The reasons why we value spiritual growth and opportunity are because we have work to do, and you have a part to play. Jesus models God’s heart of compassion for people by calling, teaching, sending and commissioning his disciples. We all have different gifts, given by the Holy Spirit, to help us play our part in growing and going! Passage; Romans …

The coming of the Holy Spirit then and now!Passage; Acts 1.1-8, 2.1-12 Series; Reasons Why Speaker; Steve Thomas Date; 11/3/24

Why are we rooted in Scripture? Because Jesus was! So if we want to be authentic Jesus-followers, we will want to be too. And why was he rooted in it? Because he saw it as the revelation of God’s heart, authority, truth and power.Passage; Luke 4:16; Mark 2:23-28; John 10:22-38; Galatians 3:16; John 17:14-17; Matthew 5:17-19; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Luke…

A story both of a man written off by religion and of compassion, break through, rescue and transformation. In it we see the mission of Jesus – he “came to seek and to save the lost.” We learn how we can join with Jesus in his mission by not making it complicated, by recognising compassion as a trigger to do something and being committed to spending…

A look at what it is to be mastered by Jesus, through the eyes of a donkey!Passage; Luke 19:29-35; Matthew 10:37; Zechariah 9:9; Philippians 2:5-11; Exodus 21:6 Series; Reasons Why Speaker; Rick Thomas Date; 10/13/24

Community is for us, and it's also for something more than just us. What can we learn from Jesus about how to build a strong community? Passage; John 21:4-19 Series; Reasons Why Speaker; Claire Wong Date; 10/6/24

God is our Father and Creator; therefore, we value worshipping him and living in his love, according to his design. This looks like introducing people to the Father who would do anything to find us, knowing His nurturing trust and practical help and letting our lives be shaped by Him - as clay in a potter's hand. It also involves hearing the Father…

A New Song – a fanfare of God’s victory, of his Kingship, of his rule as the whole earth is summoned to praise his name. We are to declare his glory – the weighty radiant glory of a God of substance who made the heavens. There is always more to discover about God – always a new song to sing in praise. What’s your new song for this coming week? Pass…

Long awaited promise finally becomes reality as David is recognised as King over all Israel and Judah. We look back over the series: what qualified David to be God's leader, and what are some of his less attractive features. We end in a reflection that as Christians, we look to Jesus as the true fulfilment of the hope vested in David. Passage; 2 Sa…

There is a call through David’s journey to see the seasons of wilderness as a time that we grow in our relationship with God. As grow in our heart knowledge of God, remembering his faithfulness, we are invited on a journey from despair to liberation - finding faith even in difficult times. Passage; Psalm 54Series; The Wilderness Psalms Speaker; Ann…

In this Psalm, we see the response of David to the immense genocidal evil of Doeg the Edomite that we read about in First Samuel 21 and 22. David is going through a range of emotions yet inspired by the holy spirit pens this Psalms calling out Doeg for his evils whilst, David himself affirms his faith is rooted in the steadfast love of God. The ama…

Continuing the series on David's Wilderness Psalms, Ed and Rich read from Psalm 57. They discuss the way David's song, amidst homelessness and threat of capture, bolsters his faith and how, in God, David has a home.Passage; Psalm 57 Series; The Wilderness Psalms Speaker; Ed Farrow and Rich Colbrook Date; 8/4/24…

Praising God through difficult times can transform the pain and bring us closer to Him. Passage; Psalm 34 Speaker; Becky Webb Series; Wilderness Psalms Date; 7/27/24

The key message to be taken away from the sermon is, God understands you. Your sorrows are written on His scroll, and he cares about the details of our lives.Passage; Psalm 56 Series; The Wilderness Psalms Speaker; Harry Hext Date; 7/21/24

David shows mercy to Saul on two occasions in the wilderness. But what difference does mercy make in our everyday lives, and what practical advice can we draw from David's example? Passage; 1 Samuel 26 Series; The Life of King David Speaker; Claire Wong Date; 7/7/24

God provides. We need to rely on God’s provision, rather than our own ability to control things. God’s provision can sometimes be surprising!Passages; 1 Samuel 21:1-9; Matthew 12:1-8 Series; The Rise of King David Speaker; Abby Sheard Date; 6/30/24

