This week Olivia Elmes asks us a key question – What do you believe about the Gospel? This is not what we have heard, or think, but what do we truly believe about the gospel. Many versions of what the gospel means exist for many people, but what does this mean for us? What we think can be fleeting but what we believe models our lives as deeply rooted convictions. What we believe determines our responses, rather than what we think. Romans 1:16 (NKJV) states “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek”. This is powerful! The gospel is the power of God to salvation for believers. It is not a story but the power of God and hence a call to action. We can know a lot about the gospel but it’s not until we believe with our hearts that our lives change. 

Do we know what we believe about the gospel? This is important. Sometimes we live in a glass box and we hear and know about the gospel but do not let Jesus into our lives because we have not believed His gospel message. The glass boxes need smashing! Are we hot or cold for Jesus? There is no middle ground or sitting on the fence. At some time we need to make the decision to believe the gospel for ourselves and become saved in reality. 

The gospel is a story of God’s love for us, a creator God loving His masterpiece of creation. But sin entered the world through Adam. Sin payments were made all the way through the Old Testament but the full payment was made by Jesus’ blood as He was sacrificed on the cross. John 3:16 (NKJV) says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. Note this does not say that God tolerated the world or similar words; it is an expression of His love. It also tells us that salvation comes from believing, not doing or anything else, solely believing. This is why the question about what we believe is so crucial. It is a call to action, what do we believe? All roads do not lead to God, only Jesus leads to Lord God. We were created for relationship with God. Let us make the decision to start this relationship with God.

This is a re-release of a message preached on Sunday 26th May 2019.

Where we're at in our relationship with God can make a big difference in the lives of people around us - we may be the closest thing to Jesus that people see - so where is Jesus positioned in your life? In this spin off episode of the Restoring Relationships series, Ps Matt Russell takes us back to where our relationship with God began, then reminds us that God's plan to restore our relationship with Him was always Jesus.

Pastor Andy speaks about Transformation not Modification. Last week we heard personal testimonies about how God had changed people and transformed their lives. We can only manage modification but God produces transformation – God on the inside of us changing us totally from the inside out. This is not behaviour modification. God does not just save us but also change us from the inside out, just as in a metamorphosis (a change from one form to another).

Much of religion only has a gospel of behaviour modification yet the gospel of Jesus Christ is about God coming to live within a person’s life transforming them. Whether instant or process there is always a starting point. In Luke 19, scripture recalls the life of Zacchaeus, a thief wanting to give back to those he stole from……this was an instant encounter with God that transformed a life. In Acts 9 there is a moment where Saul a serial killer is transformed ….a light shone, he fell to the ground hearing a voice calling him. He asks who calls and hears “I am Jesus who you persecute”…. Later he becomes Paul but from that moment everything became different, a transformed life.

Transformation can be instantaneous but also ongoing as well, even if started by a single event, perhaps when we received The Lord. As we commit to living a life of “abiding in Him” (John 15) then there is an ongoing transformation. Many disciples had this type of change as they walked with Jesus over time. There can be moments but as we commit to walking with Him our lives will be transformed.

His presence, His Spirit and His Word will transform us daily as we walk with Him. This is still His plan to transform us as it was during biblical times. When we love the presence of God, things that are wrong cannot remain.. deceptions, stubborn things! The bible says we are transformed by His Spirit - 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NKJV) says “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”. The Holy Spirit now in us causes the transformation in our lives and moves us from glory to glory to be more Christ like. Often this is ongoing when we don’t realise it. Also His Word, the supernatural living words cause everlasting change.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) says ”And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. This renewing of our minds comes from reading His word. The Passion Translation embroiders this text further… “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes”. WOW! The Holy Spirit and The Word almost dance together inside us to make changes from the inside out. ….The word of God and The Spirit of God were present in creation (Genesis). What for us? We can only manage modification. God does transformation – which occurs when we choose to yield and submit to Him. All we must do is yield and obey….not purpose in our hearts to do what we wish to do but yield to the Holy Spirit and the Word. Obedience is key and produces fruit. Let us be hungry for God and His change in our lives.

This is a re-release of a message preached on Sunday 9th June 2019.

God is the Father of compassion and God of all comfort, but we can't receive comfort unless we're honest about our discomfort. Ps Lisa Adjei speaks in our Restoring Relationships series and reminds us that we have to encounter God's love for ourselves & then find healing as restoration starts within ourselves.

This is a re-release of a message preached on Sunday 2nd June 2019.

By choosing to forgive, we are not only in a position to restore our current relationships but protect our future ones. Continuing the 'Restoring Relationships' series via a detour from the signs of life, Ps Hayley shares her own story of family restoration, describing how unforgiveness can be like gripping on to a cactus, but freedom comes from allowing Jesus into the hurts.

