Jesus could have been overwhelmed by the thronging crowds or those who misunderstood Him. Here Jesus calls His followers to, and explains how to be "more righteous than the Pharisees and Teachers" - remember who God is and what They have promised, remember who you are, and remember who others are.

Whatdoesitmeantolivethe "GOOD LIFE"? So much of our time and energy goes in to pursuing a life that we (or others) deem to be of value - but howdoyou go about defining this?Doyou turn to philosophy? Religion? Tik tok? Andwhatdoesit look like to bring this vision of the good life in line with Jesus? Thisisthe task of the opening of the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus elevates those who he sees as foundational to God's kingdom. Spoler alert, it's not who you'd expect. Thesearethe people whoare#BLESSED.

What if the Kingdom of Heaven was not far? What if it truly was in our midst? And what if it has been here all along, waiting to break through?

This week we begin our series in the Sermon in the Mount with a radical proposition - that the Kingdom of Heaven starts here, and now, with you. In Jesus radical new vision for a transformed humanity, he offers a challenge. Will you live and love in such a way as to bring this kingdom to earth?

"Getting through hard times is a challenge and can break down our wellbeing and faith when we do not know our worth and purpose. Lets look at how the wisdom books share about how being loving to our humanness and how living with the value and actions of shalom can nurture our dignity, resilience and joy no matter what experiences we are facing."

The world is in dire need of less jerks. Thankfully, we have ancient wisdom that guides us in how to achieve that exact goal, and it all centres around one deeply subversive idea: humility.

Out beyond the rules, past the guilt trips, and more powerful than the nagging lies a deeply liberating invitation to take on a posture of generosity. As we continue our journey through the Wisdom Literature we are reminded of ancient postures which sidestep the rat-race and free us to reconsider how we relate to money.

Our modern world craves wisdom - and in this series we turn to the ancient books of Job, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs to discover a type of wisdom that is woven into the very fabric of the universe. As we kick off the series, we discuss how to hand conflict in relationships - the dos, the don'ts, and the liberating invitation of working toward Shalom.

As we conclude our series in Ezekiel, we discuss a foundational affirmation: NCC exists in the hope (and belief) that God is loving, that all of creation is being and will be restored. We believe that teachings of the prophets and Jesus are counter-cultural to the ideas of profits at the expense of everything else. And to quote Rogue One, rebellions are built on hope.

Ezekiel invites us to join in the task of Gods transforming work.

As we move through Ezekiel, we encounter a God who uses violence to overpower overpower and control. How do we sit with this tribal deity, and still find a way to worship? In this week's talk we encounter an ancient way of understanding YHWH, while finding glimmers of hope that call us home. We also explore notions of domestic and family violence, and place this within the context of Jesus - the prince of peace.