There is a Croatian practise of burning a ship from the previous season. This community event is symbolic of leaving behind the mistakes, hindrances and excesses that didn't serve. As the ship burned, it was a dramatic visual of this process: learning from mistakes, embracing clarity and being fortified to make better decisions for the new season beginning.

What do you want?

If Jesus was standing in front of you looking intently into your eyes and asked you this question, what would you say?

 What would you lay down to take hold of what He has promised? 

We trust that as you listen to this message you would be clear-minded on what you want and that you would hunger and thirst for righteousness. 

Song played:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6qNSq6OKjNgXAn3Kj9HBKf?si=cGiNtwu8RUKbhJatDov8mA

Greg discusses points from the books of Ephesians and Zechariah that illustrate the importance of prizing the Lord’s presence, Holy Spirit’s invaluable role, and His inexhaustible supply, for the life of the believer and the church.

The word witness is rooted in the work for martyr. It should make us stop and pause. You are called to be His witnesses. And our lives are reflecting a continual death to self.

Our sense of self-sufficiency and our sense of self-preservation look like certain values, personal benchmarks, judgement of others our dreams, desires and plans. Will you ask God to show you what to lay down?

 Why? Because we have decided what we want: the presence of Jesus. And our Jesus wants to see the the lives of people that revived and set free.

 We trust that this word would encourage you as you seek the presence of Jesus this week. 

It’s easy to see pastors and people “upfront” as God’s special people. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re believing that in any measure, Nick calls us to remember and believe scripture over believing the lies of hell. Your life is significant. How you live now matters.

We are treasured sons and daughters and our natures are to reflect our Heavenly Father. This is not done from a place of self-conjuring or peer-group behaviour modification. We are transformed as we know Him more and understand His love for us.

The accounts of Caleb and Joshua, in the books of Exodus, Numbers, and Joshua, have a lot to teach us. As a foretaste of what is described in the book of Ephesians, where the believer is encouraged to adopt a “sit, walk, stand” type posture, Greg explains how Joshua and Caleb were already exhibiting this spiritual discipline in their day.

An encouragement for all of us who are contending for the promises of God spoken over our lives and communities.

We often mistake ease for favour or direction. It's understandable. When we look at the land of promise that God wanted to give to the Israelites we notice in the narrative great opposition which means the need for courage, grit and resilience. Our King is a snake-crusher, giant-slaying King. Being his people requires us to mirror Him and it starts with being faithful and walk daily with the Lord with small things and in the cycles in our hearts and families. His kingdom is in direct opposition to the kingdoms of this world - He is God overall and the King over our lives, in this lifetime.

Ryan Matthews preaches about being a people of promise and destiny for a Kingdom we establish through our lives in our lifetime.

God infused into human-kind the essence that makes us His image-bearers. Our beauty lies in our lives reflecting the purpose for which He, Yahweh made us. Beauty is on display, in our fulfilled design. 

God knows what He made you for: Himself and to carry His Kingdom. He has made you for good works. 

Melissa prepares our hearts for this festive season, reminding us of how the great story of God includes all. And that means you. And that means our enemies. The fact that the genealogy of Jesus includes women with messy and scandalous lives, and the first people to hear of His birth were (very dirty) Shepards, who often were looked down upon by the Jewish community to the first gift-givers who were Shamanic astrologers not knowing the Jewish scripture but followed a star in faith - God is inviting and speaking, breaking the silence of almost 400 years with the birth of His Son with an invitation that started in Eden and is extends to you and for generations to come. That He is Yahweh and we are His people through the great gift of His Son.

We trust you will trust in Jesus more and accept an invitation to know Him.

Ryan looks at Act 5 and how the pressure of the times on the people in the early church produced a strengthened church who did not shrink back despite rabid opposition, dangerous men and all kinds of dissuading circumstances. Why didn’t they lay down this new found belief that would have bought relief and an end to the opposition?

Simply, Jesus.

God is not looking for heroes nor needs them to move the church forward. Its people who are yielded to His Spirit who keep standing and keep going.