A Tale of Two Bosses

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SUNDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we continue our exploration of relationships in Ephesians 6, specifically verses 5-9: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

In the garden there were no slaves, and work was God ordained. That’s still the same now. As we step into our identity as a loved and liked child of God, this needs to influence our hearts and our attitudes, whether we are employee or employer.

No matter our position, we are called to love and serve our God with your whole heart and create environments around you, as much as you have influence, that reflects we are not slaves: we are free. We are called to love, respect and honour; because as we do that it changes the atmosphere within in which we work, and as we do that it creates a person with whom God can trust, and when God trusts you He can grow your influence.

Relationship Dynamics

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SUNDAY 04 NOVEMBER 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we continue in Ephesians chapters 5 and 6, looking at the dynamics of relationship. 

We are called to live out of our true identities in all of our interactions with people whether that is a spouse, a child, friends or a workmate.  Today we seek to understand the reasons why that can go wrong and how we can be empowered to live fully. 

JOY

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SUNDAY 28 OCTOBER 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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The book of Ephesians is a letter written to the early church, around 30 years after Jesus died by a guy named Paul who was a significant leader in the church - he was in prison for preaching about Jesus and writes this letter as instruction on how to live the fullest, best life that embraces who you were created to be and what you are made for.

And where we are up to is a passage that gives insight on how to be happy -  the interesting thing being that happiness, or joy is something much deeper than circumstance (remember he’s writing this from prison!)…

So today we are looking at happiness - what is it and how can we keep it!  Praying that together we will see, know and understand the truth that sets us free

Way of Love

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SUNDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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‘Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another,forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’ - Ephesians 4:31-5:2

This morning we explore the beginning of Ephesians 5, where once again we are greeted by a therefore which makes us ask—what is it there for? This is Paul’s pivot into explaining the specific instructions on what a life of love looks like.

The way of love is defined by two relationships and holds within it the tension of those  - seen most clearly in the description in John 1 of Jesus - the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory - the glory of the Father - full of grace and truth.

This way of love is defined by two markers: GRACE and TRUTH…

Unity and Maturity

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SUNDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Over the past six weeks we have been taking our time delving into each of the five gifts that Jesus gave the people of the church (APEST) in the hopes that together we would each discover more about our own personal giftings, as well as gain a renewed appreciation and understanding of the giftings in those around us.

Ephesians 4 says: ‘So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.’

Today we look at the three relationships each gifting need to grow in maturity.

The shepherds get to play...

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SUNDAY 09 SEPTEMBER 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we continue our series “Everyone Gets to Play” Where we have been exploring the five gifts described in Ephesians 4 as given by God to each one of us.

 At its core, those gifted with a Shepherd heart create and maintain healthy community, promoting the common good, encouraging people in the faith and ensuring the welfare of people as well as the broader society in which the community abides.

Shepherds pay close attention to their immediate environment, noticing details about people and the state of the community. They have strong empathetic attitudes and heightened capacities for meaningful friendships and relationships.

They know the names, stories and details of the people in their care. They desire cohesion and unity and find it hard when people leave the community - for good or not-so-good reasons. 

People matter to shepherds - even and especially the most unlikely, most vulnerable and unseen ones.

The teachers get to play...

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SUNDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we continue our series “Everyone Gets to Play” Where we have been exploring the five gifts described in Ephesians 4 as given by God to each one of us.

The teaching gift is about practical wisdom and philosophical understanding joined together.

A teacher will be focussed on helping people to see how God wants them to see and experience the world. They bring truth to people to shape and form them

They are similar to prophets and apostles in that they deal with ideas that shapelife.  They are interested in the board comprehension and systematic understanding - and don’t always carry a huge amount of urgency.  There is always more to learn and progress, no matter how small is progress.

Teachers can not teach what they do not know and cannot lead where they will not themselves go - they want ideas to be grounded in real life - they want transformation. 

The evangelistic get to play...

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SUNDAY 26 AUGUST 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we continue our series “Everyone Gets to Play” Where we have been exploring the five gifts described in Ephesians 4 as given by God to each one of us.

