seemingly extraordinary requests from God? a similar instruction, this time after Jesus' resurrection.
Ps Andy continues his explanation here that the miracle occured again after the fishermen were asked by Jesus to undertake a seemingly embarressing and unusual request. Experienced fishermen had been up all night and caught nothing, yet here was a carpenter telling them what to do. This was a challenge of obedience for them.
In this moment there was a revelation of who Jesus was for Peter because Jesus had been preaching earlier and Peter had been on the shore listening, but the penny had'nt dropped. This was not just a man, this was the son of God and suddenly Peter sees his miracle knowing it was a miracle because he was a fisherman and he said, "this doesn't happen, I've been doing this since I was a kid, this doesn't happen.....". But it did!!
After this, Jesus tells Peter to leave his boat, leave everything, join Him and He would make him a fisher of men. This was a miracle that positioned him In what God had designed for him to be - not just provision but intention. Sometimes we eat the fish, move on and forget to stop and say, "God, what are you doing in this moment that concerns me and my future. Miracles reveal the hand of God, but often they also reveal his intentions.
Are we positioned to listen to God in the moment and be obedient to seemingly extraordinary requests from God?
Ps Andy continues the series about miracles that Ps Sean began last week. A common thought in this series is how unusual requests made by God can result in supernatural multiplication in our lives? This is something consistently seen throughout teaching in both New & Old Testaments. Crazy things can happen but are normally always followed God asking someone to do something that seemed unusual, even unreasonable. Are we able to hear God ask us to do something unusual? This is a real challenge...placing a demand of faith on us.
PS Andy today speaks about the miracle found in 2 Kings 4, 1-7. The wife of a man cries out to Elisha because her husband is dead and creditors are coming to take her boys as slaves. After a conversation, Elisha tells the woman to collect containers and pour the small amount of oil she has into them. Miraculously, oil flows until the last container is filled. Now she can sell oil to pay her debts.
The amount she received wasn't a provision issue, it was a capacity issue. She could only receive according to what she made room for. God's provision met current needs and her future security.
Do we need a miracle?, are we listening for God's unusual request? Is God trying to highlight something in our lives? If the widow's actions (ie her faith) had not been commensurate with the instructions received from Elisha, her needs would not have been met, the miracle of supernatural provision would not have occured!
Today Ps Sean starts a new series about Miracles, still within the overall framework of our theme of Multiplication.
He begins by speaking about 'lack' and the varying forms of lack we can experience in our lives. Sometimes this is through comparing ourselves to others around us, sometimes through genuine lack of resources, food, shelter, clothing etc. The story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17 is well known.....he asks her to make him a small peice of food from the remains of her flour which she was going to use just before she and her son died of hunger. But, this never happened, the jar of oil and the flour never ran out, just as the Lord had spoken thtough Elijah.
In Matthew 14, Jesus feeds over 5000 people with fives loaves and two fish. But, he had given thanks to God before the miracle began. From a position seeming to be of lack, a supernatural God turned a natural situation into a miracle of supernatural provision and abundance.
Ps Sean makes the point that this can be the case in each of our lives, but we need to surrender our lives, posture oursleves into submission before God, and act with obedience and thanksgiving. Leaning on our own understanding will never work (Proverbs 3:5-6).
We are to acknowledge Him, then He'll make straight our paths. This means our relationships need to acknowledge Him, living God's way. Our finances have to live God's way. My eyes must honour Him, my ears must honour Him. My language must honour Him, every part of who I am acknowledges you to be, God, of all creator of the Heaven and the Earth. Therefore my body honours you, my desires honour you, my thoughts and intent honour you.... every aspect of every part of my life honours you. When we do this, we start to get more than enough breaking out of the depletion, the lack, around us.
This is when we start to get Mana falling down from heaven into our lives, where we start to see supernatural provision in dry places.
Surender, Submit, Give Thanks to God....then Miracles come......
Today is Global Sunday in Family Church, a day when we celebrate all the nations and nationalities represented in our fellowship. It is also Pentecost Sunday - Pentecost being the day the Holy Spirit flowed into the collected peoples in the first church as described in Acts 2:1-4 (NIV) "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them".
Today, Ps Sean speaks about this and how in Joel 2:28-29 scripture states "that I will pour out my spirit on all Flesh". This is a very inclusive statement and relates today to our multi-lingual, multi-racial congregation!
Ps Sean further speaks about how Jesus told His disciples that His Father would give them another helper if they kept His commandments (John 14:15-17). Jesus said that they would receive power when His Spirit came to rest upon them that they might witness to His name in all Judea, Sumeria...
The challenge of this message is to ensure we all realise we are heirs to God and that His spirit will come down upon all of us in order for us to live power filled Kingdom lives.
Today is My Church Sunday, a service specially designed for those who are not fully familiar with the Christian Faith or Kingdom Living. Pastors Sean and Paula Finch interview three congregational members who have totally differing life stories - Vanessa, Hector & Sarah. Each of them show similarities in their search for somthing meaningful in their lives (resulting in their giving their lives to Christ), but from completely differing backgrounds.
Their stories challenge each of us to check our relationship with Jesus, dismissing religion and ritual.
We are called to represent God in a fallen world, we carry his salt and light, and it’s our duty to put on the new self daily.
Following on from last week's message, Ps Andy continues to speak about growing God's family. This week, the focus is 'Reaching all of our World for Him'. Ps Andy's starting point is that we are not looking at arena events, more that every believer says "let me take responsibility for one soul". Referencing Mark 16 and Matthew 28, it is clear that Jesus is saying to each and every one of us "Don't sit there in silence regarding your salvation, be a person with go in your heart". When it comes to reaching others, we need to get uncomfortable. One day when we are all dead and in heaven worshipping, Jesus is going to ask us who we brought with us!
We all have a local 'Jerusalem' - the circle of people we are in contact with regularly. Ps Andy speaks at length about how we must initiate conversations with people who are in our circle of influence. Jesus wants us to be witnesses of what has happened in our lives.
We all need to take on the challenge of identifying people in our circle, praying for them and asking the Lord to intiate times for us to speak them. The time has passed for undercover Christianity. We must begin to talk about Jesus, because of who He is and also what He means to us.
Ps Andy continues the series about God wanting a big family, this week speaking directly about how we are all responsible not just for our Judea and Sameria but those of our own family too. He shows us many scriptures where in the early church it was commonplace for people who had just heard about Jesus to go fetch all their household to tell them and also to baptise them immediately aftwerwards too!
A famous verse is John 1, 41-42. Andrew meets Jesus, he encounters Jesus. The first thing he did was to go and find his brother Simon. So really this is not just about ourselves as individuals but also our whole family, our hosuehold too.
Andy challenges us to pray for the salvation of our whole family network, then to be 'inviters'...bringing them to church and also to purpose to live Godly lives to demonstrate the love of God in our daily walk.
Ps Paula begins a new series this week talking about how God wants a big family. She speaks about growing God's household, God's desire for multiplication in terms of people coming to Christ.
If God wants a big family, the first thing we need to get a hold of is God's heart. The most well known verse is John 3:16, personally describing the Father's heart for the world - where it says God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life. Hence God's heart for the lost is first, that no one should perish. Paula retails a story about herself seemingly being lost yet she did not know this, many people worried....when she was much younger. There are so many people on the world who live happily yet are lost without realising. God is a Father who desires for all of His children to know Him. Yet, in order to grow God's household, we need to know His heart for humanity. The church is His family and His household. We are a spiritual family, each of us are ambassadors for Jesus and are to grow together and invite others to be part of the family.
We all must take up the role of ambassador. God wants us to understand his heart and be the people who go and bring others to him. So in order to grow God's household, we need to get a hold of God's Heart, and take up our role as ambassadors. Also, we need to reach out. Paula challenges us all to reachout to one more person - the power of "one" is amazing.
This is a powerful and challenging message at the start of this new series!
Ps Sean rounds off this series of messages on Multiply with a message about The Power of the Cross. Specifically, Sean speaks about empowering our lives to live out of the power of the Cross. We may have an understanding of the Cross as good Christians, but there's more to it than to just understand. We we need to walk in the power of the cross. We need to have an outworking of the power of the Cross.
Understanding the message of the Gospel brings truth, freedom, deliverance and everything we but there is no power until we unveil the message. The message is what we carry, the message of the power of the Cross brings multiplication everywhere we go.
We don't walk in our own ways, we walk in His ways - the very life of Jesus. We walk in the same way Jesus did, the power of deliverance. The power of the Cross is that we no longer live, but Christ now lives in us, and we no longer have to live according to the flesh but according to the power of the Spirit. This is why (in Romans) Paul emphasises that we no longer live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. The spirit is the Harvest of the Cross, it's what we've received through the dying of Jesus, we've received new life, freedom and wholeness.
Sean goes on to mention three main hurdles to living in the power of the cross:
- We need to get over our ability. Our inability & inadequacies are no problem for God, but often they become a barrier for us
- We need to get over our knowledge. This is a tough one because as human beings, we think we know what is best all the time.....sometimes God's not asking us to understand, but just to be obedient
- His Spirit over our flesh. When we do everything according to o ur flesh we're going to deny three times (as Peter did). We are negative - no multiplication! It's the opposite. But when we live according to the spirit it's plus three thousand every day!
To see multiplication, we must come into the Lord, through the power of the Cross. Love has must be the motivation in everything we do. It gives us the grace, allows us to walk in forgiveness and is unconditional everywhere we go. If we are not walking by love, then we cannot do this.
Ps Andy delivers an awesome message today about the divine exchange upon the cross. Jesus paid for all our sins by his death, but we also died with Him and are resurrected to new life though Him. Ps Andy calls this a moment of co-crucifixion. Each of us who believes in what Jesus has did on the cross, would enter in to His death, His burial and also resurrection to newness of life. By faith, we embrace what He did on the cross and His death becomes our death. His burial of the old man becomes our burial and His resurrection to newness of life becomes our new experience.
We don't embrace this by our doing religion, we embrace it all by faith. We believe that He said He did it for us and did it, He did. Ps Andy explains how this is the true meaning of identification, we're living in a society that's warped with the wrong ideologies, the power of identification finds its strength in the work of the cross. God doesn't want you to crucify yourself because you haven't got enough hands! You can't do it yourself!
He wants you to identify with the death he provided so that death can be yours and with the burial and resurrection. So when we identify with Christ, what we're saying is, you were on the cross my saviour, but you also took not just my sin, but all sin so that I could be free from sin and become a new creation.
Ps Andy tells us he wants us all leaving the service today knowing that our old man is dead in Christ and that we've been risen to newness of life. Now we've just gotta get some grave clothes off so we can begin to live in the good of what God isn't going to do because He's already do it!
The word 'selah' occurs 74 times in the Old Testament and is generally accepted to mean a 'pause' for reflection or thought. This week Pastors Sean and Paula take a break from the norm by reflecting on the previous week's messages which have focused on The Word.
Via some pre-recorded video interviews, thoughts from a number of members of the congregation regarding the differing aspects of the series were shared with us all.
Following this, Sean & Paula held a conversation to discuss aspects they felt had been cardinal in the series on The Word, illustrating their thoughts with commentaries from their own lives.
We were all challenged as key thoughts on obedience, daily infilling from God's Word, the state of the soil in our hearts and our ability to forgive others (and more) were brought to our attention. Sean and Paula wrapped up the session by looking at practical ways each of us could be involved in order to become partakers not spectators!
Ps Andy continues the series on Magnify & Multiply, this week with part 2 of "The Authority of God's Word". After summarizing the messages from previous weeks Ps Andy quotes Ecclesiastes 8:4 (AKJV) "Where the word of a king is, there is power". There is final authority in the word of King Jesus! When we speak the words of King Jesus, things begin to shift. We need to walk in the authority that Jesus has given us. Andy mentions three key things here:
- Our belief in who He says He is. Our faith in who He is will determine some of our experiences. Our faith doesn't change Him, it accesses Him!
- Our submission to His lordship in His word - it is possible to believe in him but not submit to him
- Obedience to Him
Ps Andy quotes many examples from scripture where these three ingredients caused great things to happen (the Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13 is not a disciple, but his faith, his submission to the authority of Jesus and the spoken word of Jesus healed the servant)...
Andy explains how often we need to lay aside our own natural experiences, our thinking, our rebellion to the worldly thinking and submit to God. When God speaks something into our situations and it doesn't make sense, let it be. Let it be according to your word, may it be so.
This week, let's hear what God says to us, submit to it, walk in accordance to it and see the power contained within it released into our lives and of others.
Ps Gina speaks on the Authority of the Word of God - the Bible says that God has all authority over heaven and Earth! God is the author, the originator, the creator. Page one, chapter one, verse one of the Bible is meant to colour the rest of the whole entire Bible. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth. This frames every other scripture, every other account.
God's word needs to be the final Authority for our lives. When we pray and in times of attack in our lives, in times of temptation, for all the spheres of our lives, for our money, our relationships, our family life, our children, our jobs. The most effective prayer is when we use The Word. When Satan tempted Jesus, he was rebuked by The Word of God being quoted. If this works for Jesus, it will for us!
The world throws all sorts of lies and untruths to us daily, the best defence and offence is God Word. Ephesians 6:14-17 (NIV) "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God".
Daily we need God's Armour and His Word to fight the battles we are up against.
Continuing the series on Magnify & Multiply, Ps Andy refers this week to John 12:32 (NIV) " And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself". There is a principle - when He is lifted, there's a drawing that begins to take place. His word is like a seed that has the ability to cause multiplication in our lives. Every word of God is a powerful seed. Ps Andy talks about approaching the word of God as seed. Then when we look at our hearts and our lives, we understand that this represents the soil.
PS Andy goes on to teach about the relationship between seed and soil using the parable of the sower as an illustration. There is a simple relationship between healthy seed and good soil. His word was and will always be eternally relevant.
Ps Andy goes on to challenge us to examine our own lives and check out the condition of the soil in our hearts, are we chocked by thorns or barren as hard land or have we good healthy hearts ready for his word to flourish in our lives.
There are five areas we can look at to gain healthier soil in our hearts....
- Keep freshly ploughed ground - keep worshipping, intimacy with Jesus keeps our hearts in a condition ready to receive seed
- Have faith, we cannot please God without faith!
- Humility makes good soil because God resists the proud and give Christ to the humble
- Obedience to God takes our lives from be a barren land to a fruitful forest
- Heart health "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23, NIV).
Ps Andy continues the series on the word of God, this week speaking about the fact that The Word is Truth. Many other life philosophies and ideologies present themselves in the modern world but few remain constant and only God's Word is real or true Truth as Ps Andy explains.
Andy revisits John 12:32 (NIV) "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself". This verse is prominent in this years' Family Church Vision statement. There's a principle here. When Jesus is lifted up, he causes multiplication and increase. It says "when I Am is lifted from the earth...". The Bible refers to God as the I am in the old and in the new testaments. Today we celebrate The Great I Am, which is Jesus Christ, when we choose to magnify His Word in our lives, the Word of God Bible scripture. We're causing multiplications when when we choose to magnify His word in our lives, things break out, breakthroughs occur.
When we turn to God's word, it's the kind of truth that can transform us and set us free. Ps Andy speaks about how we need to abide in The Word, not use Jesus as breakdown service,,,, we need to purpose to be sold out for Jesus and Him alone. Mixing up ideologies in our lives will only cause chaos.
This is a challenging message!
Ps Sean today starts a new five part series looking at the Word of God. Today he examines the historical accuracy of the Bible, Old and New Testaments and gradually leads us into a realization that we cannot live without the Word of God if we are to be nourished Spiritually. Jesus was speaking in Matthew 4:4 (NIV) "It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
We know that the word of God is God, the scripture tells us this, there are two ways we get this word. Logos is the physical word. Anyone can have Logos words, they look good but are not life transforming. John 6:63 (NIV) says "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life". When God speaks we have Rhema words, God breathed, the words come alive to us.
By faith, we need to trust what God is speaking to us through His Word. Sean goes on to speak of some practical steps for us starting with that fact that the Word of God is our daily bread. Then he focuses on some cardinal facts associated with us knowing and quoting scripture that relate to daily life. For every one of us..
- We are a child of God
- We are fully known by God
- We are fully loved by God
- We are called by Him
- He has plans and purposes for us
- God made us righteous
- We are free from the power of sin and everything that holds us
- We are a masterpiece
- Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit
- We are holy and blameless before God
- We are chosen
- God provides all our needs
- He will guard us against the enemy and we are protected
- We are one with others in the body
- Scripture calls us His children and we are in awe of God
- We are blessed, we are highly favoured, we are called by name, every one of us
But without His Word, without knowing His Word, we don't know who we are!
This week we have an amazing message from our worship pastor, Janine Smith. She speaks about Who and How we Worship, following Ps Paula’s message last week about What is Worship.
Who do we worship sounds an obvious question, but is fundamental - we can't move on to how do we worship if we don't know who do we worship. It matters that we know who we worship. But it matters that we actually know who we worship! Without this knowledge, everything is futile. Our God is the God who made heaven and earth, the sky and the sea, all of us. He can heal us of our diseases, and we should be in awe of Him. He is not only a great God but a good Father. Only by having a personal relationship with God and walking closely with him can we be moved to real authentic worship. The more we know of God, the more we will want to worship Him. The more closely we walk with God, the more He reveals himself to us.
The first mention of worship in the scriptures occurs in Genesis 22 where Abraham goes to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to God. Scripture tells us that Abraham went to worship God before taking the wood for the burnt offering and his son Isaac. Then God spared his son and provided a ram in the thicket. This was a test of Abraham’s faith in God, of course at the time he did not know this.
So when we ask ‘How do we Worship’, the first answer is with obedience. Many of us may need to examine our lives and discover what we need to sacrifice however small in order to worship God. God answered Abraham by telling him his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.
From our hearts, we give an offering, this leads to worship. However, just an offering alone doesn't come from relationship with God, is not an act of your obedience to God and is just an offering which is empty religion. True worship comes from the heart, from a genuine authentic love of God and wanting to respond to who He is. What the offering is, or its size, God sees it as worship. Ps Janine related the story of Mary and the Alabaster jar of perfume (Luke 7:37). Maybe some of us have something to pour out on Jesus’ feet?
Whatever we offer, no matter how large or small, God sees it as worship. It moves the heart of God. It's not meaningless, it's not futile. Everything we do to magnify God is seen as worship and it moves him.
