The grace of God appeared decisively in history when Jesus Christ entered the scene. St. Paul shows that this appearing of God’s grace is the basis of our present moral and ethical transformation, and sets us up to anticipate the future return of Christ. When we see and understand the grace of God we are […]

When we get the truth straight, and allow the truth to shape us, our lives will begin to beautify the message of Jesus. In this passage, the Apostle Paul sketches out a vision of the Radical Ordinary – lives lived in counter-cultural gospel community. As contemporary Western society has less in common with its Christian […]

The first believers in Crete had enthusiastically accepted the gospel message of Jesus. They then gathered together in small communities where they could worship and live for Jesus together. But there was a fake message going around the island: one that sounded similar but was actually threatened the existence of the believing communities. In this […]

Finding and affirming excellent leadership is key to the growth of a healthy church. That is why St. Paul addresses the issue first in his letter to Titus. The message about Jesus has been shared powerfully on Crete. Communities of people have been formed around their shared belief in the gospel message. But these communities […]

It is often said that we are living in a post-truth world. Fake news and various conspiracy theories gain increasing traction in mainstream thought life, influencing the shape of our contemporary discourse. Truth claims are seen as attempts to manipulate and gain power. This leads to widespread scepticism and suspicion about anyone making ultimate truth […]

For all the positive steps forward in the work of restoration, God’s people come to a life-or-death decision – do they follow God with their whole hearts? This final message in our Restoration series through the book of Ezra comes to a climactic – and unfinished – ending. As contemporary readers we are left with […]

For all the progress that was made by the restoration community, there was a serious problem that threatened their entire existence. How could things get so bad? Ezra discovers that the community had allowed themselves to become critically compromised by intermarrying into the surrounding pagan nations. It seems that all their external actions of worship […]

All relationships are enhanced and strengthened by trust. Nowhere is this more true than our relationship with God. In this message we learn from Ezra 8 what trusting God looks like in real life. If we really trust God and live consistently with our beliefs about him, we will be used in powerful ways by […]

Ezra was known as ‘the Second Moses’ such was his significance in the restoration process of God’s people. He was extraordinarily effective in God’s kingdom work. In this message we examine Three Qualities of an Extraordinarily Effective Kingdom Builder. Through Ezra we are given a model to follow if we are to be used by […]

When the temple in Jerusalem is finally completed the community erupt in deep joy. However this joy is not merely the result of a good job well done. It is rooted in the discovery that the God who decreed all this to happen was good to his word. His promises were fulfilled as he stated […]