Living Rock Podcast

Whatever we face? - JESUS is the answer! Ask and He will come! He (the Centurion) knew where to come. We also need to “know” this, many times we try to do things in our own strength - We can be so quick not to seek Jesus first. I can sort this in my own power, with the counsel of others, my own ability, sometimes we feel like God will hold it against us if we "constantly" pester Him? But Centurion "knew" that Jesus was the answer. To often we wait until we get to "crisis management" He wants us to "share" our lives with Him. This is the way He wants us to walk.

We’re in 1 Corinthians 11 during our Love builds up series so let’s use the opportunity to dig deeper into the lessons of how not to break bread! We’ll look at some context of the scripture and then think about the importance of unity around the table, judgement around the table and proclamation from the table.

Watch/listen again to this key message from David Lyon at our 2024 Momentum Conference. You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

What does it truly mean to be free as a Christian? In 1 Corinthians 10 the Apostle Paul gives us a history lesson to help us use our freedom well. Let’s see what he has to say…

The ‘Parable of the Sower’ (Mt 13:1-9, 18-23) shows us the barriers which can prevent us receiving the Word of the Kingdom (v.19). We can all have places in our hearts which are closed to God’s Word, too shallow for it to take root, or simply find us too preoccupied with cares of this life to produce anything. In this message we consider Jesus’ call to each of us to prepare our hearts for His Word to go down deep, take root, find space in our lives, and by holding fast to it, see a harvest of abundance produced in us and others.

In this all age service we looked at one characteristic of love referred to in 1 Corinthians.  Starting with 1 Corinthians 16:14 we explored the instruction from Paul to the church, to show love in everything we do, in every action and every motivation.

This ‘Agape’ (Greek for love) is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional and is not based in feelings or emotion.

Looking at the example Jesus set in John 13:1-14 & verses 34-35 we saw true humility, the serving of others and how Jesus encouraged us to do the same. This is how others that don’t know Jesus would see us reflect him!

We were encouraged to be ‘refreshers’, like those in 1 Corinthians 16:18 were described. That is to refresh those around us, to show kindness and compassion through our actions and not just words. We are to;

See the very best in others
Seek the very best for others
And serve with our very best, for others

For our all-together gathering in April we step into Jesus’ story, taking a whistle-stop tour through some amazing parts of Mark Gospel, to follow Jesus and see how we can live like Jesus did. Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit and with power, went around doing good, healing people and setting people free (Acts 10:38). He promised His followers that they too would receive the Holy Spirit and power to carry on spreading the good news of Jesus and His Kingdom - and that includes us!

Step into His story with us and look out for some exciting encounters with Jesus, a surprise song and a calendar challenge. Walk this Way!

In chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul deals with the issue of financial support (v1-14), explains his passion to reach the lost (v15-23) and describes how he stays focussed and self-controlled (v24-27).  Throughout the chapter we discover various obligations we have because of the good things we've been entrusted with.  In this message we focus on three of these: the need to handle the Scriptures properly; the urgency and simplicity of our mission; and the importance of staying on track as we run our race.  These things are so vital in the church today, and this message will help you think about how you can be faithful in each area.  

On this Easter Sunday, we look at the account of Resurrection Day and the invitation before us to go right in, to see and to believe. In a ‘do’ culture we find that the message of Jesus death on the cross, completing His mission on earth and then demonstrating victory over death itself means that for believers Jesus has turned the ‘do’ into ‘DONE!”

God Wants you to have Kingdom Yeast! Without the yeast the flour cannot be made to rise. Without Jesus and His Kingdom the world cannot be saved, cannot be changed - Both work silently and unseen. The power of the Kingdom is not physical and yet it produces definite results. The same applies to our own lives - the Kingdom (and all it's teachings) needs to rise, invade and permeate every part of our lives. Through the parable of the yeast, Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of Heaven is alive, it's everywhere, it takes attention and patience to grow, and it transforms everything it touches. Yeast is microscopic in size, and only a little is kneaded (and a only a little is needed!) into the dough. Yet, given time, the yeast will spread through all the dough. In the same way, Jesus started with twelve men in an obscure corner of Galilee, but it has spread throughout the world.  We need to "knead the dough" of our lives making sure it reaches, permeates, and touches every part of our lives.