Fix your eyes on JesusLet us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne.I have a hope and future t…

Samuel is sent to Bethlehem, where God has seen a King for himself among Jesse's sons. Samuel thinks it might be the oldest or the strongest, but God sees more than external appearances. God sees the real worth of a human: what is in the heart, and it is on this basis that God has chosen David to be King. Passage; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Ezekiel 34:22-24…

2024 is the year of the leader. With national elections looming and more people stepping up in responsibility at CCL, we'll be taking some time to look at the early life of the Bible's archetypal leader: King David. We looked at the story so far, some top tips for reading Hebrew (Old Testament) narrative, and finished with a reflection on God's num…

We ask the question: 'Now that I'm a Christian, is that the end of sin?' We discover that, though Christ has freed us from both the penalty of sin and the power of sin, we still have a sinful nature that inclines us to sin. We look at two ways by which we can live free from sin in practice: a truth to reckon with and a person to partner with. Passa…

Rejection is powerfully destructive and painful. But there is an answer! Look to the cross and you’ll see love (the greatest act of love in human history), rejection (Jesus rejected by heaven and earth for us) and forgiveness (rather than bitterness and anger). Passage; John 3:14-16, Numbers 21:4-9Series; The Cross in our LivesSpeaker; Rich Colbroo…

Condemnation, or being ‘sentenced to punishment’. Guilt and shame stop us, but the cross propels us. We look at the power, life, and truth of the cross and how we are not made to live in condemnation. Passage: Romans 8:1-4Series: The Cross - Pt 2 Speaker: Abby Sheard Date: 04/07/2024

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus defeated his final enemy: death itself. This means that there is power to call upon his name and his blood in our lives, but it is also the bedrock of the entire Christian project - the foundations on which we can have hope for this world. Jesus' death is a paradigm shifting moment akin to seeing everything…

It is all too easy to become familiar and miss the shear wonder of the cross. The victory won for you provides total forgiveness and us being put right with God – it is as though you had never sinned! Passage: Romans 3:21-26Series: Easter - The Cross Speaker: Steve Thomas Date: 3/10/2024

Investigating redemption through film analysis of Moana. Passage: The whole Biblical story Series: Easter - The Cross Speaker: Caitlin Chambers Date: 3/3/2024

The cost of gaining the kingdom of God is great - but it’s worth it. Passage: Matthew 13:44-46 Series: Kingdom Parables Speaker: Anna Charles Date: 1/28/2024

The early Church broke new ground in creating a relational network so that God’s Church could grow and go!Passage: Acts 15 and Acts 20 Series: Together: the Church in Acts Speaker: Caitlin Chambers Date: 7/16/2023

By following the lifestyle of the Acts Church, we can choose to live in a radically generous and genuinely subversive way, that counters mainstream culture and reflects the life of the Spirit moving in us as a community. Passage: Acts 2:42-47; 4:34-37; 20:34 Series: Together: the Church in Acts Speaker: Mark Poniatowski Date: 7/2/2023…

Hospitality ministry is to provide a welcoming environment of love, acceptance, comfort, support, care, and unity for visitors, members, guests, and friends in order to enhance their worship experience, encourage fellowship, and help build a community of believers. Passage: Acts 2:46; Acts 4:32 Series: Together: the Church in ActsSpeaker: Miriam Ug…

We focus on the story of one man. It’s a story of rescue, of an outsider becoming an insider, of someone who was excluded being included. How would God reverse this situation? By sending! Passage: Acts 8:26-39 Series: Together: the Church in Acts Speaker: Richard Colbrook

Corporate worship - what is it, why do we need it and how should we go about it? We’ll look at the importance of the resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit. Passage: Acts 2:46-47; Psalm 100 Series: Together: the Church in Acts Speaker: Abby Sheard

How do we make our church community totally Christ centred? How does building our church around Jesus help us be radical, powerful and irresistible? Passage: Acts 2:42-47 Series: Together: the Church in Acts Speaker: Bekah Atkins