PS Janine gives us three pointers
· We worship with our obedience
· We worship from our heart
· Our worship is a weapon
Using the story of Gideon and the Midianites in Judges 7:18, Janine describes how our worship has a sound, which the enemy cannot abide. When we speak out scripture, it confuses the enemy. The sound of our worship disarms the enemy. Anything and everything that we do to magnify God creates the sound of worship.
Janine closes this inspiring message with her favourite worship scripture from Romans 12:1 (NIV) “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship”.
Ps Paula begins a new series about worship by asking the question, 'What is worship'?
Worship is not about singing songs or hymns, it is a lifestyle living devoted to God. We are all designed to worship, but do we always worship the correct thing? Worship comes from 'worth-ship', meaning to give worth or value to something.
Psalm 29 tells us (NIV) "Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness". Psalm 95 (NIV) tells us "Come, let us bow down in worship,.....".
The Apostle Paul's definition of worship shows this complete devotion of life to God. In Romans 12 we are told (NIV) "Therefore I urge you brothers and sisters in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship". Other translations (NLT) use the word plead instead of urge to emphasize Paul's point here....
Hence the Lord is the only one who is appropriate to worship, anything else or anyone else is idolatry. Genuine God-centered worship exalts God, and God Alone, and is offered for His pleasure alone. True worship is God focused. He is the only one who is appropriate to worship, anything else or anyone else is idolatry.
Ps Paula explains the story of the Ark of the Covenant in 1 Samuel 5. The Philistines had captured the ark of God and placed it in Dagon's temple. However, the next day they discovered their false god Dagon had fallen face down before the ark of the Lord. Any idols we have in our lives will also eventually fall down before God! Nothing can Stand in God's presence!
Philippians 2 (NIV) tells us "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,....".
This is a challenging message from Ps Paula to begin this new series on Worship.....
Ps Andy speaks this week on the occasion of his 60th birthday, a special celebration of life. Every day we spend cannot be gained again. He demonstrates this with a bag of coins representing each year of his life. Like all of us, some are well spent, some not so. He explains how important it is to spend the currency of our life wisely in accordance with God's plans for us, treating life like the gift that it is. Ps Andy explains how he is both grateful and inspired when he comes to birthdays. We should be grateful for the good things that God has done, and also inspired about what He has ahead for us.
In Psalm 139:16 the Psalmist writes how God's eyes saw our unformed body and how all our days were ordained in His book before they came to be. Andy goes on to speak about God's ability to redeem the coins of our life which were not spent well. When we live for God's purposes in our live, not only are we given future coins to spend, but (because He is outside of time & space), he can to step into wasted moments and redeem them. Joel 2:25 (NIV) "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten, the great locust and the young locust". This redemption is a financial term getting back things that were spent and adding them again to our account. How good is God?
Every one of us will stand one day before the Lord face to face. Let us take this appointment seriously, spending the currency of our days wisely, leaving a precious legacy.
Pastors Sean & Paula assemble an armchair discussion along with Senior Pastors Andy & Gina Elmes to discuss how the Mission and Vision for the whole of Family Church presented last Sunday flow into the goals for Portsmouth Congregation this year.
Ps Andy delivers a keynote message today regarding vision for the whole of Family Church during 2025. He explains how important it is for us to have a vision (Proverbs 29:18, Where there is no vision, the people perish) and thanks all those who have contributed in any way to the outworking of the church vision the previous year. Ps Andy then concentrates his message around two words the Lord gave him, namely Magnify and Multiply. With reference to a myriad of scriptures he explains the vision for all of the Family Church congregations tying this in with God's Word.
Ps Andy ends the three week series on God of my Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow this week speaking about God of my Tomorrow. Tomorrow is unknown to us but not to Him! We embrace our tomorrows by faith. The funny thing about fear and faith is that it takes the same effort and energy to do either one of them!
Matthew 6:25 tells us not to worry (NIV) "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes.......... Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life". Realize also that our tomorrow starts today. What we do today impacts our tomorrow. In Malachi 3:10, scripture actually says we can test God on this (NIV) "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it". So, decisions we make today impact our tomorrow.
God is our God of Today, He was our God of Yesterday and He is our God of Tomorrow. We can have peace of heart knowing God has our back at all times.
Ps Paula continues the there parts series God of my yesterday, today and tomorrow, this week focusing on God being our God of Today!
She refers to the same passage in Hebrew telling us Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever and in a world that is always changing. Often we experience situation where people do not treat us the same, but God is the same every day. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness".
PS Paula goes on to talk about how Psalm 118 tells us that this is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it. We need to rejoice in the days we have and not mourn what we dont have. Ps Paula goes on to encourage us to pick God today. Make today matter. Don't procrastinate, don't put off what we can do now. Today can be a fresh start for us. We may want what we want but there's something wonderful about surrendering to God because when we surrender to God we realize that everything we were holding on to is foolish and doesn't satisfy us and certainly is not causing us to be who God wants us to be.
This is a must listen challenging message about how we will live our today!
Ps Sean begins the new year with the first of a three part series looking at 'God of My Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow'. This first part looks at God of My Yesterday. Sean uses scriptures from Hebrews 13:8 and Revelation 1:8 to illustrate how God is the same yesterday , today and tomorrow. He is the Alpha and the Omega, He has an all consuming view of time which we tend to see as a linear progression.
Ps Sean speaks about how our yesterdays do not dictate our future, how living in the past can lead to robbing us of our future, how we need to cut away from the past in order to live in God's richness by faith. In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul speaks about "pressing onward toward the prize God has for him".....but he is in a prion cell whilst writing this, shackled! He was not holding on to the past, he was pressing on towards God. Often the main things holding us back are ourselves or others if we allow them to. Learning to hand out the past to God is a journey of trusting God with faith. Sean ends with three key points...
- God can forgive yesterdays failures (Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12, Psalm 103:12, 1 John 1:9, Romans 8:1)
- God can heal yesterdays hurts (Psalm 34;18, Luke 4:18 - Jesus' mandate was to set the oppressed free!)
- God can deliver us from yesterdays disappointments (Joel 2:25)
Psalm 77:12 is what we need to meditate on (NIV) "I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Let us walk in the fullness of strength God has for us as we position ourselves for 2025.
Ps Andy speaks today in the period after Christmas and before the new year. Using the theme of Psalm 84:5 (NIV) "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage", he examines how life moves from one place to another often. This may be a physical move, a change of relationship, many things, but one key ingredient is for us to keep taking steps of faith and growing in Him. A pilgrimage often involves moving to a place of unknown, many stories in scripture illustrate this. As we walk with Him, we become transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory - 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Our pilgrimage from 2024 to 2025 is to carry on growing in God. God is fully committed to growing us into who we really are. We just need to ensure we don't carry on living in the "old skin" so to speak.
Andy speaks of three common roadblocks to pilgrims....
- Fear of unknown (we need to walk by faith)
- Our limited view of our potential
- The way others see us
Additionally, three keys to pilgrimage are..
- Celebrate and commit to the next
- Build strong behind us, build a legacy to life
- Always plan to exit well
Final thoughts.....the way we leave affects the way we arrive (as we move on in our lives). Also, it will cost us our future to live in the past. Let us remain conscious that we all have an appointment in Zion - 2 Timothy 4:8 (NIV) " Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing".
At the Portsmouth Congregation Carol Service 2024, Ps Sean delivers a message describing the real meaning of the gift give at Christmas.
Ps Andy ends the series we have been looking at recently where the character of God has been an enlightening message. Today he speaks about firstly the attributes of God. God is infinite, self-sufficient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient and omnibenevolent.
Ps Andy then looks again at the characteristics of God which are the hallmarks of His behaviour. We see these exemplified by Christ's behaviour described by the scriptures. When we understand God's character correctly, it affects our expectations of Him. The character of God is revealed by his word and also His Son. Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV) "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven".
Everything we need to know about the character of the Father we can gain by watching Christ! But God places us in his Son, so that our identity now is that we're a people who were once separated from God, but now we are in Christ and Christ now lives in us. The life that we live should be Christ-like. If we live a Christ-like life, the world sees the character of God Through the way we now live.
So, the character of God is revealed by His word. The character of God is revealed in His son. But the character of God is also revealed through our lives. When we understand that we are now in Him and He in us,,,,,,the life we live now must be to demonstrate His character!!
Following from previous weeks where we have been hearing about the character of our Lord, Ps Andy this week speaks about how we can put our trust in God.
People may let us down, but God never does. Nearly 200 times, the Bible teaches us about the trusting nature of God. One of the key things that makes God trustworthy is that He cannot lie. God is love. God cannot lie. The devil is the father of Lies. God is the father of truth and righteousness, honestly and integrity.
Numbers 23:19 tells us (NIV) "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" When He promises, he's going to do something, He will always do it because His name and His person are on the line so to speak. We can have confidence in God because He cannot lie. Because of this confidence we can also put our trust in Him. Trust is where we turn our belief into action. Faith and trust go hand in hand.
The ultimate example of trust in God was Jesus upon the cross. Ps Andy delivers an exciting message punctuated with real life stories and scriptures to explain how we can put our trust in God.
Following the last few weeks where Ps Andy and Gina have spoken about the character of God, Paula continues today speaking about the Goodness of God.
God's love for every single one of us is unconditional, his love isn't based on the things we do. It's based on the fact that He made us and He loves us full stop. We need to throw away thoughts telling us there's a chance that maybe God does not love us! The Bible lets us know that we can trust His goodness to meet us in every situation we face knowing that God is good. This is foundational in our relationship with him because it affects how we see and respond to difficulties in life.
Ps Paula details how God is Good all the time, irrelevant of our performance, backed with scriptures and at the end of the message with two young guys doing a run round the church illustrating how God's goodness is always following us (Ps 23 - Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life......).
Ps Andy continues from where Ps Gina left off last week by speaking about the Love of God. God is Love, His love is unconditional. Romans 8:38 tells us... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ps Andy delivers an awe inspiring message that ends quoting the hymn:-
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never have come to an end
They are new every morning
New every morning
Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord
Great is Thy faithfulness
God's love is steadfast, unchanging and is new every day for us!
Ps Gina speaks about the importance of knowing the character of God. She begins by re-telling how important it is to know the character and trustworthiness of people who act as child minders and then relates this to our lives today.
She goes on to explain how in we are bombarded by untruths about the nature of God from just about every angle in modern life and how in fact this is identical to the way in which the serpent beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden. Many institutions, media, even religions will mock Jesus and tell lies about our God in these days.
How do we refute all this? We need to know the word of God. The Word of God describes the character and true nature of God from Genesis through to Revelation. We don't need to know chapter and verse necessarily, but we do need to know the Word of God then our mind is filled with The Truth, we can refute any lies coming into our minds and live a free life honouring God.
On this Remembrance Sunday, Ps Andy speaks about a theme of Extreme Generosity. Many people laid down their loves for the sake of others, for the freedom of generations they would never see or know. The world of the generous gets larger and larger, but the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. God our Father was generous to the extreme in laying down the life of His son for our salvation. PS Andy goes on to speak about the nature of the heart of a generous person and how generosity is not purely related to finances, but time, attitude, many facets of our lives. Its also about how we use our words, how we serve, how we forgive. Do we do these things begrudgingly or with a joyful heart.
Listen to this inspiring message linking the them of Remembrance Sunday to the sacrifice of Jesus for our souls to the ways of our hearts.
Following from the previous two weeks where Ps Andy has spoken about Jesus being both the Author and Finisher of our faith, Ps Sean this week looks at what happens when we are in the middle of the journey from the start towards the finish. These are the times when doubts, uncertainties, problems, troubles, sin and all manner of issues crop up to distract our life away from being God centered.
Using the stories told in Mark 4, v 35 onward, Ps Sean describes the situation where Jesus' followers have been listening to parables, watching miracles and now Jesus is asleep in a boat after saying "let us to go the other side" (of the water). The waves kick up, the disciples wake Jesus from his sleep as they are full of worry about being drowned. But, Jesus had told them they were going across the water, and go they would, come a storm or no storm. Jesus' promises are always kept. He never lets us down, even when we are mid journey and begin to worry over something.
Ps Sean speaks further about us leaning into the character of God and leaning not unto our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). He also speaks about how we can acquire greater faith in God. The Bible gives us this instruction in Romans 10:17.
Listen to this challenging message about how we must lean upon the one true God by having faith in His character through His word!
Pastor Andy continues from last week speaking about Faith. However, we can have faith in people, all sorts of things, but the faith Ps Andy speaks about is Faith in God. It is through God's sacrifice of his only Son that we have salvation, it is faith in our Lord's promises not just as the Author but moreover the Finisher that Ps Andy shows us is the key ingredient here.
God is wanting us to put trust in him, why?, because He is trustworthy. We trust Him as the creator of the universe, but also his promises - when He gives us a word, He puts his own name on that word to fulfill it. When Jesus said to the people in the boat, we're going to the other side, a storm came but it wasn't really the issue because Jesus had given the word as the author - ie He had given a promise and it would be fulfilled (storm or no storm). The reaction needs to be to thank Him, even when it looks impossible, we don't know or cant see how it can be fulfilled. We move from standing with the author seeing things that haven't happened yet to standing with the finisher. Faith in God positions us at the finish line even when we are still in the race!
Ps Andy further expands on this by speaking about the faith journey that Abraham had, and ends suggesting 4 key lessons....
- Faith is usually a journey, which rarely ends the next day
- If God needed our help He would ask!
- Faith is never reasonable, we may need to wait for it to make sense
- Faith is always real before we see it
Pastor Andy begins a few messages speaking about Faith. He wants to encourage in in our journey of life as we live in times where our faith may be challenged by everyday events.
The Bible recognizes Jesus as the author and the finisher of our faith. In the book of Revelation 22:13, scripture speaks of Jesus being the alpha, and the omega, the beginning and the end. Jesus causes us to be able to believe in God and see things happen where we're left saying "thank you God, that was you, not me"!
Andy spends time explaining how Jesus is not just the author of promises about our lives, but is also the finisher of the same promises also. We need to live our lives from the standpoint of the finisher, not just the author of the promises for our lives. Looking at Hebrews 11, we gain insight into many hers of scripture who lived by faith in God. Later, Andy will focus more on Hebrews 12 where the focus is turned more toward ourselves and how we live our lives.
Today, Family Church celebrates the diverse nations and cultures both at home and in our overseas missions and outreaches that through Jesus make us one big, global family. Ps Sean speaks about the Theme of being United.
He refers to Acts 2:1-12 (NIV) " When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”"
Ps Sean's message focuses on the fact that everyone was United in one place, the Holy Spirit filled every person who was then enabled to speak in languages they did not know, and this in turn brought the people from outside the room to wonder what was happening (as they recognized their own tongues).
For our city this is a prophetic message of how we can be a transforming force with the Spirit's intervention such that those outside our immediate circle can become convicted and saved.
This can all happen because we are a UNITED house of the Lord!
Pastor Andy finishes the current series on Pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit) by this week looking at the Fruit and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Fruit is grown, the Gift of the Spirit are given as gifts for our use. Fruit is the result of a life being yielded to the nature and character of God in our lives. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit all come from one God, one Holy Spirit. God brings these gifts into the lives of his family, in order that we can live a power-field victorious life, blessing others. Ps Andy describes these in detail and how they work in our lives. He speaks about how the New Testament church operated in the gifts of the Spirit. He explains how spiritual gifts are given to a person as the Holy Spirit wills, for navigating our lives and also ministering to others. The anointing flows at its best when we are meeting the needs of others. He also speaks for a while about the gift of Tongues – for personal use and also when given in a church setting followed by interpretation.
This is a fascinating and challenging message!
Following the series on 'Jesus Empowers', this week Ps Andy speaks about the Empowerment of The Holy Spirit. Ps Andy speaks about the Holy Spirit coming into the life of a Believer to provide the power and ability to do a number of things. In this message, he looks at three areas
- The ability for us to walk in freedom and wholeness
- The ability to minister to the needs of others - not to be selfish on our Christian walk
- The provision of moral power, and excellence of soul - ability to say no to things
After describing these at length, he speaks about seven areas where the power of the Holy Spirit works in our lives
- Transforming us from inside out into the image and the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18)
- Providing the boldness to do things such as sharing our faith
- Providing supernatural ability (Mark 16: 17). Jesus tells His disciples to lay hands on the sick and they will recover, speak in tongues, raise them...this applies to us now
- The Holy Spirit consecrates us, giving us the ability to live a life that doesn't sin
- To live the life God's called us to. The Bible gives us no excuse not to forgive even when we are hurt
- He calls us to do the same things that Jesus did when he walked the Earth. Why? Because the Spirit of the Lord that lived upon Him is now the same Spirit upon us. He is anointing us to preach the gospel, set people free. This is not just a Pastors job!
- Providing the ability to walk in obedience to the things He asks us to do
The Holy spirit in us gives us everything we need. This is why we are called to be Spirit-filled, Spirit-led and Spirit empowered. This brings glory to God each day, because of the way we choose to live....
This week Ps Sean continues our series 'Jesus Empowers', speaking on the ‘Fellowship of the Holy Spirit’. He begins by quoting 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV) "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all". Note the use of the word all, not some! he explains how fellowship is really a lot more than just an acquaintance, its deeper than this. Often we are bad at doing fellowship with each other so understanding fellowship with the Holy Spirit is then nearly impossible for us.
PS Sean introduces two key words of importance here - Intimacy and Hosting. Intimacy relates to a relaxed atmosphere but also privacy. For example between two people in a marriage, there's intimacy. Breakdown occurs without this as others things get in the way with two people walking in different directions. God wants to call us back to intimacy with the Holy Spirit today in a fresh way without distraction from the world.
When we host someone we ensure our house is on order, we want to welcome them to feel at home in our house. This requires effort and heart commitment.
With countless scripture references, Ps Sean provides insight into how the Holy Spirit is resident within us, is in fact our teacher, our guide, our helper, our comforter. Above all, the Holy Spirit is there to provide the correct comfort we need in our lives, as opposed to worldly comforts and distractions which may satisfy earthly desires but move us away from intimacy with God.
John 15 refers (The Vine & The Branches).
This is a challenging message!
Following from the introduction last week, Ps Andy begins the new series on Pneumatology (the study of the person and works of the Holy Spirit) today. Ps Andy begins by looking at who the Holy Spirit is, with a scripture laden whistle stop tour of the bible illustrating how the Holy Spirit is ever present wherever God the Father spoke. From creation in Genesis, God spoke and His intentions were taken from concept and made actual by the Holy Spirit.