It takes effort and technique - it is hard work sometimes! He wants our characters and walk with Him to rise evenly, with no flat spots, no section that are unleavened.

In this message Ovi shares all about Thomas - a character in the story of Jesus that we may be familiar with. He is often referred to as 'Doubting Thomas' and he can represent someone who is debating whether something is true or not. After seeing Jesus on the cross, Thomas withdrew from his fellow disciples and became isolated. Isolation is the perfect environment for pessimism, doubt and scepticism to grow! But Thomas was reset by Jesus when he said "My Lord and my God". Hear more about this story in today's message.

When Jesus went around doing good, He walked with power and purpose. We look together at how Jesus enables us to walk His way; with Holy Spirit power and God-given purpose today.

We consider how God’s attributes of Justice and Mercy are on full display and working together at the Cross.

We have all heard the expression - "He is his father's son" or  "they are a chip off the old block" or "the apple didn't fall far from the tree!". This morning I'm not going to discuss methods on how to bring up your children, but I am going to show you how to influence them. It is about leadership and example - because it is more a case of our children, young folk and those around us are watching you as opposed to us instructing them! Paul says in Philippians 4:9 "Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you." The best training is demonstration, not instruction. How many times have we heard folk say to their children, "do as a say, not as I do!"? When really we should be saying, "do as I do!". Demonstration has more impact than instruction. As the people of God we have the opportunity to influence those around us, the unsaved, work colleagues, friends, our children and young people, all those in our sphere of influence. That we become imitators of Christ,  influencing the world and advancing the Kingdom.

When we come to Christ we are called into his eternal purpose. Jesus said, "I will build my church." It's time for us to build with him. 

Mother’s Day is a perfect time to explore God’s maternal nature. He is our Heavenly Father but perfect motherly love has to also be found in Him. For all of us are made in His image male and female. We’ll explore the scripture and see what it has to say.

Jesus had much to say about counting the cost of being His follower. Today we look at three stories found in the bible and weigh together the cost of following or not following Jesus.

Watch/listen again to this Sunday message from Ian Jones in Atherstone. You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

In this message we consider the issue arising amongst the Corinthians about whether to eat meat which had been offered to idols in the pagan temples, but which was really about what they were to do with their newfound freedom in Christ. We consider the key differences between Love’s Freedom and the world’s freedom, and the implications for how we live out God’s Kingdom culture in this present age, to a watching world waiting for God’s children to be revealed (Ro 8:19).

Watch/listen again to this Sunday message from David Lyon in Market Harborough. You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

We look at how God’s is joyfulness and gladness is seen in Jesus Christ. How God has a sense of humour and wants us to live anointed with joy!

In this message we'll talk about the joy of judgement. They don't seem like two words that go together very well. When the Bible talks about judgement though, it's clear, for those who know Jesus there is ultimately nothing to fear. God has given us authority to make judgements and if we do this well it will result in sin being defeated, lives saved and restoration for those that turn to God.

Watch/listen again to this Sunday message from Patrick & Isobelle Stone in Stoney Stanton. You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

We read in Hebrews 12 about a race that we are all running and we are encouraged to run this race with endurance, with our eyes fixed on Jesus. In this message we explore how we can run with endurance, using 6 disciplines from marathon training as examples of how we can run in God's Kingdom. We look at: The Word of God, the Holy Spirit, rest, repentance, wisdom/experience of others, and running with friends.

