elimworthing

In a world that tells you to "fight for your rights" and "win at all costs," Peter introduces a concept that feels almost offensive to our modern ears: Strange Submission. How do we relate to a government we didn't vote for? Or a boss who is unfair? How do we show respect to those who have enslaved us and want to continue to do so? Peter argues that the most powerful thing a follower of Jesus can do is to "live such good lives" that even their critics are silenced. This isn't about being a doormat; it’s about a strategic, dignified choice to follow the "footsteps" of Jesus—the King who won the world not by fighting for his rights, but by laying them down. Join us as we explore how to navigate hostile spaces with a quiet strength that shocks the world.

In a culture that tells us to "follow your heart" and "live your truth," Peter’s advice sounds incredibly jarring. He calls us to "gird up the loins of our minds"—essentially telling us to pull our thoughts together and get serious. This isn't about being "religious"; it's about being sober-minded. The "Strange Standard" is Holiness. For many, that word feels heavy or judgmental, but in this session, we redefine it. Holiness isn't about being "stuck up"; it’s about being "set apart" for a specific purpose. We are trading the "human passions" that once drove us for a life that mirrors the character of God. Join us as we explore how a higher standard leads to a deeper freedom.

We are exploring the book of 1 Peter over the next few weeks

This is a short and easy book to read, it was written by Peter, one of the main disciples of Jesus Christ and an eye witness to all the things that Jesus did and what happened to him.

'Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. ' 1 Peter 4:12

We have followed Abraham into the unknown and stepped onto the water with Peter, witnessing how faith moves us into radical action. But what happens when you’ve done your due diligence—you’ve prayed, listened, and acted—yet heaven remains silent? What do you do when the "walls" in your life remain standing, the opposition seems to be winning, and your persistence feels like it’s hitting a dead end?

In this final session, we explore the "space in between." We are looking at the "long obedience in the same direction"—the dogged persistence required to follow divine instructions even when there are no immediate results.

Through the story of Joshua and the silent march around Jericho, we’ll uncover lessons that are vital for our 21st-century walk. We will examine why God often requires a process before a breakthrough and how to apply the principle that "obedience is better than sacrifice." Join us as we learn from Joshua’s leadership and discover how to keep walking until the walls that restrict God’s blessings finally come down.

The Apostle James suggests that faith without movement might actually be no faith at all. In our last session, we watched Abraham leave the known for the unknown; today, we witnessed the "kinetic moment" of faith. What happens when we are called to step into a situation that—scientifically and rationally speaking—defies the very laws of physics?

This session explores the art of "stepping out." We are diving into Peter’s famous interaction with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee to uncover what it looks like to follow a command that makes no sense to the natural mind.

We will tackle the hard questions: Why was Peter the only one to leave the boat? What did he experience in that gravity-defying moment that challenges our modern view of reality? Most importantly, we’ll examine what "shipwrecked" his momentum and how we can distinguish between courageous biblical faith and mere wishful thinking.

It’s time to look at the mechanics of the miracle and the lessons it holds for our own "out of the boat" moments.

Is faith merely wishful thinking, eventually eclipsed by the lens of science? Even among believers, the lines can often blur: where does authentic faith end, and where does common sense or rational thinking begin?

The Bible is unequivocal on the matter: the just shall live by faith. This isn’t just a religious platitude; it is a fundamental orientation of the mind, defining how we navigate life through its various seasons.

In this first session, we aren't just talking about abstract concepts—we are building a foundation. Together, we will examine the principles the Bible provides for "walking by faith" and untangle the conversation between faith and reason. We will move beyond the common friction of the Conflict Model to explore Compatibility and Integration models—investigating whether faith requires empirical evidence or if it operates on an entirely different frequency of reasoning.

We live in a performance-driven world. From our jobs to our social feeds, we are taught that we are only as good as our last "win." Tragically, this mindset often leaks into our faith. We start to believe a dangerous lie: that we are saved by grace, but accepted by our works. 

