This story takes place in the Roman Empire. Onesimus, a runaway slave flees from his master, Philemon, who was likely a man of some standing and a follower of Christ. In a surprising turn of events, Onesimus encounters the Apostle Paul, possibly while Paul is imprisoned and through Paul's ministry, Onesimus becomes a Christian.

The story takes a compelling twist with Paul's letter to Philemon. Instead of simply commanding Philemon to take his runaway slave back as punishment, Paul pleads for Onesimus to be received not just as a slave, but as a beloved brother in Christ. Paul even offers to personally repay any debt Onesimus may have incurred. This short personal letter touches on themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, transformation, and the radical equality found within the Christian faith, breaking down societal barriers of the time. So what does this story teach us about the abiding legacy left behind for us by Philemon and Onesimus. What lessons does it have for us today? Join us as we explore this intriguing story as we conclude our abiding legacy series

A young man named Daniel is exiled to Babylon. He is no longer free to determine his own fate, what to eat, wear, learn or even call himself. Yet through this adversity Daniel rose to prominence through his devotion to the God of Israel, the wisdom that came from that relationship and the mysteries he was able to see because of his close proximity to the God of all creation. 

His unwavering faith was despised by some, admired by others and tested to the point of death. Yet Daniel survives and leaves behind a legacy that still resonates into our lives and community today.

In Daniel’s story we’ll explore his integrity and courage in the face of adversity and look at the sovereignty of God over earthly powers. 

We’ll also explore the abiding legacies of his life and what we can take away and add to our own faith journey.

Number 27:1-11

There is so much about these young five women that we need to celebrate and learn from. We can look at the obvious lessons and celebrate them but it is the hidden qualities that they displayed that teaches us a deeper lesson about relationship with God and personal and social structure and the ordinances of God.

Isaiah the prophet challenges us to come and reason with God and these young women observed their predicament based on the culture of the time and decided to change the narrative.

How do we advocate when we see injustice?

How do we present our case so we can be heard?

How do we make systemic change so that others following us can benefit from our efforts?

There is so much to learn from these young women and in this session we’ll explore with the help of the Holy Spirit lessons for us to learn and apply to our lives today.

David is introduced to us as the shepherd boy who came to the rescue of Israel when a Philistine giant had repeatedly challenged God’s people to hand to hand combat but no one in Israel's rank trusted God to prevail on their behalf.

When David appears on the scene. We immediately see his deep affection for God and his passion to see God’s name honoured and vindicated. He steps forward to face the giant and the rest is history.

Today when we hear the term ‘giant killer’ especially in sports, it is a reference to David’s exploits. David's life is a tapestry woven with dramatic threads - his friendship with Jonathan, his tactical military prowess, his courage and leadership and then his failure and repentance.

Today, David’s writings form a part of our spiritual journey and connection to God. So what can we learn from this ancient man, described as ‘man after God's own heart’ and what legacies did he leave behind that still resonates today. We’ll explore all of this and look at how his life is linked to Jesus Christ and the legacies we can leave behind as we emulate David’s life

1 Samuel 17

The Jewish people still remember Esther and her bold intervention in the life of their community. The celebration of purim and the reading of the book of Esther is a reminder of what Esther did.

Esther was a young girl who hid her identity in a foreign land where she was living in exile. Her story unfolds when because of God’s providence she becomes the queen to a capricious king and then faces an impossible dilemma when one of the king's high ranking officers decides to annihilate all Jewish people in the kingdom.

In this session we want to explore lessons we can learn from the life of Esther and how relevant her life is for us today. What do we do when we are safe and others are not. How do we take bold steps when it could have an impact on our own security. How do we access God’s help and how do we work with others when we face challenging situations?

Esther’s legacy still lives on today and we want to explore all that we can learn from this brave woman. 

How do you remain righteous when everyone around you has turned their back on God and the whole world you exist in does not respect or acknowledge God? How do you fulfill God’s task in a world that is hostile to Him and everything He stands for.  

