This week James did the first of two weeks that we have in Revelation, talking from the opening chapters and focussing on this being a message from Jesus to His church. Here we find Jesus calling out some things in the church that weren't great, but as James helpfully pointed out to us most of these things were rooted in the churches needing to rediscover their first love - Jesus, and this is what he encouraged us to do.
This week Dennis shared with us from Jude. Jude is a short but complex book that draws on passages from the Old Testament, and other extra biblical literature (cultural writings of the day from outside the bible). Dennis showed us how Jude (the brother of Jesus) used these other writings to speak to the church of his day, and to us, warning them about people who were negatively impacting the life of believers and encouraging them to be rooted in the scriptures so that they, and we, could be firm in the faith and rooted in the true biblical Jesus who gives life and hope to us.
This Sunday we baptised Samuel, Israel, Fern, Evie, Revelation & Agnes.
What a joy it was to see and hear them confess their faith in Jesus and their declarations of who Jesus has been and is to them.
You can see the full video on our Youtube channel.
This week Emmanuel shared with us from Hebrews 4, explaining that Jesus as the one greater than the angels, prophets and priests has a greater promise that still remains for us today. And to enter this promise we simply need to have faith in Him, the one who has done all to achieve it for us.
Today Matt shared with us from Paul's letter to Titus, where he encourages Titus to teach the church in Crete how the amazing news about Jesus (the gospel) should shape everything in our lives, and how it is the gospel itself that is the power to live this new life.
Today Jenni shared with us from Paul's letter to Timothy, looking at the relationship the two had and how Paul encouraged Timothy in his role as a leader and as a follower of Jesus. Jenni encouraged us to be those who get along side each other, living up close and personal with each other so that we too will be a group of people who help each other as we seek to Be with Jesus, Learn from Jesus and Become like Jesus.
Ephesians tells us that we were dead in our sins. It's a reality that we've all felt, life without hope or peace, life filled with brokenness and pain. Yet Paul, the writer, also tells us that there is another reality, one with blessing, freedom, forgiveness, wholeness and joy. It's a reality that's only found in Jesus and Paul tells us that the amazing news is that it's a reality that God predestined for us in Jesus - a way for all humanity to be made new.
Today David shared with us from Colossians, exploring Paul's heart as he writes to the church there to continue in Jesus. Pointing them, and us, back again and again to Jesus as the focus, centre and root of everything, over and above the world's counterfeit ways to true love and faith for life.
Toady Matt shared with us from Acts 20, a funny little story that happens in the middle of Pauls journey to Jerusalem. But a significant story that speaks to us of God's heart for us to be spiritually awake and alive, living in the new life He gives us.
Today Matt shared with us from Romans 12:1-2, looking at how in view of what Jesus has done for us on the cross we are invited to spend our lives now being with Him, learning from Him and becoming like Him.
Today Glenys shared with us from Romans 4 looking at the hope we have as Christians. Not hope like the worlds hope, a vague wish that something might happen. But biblical hope, a hope that is confident in what will be because of who our God is.
Today we looked at what Paul says, in line with the wider biblical narrative, about the eternal hope we have as Christians - bodily resurrection and life in the new creation. And Matt shared with us why having a true biblical understanding of that hope matters to us today.
Today Ann-See shared with us from 2 Corinthians. She shared how Paul was able to be honest with the church about his struggles in life because he had discovered what it meant to live unveiled before Jesus. And she shared with us how Jesus calls us to come as we are and allow Him to lift the veils we often hide behind so that we too can come face to face with Him, the one who loves us.
Today Matt took us through 1 Corinthians 12 looking at Paul's teaching to the church on the Holy Spirit's work and gifts within the church. We discovered that in all that He does the Holy Spirit's main goal is to point to, reveal and glorify Jesus.
This morning Andy shared with us about how God's wisdom is very different to man's wisdom and how, very often, God's ways can seem like foolishness. We then explored how God reveals His wisdom by His Spirit and invites us into a revelation of what Jesus has done for us, whilst also considering how we live in the good of it.
This week Matt Holman interviewed different people from our church family, who are all from different walks of life, with different stories and experiences of how God's faithful, love and power has been evident and at work in them.
Today we explored Paul's letter to the Galatians. Paul writes to them because having put their faith in Jesus alone to save them there were now some people trying to deceive them and tell them that Jesus alone wasn't enough and they needed to do more. Paul says that this is not true, and in fact is no gospel (good news) at all. Today Matt walked us through some modern day versions of this false gospel "Jesus + something else" in order to be really saved. We discovered that what Paul says to the Galatians is still true today, that Jesus death and resurrection alone is the good news for us, Jesus has saved us, and He alone is our hope.
Toady Mike Broom spoke to us from James 1 where we are told to count as joy the trials we face. Mike unpacked how we are to count them as joy, sharing from the trials and tests of his own life, and showing us how these trials and tests grow our faith in Jesus and produce in us a mature faith and hope that does not disappoint.
This week we looked at how the early church started to form, and discovered that God is at work even in the trials to make His Church look more and more like Jesus, so that together they become the body of Christ on the face of the earth, continuing the ministry of Jesus today.
Today Barb led us through the story of John 20-21 and we saw how the risen Jesus met with different people, speaking into their lives, bringing power and transformation. Barb's encouragement to us was that this is the same Jesus we too can meet with, who still speaks into our lives bringing power and transformation.