For thousands of years Christians have said the words of the Apostles Creed together. Join us as we look at these ancient words with fresh eyes, discover why we can say them with confidence, and allow them to transform our lives.
In this Bible Talk, Nick Lindeback looks at God as Father and what it means to share in the sonship of Christ.
Read the text – John 17:20-26
The book of Joel is probably best known to Christians because of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost in the Book of Acts, where he quotes Joel to explain the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on all people. But the main emphasis in this book is the Day of the Lord, a day when the powerful presence of the Lord God will bring judgement – meaning deserved punishment for some or deliverance and blessing for others. What will that Day bring for you?
Talk 1 – A Clear and Present Danger (Joel 1:1-20)
Read the text – Joel 1:1-20
What grabs your attention? The natural events and the voice of the prophet are what God used to grab the attention of his people.
In Talk 1, Gary Haddon looks at the lament over Israel’s poor situation – a lament which leads not to a complaint against God, but a call to repentance in the light of the coming Day of the Lord.
Talk 2 – Sound the Alarm (Joel 2:1-17)
Read the text – Joel 2:1-17
Throughout history, we find all sorts of ways that societies have ‘sounded the alarm’ to alert their people to a serious and immediate danger.
In Talk 2, Dave Swan looks at Joel 2:12-13 as the key to the final question of verse 11 – ‘who can endure the Day of the Lord?’
God offers the way to endure the Day of the Lord: return to him “with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning”. That is, in true repentance and faith.
Talk 3 – The Lord Responds (Joel 2:18-32)
Read the text – Joel 2:18-32
Life is full of uncertainties, but even in the midst of it all there is a constant: Gods’ voice and his promises in his word.
In Talk 3, Dave Swan shows us the way the Apostle Peter uses this part in his Pentecost speech – to point people to Jesus as the answer!
The Day of the Lord is about the presence of God. Which for some will spell disaster, but for those who call on His name and seek refuge in Him, will be the day of blessing – the day of a permanently restored and renewed relationship with their God.
For Bible Studies to accompany this series see Bible Studies – Joel: The Day of the Lord
Read the text – 1 Corinthians 7:17-40
What should hold a church together – Our relationships? Our feeling of belonging? Our gospel convictions? Jesus? The Apostle Paul wrote this extraordinary letter to a church he knew well, yet a church which had got itself into a bit of a muddle. It turns out that the Christian Family does matter – and it is important to ensure that Jesus sits at the heart and soul of this church and in fact any church. We look at 1 Corinthians 1-7 because it holds a mirror up to us and it would be wise for us to consider carefully what it might say to us in 2022.
In this talk, Dave Swan looks at how being in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex should not come before being in a relationship with the Lord – put the horse before the cart when thinking about singleness and relationships. This talk upholds singleness. There is great value for us all (single or married) to recognise the value of singleness and to be given reasons to see that our status before the Lord is first about our relationship with him than it is about our relationship with another. Yet, we also acknowledge the burden/longing that those who are single may feel.
Read the text – 1 Corinthians 7:1-24
What should hold a church together – Our relationships? Our feeling of belonging? Our gospel convictions? Jesus? The Apostle Paul wrote this extraordinary letter to a church he knew well, yet a church which had got itself into a bit of a muddle. It turns out that the Christian Family does matter – and it is important to ensure that Jesus sits at the heart and soul of this church and in fact any church. We look at 1 Corinthians 1-7 because it holds a mirror up to us and it would be wise for us to consider carefully what it might say to us today.
In this Bible Talk, Ken Noakes carefully looks at what 1 Corinthians says about the place of sex in marriage and how it might help us to recognise the gospel importance of the marriage covenant. There are specific matters addressed here and there are specific relationships in view (i.e. – those married, those unmarried and widowed, to Christian married couples, and Christians married to unbelievers). The gospel speaks to each circumstance.
Read the text – 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
What should hold a church together – Our relationships? Our feeling of belonging? Our gospel convictions? Jesus? The Apostle Paul wrote this extraordinary letter to a church he knew well, yet a church which had got itself into a bit of a muddle. It turns out that the Christian Family does matter – and it is important to ensure that Jesus sits at the heart and soul of this church and in fact any church. We look at 1 Corinthians 1-7 because it holds a mirror up to us and it would be wise for us to consider carefully what it might say to us today.
In this Bible Talk, Dave Swan speaks about the touchy subject of sexual purity and the important place it holds in the Christian family. Since “your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God” (1 Cor 6:19) – how should the Christian person handle their sex drive in a highly sexualised world and yet still honour God?
Read the text – 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
What happens when Christians disagree? The church of Corinth was using the legal system, not to seek justice, but to deal with church family disagreements that should never involve secular authorities.
Ken Noakes helps us to see a biblical model for disagreement. The aim is to restore and uphold each other in faith and in the Christian family. Grace and unity are far more important that some of the ideals that a secular court of law will achieve. Interestingly, Ken shows how this passage addresses the way that we can unhelpfully use social media.
Read the text – 1 Corinthians 4:14-5:13
The church in Corinth, like any church, is a gathering of sinners. Yet they are a church who sit under the power of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul writes to help the Corinthian church family consider how to deal with sin which is celebrated within the church family. His directive? Don’t celebrate sin.
Ken Noakes show the principle at play in this passage shows how it is applied to a particular issue with the church family involving sexual immorality. Left unchecked, this sin is unhelpful for those involved and dangerous for the church family at large. How should the church exercise loving discipline – to care for those involved and to help one another be accountable under Christ.
Read the text – 1 Corinthians 3:18-4:13
What does a faithful leader under Christ look like: a steward and servant. In fact, a fool, and one whom you should imitate in Christ. In this Bible talk, Gary Haddon helps us to think through who a disciple follows and why – for it should be Christ whom we follow, as demonstrated by a leader who shows themselves to be faithful. They must strive to imitate Christ, being willing to become the scum of the earth in the process!
Read the text – 1 Corinthians 3:1-17
Growing up in faith means being built up upon the only true foundation Jesus Christ and grown by God. Take care, anyone who builds upon that foundation, for your work will be tested.
In this talk, Ken Noakes helps us to understand that growing in faith is grounded in what God has done through Jesus, yet demonstrated in the various ways that we each serve to build up his church. And we are warned that the good we do (under God) will last while the bad will be destroyed.
Read the text – 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
What should hold a church together – Our relationships? Our feeling of belonging? Our gospel convictions? Jesus? The Apostle Paul wrote this extraordinary letter to a church he knew well, yet a church which had got itself into a bit of a muddle. It turns out that the Christian Family does matter – and it is important to ensure that Jesus sits at the heart and soul of this church and in fact any church.
In this talk, Ken Noakes looks at what it means to be mature in Christ by understanding the wisdom of God, which is impossible without the Spirit revealing it to us.
churchcentralonline.com 