Speaking on outreach, Paul Jukes shares a message on Genesis 24 in which a servant of the master Abraham goes in search of a bride for his son Isaac. As they stop for a drink at a well, they meet Rebekah who was looking for an opportunity not in the form of a big event but an everyday task! She responds quickly and takes the initiative to draw water for the ten camels too! In doing so, she passed the test; she demonstrated her ability to finish the task and get the job done! These are the qualities that the master is looking for in a future bride; God is looking for us to go all the way to camel 10! Paul finishes the message by focusing on the quality that Rebekah demonstrated in doing this - 'checed' - Hebrew for lovingkindness (Lamentations 3:22, Titus 3:4-5). If we are to be far-reaching, we would do well to follow Rebekah's example!

On Mothering Sunday, Sara Jukes continued our 'Far Reaching' series, with a message titled, 'Far Reaching Starts at Home'. Drawing inspiration from two women in the bible - Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-2) and Jedidah (2 Kings 22:1-2) - Sara encourages us to believe again, to believe in ourselves and to believe in in what God is doing in and through us. In addition, Sara reminds us of the power of a positive influence. Whoever we are, we can make a difference, even if we don't see the impact we are making! If we want to reach out to other people to share the good news of Jesus, it starts at home; we should love those closest to us; our children, our spouses, our family and our neighbours.

Rob Pitts - Commissioned for the Mission by Breathe New Life Church

Continuing our 2021 vision series, Paul Jukes preached a message titled, 'Standing in the River.' In Joshua chapter 3, we read about the Israelites who were able to safely cross the Jordan river whilst the water stood up like a wall, leaving the dry riverbed exposed to create a path for the Priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to go first and the people to follow about half a mile behind. In this message, Paul highlights that Jesus - the Great High Priest - is with us in our own personal rivers of impossibilities and he leads the way for us to walk through them and to the path of victory. In order to do this, we simply need to come to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.

In part two of this message titled, 'Stand', Sara Jukes focuses on the final two 'stands' that Paul first introduced on Vision Sunday; stand out and stand up for others. These five 'stands' relate to the five aspects of our church vision of multitudes of trees planted by a river; Jesus Centred, Rooted, Together, Broad and Far Reaching. In Ezekiel 37, the prophet Ezekiel sees a vision of a valley of dry bones and witnesses God breathing new life into them and bringing them back to life, standing to their feet, a huge army! In this message, Sara asks the question, 'how do we stand again?'

In the first of a two-part message titled, 'Stand', Sara Jukes unpacks the vision focus for the year. Sara highlights the first three ways in which we are to stand during 2021 which Paul first shared as our focus for the year on Vision Sunday in January. These five 'stands' relate to the five aspects of our church vision of multitudes of trees planted by a river; Jesus Centred, Rooted, Together, Broad and Far Reaching. In the context of the parable that Jesus tells in Matthew 7:24-27, in which one man builds a house on a rock and the other builds a house on sand, Sara shares about standing with Jesus (Jesus centred), standing on His promises (rooted) and standing together (together). Next week, she will look at standing out (broad) and stand up for others (far reaching.)

Following last Sunday's Vision Sunday message titled, 'Stand', Paul Jukes follows-up with an Offering Sunday message titled, 'We Are One.' In John 17, Jesus prays for all believers that they would be "one" in the same way that He and Father God are "one". As it says in Galatians 3:28, "we are all one in Christ Jesus." In this message Paul talks about three ways in which we - as a Church - are all one, 1. everyone PRAYS, everyone GIVES and everyone SERVES. The wonderful thing about being part of the Church and being one in Christ Jesus is that everyone COUNTS.

On Vision Sunday 2021, Paul Jukes preached a message titled, 'Stand' which is the key word for our vision focus this year. As it says in Romans 8:33, "God himself has given us right standing", therefore this year, we are to stand with Jesus who gives us "overwhelming victory!" We are also to stand on His promises, stand together, stand out and stand up for others. Jesus stood up for a woman caught in adultery in John 8 much like he stands with us today!

Ben Hodgson continues our 3-part review of our Core Values by preaching a message on kindness. If Jesus is both fully God and fully human, he must have experienced the same challenges that we have when it comes to being kind! Using the famous passage in John 4, in which Jesus meets the Woman at the Well, Ben unpacks three top tips for How to be Kind. Like Jesus, we should walk in other people's shoes, be kind to ourselves and also open our eyes!

Steff Hodgson continues our 3-part review of our Core Values by preaching a message on freedom. In this message, Steff makes the very valid claim that God’s boundaries are part of his design for you to live free! Using the illustration of a parent giving their child ground rules before playing in the park, Steff rightly says that freedom is only freedom when it is safe. Like a parent, God wants us to be safe so we should stay where He can see us and where we can see him. If we do so, we'll be free and also safe.