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Live Free | No Other Gospel | Gareth Nicholson | 26 July 2026 Catch Up on: | YouTube | iTunes | Spotify Have you ever found yourself believing that if you just prayed a little more, attended church more consistently, or finally got your life together, then God would accept you? It's an easy trap to fall into. We begin to think that Jesus is part of the equation - but not the whole answer. That is exactly why the book of Galatians was written. The Gospel We Sometimes Miss Many of us have experienced a version of faith that feels more like ticking boxes than following Jesus. Maybe you've thought: "If I can just fix this area of my life, then God can use me." "I've made too many mistakes for God to forgive me." "I'm just not as spiritual as everyone else." The truth is, those thoughts reveal something deeper. They suggest that we believe our relationship with God depends, at least in part, on our own performance. But the gospel tells a completely different story. The message of Galatians is beautifully simple: Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Paul's Passion The Apostle Paul wasn't simply defending a theological idea - he was fighting for people's freedom. After encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul's life was completely transformed. The man who had once believed righteousness came through religious performance now understood that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone. So when he heard that people were teaching believers they needed Jesus plus religious traditions, rituals, and performance to be accepted by God, he responded with incredible urgency. Why? Because adding anything to Jesus doesn't improve the gospel - it distorts it. The Danger of "Jesus Plus..." The churches in Galatia were being told they needed Jesus plus Jewish traditions. Today, we may not struggle with those same traditions, but we often create our own versions: Jesus plus church attendance. Jesus plus Bible reading. Jesus plus good behaviour. Jesus plus fixing our past. Jesus plus proving ourselves. Jesus plus trying harder. These things are all good in their proper place, but none of them make us right with God. When we believe they do, we've quietly shifted our trust away from Jesus and onto ourselves. What the Gospel Really Says Paul reminds us that the gospel is centred entirely on what Christ has done. Jesus willingly gave His life for our sins. Jesus rescues us. Jesus saves us. Jesus forgives us. Jesus conquered death. Jesus gives us His Spirit. Notice whose name appears in every sentence. Not ours. The gospel isn't about what we achieve - it's about what Jesus has already achieved. As one of the most memorable lines from the message reminds us: "The gospel is not about achieving acceptance before God, but accepting what Jesus has already achieved." That changes everything. Grace Bigger Than Our Failure Many of us carry guilt, shame, or a sense of inadequacy. We believe our failures have somehow disqualified us from God's purposes. But God's grace is bigger than our greatest regret. His love is greater than our worst mistake. His plans for our lives are stronger than our failures. The cross wasn't almost enough. It was enough. When Jesus declared, "It is finished," He meant it. Living From Acceptance, Not For Acceptance Following Jesus doesn't mean striving to earn God's love. It means living from the security of already being loved. Reading the Bible, praying, serving, and gathering with the church don't make us righteous. They help us know the One who already made us righteous through His grace. As we journey through Galatians together, we're invited to rediscover the beauty of the true gospel - a gospel that brings freedom instead of striving and peace instead of performance. A Question to Reflect On What have you been adding to Jesus? Perhaps it's your performance, your success, your church attendance, your past, your failures or your attempts to prove yourself. Maybe today is the day to lay those things down. Because the gospel has never been: Jesus plus something. It has always been: Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Life Group Questions What stood out to you most from this week's message, and why? The key phrase from the message was "Jesus plus nothing equals everything." Why do you think it's so easy to add "something else" to the gospel? Have you ever found yourself trying to earn God's approval instead of simply receiving His grace? Is there an area where you're still finding your identity in performance, success, failure, or other people's opinions instead of Christ? How would your daily life look different if you genuinely believed God already accepts you because of Jesus?

