Episodes
Sunday Jan 31, 2021
Grace breaks down the barriers
Sunday Jan 31, 2021
Sunday Jan 31, 2021
John Lanchbury | Ephesians 2:11-22
Remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth... were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
It was the big controversy of Paul's day: how could a Gentile be a true follower of Christ without becoming a Jew first? Since those days we have devised all too many ways of excluding people who do not seem to be like us. Yet Jesus has broken down the barriers, and John Lanchbury explores the implications in this week's service, which is introduced by Susan Haynes and also includes prayers from Cathie Bartlam.
The recording is an edited version of our Sunday service. The full video version of the service, including music, can be viewed on YouTube.
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Gift of grace
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Chris Turner | Ephesians 2:4-10
It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Without God's help we would be as good as dead, but through his grace we are not only saved but entrusted with his mission. Chris explains what God has done for us and the qualities that he enables us to display to the world. The recording is an extract from our live Sunday service which was held via Zoom.
A video version of this talk, plus the songs used in the service, can be viewed on YouTube.
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
Challenging prayers
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
Peter Frere | Ephesians 1:15-23 | Ephesians 3:14-21
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
These are big prayers, but if - like Paul - we truly believe that the power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, everything becomes possible. Peter explains how our outlook can change as we absorb these truths, and as an example, Bobbie Frere interviews Dee to find out about a recent change in her life. The recording is an edited version of our Sunday service, with readings from Sarah Trinder and prayers from Susan Haynes.
The full video version of the service, including music, can be viewed on YouTube.
Sunday Jan 10, 2021
Riches in Christ
Sunday Jan 10, 2021
Sunday Jan 10, 2021
Graham Romp | Ephesians 1:1-14
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
The words tumble out of Paul as he proceeds to list those spiritual blessings - or as many as he can before running out of breath. Graham reflects on what makes these gifts so valuable, in this, the first of our series on Paul's letter to the Ephesians. The recording is an edited version of our Sunday service, introduced by Dan Parnell with a reading from Matt Fox and prayers from James Howley.
The full video version of the service, including music, can be viewed on YouTube.
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
Epiphany 2021
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
Rachel Fasham | Matthew 2:1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.' ... On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As Rachel says, these don't seem the most appropriate gifts for a child, but they served to represent who Jesus was and his destiny. What gifts can we offer to Jesus and to his family - the church? This livestreamed service includes a talk from Rachel and is introduced by Susan Haynes with prayers from Ann Fasham.
The full video version of this service, including music and much more, can be viewed on YouTube. All the links to the various follow-up activities are on our website.