This week we examine the background to the exile into Babylon, how it was different to the Assyrian conquest of the Norther kingdom of Israel and what God's intentions in exiling some of the people of Judah into Babylon was.

In this the last episode of our Kingdom Living series we examine the foundations of our faith and explore whether our faith is built on the sand or on the rock. What does it mean to build our foundations on the rock? what does it look like to live out our faith with solid and firm foundations?

In this the second last episode of our Kingdom Living series we look to the challenge of Jesus in what it really takes to follow Him. For many people who consider themselves Christians, Jesus challenges us to be more than simply an enthusiastic fan. As we examine our hearts and relationship with Jesus, we seek to reflect and define what our relationship with him really is - is it one of causal comfort, or radical transformation?

This week we look at how Jesus teaches us to measure the trustworthiness of the teaching and information we follow. We look at how this applies not only to our faith and understanding the bible, but to all aspects of our lives. We also come to reflect on how our words and actions measure up to these tests when we consider how we teach and influence others through our relationships and also online.

This week we look at Jesus teaching about the narrow way and the wide way. The narrow way is hard, marked with tribulation and difficult to follow. We examine why this is the case, even for Christians and how we can follow Jesus through this narrow way that leads to life. Our prayer is that God would lead us in His ways, lead us in His Love and lead us in our lives.

This week we come to Matthew chapter 7. Jesus challenges us to consider the way we measure our own righteousness. He tells us to not judge others, but instead focus on growing our own righteousness. The balance Jesus brings is to not simply believe and trust everything but to be discerning. Jesus finishes off the passage by demonstrating how we do all of this - through prayer, seeking all of the things Jesus has called us to pursue thus far in his sermon - God’s righteousness, humility, compassion, gentleness and love.

This week we’re challenged to examine the things in our lives which we treasure most be it our goals, possessions or even western values. We look at when these things which can be good, become problems and what it means to “seek, first His Kingdom” by slowing down, listening more and waiting upon the Lord.

This week we come to the middle of Jesus Sermon on the mount. We're reminded how the way we live out our faith is often shaped by our need to be recognised, to gain the approval of others and our need to shift the focus of our Christianity to be about ourselves. Instead Jesus reminds us that being a Christian is about God's glory and His kingdom and the best way for us to live out our faith is to keep Jesus at the centre.

As Christians, as followers of Jesus, God’s law is not just a part of our faith, it is right at the centre of it. God’s law reveals to us His goodness, His righteousness, His Holiness but also His love, His grace and Mercy and His justice. This week we explore what it means to be a follower of Jesus and what it means to engage with the heart of the Law.

Paul tells us that the Law exposes our sinfulness. In fulfilling the Law, Jesus frees us from the burden of the law, not so we can ignore it, but so that we can engage freely with the heart of the law.