So it is today. Nowhere in the bible do we find the actions on the day of Pentecost being reversed. In this action packed message Ps Andy explains how in fact there can be no such thing as Christian who is not Spirit filled. Ps Andy fills this message with scripture references stating how the Holy Spirit has been poured out on us all.
If we are saved and have received Christ into our hearts, we have received the Spirit of God. Amen!!
Ps Andy speaks across all Family Church congregations about the next phase of our discipleship journey. At the start of the year we concentrated on two sets of teachings. The first one was called Jesus is - Christology. We looked at the person of Jesus, who the Bible reveals Him to be in the Old and the New Testaments. Following this, we moved on to a second series called Soteriology, the doctrine of salvation. We took a few weeks to study, how incredible our Salvation is, how wonderfully the Lord has saved us, what He achieved in the finished work of the Cross with Jesus.
Ps Andy then speaks about how we are to move to a third part of our discipleship series, which we are calling 'Jesus Empowers'. This is Pneumatology and it's the Doctrine or the study of the person and works of the Holy Spirit.
Ps Andy continues with an introduction to this series which again is fundamental to our understanding of our Christian walk.
Family Church in Portsmouth is expanding. Soon we shall have another congregation in Southsea as well. This is to make room, to 'enlarge our tent' in order that more people in our city can hear the word of God and be saved. To make this happen, everyone who calls Family Church Portsmouth their home needs to become not just an attendee or spectator but also a servant building the house of God in order that His plan be outworked in our city.
Ps Andy delivers a punchy message about everyone becoming involved in the journey of the church by being servant hearted and being prepared to give of our time, talents and finances.
Today, the Trailblazers took over the whole service in Family Church Portsmouth congregation. After a week at their summer camp, the church youth returned fully energized and filled with God's Holy Spirit. After the worship, Nathan introduces two of his peers to give their testimony and message to the congregation following their week away.
Listen and be amazed!!
In Luke 15 there are three consecutive parables describing God's attitude to the importance of finding and recovering the lost - The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin and The Parable of the Lost Son. Ps Sean uses each of these to describe how important it is for us to Turn up, Turn on and then Turn around to meet lost souls in our quest to reach others.
After a somewhat different morning service, Ps Sean rounds off the morning with a heartfelt message about the importance of Unity in the church and how this will bring peace to our troubled land. Our hearts should be bound together with the Holy Spirit. The church should be a picture to the world of what Unity should look like. Only then will the world look to us for answers....
Ps Andy concludes his three part series on God's anointing upon our lives. We believe that the anointing is the presence of power and the ability of a supernatural Creator - God. But it's not just in heaven, but also now on Earth for the good of man. In previous weeks we've been looking at the purpose of the anointing and how we, as God's people can see an increase of the anointing God's anointing in our lives. Not just when we're in church on Sunday but in the workplace and everywhere we go. God is raising a very anointed Church to turn the world upside down. The news may be darker but actually this is the moment where God causes his church to be the salt and the light he's called us to be. This is not by our own ability, but by His anointing within and upon our lives. We are God's contact points on the earth that he wants to do things through.
Listen as Ps Andy further unwraps this subject with biblical examples challenging us to move away from our comfort zones and respond to God's calling. God does not call the equipped. moreover, he equips the called....with His anointing!
This is part 2 of the series on increasing the anointing in our lives. The anointing means the presence and power and ability of an unstoppable God being present (in us). Pastor Andy continues to unwrap this exciting subject, revealing how the Holy Spirit is present in order to do things in us and through us. We are all people in position to do God's works. We must also realize we are also temples of the Holy Spirit.
Ps Andy continues to speak about what happens for us and also for others as God's anointing flows in our lives.
Pastor Andy begins a series of three messages speaking about God's Anointing in our lives. What is the anointing? How does it affect our life? Where does it come from? What does the anointing have to do? Specifically, Andy wants to speak about how to increase the flow of the anointing in our lives because God wants us to know the flow of His anointing.
He begins by referencing the familiar verses Isaiah 61:1 (NIV) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoner......and; Luke 4:16-21 (NIV) He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
This is very much Jesus saying "I am the one anointed, I'm the one sent from God". An anointing is for the purposes of saving people and setting them free - the moment Jesus stepped into Ministry (fulfilling the purpose of God on Earth).
Ps Andy speaks further on this explaining how Anointing from God is not just about miracles but also very much the ability and the power of God to do what he requires of us. Anointing always serves a purpose...a need and also to live in obedience to Christ.
Ps Jaron delivers a superb messaged about the blessings we have and the anointing there is upon us from our Lord.
Ps Steu speaks about the power of Yes. He breaks this into four areas along with personal anecdotes and scriptural references showing how 'yes' is the answer to being aligned with and serving God. The'yes' also usually results in changes that create a 'no' in other areas of our lives.
1 Samuel 17:32 (NIV) says "David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Here we see how a 'yes' committed David.
Matthew 4:19-20 (NIV) says “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. This 'yes' caused action to take place...they immediately left their nest and followed Him..
A 'yes' creates shift in our lives...sometimes to a place entirely out of our comfort zone. The 'yes' of Simon, Andrew, James and John changed the course of their lives. They move from where they were to, where they where God wanted them to be.
Ps Steu's fourth 'Yes' is that a 'Yes' means a 'No'! 'Yes' to God will bring breakthrough in our lives. We become free of the things that once distracted us, deceived us, free of old ways and old habits, just by saying, "God, 'Yes', I'm gonna run hard after you". The more we burn for God, the less we will burn for the things of the world.
In summary, a 'Yes':-
- Commits us
- Causes Action
- Causes Shift
- Usually means No as well
A 'Yes' to God means
- Whole heartedly running after God
- Being fully committed to God's house not just as spectators
- Becoming servants in God's house
- Servants becoming stewards
- People who really take ownership and fully own their responsibilities
The bible tells us that in all our getting we should get wisdom. The question is where do we currently source our wisdom from? Do you know that God wants to give you His. The same wisdom Solomon knew is ours in Christ.
On this Father's Day, Ps Sean speaks about the characteristics of God, of the Father's Heart, often comparing our Lord's unfailing and unchanging nature to the very variable many of us experience from our own earthly Fathers.
Sean explains how God is unchanging, keep promises and above all is truly loving. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV) states "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres".
Everywhere where this scripture says 'love is ....', we can replace the word 'love' with 'God'. God is patient, God is kind.....and so on.
Ps Sean explains at length these and many more of the characteristics of the Heart of our Father God in a most challenging message.
Weaknesses and foolishness in the world view is not seen the same way by our Lord. This is demonstrated again and again in every book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation where God uses the most unlikely of people and sometimes implements to show his strength and wonderment at the hand of ordinary people seemingly able to do very little. The world view and Godly view are often opposites. When we are weak in human terms, we are able to be strong for The Lord. Ps Gina expounds on this theme starting with scriptures from I Corinthians 1:26-28 (NIV) "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are...."
Later she shows how in fact with Jesus all things are possible but without Jesus in our lives, we are lost!
Following the Trailblazers Youth conference at the weekend, the whole service today was led by our amazing you team including the messages and testimonies from our young people. Listen and be amazed!!!
Today Pastor Andy ends the current series on Jesus Saves with Part 7 all about how we are sons of God and are adopted by Him. Ps Andy expounds how God treats us as his children, how the fatherhood from God is so different from that of the world view and also how the concept of adoption as depicted in the times when Paul was writing letters to the early church again is different to the western world view. Adoption by God means we are chosen by Him, we were predestined and our position as children of God is irreversible!
This is a message not to be missed!
In Saving us, God did not patch up a sinful us, rather He caused a regeneration and renewal by His Spirit that gave us a brand new birth and beginning.
Ps Andy speaks today about how we are regenerated by a re-birthing, washing and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Our new birth is a spiritual birth which results in us being made alive spiritually.
Ps Andy goes on to teach how our regeneration occurs at the moment of our salvation, and that the only means of regeneration is by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
On this Global Sunday we celebrate the diversity of Family Church from all the different cultures making us one Kingdom of God. Ps Sean speaks about how we are unified in Christ...Ephesians 2:19-20 (NIV) states "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."
Ps Sean speaks of how the world is full of division, strife, and anger but in contrast we are united by the faith, hope and love of Christ.
Pastor Steuart continues with Part 5 in our series - Jesus Saves. This week he speaks about Sanctification. Sanctification literally means "to set apart for special use or purpose", that is, to make holy or sacred. When we accept Christ as Saviour, our sins are immediately forgiven, we are set apart as holy, and we are reconciled to Him.
The Bible explains how we are all saints. The word saint relates to the word sanctification. We have been set apart from the penalty of sin and made holy before God.
Listen as Ps Steu unpacks this amazing topic and explains how God sees us through Christ. This is a must listen message!
Ps Andy continues the series on Jesus Saves, part of our study on our salvation through Christ. Earlier messages looked at Forgiveness, Justification and Reconciliation - all made possible only through the sacrifice of Jesus' blood on the cross for us.
Redemption is a term which implies that something has been paid for or bought back, like a slave who has been set free through the payment of a ransom. The word ransom is related to the Christian concept of redemption. Jesus paid the price for our release from sin and its punishment. His death was in exchange for our life. In fact, Scripture is quite clear that redemption is only possible “through His blood,” that is, by His death.
Ps Andy emphasizes that all this is only possible by the perfect sacrifice God made through His Son for us....He predestined our lives before we were born! As Ps Andy explains, it is vital we do understand this aspect of our salvation, then we can live to enjoy the benefits...
- Eternal life - Revelation 5:9-10
- Forgiveness of sins - Ephesians 1:7
- Righteousness - Romans 5:17
- Freedom from the law’s curse - Galatians 3:13
- Adoption into God’s family - Galatians 4:5
- Deliverance from sin’s bondage - Titus 2:14 & 1 Peter 1:14-18
- Peace with God - Colossians 1:18-20
- The indwelling of the Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Redemption means to buy back. And in this case, it's to buy back to the original owner. We were made by God to be Gods. However, we were stolen.....but God has brought us back to himself by paying the ransom price of Christ. Amen!
Ps Carla continues the current series exploring our salvation through Jesus Christ. This week her title is 'Reconciliation'. She talks about how we might be reconciled to each other as a result of various circumstances but more importantly how we are able to be reconciled back to God through our salvation with Jesus Christ.
God's plan for us in all time was reconciliation back to Him like Adam and Eve were originally before sin existed.
Romans 5:1 (NLT) states "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." Further, in verses 6-10, this scripture tells us "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son."
Ps Carla speaks further about how we are reconciled back to God through Christ and then, additionally, how we should live once we are reconciled to God and His Holy Spirit is there to guide us.
Following last weeks message about forgiveness - being a key part of our understanding of our salvation through Jesus Christ, Ps Andy today speaks on 'Justification'. It is vital that we understand a;; a[sects of our salvation. If not, our lives will not be changed and we shall exist without the full knowledge of what Jesus has done for us.
In forgiving our sin, God has Justified us in His sight. This is a key thing to understand - part of our salvation. To be justified means we are declared or made righteous in the sight of God. This righteousness is a gift from God, it has nothing to do with our 'acts of kindness' which as Ps Andy tells us are seen as filthy rags compared to what Jesus did for us on the cross (Isaiah 64:6).
With plentiful scriptures, Ps Andy explains how our justification, our right standing with God is the fruit of divine exchange at the cross of Jesus.
Following the previous series of messages on Christology, Pastor Andy begins a new series of messages on Soteriology. This is the study of salvation, coming from the Greek soterion, salvation and is also related to soter meaning Saviour. This is all within the framework of messages this year about being "deeply rooted".
As Ps Andy speaks on our salvation, he asks simple questions - who is saved by whom from what, and by what means? Its crucial to have a correct understanding of these aspects in order not to have any false understanding.
Today he unwraps the subject of forgiveness, a cardinal point in our Christian walk. With reference to multiple scriptures, Ps Andy ensures we all understand the difference between being forgiven original sin which comes the instant we accept Jesus and receive His salvation, and daily misdemeanors we all make. Without forgiveness, we cannot live in perfect relationship with our Father God. The debt for our sins past, present and future can only be paid by the blood of Jesus, this is why it is so imperative we receive Him as our Saviour.
This is an absolute must listen message which unwraps key aspects of the gospel in relation to forgiveness of sins.
On this Resurrection Sunday, Easter Day, Pastor Andy speaks about how Jesus is the 'door' to a new life for us. Jesus is the door to the Father. He refers to John 10;7-10 (NKJV) " Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
Using a real door as a visual aid he speaks most profoundly about how Jesus is the door to a relationship with the Father. Our relationship with the Father in Heaven was lost due to the Adam and Eve's sinful nature in the Garden of Eden (book of genesis refers).
Many claim to be a messiah or even the Messiah but the only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ. Let us open the door of our hearts to Jesus with faith in order to receive Him and receive eternal life.
Ps Sean rounds off the series 'Jesus is' by giving a recap on the messages so far then focusing today on the title 'Jesus is Lord'. What does it mean to be a Lord?, there are many daily uses of this word in secular language but Jesus is not just Lord, He is Lord of Lords.
Scriptures abound here but the cardinal point of Ps Sean's message is this: If Jesus is not Lord of all in our lives, He is not Lord at all. We all need to examine how we live, what we say, what we hear, what we look at, what we do, engage in, our decisions, everything. This is immensely challenging. Luke 6:46-49 (NIV) says "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock".
It's easy to listen to the word and not respond in our hearts and deeds. Jesus bore the price for our sins with His blood on the cross. Our value is His blood. Let us not forget. If our lives become compromised, this leads to blindness which leads to deception ending in destruction. Jesus bore our sins to set us free and make us righteous before God the Father.
Ps Paula continues the series on "Jesus is" -part of our teaching on Christology. This week, she speaks about Jesus being the only person able to fulfill the three titles of Prophet, Priest and also King. Prior to Jesus, these roles were only found to be held by separate individuals in the Old Testament. Ps Paula describes what these roles mean and also why Jesus was and is the perfect man, the sole person who fulfills all of these roles for us today as he did when he was on earth.
Ps Andy continues the series on "Jesus is", this week concentrating on the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. He explains how Jesus was and is the second Adam, the first Adam being sinless until he transgressed in the Garden of Eden. At that point he separated himself from God and all us since have been born into sin. This is a key point to be understood...its not our misdoings that cause us to be sinners, we were all born sinners as we are of the lineage of Adam.
Ps Andy continues to explain how it was necessary for a sinless man's blood to be spilled to pay for all our sins, how in fact only Jesus the Christ could pay the debt to bring us back into relationship with God our Father.
This is an absolutely must listen message, its the heart of the Gospel focusing on Jesus who is the Good News. Listen to this and you can be under no illusion about needing to commit your life to Jesus.
As we continue the series "Jesus is", Ps Gina asks a key question...Why did Jesus come to earth? What was His real mission? Do we properly understand this as many misconceptions abound?
Jesus didn't primarily come to sort out social justice or bring peace, or to free the people of the day from the Romans....disappointing many we are sure! Nor did Jesus come to get us all to live a morally upright life - although many of His teachings reflected this.
Jesus was and is The Messiah. He came to deal with our separation from God due to our sin. We are all born to sin as a result of Adam's revolt in the Garden of Eden. Since then, the Old Testament records how blood sacrifices were made as a result of sin. However, not until Jesus paid the final ransom price by His blood being shed, were all the sins of the world paid for (Mark 10.45).
This is the true nature of the Gospel message which Ps Gina explains at length, showing how our sin nature is able to be exchanged for a righteous nature when we accept Jesus into our lives as Saviour.
This is an amazing podcast, which answers in detail the nature of Jesus as a sinless Son of God the Father and Saviour of the World.
Ps Andy continues the series "Jesus is", this week speaking about how Jesus is both fully man yet also fully God. Andy explains how Jesus is the pay of the Trinity, the reflection in human form of God Himself, yet was and is sinless being born of the virgin Mary. Jesus was the total expression of the Father.....if we want to know about God, just look at Jesus - you have the answer! We believe in the deity of Jesus with Jesus, became a man yet He remained fully God, He rose from the dead and He is seated in glory and majesty on the right hand side of the Father today, right now. He was both the Son of God but also the son of man. He represented God but also represented man. He had the frailty of man yet the deity of God.
Listen to this as Ps Andy describes on great detail how Jesus was and is full man yet fully God.
Today, Pastor Sean begins to unpack the meaning behind Christology - that aspect of our faith relating to the person, nature and work of Jesus Christ. This is all part of our overall theme of being deeply rooted. Sean mentions how the word Christology comes from two words “Christ,” referring to Jesus, and “-ology,” meaning "the study of", ie the study of Christ, both Jesus as a person and His works.
We are called to be rooted deeply into relationship with Christ, with lives overflowing with His goodness. So it follows we need to study who Jesus is....which is the subtitle for this weeks' message. We need to know who Jesus is, understand his truths so we can walk in His fullness.
Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) states "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". Sean speaks about how Jesus was, is and is now, before the beginning of time and how Old Testament scriptures foretell His life in the New Testament. Equally, in order that we are not deceived by the many false doctrines, teachings etc of this world, it is essential we understand the true nature of Jesus. Knowing about Him is not enough , we need to actually be in relationship with Him for ourselves, have a revelation of Him in our lives.
Ps Sean challenges us to delve deeper into our bibles, read the Word to know more of Him. as the scriptures say (John 1), he is the Word made flesh.
Ps Paula begins unpacking the theme of being Rooted for this year looking at the subject of Discipleship. Colossians 2:6-7 speaks of Spiritual Fullness in Christ (NIV) “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”. The Vision in Family Church is to Reach, Grow and Empower. As we get rooted in the things of God, and in God's word, our lives begin to overflow, and we share what God in our lives with others.
Paula then uses the example of Nehemiah and how his heart feelings led him to lead rebuilding of the city walls in Jerusalem. He did not sit idly by and watch the city ruin, he recognized the need, found his place and brought about the rebuilding of the walls.
There are masses of things we can become involved in during this year to deepen our faith, become more involved. We are all challenged to look at how we can be part of the ministry of the vision for the church this coming year.
Following Vision Sunday last week, Pastor Andy begins speaking about being Rooted...theme for this year. Also the key topic is discipleship. he speaks at length about being deeply rooted in the Church and our relationship with God and not just being crowd attendees. We are all growing people on a pathway to full relationship with God. We may have passed the stage of needing to wear "L" plates but still need to have a heart to wear "P" plates and be open to learning and developing continuously.
