The message of Christmas is GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY for ALL PEOPLE! The good news is that the promised Saviour and King has come to deliver us from the dominion of darkness! Great joy is what Jesus brings - forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, adoption as God's children and an eternal home with him! And this is for ALL people - whoever you …

The birth of Jesus was not just a miracle pregnancy - it was God coming to us as a man! Instead of sending another prophet or angelic messenger, the Creator made himself like one he created, leaving his glory behind and coming as one who we could relate to. This "incarnation" gives us a model for ministry to others: - We don't wait for them to come…

Divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. The story of Esther is a great example of this. God in his providence: - places his agents in suitable situations for doing His work - tests his people - restrains his enemies. Esther 2:17, 3:2-6, 4:1-17, 6:1-2, 7:3-6, Pro…

Jesus demonstrated some ways of thinking that are vastly different from the way that many around us think - and the way that we may be thinking now: -Being faithful in waiting and in obscurity -Being a willing servant and sacrifice (not a "victim") -Being passionately zealous for the Kingdom of God -Looking past the pain of the present to the etern…

Fear of the Lord is taught in the Old & New Testament. It is a deep respect, a reverent awe of the omnipotent Creator and Sovereign Lord of the universe. Fear of the Lord leads us to honour and obey God. It leads us out from human folly and into God's wisdom. Who (or what) we fear most will determine how we live. Psalm 33:8-16, Philippians 2:12-13,…

The Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus, empowering us, leading us and revealing things to us. Just as we are dependent on Jesus, we are dependent on the Holy Spirit and when we keep in step with the Spirit, we keep in step with Jesus. When we keep in step, we will bear fruit - our character and behaviour will change. The Holy Spirit plays a vi…

Disobedience can keep us from God’s good purposes; obedience leads us into them. We need to trust God when his actions, his chosen instruments and his instructions don’t make sense to us - his ways are higher than ours! The path of obedience can be difficult, even painful - but the pains are temporary while the blessings are eternal! 2 Kings 5:1-15…

The true Christian life is a supernaturally charged life! God himself works in us to motivate us and enable us to do the work that he has prepared for us to do. To experience this, we must learn to live in close relationship with Jesus, moving in his direction, in his time, at his pace. Daily disciplines that help us to do this are: - seeking his p…

Accountability helps us to grow mature and fruitful. Jesus modelled accountability as Son to his Father. Accountability is built on submission - to God's authority and to godly authority. Shame and fear make us avoid accountability. A selfish heart and a "seared" conscience can make us blind to our guilt and our responsibility for it. Helpful ways …

God has re-created us to do good things - in his eyes, we are "the right person for the job"! He works in us and through us - with HIS power! It's not about who WE are, it's about who HE is. It's not about our ability, it's about our AVAILability! It's not about people being impressed with US, it's about them being impressed with Jesus! Exodus 3:7-…

Jesus made a way for us to live in a covenant relationship with God. This covenant is wonderfully represented in the account of King David and Mephibosheth. Here are four powerful messages of this covenant: -"Come to me" (Jesus) - in your inadequacy - and worship! -"Fear Not" - God will show you kindness for the sake of his Son. -"I Will Restore" -…

The end goal of the Kingdom of God is a wedding in heaven! It is to see the church, the Bride of Christ, a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, ready for this wedding. So we need to get ourselves ready - and to help others to get ready. Getting ready is a journey of transformation, becoming more and more like Jesus. Jesus …

God has provided grace through Jesus to live lives that are totally dependent on him. This grace is available to all who believe. This grace does not just save us from the consequences of sin, but also from the power of sin. It stirs us to say "yes" to godliness and "no" to ungodliness. We learn to live in humble dependence on God and we discover t…

Mankind was created in the image of God and enjoyed fellowship with God. When mankind broke this fellowship, God pursued them - through many people and many events. This pursuit culminated in God sending his Son, Jesus, to redeem mankind. And this pursuit continues as we obey Jesus' commission to make disciples of all nations. Genesis 1:26,27, Gene…

The Bible compares the church to a body - the Body of Christ. We are all part of this one body. Some parts are very different - so we can find some people hard to relate to or understand. But our differences enable us to perform different functions - all of which are essential. Let's not just tolerate those who are different, but celebrate them - a…

We can learn a great deal from Jesus as we read how he communicated with people. His conversation with a rich young man teaches us to: -Earn the right to ask questions. -Help people to see into their hearts. -Help people to understand the character of God. -Be indirect - help them to see for themselves. -Let idols of the heart be exposed. Luke 18:1…

God has plans & purposes for each one of us. Discovering & living out these plans & purposes is a journey of discovery & adventure. Some are personal - there are specific things that we need to do. Others are corporate - there are things we do as part of a group. This journey can be challenging, even overwhelming - it requires discipline and there …

