Preaches and talks from GCC: Recent Episodes
Gillingham Community Church
In these extraordinary times, we need to realise where our hope comes from.
Our meeting for Sunday 29 March 2020 Including a special music video of My Lighthouse (Rend Collective) During Worship: Song 1 - Cornerstone: https://www.you...
Our first online church meeting.
These are extraordinary times, which call for an extraordinary response from the church. Your love never fails - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_KXsMCJgBQ ...
Jesus was able to quote scripture back at the devil who had tried to entice Him (Jesus) into worshipping him. Paul quoted from the Old Testament to support his arguments in favour of ‘the Way’, particularly when faced with hostility. So it stands to reason that, if we know God’s word, we should use it as our weapon to defeat the strongholds we face, to make a stand against the enemy. In this talk, Angela Siderfin explains how we can use God’s word to pray more effectively against powers and principalities.
Jesus taught unequivocally that, to fully experience God’s forgiveness in our own lives, we must not only forgive those who mistreat or wrong us, but also actively examine ourselves when we pray to see if there is anyone whom we need to forgive (Mark 11 v25). To help us understand this more clearly, Pete and Jules Bond offer practical advice on why we should forgive and why we too need forgiveness and redemption.
The Bible makes it clear that we should pray about all things and on all occasions. In his letter to Timothy, Paul clarifies this by urging that ‘….petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.’ (1 Timothy 2 vs 1,2). Ted Winter here explains what this means for us today and why we too should pray regularly for nations and authorities, both nationally and internationally.
We are generally most open to hearing from God when we make a point of sitting still, focusing on His word and keeping our minds clear of the mundane. Contemplative prayer, meditative prayer or just listening to God - call it what you will - is a form of praying that most of us need to try more (note to self!) in order to know what He has for us. With this in mind, Steve Gibbons talk and practical demonstration of contemplative prayer has been left pretty much unedited to allow listeners to get into that place where His voice can break through.
Do you believe that God wants to use us to heal others today? Jesus is our example and demonstrates the true nature of God - compassionate and wanting to bring healing where healing is needed. He wants to work through us, if only we will take the risk! After all, healing itself is not down to us; the outcome of prayer is God’s responsibility alone. In this talk, Graham Palmer teaches us about healing prayer.
It’s a fact that most, if not all, of us will at some time find the act of praying such a hard thing to do, without being distracted by intrusive thoughts or other interruptions. However, Jesus gives us clear instructions as to how we should pray in both Matthew and Luke, in order that we can more effectively converse with our Heavenly Father.
In our “One-Offs” series, Steve tackles thee important subject of the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, Communion, the Bread and (in our case) red juice of some description.
What is it? Why do we do it? How should we do it? As we continue to meet at our new venue of The Spire, we will experiment with and continue to refine the mechanics of how it actually plays out, but this is more about the “why” and “what” than the “how”.
David Campbell (of Fusion, Jamaica) is an always-welcome guest at GCC and has come to bring us an update on their work and intent for the future, and to inspire us with a message of hope.
The first few verses of John chapter 1 are some of the most difficult ones to understand, particularly for those new to the Christian faith. What does it all mean, the Word became flesh (also referred to as the Incarnation) and why is it written in such a mystical way? Ted Winter helps to unravel the meaning contained within these verses and explains why it is so important to our perception of Jesus that we gain a good understanding of them. **Please be aware that, due to technical difficulty, this soundtrack is an edited version of a recording made on a mobile phone. Bear with it!
Why is there suffering in God’s world? Listen to what Angela Siderfin has to say on the subject, highlighting some of the many examples of suffering in the Bible and God’s response to them.
Not only did God create us in his own image but He gave each of us the whole range of human emotions. The new testament shows that Jesus demonstrated many emotions during his earthly ministry, from anger to sadness, grief to anxiousness. The Psalms are full of poems revealing David’s state of mind when he wrote them. So why do we believe the myths that emotions are fickle, untrustworthy? Jules Bond sets the record straight in this talk, explaining why emotions handled in a Godly way can be good for us.
