January 19th 2014 

 This talk title is “ Prophecy and the Rubicon?. “ The reading is from John 1: 15, 19-34 and. profiles the ministry of John the Baptist in preparing the arrival of Messiah. He died a martyr (29 AD) for the stand he took in preaching against the sin of Herod Antipas who illegally and immorally took his brothers wife as his mistress. John’s ministry crossed a Rubicon. There is no going back to the OT times – God’s people have moved on. John was not of the Old order but he ushered in the New – which is Jesus  who brings in the Kingdom of God. New wine skins for new wine– which marks a new age for God’s Prophets too.

 Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website .

12th January 2014 .

 Jane continues with the theme of Jesus and the prophets and looks at “ the  prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee .“( Luke 4:14-24)  Where Jesus did not go down well and was a controversial figure with his unpalatable truths and his revolutionary claims.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website

5th January 2014  

With a new year we begin a new theme moving from “ Simply Gospel “ to “ Jesus and the prophets. “We begin with the magi traveling to see Jesus – King of the Jews. The reading is from Matthew 2: 1 – 12. The journey and visit of the magi is always a bit controversial because they are from what Jews and Christians would consider a pagan background. What’s fascinating for us to see within the pages of our New Testament is that God found a way to draw even the magi/ astrologers from Iran – to come and worship/ adore at the feet of Jesus. Do we understand the biblical view of the seen and unseen world, and are we able to discern what God is saying through his Holy Spirit as we listen to them and speak with them? Do we know our Bibles including the Prophetic Literature of the Old and New Testaments – and do we know God well enough not to be hood winked by false prophecies and prophets? Do we understand the role of prophecy in the Church since the coming of Christ or are we confused? Questions to think about and ponder.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website .

 29th December 2013 

 Jesus the last word. The reading is from Hebrews 1;1-3 and John 1:1-14. The talk looks at Jesus as the beginning and the end as the creator and the sustainer of the universe and answers the question as God is Spirit, how do we see? That the incarnation enables us to see and understand that Jesus is the still small voice of God , he has made him known

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website.

 25th December 2013 Christmas Day

 The reading is from Isaiah 11:1-5 and looks at what is the true spirit of Christmas in all of our celebrations of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Reflected in the way the Spirit of the LORD is the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and knowledge, the spirit of power and the fear of the LORD, establishing  a peaceful Kingdom. That Jesus would know how to rule because of the Spirit of the Lord is resting on him and in  Luke 4: 16 – 21 describes him claiming that he fulfilled the prophecy: “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me!.” This Spirit was bringing in good news for the poor, liberty for captives and sight for the blind and setting free the oppressed. This is the Spirit of the LORD on Jesus that we celebrate this Christmas if we celebrate the true Spirit of Christmas.

Furthermore the Spirit of the Lord, the “Spirit of Christmas” can be seen each day: in the fruits of the Spirit that are outworked in our shared lives in acts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website 

22nd December 2013 Carols by Candlelight

 The reading is from Luke 2: 1 – 7. After showing a YouTube clip from St Pauls church New Zealand called ” An unexpected Christmas”  the talk underlines that God’s plan is in many ways unexpected– it is awesome and unique. The teaching of Jesus as recorded and unpacked in Holy Scriptures tells of God taking on flesh and blood and living among us, suffering instead of us and delivering us from the power of evil. They won’t be expecting that. Indeed the world was not expecting what God did in Jesus Christ.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website .

 22nd December 2013 All Age 

An All Age service this morning largely taken up with a marionette nativity show but preceded with a short talk. The reading is from Luke 2:4 – 15 as the E in the advent mnemonic COME for “Evangel “– Good News. Everyone gets an invitation to consider and “see” Jesus born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger, his way of life working , preaching and teaching, healing, dying and being buried, but now risen from death, alive and resplendent - and coming again. 

 

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website.