You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

Listen again to this Sunday message from Richard Jones in Atherstone. You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

Kindness is often looked at as a weakness, kindness is for those that are pushovers! But God is kind, we see that time and time again in the life of Jesus. In this message we’ll consider what kindness, how God is kind and how Jesus displays God’s kindness

Today we look at the account of Jesus at the Wedding in Cana and his first recorded miracle - turning water into wine. We consider how Mary’s instruction to ‘do whatever he tells you’ is an example to us to be ‘Yes, Lord’ people.

Watch/listen again to this Sunday message from Ema Robinson in Atherstone. You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

Watch/listen again to this Sunday message from William Lyon in Stoney Stanton. You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God? (above all else) What does everything "added" look like? (everything added) The Kingdom of God, is simply God’s redemptive rule and reign on the earth. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. The word kingdom points directly to God’s Kingship, or His rule, action, and sovereign governance over all created things. To seek the Kingdom is not some sort of "Quest" or "Trek". It is a journey, but more than a physical journey it is a journey of faith, obedience, learning and sacrifice in our day to day lives. God wants us to seek Him. He wants to "add" things to our lives that are eternal not temporal. Yes when we seek him first (above all else) He will add "things" to your life but above all we seek Him - and all these things will be added to us.

The Old Testament shows us that “Zion” is synonymous with God’s glorious dwelling amongst His people, and in the New Testament we see that the fulfilment of this is found in “the city of the living God…the heavenly Jerusalem…the church” (Hebrews 12:22), described in more detail in Revelation 21-22. Jesus is building His church…and the blueprint is Zion! In this message we consider what this means for us in practice: what are the hallmarks of Zion? What did the Psalmists and the Prophets see? And how will these things be made known amongst us? This is Zion, and THIS IS US!  

Today we start a new series called Walk This Way. Following Jesus and living in His Kingdom. It’s an invitation to a way of living that brings pleasure to God, not as a means of earning our salvation but rather as a response to who He is and the relationship with Him that He has drawn us in to.

We kick off together by considering what it is to desire the name and renown of God above all else and how we have the capacity to reflect the God’s glorious character to the world around us.

Jesus said that if we knew Him we would know God the Father (John 14:7-9), because He and His Father are One (John 17:21). Taking this is as our starting point, we look briefly at the seven miraculous “signs” described in John’s Gospel, and consider what they tell us about Jesus and what they tell us about God.  Bottom-line?  He is a Wonderful, Loving, Powerful, Caring Father!  And He wants us to know Him. 

In the first half of Corinthians 3, Paul is exasperated about the lack of spiritual growth in the church. God wants His children and His Church to grow, for us to grow personally and corporately. Let’s take some time to consider when we’ve experienced spiritual growth, the evidence of growing spiritually, and how we can grow more than ever before this year!

Watch/listen again to this Sunday message from David Lyon in Market Harborough. You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

Watch/listen again to this Sunday message from David Lyon in Central. You can find more messages and other videos at youtube.com/livingrockchurch. You can also follow our Sunday Messages podcast on your preferred podcast platform. For more information about Living Rock Church visit www.livingrock.church.

The announcement of the Nativity comes with a clear instruction from heaven to Mary and Joseph, “You are to name Him Jesus.” This Christmas let’s think about what this name means to us.

Listen to the Christmas message again from our 2023 Christmas Celebration "God With Us".

Part 2 of this 2 part message takes us back in to 1 Corinthians chapters 2 and 3 as we consider how the house of the Holy Spirit (that’s us!) is a Holy House and a Hospitable House. Will talks about some keys for us to build well and be a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.

Immanuel is a term or word that we tend to use only at Christmas, we see it on Christmas cards and sing it in carols. God has always been with his people, but in Jesus, there was and is freedom from the law and the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit. And if we believe all we have preached over this year regarding God having know the plans for us, knowing us before the foundations of the world, and seeing us in the dark place before we were born - then He has always been with us. "God is with us" - was the promise the fulfilment of that personal relationship, and why Jesus came, was crucified and rose from the dead. He wants us to be with Him, He wants more than an "association."