The subject of demons is, to some Christians anyway, something like Marmite (other savoury spreads are available) in that they either believe there’s one around every corner or else they merely pay lip service to that which is hidden. To be a sound Christian, we need to have a healthy balance between these two positions and understand that God, the uncreated being, is greater than satan, a created one. In this talk, Steve Gibbons refers to several Bible passages, both old and new testament, in which we are alerted as to the devious ways that satan works.
Forgiveness. Possibly the hardest thing we are required to do as a Christian. Because it costs us. Yet, to put things in perspective, we ourselves have been forgiven when we didn’t deserve to be. And at what immense cost; Jesus, God’s only son, vicariously dying for all our sins, past, present and future, on the cross. Wow. So why do we find it so hard to forgive sometimes even the most petty of offences against us? In this talk, Andy Sparkes helps us to new understanding of what it means to be forgiven - and to forgive.
Most of us, when challenged about our Christian faith, will no doubt have heard the words ‘ religion is the cause of all wars’. Unfortunately, that’s what can happen when people of any faith allow ritual and dogma to become the priority in worship, when the doctrine becomes more important than God. James states clearly in his letter as to what God considers to be ‘true religion’ - see chapter 1, vs 26 & 27. In this talk, Pete Bond examines why religion can do more harm than good and how we ourselves can avoid becoming ‘religious’.
Statistics tell us that 1 in 4 people suffer from some sort of mental illness - and that’s just the ones known to medical professionals. Yet, unlike physical illness, there is still a stigma attached to anything to do with mental health. Even the church hasn’t always dealt sensitively with the subject, leading to many people feeling even more vulnerable and isolated. Dawn Holmes, from Yeovil Family Church, shares how we might be more empathetic of mental health sufferers
If you’ve yet to discover God's Holy Spirit working within you, the practical advice offered by Steve Gibbons in this talk will help to set you on the right path.
What?! Jesus tells me to hate my parents? Really? Well, yes, he did say that - but he was using hyperbole (exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally) to capture our attention and get his point across. Jesus wants disciples who aren’t just part of a crowd, but ones who are willing to learn from Him and are prepared to act upon his teachings. In his talk, Andy Sparkes helps to make it easier to understand what Jesus demands of us in placing our allegiance in Him
The unforgivable sin. Perhaps the least understood but most controversial words spoken by Jesus.. What exactly did He mean when he warned against blaspheming the Holy Spirit? And why, when we associate Jesus with complete forgiveness, did he warn that this is one sin that is beyond all forgiveness? Steve Gibbons tackles this difficult subject by using 3 important principles for reading scripture - definition; context; alternative passages - to help us better understand how we can avoid committing the unforgivable sin.
How do we know that a direction we feel sure our lives are taking, is actually what God wants and anyway, how does God communicate with us? Pete Bond examines a number of Bible verses in his talk to demonstrate how we might better discern God’s will for our lives.
There is but one God, the God whom we worship. The Bible is adamant in that - "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is one" - but there are many allusions in God’s word that refer to Him as being Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In this talk, Martin Powell invites us on a journey towards a better understanding of ‘the Trinity'.
Jesus made it fairly clear that NO-ONE would know when he was coming again, so why even bother talking about it? He also made it clear that he WOULD be coming back, so what are the implications of that on our lives?
Do not steal. It’s often the first commandment we think of, and perhaps also the one we think is the most black and white. Well, stealing isn’t necessarily just about appropriating possessions. How do we use our time and money, for example? Andy Sparkes challenges us in this talk to consider more deeply the context of this commandment and leaves us with a huge dilemma - what might we be stealing from God?
There’s lots of teaching available on the Sabbath including references to the “Sabbath Rest” and Jesus himself even explained that the Sabbath was for man’s benefit, not God’s… so what do we do with all of that? Steve Gibbons helpfully guides us through his take on what the Sabbath means for all of us today.
Andy Sparkes devles deeper into what it means to fully obey the heart of the command to not commit adultery. Turns out it is more than just not sleeping around.
