Andrew Baker | Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:4,14, 3:1-2,17-19; Acts 19:8-20 — While an awakening of belief in the world around us is ultimately a work of God, we as believers have a critical role to play: Like Habakkuk, our hearts must be deeply moved by the brokenness of our world, and our faith must be restored by the permanent promises of our Living God. As we enter 40 days of prayer and fasting as a church, may our hearts be awakened to seek a great awakening - may His kingdom come and His will be done, here on earth as it is in heaven!

Andrew Baker | Matthew 5:1-12; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; James 1:2-3 — Jesus’ ministry and death show that the Christian should not be surprised to suffer persecution. In fact, Christ says that those who are mistreated on His account ought to rejoice, for they are blessed to receive the kingdom of heaven. If and when we endure persecution, it is to this promise - the only promise that will not fade - that we may anchor our hope: seeing and knowing our Creator face to face for all eternity.

Adam Ritchard | Matthew 5:1-9; Romans 12:18, 15:13; Philippians 4:6-7; Hebrews 13:20; Colossians 1:20; Ephesians 2:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:18; John 14:27; Isaiah 53:5 — Biblical peace is not simply the absence of conflict. Rather, it is the God-given wholeness that we as His children may know in every circumstance of life, and actively pursue in every situation. As we sow and carry this kind of peace, may those around us see the God of all peace reflected in us.

Kathryn Hartley | Matthew 5:1-12; Ephesians 2:4-9 — The mercy that typified Jesus’ ministry was more than a charitable act or a withheld punishment. In countless encounters (not least the Crucifixion), Jesus delighted to move towards the helpless, suffering, and sinful - you and me - in unrestrained kindness. As we seek to live ‘the Jesus way’, may the reality of our continual need for His mercy propel us towards our fellow sinners in love and compassion.

Andrew Baker | Matthew 5:1-8,48, 15:10-20, 23:27-28; Proverbs 4:23, 20:9; Psalm 51:10; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:15 — Jesus’ mission wasn’t concerned with external appearances. Rather, He came to do what we could never earn or achieve for ourselves; to create in us a pure heart, that we might see Him for all that He is and overflow with passion for Him.

Andrew Baker | Matthew 5:1-6 — Beneath all the brokenness, rebellion, and sin in the world, the deepest need within every human heart is to be made righteous; to be welcomed as sons and daughters into the arms of our heavenly Father. Will we follow Jesus’ instruction to hunger and thirst after this our true and greatest need, or will we instead seek after what will never satisfy?

Adam Ritchard | Matthew 5:1-5, 11:28-30, 26:50-54; John 2:13-17; 2 Timothy 3:1-4; Mark 10:35-45; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Peter 1:3 — In a cultural context that celebrated power, Jesus’ description of the ‘meek’ being blessed would’ve sounded just as strange to His original listeners as it does today. But true Biblical meekness is not weakness, and we are not to be spineless pushovers. Rather we are called to live as Jesus did: God-yielded strength manifested in humility and gentleness.

Dave Pellowe | Luke 4:16-19; Matthew 6:9-10; Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 24:3-4; Exodus 12:3; 1 Timothy 5:8; Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 4:7-10 — Families are the fundamental unit of our society and of God’s good created order, and the role of God-honouring fathers to this design is indispensable.

Hear from Dave Pellowe, Director of Church and State, a ministry founded to educate Christians about the Scriptural and historical basis for Christian influence in society & politics.

Andrew Baker | Matthew 5:1-4; Luke 15:7 — In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes that those who mourn are blessed. While we’d all prefer a life with only beauty and joy, mourning is central to the Christian life. As we mourn the reality of brokenness in the world around us and deep inside every human heart, we see our great need for a saviour like Jesus: the One whose mission and delight is to reach down to comfort and redeem those in the dust.

Andrew Baker | Matthew 5:1-3; 4:17, 23; 11:2-5; 12:22-25; Mark 1:14; Genesis 1; Leviticus 8; Exodus 25:8; John 1:14; 2:13-22; 14:23; Colossians 2:13-15; Psalm 2:1-4; 24 — Jesus’ first beatitude describes that it is the poor in spirit who are blessed to receive the kingdom of heaven. But what exactly does Jesus mean when he refers to this kingdom? And how are we to respond that we might be blessed to receive it?