Paul the apostle was held in prison many times, he was possibly chained to a Roman soldier and his mind may have turned his thoughts to the fact that he also was a soldier, a soldier of Christ. The armour of God is an illustration in the word that reminds us about the reality of spiritual battle and describes the protection available to us. It is not a convenient scripture that lends itself to Sunday school classes! Each piece of armour has a distinct purpose and means of defence against temptation and evil. Daily "suiting up" in the armour of God can feel abstract but with prayer and practice, believers can better understand and implement the habit of putting on the full armour of God everyday.

As we continue our journey into 1 Corinthians, we consider what the big deal was about Greeks and their wisdom, why this formed the basis for much of western culture today, and how it stands in complete contrast to the culture of God’s Kingdom. Fresh from intellectual debate with the Athenians (Ac 17), Paul came to Corinth (Ac 18) determined to show the Corinthians what God’s true wisdom was all about (1 Co 1:30).  

We continue in Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus and look at his instructions to believers concerning their households and particularly between husbands & wives and parents and children.

There will be no division among you” said Paul to the Church in Corinth, and the same message applies to us today. It can sometimes be easier to create division than unity; to reject people that we don’t like or agree with and only spend time with people who are just like us. As Christians we are called be united around the message of the cross, even if this may look foolish and unimpressive to those around us. In this message, Ovi explores what this looks like; the difference between 'foolishness' and the 'power of God', and how we can unite around the foolishness that the Bible describes.

Because we’re loved by God and because we love God, we love those around us. It’s love that is our motivation for giving. We demonstrate the love of God as we give. Samaritan’s purse are a fantastic organisation that give out the love of God in practical and life changing ways. In this message we hear from them about how we can partner with them to give out the love of God.

In Ephesians 4:2-6 Paul encourages the church in Ephesus to 'make every effort' to be united with one another. In this message we look at what unity is, and how the covenant meal (comm-union) is an opportunity for Jesus' body (the church) to demonstrate the powerful joining and unity that was made possible when He died on the cross.

As we continue to consider Paul's practical instructions to us (Eph 4:17 to 5:21), we take a look at what it means to 'put on' our new life in Christ (4:24), in this second part of a two part message. The apostle shows us how 'all of God does all that God does' in our salvation and sanctification. He points us to the PRESENCE of the Holy Spirit (4:30) empowering us to change, the GRACE of the Father (4:32-5:1) enabling us to let go of self-orientated thoughts and feelings, and the LOVE of the Son (5:2) endowing us with the capacity to love God and His people, as we look outward instead of inward.  

Launching our new focus for Autumn-Winter, we consider the background, context and purpose of Paul’s first epistle to the church in Corinth, before looking in a bit more detail at how the apostle begins his letter (1 Corinthians 1:1-9).  Here we see that he starts by reminding the church who they really are - "God’s church in Corinth" - men and women called-out of the culture of the city in order to live-out a radically different life and lifestyle.  They are God’s planting in that place - a charismatic Kingdom community, set in the midst of a culture that lives for itself.  With its many parallels to our 21st Century challenges and opportunities, we see that - like us - they really matter, and have all that they need as they stand-up for Jesus Christ and prepare the way for His return!  Paul’s great longing is to see this church grow strong and fulfil their destiny, and he has much to say that will help us do the same!...

As we read Paul's practical instructions about walking in our new life in Christ (Eph 4:17 to 5:21),  we consider in this first part of a two part message, what it means to 'put off' our 'former way of life' (v.22). To do so, we'll look at the difference between salvation and sanctification, and how as new creations (2 Co 5:17) the power balance has changed within us, enabling us to live as God created us to. No longer ruled by body and soul, our newly empowered spirit is able to take control of our thoughts and impulses, in order that we may be transformed through renewal (Ro 12:2), from the inside out.  

The best thing we can do to prepare ourselves to hear and receive what God wants to say to us is to live full of the Spirit. Here are 3 biblical principles and how I am applying them in my life to help us live lives in step with the Spirit of God.

