History has seen many battles and I’m sure many of us have faced battles of our own. David definitely did. We read here a Psalm when his own son was leading a rebellion against him! Yet David declares that he is not afraid of his enemies, and the Lord is victorious. How amazing that we can also make the same declaration and be convinced that no matter what we face in life, the battle belongs to the Lord.

For thousands of years, in response to injustice, pain and suffering in the world, men and women have got on their knees and asked God - WHY? In today’s Psalm, God turns the tables and asks us that same question - WHY? Are you prepared to give Him an answer?

Psalms are prayers and hymns directed to God. They are words that express the range of human experiences from joy and thanks to pain and anger, and all this is brought before God. Psalms are full of honesty and openness. There is no spiritual performance or polite Christianity. Rather, faith is expressed in raw and real ways. Psalm 1 is about what it means to live wisely in the world today. Jesus may have had Psalm 1 in mind when he taught the beatitudes because both are about finding true happiness. To be blessed or happy is to be rooted in God, and it seems many are starting to discover the wisdom of this.

On our frontlines, it is good to be prepared to share our story of why we have hope in Jesus. 1 Peter 3:14-16 explores what it means to give such an answer. What is important to remember is that those asking matter to God. So we need to make the effort to enter their world, the world of the curious, the questioner, the seeker and the lost. Whether we are asking the questions or attempting the answers, each thumbprint is cherished by God.

God invites us to be champions of right living and fair dealing on our frontlines. Every day we have the opportunity to promote good, fair and just ways of living. But being bold and courageous and speaking up for others when we see injustice can be difficult. So how can we be encouraged to do this in our daily routines, with the people we meet, work with and live alongside?

Have you ever heard someone being described as 'the salt of the earth'? The Oxford Languages Dictionary says it means "a person or group of people of great kindness, reliability or honesty". When Jesus described his followers as the salt of the earth, what did he have in mind? And what was his warning about salt losing its saltiness? Hopefully, this gets your taste buds tingling and gives you a flavour of this sermon's theme.

What does it mean to live a radical lifestyle - where grace and love are acted out? The story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 is the inspiration for such a lifestyle. This might be a well-known story heard many times before, but we shouldn't lose sight of the challenge of Jesus’ words - "go and do the same". What does it mean for us to do the same as the Good Samaritan? What might it look like to act graciously and lovingly to those we might otherwise consider different from us? What does it mean to be a neighbour to everyone rather than those who are like us and think the same as us? That’s the challenge of grace and the boundless nature of love!

Monday to Friday, nine to five. For many people, that is their working week. But patterns of work change, full-time, part-time, shift work, some are employed, some work for themselves, some are paid while others are not. For some people, their week is taken up with caring responsibilities - for children or others needing help with some of life's basics. Whatever we do from Monday through to Saturday, if we are to be whole-life disciples, we should consider how our actions reflect our walk with God.

Wherever we are and wherever we go, God is present and at work. Everyone is made in God’s image and that is a beautiful thing. The truth is, however, that although each of us is gloriously made by God, we are tragically fallen too. So, how do we model God’s character when we are imperfect and fallen? The answer to this is to live a life by the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and SELF-CONTOL. Our frontline everyday life is to be characterised by these fruits. Not one or two, but all of them. This is a challenge, not just inside the church walls but outside them too!

We are so excited to start our series on Growing on the Frontline. Join us as we explore 'The Big Picture' — the reality that we, as Christians, walk in every day.