20th April 2014 Easter Day  

 Entitled “The Weekend that shook the world” the reading is from John 20:19-23 and looked at the unfolding events of Easter Day culminating in the meeting with the disciples in the locked room in the evening with the evidences around the bodily resurrection of Christ. The implications for us and them are explored under the headings of Holy Service Together (HST).  

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

 13th April 2014

Palm Sunday and going up to Jerusalem. The talk looks at the 4 perspectives on the triumphal entry and the cleansing of the Temple. Jesus did not ferment a riot (Matthew 12: 18 – 21) but he did call people to follow him and he showed what it meant to seek first God’s Kingdom (Matt 6: 33): There is a time for quiet persistent ministry and preaching but also a time to challenge the powerful and raise the hopes of the powerless. The Kingdom of God is often at odds with this world’s ways of doing things. Jesus was not a physical warrior – leading people out on a war horse -but he had tremendous courage nevertheless. Crowds can be fickle – one minute shouting in Jesus’ favour and then afraid to follow him. 

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

The Spirit of Jesus brings a message to the church at Philadelphia.

Before going out of the church building in groups to pray and distribute leaflets locally we remembered that just as Jesus moved around the cities that surrounded the churches so Jesus is walking our streets and workplaces. It seems the church at Philadelphia had endured difficulties and Jesus told them of his love for them. Jesus warned them that further trials were coming upon the whole earth (no time frame is given for these trials).

The church was not an influential one but it was strategically placed  as “a gateway to the East”. Jesus goes on to explain that he holds “David’s key”(Isaiah 22:22)  – the authority to open doors and close doors which no one had the power to reverse. We discussed what this might mean and also what Jesus meant when he said he had set before them an “open door”. John in his Gospel had recorded Jesus as saying he is the DOOR and here in the Revelation is a reference to Jesus opening up the doorway for the disciples to experience more of the promised “messianic glory”. Listen to the talk to explore what this might mean to them but also us now

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