God is interested in our work lives, and he wants to be involved in it. Your work can make an eternal difference in the lives of those you work with, those you work for, those you manage, and those you serve through your work. Change the way you look at and do your work, in the light of His gospel and grace. We are redeemed by grace, let’s live out that grace in the context of your work. You may never look at work the same way again.

Everybody is welcome in the family of God. Each of us is an important part of the church and God can use us all to minister to one another no matter what our age or physical ability. This Disability Awareness Sunday we consider how we are all loved and made in God’s image and are welcome in the church.

In Ephesians 5:18-20 Paul gives an instruction to the Christians in the church in Ephesus - to be filled with the holy spirit, to sing praise and give thanks. In this interactive message we look at what these phrases mean, the difference between a psalm, hymn and spiritual song, and we look at why it’s so important that we sing praise together. 

In preparation for our new series, ‘Love Builds Up’, during which we’ll be exploring Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians together, we consider in this message the City of Corinth, the Church in Corinth, and (Paul’s) Correspondence with Corinth. Strategically located as a trading gateway between east and west, this city was a bustling metropolis, full of people from many different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. Into this melting pot the church was established by Paul (Acts 18) and quickly grew in number and gift (1:7). But with growth came some significant challenges. As we look at the different sections in this letter, Paul deals with each issue in turn, identifying the underlying issue at work. He encourages them to embrace the ‘folly’ of the Cross instead of revering the ‘wisdom’ of this world (1:18), to see the church is a beautiful temple of the Holy Spirit and not a marketplace (3:16, 6:19), to embrace service instead self-interest (10:23-24), and to learn each time they gathered how to flow together as a body of many parts, not parties (11:18, 12:7). Paul was strengthening the Apostolic foundation which he had laid, encouraging the church to hold fast to the gospel they had received (15:1-2)! 

This week we look at Paul’s prayer at the end of Ephesians 3, the example it sets in praying for empowerment and the expectation we can have as God’s power is worked out in our lives.

Life Groups are integral and indispensable for our church family. Will talks about why we need Life Groups and what we expect when our Life Groups gather in this short message.

This week we jump into Ephesians 3 and discover who Paul describes as displaying God’s wisdom in its rich variety!

God wants us to receive revelation! In fact the word says that He wants us to be continually receiving revelation. To understand the great mysteries of the word, to be empowered and to ultimately become more and more like Him. This morning we look at 5 keys and challenges to attain this goal here are the Five Challenges - that will develop revelation! People, books, experience, observation & thinking and pondering.

In this all-together gathering, we look at the Big Announcements the church is called to make. Announcements of welcome, to one another, to the world and until Christ returns!

We all need friends of faith. In this encouragement message, we focus on what the characteristics of friends of faith might be, how we can implement them in our church family and how we can be friends of faith to those who don't yet know Jesus. We end with a checklist for consideration and challenge!

Towards the end of Ephesians 2 we read some familiar verses that describe Jesus as the cornerstone. In this message we unpack what this means and go through verses 19-22 phrase-by-phrase. We see how Jesus the Cornerstone is placed at the very centre of both the church and our lives individually, providing a strong and stable foundation that everything else can line up to.

Continuing our series in Ephesians, Paul turns his attention at the start of chapter 4 to the practical day to day living of the transformed in-Christ life he has described in chapters 1 to 3. He urges us to walk worthy of our calling together as the One New People of God, guarding our oneness in Christ. And he gives us just the right tools to help… a new wardrobe of designer-label garments. Dare to wear!

As we read through this beautiful psalm of David, we look at what it tells us about God, and want it teaches us about worship.

Scripture tells us that ‘God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church’. In this All-Together gathering we think about how this truth can enable us to approach God in prayer, full of confidence!

In Ephesians 4 we read about the gifts of Christ to the church. So in this session we take a closer look at apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

Jumping out of Ephesians chapters 2 & 4, in this episode, we think again about the contrast in the life of the believer before and after encountering Jesus. We explore how that change happened and then how in the church we work hard together to preserve the unity that Christ has won.