The name of the Lord and who He is, are synonymous; He told Moses that His name is who He is - ‘I AM WHO I AM’. In the third talk of this series on the Ten Commandments, Steve Gibbons explains the reasons why we ought to be grieved whenever we hear God’s holy name misused, misrepresented or disrespected.
Ian Byrd starts off this series of talks on our Identity as part of our Weekend Away with the church in May 2019.
We have a God who jealously loves us. He doesn’t want anything else to take His place in our lives. That’s why the second commandment given to Moses for the Israelite nation - and latterly to us - instructs that we are not to have idols. But what exactly is an idol? Is it a possession, a feeling, another person, or what? Roger Snowdon tells us what God means when he says ‘no idols’ and offers tips on how we might overcome those distractions that take His rightful place in our lives.
The first, most important commandment is this: ‘You shall have no other gods before Me’. Pete Bond emphasises the importance of knowing God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit in order to properly hold him as the highest, most holy aspect of our lives. Rather like a good marriage, we must wholeheartedly commit to loving God before we can truly say that we hold no other god (idol) higher than Him who is Lord of all.
Paul advises in Romans 12 v2a, ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’. So how can we be transformed to take on the identity God means us to have? Graham Palmer gives us a few pointers in this talk as to how we might achieve this - culminating in a surprising alternative interpretation of the identity struggle experienced by the prodigal son and his older brother.
In this talk, Steve Gibbons explores the reactions of Mary, Peter and John on discovering the empty tomb that first Easter morning. What would your reaction be?
It’s fair to say that most people know Jesus once walked on the water (see John 6 vs 16-21) but probably not so the reasons - and indeed implications for us - why he did it, as recorded in the wider telling of the miracle in the other gospels. Jesus invites us to walk with Him and holds us up as we step out in faith! Listen to Pete Bond explain what this means for us and how we can enjoy a deeper relationship with Him. NB: apologies for the poor sound quality on this track .
John records in his gospel (Chapter 9, vs 1-12) that, on his travels, Jesus met a man born blind. But that’s not the whole story. Angela Siderfin goes on to contrast the legalistic religiosity of the Pharisees with the simple, growing faith of the now-healed man, and how Jesus announced to everyone that He is the Light of the World.
One of the best known of Jesus’ miracles is the raising of Lazarus, a man who had been dead for four days. John 11 tells us that Jesus loved this man and his two sisters, yet when He learned of Lazarus’ serious illness, He deliberately delayed the call to go and heal him. Andy Sparkes explains the meaning of Jesus’ actions that led to raising Lazarus from death and reassures us that Jesus also loves us just as much - He still feels our pain and can raise us, too, by setting us free from what binds us or brings us down.
John 4 speaks of a Royal Official who had faith that Jesus would heal his sick son. Even though things didn’t go quite as he expected, the official persisted, resulting in his son being healed. But there’s more to this narrative than initially meets the eye, so Graham Palmer helps us to understand all the issues involved - including the message to those who expected miraculous wonders of Jesus in order to confirm their faith.
Sometimes we come across miracles of Jesus that we take at face value, without truly understanding the message he has for all of us. The healing of a paralysed man at the Pool of Bethesda is just one such event. There are truths here for us hidden in plain sight within the narrative and Martin Powell helps to reveal exactly what the bigger picture is resulting from Jesus’ words and actions that day.
Roger Snowdon speaks about the miracle at the start of Jesus’ ministry, the one at a wedding in Cana where He changed jars full of water into wine. It was the very best wine - not just any old stuff - in fact, finer than the fine wine that had been provided by the host at the start of the celebration. And Jesus provided his wine in abundance and, as Roger explains, still does today. The wine in this passage (John 2 vs 1-11) is used to represent the good things given by Jesus, good things that we can still tap into today. Have you welcomed your abundant share from Jesus?
We’ve all seen the stereotypical Christian portrayed on the television, or written about in the media - usually a mildly eccentric, bible-bashing, moral crusader with a blinkered view of life as it really is for most people. Steve Gibbons uses illustrations from personal experience to describe how we can tell others the Good News without any hint of ‘weird’.
Graham uses the story of Ananias and Sapphira to highlight the need to live wholeheartedly for God.