Jesus said that if we are to be disciples, we need to lay down our lives and pick up our cross. We have to make a decision not to be a part of this broken world anymore, but be a part of His Kingdom - its a decision. Jesus never made anyone in the Gospels step out of the crowd, but invited people who wanted to to do something different. There was a cost then and there is a cost now. Our lives have to change and must do so. But, the rewards are infinite and we become those who are part of the people doing and seeing miracles break out. Crowd people go to Church. Disciples are the Church!
PS Andy goes on to speak of many more challenging differences between the crowd and disciple experience, leaving us in to make up our minds where we are in the journey of life and where we will move to next.....
Ps Andy speaks about the Mission, Vision and Strategy for Family Church for the forthcoming year of 2024. The Mission is summed up on three words: Reach; Grow and Empower. The Vision is based around ten areas: Congregations; Services; Communities; Impact; Discipleship; Empowered; Leaders; Young People; Governance and Premises. Pastor Andy details each of these giving insight into the Strategy - the plans, goals and activities which during the course of 2024 will outwork the Vision. This is a year for everyone to deepen their relationship with God and put down deeper roots. There is a theme of being "rooted". We want to be rooted in our faith, place focus on helping people to learn about Him, believe in Him and walk in obedience to the things that He asks.
This is a MUST LISTEN message!!
Ps Andy Speaks about Journeying with God and "getting to the other side". If it's a God journey, if our hearts are set on pilgrimage, we will get to the other side (as Jesus said to His disciples when they all got into a boat). However, there will be storms because if there aren't, it means that we are not moving! Storms imply wind and Ps Andy speaks further about how winds can assist us in our journey, perhaps resist us or even confuse us.
Ps Andy uses the text from Mark 4:35-41 to illustrate his message. The NIV version reads "That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
God wants us to speak to certain storms in our life. We don't need to wake Him up! He has given us authority to deal with storms that come to resist us. In the Gospel of Mark, the other side of the journey was a man who needed help and when Jesus said let's go to the other side, He had that man in mind. God is many steps ahead of us in our journey. Jesus said that no weapon fashioned against Him could prosper, hence he dealt with the storm.
We are not sitting on the shore, we are in a boat, a moving vehicle with the heart of God. We will get winds of resistance. Hence it's important we know how to stand up and say "cut it out, wind". The Lord said we will get to be other side. The journey can be confusing, but if Jesus is said we will arrive, then we shall arrive!
Andy also speaks of contrary winds and contrary storms which come to confuse us, leaving us somewhere we were not meant to go. We must be led by the spirit in order to make the right decisions. he speaks of where Paul ended up in Malta a result of a broken ship, lost cargo because well informed people would not listen to the Spirit led voice of Paul.
The parallels in our lives with everything said here are all so real. If we are on a God led journey, we will undoubtedly need to deal with winds, storms and the like. Let us know how to!
Ps Steu speaks today about Doing the Right Thing. Doing the right thing is doing things God's way. Matthew 6:33 (NLT) says "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need". The Bible is God's inspired word, the right thing and tells us how to live in the Kingdom way. If we look at Jesus' life, we see that Jesus displayed the very nature of God through His life and character. He walked in the fullness of love joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control which in Galatians 5 describes the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the result of the spirit of God living in us. The right thing is God's wisdom in Jesus, and in the Bible reveals the right thing, when it comes to just about every aspect of life.
Other ways we can know the right thing are from guidance by the Holy Spirit, from our leaders and Pastors and also personal convictions.
Ps Steu goes on the speak about why we might choose to do the right thing, because it honours God, it Glorifies Him and also because it results in greater blessing in our lives. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago".....there is still the call of God upon our lives to live correctly before Him. We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works. We're not saved by by good works, but were created for good works. The truth is that once we need this life, we step into the Kingdom of Heaven, and in the Kingdom of Heaven, there is more reward for those who are faithful with what God has given us to live with.
Ps Steu completes his commanding message by speaking about when we should be doing the right thing.....when we are being watched, when no one is watching us, when others are not doing the right thing and when it is difficult, costly, timely and expensive and when we are tired.
We shall all reap the harvest of blessing if we know the right thing, why to do the right thing and when to do the right thing. The service ended with a time for personal reflection and re dedication of our lives to God.
Ps Gina explores what we mean by saying "Happy New Year". What is 'happy'? Is it biblical to be 'happy'? She refers to Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) " Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, whatever they do prospers."
Those three verses are the result from our choice to follow God's direction in life. The second half of the psalm speaks about the ungodly who are like the chaff that the wind drives away. The end of the second three verses - the ungodly path - is sad and hopeless and ends in nothingness.
God's way in this scriptures leads to happiness, but the other path is the wrong way - which will lead to misery.
Ps Gina goes on to speak about how there are likely to areas of our lives we have not yet committed to the Lord and how these will be like dead branches in the tree of our lives. True happiness will come from ourselves submitting our all to our Saviour.
Pastor Andy speaks about how we must move into 2024 with an attitude of faith and expectation. He uses several scripture references to explain how God will manifest Himself over our lives. In the book of Esther, God turns a situation around literally - the gallows meant for an innocent man become for the hangmen. God caused a reversing to occur. Ps Andy speaks this reversing over our lives in that situations in our lives holding us back are reversed. Let us praise our way out of 2023 and worship our way into 2024! Psalm 121 says (NIV) "the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore".
The children of Israel took forty years to undertake an eleven day journey because they prevaricated and kept looking back rather than moving through the Red Sea into a land of promise flowing with milk and honey. This is the plan of God, for every one of us in salvation. The message of Jesus comes into our captivity and speaks freedom.
We choose to believe in Jesus and we leave 'our Egypt'. But we need to make sure we have left it, to come out of a 'red sea', free from our enemies and our addictions. Then we are coming not to a land of promise, but a life full of promise. This is God's plan for our salvation.
Pastors Sean and Paula have a discussion about the Heart of Christmas. Is it the presents, the gifts, is it the tree, is it the food, is it the excitement? Perhaps? No, its none of these things as they all fade away after the tree and the lights get packed away. The true Heart of Christmas is Jesus, not just as a baby as he was born, but as a grown man who came to save us , give us eternal life, absolution from all sins, and a relationship with our Heavenly Father.
As Ps Sean says, we all need to make sure we do not just accept the gift of Jesus, but we truly unwrap the present and accept Him into our lives fully, for He has great plans for us!
May you have a truly blessed and peace filled Christmas!
Pastor Andy speaks at the Christmas Carol Service for Family Church, Portsmouth. He believes there is plenty for us to be disappointed over during this season, but if we keep the main thing the main thing we will never be disappointed. Leaving Christ out of Christmas just leaves 'mas' or even a mess! Some in our society favour stealing Jesus from our nativity, whereas in fact the real Jesus can never be stolen from our hearts if we ask Him to be Lord and Saviour of our lives.
The church was packed full for this service with people standing at the back, but listen to this impactful message to learn the real truth behind Christmas.
Pastor Andy preaches a rip roaring message today about the power of the cross in our lives. We've got to be a group of believers who don't just come to a building on Sunday saying they believe certain things, but then living life where there's no evidence of what we say. We need to be full of God. We must be Jesus Christ followers on Monday, as much as we go on Sunday, then every other day as well! The result of this is having the power of the cross in our lives.
Pastor Andy goes on in detail to explain how the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is also reflected in us too. Scriptures reveal how we also were co-crucified with Jesus. The person we used to be died on the cross in Christ to 2000 years ago. That fact became activated the moment we believed. our loves need to be acted out to reflect this.
This is an awe inspiring message that will stir our hearts and minds. Listen, believe and act!
Following the series on House of Prayer, Pastors Andy and Paula reflect on the series, looking at their favourite pieces of teaching and remembering how crucial it is that we understand how we are both Natural and Spiritual beings and that our prayers and our warfare with demons etc take place in the Spiritual realm.
Pastor Andy also reflects on how sometimes we need to concentrate on the things we cannot see in order to 'fix' the things we can see.
This is a superb podcast revisiting the cardinal elements of the previous weeks and reinforcing the fact that whilst the series on House of Prayer itself may have finished, it is just the start of the focus on prayer in our personal and corporate lives.
Pastor Andy concludes the series on House of Prayer by this week speaking about spiritual warfare. We exist in a physical realm on earth but when we pray we engage in a spiritual realm. The Bibles tells us we battle against spiritual powers and principalities. Ps Andy unpacks this crucial subject, speaking of angels and demons and the role Christ has played in giving us all authority to bind and loose here on earth...that these things be bound and loosed in Heaven.
This is a MUST LISTEN podcast, covering enormous ground with scriptural backing to all Andy speaks of. He ends with some application pointers..
- Be aware of the two realms....any breakthrough you need may have more to do with whats happening in the unseen. Hit your knees and do business with God and see him bring breakthrough!
- Pray in the understanding for the things that we understand in the spirit for things we have done.
- Understand how to separate people and things from what influences them. When we do spiritual warfare, we deal like Daniel the things that were happening, but were causing interference. If the airways are cleared, the sound of God can break through!
- Ensure we are wearing the armour of God.
- Use our God given authority to begin to bind and loose things in what we call the Spirit ground. Do not get into arguments with people in the natural realm.
- Remember we don't speak to enemy thoughts without authority, but when we speak to the devil's demons (lies, addictions...), there is a ring on our finger that says we represent a King and Kingdom.
- Realise that when we say Jesus with conviction, every devil hits its knees and leaves the building. When we say Jesus, every sickness has to submit. Let us not live like people unaware. Let us not reduce the name of Jesus.
Today, Pastor Andy continues he series on House of Prayer, speaking about praying for the sick and oppressed. God wants us to be praying for others, standing in the gap for others, rebuking their sicknesses and with the authority of Christ in us, praying for their healing. We may be praying for them directly - standing next them, or from afar.
Listen to this message to hear Ps Andy unwrap the details here, quoting scriptures and personal life events which also bear out the promises of God in the Bible for his own life.
Ps Andy gives challenging insight into what to say and what not to say when praying for others who are sick, especially as our God knows everything we can even think of before we utter a word. Sometimes the simplest of prayers are the most powerful.
Ps Andy specifically speaks about how Jesus deal with unbelief before curing people in the bible. Nothing is impossible for God. God is wiling and able to bring freedom though prayer, as shown in scripture and also in present day situations.
Pastor Gina continues the series 'House of Prayer', this week speaking about praying for others. This is also called 'standing in the gap' or intercession. Prayer is a tool which is powerful and effective, and is a gift, a grace for others when we pray for them.
We are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit's prayer. It's a privilege to be able to take someone else before the throne of God and pray for them. We get to be that link that link between what God is thinking and what God wants to do in their lives. We become a link for another person. The Bible commands Christians to pray for one another. James 5:16 (NIV) says "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective".
Ps Gina continues to explore this topic quoting many scripture references (notably the story of Esther) where life situations changed as a result of people interceding for others. She explains h ow she walks in the prayers of her own mother and challenges us all to be effective prayer warriors for others.
Pastor Paula speaks this week on Types of Prayer - continuing the series on House of Prayer. When we use all types of prayer in our prayer life, we get to experience God in different ways. Psalm 100:4 tells us to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with Praise. Psalm 107 tells us to give thank to the Lord for he is good.
Ps Paula continues with personal life stories punctuated with scripture but also challenges us to pray about both the small and big things in our lives. If we dont but we moan and grumble, what are we like? Paula speaks about going before God with a humble heart, on our knees in complete surrender in supplication. If our prayer life is only about the good things in life, we end up quite shallow. Paula speaks of Hannah in the Bible who made a petition, she got on her knees in supplication for a child.
The prayer of supplication does not leave us wanting what we want. It shifts our hearts and causes us to want God to be glorified, because when we get to the end of ourselves and don't know what to do and God is got only person that we have left to help, we begin to realise "God, I'm nothing God nothing. So may your will be glorified." Everything comes from God and for His glory.
Pauls ends speaking about how prayers of supplication, petition, and intercession produce miracles......God can take our broken situations.....other people will then know the power of God. But when people stop praying, miracles stop happening!
Today Pastor Andy continues the series on House of Prayer. This week he speaks on Prayer Languages. There are two different languages of prayer a believer can know. Pastor Andy speaks at length on these – namely praying in our own understanding (the language we use every day), and praying in tongues (praying in the Holy Spirit).
As Pentecostals, we believe that God enables us to pray with another prayer language. We don't believe speaking in tongues is a sole evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - many Christians who don't pray in the Holy Spirit live most beautiful spiritual lives. Also some Christians who pray a lot in the spirit live very ugly lives! Speaking in tongues or heavenly language that the Holy Spirit makes available to every believer is an evidence, but not the evidence of the Holy Spirit.
Speaking in tongues is something God wants us to enjoy. We believe that what was given and demonstrated in the early church in the book of Acts can be a believer's experience today. Why? Because we're a part of the same church which Jesus opened 2000 years ago. Pastor Andy continues to explain some of the main aspects of praying with our own understanding and praying in the Spirit.
Listen to this podcast to hear exciting news about how we are all able to pray in tongues. Towards the end, Pastor Andy also discusses aspects associated with the Spiritual gift of Tongues and how and when this is used.
Pastor Andy continues the series on House of Prayer, this week speaking about Praying in and with Faith. He recounts the baseline scripture references - Matthew 21:13 (NIV) ["It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it ‘a den of robbers'"] and 2Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) [ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land]. The Bible says that humbling ourselves will bring incredible things - healing.
Andy speaks about how we ought to always be praying in faith as we approach Him in prayer. We need to exhibit a child like trust in Him and His promises. If we know God exists, we know our prayers are heard. If we know our prayers are heard, we can have expectation of prayer answered by faith. We walk by faith and not by sight.
Ps Andy continues speaking about how our attitude should be one of faithful thankfulness after our initial prayer of supplication. God is not deaf nor suffering form memory loss! Of course this does not mean we can be arrogant in our attitude, but remain humble in our approach to our Lord.
If we ask anything according to his will, scripture tells us it shall be granted. How do we know the will of God? It is revealed in His word - in our Bibles!
This week in our series House of Prayer, Ps Steu speaks about Corporate Prayer. This is sometimes known as gathered prayer or collective prayer. Its clear from the Bible that we should be praying together. In Acts, we read about the first century Church, coming together regularly to pray. Acts 2 explains the purpose for which the believers gathered together. Acts 2:42-47 (NKJV)says "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Ps Steu asks some questions
- Why should we pray together? It is fundamentally something the church does. We are designed you to be part of a body of believers. Also, praying together brings us to greater unity with each other, especially when we pray according to God's word. Praying together invites the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us that whenever two or more are gathered in His name, He is there in our midst. This is a powerful thing. God empowers us. We need the presence of God. Praying together increases our faith to believe God for the miraculous. Collective prayer also moves us from seeking our own desires to seeking the purposes of God and the desires of God.
- When should we pray together? Answer - regularly!! We've got to remember that we are children of God's kingdom. Praying is what we do; talking to our Father is what we do. Ps Steu speaks about specific occasions that might warrant us praying together - times of decision making, intercession....
- How should we pray? Remember Jesus said if two or three of you agree on earth, concerning anything that they asked for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.... So we should pray in agreement with God's words. The word of God reveals the will of God. In 1 John 5:14-15, it says 'this is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us? And if we know that we have what we have asked of Him'. The Bible is the greatest prayer tool we have, so speaking passages of scripture reminds us who God is and what God says. We also ought to pray earnestly. Acts 12:5 retails Peter being in prison, but that the church was earnestly praying for him. The story ends with his release.
- What happens when we pray? Prison doors are opened! Acts 4:31 tells us that 'when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness'. The presence of God came and filled the room. The Holy Spirit did something amazing in their lives.
The Holy Spirit is the same now and will do amazing things in our lives.....
Today is Global Sunday in Family Church with over 70 different nations represented in the Portsmouth Congregation alone. We've been talking about prayer over the last few weeks in Family Church, and this morning we're going to be just talking about praying from Christians who are praying for the Persecuted church.
Persecution of Christians is not a new thing. It was happening in Biblical times, and it's happening today. Sometimes, living in the UK and especially growing up in the UK, we can easily forget that persecution is something that today, millions of Christians in this world are experiencing and some in really extreme ways, including imprisonment and being martyred for their faith. It's really important that our prayers extend beyond our own lives and beyond our church. It's really good to be praying for our missionaries and our mission partners who are working overseas.
Pastor Steu speaks to four members of the church representing different nations where persecution is rife. They pray in their mother tongue, leading the church this morning.
Ps Sean continues the series 'House of Prayer', quoting again the scripture from Matthew 21:13 (NKJV) "And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
He goes on to speak about how we are the House of Prayer, carrying the House of prayer everywhere we go, individually and corporately, and then follows this explaining the verse preceding the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:5) where we are told not to be like hypocrites, but to go to our room, close the door and humble ourselves before God in private prayer. Referring to the book of Ezekiel, he speaks about how the Lord had a plan of restoration for the people of Israel, to grant their requests, make them whole and righteous but the Lord God awaits the prayer of the people first. Likewise we need to be speaking to God daily about our needs and our circumstances, then God will open up the doors of heaven and blessings will flow.
Ps Sean's key point is that we cannot expect God to perform for us in a public space if we are not in communion with Him in our own private secret space. In our private space we need to be thankful, claiming righteousness, thanking God for freedom and joy. We need to put time in for our private prayer with God...otherwise we are mere religious hypocrites (without power).
This hard hitting message is full of scriptures and positive practical tips for our private relationship with God.
Pastor Andy continues speaking on the subject 'House of Prayer', his title this week is 'Teach us to Pray'. As we take time to consider how we are going to be the “House of Prayer” Jesus calls us to be, we cannot overlook The Lords Prayer. In this relational prayer that was never meant to be just religiously recited, He gives His followers a powerful template or pattern of prayer, so that our prayers can be as effective as His.
Give this podcast a listen to find out about all the wisdom there is in this simple relational prayer.
After Pastor Andy's introduction to our new series "House of Prayer" last week, Pastor Gina begins in earnest this week by asking "what is prayer". She discusses what prayer really is and looks at some of the difficulties we have associated with praying and why this is.
