ecclēsia

How do you know when the gospel has truly taken root? There are many ways you might try and answer but Paul thanks God as the fruit faith, love, and hope surface visibly in the life of the Colossians. How might they look in your life, today?

The letter to the Colossians speaks to a community tempted by many paths to spiritual fulfilment—moral effort, knowledge, or spiritual experience. None of these are the source of fullness. Only One is our holy of glory: Christ!

Happy new year! A new year brings new and heavy burdens on us. Yet, the great heart of God in Christ is gentle and lowly, inviting us to come to Him with everything that burdens us and He will give us rest.

There are many ways of life, but there is only one way that actually leads to life. The way that leads to life is through a narrow gate and a hard, lonely road, but its the way Jesus calls all who will follow Him.

Is there any point turning to God in prayer when others seem to get by without doing so? Jesus instructs His disciples to humbly ask, seek God's counsel and go to Him in prayer knowing "Your heavenly Father knows how to give good gifts to those who ask Him"

These verses in the Sermon on the Mount are among the most powerful yet most resented of all moral teachings. Jesus’ message of non-retaliation and active love toward enemies seems unrealistic and impossible in our hate-filled world. But this way of Jesus is how the kingdom of heaven breaks into the world’s cycle of evil and overcomes it for good, and is itself the very character of God.

Why call on anyone to attest to your word and not keep it? Jesus gives a clear and direct warning: to leave off making pretentions oaths and the needless unfulfilled obligations they create and to adopt the freedom that comes with simple rigid honesty.

Imagine having to consider the topic of adultery, divorce & hell all in one sitting? The sermon on the mount is aiming to get under our skin in more ways than one.

Who has never been angry? In our text Jesus puts his finger on a certain form of anger that can become detrimental to our worship of God.

There are two groups of people. People who want to get rid of God’s law, and people who think they can keep the law better than Jesus. Jesus addresses these two groups to tell them that He came to fulfil the law so that we can live in the true goodness that His kingdom demands and offers.

Are you an influencer or are you being influenced? It’s probably both to a varying degree. In view of His Kingdom, Jesus calls his disciples to effectively do the former.

For the greatest peace mission of all time it’ll take God’s mercy, a heart fully set on God and reconciliation in mind. Success isn’t guaranteed but Honours of the Heavenly order are sure. Are you in? All in?

The world around us has its own ideas about who are the blessed and happy ones. But as Jesus opens his Sermon on the Mount, he shows us what the truly blessed life is. In this blessed life, there is so much encouragement for those who have opened themselves to Jesus: it is going well for them and they have a bright future.

Question and Answers with Pastor E and Pastor Richard

Ever had a surreal experience that left you wondering if God is trying to speak to you? Well despite the earthquaking, groundbreaking, mind bending experience of meeting Jesus raised from the grave, listen in to how Jesus specifically removed all doubt from the minds of all his disciples, for all time.

If we could see Jesus on the cross with our own eyes, we would not perceive we were witnessing anything other than the death of a religious fanatic. But the truth beyond what is visible is that in his death Jesus is everything our hopeless world needs. Hidden in Jesus' death is God revealed, God's true King who gives life and the way to God opened up for us.

Have you ever felt the anger and frustration of injustice at the hands of those who abused their power? Whilst our news stories of disgusting injustices listen in and learn of the greatest miscarriage of justice in human history.

As Jesus submits to the will of the father his disciples also have to come to the realisation that the revolution will not be as they envisioned.

What would you do if you knew the exact date the world will end? Jesus calls us to be alert to 2 things because signs of the end have been declared. Listen in for the signs and the 2 things we must pay attention to.

Who is the bible's target audience? Todays text shows that its sloppy to think we in the 21 CE are primary and not the secondary focus, yet God's word powerfully speaks to everyone.

The temple in Jerusalem was beyond help. It was filled with corruption, hypocrisy and evil. Although it was a place to be near God, all its leaders were far from Him. Jesus (rightly) predicts that God is calling time on the Temple, but behind his predication is the hope that God is constructing a new one.

The religious leaders are feeling the heat from Jesus' ministry so they decide to push back by challenging his authority. Jesus masterfully establishes that his authority is divine whilst the religious leaders authority is derived from the people.

