Advertising agencies and marketing companies are constantly offering a New You.They offer hope. Much of that hope is false hope and leads to disappointment. Chris explores what is necessary for hope to have a beneficial impact on our lives and offers new life and new hope based on the truth of Jesus death and resurrection.
In this Baptism service, Chris preaches on 2 Corinthians 5:16 – 6:2.
Continuing the theme of the importance of the resurrection in forming our vision, Chris deepens our understanding of the seeds of resurrection being formed by our choices now.
As we continue to apply the Apostle Paul’s teaching from 1 Cor 15 to our life as a church we consider those things which Paul says are of first importance. In response there is an opportunity to covenant again with the Lord.
The leaders away day focussed on responding to God’s prophetic word through the church meeting. Chris tests the outcome of this prayerful reflection against scripture. He encourages us to discover our gifts and challenges us to put them to use in serving others in our local community. In short to be “prepared to serve”.
Chris explains why we should eagerly desire the gift of prophecy and how to go about uses this gift based on 1 Cor 14.
The apostle Paul highlights three ways in which the interdependence of believers is undermined. Failure to acknowledge variety, inferiority and
superiority. Chris challenges us to overcome these tendencies and to opt to commit to interdependence.
Chris sketches out the general vision of where God seems to be leading us and briefly shares his hopes and dreams for the year ahead. Using 1 Corinthians 12 he then challenges us to eagerly desire the spiritual gifts and to excel in exercising the gifts God has given us, in the service He has called us to, and in the way He chooses to work in us.
As members of the congregation share stories of God’s love over that last year Chris applies Romans 5:1-10 explaining that we receive and experience this love through the Holy Spirit and are enabled to express it by the gifts He brings.
In these recordings of the Sunday Club Carol Service and Carols by Candlelight, Chris speaks of how Jesus is a different King to how a king would be imaged to be – A King forever; A King from Heaven; and a King who gives. He then examines how the birth of Jesus fulfils God’s big promises to us and challenges us to choose to accept God’s promise and put our trust in Him.