This Sunday’s broadcast was titled “This is My Story”. An exciting Sunday's broadcast where we heard from individuals about how their lives have been transformed by God! Several testimonies from Family Church members about how God has impacted their lives and changed them personally gave gripping insight into how God transforms from the inside in a relational way.

Following this, Pastor Andy spoke briefly about transformed lives, people encountering God from the inside out, not outside in as religion tries to. Real lives welcome the opportunity with Jesus and consequently have their lives changed. The Bible is full of such stories, especially in the gospels; how Jesus met the lady at the well whose life was out of control, when Jesus met the religious Nicodemus (a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin) and answered questions leading to his life changing.

Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1) was a tax collector and a thief, but he wanted to see Jesus. Being not too tall, he climbed a tree to be able to see Jesus pass by. Amazingly, Jesus tells him to come down immediately and tells him he wants to come to his home. People saw that Jesus was a guest of a sinner, not preaching, but only sitting eating with Zacchaeus who consequently says he will give half his money to the poor and repay people four times anything he had robbed them! Jesus announces how salvation has come to Zacchaeus’ house, how the Son of man has come to save the lost.

It’s a great story as Zacchaeus would not have wanted religion, being a tax collector he would have seen such people as hypocrites…he must have been amazed when Jesus stopped, looked up at the tree and said, “Today I want to come to your house”. We note Jesus did not preach to him or tell him off for his sins; just being in the presence of Jesus was enough to cause the transformation of Zacchaeus' life. Previously he had been a thief, now he wanted to recompense everyone! In the moment of encounter with Jesus everything had changed, just as we heard from other people today during the service. When you really meet Jesus, everything inside you changes. Suddenly the life that matters breaks out and relationships begin. God is an incredible God, still changing lives in present days just as in Biblical times.

This is a re-release of a message preached on Sunday 26th May 2019. 

Continuing 'Restoring Relationships' through the fourth sign of life - excretion of waste / by-products. Familiarity is a natural by-product of relationships, but it can lead to disconnection if our assumptions stop us getting close enough to talk / ask questions. Have we become so familiar with the Word of God that we are no longer moved by or even believe it?

Pastor Andy speaks about being a people of presence and harvest for The Lord. We are a community of people who love and honour and have regard for the presence of God.

Exodus 33:7-11 looks at the relationship Moses had with God under the old covenant and describes the Tent of Meeting where Moses would meet with the Lord in an intimate way. Afterwards, Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent (he stayed to get the remnant of God’s presence).

So Moses had a designated place of meeting with The Lord, away from others, however other people benefitted from his time with The Lord. Moses would receive all he needed and also all he needed to lead other people, it was a relational not religious place, much as in the gospels where Jesus went away to be in the presence of The Father and receive all He needed.

Moses (and Joshua) loved the presence of God, experiencing life changing moments. Exodus 33:14 tells us that true rest is found in the presence of God. Verse 16 (NIV) is challenging “How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” It is the presence of God that distinguishes us from others in the world, so if we do not walk in the presence of God we are no different to anyone else.

Today we are in New Covenant times; we are able to know the presence of God in a greater way as God has achieved more for us through the blood of Jesus. The Old Covenant was about tents and temples made by man where the presence of God could be found momentarily. All these were just shadows of what we can now know. The New Testament does not say we meet Jesus in a temple or tent but that God is within us. Our lives have become temples and tents of meeting with God!

Paul speaks to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NKJV) “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

This is the revelation within this week’s message from Pastor Andy - Moses experienced moments of presence but we are to know abiding presence.

Each of us who have accepted Jesus has been made holy and righteous through God’s son-ship. We have been made so holy that the Holy Spirit would call us His Temple. Christ prepared our lives for the abiding presence of God in our lives just as the Tent had to be prepared for the presence of God in the Old Testament. We have abiding presence. He never leaves nor forsakes us. We cannot underestimate the value of this. The same presence of God that Moses experienced in the Tent is available to us every day.

John 15:4-5 (NIV) tells us “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”. So if we are abiding in Him we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.

Let us do three things:-

This is a re-release of a message preached on Sunday 19th May 2019.

Continuing to look at restoring relationships through the signs of life, this week focuses on movement. Ps Charlie takes us through the outworking of salvation in its past, present & future aspects. While God has already set us free, on earth there is a becoming like Christ that can't be done without other people.

This is a re-release of a message preached on Sunday 12th May 2019.

This week we're looking at the second biological sign of life - respiration - or in simple terms - breathing! Ps Charlie explains that just as we were created to be physically reliant on breathing oxygen, we were created to be spiritually reliant on breathing the Spirit of God. In order to fulfil our purpose of loving people, we need to breathe more deeply of God.