As we look at Ezekiel 47:1-12, we see how God has a ‘River of Life’ that comes from heaven to bring abundant blessing on earth. We can see this river being an image of: the life of Jesus poured out for us; and then at Pentecost a pouring out of the Holy Spirit; and then as a river of life in the Spirit that flows through believers from house-to-house. The pattern of God’s increasing purpose to fill the earth is seen in the different depths of the river, and shows us how we can be led by the Holy Spirit into greater depths of fellowship together and of reaching others with the power of the gospel. Finally, we see how being led by the Spirit and drawing upon our relationship with Him will cause us to be like the abundant trees who are fruitful every month and have leaves for healing.

When God declared “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26) He was expressing not only His own ’three-in-one’ togetherness, but also His great purpose in creating men and women who would join together in unity and reproduce His image in all the earth!  The story of the miraculous catch and the calling of the first disciples (Luke 5) is a powerful example of what can happen when we prepare for a new day, make ourselves wholly available, go deeper, join together, and help each other handle the great increase He wants to give us!  This is the power and potential of churches working in partnership with one another…

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” It encompasses all that God is about, all that God feels about us, all that God feels towards us, all that God is. Because God is love. He is a father that loves you! This morning it is vitally important to know this: He is filled with "love and compassion" towards us, even if we are a "long way off”.  We have a loving Father; He “sees” us, He is filled with love and compassion towards us, He will come to us - we walk, but He “runs” to us.

In Part 1 we looked at the Holy’s Spirit’s work of Sanctification in our lives. In Part 2, we consider how the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to show us who God has made us to be, and what aspects of our personalities are influenced by sin. We also look at what it means for us to be transformed from one degree of glory to another through a growing REVELATION of Jesus (2 Co 3:18), by REFLECTING His image, and REFRACTING His glory through our lives.  The key to surrendering to the sanctifying work of the Spirit is VALIDATION and VULNERABILITY – drawing our value and worth from Him, and being willing to let the Holy Spirit strip away sin’s influence on our personalities. What remains is the true person, created and designed by God to individually refract His glorious light – a unique and precious Living Stone!

In part 2 of this message we are introduced to God as the master architect, who has a master plan - for his Kingdom be be extended and established on earth. How does he choose to do this? Through his people, the Church. We therefore learn that God's plan for our lives is never independent of the Church. Actually we can only fully outwork his plan for our life in the context of church, because it's the church that is his master plan. When we realise what the church is (which we find in the book of Ephesians), and who fills it, it stops being something that we attend. It starts to become part of our everyday lives, as we see His Kingdom established.

All in! Ephesians 1:3-14 - In one incredible sentence, Paul launches into a breathtaking eulogy praising God as he describes profound bedrock truths that underpin and shape our lives as Christians. We are In Christ, In Togetherand In For Purpose!

God’s House is built with Living Stones (1 Pe 2:5), each carefully selected and put in place by the Holy Spirit. In Part 1 we consider how the Holy Spirit shapes each stone - that great work of the Spirit in the Sanctification of believers, shaping us into the likeness of Christ (Ro 8:29). We’ll also discuss how our new birth into God’s kingdom, restores God’s original design for His tripartite humanity, by which our spirits are promoted to the driving seat of our lives (the proper seat for righteous decision making!). Through His work of Sanctification, the Spirit helps us to bring our souls and bodies into line with God’s restored special arrangement within us (Ro 12:1-2). In Part 2 we’ll consider what unique aspects of ourselves are preserved, in the process of the Spirit making us more like Jesus, and how they might diversely and richly display God’s glory. 

Luke 15. The widow searched everywhere for the lost coin, and she celebrated when she found it. This is God's nature for us, and He rejoices when we turn to Him. We are God's treasure.

In this interactive Sunday, we look at 3 things that are vital for us to own at Living Rock. This Is The Church (what the Bible says), This Is Us (our apostolic mission), This Is What God Has Said (our prophetic mandate)!