Paul made it very clear in his fist letter to the Corinthians that, although he was a free man belonging to no-one, he considered himself to be a slave to everyone. Why? In order to win as many people as he could to Christ. He did this through relating to the culture around him (1 Corinthians 9 vs 19-21). If, like Paul, we want to share in God’s blessings, we too have to be sensitive to those around us - for the sake of the Gospel. Andy Sparkes examines in this talk why we must emulate Paul in his attitude if we are to bring others into the Truth.
Ephesians 2 tells us that, as God’s handiwork, He prepared us in advance to do good works. Angela Siderfin here explains how this relates to our daily lives.
1 Peter 2 (verses 4-10) tells us we are (1) a chosen race, (2) a royal priesthood, (3) a holy nation and (4) a people for God’s own possession. We join Ted Winter part way through the first point; as a chosen race (people), it’s clear that God makes choices yet bestows no honorary titles - we have work to do!
The Bible reminds us that we are a peculiar people, a chosen people - or, to put it into today’s language, we belong exclusively to God (1 Peter 2 vs 9-11). This means we have responsibilities and as such we must be different to those in the world around us. How else would we get noticed were we to remain the same, doing the same old stuff we did before Jesus called us?? In this talk, Pete Bond uses 1 Peter 2 as his basis for teaching why we are indeed a ‘peculiar people’ and how we need to be different.
Having already considered 5 key ways in which we may grow in Christ, both individually and as a church, we reach the final, perhaps most crucial element - our preparedness to change in order to grow. Pete Bond, with reference to Matthew 5, describes how Jesus challenged the people (and vicariously, us) to live righteous lives in accordance not just with the established law but additionally by God’s will.
The decision-making dilemma we all have is this - do we listen to what the Holy Spirit may be telling us, or do we just go ahead and do what we think is the right thing? In this talk, Steve Gibbons helps us to navigate through some of the bible’s helpful pointers as to how we can make the right choices, concluding that to choose God’s way is to choose life itself.
Paul, in Romans 12, exhorts us to be ‘a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God’ and that we should ‘not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind’. Easier said than done? Well, Ted Winter here gives us some biblical pointers as to how we might become ‘a living sacrifice’ through our faith and actions - but beware, it comes at a cost. Expect and accept regular pruning!
One aspect of our walk with Jesus which is sometimes overlooked (or worse, ignored) is that of spriritual growth for, if the church is to grow, we as individuals must also grow….continuously towards Christ. Martin Powell’s talk outlines how our continuing spiritual growth benefits not just ourselves but also the whole church, in our relationships, our worship, our love for one another and so on…
A most important aspect of living as part of the wider church family is the question about how we, as Christians, interact with those who may have a same sex attraction. Unfortunately there has been so much unhelpful negativity broadcast over the years by conservative (small ‘c’!) groups in established churches; Graham Palmer seeks to clarify how we must keep Jesus in focus when dealing with this issue and love others, regardless of their sexuality, as He loves us.
Jesus accepted everyone; in fact, he made a point of showing love to those whom society deemed ‘unloveable’, such as Samaritans, tax collectors and fallen women. What an example! Don’t we want to make people feel welcome, included, loved and accepted? Angela Siderfin gives us the biblical background to the practical aspects of not just ‘accepting others’ but loving them too.
For growth to take place, a church’s members need to be unified, maturing spiritually and welcoming; just some of the positive traits it takes to make a growing church. Pete Bond takes as his key text the parable of the mustard seed from Luke 13 for this introduction to church growth.
Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12 v7 “…the manifestation [gift] of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all”. In today’s talk, Steve Gibbons speaks in more depth about these gifts, how they unite us all and imploring us to remain true to the particular gift given us by the Holy Spirit.
How did you first come to know Jesus? How has Jesus made a real difference in your life? For what are you particularly thankful? All - or some - of these questions can form ‘your story’ which you can use to tell others about your faith. Few of us have incredible, Damascus road experiences but that doesn’t matter because, whatever your story, someone needs to hear it. And practising it makes perfect, as Angela Siderfin facilitates in this talk.
