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We miss so much of the power of Christmas because it has become so familiar. There is so much grace in the story - 700 years before Jesus was born a prophet spoke into the people and the resonance is as powerful and relevant today in the 21st century as it was then. Be amazed again at the grace of God for you

This week at Exchange we were blessed to have the international speaker and author Ray Bevan at our church. In this powerful message, he shows us through the story and lineage of Seth, how God’s grace goes beyond the forgiveness of our sin into actually forgetting what has happened in our past and rewriting it out of our history. Be encouraged !

What are you waiting to do because you don’t feel confident enough? Many of us are not seeing more of the promises of God because we are stuck. God tells us time and time again to have courage - it’s often what kick starts us into an experience of grace. It’s about our heart and choices and God knows we need it. Don’t stay stuck for a minute longer than you have to. Courage will move you!

Many of us go through life trying to please everyone around us and end pleasing no one! We often feel frustrated and exhausted from saying yes when we want to say no! Penny looks at how the Bible describes this as the fear of man. The only antidote to fear is the love of Jesus. He came to set us free from all our fears and to lead us in a life of peace and joy.

Money is a pressure for most people. Then you come to church and you hear the word Tithe - What goes off in your head when you hear that word? You are under grace - does that mean that you no longer tithe? Have you been "set free" from giving? How you respond when challenged about what you give reveals what you really believe about God. You may try to argue about theology but the truth of it is that our response to giving shows the true condition of our hearts. Is God true or not? So why give? Is God wanting to make you or break you? This is a great talk to challenge and free you.

Pressure is a part of life for everyone. We need to watch though as often we are the cause of the pressure that affects us. When we look at Jesus we see how He dealt with pressure himself and there we can learn from Him. Where did He start from and what did He do? he was a man like us, God as well, but He knew all about pressure. So lets look at Him and learn

Pressure comes from lots of different sources - and sometimes that source is us. Jesus is always leading us to a deeper lived experience of His grace but sometimes we talk ourselves out of it and choose a different way. That brings pressure into our lives. There is good news in that even we choose poorly that His grace is more than what we need to help us - but grace also helps us to respond with faith and choose Him.

Pressure is force that is applied to an object. We all live under pressure - some more than others but we all know what it is like. How do allow the finished work of Jesus to impact and change that? What is it that we can learn about grace that helps us when we are under pressure? - Andrew lays the foundation for this series by showing us where we can start...

We live in a world where relationships are often formed through fear and the need for approval. Not so with Jesus. Through fear and failure, Jesus continues to love you. Despite our best efforts, he will always maintain connection with his eyes firmly fixed on you. He doesn't just forgive, he also restores. Adam looks at the example of Peter denying Christ, yet Jesus washes over his lowest moment with love. Be blessed, Jesus is fixed on you!