Many people played a significant role in the birth of Jesus. Simeon. The Wise Men. Angels. Shepherds. Prophets. Anna the prophetess. They were willing. They were obedient and faith-filled. Each one played a significant but personalized part. Like them, Sue asserts, we can play a part in bringing God’s kingdom here on earth.

What is your part? Pastor Sue carefully examines the roles of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher.

With humor, Sue encourages us to humbly but confidently train ourselves up in God’s word, identity and use our spiritual gifts,

Ps Paul West - Goodwill to All Men - 15th December 2019 by The Grainery Church

Naomi Fraser - Let Us Adore - 8th December 2019 by The Grainery Church

Philippians 2:5-8 is often called the “kenosis” or”emptying “ of Jesus. He emptied himself of much power when he took on human form as a baby. He displayed great humility- using power only for the good of others.

Using examples from his experience as a dad, Matt talks about holding our power, and about God’s response to our sin - holding his power but unleashing his grace and mercy in the incarnation of Jesus.

Matt encourages us to “have the same mindset as Christ” by being gentle and humble in all of our interpersonal relationships. He finishes with the question “what’s it like to be in a church with you?”

Theo Rule - The Lords Favour - 1st December 2019 by The Grainery Church

If you want God to do a miracle, put yourself in a place where you need a miracle.

John humbly tells the story of his life. Childhood tragedy, teenage rebellion, criminality and jail, marriage and divorce. From the pit of despair John was rescued by his conversion to Christ after he experienced the tenacious love of a Christian who reached out to him.

He tells the story of the beginnings of Christians Against Poverty in the midst of his own poverty.

This ministry now reaches thousands of people around the world every year. John has been recognised in the Queen’s Honours by the awarding of a CBE given by Prince Charles personally.

In this first message of the advent six week challenge, Sue looks at the coming of Jesus from the perspectives of different Biblical characters and then asks us to examine our own perspective. What do we see when we look at the coming of Jesus?

Herod saw a threat to his power.

The “Wise Men” saw one who’s coming had cosmic origins and consequences, one who was to be worshipped.

Do you see your sin paid for, the legal charges against you cancelled and yourself now made Holy and blameless?

If you make the choice to align yourself with Jesus it will lead you to a place where you actually stop being a judge of other people and become their advocate, looking for the gold in people and overlooking the dirt in people. Sue shows us the secret of how we can do this.

Colossians 1:16-17 speaks of a system of governance in the unseen spiritual world. That world is as close as the human heart. The kingdoms of darkness and light exist in that world and in the physical world. Pastor Sue unpacks the idea that humans were created to rule and to reign in the physical world by the creation mandate, but in Christ, we also have rulership in the heavenly realm.

We are taught to pray “your kingdom come” and called to usher in his kingdom by doing the will of God.

Learn how to do this in your own specific way as you live out God's reign in your own specific areas of responsibility. Like Zacchaeus, we need to serve a new master - the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can know a lot about Jesus and his death on the cross for us and yet not be born again, internally renewed or in a personal relationship with him. We don’t earn this by toil or hard work, but we hear his voice and respond.

Ryan describes the rise of smart phones and their influence on young people, especially their distracting influence. Quote: “the greatest threat to faith today is not hedonism, but distraction “.

Netflix. YouTube. Social media. A million Aps and internal distractions can steal our time with God, prevent us from actually hearing his voice and responding.

Using the story of Elijah and the flight from Jezebel, Ryan encourages us to experience renewal, learn to hear the whisper of the Lord, and make room for stillness and silence in our lives.

Asher Morrison - How Fear Gets in the Way of God - 10th November 2019 by The Grainery Church