Today, Pastor Andy launches a new series called House Of Prayer. This has been on his heart for a while and all FC congregation will focus on this for the rest of 2023. How can we be a praying people? Prayer is not a bolt on for church!, its a central part. Other faiths call people to prayer from tall towers, some churches ring bells. Jesus was passionate about prayer in the church 2000 years ago and is also passionate about prayer in the church today. In Matthew 16:18. He said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it". We need to build a church with Jesus according to his blueprint...
When we read about the day of Pentecost, we see it today when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon all flesh. But we also see it was the moment that the church was born. What was the church doing before it was born? They were praying and suddenly in their prayer meeting the Holy Spirit fell and the church of Jesus Christ was born.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) says "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land". The people called by Hs name are us Christians!, our land, our lives can be healed and our sins forgiven if we humble ourselves before our God and pray and seek Him.
Next week, we begin to unpack all this in greater detail.
Pastor Andy gives a mind boggling message about our thoughts! What are we thinking? Do we even ever think about what we are thinking - typically 60,000 thoughts per day. How we think determines how we act and hence the fruit of our thought can be negative or positive....Godly or not...in accordance with Kingdom living or not.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways (Proverbs4:26, NIV). Having placed ourselves on a pathway, we are already on a trajectory in life..is it good or bad? Jesus told us to follow him and He would give us a new life. So, we need to start taking responsibility for our thoughts.
Andy goes on to give scriptural examples of where good and bad thinking led to good or bad life experiences. He quotes Philippians 4:8 (NIV) "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things".
This scripture gives us direct guidance on how and what to think about. He concludes by asking us to think about whether we wish to give our lives to Christ and to then think about whether we should act upon any arising thoughts. A challenging message indeed!
Pastor Sean ends the current series of "what are we carrying". He asks if we are carrying things in the darkness, because we cannot be in the light and the darkness at the same time. He explains how the enemy wishes to trip us up in the dark places, but also how God gives us light. ....
1 Peter 5: 7 says (NIV) "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you", however the verse before tells us to humble ourselves before God (v6) "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time". The in verse 9, 10 and 11 come the promises....."Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
im.
Pastor Paula continues the series "what are you carrying". This week is part three. Listen to this amazing message!
This week we continue our series, centred on the question "what are you carrying?". Join us with Pastor Sean Finch as we look at the things that can weigh us down on our journey.
Ps Sean begins a new series “What are you carrying”. He begins by asking us about what Jesus asks us to carry rather than all our natural junk we tend to carry around. Matthew 11:28 say “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. Jesus wants to give us rest, not religion and certainly not the anxieties of this world.
Matthew 16:24 tells us how we need to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Our identity is found in who we follow. Here, Jesus speaks of submission - we are not asked to carry our worries! When we take up our cross and follow Him life begins to make sense. A relationship with Jesus is rewarded with a lack of stress, no anxiety and no depression. There is only hope in Christ!
Scripture is a most powerful tool. (Proverbs 4:20-22). When the Word is inside us.. Revival breaks out.
Ps Sean continues to speak about replacing worry with faith, rejoicing over God rather than dwelling on negativity. Worry and overthinking are both able to dominate our lives easily if let them, but we need to take captive our thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) in order to transform our lives.
1 Peter 5:7 tells us rather to cast our anxieties on Him for He cares for us….a great rule for living. But, we also need to read the verse beforehand…..we are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand that he may lift us up!
Today Pastor Andy speaks about the pursuit of Wisdom. In Proverbs 4, the Bible instructs us to get wisdom at any cost. Andy's message concentrates on the pursuit of wisdom form a Godly point of view. We need to ensure we do not turn our backs on God's wisdom, relying on wisdom from worldly sources. We must question ourselves regarding our philosophy here - is it correct? Where do we obtain the wisdom which we most love in our lives? Worldly wisdom leads to captivity, whereas Godly wisdom provides freedom to live as we never experienced beforehand.
Pastor Andy mentions the verses in Colossians 2:8 and following where Paul embraced God's wisdom resulting in life changes just as we need to now. Ultimately, we need to make a decision to follow the wisdom of Jesus and not that of the world. God and The Word must become our primary source. In James 1:5 the scripture speaks about how if we lack wisdom we should ask God who will give generously without finding fault in our lives (under the sub title of Trials and Temptations).
In Ephesians 1:17 and following we are instructed to keep asking the God of our Lord Jesus to give us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in order that we may know Him better. The verses which follow also speak about the eyes of our hearts being enlightened so we may know the hope of which He has called us, His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe - the same power which raised Christ from the dead!!
We have a decision to make - do we contend or pursue the wisdom of God?, perhaps we need to humble ourselves and admit that often we do not know that which we do not know!
Family Church’s online broadcast is continuing in the thought of “pursuit” this morning.
Family Church Pastors gather for a Round Table discussion on the true meaning of the scripture Acts 2:42 and following....
The NIV Bible titles this ‘The fellowship of the believers’
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The NKJV Bible titles this ‘A Vital Church Grows’
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ [n]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
All of our Pastors draw vitally important nuggets from this scripture in relation to the future of our Church Fellowship. This is a ‘must listen’ message!!
We have spoken a-lot about being in pursuit of things we desire and need. This week we look at the pursuit of breakthrough. We all need breakthroughs at different times in our lives for different things. Be inspired as Andy tells you about a couple of keys things you need to do when you find yourself on a journey to a breakthrough.
Pastor Andy continues the series called Pursuit - this week his title is The Pursuit of Life. True life is found in God! John 14:6 - I am the way, the truth and life. The word Zoe refers to life, eternal life! Abundant life - John 10:10 - the thief steals, kills and destroys, but....Jesus brings life, abundant life. Abundant- Persisos - superior quality. He speaks of the Two Adams. Adam - Humanity. Jesus - Humanity can be regenerated through the spirit. John 3:6 - flesh gives birth to flesh, spirit to spirit. All alive have a life, but not all have found the life. 1 John 5:11-12. 1 Corinthians 15:22. In Adam 1 - all die, in Adam 2 - we are made alive again. 1 Corinthians 15:45. Adam 1 - A living being .....Adam 2 - life giving spirit. Life - quickened by the breath of God. Reconnected me to the true vine - John 15.
Pastor Andy continues with Part 2 of the series on Pursuit - The Pursuit of Liberty. Liberty is freedom, or the state of a person being free. Liberty is not a statue in the harbour, it’s a cross on a hill! (John 8:36 ). Who the son sets free, is free indeed. The cross is a place of co-crucifixion. Free from your past - hence don’t try to revive the old life! Galatians 2:20-21 - I have been crucified with Christ, I know longer live but Christ now lives in me! Romans 6:6 - For we have been crucified with Christ! Blood deals with sin, however the cross deals with me. 2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is Spirit and where the spirit of Lord is there is freedom!
Pastor Andy Elmes starts a new series titled ‘Pursuit’ today. This is part 1, dealing specifically with the pursuit of happiness. The second sentence of the American Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. A pursuit is what we set our heart or our desires hard at work over.
The Declaration of Independence stated the United States no longer wanted the rule and reign of England, rather to be autonomous and self-governing. Ps Andy goes on to look at how effectively mankind moved away from the rule and reign of their Lord God in the Garden of Eden, believing happiness (amongst other things) to be found in the tree of knowledge of good and evil. History tells otherwise! Humanity turned its back on a position that it had, to go on a pursuit of something that could never be achieved, because we know that happiness, life and liberty aren't found in places outside of God. Since Adam, we have all been looking for those things in places where we can't find them when all the time God is there, omnipresent ever-present saying, “hey return to me, why don't you walk away from your statement of independence of me and my kingdom and come back into my kingdom, where you will find all those things”.
When we don’t have a relationship with God, we unknowingly draw things we think will create happiness from our wives, husbands, children or friendships. This makes relationships a lesser experience than God intended them to be.
Ps Andy asks “what's the answer to all this”? Basically, have a healthy relationship with God, then all other relationships in our lives will become beautifully balanced as they were meant to be. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) states “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. The context of this statement comes from Jesus speaking to his followers saying, don't be like unsaved people, don't be like heathens or pagans, or people who don't know God and seek other things to bring them happiness. Rather, Jesus said that if we seek first the Kingdom of God, make a relationship with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, making this the greatest pursuit of our lives, then our striving will cease. Our Father will add these other things to our lives and put His blessing upon them. However, if we look at other things outside God’s Kingdom for our pursuit of happiness, we effectively make them idols in our lives…..
Today, Ps Sean speaks about Baptism, namely Water Baptism, its meaning and why we should be baptised. The word Baptism means to undergo or be immersed. This takes place after someone accepts Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. It's an outward declaration of what Christ has done on the inside of who they are. We need to be of an understanding to do this; hence not something a child or infant can go through. We do this when we understand what Christ has actually done for our life. The Bible calls this a baptism of repentance.
PS Sean takes a walk through the scriptures explaining the power behind a water baptism – it is not a ceremony! Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. John the Baptist was doing this because he was making a way for Jesus and getting the people ready for the saviour of the world to enter. All of this was to fulfil those scriptures spoken previously in the Old Testament in Isaiah & Malachi – hundreds of years previously.
Two examples from scripture show how the people were taken through the river Jordan leaving the entrapments of their old ways behind and the freedom of the new life in Jesus ahead. These are great examples of how visually the water baptism buries old ways. Ps Sean goes into detail to explain this in a not to be missed message ending with a challenge. Are we baptised, if so, do we need to bring remembrance to the power of our baptism and remind the enemy that our old life is dead and he has no hold over any of our old ways? Or, if we are not baptised, Sean hopes we are encouraged and that our understanding of this incredible sacrament is now awakened that we may seek to be baptised.
Pastor Steu begins this week speaking with the title “He will never leave you”. God promises that he will never leave us nor forsake us. This is the promise that he made to Joshua, who became the leader of the children of Israelites after Moses - no small task. Joshua needed to know that God was going to empower him and be with him every step of the way. In Deuteronomy, 31:6, God spoke to Joshua. He said (NKJV) “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you”.
Joshua had to know this in his heart as he led the children of Israel forward into the land of promise that God had given them. This promise that God made to Joshua is ours as well. God has come to dwell in our lives by his Spirit. And the truth is that he will never leave us and he will never forsake us. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are new creations in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away and all things have become new. This transformation is amazing but only the start. God wants us to walk in the power of this transformation every day. He wants to empower us to be different to this world, to stand out as his holy people, set apart people to be people who walk as Jesus did. In other words, to carry the character of Christ, walk with love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness and self-control. These fruits are the look and feel of His people.
Ps Steu mentions there are many occasions when we need to know that God is with us by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. He speaks of four specific occasions when we need to know that the presence of God is in our lives, when it is vital to remember that God is with us. These are Temptation, Tension, Triumph and Tragedy. Ps Steu explains how having God in our lives and displaying the fruits of His Spirit sets us apart from others and turns heads when people are otherwise focused on the worldly ways of living.
It’s Pentecost Sunday and we’re excited to be joined by Micah Wood, a leader at Ramp Church, Manchester. Ps Micah speaks about Pentecost, the Passover and begins by focusing on Acts 2.
Pastor Andy continues with week 3 of his 4 part series By My Spirit. Andy focuses this week on the Holy Spirit being within us, in us and on us, being the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus at the ascension. Using a motor as an analogy he illustrates that not only do we now have a new car, a new driver but also a new engine giving us power like never before. Ps Andy’s message look at how the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to do things we cannot do in our strength, he looks at scripture where Paul even delights in his weaknesses in order that he is strong in Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Ps Andy refers to Luke 24 and Acts 1, both of these verses being statements made by Jesus after his resurrection and just prior to his Ascension. Jesus was telling His disciples they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, then being witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and even to the ends of the Earth. Clearly, Jesus is demonstrating that He has substantial plans for them, through their lives. He was asking them to receive His Spirit, allowing it to reside, rule and reign within them….then they would be limitless in what you could do. It's the same for us! In the same way God had a plan for the first church, He's got a Plan for the church today because we're the same church but the Holy Spirit comes into our lives to lead us but also empower us and give us divine or supernatural ability. At the boundary of our own ability, God’s ability through the Holy Spirit in us begins to act.
When the understanding or the revelation that we are now filled with God's own Spirit fully settles in our minds, we will begin to do things we didn't think we would - like forgiving what you couldn’t; loving those we couldn’t and so on. God doesn't ask us to do things in our own strength alone. The first footstep may be ours to take, but the other footsteps that cause us to arrive where He is asking us to go are provided by Him. There is a two-fold benefit for us - number one, it’s great for us, number two, it's also good for others because God has called us to minister His life to others. We are people who can be led by the Spirit in our daily lives. We are people who are empowered by the Spirit in our lives, and for the benefit of others. Let this be so.
By My Spirit (Part 2 of 4) | Andy Elmes | 14th May 2023
Pastor Andy continues the four part series By My Spirit. Last week he looked at being filled with the Holy Spirit – God’s plan to empower us with His presence, His ability and power. Andy speaks of God’s desire to be resident, reigning and ruling our lives. He speaks of the purposes the Holy Spirit lives inside us…to empower us, to transform us into the likeness of Christ, to comfort us in times where we need comfort, to help us and assist us, but also to daily lead us in successful paths and Godly ways.
Andy refers to John 16:13-15, here we see Jesus saying that the Holy Spirit is coming to guide our lives, in all truth. Spirit-led is also evidence and demonstration of us now being God's children, (Romans 8: 9- 14). There really is only one type of Christian – that is Spirit filled!
We all have to make a decision – to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us or not…Psalm 23 indicates how God will shepherd our lives if we let Him. The Holy Spirit wants to cause our lives to be transformed, renewed, empowered and enlightened. The key question that affects us all is are we ready for this and will we let Him?
Pastor Andy begins a new series “By My Spirit”. This is the first of four parts. Zechariah 4:6 is a key verse Andy refers to where it says “Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says, the Lord Almighty”. This series will be looking at being filled with the Holy Spirit, being led by the Spirit, being empowered by the Spirit, then the coming of the spirit and what Pentecost means for us today.
We often refer to Spirit-filled Christians, meaning that but we're a Spirit-filled people of people who know and believe that God's spirit is now resident in our lives. The moment we consider that the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead now lives in us, everything begins to change, if we dare to believe it!
Pastor Andy describes how the Holy Spirit was present at the beginning of time (Genesis 1:2), throughout the Old Testament (in the Temple and Tabernacle), how in the Old Testament we see glimpses of everyday folk doing supernatural things. God’s Spirit was present but not in them. Racing through to the New Testament, when Jesus on the cross says it's finished and the veil in the temple was rent in two from top to the bottom; that was the Holy Spirit saying everything that Jesus needed to do to purify people had been completed in order that the Holy Spirit could live within people.
The atonement of Jesus enabled the veil to be torn. If Jesus had not paid for our sins, God’s Spirit would not be able to live in us. He is a holy God; we were an unholy people due to Adam sentencing us to separation because of sin. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from every sin that separated us, so God could no longer just be with us but reside in us. This was God’s eternal plan, foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament and promised by Jesus himself in the (John 14:17). In verse 18 Jesus says He would not leave us as orphans and that the Holy Spirit would reside in us - Pentecost.
Pastor Andy speaks about how the difference between the Spirit of God just living in us but also residing in us. Some of us keep the Spirit of God locked in a basement; we need to be sealed with the Spirit but also “be being filled” with the Holy Spirit. Then, the Holy Spirit can reign in our lives and empower us to do supernatural things on earth.
Today, Pastor Andy completes his three week series on the Will of God. This began by looking at what the will of God was in order we could then walk in His Will. Romans 12:1-2 is the key verse. Verse 2 says we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds in order we can then test and approve what God’s will is. This, of course assumes we make decisions to live not as the world lives, but to live in God’s ways.
Pastor Andy speaks about how in many instances when we choose God’s will or God’s way over our own, that it will cost us in some way. Whatever God asks us to do; we normally lay down something that was our will. Luke 22:42 (NIV) is the most significant example of this in scripture “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done”. Jesus prays on the Mount of Olives before His crucifixion. He knew what was to come but sought the Father’s will. The sacrifice was ultimate. He had choice, He could have walked away, but He sacrificed Himself for us all. This moment is the Passion, Jesus choosing us knowing what lay ahead.
Pastor Andy concludes his word for today with the words of the Lord’s Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV) “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Pastor Andy continues today with part two of his three part series on the Will of God. This week Andy speaks on Walking in the will of God. We can only walk in the will of God if we know what His will is. The Bible is full of the Prescriptive and Prohibitive will of God, as Andy explained last week. This week, Andy concentrates more on looking at God’s Perfect will and also His Permissive will.
By permissive, we mean things that God permits or allows while other things would be God's perfect will for our life. God's will is sovereign yet certain things are permissive – they may not be what God truly desires for us, but will allow us to do these things. Our choices may give us a lesser experience of life than what He intended in His perfect will. Some people are happy to live within His permissive will only.
There is also available to us the perfect will of God - that which God wants for us, which is His very best. God has specific perfect will plans for us, but we have choices whether we take hold of them or just settle for living in that which is allowed. In Jeremiah 29 verse 11, God speaks to Jeremiah saying I know the plans, filled with prosperity, not harm that will give you hope and a future. Jeremiah had to choose to say yes or no to the plans of God – he did say yes. In Jeremiah chapter 1, he says the word of the Lord came to me saying before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
The permissive will of God will never match the perfect will of God. Let us aim for the perfect will of God.
Today Pastor Andy begins a new series called The Will of God. This follows on from the series on Pathways. If we are to walk on the pathways of God then we need to be walking in accordance to the will of God. But the reality is we need to know what the will of God is, in order to do this. The Lord ’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10) speaks of “thy will be done”, so it is key we understand His will for us in our lives.
Ps Andy examines the Revealed will of God in the scriptures, where God has made His will known for us on many occasions. Referencing Romans 12:1-2, Andy explains how our lives are His property, our lives are no longer our own as we were bought at a price. Andy goes on to describe the Prescriptive will of God (e.g. Matthew 19:19, Honour your Father and Mother), and then the Prohibitive will of God (e.g. Exodus 20:7, you shall not take the name of the Lord in vain). Later in the series, Ps Andy will speak about the Permissive and Perfect will of God.
Andy then speaks of other scriptures where the Revealed will of God is clear to us all, in order to live a ‘set apart’ life. His message also deals with the will of God as explained in detail by Jesus teachings and His actions. Worthy of mention was the story of the man with leprosy in Matthew 8. Here we clearly see how God’s will though Jesus is not just for salvation but also for healing as well. It is God’s will that we all shall not perish, hence why we all need to meet with friends and family and explain the gospel message.
