The Real Deal (Matthew 3v13-17)
So far, Jesus has ticked all the Messiah boxes… but is He the real deal? As Jesus sets out on the Messiah path, here’s a stamp of approval He’s one of us He’s not like us Both halves of this stamp are crucial for Jesus to be a true Messiah. Only someone human can pay the price for people. Only someone perfect can pay the price for sin. Jesus is the…
Delighting in God (Psalm 63)
How is it possible to delight in God when life sucks? In Psalm 63, David shows us how… David longs David delights David has confidence in God Jesus, the great David, fulfills this psalm – and in Him we can delight in God.
The Spirit-Baptiser (Matthew 3v1-12)
John announces Jesus’ Royal Right to Rule with a fire alarm. How you respond is crucial. True Turning is marked by Listening ears Changed lives Fake Turning is marked by Plugged ears Unchanged lives It’s crucial how you respond, because there’s a fire coming. Jesus will baptise you – either with the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit or with the…
The Plan Fulfiller (Matt 2v13-23)
Jesus fulfills the bittersweet plan… As predicted, it involves Failure… and success Tragedy… and hope Rejection… and acceptance When we forget that God is working out his bittersweet plan, it can lead to worry & back seat driving. But if we can grasp it, we can trust God and His plan in the bitter times as well as the sweet.
The King of Kings (Matt 2v1-12)
The Magi find themselves flat on their faces in front of King Jesus. When you see Him for who He is, you go from being a throne-stealer to a throne-kneeler. Does the King of Kings make you… Disturbed? Overjoyed? This part of God’s Word calls us to fall flat on our faces and live lives of worshipping King Jesus.
The Sinner Saviour (Matt 1v18-25)
Jesus AKA Immanuel His two names have great significance: they tell us. What He does: He saves Who He is: God with us The two names combine to illuminate the wonderful truth the God comes near to save… and that calls for faith, not fear.
The Royal Son (Matt 1v1-17)
The opening to Matthew’s good news seems like an anticlimax… but he then connects the dots to complete a beautiful picture. Jesus is the man at the centre of God’s good news plan. He’s the… Blessing Bringer Royal Ruler Exile Ender It’s a blockbuster start to the good news of God gathering and growing His Royal Family around His Royal…
Archippus (Col 4v17)
All followers of Jesus need the encouragement to “be a completer.” The Lord Jesus has given us work to do… It’s work Given by the Lord All about the Lord Modelled by the Lord Just like a marathon runner, things can seem tiring, uncomfortable and slow, and so we need each other as reminders that it’s the Lord Christ we’re serving, just…
John Mark (2 Tim 4v11)
The Lord Jesus has a use for failures. When you fail; Don’t hide away your failures Don’t shy away from service John Mark’s encouraging example shows that spectacular failures can be spectacularly used; God’s grace is bigger than any of our failures.
Demas (2 Tim 4v10)
How can we endure to the end even through hardship? The example of Demas is a warning to us. The danger: loving THIS WORLD The solution: loving THAT DAY If we are going to endure, like Paul, like Jesus, then we need to have the right perspective…