Take Hold Church Podcast

Nehemiah chapter three opens with the Sheep Gate — and it's no accident. Before a single stone is laid, the people consecrate the one gate that points to sacrifice, to the cross, to the only thing that makes us right with God. From there, the wall goes up section by section, shoulder to shoulder, everyone using their gifts in their own lane.But in chapter four, the opposition arrives. And Nehemiah's response — prayer, positioning, and picking up both a hammer and a sword — gives us one of the most practical pictures in Scripture of what whole life commitment actually looks like.This message from the Dream Builders series looks at what it means to build something for God's glory while staying ready for the battle that always comes with it. One hand on the work. One hand on your weapons. And the Spirit of God with you every step of the way.Be Loved.

How does a God-sized dream actually begin?In this message from Nehemiah 1, we see that it doesn’t start with strategy—it starts with a burden. A burden that leads to prayer, fasting, and ultimately courage.Nehemiah didn’t begin with resources or influence. He began with heartbreak, humility, and a deep trust in the covenant love of God.

In this opening message of Dream Builders, we look at Psalm 126 and discover a God who doesn’t just give dreams—but restores them. This isn’t about self-help or positive thinking. It’s about trusting a God who works in the unseen, brings life out of barren places, and turns seasons of weeping into seasons of joy.

The resurrection of Jesus didn’t just leave behind an empty tomb—it demanded a response.In Luke 24, we see people wrestling with confusion, doubt, and disappointment. The tomb is empty, the stories are spreading… but everything changes when they encounter the risen Jesus for themselves.This message explores the true turning point of the Easter story: not just that Jesus rose, but that He reveals Himself—and in that moment, doubt becomes certainty.“He is risen” becomes “He is risen indeed.”

Palm Sunday begins with celebration—but what happens when celebration turns into confusion, disappointment, and even devastation?In this message, we journey from the triumphal entry to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus faces His darkest hour. While the crowds shouted “Hosanna,” many would soon experience heartbreak as everything they hoped for seemed to fall apart.Through Jesus’ prayer in the garden—“Abba, Father… not my will, but Yours be done”—we discover how to navigate seasons of crushing, uncertainty, and pain.This message is for anyone who has ever felt like life went from breakthrough to breakdown… and wondered where God was in the middle of it.

Jesus didn’t come for a select few—He came to remove every barrier.In this message, we follow Jesus on His journey toward the cross and encounter people like Bartimaeus, Zacchaeus, and Mary—each one invited into full discipleship, not something less. From a blind outsider to a sinner in a tree to a woman pouring out everything she had, we see a powerful truth:No one is called to lesser discipleship.Mary’s act of pouring out expensive perfume wasn’t about wealth—it was about worship. She simply did what she could. And that’s the same invitation Jesus gives us today.No matter your past, your status, or what you think disqualifies you—you are invited into the fullness of life with Him.

This Easter series follows the final stretch of Jesus’ journey toward the cross—a road marked not only by determination, but by divine compassion.In this message, we are reminded that the way of Jesus is not only about where He was going, but what He was revealing along the way. On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus shows that the kingdom of God reaches the humble, the broken, the searching, and the desperate. The cross was His destination, but mercy was already flowing from His heart long before He arrived there

Worship is more than a song—it’s a response to God.In this message, we explore how worship extends beyond singing and into every part of our lives. From the way we trust God to the choices we make each day, worship is about living in a way that honors Him.When we begin to see our work, our faith, and our daily lives as offerings to God, our entire life becomes an expression of worship.

We often define peace as relief — a break from pain, war, anxiety, or suffering. But what if peace was never meant to be a circumstance… but a Person?In this sermon, Cody unpacks Jesus’ promise of peace in the middle of suffering and the story of the storm in Mark 4. The disciples feared death. Jesus slept. Why? Because He wasn’t just the hero of the story — He was the Author.The problem with peace is that we treat it like a status change instead of a relationship.If you’re in a storm right now, this episode will remind you where true peace is found.

There is no category in the New Testament for a Christian who is not a disciple — and no category for a disciple who is not called to make disciples.In this powerful message, we are reminded that:• Jesus is still building His Church• The Great Commandment + Great Commission belong together• Ordinary believers are God’s chosen means to reach the worldFrom Acts 1:8 to stories of disciple-makers around the globe, this message challenges us to believe that multiplication isn’t impossible in Scotland — it’s just waiting on obedience.Ordinary believers + an extraordinary God = transformation.📖 Scriptures: Acts 1–2, Matthew 22, Matthew 28📍 Take Hold Church, Edinburgh

What kind of life inspires others?In week five of Stand Out, we dive into Daniel 6 and uncover the hidden key behind Daniel’s extraordinary life: consecration.Daniel didn’t just have faith in a moment—he lived a life continually set apart for God. Even under pressure, threat, and injustice, Daniel refused to compromise. His quiet, daily devotion positioned him for God’s power, protection, and favor.This message challenges us to move beyond safe, ordinary Christianity and step into an abundant, set-apart life that puts God on display.Safe is ordinary. Set apart is extraordinary.

