OK, back to 'The Marks of the Church" which we started in the spring. A mark of our church is the Bible and how we use it. We see what it's got to say, and we try and do what it says we should do, and we aim to pass on this understanding to others. Why? Because God had it written down and still speaks to anyone who reads it sincerely. Try it!

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As we start the Autumn programme, we want to ground ourselves in the Bible verse we've adopted for 2025. And we're going to hear what the Lord Jesus Christ thinks of his church - what he thinks of us! Listen in and maybe you'll discover a bit more about what he thinks of you!

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Lost and Found / Finish and Start! For a while, we are finishing our series analyzing Dr Luke's account of the life of Jesus Christ. Today we've got 3 illustrations that Jesus gave to show how God starts people (who're lost) off to find him.

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Back to Dr Luke's account of Jesus and his disciples. Jesus calls us all to be his followers, his disciples, but he's very clear - the demands and challenges that will face any disciple are intense. Don't decide to be a Christian without first being very clear about what it will mean for you and your relationships. You'll be no use to Jesus if you don't.

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A one-off Summer special today. Are you chosen by God? Are you choosing to follow God? Is God forcing your choice? And what's Paul, the writer of today's passage from the Bible, mean when he talks about people being predestined by God? Puzzling isn't it? But maybe a bit less puzzling after you've listened to this week's podcast!

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Last week we heard that those who are members of Jesus' kingdom aren't those who successfully do certain things. Instead, they are those who are renewed by God; those who repenting of their failures and trust Jesus. And that means, as this week's episode reveals, that many, many people will never become members of Jesus' kingdom. Their unwillingness to put their trust in Jesus will keep them out. Let's be sure we're not one of them!

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This week Luke's account of Jesus finds him laying into rule-keeping as the way to please God. Instead, he tells anyone bothered to hear that it's God changing people from the inside, setting the free from having to DO certain things but rather making them BE renewed. Do you want to be a new person as God works in you?

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Jesus has got more to teach ... and it's not comfortable to hear! "If you bother to listen to what I'm saying - and take notice", he says, "then you're going to get into problems with those who don't listen or take notice. Because any considered look at the world will tell you that there are 2, and only 2, ways to live which are complete opposites - repenting and following me to heaven, or ignoring all the evidence and all my teaching and ending up in hell". Ouch!

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After teaching about the power and foolishness of worry (listen to last week's podcast), Jesus continues to get his listeners to think about where life is headed. We're not to worry about this life because there's a much greater worry coming - Heaven or Hell. "Now", says Jesus, "is the time to get ready for my return. Now is the time to make sure you're ready to meet the judge of your life".

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Today we're returning to Dr Luke's account of Jesus' life on Earth. In this part, he records 3 situations in which we should be trusting in God - when we are ridiculed (or worse) for being a follower of Christ, when we think that money and 'stuff' will give us security, and when we can't see how we are going to get through a difficulty that is heading, full speed, in our direction. In each case, Jesus wants us to see the bigger picture - our Father cares for his followers and has a secure eternal place for us.

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