The message of the cross of Jesus is absolutely essential because it - reveals the amazing love of God for mankind - reveals our desperate need for salvation - reveals the way of salvation that God has provided But it also - demands a response from us - challenges our personal pride - challenges our religious pride 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, 1 Corinthi…

God has taught his people to pass on to the next generation what he has revealed to them. Moses needed the practical wisdom of Jethro. Samuel needed the spiritual experience of Eli. Mary needed the revelation of Elizabeth. Caleb was ready for action at 85 years old; don't disqualify the elderly! As disciples of Jesus, we must entrust what we have l…

Our new life in Christ does not mean that we won't face struggles - but we don't have to face them alone! Key questions we must answer are: -Will I humbly ask others for help? -Will I make myself available to help others? -Will I build healthy relationships with other disciples so that I can do these things? Two are better than one - we are stronge…

When we put our faith in Jesus as Lord, we become new creations and begin a new life as a child of God. Yet we are all "works in progress" - we are no longer what we were, but we are not yet all we will be! Wonderfully, our present imperfections don't stop God doing truly wonderful things in us & through us! If we compare ourselves with others, or …

Our relationship with God is the most important relationship that we can ever have. And he wants us to know him - he is on our side as we seek him! The better we get to know him, -the more we will trust him, -the more we will want to obey him, -the more we will want to be with him, and -the more we will love him. If we sincerely seek him, he will m…

The truth of Jesus' words "In this world you will have trouble" is evident all around us - we experience troubles of many kinds. These troubles can take their toll on our souls and we would be wise to pay attention to this. Jesus' next words were "But take heart! I have overcome the world." He is here to help! The Bible records the trials and heart…

The church has always been "under fire" - but Jesus continues to build his church and all the powers of hell can't stop him! When we're under fire, - we shouldn't be surprised - Jesus told us there would be trouble! - we shouldn't be discouraged - Jesus has overcome the world! - we should stand strong - Jesus has all authority and is completely tru…

The Bible teaches us that we CAN overcome evil: - by refusing to repay evil with evil - by seeking peace - by leaving justice and punishment to God - by doing good to those who do us evil - by shining light into darkness by our good deeds We overcome evil with good! Luke 6:27-28, Romans 12:17-21, Luke 22:41-44, Matthew 5:14-16…

We can learn a lot about how to correctly handle sin from Jesus - and how not to from the religious leaders who constantly challenged him: The religious leaders: - were self-righteous, judgemental & condemning - had a biased, incomplete view of righteousness Jesus demonstrated: - understanding - compassion - forgiveness - the pursuit of true righte…

Church unity is beautiful and powerful! Everyone inside the community benefits - and those outside the community are drawn to this demonstration of the life of Jesus. Our unity grows as our devotion to Jesus leads to greater love for one another - and we grow stronger together. It glorifies Jesus and draws people to Jesus! Romans 1:8-12, John 17:22…

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to those who follow him. The Holy Spirit transforms our character and lives and also imparts supernatural gifts to us. He is a gift from God that is available to anyone who believes! Jesus encouraged us to ask for this gift, so let's ask! And let's keep in step with him as he leads us! John 16:7-15, Acts 1:7-8, Acts 2…

Just as little children learn to walk and run with practice and exercise, we mature spiritually as we practice and exercise spiritually. We start with "baby steps", but develop into maturity as we practice the new ways of the Kingdom of God. As we invest time and effort into things like prayer, Bible reading, obedience and persistence, we "build sp…

When we first put our faith in Jesus, we began a new life - as spiritual babies. But God intends for us to grow up into mature men and women of God who live the way that Jesus lived. Because Jesus is the source of our spiritual life, we need to live in a close relationship with him. To do this, we need to - spend regular, significant time in his pr…

God chose Noah to rescue his family and all created animals from the flood that covered the whole earth. The only way to be rescued was to get on board the ark. A pivotal moment was when the flood began, but the door was still open. This exposed them to the flood. But God closed the door and they were secure. When God gives us something to do, we n…

Jesus is like a farmer and the world is his field. Jesus plants his people as good seed (wheat) - but the devil also plants his people as bad seed (weeds). Jesus has intentionally planted us where we are, to bear fruit where we are. We are planted, not buried! When we are "sleepy", the devil can sow his seed in our field! Matthew 13:24-30 & 36-43, …

The battle recorded in 2 Chronicles 20 teaches some invaluable lessons for the battles we face in life: -Seek the Lord -Remember what God has done before -Realise that the Battle belongs to the Lord -Have faith and allow God’s strength to work through you -Praise and worship the Lord 2 Chronicles 20:1-24, Ephesians 6:12, Luke 18:27, Jeremiah 29:13,…

Jesus calls us to extend grace in the form of forgiveness to those who sin against us. Jesus also calls us to extend grace in the form of redemptive confrontation: - to confront privately, to explain the offence - if this fails, to try again with one or two others - if this fails, to try again with the voice of the church. Forgiveness does not make…

