We continue our series on Starting With God with Chris this week expanding on one of the topics from last week: that at the moment we can only see the glory of God like a reflection in a mirror. There is a danger that the mirror becomes so dirty and clouded that we only see our own reflection, that we take the atheist philosophy that God is simply a reflection of our own desires. Jesus turns that thought on its head, the God beyond knowing chose to make himself known and dwells among us. We only have to choose to accept him.

Throughout the New Testament it is stated that we should be born again in Christ. Continuing our Starting with God series, Chris speaks on how this is not a literal re-birth but a spiritual one. Putting to death our old sinful selves and instead living our lives moulded and guided by Jesus.

The book of Revelation can be an incredibly difficult book to understand, however in the concluding chapters of John’s vision it gives us a picture of God’s ultimate plan: a new heaven and a new earth, free from death and suffering. Until then we will endure trials, grief and hardship on this current earth. In an incredibly poignant sermon reflecting the season we are currently walking through as a church family Chris reminds us that we do this knowing that God does not abandon us to live life alone, he stands with us and experiences our all of our pain and sadness alongside us

Buy the book here...https://amzn.eu/d/07uOKXNG

Chris continues his series in Starting With God by this week looking at God’s holiness. There are some passages in the Bible that can be very difficult to understand, some that we may even choose to ignore or turn a blind eye to. But we should not be turning away from the things that we “don’t like”. God defines holiness, even if we don’t understand why things happen, we need to trust that His plan is perfect and put our hope in Jesus who intimately reveals God’s character to us, so we can trust Him.

Buy the book here...https://amzn.eu/d/07uOKXNG

How much can we learn about God from Creation alone? Paul says in his letter to the Romans that by admiring God’s handiwork in nature His eternal power and divine nature are revealed to us, but only when we converse and meet with the God revealed in Jesus do we begin to understand His true nature. Chris speaks on how we should move from simply admiring the world that God has created to being in true relationship with Him, only then will He be fully revealed to us...

Watch the full video here...https://youtu.be/DQizW3LDF1M?si=kIrxg7z_XDgsLsWH

Why not buy Chris's book Starting with God - An invitation to Encounter God.

https://amzn.eu/d/08B7ztdf

In first century Judea a cross was not generally something talked about in polite conversation, let alone boasted about. Yet through Jesus' victory Paul says that he (and by extension we) can boast in the achievement of the cross. As we continue our starting with God series Chris examines Jesus' victory, the turning of a symbol of terror and oppression into a symbol of hope and how we can still see God's glory through the cross.

When we make a decision, conscious or unconscious, to not follow God wholeheartedly we can be sent into exile from Him. Not a physical exile like those experienced in the Old Testament but a spiritual exile where it feels like our connection with God is frayed or even totally broken. In the next in our series of Starting With God Chris looks at the symptoms of that spiritual exile and reminds us that the door to God is never closed: we are always given the opportunity to return.

The writer of Ecclesiastes examines the whole of existence in his book and comes to the conclusion that “everything is meaningless”. But with one proviso: “everything is meaningless” without God. Chris looks at the dead ends that can occur in our lives if we try to exist without God directing us and how He gently but firmly brings us back to the path to life if we allow Him to.

This week Chris continues looking at his series in Starting with God, this week looking at the choices we make. There is a difference between fate and destiny. Fate (which is not real, by the way) gives you no choices in life, you're restricted to the train tracks laid out in front of you. Destiny is different, where God gives us the choice to follow His way which leads to life or the other ways which.... don't. But whichever path we choose God always gives us the opportunity to turn towards His way.

Starting With God by looking at all of those things that we construct for ourselves to replace God or to divert our attention away from Him. The Bible has a word for those things: idols. Idols can even be things that make us think that God approves of what we’re doing when we know deep down that He doesn’t. We are invited to cast away all of those things and to focus and trust in God alone for all of our needs and strength. It’s very easy to say it. But can we actually do it?