What will you be remembered for? What will be on your timeline, represented by the ‘dash’ between birth and death like you see on headstones? Wouldn’t it be great if we all knew, from an early age, what God has purposed for our lives? Sadly, for the majority of us, that hasn’t happened and many of us struggle to clearly discern what He is telling us. 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? The truth is that when we earnestly seek Him, we can hear from Him in a variety of different ways, not necessarily through the loud voice heard by some of the early prophets! Pete Bond examines a number of Bible verses in his talk to demonstrate how we might better discern God’s will for our lives.
Read MorePreaches
We make as many talks, preaches and discussions available for download as possible. The most recent series is at the top and you should scroll down to find previous talks and series.
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BIG Topics: The Trinity
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. So to what or to whom are these references being made? In this talk, Martin Powell invites us on a journey towards a better understanding of ‘the Trinity’.
NB: Apologies for the poor sound quality - let’s just call it very much a ‘live performance’!
Read MoreBig Topics: When Will Jesus Come Again?
On Sunday, before the talk, Annie shared a personal experience and, as part of that sharing, a song that had touched her. Here’s the song so that you can listen again.
Andy spoke on the second coming of Jesus… no, he didn’t give us a definite time (much to everyone’s relief/disappointment) but he did let us all know why it matters. Listen to this excellent talk to be inspired to do more than just wait around for the second coming.
Ten Commandments: Do Not Steal
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. Do not steal. Sorted, easy. The odd GCC pen doesn’t count, does it? 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?
Read MoreTen Commandments: Remember the Sabbath
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.
Ten Commandments: Do Not Commit Adultery
Andy continues the talks on the Ten Commandments with the fourth in the series, explaining the seventh commandment and all that it means to us today - it’s not just a rule to stop us sleeping around (as if you thought it was).
Ten Commandments: Don't Misuse God's Name
Nearly every day we hear someone using God’s name as an expletive or in an inappropriate way. Sadly, it’s commonplace. But it’s no big deal, right? Well yes, actually it is, because the Lord specifically commands us not to misuse His name. Why? Because 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.
Sound recordists’s note: Apologies for the indifferent sound quality on this track - basic recording error responsible!
Read MoreWeekend: Identity Part 2
Ian Byrd continues the series on Identity brought to us at our church Weekend Away at Hill House.
Weekend: Identity Part 1
Ian Byrd kicks off the series on Identity brought to us at our church Weekend Away at Hill House.
Ten Commandments: No Idols
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.
Read MoreTen Commandments: No Other Gods
Today we start a new series of talks considering the ten commandments given by God directly to Moses in the wilderness (see Exodus ch. 20). The first, most important commandment is this: ‘You shall have no other gods before Me’. In this talk, 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.
Read MoreOur Identity
The Bible is full of people struggling to find their identity. We too may be torn between our Christian calling and the pressure to conform to the modern culture in which we live. 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.
Read MoreJesus is Risen!
In this talk, the last in our series of the miracles in John, Steve Gibbons explores the reactions of Mary, Peter and John on discovering the empty tomb that first Easter morning. What would your reaction be?
Read MoreWalking on the Water
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. Not only did Jesus prove to just His disciples that he has power over the elements and natural forces, but also that when we put our trust wholly in Him, we too can ‘walk on water’. 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 .
Read MoreJesus Heals a Man Born Blind
John records in his gospel (Chapter 9, vs 1-12) that, on his travels, Jesus met a man born blind. Whilst his disciples wanted to debate whose sin had caused it, Jesus took the opportunity to demonstrate to them all that he was willing to heal anyone who would believe in His authority - even on the Sabbath! 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.
Read MoreFaith, Hope, Love - Jesus Raises Lazarus
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. Why? Because this was to be no ordinary healing; this was to show God’s glory to His disciples and followers - a foretaste, if you like, of what was to come. 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.
Read MoreHealing a Royal Official's Son
Who or what do you turn to when a life crisis occurs? Do we trust in our own strength, the advice of others, or perhaps turn to Dr. Google (other internet search engines being available!)? Or do we, like the royal official spoken of in John’s gospel (John 4), turn to Jesus, who can resolve every difficulty, regardless of where our faith is at that moment, if we would only put our trust in Him? The Royal Official wasn’t too sure, but he had faith that Jesus would help him. 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.
Read MoreHealing a Paralysed Man
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. Surely it was ‘just’ the healing of a man who’d been ill for 38 years, right? Well, no, not ‘just’. 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.
Read MoreWater into Wine
For the next 7 weeks we’ll be looking at the miracles of Jesus uniquely mentioned in John’s gospel. This week 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?
Read MoreBeing Different: Different Doesn't Mean Weird
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. And yet, this image comes from somewhere; sad to say that even today, there are groups of Christians who are motivated (not necessarily led) to preach the gospel to anyone in whatever way they feel is needed, often without that vital element, love. Steve Gibbons uses illustrations from personal experience to describe how we can tell others the Good News without, dare I say it, any hint of ‘weird’.
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