Everyone has stories in their family that should change everything — if people are willing to listen.In Daniel 4 and 5, we hear King Nebuchadnezzar tell the story of how pride cost him everything, and how humility restored him. But the very next generation ignores the warning, proving that knowing the story isn’t the same as learning the lesson.This message challenges us to examine where pride may be keeping us from God, how humility opens the door to grace, and why God refuses to be just one voice among many. The invitation is simple but costly: humble yourself under the hand of God, and find true rest.

Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid getting burned — but what if the most important moments of faith require us to walk toward the fire?In this message from Daniel 3, we look at the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the courage it took to stand firm in a system designed to erase their identity and silence their faith. This is a message about “even if He doesn’t” faith — faith that trusts God’s goodness regardless of the outcome.When we choose faith over compromise, comfort, or approval, we discover something powerful: God doesn’t always keep us from the fire, but He always meets us in it.

In this message from Daniel chapter 2, we see how Daniel moves from imminent execution to supernatural promotion in a single day.This sermon unpacks the connection between fasting, prayer, obedience, and breakthrough — and why some things only happen when we make space for God. Drawing from Isaiah 58 and the words of Jesus, we’re reminded that real promotion comes from heaven, not striving.Stand Out continues with a clear invitation: trust God fully, obey boldly, and let Him handle the outcome.

This message kicks off Stand Out, a teaching series through the book of Daniel. In Daniel chapter 1, we meet a teenager taken into exile, pressured to compromise, and offered comfort in exchange for conviction. Daniel’s response was simple but powerful: he resolved in his heart.In this message, we explore:Why compromise usually happens slowlyHow identity determines obedienceWhy miracles, favor, and equipping follow obedienceWhat fasting really is — and why it creates space for God to move

At Christmas, we often focus on what’s familiar—but God’s love reaches far beyond what we expect. In this message, we look at the Wise Men: outsiders, magi, people who came from the farthest away, yet were intentionally invited into the story of Jesus. God hung a star in the sky not just to announce a birth, but to reveal how far His love will go for those who feel distant, overlooked, or written off. This message reminds us that faith isn’t just something explained—it’s something encountered.Be unexplainable.The King has come—for everyone.

In this Christmas message, we’re reminded that the birth of Jesus wasn’t passive or sentimental — it was driven by the zeal of the Lord.This sermon explores how God’s passionate, covenant-keeping love moved Him to step into human history through Christ. From prophecy to fulfillment, from promise to presence, we see that salvation was not an afterthought — it was God’s determined pursuit of humanity.Through Scripture, worship, and reflection on the Christmas story, we’re invited to rediscover the holy zeal that brought Jesus into the world, and to ask how that same zeal should shape our worship, our faith, and our lives today.

In this powerful interview, we sit down with Pierre Schoeman, professional rugby player for Scotland, and his wife Charissa, a Christian businesswoman with a deep story of courage, faith, and resilience. Their journey from South Africa to Scotland is full of unexpected turns, faith, and bold trust in Jesus.From childhood friends at age eight, to long-distance love through handwritten poems, to the hard seasons of rugby, criticism, immigration, and stepping out with only two suitcases, Pierre and Charissa share the real story behind their lives — the highs, the lows, the miracles, and the faith that sustains them

Pastor Paul teaches on the Great Exchange — Jesus taking our sin and giving us His righteousness. From that foundation, we learn how to live out daily micro exchanges: small, intentional swaps in our thoughts and behaviours that help us experience the life Jesus intends for us.This message is both theological and deeply practical, helping us understand how God forms us, how new pathways are created, and how we move from old patterns into a renewed mind and transformed life.

This week at Take Hold, Pastor Paul continued our Be Loved series by unpacking the earliest Christian creed from 1 Corinthians 15 — the four simple, world-shifting truths the early church built their entire faith on:• Christ died for our sins.• He was buried.• He was raised on the third day.• He appeared to His followers — hundreds of eyewitnesses.This message walks through the story of the cross, the evidence of the resurrection, and the truth that because Jesus lives, we have eternal life — and life that is truly life today.Your identity isn’t based on performance, shame, or your past. In Christ, your name is Beloved.

In part 2 of the Be Loved series, Pastor Paul unpacks the second truth:We were born on the wrong side of an impossible gap — but the cross of Jesus bridges it.Sin created the distance, love closed it. Eternal life isn’t just what happens after death; it begins the moment you believe.