Gillingham Community Church has been a Christians Against Poverty centre for 10 years! Woo hoo! Today we get encouraged by stories, testimonies and facts and figures to do with the wonderful work that we have been honoured to be a part of over this time.
Steve (our area manager and CAP Yeovil worker) helps us realise what an important work it is that we are doing here.
Graham Palmer considers what it means to be in a marriage relationship from the perspective of Jesus the bridegroom and the church. He examines why marriage is a covenant, not a contract, and introduces us to the concept that we probably married the wrong person. Intrigued? Then listen on!
Andy Sparkes takes us on a journey outlining our motivation for compassion - what drives us to take action to alleviate the suffering of others?
Pastor Fredie Sekeywa (Uganda) explains his mission in ‘Celebration of Hope Ministries’, of how establishing coffee farms is helping to provide incomes, homes and the Good News of Jesus to poverty-stricken families throughout his locality in southern Uganda.
‘Friendship evangelism’. It isn’t about forming relationships with the ulterior motive of proselytising, i't’s about using what we already have to talk about what is really important to us. With reference to Luke 15, Pete Bond explains how we might be more effective in evangelising to our cohorts
Steve shares insight into the nature on the "Treasure in Heaven" that we are storing up whilst here on Earth. What more motivation do we need?
If we want to grow both individually and as a church, we need to be open to change. And what better way to start than to consider our great calling - to go out and tell people the good news about Jesus. As the title of this informative talk by Andy Sparkes suggests, we have to develop a culture of evangelism. We all have a story of how we first came to know Jesus; so what's yours?
We all have the God-given ability to make choices. Unfortunately, we don't always make good choices, but then again, nor did some of the more successful characters throughout the Bible (think of Peter and David, to name but two). Crucially, our bad choices (failures) need not become our identity, because that is in Jesus. As Andy Sparkes here reminds us, we are held by God's hand. He chose us.
Whether we're single or married, or maybe struggling with issues around relationships or sexuality, each of us has the ability to encourage, support and empathise with our Christian brothers and sisters. Graham Palmer starts off this mini series on the Church Family with 'Singleness', taking as his core text 1 Corinthians 7.
When we take offense it is our choice: a trap that is put out by someone else, bur is ours to spring or not. Forgiveness is also our choice - and brings freedom when we make the right choice! Perhaps we can experience a new degree of freedom in life as we learn to forgive ourselves and others... for our own sake!
Sometimes we just don't feel peaceful or joy-filled. Steve Gibbons bases his talk on Romans 14 v17, 'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit', and offers some thoughts on how we can be filled with peace and joy.
If ever we need reassuring that God is both for us and wants the best for us, then all we need do is turn to James 1 v15: 'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.' (NKJV). Angela Siderfin gives us some ways in which we can better appreciate God's good gifts and give Him the glory for them.
How on earth are we to remain in right standing with our Lord, to not be corrupted by the world's standards? Well, that's why Jesus came to physically live amongst us, to provide us with an example of how to live in the world but not actually be of it! Martin Powell here speaks from the New Testament and uses both his own life experiences and a model for Christian living to illustrate how we can be in the world, but not of it.
In Mark 9 verse 24, a man says to Jesus "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!". Today Steve helps unpack a little about what is means to believe and what we can do with our doubts and unbelief.
Small group questions also available.
Ted uses the story of Gideon to encourage us in our journey with God. God can (and does) use anybody and we should be prepared to allow Him to confirm His word to us - Gideon used a fleece, and God didn't seem to mind! Having said all that, if God wants to surprise us by whittling down the army we put together, then that's His call too! Gideon's assembled 30,000 strong force became 10,000 and then 300 under God's direction.
The Israelites, on taking possession of the Promised Land, failed to remove every one of the people already living there, leading to the Israelites intermarrying with them and joining them in their worship of idols (utterly forbidden). Whilst we are not called on to 'drive out' our neighbours, we are instructed throughout the Bible to refrain from putting anything before God in contravention of the greatest commandment. Pete Bond uses the example of Israel in the time of Judges to illustrate the idols we face and how we can, with our eyes fixed upon God, overcome them.