On this Easter day, Resurrection Sunday, Pastor Andy recalls the whole series of events from Good Friday through to Resurrection Sunday with scriptures describing Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. The importance of the resurrection cannot be overstated, without this our sins would never be forgiven, our faith in vain and the earlier scripture prophecies left unfulfilled. Jesus died for our sins that we may be restored to God in fullness of relationship. Ps Andy describes the whole Easter story in vivid detail - a message not to be missed!
Today Pastor Andy concludes the three part series on Pathways by summarising the previous two weeks and also making further points about our Christian journey. Today, Palm Sunday we see Jesus walk through a gateway entering Jerusalem down a pathway of Palms to a group of noisy rejoicing folk.
Previous messages have spoken about the choices we have in order to walk a pathway of righteousness. The book of Proverbs, especially the first few chapters speaks of different pathways, life and death, purity, justice, forgiveness etc. A major key to the Christian life is to look at the pathways our feet should be on, but also those they shouldn't be on. Remember a powerful thought - we don't own our past – Jesus bought this at a price. So let’s not try and manage something that doesn't belong to us! Pastor Andy majors on four key points.
First - Always choose the small gate and the narrow path. Matthew 7:14 (NIV) says “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it”. Walking with God includes gateways and pathways in salvation; we come through the Gateway of Jesus. Jesus said he is the shepherd; anyone who comes through him can find salvation and be saved. Pathways follow gateways and we have choices to walk the pathways of obedience and understanding now everything has changed in our lives and we are a new creation.
Secondly – Make straight paths! Crooked paths symbolise ducking and dealing, deception, a little bit of walking straight with God then bending to suit our own ways. We need to make our crooked paths straight. Zacchaeus had a Gateway moment with Jesus; the next thing he did was address the wrong pathways in his life – he said he had been a con man, robbed and stole from people and now he must give it back, all of it ! In Matthew 3:3, John the Baptist references what Isaiah said about preparing the way for the Lord and making straight paths for him. Before this line he said “repent, for the Kingdom of God is near” – this repentance is about changing our thinking to accommodate the reign of Christ. Fortunately, if we trust the Lord, lean not on our understanding and in all our ways submit to Him; then He will make our paths straight – not us! (Proverbs 3:5-6). God can only bless the parts of our lives which we submit to Him.
Thirdly – It’s good to have a lamp. It’s much easier to stay on the right path if we can see the way. Psalm 119:105 (NIV) says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path”. The word of God takes away darkness from our steps. When we walk with God, He lights the step in front of us as we walk in faith. We need to ask the Lord to enlighten our steps as we read our bibles.
Fourthly – It’s good to have a guide. A guide can lead us in our path, especially when we are lost and don’t know the way. John 16:13 (NIV) says “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come”. The Holy Spirit didn't just seal our lives for salvation, but came to live in us to guide us through all the jungles we would face daily.
Pastor Andy ends his message by looking again at the verse which encapsulates the series on Pathways. Proverbs 4:26 (AMPC) says “Consider well and watch carefully, the path of your feet and all your ways”. Let us each ensure our pathways are straight, not crooked and that we walk God’s pathways, the narrow path through the gate of Jesus illuminated by scripture.
Pastor Steu speaks this week for the second time in the series Pathways. Last week he spoke about pathways in scripture often being physical journeys that people took and then went on to talk about journeys being the course of our lives and the wise choices we need to make.
When we put our faith in Jesus for Salvation, we automatically are given access to the path of righteousness. We become children of God even though we still live in this world. Representing God’s kingdom, we need to know how to live in the ways of His kingdom. Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT) says “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God[e] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need”. So, living God’s way brings incredible blessing to our lives. The enemy however, wants to take us off God’s path. In Psalm 23 we see that walking closely with Jesus is the key, we are led by still waters, our souls are restored, we are led in the path of righteousness and even when we are in the valley of the shadow of death we fear nothing!
However the right path is often the hard path! Taking God’s path for our lives is possible but may not be easy (1 Corinthians 10:13). 1 Peter 2:9-12 tells us we are a chosen people and can show others the goodness of God, because He called us out from darkness into His wonderful light.
We may stumble and fall, in the future or in the past, but today is a new day and God is calling us to take His path that will lead us into a blessed and abundant life.
Today, Pastor Steu begins a new series titled Pathways, following our thoughts on Kairos. The Bible has a lot to say about Pathways or roads and in the Bible they were many times that God took people on a natural physical Journey, giving them direction as they proceeded. Ps Steu uses many examples from scripture where people stepped out in faith to follow a certain pathway as directed by God.
There are many lessons we can learn from Abraham, the children of Israel, Jonah and others. For example, the fact that Abraham had to step out in faith on his journey reminds us that when we walk with God, it's a Journey of faith. Doing things God's way takes faith because we are opposing the way of the world. So it's important as we endeavour to live out God's path for our lives that we follow God for us. Without God we can't do anything effective as ambassadors of His Kingdom, we can’t live an effective life without His presence in our lives. We need to make wise choices in order to do this, seeking wisdom from the Bible, Proverbs 4 being a wonderful start!
Pastor Stue continues this theme by unwrapping thoughts about God’s plan for our lives. Deuteronomy 30:15-20 gives us instruction about the offer of life or death telling us to love the Lord our God and walk in obedience to Him, keeping His commands, decrees and laws. The path of righteousness is God’s plan for our lives, the pathway for us to follow.
Pastor Andy speaks words of encouragement about how our hearts should be placed when we worship. When worshipping Jesus our hearts ought to be in a position of "Jesus we love you". Andy uses the story in Matthew 26 :6 and following where a woman pour a whole alabasta jar of expensive perfume over Jesus head as He was sitting at the table.....
This narrative provides a wonderful illustrationof how our hearts should be placed during our Kairos moments of worship...
Pastor Andy continues the series of thoughts on Kairos, for such a time as this. To get the most out of a Kairos moment it is important to position yourself correctly. Making sure your life is in Faith and Obedience is key. Listen to find out why Faith and obedience are key in this encouraging message.
Today, Pastor Andy continues the theme of Kairos – for such a time as this. A Kairos moment, a moment of divine, God orchestrated favour and happening is most often to do with the Holy Spirit doing something new on the earth. Ps Andy references the outpouring of the Spirit in Asbury recently. When we see God moving around in different parts of the world it’s amazing, but the good news is that we can be assured in our hearts but the Same Spirit that's moving in those different locations is the same Spirit that lives in us!! Pastor Andy believes we are seeing a Kairos moment now with God pouring out a fresh touch of His Spirit. He is hungry for God to do what he wants to do because whenever there's a Kairos moment or a moment of revival people come back to life with all revived. When the Spirit of God begins to blow in a fresh way, rusty Christians get revived.
The story of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 is an illustration for us now, says Pastor Andy. Here, God tells the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy over the valley of dry bones which then become alive after skin, sinew, tendons and eventually the breath of God is breathed back into them. Surely, this was a Kairos moment. This was a picture for Israel, but is also a picture for us, but when we look at what's going on in the world today, it looks like chaos. It looks like the ship is going down. We read reports for Christianity, people don't want it anymore. People don't want religion, they do want God. They want God but what is the answer? God's church is the answer. The church is already on the earth, but too much of the church is dry bones, too much of a church once lived, but went dry and died in their faith, gave up on God, but kept coming to church and fell asleep. Pastor Andy believes we are in one of those moments. A Kairos moment where God is breathing on his church, putting fresh breath back into the church.
We need to be positioned correctly and hungry for the Spirit of God to blow new breath into our beings.
Pastor Sean speaks about our response to God in the Kairos moment. One of our Church Values is that we are all responsive people and responsive to God. Also, that the moment we are is all about being able to react correctly to what God is asking us to do. Ps Sean takes many examples of how people responded to God from scripture, perhaps the most notable being that of Nehemiah who led the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. In 52 days, the city walls were rebuilt, the gates were rebuilt, and the doors were rehung…an amazing feat. Nehemiah brought many people, some from high up positions or perhaps seemingly no relevant trades to come together and undertake this task. For such a time as this Nehemiah responded by saying, ‘here I am’, ready to serve the purposes of God’s Kingdom. So it is with us in our community. Romans 12 tells us we all have different gifts, each can bring something to the house of the Lord. We all need to ensure we are using our gifts for the purposes of God – even if just to speak words of encouragement perhaps. It is vital we carry on doing what we do in the body of Christ, only this way we can be ready for what is next to come our way. God's house needs to be alive and working, functioning as it should.
We are all called to serve for His purposes – this is our response to the time such as this.
Pastor Andy continues the theme of Kairos this week speaking about “Our Position and Purpose” in this Kairos moment.
In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks about end times, of many earthquakes, natural disasters and signs in the heavens and on earth. Also that darkness will increase wickedness on earth. We do live in a world that is pretty broken, according to Jesus - the acceptable year of the Lord or the season of God's grace. Luke 4:18-19 speaks of the acceptable year of the Lord of the season of God's Grace - beginning when Jesus died on the cross and ending when Jesus returns. In this season that we live, every single person who calls out to Jesus can be saved.
If anyone calls upon Jesus, turns their heart to Jesus, they will be saved because Jesus took the sin of the world upon himself so that we could be made perfect in the sight of God. This is the Gospel message. This season of God's grace is the season of God's favour. The Bible is very clear that we are going to see an outpouring of God's spirit upon the church His people that will be mobilised and empowered to live for the purposes of God's kingdom and bring the good news of God's kingdom to this world. God set us apart and He has a purpose for our lives. The only way we can accomplish the purpose of God in our lives is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Each of us has been positioned in God's Kingdom for such a time as this.
Even though we go through storms in our lives, the key to being used for God's Kingdom purposes is to make ourselves available to Him. When we are available to God, positioned in this moment for God's purposes we can then walk in His purposes in our lives. We do not need to be perfect, just available.
Maybe we need to spend less time worrying about how we failed, how we didn't make perfect choices, how we wasted our time, how we hurt others, or perhaps how we ourselves were hurt, or how we suffered, and maybe we need to spend more time, being set apart now, for the purposes of God.
Pastor Andy continues the theme of Kairos, this week focusing on knowing the time we are in. Kairos is about this being a God moment, a Divine moment of opportunity for us individually and as a whole in the church. Andy speaks of us being in God ordained moments just as Noah, Joseph and others saw themselves in.
God creates specific moments for specific things that he's doing on the earth. We need to have a correct world view of the moment we are in and also an equally good spiritual view. In Luke 12:54-56 Jesus talks about the foolishness of not being able to interpret present times from a Godly understanding. God doesn't want us to be foolish! We need a healthy balance of how God wants us to respond and what God wants regarding what is happening in the world. Every season serves a purpose under Heaven (as Ecclesiastes 3:1) and God wants us to be able to interpret his Seasons.
When Isaiah spoke of this (Isaiah 60), he said ‘Arise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For Behold, the Darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness’. This is a good description of a ‘now’ moment, isn't it for many? But the Lord will rise over you and His glory will be seen upon you and the Gentiles shall come to your light. Obviously, this was speaking to a Jewish people then, but it's speaking to us now, as the people of God. Paul said the same thing often in the New Testament. Specifically in Romans 13, 11-14 (NKJV) it says “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts”.
So this moment is a time to wake up, cease living any life of compromise we may have and be alert (1 Peter 5, 8). Jesus will return to this earth like a thief in the night without warning. In Acts 2:17 (NKJV), Peter speaks to men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem saying “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.”
There is no reference to gender, race, age, rich or poor in this passage. The Bible is a signpost telling us to look out and be ready. Are we ready? Do we know the time?
Today is Vision Sunday across all congregations of Family Church. Pastor Andy speaks about the vision for the church for the whole of this year 2023. Naturally the church’s mission is to reach, grow and empower people and reach those who do not yet know Jesus. However, Andy has specific words for our Vision during 2023. We are in a moment, perhaps unprecedented, where God is about to move by His Spirit, through His church, in a way people have never seen before. Pastor Andy perceives we are in a Kingdom moment; this is a moment where His Kingdom which cannot be shaken will be experienced by those who live in kingdoms that can be shaken - viewing the world.
The Bible says in Hebrews 12 we are a part of a Kingdom which cannot be shaken. We are in a world where everything is currently shaking. There will be revealing of a Kingdom and a Kingdom people which cannot be shaken because their God is God. This is a Kingdom moment, a moment when God is about to move. We must be ready for what God is about to do – a continuation of the theme of encounter.
Pastor Andy defines this as a Kairos moment – a God ordained moment in history, as opposed to Chronos (sequential and quantitative). Alternatively, view Kairos as the most opportune moment for action. Andy refers to many scriptures as examples of God ordained moments of time but perhaps the best example comes from the book of Esther. Esther was positioned to prevent destruction of the Jews, although she did have to use her influence with the king in order to do so.
As we walk through this year just maybe we also have been positioned for such a time as this. Where we have congregations in England and the Philippines with any favour that we are walking in just maybe we have been positioned in life for a time such as this for a moment that God did long before any of us were born. God says there is a year called 2023, that's the Kairos, there is a moment in that year where the world is falling and in that moment, the church is going to stand on our feet, and begin to be my body, my hands, my feet, my whole life.
Esther could have shrunk back, she could have said “I like my life, I am the Queen, I could lose everything….” She knew when she appeared before the king, he would either extend his sceptre or not. If he didn't extend his sceptre, she would have been put to death. If he extended his sceptre, she could ask for up to half of his kingdom – quite a lot of pressure! She prays and fasts and walks in before the king presenting her request. A God moment follows resulting in a complete change of the circumstances saving the Jews.
This is a Kairos moment. Esther 4:14 (NKJV) says “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” We need to awaken our hearts and say, God use me. If we are a prayer warrior, it's time to pray; if we are a giver, it’s time to give; if we are a server it’s time to serve and so on. The Kairos moment is upon us….for such a time as this.
Today is week three of the series on Encountering God afresh. Pastor Andy speaks with fresh zeal for our encounter with our Lord God. Encounters with God change lives. God never wanted us to have a religion about him, He wanted us to have a relationship with Himself - these are two completely different things!
Many lives were changed as a result of encounters with God and many are recorded in scripture, particularly in the Gospels. In Luke 19, we read about Zacchaeus, someone who had experienced religion, but wasn't satisfied. Being a short man he climbs a tree to see Jesus. Jesus passes under the branch of a tree, looks up and says “today I'm coming to your house”. Zacchaeus jumps up and says “I've been robbing everyone, I've been handling my finances wrongly”, and in a moment changes the way he managed those finances and the way he treated people. One Moment, one encounter with Jesus changed everything.
Pastor Andy speaks about the story of Nicodemus, a religious man; then the story of a woman caught in adultery. He follows this by examining in detail the story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well having a discussion with a man about giving her living water. The woman is unaware she is speaking to Jesus the Messiah until later. Afterwards she races off to tell her whole township about Jesus. Her life and that of the others referenced in the bible were changed by their encounters with Jesus. Interestingly, in the story of the woman at the well, Jesus takes no notice of the divides between Jews and Samaritans, or the fact she had many husbands. He tells her just to live a new life.
In the same way, Jesus can and will change our lives now……if we let him.
Pastor Andy continues with his theme for us having new and fresh encounters with God. We need a fresh encounter with God. The good news is that God wants to give us fresh encounters. When we read about Jesus in the gospels, He always said, ‘Come to me all those who are thirsty’. We need to thirst and desire Him in our hearts. We need Him to be our Lord and King, the good news is that He says He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. We need to feed off fresh bread from God, not stale bread we had months or years ago (spiritually speaking).
Pride, procrastination and passivity can keep us from fresh encounters with God. The bible is full of people who had God encounters; we need only to think of Zacchaeus. If he had been too lazy to get up the tree he would not have had the encounter with Jesus that changed his life. Let us not be hampered by world ways, let us diligently seek our God for fresh encounters daily.
This week Pastor Andy begins a new set of messages about us truly encountering God – not just knowing about Him. A real encounter is something that will change our lives forever. Andy desires for each of us to have a fresh encounter with Jesus in this New Year, that our lives be changed forever. Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to get an encounter without striving. We need to position our lives also to meet Jesus in a new way. What if he hadn't climbed the tree? What if the woman with the issue of blood couldn't have been bothered to push through the crowd? Answer, they would have missed out on an encounter that was life changing. We don't want anyone missing out on God encounters. The key is how we position ourselves to meet with God.
In Genesis 28, we read about Jacob the descendant of Isaac and Abraham. He'd been raised in a Godly house and heard about God. He wasn't absent from concept theology or understanding that there was a God, but there wasn't yet a trigger point personally. In verse 16, we read of his dream where he looks up, and at the end of a ladder sees God, with ministering Spirits going up and down and God speaks to him in that moment of subconscious or dream state in such a way that when he wakes up his life changes. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought ‘surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it’.
Jacob experienced an actuality of God, and awakening to His presence. The God of his Fathers that he had heard of became real. When God becomes real, everything we do finds its true purpose. We don’t need external motivations to serve in church or worship Him for example…….we can’t stop! There's no problem with the ingredients of our services and meetings – the problem is an absence of the actuality of God in our lives!
Actuality causes us to put legs on the things we claim to believe. How many people believe their loved ones are going to hell if they don't get a chance to receive Christ as saviour? Are we telling them? Maybe we are all guilty to some degree of not knowing as we should. But all of a sudden, the wind changes, the Spirit blows. We are woken and everything we believed suddenly makes sense. Like Jacob, we arise from an awakening ready to serve Him, give Him everything, and walk with Him all of our days. We don't need incentive or motivation. He is enough.
Pastor Andy Elmes hosts a team of Pastors from Family Chuch for a round table discussion about aspects of the New Year, including praying & hearing from God, before focusing for a while on what will be a key theme for the whole of Family Church during January. As we head into a new year Ps Andy prays that all of us will have a year of fresh God-encounters. He takes the stories of Paul (was Saul) and Jacob from scripture as great examples of personal God-encounters that changed lives. This is his prayer for all of us.