Today we are looking at the evangelistic gifting – I think of all the gifts this one has been most negatively stereotyped both outside of the church (think Ned Flanders in the Simpsons) and inside of it. This has huge missional implications!

My hope and prayer is that as we explore the beauty of this gift that we will afresh see it, nurture it and release it amongst us.

Evangelists are incredible recruiters - they have the capacity to get significant buy-in from their hearers.  They are persuasive, infections people with appealing personalities.

They spread ideas persuasively - they have significant negotiation skills.  They have an indefinable trait that goes beyond what they say and makes others want to agree with them!  They are agents of conversion.

They tend to be great social connectors - the kind of people who can link the rest of us up with the world.  They have a capacity to make connections with people in a way that demonstrates social and emotional intelligence - they know who goes with who and how to best invite.

In many ways, their function is genuinely priestly - they mediate between God and people and people and people. 

They have an affinity for the gospel that makes them adept at seeing the gospel in individuals’s unique experience and circumstance.

They really are positive, good news people.  The sharing of the good news is an inextricable party of their capacity to understand people and make connections.

They have a strong relational intelligence and ability to translate the gospel into prevailing culture in ways that make a lot of sense.  They love to ask people to join in.

They are entrepreneurs, communicators, motivators, marketers, and enthusiastic story tellers.

The prophetic get to play...

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SUNDAY 19 AUGUST 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we continue our exploration of the five gifts (APEST – Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, Teacher) described in Ephesians 4. 

We believe that every single one of us is gifted by God in one of these giftings.  Today we are discovering the prophetic gift – the one who sees and hears God’s heart and communicates it with those around them. 

Prophetically gifted people are the heart revealers in the church community.  They are often gifted in the areas of worship, poetry and art. Prophets are agitators for change.  They tend to ask pointed questions and highlight the gap between God’s call and people’s obedience.

Prophets desire for the church to be a restored community that offers an alternative society – with a strong commitment to worship, prayer, spiritual warfare, holiness, justice and incarnational witness. Its probably the loneliest of the five gifts and the one most open to misunderstanding.

When the gift is immature it can be volatile and divisive and if there is a history of misunderstanding they can get grouchy and judgmental.  But the mature gift, like Jesus, brings joy, hope, declaration of God’s abiding love, the call to righteousness and connection.

Outside of the church prophetic men and women are agents for cultural change, social justice and integrity.

The apostolic get to play...

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SUNDAY 12 AUGUST 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we launch into exploring the first of the gifts from Ephesians 4—remembering that the emphasis is on each one of us having been gifted with one of the five.

If this is you our prayer is that in your sphere of influence you grow into all you are called to be. If this isn’t you, our prayer is that you would understand and appreciate and champion those around you who are gifted this way.

In the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostolic person is imbued with an innate sense of the big-picture purpose of the organisation and have a unique gift for life, extension, entrepreneurship and adventure. 

They are pioneering by instinct, they tend to be less risk-averse and move towards the edges - they are catalytic, adaptive, movement also, trans local, pioneering, entrepreneurial leaders who are needed to spark, mobilise and sustain movement. 

Maturity in this gifting grows into seeing the ability to see the church/organisation as a living system and the need to develop and guard the DNA and look after the design and leadership health of the whole organisation.

Everyone Gets to Play

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SUNDAY 05 AUGUST 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we start an in-depth look into the fivefold ministries. Our hope is that over the next six weeks, you will discover something about your own personal giftings, as well as have a renewed appreciation and understanding of the gifting of those around you.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it... So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. - Ephesians 4:7, 11-13

Through the gift of grace, Jesus has empowered and equipped each one of us for service, to fulfil a ministry role and build the kingdom. When we all operate in the role given to us by the Holy Spirit, the result is unity in faith, a continual growing in the personal knowledge of Jesus and wholeness.

As a community we choose to walk the path God has called us to, living out of our specific giftings, passions and strengths. Receiving support and encouragement from one another for the areas that are not our natural wiring.

A key part of living in the THEREFORE is discovering and understanding your gifting, how this works/is expressed and how you are called to function within the church and further afield.

Because each function/calling contributes something the Body that the others do not, they mutually enrich each other - like pieces of a puzzle. We cannot be the Body of Christ as Jesus intended without all functions/calling active and present throughout the life of the church.