How do you feel as a child when you heard your mum's keys in the door? Did it fill you with dread, or delight? The king, Jesus, came and will come again. Will it be dread or delight for you?

We all, in some way, know that we are broken, but our best solutions point us back to ourselves. The Lord Jesus wants to set us free from the disappointment of trusting in ourselves and invites us to place a faith in Him that is needy: child-like and utterly dependent on Him, because only He is our Hope.

Is self evaluation an important concept? The writer of Hebrews argues such, and not just at the start of a new year or even monthly, but daily.

What do you want your future to be like? If you fail to plan you plan to fail, so what does God tell us about how we should approach planning? Tune in for helpful instructions to guide our steps.

The final place on our survey of the advent brigs us to God's desire to be with us. Johns's alternatives view of the advent evokes sciences from the exodus where Jesus is a new tabernacle of God's presence with us.

Is Bethlehem just a random place in which Jesus was born or is it symbolic of something more profound? The history of Bethlehem reveals that it has been the place where the hope of a family, a nation and the world are revived.

Israel and Judah's failure to measure up to God's mark brought them suffering at the hand of other nations. God gives a child and a son going first to the rebellious despised people that they may see the merciful and righteous reign of His everlasting King.

What did Jesus say believers must watch out for, if they are to inherit Kingdom of God?

Have you ever made a decision that you deeply regret? The implications of such decisions can be utterly devastating, in this life and the next.

Can you imagine someone wishing you dead while wanting you to give them hard earned money? That would be outrageous! Well this is what happens in the final scene of the 3 part of the parable that Jesus tells, showcasing the fact it is Gods love that is actually outrageous.

Is the kingdom of God already here or is it yet to come? Jesus shows us that both are true but also states that all humanity will face the judgement of God if they do not repent.

Are you ready, where is your treasure, is your lap full or burning? Jesus teaches believers a mindset that trusts in his provision while faithfully serving and awaiting his return. What mindset keeps the believer free to serve the Lord for the life in the Lords service?

What is the true "Golden Rule"? Is it only to love our neighbor, or is it something more? The true golden rule reveals to us something deeper about God, his law and our need of him.

When God seems to be distant in our darkest moments, what is the believer to do? Paul brings to light the hope all believers have in God despite their circumstances.

Cosmic conflict and crucifixion prediction, Christian community - what does it mean to be citizen kingdoms and counting the costs.

Who do you say Jesus is? There are countless views and opinions of him. Is he just another prophet in an endless line of prophets, good teachers and gurus, or is he something more? And if he is more than just a prophet, will you follow Him?

To be updated

How well do you understand the concept of prayer? Even the most godly characters in scripture fell short of expectations, yet God graciously acts on their behalf with great power faithfully fulfilling his purposes.

Do you know Jesus's true identity? Questions from the 1st century are still being asked in the 21st century regarding Jesus - "Who is this man?"

John the Baptist seems to be disappointed with Jesus ministry but is he justified to be? Both Jesus and John play key roles in transitioning the old covenant into the new. John prepares for the new offering a baptism of repentance and Jesus extends that salvation via repentance to the outsiders. However, not everyone welcomes the good news

Does God's law care for your rest and wellbeing, or is it only about keeping strict laws? Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, shows us what God's law is really about. He demonstrates God's care for us and His desire to give us rest.

Encounters of Jesus Christ has changed history all over the world and all over the world people have encountered Jesus and their lives have changed forever

If Jesus is humanities only hope the question is, can we have confidence in him.

Is there anything at stake when we are tried and tested in regards to our faith.

Why was Jesus baptised if he never sinned? Whats the difference between the baptism of John and baptism today? In fact what did John the baptist mean when he said 'the one to come will baptise with the Holy Spirit and with FIRE?

Have you ever met anyone whom you knew would have a significant impact on the world? Even before Jesus began his ministry it is reveled to Simeon and Anna that he will have an impact on the whole world from its beginning to its end. Jesus will in fact be the measure in which every person will either rise or fall.

Is Jesus birth just another high point in history or the very point that we have a history at all? Luke makes the incarnation so significant that he records the heavenly host as visibly rejoicing at the redemption of those with whom the Lord favoured.

Do you ever notice how songs, or even their lyrics bubble out of our sub conscious in response to the situations of life? What do the lyrics of Mary and Zechariah's heartfelt responses teach us about God's faithfulness in Christ.