Having led the Israelites across the River Jordan, Joshua was now tasked with subdividing the land promised to them by God,. We often find that to achieve something important to us (our 'land') we too face obstacles which we have to struggle to overcome. Thankfully God reassures us - as he did Joshua - that he will not abandon us, so long as we are strong and courageous. Andy Sparkes here describes the difficulties Joshua faced (not least with his own people) and invites us to consider how we can, with God's unfailing love and guidance, take our land.
One of the earliest questions put to mankind by God was "Where are you?" It's a question He often has to repeat when we face tough times and ask, "Where are you God?" He replies "Where are you {insert name here}". Steve Chupp reminds us in this talk that whatever is hidden cannot be healed - and exhorts us to engage with God so that He can really start working on us - and with us.
We're told in the Bible that even Joshua was deceived as he went about conquering the land promised to him by the Lord. But there's a telling reason provided as to why the deception happened - he did not consult the Lord before embarking on a course of action he thought was sensible. Continuing our look at the life of Joshua, Martin Powell teaches us from both testaments how we can avoid the pitfalls of situations that challenge us.
When Joshua reached the shores of the Jordan river, with the land promised to the Israelites tantalisingly close over on the other side, he didn't just blunder in on his own. Listen to Roger Snowdon tell us how we can prepare to cross into our own Promised Land (whatever that may be to each one of us) based not just on Joshua's experiences but more importantly upon what Jesus did for us on the Cross.
Joshua was told to be strong and courageous; we too can be empowered by God and answer His call to action. But what is our land? And what considerations do we need to first take into account? How can we prevent the enemy doing his best to stop us achieving God's plan for us? Listen to Steve Gibbons' interpretation of how Joshua's experiences still ring true for us today, and how we might evade the inevitable setbacks along the way.
Both Paul and Peter have lots to say about community in the church, the former instructing us to 'strive for restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind and live in peace' and the latter advising us to 'love one another, be compassionate and be humble'. Excellent advice - Steve Gibbons explores how we might put it into action!
....or more precisely, 'Keeping Yourself Unspotted from the World' (NKJV). As Christians, our actions and reactions should be based upon the greatest commandment: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart mind and strength'. In this talk, Pete Bond uses James 1 vs 26-27. to provide us with tips for living an unspotted life.
How we relate to those around us depends very much on our relationship with God. We need to ensure our heart is right before Him, because, as Jesus points out in Matthew 12, '...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks'. We continually, constantly, at all times need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Continuing our series on Practical Holiness, Ted Winter suggests four key areas of which we need to be aware so as to reflect the holiness of God within us.
One of the Israelites' earliest edicts from the Lord was to 'be Holy as I am Holy'. Peter thought this so important that he referred to it within his epistle (1 Peter 1:16). We cannot grow in holiness unless we also abide by this instruction, in other words, we must see the world as God sees it. We can make a difference, in the way we live our lives, by the choices we make. Andy Sparkes gives us a few tips on where to start, together with a biblical perspective.
As we've already seen, an important element of holiness is 'being set apart' 'being different'. We also know that God called and chose us, not the other way around. How we behave as Christians is closely linked to how we perceive God - is he to us a strict judge, or a benign, loving heavenly father? We are Holy because God says we are. We work to live out (or perfect) that holiness; God requires us to be serious about our walk with Him. Roger Snowdon explains how, starting with repentance and avoiding complacency, we might then achieve holiness in our lives.
We are very different to God, our creator. For starters, the Bible tells us that He doesn't need us - or anything in creation - He is absolutely independent and self-sufficient. And then there's His holiness, the extent and awesomeness of which our human minds just cannot comprehend. We can, however, acknowledge God's holiness and glory by aspiring to be holy, by demonstrating something of the glory of our Heavenly Father. Steve Gibbons explains how we should live our lives to reflect some of God's holiness to those around us.
Continuing our series looking at Practical Holiness, Trevor Bond helps us to recognise the parallels between the set-up of the original tabernacle and that which Jesus has done for us. He also then invites us to 'go through' the process - this time with the understanding of what Jesus' sacrifice means to us.