In this first message of the Be Loved series, we’re reminded of a truth that changes everything — you’ve never been unloved.Before you took your first breath, before you believed, before you ever got it right or wrong — God loved you completely.This is where the story begins.Scripture: 1 John 4:8–10 | Romans 5:8 | John 3:16Series: Be Loved

When Jesus died, the veil was torn — not just in the temple, but in the space between heaven and earth.You were never meant to live with limited access to God.You were created for unlimited access — to know Him personally, to represent Him powerfully, and to bring His presence wherever you go.This message explores how the resurrection made every believer a priest, ambassador, and representative of Christ.📖 Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20 | 1 Peter 2:9 | Hebrews 4:14–16 | Galatians 2:20 | Mark 15:37–38Weekly messages from Take Hold Church, Edinburgh.

Naomi and Ruth’s story shows us what redemption looks like in real life — not the absence of pain, but its transformation.When everything fell apart, God was still working behind the scenes.From famine to harvest, from death to life, from isolation to family — Ruth’s story reminds us: God doesn’t leave His people without a Redeemer.📖 Scripture: Ruth 1–4 | Galatians 6:9 | 1 Thessalonians 5:24Weekly messages from Take Hold Church, Edinburgh.

This week at Take Hold, we continued our series “Every Story Matters: Becoming Who You Were Meant to Be.”We looked at the life of Caleb, a man who chose faith when everyone else chose fear. At 40 years old, he stood on the edge of God’s promise and said, “We can do this.” Forty-five years later, at 85, he was still saying the same thing—still strong, still faithful, still believing that God keeps His promises.Caleb’s story reminds us that faith isn’t a moment—it’s a lifelong decision.The foundations you build today will shape the future you. What you avoid now might be the very thing God wants to use to define your story.Even when timelines stretch and promises take decades, God never fails. His promises outlast our impatience, and His faithfulness outlives our fear.📖 Scripture: Numbers 13–14 | Joshua 14 | Genesis 13✨ Series: Every Story Matters – Becoming Who You Were Meant to BeJoin us Sundays at Take Hold Church in Edinburgh, Scotland.@takeholdchurch | takeholdchurch.com

This week we continued our series “Every Story Matters: Becoming Who You Were Meant to Be,” looking at the story of Samson—a man who was set apart, chosen, and gifted by God, yet deeply flawed.Even in Samson’s downfall, God’s purpose was not defeated. His strength returned, his faith was renewed, and his story ended not in shame, but in grace.This message is a reminder that no matter how far we fall, God’s not done with us yet.The same power that restored Samson can restore us too—because grace gets the final word.📖 Scripture: Judges 13–16 | Romans 8:28 | Hebrews 11:32–35Weekly messages from Take Hold Church in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In this week’s message, we begin a new series: Every Story Matters. Through the book of Esther, we’re reminded that no life is insignificant and no detail is wasted in God’s hands. From Esther’s courage “for such a time as this” to the truth that God can redeem even our darkest days, this teaching challenges us to see our own stories through the lens of God’s purpose and faithfulness. Whether you feel overlooked, broken, or uncertain, be encouraged—your story matters deeply to God.

Message from 14 September 2025 at Take Hold ChurchThis week, Daniel Andree shared a powerful message on community. From the very beginning of creation to the early church in Acts, we see that God designed us to belong—not to live in isolation, but to walk together in faith.Through Scripture, Daniel reminds us that true community isn’t something that just happens—it’s something we pursue. Rooted in Jesus, community becomes a place of encouragement, growth, and testimony to the world.

Message from 7 September 2025 at Take Hold ChurchThis week we celebrated two years of Take Hold Church and reflected on God’s faithfulness since day one!In this message, we dive into the vision for your life—not just what you drive, where you live, or what you do, but what it means to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Drawing from Deuteronomy 6 and the words of Jesus in Matthew 22, we’re reminded that true vision begins with loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and loving people as ourselves.

Message from 31 August 2025 at Take Hold ChurchThis is part two of our series in Matthew 6 called “When You…”Last week we looked at giving. This week, Pastor Paul takes us into Jesus’ words about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says, “When you pray…” — and he calls us away from performance and into relationship.Prayer isn’t about being seen, using the right words, or informing God of what’s happening in our lives. It’s about entering the secret place — meeting with our Father who already knows us, loves us, and longs to speak with us.In this message we explore:Why Jesus told us to pray “Father” and what that meansHow the secret place changes our hearts and aligns us with God’s willThe Lord’s Prayer as a revolutionary guide for daily lifeWhy revival requires repentance, both personal and communalThe secret is the secret place. And Jesus promises: “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”📖 Matthew 6:5–24 | Pastor Paul – Take Hold Church, Edinburgh

This week we begin a 2-part series in Matthew 6 called “When You…”Jesus repeats these words again and again in the Sermon on the Mount—“when you give, when you pray, when you fast.” These aren’t empty routines or religious duties, they’re invitations to step into God’s presence.In part one, Pastor Paul teaches on giving—why motives matter more than appearances, how generosity becomes worship, and what it means when Jesus says “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”The reward isn’t prosperity. It’s presence. A deeper relationship with the God who provides.📖 Matthew 6:1-24 | Pastor Paul – Take Hold Church, Edinburgh

Message from 27th July, 2025 at Take Hold ChurchWe weren’t made to hustle endlessly. We were made to live in rhythm with the One who gives us rest. In this week’s message, Pastor Paul explores God’s original design for Sabbath—not as a legalistic rule, but as a gift of grace and resistance to the burnout culture we live in.

