The main purpose of everything that God did throughout the Bible was to bring a people unto Himself, and that is still His plan today. He created us to be brought to Him. In bringing us to Himself, he extends grace to us - grace which not only covers our sins, but which empowers us to live the life that he has for us. Living in that grace, our response is obedience to His Lordship and the mission of His Kingdom - a glorious Kingdom which is at hand for all!

In 1 Corinthians 12 we are told to not be ignorant of spiritual gifts. God gives spiritual gifts because many of the problems that we face are spiritual problems. As we learn to walk with the Holy Spirit, we are to use such gifts as the word of knowledge or the word of wisdom to bring freedom to people's lives. The gifts are for the church, and you are a walking demonstration of God's power and love on the Earth!

In Matthew 7 Jesus talks about the broad and narrow paths. We sometimes find ourselves wandering towards the broad way, but to follow Him obediently, we must remain on the narrow path, being stripped of the unnecessary baggage that we've picked up along the way. The hard reality is that not everyone is on their way to Heaven, but it is God's will that all would know Him and would stay on the narrow path.

Many people live full of fear, which can take many different forms. We can only overcome fear of death by entering life - life to the full. We can only overcome fear of darkness by entering His light. We can only overcome fear of rejection by entering into His acceptance. The God of love has the answer for every fear in your life, because perfect love casts out fear. Face your fears by focusing on His face today.

When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem a week before His death, He headed straight to the temple and overturned the tables, telling the merchants that they had turned the house of prayer into a den of thieves. When the Presence of God enters our lives, He comes and turns the tables over, helping us reprioritise and refocus our lives. It can be uncomfortable for us, but Jesus empowers us to live holy lives. What tables are being turned over by God in your life, and how is He calling you to live?

When the Old Testament talks about the people of God worshiping, their worship is accompanied by physical demonstrations such as the lifting of hands, shouting, clapping, dancing, kneeling and lying prostrate. We engage with God in worship with our spirits, souls and bodies, for this is how worship is modelled to us in the Bible. Mary Magdelene poured out her worship on Jesus, and we are to do the same because He is worthy!

Richard Hibbitt spent many years bringing the Gospel to Turkish Gypsies and people of other faiths across the world, seeing God move in many powerful ways. In this message he encourages us to adhere to the words of Jesus in Matthew 28, understanding that all authority belongs to the Lord, and that we are to go and make disciples of all nations.

Jesus said he has come to "seek and save the lost". Within the Parables of the Lost Son, the Lost Coin and the Lost Sheep, He reveals His heart for the lost to be found. We have all lost things, whether they be friends, dreams, or even our purpose. It's in Jesus' very nature to restore and save that which has been lost!

Jesus makes it clear that good fruit is produced where there is a good root, and bad fruit is produced by a bad root. If there is bad fruit in your life, the root needs to be exposed and dealt with so you can live in freedom. Faith is the key, because Jesus said that faith the size of a mustard seed can uproot a tree. Receive faith, and deal with the roots in your life.

In such a busy world, it can get very difficult for us to wait on God. In order to discover all that He is and does, however, we must be able to wait on the Lord. Often the challenges that we come up against are not external, they are within us in areas where we struggle to surrender to God. The story of Elijah is a profound example of how to wait on the Lord with faith, and something we can all learn from.