Pastor Andy speaks today about the Spirit & Atmosphere of Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is Christ Jesus the Messiah who was given to us by God. The Christmas spirit seems to make people happy, indeed our Christmas cards are full of the words, Love, Joy, and Peace - things the world seems unable to provide! But do we lose all this the minute we pack away the Christmas tree, or is God for life, not just for Christmas? Ps Andy continues with quotes from the famous Scriptures in Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born....." and Luke 2:8 “an angel appeared to the shepherds bringing good news that will cause great joy to all the people....” The message here is for Great Joy to all people, not just some. Because God so loved the world and gave His only begotten Son it follows He is the gift of Love and Joy and Peace that lasts beyond a moment or a season, but forever in our lives if we accept Him. We often use the phrase 'Merry Christmas', but in fact, the gift, the atmosphere of God can provide for our whole lives.
We do not need to return to a season of no love, no joy, and no peace after the 12 days of Christmas! God wants to be the gift that keeps on giving throughout the year, even in harsh times. Let us not pack God away after Christmas. God is for life and not just for Christmas, just like a dog is for life. It's not just for a moment; it's for the life that follows. God wants us to enjoy a relationship with Him, not a Festival about him. Let us keep the Love, Joy, and Peace in our hearts for all time and enjoy the fruits of a relationship with God as we take to our hearts the real good news of this season.
A persons Christianity is an individuals Journey with God. We need to understand that it really is a daily journey not a moment. Like any journey it will have High bits and low ones also but through it all when we stay on the journey we will go from strength to strength because He promised we would.
This week we look at the subject of accountability. Walking in relational accountability with others who are wise is a gift from God and something that can keep your life and plans safe and secure. Give this a listen and be inspired to celebrate accountability in your life not reject it.
Because of God's great love for us, He designed us so that He could pour His love into us. Worship is our response to who God is and can be expressed in many ways, through singing, praising, thanking Him, and drawing near to Him. Our worship attracts God and He always responds to our worship with His presence.
So often in our Christian journey we can find ourselves wandering in the wilderness; having been set free, yet not having fully taken hold of all of God's promises for us. In this message, we look at what we can learn from the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt and into their promised land.
Pastor Andy speaks about having a whole and healthy heart - not just a physically but spiritually as well. A healthy hearrt enables us to live well and lead well. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) says "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it". If our hearts are right with God, so shall our lives be.
We are encouraged in Proverbs to get wisdom! God wants us to know His wisdom, the same wisdom that Adam knew before the fall and Solomon knew that enabled him to be known as the wisest man that ever lived. What could that wisdom do in our lives???
These are indeed times where we need to walk with wisdom. But where do we get our wisdom from? Do we know Gods wisdom in our life like He invites us too know it or do we settle for the lesser wisdom of man? Listen and be challenged by this message on wising up.
In a world that seems so unstable where everything that can be shaken is being shaken. There remains a kingdom that cannot be shaken and an unchanging Jesus. Let us build upon that which for ever stable.
Pastor Andy speaks on today the 25th Anniversary of the church he felt called to start which has now grown to become a multi congregational multi national church reaching people worldwide.
Do you know that God sees you? That you are not lost in the crowd but individually known? The truth is He has always seen you even before anyone else did. This message will encourage your heart concerning Gods heart for you.
The storms of life will come but we don’t have to be shaken by them. With Jesus in our boat we can trust that He is in full control.
In the book of Hebrews it tells us about a rest that God has provided for us to know, a rest comes through faith alone. In this message we will learn how to enter this rest and how we can live from it.
Storms are a part of the real lives that every person lives. Gods word gives us great advice on how to manage the storms we may face and how we can “walk on the Water” with Him in our storms. In this message we will learn from Peter about walking on the water.
Storms of differing forms can be a part of the real lives we all live. But Gods word gives us very real and useful wisdom for navigating the storms we may face. In this the first of 2 messages we will look at this wisdom with a heart to deal with the storms we may face in an effective and victorious way.
Most are familiar with the closing blessing that the Apostle Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 13:14. But do we understand as we should what it is to live a life that daily experiences the love of God, the grace of Jesus and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit? In this message we take a deeper look into this incredible blessing.
How is s a believer to grow in their walk with the Lord? What are they to do to experience the transformation Hd intends for their life? Simple! It’s all about daily experiencing the ministry of Gods word and Spirit in your life. In this message you will be inspired to celebrate these two vitally important things in your life.
This is week four of the series on Matters of the Heart. Ps Sean speaks about a heart on fire for Jesus. One of his principle scriptures is Luke 24; 30-32 where the Disciple’s eyes were opened in His presence. Reading from verse 30 (NKJV) “Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So, the disciples are hanging out with this person, not knowing who he was. Having a conversation with Him as He opened the scriptures, the word of God, the most powerful thing, the revelation of Jesus set their hearts on fire inwardly in a spiritual way. But what was actually happening was they were walking with Jesus, and in that moment, everything inside of them - faults, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purpose and endeavours were set on fire. Right there, in that moment, set alight for the kingdom of God. Are we not in a similar situation – gathered in His presence? Are our hearts being set ablaze for Him as we move around, igniting passion in our world? To see miracles, to see the power of God working in people’s lives, to see people delivered from sickness….we all need to be set on fire. Fire in the Bible usually depicts God's presence. Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3 asks why the bush does not burn. In Exodus 19, Moses brings the people out of the camp at Mount Sinai to meet with God, the Lord manifests in a thick cloud of fire and smoke in order that the people might see, hear and believe. Look in the New Testament to see what God has done in His actual name. “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem in all Judea Samaria to the ends of the Earth” (Acts 1:8). This is incredible. What God is saying is that you shall receive the fire of God in you, what does Paul say in Romans 12:1? (KJV) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”. We call down the fire to hit our sacrifice inside of us. We are the Living Sacrifice that we can call upon the name of the Lord and watch the fire. Peter denied Jesus three times but later, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4, NKJV). But later in verse 14, Peter delivers a message telling them to “heed his words”. This was a new Peter – who had the fire of God in his heart. The thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections and purpose changed - the power of God took him over and that was in his life would never be the same again. Then Peter said in verse 38 “repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ”. He speaks into a great big crowd for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise, is to you and to your children and to all who are far off for. This call is for us now as well. We all need the fire of God in our hearts.
In the third in the series on Matters of the Heart, Dan speaks on a Heart of Forgiveness.
This week Ps Steu speaks on Part 2 of the 4 week series ‘Matters of the Heart’. The title this week is ‘A Heart That’s Guarded’. Ps Steu is not talking about the physical heart that pumps blood around our bodies; but essentially speaking of our souls, at the very core of our being, where our emotions flow from. Ps Paula’s subject last week was ‘A Heart of Love’ and she spoke about how we, as God’s people, are called to unity and this can only be achieved when we truly love one another with hearts softened to God’s love. Loving one another in a way that brings unity to the body of Christ can only come from a true, experiential knowledge of God’s love. We must understand that a guarded heart is not a hard or a closed heart. We must be careful what we let into our hearts. In fact, it’s when we allow the ‘wrong stuff’ into our hearts that we start to close them up even to the ‘right stuff’ and we become hard-hearted. Crucially, we must operate the gate to our hearts correctly, letting the correct things in and keeping other things out. The Bible talks about this in Proverbs 4:23…(NLT) “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”, or (NIV) “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”. The condition of our hearts determines the course of our lives. If we want our lives to go in a healthy direction we have to keep our hearts healthy. 3 John 1:2 (NKJV) states “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul (heart) prospers”. The key to a prosperous or healthy heart is guarding it well. Operate the gate! In order to have a healthy physical heart, we have to guard it well. It can be severely damaged by continually eating the wrong foods, not doing enough exercise, and by challenging circumstances that can lead to worry, anxiety, fear, shock, grief, loneliness, stress, disappointment and unforgiveness. However, by eating the right foods, doing exercise, and dealing with challenging circumstances our hearts will be kept healthy. In the midst of challenging circumstances, being deliberate about trusting God, walking by faith, speaking positively, spending time with good people, taking time to rest and relax, and being quick to forgive… all these things can be hugely beneficial to the health of your physical heart. In the same way, when it comes to guarding our hearts (speaking of our souls), there are three main areas that we need to consider: How we eat. Matthew 4:4 (NKJV) “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” When we let God’s Word in we are eating the bread of life. This is really good for the heart. However, we are often so unguarded about what we feed on. We fill our minds with the voices of this world that contradict what God says - through friendships, social media, music, what we listen to, what we watch, what we read! We forget to operate the gate of our heart and end up letting in so much junk that our hearts get clogged up! How we exercise. 1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV) “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” When we live God’s way (godliness, holiness) it’s like physical exercise, in that our hearts become stronger. Living a godly life effectively positions the gate of our hearts ready to close when the wrong stuff tries to come in. However, when we continually live like the world the gate of our heart is left wide open and anything can come in! How we respond to challenging circumstances. Psalm 27:14 (NKJV) “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” In Psalm 27, David lists a whole load of challenges that he is facing in that moment - opportunities for fear, people against him, lies said about him, violent threats, relationship breakdown. Yet David was positioned at the gate of his heart...
Ps Paula starts a new four part series on "Matter of the Heart". A healthy heart spiritually is as important as a healthy heart physically. A bad heart can fill us with envy, jealousy, insecurity and all manner of spiritual harms. God sent Jesus, that he might create in us a healthy heart, a heart that is full of hope, a heart, and spirit of forgiveness and a heart that's full of love. He heals our issues with his love. He heals our broken hearts, He can heal our angry hearts, our bitter hearts....wherever our heart is at God wants to heal it. God will never stop loving us. Maybe we need to trade our anger for his love this morning. Maybe we need to change or exchange bitterness for His love this morning and let our hearts be free, let our hearts be healthy. If someone has heart failure, it usually means this is it - it's the end of their life. Heart failure usually means death but today we need to know God so deeply that we exchange our bad hearts for His love, changing our hearts for ever!
The Resurrection of Jesus announced that the payment for our debt of Sin had been fully paid and payment had been received. If Christ had not risen the debt would have remained. The Good news of the gospel is He has Risen. His resurrection now the invoice of our completed payment and salvation.
Pastor Andy concludes his three week series on Kingdom Economics with this message about the giving, specifically a lifestyle of sowing and reaping. Sowing & reaping is about having a lifestyle of giving that has a direct relationship with tithing. It’s about putting seeds in the prepared ground that tithing correctly has provided for us. Thinking like a farmer, the world of farming and agriculture gives us the best visual example of these two things working together: The farmer prepares the soil The farmer sows His seed. The farmer waits for the soil to do what it does The farmer harvests a crop The farmer takes the best of the crop to sow again to secure ongoing provision, not just a momentary one
This starts with correctly separating the tithe & the seed: The tithe and seed are two separate components working together in unison in God’s plan of caring for and prospering us Tithe is a tenth of our increase Seed is that which is given above and beyond the tithe and unlike the tithe which belongs in the storehouse, can be given wherever we feel led to give
Some examples of good soil: Alms – Widows, orphans and humanitarian needs. (Psalms 41:1-3, Proverbs 21:13 & 19:17, Leviticus 25:35-37, Galatians 6:2) Missions & missionaries Other ministries that inspire us to give - evangelists, and church planters Tithing up or forwards – giving into things we want to see a harvest in
When this is done correctly, it also empowers and resources a church to act effectively in its giving and response to needs. The principle (law) of seed time and harvest is something God designed and instituted. It’s another principle that carries on after the cross and is a law like the law of gravity can be denied but is present to be used. It is something initiated for our benefit that man could be fruitful and multiply according to His desire for them. We see this desire expressed in the original design of Genesis firstly in Genesis 1:28 (Adam and Eve – be fruitful and multiply) then Genesis 9:1 & 7 (Noah – be fruitful and multiply). God instituted a principle (law) that was both natural and spiritual to enable multiplication called sowing and reaping. It’s a law that affects every area of our lives, not excluding finances. See Proverbs 18:24 (friendship) and Proverbs 11:25 (refreshing and encouraging). This is a continual principle described in Genesis 8:22(ESV) “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Also Galatians 6:7 (ESV) “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” and Luke 6:38 (ESV) “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Understanding “seed kind”………. Every seed bears fruit after its kind Genesis 1:11 (NIV) Carrots make carrots, and cabbages produce cabbages What we sow, we reap – God puts control of our harvest into our hands A replacement structure of financial provision beyond being carried by Him What do we need more of in our lives? What do we need to sow into to make it happen?
We are making it a lifestyle, not a moment. The key verse is 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 with key points: We determine the amount and heart behind our sowing Giving should be by heart conviction, never manipulation God is able and willing to respond in abundance God supplies seed to the one who intends to sow and desires to increase the size of a person’s seed barn Enrichment returns in every way Our obedience to give results in praises given to God
Remember there are 3 stages, not 2: “seed – time- harvest”. Sowing involves faith and believing in the promise. It’s not about what we see or experience
Sowing and reaping are not subject to natural conditions Example 1: Issac sowing in famine – Genesis
This week Pastor Andy teaches Part 2 of his series on Kingdom Economics titled Tithing. A tithe means the tenth or first fruit/part of something. Tithing is the act of returning to God what is His; we don’t give our tithes; we pay them. To give what is required or expected is not a gift or seed. Key verses on tithing are found in Malachi 3:8-12… According to Malachi, not tithing is robbery We are to bring (return) all the tithes to God Tithes are to come into His storehouse (the Church) This is the only place in the Bible where God invites a man to test Him Tithing causes a multi-faceted effect of increase and protection in and over a person’s life which goes beyond money alone
Tithing is not an Old Testament reality or a law Tithing is an ongoing active principle rather than a previously given law The first act of tithing originated 430 years before the Mosaic Law was given (Genesis 14:18-20), by Abraham who walked in promise & grace rather than law & obligation It was an act of victory & faith, not fear & desperation The tithe was given to Melchizedek (A type of Christ). We tithe to the Body of Christ (the Church) Tithes are received here on earth by man but also by God (Hebrews 7:8) Jacob tithed (Genesis 28:20-22) Jesus encouraged the tithe (Matthew 23:23)
Another term used for ‘tithes’ is ‘first-fruits’. The key verse qualifying this is Proverbs 3:5-10 Don’t handle finances with our wisdom; rather, be wise with His wisdom A matter of cause and effect – blessing following our faith and obedience
Understanding God’s love of firsts First born – Exodus 13:2 (livestock and people) First fruits – Exodus 23:19 (first not last, brought to God’s house).
A principle that is seen through scripture: Garden of Eden – The first tree was His; the rest was theirs Cain and Able – An issue of firsts (Genesis 4:3-5) Promised land – Jericho was His; the rest is theirs The teaching of Exodus regarding first born and first fruits The tithe was holy (Leviticus 27:30) We don’t return tithes. We don’t give them A matter of a person’s internal heart response – widows offering (Mark 12:42-44)
A matter of percentage, not amount. Tithe was about the percentage and not the amount This means that no one was excluded if the amount was too much God gives a level playing ground for all to tithe
Where does the tithe belong? The tithe belongs in the storehouse. Our local place of fellowship and feeding Offerings are to be sent to other places and activities. Our tithe belongs to the local church to resource the church Many churches are left begging because of a lack of understanding of this This is God’s plan for funding and resourcing His Church
Don’t lose sight of the 90% Sometimes greed, fear or insecurity, over the 10% can cause a person to miss the promise concerning the remaining 90% Principle of first fruits – what is sacrificed in the tenth redeemed the rest
What does tithing achieve? Honours God for who He is Demonstrates trust and faith in God Acknowledges the source of our provision Resources the Church (takes care of His bride) Tests our hearts – priorities, securities, loyalties and affections Opens the windows of heaven Affects and redeems the rest - If the root is holy, so are the branches (Romans 11:16) Prepares the ground for the seed we sow
What are things that stop a person from tithing? Ignorance Lack of faith Greed Fear
How to start tithing or how to correct a tithe Re-budgeting Re-prioritising your finances Start a faith journey to 10%
Remember, this is the only thing in the Bible that God invites you to test Him in, so why not go ahead and do it? He is not doing this because He has a need, but because He wants to set us up to meet all our needs.
Pastor Andy starts a 3 week series on Kingdom Economics. Part 1, this week is titled Kingdom Stewardship. Understanding God’s Kingdom economy starts with having Kingdom-mindedness & understanding our Kingdom citizenship. Acknowledging our citizenship to an alternate kingdom and its rule and reign that is present here and now. Choosing to live like citizens of God’s Kingdom A standard definition for the Kingdom is “rule & reign,” and so to be a Kingdom person is to recognise the rule and reign (ways) of the realm we now identify with We are a people restored to His Kingdom (Colossians 1:13), with every aspect of our lives aligned with his reign, including our resources
An example of having two different kingdom experiences is given in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) Two different financial kingdoms present at once with two different experiences A good parallel between a world financial system and a Kingdom one This world’s kingdom’s that takes everything from us or God’s Kingdom which restores and resources us
Ps Andy asks three honest questions in relation to good stewardship Do we see ourselves as owners or stewards of our earthly wealth? Who does our earthly substance (our stuff) actually belong to? What would we have without God and His ability?
Deuteronomy 8:10-18 (NIV) answers these questions…. We are stewards of what God has given and entrusted to us, therefore we are to live like stewards 1 Peter 4:10 1 Corinthians 4:2Original design. Humankind was made and positioned to manage – Genesis1:2 Jesus taught parables on good and bad stewardship. – Luke 16:1-13 & Matthew 25: 14-30
As Stewards: We see ourselves being given responsibility to handle and manage what He entrusts us with in our lives and in His Church We should have open hands of stewardship rather than clenched fists of ownership
A key thought is that ‘If He can get it through us; He will get it to us’! Money and resource are not meant to be abused or wasted, stored or hoarded or worshipped or served. Jesus warned about this in His statement on mammon in Matthew 6:24 Mammon – Spirit of serving & loving money Money isn’t evil, but the love of it is – 1 Timothy 6:10
Understanding its purpose It is to be used to meet our needs and also the needs of others To build God’s kingdom and make His covenant known on the earth
Good stewardship has both a natural and a spiritual dimension. Naturally: Check there is no waste in our lives and budgets Cut back where we need to so we have what we really need Go through our budgets, and manage our income and outgoings Seek council & wisdom from people who handle money well
Spiritually: Recognise that we are managing & caring what He has entrusted us with We acknowledging Him in all our ways, including our resources Look to Him daily concerning the finances He brings to us and finances He wants to get through us to others
This week Pastor Andy speaks about the love of God. One crucial purpose of the church (all of us) is to introduce God to a needy and broken world. But this must be done in a way that is life changing. Hence it is important that as the people of God, we not only represent God, but that we represent Him properly. Over the years, ‘religion’ has caused many problems by tarnishing God’s image and confusing who He is and what He is like in a broken world bewildered about its origins. It is therefore imperative that we show the world that God is love. We must understand that love is who he is. It is not just what he does – often this is where confusion sets in. We might say we are loving, but this is not the same for God, He is love. God loves because He is love. In His essential nature He does not become good when He does good things or become loving when He loves. He loves because He is love; He is good because He is good. These are expressions of His nature, the very person he is. This message begins with 1 John 4:16 – God is love; if we live in Him He lives in us. Do we live this way? John 15 speaks of the vine and the branches, if we abide in Him, he abides in us, and we can bear fruit and change lives. Therefore we must ensure we have accepted Jesus as Saviour, then the above scripture is true for us. We can then know God, experience His love, live in His love, and represent Him properly in the world to change lives.