That was the challenge of Noah’s life. In a dark and decayed world, he remained vibrant for God and God chose him for a special task. The scale of God’s task was huge and Noah had to trust God from start to finish.

We are exploring Noah’s life, why was he righteous, how did he undertake his task, what was the condition he existed in and what lessons can we learn about doing God’s will in challenging situations.

Noah left an abiding legacy, he is remembered in the New Testament as one who received righteousness by faith.

Proverbs 15:16, 17:1
What does it mean to live in contentment and how is it different from happiness, complacency and apathy. Paul said ‘I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances’. So, what does contentment look and feel like? Does it depend on external circumstances or is it an internal state? In this talk we’ll explore the characteristics of a content person, things like gratitude, peace of mind and generosity. We’ll explore common obstacles to contentment i.e. comparison, materialism, social media, discontent etc.

At the end of the talk we want to show that contentment is a journey, not a destination and explore practical steps like practicing gratitude’ focus on what you have, spiritual life, realistic expectation as a guardrail against discontentment.

(Other helpful verses - Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 6:6-8; Hebrews 13:5)

(Proverbs 10:12, 16:6, 17:9, 19:11

Forgiveness is a central theme of the Christian faith and God is the ultimate example of forgiveness. The very first human needed God’s forgiveness after the fall and God’s relationship with his people Israel was based on God’s atonement for their sin.

If we are ever to receive God’s blessings, then the journey begins with forgiveness. In truth if our world and communities are ever to know peace then they need to journey through forgiveness.

So in this session, we are going to explore knowing what forgiveness is and what it isn't. We know for example that forgiveness is a choice, a process, not just a one of activity, we know it benefits the person forgiving and it is possible without reconciliation, forgiveness at its heart is a gift. We also know that forgiveness is not condoning or excusing a sinful behaviour or the harm someone has committed, it is not forgetting or reconciliation, denying our feelings or ignoring justice. Forgiveness  is not powerful and at the heart of Jesus' mission here on earth.

We’ll examine what God feels about unforgiveness and explore what we need to do to make forgiveness a normal and natural part of our faith journey.

At the end of the session we want to have clarity about forgiveness and how we can apply its power to our lives so we can live wisely.

Other Biblical References

Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:21-22; Mark 11:25; Luke 23:24 

Proverbs 11:25, 19:17, 22:9

The spirit of generosity runs through the pages of scripture. It can be seen in the world that God created and the resources he placed abundantly within it. It can be seen in the life of Jesus, he gave willingly and freely and abundantly to all who came before him. When Jesus fed the five thousand he did not just give enough but he gave generously with twelve baskets left over. This is a picture of generosity.

As we continue to explore blessed to be a blessing and look at how we can live wisely, we want to explore what we need to know about have a generous heart and why it is important, we’ll explore the opposite of generosity and see how God feels about that (Parable of the unmerciful servant) and then look at what we need to do to cultivate generosity as a lifestyle.

We know that generosity is not just about what we give but who we are. 

We want to finish this session challenged to display generosity to those in our lives by using kind words generously, to give of our time, energy, attention, compassion and forgiveness generously and become a picture of Jesus to those we interact with.

Other Biblical References

Matthew 18:21-35 

At the heart of the book of Proverbs lies the desire by the author to help its readers be successful in all that they do. In this session we’ll explore how diligence and hard work contributes to a well and wisely lived life.

The scriptures through the Old and New Testament tells us and shows what we need to know about the benefits of hard work. The writer of proverbs shows us the ants, Jesus talked about the wise builder and the servants who multiplied their talents. Paul urges us to do everything as if working for the Lord.

The bible also opens our eyes to see what God feels about laziness. It does however give us insights into what we need to do and the benefits of being diligent and hardworking.

At the end of this session we want to be aware of what God wants us to know, feel and do. We also want to encourage each other to start today and not procrastinate on anything God is calling us to do

In the Bible, diligence is a virtue that means to work hard and persevere in one's efforts. It is characterized by careful attention to detail, a desire to serve others, and a commitment to excellence.

Other Biblical References

Proverbs 31; Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 12:24; Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 14:23