Over the next five weeks we will be exploring in-depth the callings, giftings and out workings of each of the APEST ministry profiles. We believe this is about empowering everyone to function at their full potential both within the church community and further afield.

As Markus Bath captures: the distribution of the APEST are not a substitute for Jesus’s presence but the mode of his being present.

Living in the 'therefore' is a gift

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SUNDAY 15 JULY 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Living in the THEREFORE is a gift, it is about experiencing life to the full as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us we move into the fullness and provide.

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body. ‘In your anger do not sin’: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. 
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” - Ephesians 4:25-32 NIVUK

Paul layers it, to show us the process of santification (the process of becoming holy).

Jesus talks about money and possessions 16 out of the 38 parables. One in seven verses in the Gospels is Jesus talking about money and stuff. This is an area that God has for us to experience and know that living in the THEREFORE is a gift. This is an area when we understand 'do not steal, start to work, then be generous - then we start to move in the golden life of the miraculous.

Our culture is deeply materialistic, consumerist and individualistic - we live, eat and breath that all week long, and as we do, it invades our pores... and it invades our bank accounts, our wallets, and our thinking about money and possessions. We become shaped by our culture, rather than what the biblical story is.

The principle of tithing is not only in the Old Testament. These are just some of the NEW TESTAMENT references.
Cheerfully – 2 Corinthians 9:7
Generously – 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Reverently – Matthew 2:11
Proportionally – 1 Corinthians 16:2
Joyfully – 2 Corinthians 8:2
Willingly – 2 Corinthians 8:12
Expectantly – Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11
Extravagantly – John 12:1 – 8, Mark 12:41-44
Eternally – Matthew 6:19–20, 1 Timothy 6:19, Mark 10:21, Hebrews 11:13-16

When Jesus talked about tithing in Luke 11:42, he said you've tithed your mint and your dill and your sage but you've not done justice, or mercy. He says you should have done the former, but not forsaken the latter. Jesus never says 'don't worry about your tithing anymore - he's just assuming that your doing it.

What is it that giving unlocks in our heart? What's the biblical principal that it does?

Giving is about: LORDSHIP
It says… You are my Lord, you have my allegiance, you are my priority
Scriptures: Genesis 14:17-20, 28:16-22, Leviticus 27:30, Proverbs 3:9–10, Malachi 3:7–15,  Matthew 23:23, Deuteronomy 14:23, Malachi 1:6-8, 1 Chronicles 29:11–18, Psalm 24:1–2, 50:10–12, Haggai 2:8, Matthew 6:19–24, Luke 12:16–21, 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19

Giving is about: TRUST
It opens the door for miraculous provision, for growing in faith and it is a tangible belief in the eternal.
Scriptures: 1 Kings 17, Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:7–15, Haggai 1:4-11, 2:15–19, Luke 6:38, Deuteronomy 28, Philippians 4:15–19, Mark 12:41-44, Deuteronomy 14:23, Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 8:5, 1 Timothy 6:18-19, Matthew 6:19–21, Hebrews 6:10, 3 John 8

Giving is about: PASSION
It enables the work of the church, it enables mission, it provides for practical needs.
Scriptures: Acts 2:42-47, 4:32, 2 Corinthians 9:12-13, 1 Corinthians 9:9-14, 1 Timothy 5:17–18, 3 John 5–8, Philemon 4:15-19, Galatians 6:6, Luke 8:3, 2 Kings 4:8-10, 2 Chronicles 24:4–14, Exodus 35–36, 2 Kings 12:2-16, Ezra 1:4-6

How is this area of your discipleship?
What is your invitation or challenge?
How do you need to respond?

Unity

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SUNDAY 8 JULY 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. - Ephesians 4:11-13

Just like in Emphasis, our culture has many 'gods' competing for our time, our money, our resources. We live in a culture that deeply values personal preference and autonomy, but the gospel depands that we give authority to Jesus.

Appetite, Ambition, Approval

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SUNDAY 1 JULY 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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“As a prisoner for the Lord, THEREFORE, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received… There is one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” - Ephesians 4:1, 6-7

Lord of Self looks like Appetite, Ambition and Approval.