This week we're starting a new series on holiness - practical holiness. In Ephesians 4 vs 22-24, Paul reminds us that 'you were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.' But how might we do this in practice? Steve Gibbons, in an introduction to the series, provides a few pointers to help us start thinking about it...
Andy Sparkes has a fresh look at the parable of the Good Samaritan. It isn't so much about being told HOW to be a neighbour, but rather Jesus giving us a great look at what it means to BE neighbourly!
Martin Powell takes on the challenge of talking about the work of Jesus on the Cross. The unique moment in history when the Son of God, divinity in human form, was cruelly executed in the barbarous act of crucifixion. The victory of that moment was unexpected and sent ripples through all of eternity.
It's not often that we hear a message on tithing - our last was in January 2015 - so it was about time to get this one! Although, Pete's timing is terrible as we're all saving for the oncoming financial onslaught that is Christmas.
Pete takes a no-holds-barred look at the sticky issue of finance and giving in the church. Listen on with an open mind and a thankful heart!
Steve presents a compelling picture of how we can live graciously - not hell-bent on heaping coals of shame on our enemies (as some have interpreted these verses). Inspiring stuff indeed.
Andy explores what it means for God to forgive us. How can we live in the forgiveness that He gives? Why does He forgive us? What does this mean for us in our lives? It is such an inexplicable privilege to be forgiven by the creator of all things. We can never fully understand why He chooses to forgive us, but we can choose to accept it!
Roger helps us reevaluate what it means to live by faith. As part of our back to basics series we are looking at aspects of our life and faith and asking crucial questions like "Am I looking for the fireworks of faith, or longing for the steady lightbulb?".
Ted Winter helps us evaluate the way in which we think about the Word of God and how to approach this wonderful, beautiful, ancient text.
We are made new creations. We are still being made new. One day it will be finished. It was done. It is being done. It will be done.
David Campbell speaks about the challenges we face being in the now, but not yet, Kingdom of God, using references from Jesus' ministry and examples from his own experiences to explain how we might become equal to the tasks God calls us to.
Vision has been defined as 'the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom'. It is vital we recognise that, should we ever feel we're doing okay just as we are, then that's when we're in great danger of losing sight of our vision, of ceasing to be a healthy and growing church. So we all have our part to play. Pete Bond teaches us how we can remain a church where people can meet Jesus, know Jesus and makes Him known.
Over the next few months, we'll be considering the basic tenets of our faith and looking at how we might practically apply them. And what better place to start than Hope? Steve Gibbons teaches us primarily from Hebrews 6 about why we need a firm anchor for our faith and how we can keep our hope in Jesus alive.
Probably every Christian will have at some point referred to the apostle who demanded tangible proof of Jesus' resurrection as 'Doubting Thomas'. Steve Gibbons teaches us that Thomas is not only misunderstood but that by digging deeper into the New Testament we will discover him to be a faithful, believing disciple who was prepared to ask awkward questions to overcome some of the uncertainties he experienced.
Surely every Christian knows that famous, life-changing verse, John 3:16 - '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' - but none of us except Nicodemus has actually heard it spoken directly by Jesus! Andy Sparkes sets the context for Jesus' famous meeting with Nicodemus, explaining why he was the first establishment figure to recognise and then seek the divine Jesus, and describes how we can learn much from this Pharisee's attitude.
Barnabas - Paul's right-hand man - was known by his nickname 'Son of Encouragement', in other words, he was the very embodiment of encouragement. Using the words of Paul, Martin Powell emphasises in this talk that our churches will only grow if we continue meeting together and encouraging one another.
The Old Testament is full of different characters who knew what was right and then stood fast to achieve their God-given beliefs. One such man of integrity was Caleb who - along with Joshua - remained resolute in the face of fear and complacency demonstrated by the wandering Israelites as they stood on the cusp of entering the land promised to them. Ted Winter tells us how Caleb's example (Numbers 13 & 14) can speak to us today, naming five particular qualities we all should exhibit as Christians.