In this last sermon of our values series, we looked at the NOW side of the kingdom, specifically in how - since Jesus' first instruction to his disciples - healing was always given to be a sign of it. It’s very simple: praying for healing is part of what it is to follow Jesus, so let’s learn how to do it together. The talk ends with a huge number of personal stories from within our community so prepare to have your mind-blown and faith expanded.
We were made for experience and the Bible is a book of countless peoples' experience of the one true God. And yet for many, their Christian faith has become more about belief and behavior than experience. Pentecost is the day we celebrate the Holy Spirit being poured out on all believers. He meets us as a felt experience and a powerful experience. He renews and empowers. There is always more of him. And the more full of him we are, the more we will live the lives we were created for. So, be filled with the Holy Spirit.
By Ed Flint
The new church of Jewish believers in Acts saw tremendous things, but before it even spread from Jerusalem, there were problems. The reunification of disparate tribes was proving predictably tough. But in just a few verses we see how, being full of the spirit and wisdom, the pain of the past, and the problems of the present are transformed. Our brains are wired for division and hierarchy. But the gospel changes that forever.
Before bread was even a church, people connected with the idea of bread have been incredibly generous towards it. We want to continue that marker of generosity in everything we do.
This should be no surprise. To be a Christian is to be generous: it is who we are. The more we experience God’s grace - his unmerited generosity - the more generous we become. The key is having him as our bottomline, as opposed to money, or success, or anything else.
When we operate from grace, our giving becomes active and regular, rather than passive and irregular. And the benefits are invaluable- God's glory and His kingdom extended in our lives and all the lives of those connected to us.
By Ed Flint
Worship is innate to all of God’s creation including all of us as human beings. We reflect God’s glory by simply existing. But it’s also a choice. When we choose to enter into God’s presence in worship we in faith acknowledge who God is and what he is like. We can’t necessarily make God more visible to us but we can make ourselves more visible to him.
So, by being honest about where we’re at in worship; surrendering our anger, our fear, our worries, our joy and sadness to him, he meets us as he is- our all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing God, and as we are, his dearly loved creation made to be with him.
By Tavia Grubbs
In this talk, we explore the profound truth of our worthiness as beings created in God's image. Just as Eve succumbed to the lie of inadequacy, many of us believe we're not enough, striving to earn love and belonging. This struggle is compounded by societal influences like racism and misogyny, as well as clever marketing campaigns convincing us we aren't quite enough.
However, God's unconditional love assures us of our inherent worth. From this foundation, we're empowered to navigate life's challenges, free from the need to prove our worthiness. Join us as we discover the liberating truth: worthiness is our birthright.
By Anthony McLean
The importance of rest is instituted in the very first verses of the Bible. After six days of creation, God rests. We, as people made in his image, are called to rest like him. Sabbath is more than just a day off each week. Sabbath means to stop, rest - but also to delight in creation, worship God and receive from him. A regular weekly rhythm of rest is essential for us to live as the images of God we were created to be.
By Ed Flint
The goal of any church is to build the kingdom of God. And that can best be done when we work together as a team. What it means to be part of a team is demonstrated brilliantly by Barnabas in the book of Acts. Barnabas was a wonderful encourager. And we can be too. Encouragement dispels fear, promotes grace, releases potential and restores the fallen. Bread has had some excellent encouragers down the years. Let’s continue! The more we receive the encouragement of God, whose spirit is the Great Encourager, the more we will be empowered to encourage one another.
By Ed Flint