Living in the 'therefore'

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SUNDAY 17 JUNE 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Have you ever had a moment where you hear God speaking to you? Or you hear a sermon and it dislodges something in your heart? Have you ever got in a fight with someone and found some rage? A moment where you know something needs changing but you don't know how to change it.

Today we are going to look at the biblical pattern Jesus gave us to unpack moments like this, where we become aware of God speaking to us. We're going to look at this out of Ephesians but also from the gospel...

As a prisoner for the Lord, THEREFORE, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1)

Last week we wen't over the significance of the word THEREFORE. You may have heard this saying: “Whenever you see a therefore in the Bible, you need to stop and see what it is there for”.  This word serves as reminder that something significant has just happened - a flashing neon sign – flickering in the text saying PAY ATTENTION! PAY ATTENTION!

Everything said before the THEREFORE (chapters 1-3) shows the truth of God’s character, the way God deals with humans, and the Freedom and Love of Christ - the good news of the gospel.  After the THEREFORE usually sits the practical instructions and responses; but if we just look at the practical instructions without the first bit we miss the heart, the revelation of who God is and we can slip into behaving right to in order to earn favour - rather than out of God's truth.

We have moments where we know all the truths from the first three chapters - we are loved, redeemed, forgiven, adopted, chosen, freely given grace etc. - BUT - instead of continuing that with THEREFORE we say "but".

Where there is a 'THEREFORE' moment, a realisation of the call of God, or sense of being asked to step into something. There is a way that steps into our lives, through the pattern of repentance and belief (Mark 1:14-15).

God's Surprise Weapon

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SUNDAY 27 MAY 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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The mystery of the gospel is that while God picked the one group in Genesis 12 – His plan had always been about the many – the many languages, the many skin colours, the huge diversity founded in Genesis 11 at the Tower of Babel. The mystery and surprise of the Gospel is that every single one of them is included together, with Israel as members together of one body, sharing together in the promise in Jesus Christ.

This is the boundless riches of Christ and the administration of this mystery.  And the ramification is COSMIC.  God’s huge surprise is that the CHURCH is the vehicle by which God’s wisdom is made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms.

The church is the body of spiritual warfare – that we do not battle against flesh and blood but the rulers, principalities and powers of this age.  The Church is God’s surprise weapon!

The way God has chosen to reveal His wisdom is through the church.

The call of the church is to be a shining example of a group of people who have worked out how:

• to actually do reconciliation,
• to have the barriers and dividing walls of hostility between us torn down and dissolved by the peace Christ gives us,
• to offer forgiveness,
• genuinely operate without power plays,
• to let go of all the things we learnt at the fall

What does it take for this to genuinely happen?  What does it take for the church to become the body by which the manifold wisdom of God is known to rulers and authorities in heavenly realms?

We have to acknowledge that this is not true in our society and its not true in our own worldviews.  We have to be convicted by the mystery of Christ and embrace the discipline of thinking, acting and behaving as if it is true. 

• We have to acknowledge that privilege exists – that we have cultural bias. 
• We have to choose to learn language and custom and culture.  We sing and speak and seek to grow in our understanding of Te Reo – because we acknowledge that part of our bias/privilege is only speaking English! My dream is that we do this not only with Te Reo but Samoan, Chinese, sign language! – whoever we are called as CNL to reach.
• We have to choose to listen and change – even where it costs us personally.
• We have to confront the places we seek to control and lord it over others.
• We have to choose to enjoy people who are younger than us and enjoy their music and vice versa…those who are older than us and enjoy their music (We may not enjoy it…but we choose to focus on how great it is that someone so different to us is here)
• We have to choose to do the uncomfortable thing for us, in order that the last, lost & least might feel the comfort of welcome into the body.

This is the call to us – to become ones who embrace those who are different to us so that: Through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms.

Without Hope & Without God in the World

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SUNDAY 20 MAY 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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As we continue to journey through the book of Ephesians the The sentence out of chapter two that captured my attention this week was: "Remember you were separate from Christ - without hope and without God in the world."