The Church is the Family of God, the Body of Christ and the House of the Spirit! We look at how, in the light of this, we should come expectant, early and ready to give and welcome others.

The Bible begins and ends with descriptions of a river flowing out from God’s presence to carry His love and life into all the world (Genesis 2, Revelation 22), and this powerful imagery of life-giving water recurs in the Psalms, Prophets and Gospels.  Against this backdrop we consider four key prophetic words spoken into our church that have shaped us over many years and helped us in our mission “from the heart of the nation to the ends of the earth”.  These words continue to carry his love and life into the DNA of our church and are now more relevant than ever, as we look ahead to all that God wants to accomplish in and through us!…

Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God's 'masterpiece' - the pinnacle of creation, made in the image of God himself, declared to be "very good". But this can sometimes be difficult to hear and believe. There are many lies that we hear about ourselves which are designed to stop us living in our true identity as God's masterpieces. In this message we look at some of those lies and what the Word of God says about us instead.

Ephesians explains how the Church comes to full spiritual maturity in Christ. It explains the nature and purpose of the church, the body of Christ.
Major themes include:

Ephesians shows that out of the reality of our being seated with Christ flows our walk (how we live this out) and our standing in the face of any spiritual opposition. When we start to see that “reality” our whole life changes. Ephesians speaks of the love story between God and his Church for the last 2000 years, and that story reveals that Christ did not only give himself for the Church, but he also gave various gifts so that the Church would come to a place of maturity and fullness. Paul provides significant teaching on salvation, reconciliation, the nature of God's family, and the Christian identity. Paul's goal for all of this teaching was to encourage and energise believers in their faith.

The resurrection of Jesus on that first Easter Sunday is the centrepiece of the Christian message. In this all-age Easter gathering, Phil describes how the resurrection of Jesus allows people with no hope, no value and no power to know hope, knowvalue and know power.

The Bible has much lots to say about baptism! We explore its meaning, and the implications and power it has for us individually and corporately. 

We talk about how, on Easter Sunday, we see how all of our hopes are restored and God’s promises are unshaking in Jesus Christ. That He has called us by name, and so we can trust Him and follow Him.

God makes it clear in His word how important it is for us to walk humbly with Him. Humility is a virtue that Jesus exemplified. He showed us how to live with a humble mindset and so we explore in this message how to "walk humbly with our God" and how this humility facilitates living full of the Spirit.

When we walk at God's pace we walk in God's grace. For such a time as this - when Kingdom advance is essential in us and through us - we need to know what it means to follow God's lead and move it His pace, ensuring that we rest, stay close and keep going.

Being Spirit-filled is fundamental (who we are) and foundational (how we build and grow together) for us as God’s people. The House of the Spirit is being built by the Holy Spirit, using living stones, each of whom He wants to fill with the fulness of Christ. In this message we look at the practical implications of this for us all, and each of us personally, by considering the three main aspects of the ‘fellowship of the Holy Spirit’ (2 Co 13:14) – communion, community, and contribution.

In Colossians 1:13 we read "For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son". We often talk about "Kingdom", and "the Kingdom of God", but what does it mean and how does it affect us as children of God? The Kingdom of God is the fulfilment of God's will on earth. We know this because Jesus prayed - "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) In other words, it is His will to bring heaven to earth. For all of us we have the ability to get off this planet, to be free from the past, and the issues that so easily pull us off track. We are all ready for launch!

Rob and Cindy share with us 4 important truths about breaking bread and the impact it has on us!

The Bible is full of God’s wisdom, promises, truths and self revelation…it’s His Word! As believers, when we know the full (logos) word, we’ll have the specific (rhema) word of God. So in any and every situation, we will have a word.

The Bible is an amazing book. After all, what else is like a mirror, a blade, a light and a rock all at the same time?!

In this timely message, Keri reminds us of three wonderful, unchanging truths concerning the nature of God and describes their power to bring great security, peace and fruitfulness into our lives today and always.