Inspired by Acts 4:32-5:11
On the surface it looked so good – it was what was lying below the surface that really made us think!
We were all together, sharing and giving as we were able. There was something amazing about being one in mind and heart and not being territorial with the possessions we each had. And the joy in sharing with anyone and everyone ensuring that no one among us was in need – surreal really. So foreign to what we experienced in the world around.
Easter is a special time for many around the world – a time to reflect, to be thankful, to lift our minds and hearts above the day to day and to appreciate the world we live in.
Arguably, more than any other event in history, Easter has shaped our world. The coming of the man Jesus and then his arrest, trial, crucifixion and then resurrection stunned the world. What Jesus taught about life, love, good works, sin, justice, forgiveness, hope has shaped cultures, governments, legislation, education, tradition and so much more. Yet his death and resurrection transformed people’s lives and gave a personal hope beyond the grave. Love him or loath him, he has left his mark for the benefit of generations across history.
In this trilogy of Easter talks, we walk with Jesus through the pages of John’s Gospel from his arrest to his resurrection.
– David Shead
Read the Bible Text – John 18:1-27
– David Shead
Read the Bible Text – John 18:28-19:42
– David Shead
Read the Bible Text – John 20:1-31
We all like and want justice – yet justice is not possible unless there is judgement (vindicating the good and condemning the bad). In Jesus you have a judge – who is just, right and good. Can we say the same about our own judgements?
Read the Bible Text – John 5:16-30; John 12:44-50
Talk Outline – Who says I will be judged
– Ken Noakes
– David Shead
Universal Church Only – a vertical relationship.
From time to time, I will hear a believer say that they don’t have to be a member of particular local church – because they are ‘in Christ’.
Draw Near to God and to Others
Hebrews is helpful for anyone wanting to think about the importance of Church.
In Chapter 10 the author writes to Christians who were losing confidence – some were persecuted, some were leaving the faith to avoid suffering, and others were abandoning Christ because they wanted to fit in with the world around them. His advice? – draw near to God and draw near to others!
When you became a Christian, your membership in the church took both a universal and a local shape – a wide and narrow view if you like.
What is the difference?
Inspired by Acts 15:1-21…
We had an issue! It was obvious that if we didn’t do something about it our church family would be divided.
It was such an exciting time for us being a new church. As we talked about Jesus, so many people put their trust in him – and people from all kinds of backgrounds.
Through the twists and turns that has become the norm in King David’s household we see God painfully faithful to his word. His judgment remains on David’s house as Absalom rebels and David flees. Yet it is God who remains on the throne, and preserves David’s place on it, frustrating the usurpers, protecting his king and removing those who defy him.
In the ups and downs that we know in life, who calls the shots? How do you benefit by trusting God in the good and the bad?
Read the Bible Text – 2 Samuel 14:45-19:8
– Ken Noakes
Love, Truth and Obedience are three Christian values that together define Christian Love. Christian love, is love where truth is valued. Christian truth tells us how to obey. Christian obedience demonstrates true love.
In the previous posts from this series we have looked at each.
What happens if you corrupt any one of those values?
What is love that is pleasing first to God? It has something to do with obedience in the context of truth. We have considered ‘Love’ (Part 3 of this series) and ‘Truth’ (Part 4 of this series), so this time let’s focus on ‘Obedience’.
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them (1 John 3:21-24)
A love that is pleasing to God is a love that obediently follows his commands.