Think about how we use the word hope in our world. When I listen to the people around me I hear it used like this: “we hope the All Blacks win”, “we hope we will get a promotion”, “we hope that the money will stretch to pay the power bill”, “we hope we will find the spouse of our dreams”, “we hope our children will go well at school”, “we hope we won’t get cancer” - the definition is “want something to happen or be the case”.

Hope’s definition in this world is - we hope the future will go well but at it’s base it’s an expression of uncertainty...we hope it will work out, but we’re not sure.  And that uncertainty causes us to try and build things to pin our hope on...

Things, people, experiences or causes that help us feel like the future will be better.  But those fixed points - those stable things are hard to find and even if you do have them - there is little guarantee they’ll stay -  Earthquakes wreck houses, humans wreck relationships, jobs are lost, causes move.  Hope is hard to hold on to.

Fortunately this isn't where it ends, it goes on to say "BUT now in Christ Jesus - you who were once far away have been brought near". He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near, Grace and Peace to you - Rangimarie, the rightness of heaven resting on you... this peace which gives us a new hope.

Instead of being hopeless we have hope because of our:

ACCESS TO THE FATHER BY THE HOLY SPIRIT and by the Holy Spirit we know the presence of God - as we are BEING BUILT AS A PLACE WHERE GOD DWELLS

Today is Pentecost Sunday - when we remember and celebrate that 50 days after the resurrection, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers as they waited in that upper room in Jerusalem.  Waited to be clothed with power from on high - waited to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  And sometimes I wonder if we don’t fully appreciate what this means for us now or the vital need for us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the one who does the work in us to fill us with Hope...

This is a key role of the Holy Spirit and why we need to seek to be filled together - that God might be found here amongst us by those who don’t know Him yet.  We need to seek the filling of the HS in order that God might be found here on earth...

• Holy Spirit is our empowerer - “clothed with power from on high - you will be my witnesses” - untameable qualities of supernatural strength, fierce courage, boldness, see the invisible realm of God’s mysteries - Luke 24:49
• Holy Spirit is our guide & gives discernment - Romans 8:14 - “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God”. 1 John 2:27 - Anoints us to teach us all things and helps us to remember what God has taught us.
• Holy Spirit is our Uniter - the Holy Spirit knits our hearts and binds us together - Acts 2:44 - 46 - connects us to be the people who together change the world
• Holy Spirit gives us gifts - miracles, prophetic, wisdom, administration, leadership, hospitality, creativity, - if you want to change the world...you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit!

Remember what it was like to be separate - without hope or God and then be filled and live, by the power of the Holy Spirit in a way to offer the hope you have to others and to being built with those around you into a place where God can be found. 

We are called to remember what it was like and to live empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring hope and the presence of God to a lost and broken world around us. 

Paul's Prayer - Three Key Requests

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SUNDAY 22 APRIL 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we finish up in chapter one of the book of Ephesians - here we find Paul praying for the people and my hope is that as we explore this today we would be encouraged and empowered to pray for one another in a way that sees the realities of the Grace and Peace of God extended in our hearts, habitats and humanity. 

Predestination and Election

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SUNDAY 22 APRIL 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Today we continue to explore the first chapter of Ephesians - looking at Ephesians 1:1-14.  My prayer is that as we delve into here the questions we would ask ourselves are:  What does it mean to be chosen?  How am I part of God’s rescue plan?  How am I offering Grace and Peace to those who are a key part of my world?

Grace & Peace

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SUNDAY 15 APRIL 2018

Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.

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Reading through the books written by Paul and I was struck by something. Lets see if you see it too? What do all these books have in common...

Grace and peace... grace and peace... grace and peace... 
Now either that’s because it was the formal thing to do.  Like our 'To Whom it May Concern'.  Maybe, but my sense of it and what I feel God wants to embed in us (individually and as a community) as we work through Ephesians is captured in these two words is a culture and reality we forget easily. 

The reality for us is that Grace & Peace are things we can soak in - but all around us are competing options. Consumerism, materialism, selfish ambition, individualism all clamour for our attention and seek to shape the world we see. We are invited to stand under the flow of GRACE & PEACE - I think Paul writes it every time as it is something we easily forget, yet it is crucial to us to live as the people of God if we want to see the Kingdom extended.