The truth however is this “No Add-Ons Required"

It’s important to be aware of the religious rules and denominational red tape. We need to separate those lies from the truth that lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It is a truth that is both simple and scandalous: We are saved by Christ and Christ alone. There are no "add-ons." There is no "subscription fee" for God's favour

If you feel like your faith is stifled, it might be because you’re trying to earn a status you already have. In this final session of The Constant New, we are exploring the mechanics of The Great Exchange - what does it mean that…

• Jesus took our sin-stained offering so we could be clothed in His radical righteousness.
• You don’t work for righteousness; you work from it.
• You are right with God and He wants us to stop striving and start living in the goodness that comes from being "right" with God.

So, How do you survive in a broken world without losing your peace? You learn to live in Heaven’s breath. Join us for this series finale as we lay down the heavy burden of performance and pick up the gift of grace

Anyone who has migrated to a new country knows the tension: how do you honour your roots without losing yourself in a new culture? How do you adapt to your environment without being absorbed by it? As believers, we face this daily. We are living in a culture that isn't our "home" country, and the pressure to blend in is constant.

In this session of The Constant New, we’re exposing the temptation to simply "settle down." It is easy to acquiesce to the prevailing culture and become a mere citizen of our environment—adopting its values, its habits, and its silences. But God hasn't called you to be a resident; He has called you to be an Ambassador.

An ambassador doesn’t just live in a foreign land; they represent the interests of the Kingdom that sent them. We’ll be exploring:

• What does it actually look like to carry the "diplomatic immunity" and authority of Heaven?
• How do we live so that our life becomes an appeal from God to the world, rather than an apology for our faith.
• How do we speak for Christ with the boldness of a kingdom official, not the hesitation of a guest.Anyone who has migrated to a new country knows the tension: how do you honour your roots without losing yourself in a new culture? How do you adapt to your environment without being absorbed by it? As believers, we face this daily. We are living in a culture that isn't our "home" country, and the pressure to blend in is constant.
  
  In this session of The Constant New, we’re exposing the temptation to simply "settle down." It is easy to acquiesce to the prevailing culture and become a mere citizen of our environment—adopting its values, its habits, and its silences. But God hasn't called you to be a resident; He has called you to be an Ambassador.
  
  An ambassador doesn’t just live in a foreign land; they represent the interests of the Kingdom that sent them. We’ll be exploring:
  • What does it actually look like to carry the "diplomatic immunity" and authority of Heaven?
  • How do we live so that our life becomes an appeal from God to the world, rather than an apology for our faith.
  • How do we speak for Christ with the boldness of a kingdom official, not the hesitation of a guest.

Moving from Spiritual Consumerism to  Spiritual Contribution

'The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.' Lamentations 3:22-23

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17

• So how do we stay constantly new?
• How do we grow in the new life God has given us?
• How do we silence the influence of the old life?
• How do we override our default settings with the new life God has given us?
• How do we draw strength from God’s Holy Spirit who is the one that empowers our new life rather than our own self efforts?

Most of us carry a "backstory”, chapters of our lives we’d rather keep closed, moments that still spark a flicker of shame, or memories we desperately wish we could delete. We often try to outrun our past, but the reality is that an unresolved past has a way of casting a shadow over our present, no matter how hard we try to ignore it.

We serve a God who has given us a Spirit of power and love, inviting us to approach His throne of grace with bold confidence. He wants us to move through the world in total freedom. Yet, we have an adversary who specializes in "stale shame." The enemy’s goal is to use the regrets of yesterday to destabilize your confidence today—to keep you anchored to a version of yourself that no longer exists.

In this session, we are going to confront the truth about "the old." We aren't just talking about old sins, but the old ways we’ve learned to cope with them. If God has truly buried our past in the grave of Christ, why are we so tempted to exhume it?

Today, we aren't just looking back; we are looking forward. We are here to celebrate the "New" that is constant and current. It is time to stop visiting the cemetery of our old mistakes and start living in the liberty of the Resurrection. The grave is empty, the old is gone, and a new life has begun.