What do you do when life doesn’t make sense? When the storm lingers and your prayers feel unanswered? In this message, we revisit the words of Jesus in John 16—“in a little while…”—and unpack how this seemingly vague phrase became a source of deep hope in the darkest moment in human history.Through powerful storytelling, Scripture, and personal reflection, this episode explores:What it means to trust God during the “little while” seasonsHow to pray honest prayers—even complaintsWhy your survival is evidence of God’s loveWhat to do when doubt creeps inWhy your story isn’t over yetIf you’re in a season of waiting, pain, or uncertainty, this is a message for you. You’re still here. God is still working. And your story is not over.

You Don’t Have to Be Seen to Be SignificantIn a culture obsessed with visibility, Jesus offers something deeper—significance rooted not in being noticed, but in being faithful. This message explores the life of one of the most overlooked disciples, James the Less, and the truth that God sees and uses ordinary, often unseen people to change the world.Whether you feel invisible, forgotten, or just stuck in the background, this sermon reminds you: your faithfulness is not missed in heaven. From biblical stories to real-world examples, you’ll be invited to step out of hiding, embrace your God-given identity, and offer up your ordinary to a God who works miracles with it.You’re not insignificant. You’re called. And your “yes” still matters.

In this powerful message from our Encountering Jesus series, we explore the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5, and the life-changing question Jesus asks: “Do you want to be healed?”Through this story, you’ll be invited to confront your default settings, break free from cycles of victimhood, and step into resurrection life. You don’t need all the answers—just the courage to say yes.It’s not get up day.It’s got up day.

Message from 15 June, 2025 at Take Hold Church This week as we celebrate Fathers Day, we hear about how God is our ultimate Father and champion.

This week to conclude our "Unlock" series, we learn how the Holy Spirit unlocks help in our lives and so much more

Message from 1 June 2025 at Take Hold Church This week in our "Unlock" series we see how the scripture unlocks the work of God in our lives.

Message from 25 May 2025 at Take Hold ChurchThis week in our "Unlock" series we hear the story of how repentance in the life of David unlocks restoration and how we can apply that to our own lives.

Message from 16 Feb, 2025 at Take Hold ChurchThis week we begin a 3 part series on relationship! We hear what it means to raise the bar on relationships, marriages, friendships, and more. We see how the Bible shows examples and instructions how to build healthy, God-centred relationship. Join us next week for part 2!

Message from 9 March, 2025 at Take Hold ChurchThis week we begin a new series as we approach Easter! We will going through the book of John and the "I Am" statements of Jesus as we learn who Jesus was according to His own words.

Message from 2 March, 2025 at Take Hold Church This week we conclude our relationship series and are encouraged that no matter what we have been through in Relationships that Jesus can make us whole.

Message from 9th February, 2025 at Take Hold Church This week we wrap up our "With" series with a message on the importance and impact of worshipping, serving, and being in groups together as a church. Join us next week as we begin a new series on relationships!

Message from 2nd Feb 2025 at Take Hold Church This week we continue our "With" series with an encouraging message and reminder that we are never alone. We are reminded that in Christ, we have the Word of God, you have the Spirit of God, and you have an army standing at the ready. Join us next week!

Message from 26 January, 2025 at Take Hold Church This week we have Pastor Marc Pawson speaking and giving us a powerful word on the importance of living in God's Word and how we can experience His presence through it!

Message from 19th January 2025 at Take Hold Church This week in our "With" series, we learn more about how living a presence driven life can bring us closer to Jesus in our daily lives. One of the best ways is by being a disciple and learning from Jesus with the goal of being more like Him. Tune in next week!

Message from 12th January at Take Hold Church We are starting a new series called "With" at Take Hold! This series will be a collection of talks to equip and encourage us as we start the new year "with" God.

Message from 5th January at Take Hold Church

Message from 24 November 2024 at Take Hold Church This week we hear from Daniel Andree about how hungering for God's word is what truly sustains and satisfies us. We also see a breakdown analysis on how we can know the Bible to be credible and true.

Message from 17 November 2024 at Take Hold Church