In this message we compare the Old Testament experience of the fire of God to the New Testament one. Looking at what we need to do to keep the fire that God has light in hearts burning bright for Him.
Today, Father’s Day, Pastor Andy speaks about the Parable of the Lost Son or as it is known, the Parable of The Prodigal Son. The Parables of Jesus are not like Proverbs. Proverbs are statements of wisdom, but parables are simple stories which illustrate profound truths. If we not only hear but listen with our hearts we will receive wisdom and learn about God in our lives. Luke 15 contains three parables (lost sheep, lost coin and lost son). Jesus begins speaking about a lost sheep, then uses a lost coin to get the same story across and ends up talking about a father and his sons. In all of these stories, God was showing His heart not just for lost things but lost people, lost hearts. The Prodigal Son story continues with the father running towards his son. He loves him, he brings a cloak, a ring, and sandals for his feet and brings him back to his house for a celebration, and a fatted calf is killed. The father restores him and repositions him as a son, as someone who belongs in his kingdom. But did the repentant son realise exactly what had happened at that moment? The parable ends with the celebration. After this we wonder how did the prodigal think. Did he walk around his father’s kingdom the next day with his head held high or with shame still in his eyes? If he was confused about his father's heart or what his father had done; although he was now restored to the kingdom, he could still walk around as a slave perhaps. He could have walked around thinking his father would change his mind the next day, feeling a trespasser rather than a son, even though he was fully repositioned and restored. Maybe when we bring this into our world, we can have the same confusion – if we have returned to God yet are still living like we are estranged. The message today is that God would say this to all believers. If we are saved, we have got to know that what The Father has done is complete. We are no longer a prodigal, God knows us as righteous, redeemed and restored.
The Bible says that God satisfies the hungry heart with good things. The question is how hungry are we for Him and His ways. In this short message we talk about what it is to be hungry for God.
The Commission that Jesus gave to the church to reach the lost was for all of us not just some. But how do we get started reaching the world for God? We start by teaching our world for Him. Learn how in this message on winning our world for Christ.
God chose to use the Marriage relationship as the point of comparison for us to know the expectations and desires he has for us within the covenant relationship we have with Him. Let's look at some of these comparisons form a heart to be His people.
Pastor Sean speaks picks up on our theme from Hebrews 12:1-2 and asks us who we are running with? He compares spiritual life with that of a runner in a relay race. This verse tells us to run with perseverance, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the perfector of faith. So we all have a race to run, not just leaders, and God has marked out a race for each of us individually. Is this an individual race and who are our opponents? In athletics an athlete is both, ‘an individual athlete’ and ‘part of a team event’. The Christian life is both an individual race and a team event. Throughout the gospels we see the disciples (who were called by Jesus to follow him), following him individually and having personal relationships with him, but also together as a team reaching and helping others. This message discusses three points - Comparing versus Encouraging; Focusing Forward & Staying in the Lane; Receiving & Giving before summarising that the Christian life is about us growing in our own walk with God, as well as allowing our lives to carry the goodness of God to others around us. God has an individual race for us to run. However, it is not just about us getting to where we need to get to, but it's also about helping others get to where they need to get to as well. Who is on our track? Who are we running with?
It is vital for every believer to understand that God has invited us into a relationship with Him, not a religion about Him. Is this relationship to be casual? What does God desire from this relationship He offers us. These and other questions are answered in this weeks message.
Ps Andy uses the parable of the sower, a well known parable of Jesus to illustrate what is meant by a parable and how the story relates to us all in everyday life.
Romans 8:28 tells us that God is continually working behind the scenes for good for those who love Him. This gives us a confidence that when we are going through things that the Lord has our back.
Pastor Andy speaks about new growth, especially fitting after a ceremony to anoint Sean and Paula Finch as congregational pastors in Portsmouth, allowing Steuart and Carla Payne to further concentrate on the whole of Family Church in its journey forwards. Pastor Andy speaks of a new season, feeling like spring. We are out of winter, lockdown and Covid having been pruned by Father God to promote fruitfulness and strength in new growth. God is doing something new. We could say God is doing the next thing, bringing us from where we were to where we need to be. So we need to be ready. Read Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”. God is doing something new in the whole church and we are asked if we are aware of it, are we spiritually conscious of this new thing? We are now in a time of expectation of increase. We need to ready our house, personally and the whole church. In Isaiah 54, The Lord speaks to Israel as His wife, to be restored with many children from being barren. He tells her to sing and then ‘enlarge the place of her tent, stretching to the right and left’…. This is a word for us right now. Sing a song of faith and operate in a way that we believe something new is coming. 2 Kings 4 tells the story of Elisha and the Jar of Oil. The oil only stopped flowing as the last available jar that the woman had gathered was full. The Lord responded to the level of preparation the woman had made. Likewise, we need to make stretching and preparation in order for breakthrough and abundance. Our church is responding with new positioning so we can say we are ready for Gods plans. For an athlete, stretching always precedes increase. For a guitar player, strings produce no sound until they are stretched. For a mother, stretching precedes birthing. God is a god of change and often he'll bring change before something new. Stretching precedes abundance or growth. Gods character (Colossians 1:13) is that he doesn't want to leave this as we are, but to bring us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the son of His love. He positions us in His kingdom as righteous Sons blameless in His sight. We are forgiven, justified and saved. God is committed to bringing us individually and as a church through seasons of stretch in order to bring us into the miracle zone. Abraham chose to leave a comfort zone and dared to enter the stretch zone so he could encounter the miracle life intended for him where he ended up with children. Let us not stay in our comfort zones. Let us allow God to stretch us and reveal real intentions for our lives. Stretching precedes increase. Jesus endured terrible stretching on the cross for the joy that lay ahead…seeing each of us personally in loving relationship with God. If we feel as if we are being stretched let us ensure we choose the road of faith, not fear. Let us confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lord of lords, having an assurance of God with and in us in this life while we wait on the Lord.
Pastor Andy speaks about the whole meaning of the e aster story paying specific attention to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Messiah and the importance of this. 1 Corinthians 15, 12-23 (NIV) are key verses here "But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied". But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Pastor Andy explains how the Resurrection is the foundational to our faith as the scripture states. Many have claimed to be the Messiah, even the Christ, but no one other than Jesus has conquered death. We praise and worship a living God. Alleluia!
Today, Pastor Andy speaks of the second birth identified in the Bible, a spiritual awakening inside our being which follows our physical birth. From the book of Genesis we know the story of creation and of Adam and Eve who ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thus disobeying God and spiritually separating themselves from Him. John 3; 1-7 (NIV) tells the story of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus a religious teacher - “Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” This account plainly speaks of how human flesh can only give birth to more human flesh but God’s Holy Spirit can give birth to our inner spirit resulting in God dwelling inside us. This spirit rebirth is often referred to as being ‘born again’, and occurs when we give our lives to Jesus. We then become members of the Kingdom of God. This is made possible not by our actions or good works but is because Jesus died and rose again breaking the Kingdom of Death for ever. We can then know His life, His peace, His righteousness, His joy and everything else that's His for us in our lives. Why wait when we can invite Jesus into our lives right now, experience relationship with the God who made us and be daily blessed by Him in our lives?
Do the words and confessions we are speak over our lives each day align and agree with what God is speaking over us or is their a deficit? How we do we remove this deficit? Simple we master make the choice to master our mouth. Listen to this simple message that opens up this important subject more.
Sometimes we can all discover a deficit between what God has promised and what we may be currently experiencing. What do we do in these times? How can we remove deficit by discovering what is causing it? Listen to this message to answer these questions and more.
There could be so much to potentially be worried about in these very uncertain times, yet God calls us to choose a better way of living where we choose to trust Him rather than worry. Key things here are To be guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) To know the worry-free life Jesus encouraged us to have (Matthew 6:25-34)
We need to purpose to choose trust over worry The opposite of worrying is trusting Trusting God is also something we need to undertake daily even although this may be counter-cultural (going against how we may have lived or how we were raised) This also goes against the ‘storing up’ way of living we may have known and preferred Trusting God daily is now a way of living that many are finding themselves in – whether it be for provision, security, health or other areas where they once had more of a self-determined certainly.
This way of living is spoken of, encouraged, even exemplified for us in the Bible as a positive and normal thing We walk by faith, not our senses (2 Corinthians 5:7) We are instructed not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34) · God gives us daily bread every day (Matthew 6:9-13)
The verses in Exodus 16:2-20 are key to describing and understanding Manna Life Manna Life is about trusting Him daily for what we need There was one rule – No storing up for tomorrow! Some could do it. Others struggled because of fear and unbelief This was a planned season of learning and daily provision
The challenging thought is that God is actually training us for what lies ahead, for days we have not seen or known. In such days trusting in someone beyond ourselves is no longer an option. The safest place to be is in a daily trust walk with God. This is a life where we look to His providence for everything our lives may need, knowing that He always knows what we need.
This week Pastor Andy speaks about guarding our hearts. The key verse is Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”. In these verses, the writer of this proverb, Solomon, encourages us to place great importance on protecting our hearts. But does he mean the physical organ or the inner man? The Hebrew word for heart is lēḇ and refers to…. The inner man, mind, will, heart & understanding Our inner parts Our mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection and memory The seat (throne) of all appetites, emotions and passions and of courage
This heart is not the physical blood pump of a person but rather the central core place, inner person or soul of a person. Consequently it needs protection because it is the part of us that can be most affected or vulnerable to things like fear and anxiety. The heart is the engine room of us which processes things like fear, anxiety and worry, as well as joy, happiness and hope. Solomon calls for us to be a watchman concerning what is trying to get in and what we allow or welcome in. The Devil wants us to have a heart attack by attacking our hearts (John 10:10 & Luke 21:26 refer). Fear is a root causing things like worry, anxiety, depression, hopelessness. What exactly is meant by ‘guarding’? In Hebrew the word ‘Guard’ is nāṣar meaning To guard, watch, watch over To preserve and guard from dangers To keep, observe, guard with fidelity To be a watchman
We may be living in fear-filled times, but we should have peace-filled hearts. God did not give us fear and so we do not need to let it in (2 Timothy 1:7). God wants us to know His peace and to be kept in “perfect peace”. Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) states “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You”. We can know peace that comes from Jesus. John 14:27 NKJV states “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. This is not a worldly peace, which is fickle and temporary, rather God’s peace which is stable and constant. This verse calls us to control the activity happening within our hearts! John 16:33 (NKJV) says “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - This is Jesus saying, “Don’t worry, I got this”! Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. God’s peace is the other doorman that protects the entrance of our lives. Colossians 3:15 (NKJV) states “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful”. Let (allow) the peace of God not fear from the devil or this world rule in us. Rule = brabeuō – to be an umpire, decide, determine, direct & control Ultimately, we can get more peace from spending more time with Jesus Prince of Peace and devoting more time to the Word hearing His thoughts and promises.
2 Corinthians 2:5-11 (NIV) states “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body”. This week, Pastor Andy speaks about the ‘treasure inside’…. Paul’s teaching has some incredible messages here. God has caused His light to shine out of darkness into our hearts to give us the knowledge of His glory displayed on Christs face. There is a comparison with the book of Genesis here where God says let light shine from darkness. Our lives are compared to jars of clay. Paul is bringing our attention to the content within our life - now that we are born again, our lives have come alive on the inside to God and Christ. Christ lives in us. The Treasure of Heaven, His Spirit, the Spirit of the Risen, Jesus Christ is now living and contained within the earthly of who we are. In many ways, Paul is saying to us, (as he was saying to the Corinthians) “don't be so conscious of the physical you but be conscious especially in troubled times of the spiritual”. We are not to place our confidence or reliance on what we see in a mirror or how we feel in the soul, but rather in the leading and the voice of the spirit of Jesus Christ who has now made our spirit alive! We may be hard pressed on every side, but we are not crushed. We can be perplexed, but not in despair, maybe persecuted but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed. These are powerful words! When we were born again Christ came to live inside our earthen vessel, providing the strength for us to remain unaffected by external things happening and the wisdom and the ability and capacity to keep on running when others don't. Paul’s message to the Corinthian church then and to ours today is for us to place our confidence in the Treasure within the Spirit of who we are (Christ).
Jesus told us not to worry! But what is the alternative to worrying? Simple, it's trust. God wants us to exchange being worried for trusting Him. Trusting Him when we understand what's going on and when we don't. It's when we choose to trust Him in all things that our hearts are truly at peace.
This week Pastor Andy talks about how God encourages us not to worry. Although we live in a time where anxiety and worry seem to be normal or portrayed as an accepted thing, God brings us words that cut through worry and anxiety, bringing peace in uncertain times, even if a storm is blowing! We all need to let the words of Jesus Christ cut through worries, arrest anxieties, bringing peace and joy into our lives. The word of God is the manual from God of how we should live - written by men but it was inspired by God. His word is about bringing change to our lives in order that outside circumstances do not impact us as they might. Matthew 6; 25-34 is the key scripture here. Jesus speaks to us, instructing us how to live our lives. Principally, He is speaking about us not worrying, rather – to concentrate on seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then the Father will provide everything else we need. Although these words were spoken 2000 years back, they are just as relevant today. Key points are:- Three times in these verses we are told not to worry (and God does not waste words!) Natural daily things are spoken of – clothing, eating etc God the creator positions us with great worth – much more than the birds of the air, the mountains, and fields. We must understand our worth in God’s eyes! Verse 31 tells us not to worry about what we eat etc…..what we say comes from what we believe in our hearts. Let the words of Jesus Christ bring faith, hope and security, cutting through storms and winds trying to grab our attention with fear Let us not compare ourselves to pagans or unsaved Fundamentally the passage commands us to seek first the Kingdom of God, right relationship with God, concentrating on being a citizen of His kingdom, walking in daily relationship with him, having a healthy prayer, live knowing His Word. He promises that if we do this, then everything we need will be added to our lives.
Psalm 23 equally reminds us of how we are his sheep, the sheep of His pasture. He is our Shepherd, His role is to feed, lead and provide what we need. Our role is to rest and trust what our Shepherd is doing in the day that we find ourselves in. Even if things come to harm us, God says that he lays a table for us in the presence of our enemies. This life comes from trusting in God. So what are we to do with all these daily worries and cares? In 1 Peter 5v7, scripture speaks of us casting our anxiety on Him because He cares for us. Today is a good time to remember these things. As we live in a world dispensing worry and fear taking away the hearts of people, let us sit at the feet of our Father with confidence saying ‘Father, thank you that you have promised to meet my daily needs today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my days’.
Following on from the theme of running your best lap ever, Pastor Andy this week speaks about being either within the crowd or moving towards being a true disciple of Jesus. We find this is in fact a journey we are all pursuing. For the last few weeks, thoughts have been based around Hebrews 12; 1-2. We spoke about getting rid of stuff…we could be on the track, in our lane, but with a backpack on and someone holding our leg, we are very much hindered. The weights of forgiveness, bitterness and so forth weigh down our backpacks…. Today, Andy speaks about choosing the athlete experience over the crowd experience. Let’s get trained and seriously run our best lap for God this year. We all begin in the crowd and probably meet Jesus there, but God wants us to move towards being a disciple, something personal between ourselves and Jesus. Jesus always blessed the crowd, healed the sick but often called people out to become disciples. He also told them they would need to leave behind things that they had in their previous lives. Every believer should be stepping out of an initial crowd experience into something more personal with God. Of course, we still remain crowd in the context of us being Church! The church is still God's master plan on the earth. We are planted in a church with people who love God, but are on the planet to change the planet. Pastor Andy then spoke about letting God into the ‘chipboard’ of our lives, rather than just the veneer; taking all personal responsibility and ownership for what we've got going on with God; and also of a greater commitment of you walking daily by the truth - not just having emotional moments in meetings. So, God I'm going to live in your word and by your spirit this year. This is about what He will now do in our lives as we develop this discipleship. Galatians 6; 8-10 (NIV) states “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers". Let us have the best Church connection we can have but also be committed to being athletes running our best lap yet as disciples for God. The crowd heard Jesus teach from afar; the disciples walked closely with Jesus. The crowd watched miracles; the disciples handled them! To be an athlete, rather than a spectator, it may cost more; involve more training; be more inconvenient… but it’s worth it!
When a runner purposes to run their best lap yet there are a few practical things they need to do. Like get on the track and in the right lane, Get rid of stuff that slows them down and focus their face to win. In this podcast, you will be encouraged how to do these things so that your race can be one you win.
Pastor Andy delivers an absolute ‘must hear’ message for Vision Sunday 2022. This is all about running our best lap yet in the race of life. Fundamentally this is being active doing what God wants and needs us to do to make a difference to the world we live in. We are leaving a season of lockdown and moving into a season of having a mighty job to do, running with passion in our hearts for all that God wants us to achieve. Pastor Andy speaks of the story of Joseph and his amazing release from wrongful imprisonment (Genesis 39-41) to provide interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams. The doors of lockdown were opened for him then and God did incredible things with Joseph becoming in charge of Pharaoh’s palace and all his people. God will do equally incredible things with us as he did with Joseph. He came out of the prison cell ready to run his best lap yet using the gifts God had given him! Just as God used Joseph in his time He will use us individually and as a church in all the places He has positioned us. Hebrews 12, 1-2 speaks of those who ran their best race (the great cloud of witnesses) but also speaks of us as well….instructing us to throw off all sin and that which entangles us and then to run with perseverance the race set out before us fixing our eyes on Jesus who prefects our faith. PS Andy goes on to speak of 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV) “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” Our hearts desire should be to say we have run the race God set before us, lived our lives in pursuit of Him and are ready to receive a crown of righteousness!