We begin our series in Acts with a brief look at the who, when, what and why of Luke's 'volume 2.' Then we consider the main event in the opening two chapters - the gift of the Holy Spirit. We see how his coming changed everything - the disciples' understanding of their identity, their destiny, and their ability to live a life pleasing to God. Pass…

We started our series about the church with “We not me”. But ‘we’ is bigger than we might think – it’s ‘we’ beyond us. The church exists for the world, and we are called to be salt and light in dark places where there’s pain, poverty, injustice, sickness, violence and sin. We’re to be a beacon of God’s hope andlove shining out into a lost world. Pa…

The angel specifically tells the women to tell devastated Peter on resurrection morning. In this we catch a glimpse of the heart of Jesus – gentle, deeply understanding, humble, lowly and accessible. This isn’t just for Peter – it’s for each of us too. Passage: Mark 16:1-8, Matthew 11:28-30 Speaker: Richard Colbrook…

The empty tomb shows that the cross is the answer. Forgiveness is total. Friendship is available. Forever is secure Passage: Mark 16:1-7, Psalm 32:1-2 Speaker: Rich Colbrook

Vision is a picture of the future which produces passion. God has vision for his worldwide church, for you and for us together - playing our part in God's plan to restore the whole of creation and put all things right. The invitation is for us, both individually and together, to be caught up in this wonderful vision and see it beginning to work out…

Paul uses the illustration of the body to explain the concept of unity within the church. When you become a Christian, you are joined to the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Everyone has a part to play and something to offer – you are needed in the body! Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Series: People of God Speakers: Abby Sheard & Anna Charles…

The Bible describes Church as a family. What does this mean for our identity and how can we find our place in the family of God? Passage: Ephesians 2:19 Series: People of God Speaker: Claire Wong

God loves being among his people. The temple speaks of his presence, purity and power. We look at how God is building his church to be his dwelling place, a holy place, and a meeting place where extraordinary things happen! Passage: 1 Peter 2:4-5; Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:18,19 Series: People of God Speaker: Rick Thomas…

Peter has a revelation that Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed servant of Yahweh. Jesus says that this revelation is a foundation for the church, and a propelling force for its advance! Passage: Matthew 16:13-20 Series: People of God Speaker: Steve Thomas

Modern Western culture increasingly makes “me” the centre of all things. But this is the polar opposite of authentic Christianity which is all about “we” not “me”. The message looks at 3 reasons why this is non-negotiable and 3 things we miss out on when we pursue a “me” not “we” life. Passage: Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35 Series: People of God Speaker: M…

We are not to underestimate the impact of small beginnings when it’s God who is the initiator! As we look ahead to 2023, we can expect more as we pray. Passage: Matthew 2:1-12 Speakers: Richard Colbrook

Why is Christmas so amazing? Speaker: Bekah Atkins

You sense the author is running out of time and space. He still has so much to say. His points come at us like a hail of machine-gun fire. Lots of exhortation; some clear ethical instructions; a request for prayer and a beautiful blessing over his readers to end. Passage: Hebrews 13:1-25 Series: Hebrews Speaker: Bekah Atkins…

How does God perfect our faith and how do we partner with him in that? It’s all about dropping the stuff that slows us or trips us whilst running, welcoming his loving training methods, listening and responding with holy fear. Passage: Hebrews 12:1-17 Series: Hebrews Speaker: Rick Thomas

We begin with a definition of faith and look at those who demonstrated it, earning ‘a good reputation.’ But God had something better in mind for us. Passage: Hebrews 11:1-40 Series: Hebrews Speaker: Caitlin Chambers

Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant. The old covenant between God and Israel was good, but the new covenant mediated through Jesus is so much better. Through his once-and-for-all sacrifice we can receive total and complete forgiveness. Passage: Hebrews 8:1-10:25 Series: Hebrews Speaker: Mark Poniatowski…

How does Jesus perfect the system of Priesthood? How is He the perfect advocate for us and how does this truly require us to put out complete faith in Jesus? Passage: Hebrews 4:14-5:10, 7:1-28 Series: Hebrews Speaker: Bekah Atkins

What is spiritual maturity and how do we pursue it? This challenging text encourages us to move outside our comfort zone rather than stuck with the familiar. Passage: Hebrews 5:11-6:12 Series: Hebrews Speaker: Claire Wong