The grace of God is truly amazing! We are saved by this amazing grace - and we can continue to live in this amazing grace! This amazing grace gives us the privilege of sharing in the ministry of Jesus - and of extending his grace to those around us. Let's receive the grace of God, live in the grace of God, and share the grace of God with others! Ep…

Jesus is the true light of the world. When we follow Jesus, we "walk in the light", we "have the light of life", we see the truth (often revealed through the Bible), and we become part of the Kingdom of light. When we have his light, we bring light to others. Our good deeds give light to people & glory to Jesus! Drawing near to Jesus also draws us …

As a follower of Jesus, I can be secure - even in an age of insecurity! - I am absolutely secure in God's grip - no one can snatch me from his mighty hand! - I am perfectly capable of falling - but God is perfectly capable of holding me up! - I will be exposed to temptations, but God has made sure that I can resist them and escape them! - Even when…

Abraham is famous as a man of faith, but his faith was powerfully demonstrated by his obedience. When his faith was weak, he was disobedient, but when his faith was strong, he was obedient. In the end, his faith and obedience were wonderfully rewarded as God fulfilled some wonderful promises - truly, the life that is obedient to God is a blessed li…

Jesus came to earth on a mission to seek and save the lost - all over the world. Many tried to stop him - but no one could. And no one can stop him now! And we are all invited to be a part of his unstoppable mission! Let's join him in this mission - the most glorious mission of all! Matthew 2:1-16, Matthew 4:1-11, John 9:22, John 12:42-43, Matthew …

If we want to fulfil the call of God, we must be prepared for him to test and develop our character.Here are five tests Joseph endured - and passed - on his journey to greatness: 1. His vision was misunderstood and rejected. 2. He experienced painful events that seemed to contradict his vision. 3. He experienced great injustice. 4. He experienced g…

The early Church gives us simple, effective examples about prayer and devotion that can still be practised today by the church. They prayed for power, they prayed for help, they prayed regularly and consistently. We would do well to follow their example and to be deliberate in setting aside a regular "devotional time"! Luke 24:46-53, Acts 1:8-9,14,…

The miracle of Jonah surviving at sea points us to the miracle of Jesus' death and resurrection. It also teaches us that: - You can't run away from God! - You can't stop the sovereign will of God! - Selfishness can keep us from obeying God. - God loves even the worst sinners. Jonah 1-4, Matthew 12:38-40, Romans 10:13-15, Matthew 16:18, Matthew 16:2…

Jesus taught that the end of this age will be "just as it was in the days of Noah". People will be living their lives just as they please, assuming that "life will always go on, not believing the warnings of coming judgement - but Jesus will return and all will be judged Jesus has offered to rescue us - but we have to believe him to be rescued! The…

Jesus is building his church! He is building it with "living stones" - you and I! He has assigned us places and purposes - we have a part to play in his ministry to the world! Let's co-operate with him as he renews us, transforms us, equips us and envisions us! Let's ask him to reveal those things that he has prepared for us to do! Let's take our p…

We need faith in order to please God. Righteousness from God comes from faith. And faith comes from hearing what God has said. The life of faith: - hears what God has said, - believes what God has said and - obeys what God has said. The life of faith is not a perfect life - we may waver...but we can go back to God's words and keep walking! 2 Corint…

Some of Jesus' significant ministry moments took place in very ordinary situations: - Talking to a stranger. - Allowing people to interrupt his plans. - Accepting invitations to a meal. In the same way, we can experience significant ministry if we will take similar opportunities in our "ordinary" day-to-day living. Let's break through our comfort a…

God reveals the future & the possibilities. He shows things we don't expect & can't see. These may be far beyond our abilities & resources. Our walk into our destiny is a journey; it can wind and take time. But it takes us into greater & more glorious places. The prophetic lifts our gaze & our hearts, encouraging us to walk into thatdestiny. We sho…

It is tempting to emulate "successful" people, but we are called to emulate God. Jesus modelled this by representing and revealing God the Father and keeping the focus on him. The Holy Spirit works in a similar way, revealing God to us and leading us into the truth; he enables us to emulate the Father. Hebrews 1:3, John 5:19-20, John 14:9, John 1:1…

Jesus' parable of the net teaches us some vital truths: - A final and eternal separation of souls WILL happen - There are only two possible eternal outcomes - "The fish don't do the sorting" This calls us to answer two questions of eternal significance: - Is MY name written in the Book of Life? - Will I join Jesus on his rescue mission? Matthew 13:…

As we move forward in 2024, let's remember that - the year is unlikely to be free of any storms - Jesus will be with us throughout any hardships - Jesus is faithful and will take us through to the other side - the miracles he has done give us good reason to trust him completely - we need to let go of the past in order to move forward Isaiah 46:9-11…