What kind of life are you living? What kind of life does God want to give you? These are the two questions we explore as we continue our series, ‘Seeking God Together’, inviting you to LIVE MORE, discovering a new kind of life and way of encountering the goodness of Jesus.

What would it mean to discover another kind of life? That is the invitation as we begin a new series of talks this Sunday on the theme ‘SEEKING GOD’. Becoming a Christian is not the end of the faith journey but the beginning. Seeking God is not only for people outside the church but inside too and if you make a decision to seek God you won’t be left disappointed.

What we have received from our relationship with God should be the foundation for how we might love and serve one another. Simply put, how we choose to love one another can help our church (or any other community) flourish and can also be a witness to the world.

In this very special service we welcome Alysen Merrill, who is taking up the role of Church Ministry Lead. We will celebrate together by hearing how God has led both Alysen and us at SBC to this moment as she joins the staff team. This is a step of faith, trusting in the Lord’s leading and a sign that we want to invest in a growing church with the aim of sharing the transforming love of Jesus for all.

Within the seasons of our lives there’s a time and a season for everything, and a reason for each season. As September is often a time for new starts and changes for many, we can be comforted by God’s words for us in these times.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews spent many chapters explaining how Jesus fulfilled all the promises made to God's people, but then asks the question, so what? In light of all Jesus has done, how should we then live?

Fixing our eyes on Jesus can sometimes be a challenge, but in the book of Hebrews we're given great encouragement in just a few verses. From these we can take encouragement from men and women of faith that have gone before us and we have a great example to follow in Jesus Christ, one who endured life's challenges and comes alongside us as we run the race of life. Let's be encouraged together as we persevere through life and look forwards to a heavenly goal.

Faith, true faith. What is this? Hebrews 11 says 'Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see'. This is easier said than done for many of us, who like to see the things we are putting our faith in. If that's the case then the good news is that, if you look around, you see God's fingerprints all over what He provided us, from the universe He has created to the person next to you. Hold onto that as you next step out in faith!

We should be bold, confident and brave to act in the full assurance of Christ, because that is what the writer of Hebrews urged us to do. We should encourage and spur each other on to love and good deeds in line with Hebrews 10:24, because if we do not do this, we risk forgetting who Jesus Christ is, how much He loves us and what He did for each one of us. We risk getting caught up in the world and forgetting that we can draw near to God through the new way Jesus opened up for us at any time and in any place. Why would we risk this when together we can hold fast to our faith and act in the full assurance of Christ, particularly as the BIG DAY is approaching?

Jesus had been creating waves across the nation, with his miracles and controversial teaching. Sensing a problem the religious leaders came from far and wide and packed into a small house in Capernaum to suss out what was going on. Jesus took the opportunity to turn up the volume on God's message to his people. The religious leaders didn’t like what they heard and put God back on mute, whilst others were astonished at what happened and glorified God. How will we respond?