Follow The Fire | The Fire That Is Always Present | David Molver | 19 July 2026 Catch Up on: | YouTube | iTunes | Spotify The Fire Was Never the Point. God's Presence Was. Throughout Scripture, fire is one of the most powerful pictures of God's activity. It speaks. It guides. It protects. It transforms. But as we've discovered throughout our Follow the Fire series, the fire itself was never the destination. God's presence was always the point. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells one incredible story - a God who relentlessly moves closer to His people. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God in perfect relationship. Sin created separation, but God's response wasn't to walk away. Instead, He continually pursued humanity. He appeared to Moses in the burning bush. He led Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. He dwelt among His people in the tabernacle and later in the temple. Then Jesus came - God in human flesh. And after Jesus ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit, not simply to be with us, but to live within us. The story of Scripture is the story of a God who never stops drawing near. The Pilot Light One illustration from Sunday's message paints this beautifully. Old gas geysers have a small pilot light that burns continuously. It's always there. When the tap opens, that little flame bursts into a much bigger fire that heats the water. The pilot light isn't meant to stay small. It exists so something greater can happen. Our lives can look very similar. God's presence is always available to those who belong to Him. The Holy Spirit doesn't abandon us. But sometimes distractions, comfort, fear, busyness, or misplaced priorities stop that fire from burning as brightly as it could. The issue isn't that God has moved away. The question is whether we've allowed anything to stand in the way. The Danger of Comfort Looking back over Israel's history in Nehemiah 9, we see a repeated pattern. God rescues His people. Life becomes comfortable. They drift away. They cry out again. God rescues them once more. It's easy to read those stories and wonder why Israel kept repeating the same mistakes. Yet if we're honest, we often find ourselves doing exactly the same thing. Sometimes our greatest spiritual danger isn't hardship. It's comfort. When life is easy, we can slowly stop depending on God. We begin seeking His help only when something goes wrong instead of simply enjoying His presence every day. Yet throughout Israel's failures, one truth remained constant: God never abandoned His people. Again and again Nehemiah reminds us: Israel failed, but God remained faithful. Israel rebelled, but God showed mercy. Israel turned away, but God never stopped pursuing them. His grace is always greater than our failure. The Fire Moved Closer One of the most remarkable truths of the New Testament is that God's presence no longer lives in a building. Jesus promised His followers they would not be left as orphans. The Holy Spirit would come. The temple would no longer be a place. It would become a people. Every believer has been given the Holy Spirit. God's presence now lives within His Church. The fire didn't disappear. It moved closer. The Fire Was Never Meant to Stay Hidden Jesus' final words in Matthew 28 weren't simply to enjoy God's presence. They were to carry it. "Go and make disciples..." The Holy Spirit wasn't given so believers could keep God's presence to themselves. We are called to bring His love, hope, peace, and compassion wherever we go. That doesn't always mean standing on a street corner preaching. Sometimes it looks like welcoming the lonely. Serving someone in need. Comforting the grieving. Showing kindness at work. Praying with a neighbour. Sharing the hope we've found in Jesus. Wherever God's people go, God's presence goes. What If We Are the Answer? A powerful challenge from the message asked a difficult question. People often ask, "If God is real, why is there still so much suffering?" While we look forward to the day Jesus returns and makes all things new, Scripture reminds us that God has already sent His Church into the world. Perhaps part of God's answer is His people. When the Church feeds the hungry... When the Church welcomes the lonely... When the Church serves the hurting... When the Church shares the good news of Jesus... The world experiences the presence of God through His people. The fire was never meant to stay inside the walls of the church. An Invitation The invitation for every follower of Jesus is simple: Stay close. As Jax reminded us earlier in this series, and as we were reminded again this week, transformation doesn't happen through striving. It happens through remaining close to Jesus. May we be people who don't simply talk about God's presence but carry it into our homes, our workplaces, our schools, our neighbourhoods, and our city. Because the fire was never the point. His presence always has been. Life Group Questions Is God's presence something I only seek when life gets difficult, or have I learned to enjoy simply being with Him? Have comfort, busyness, disappointment, or fear allowed my faith to settle into a "pilot light" rather than a flame? Am I making space each day for the Holy Spirit to work in and through me? Where is God calling me to carry His presence this week - at home, at work, in my neighbourhood, or among those who need hope? If someone experienced my life, would they experience the warmth, love, and compassion of Jesus?

Follow The Fire | The Fire That Transforms | Jax Armstrong | 12 July 2026 Catch Up on: | YouTube | iTunes | Spotify Fire is fascinating. It's beautiful, powerful, unpredictable, and wherever it goes, it leaves nothing untouched. Throughout our Follow the Fire series, we've discovered that God's presence is like fire. It speaks. It guides. It protects. And this week, we explored perhaps the most personal aspect of all: God's fire transforms. From Raw Material to Purpose Imagine a piece of raw steel sitting in a foundry. Cold. Heavy. Rough around the edges. Far from its final purpose. Before it ever becomes something beautiful, it must pass through intense heat. In the process of smelting, impurities are removed, the metal becomes molten, and only then can it be poured, shaped, and crafted into something with purpose. That picture beautifully reflects what God does in us. Many of us can identify with feeling unfinished. We know our failures, our disappointments, our wounds, and our past. We see ourselves as the raw material. But God doesn't see us that way. He sees what He created us to become. When God's Glory Came Down In Exodus 40, after Moses faithfully followed every instruction God had given him, the Tabernacle was completed. "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." (Exodus 40:34) God's glory was so overwhelming that even Moses could not enter. The message was clear: God is holy. Humanity cannot approach Him on its own. A gap existed between God's holiness and our brokenness. Jesus Closed the Gap Fast forward to Matthew 17, where Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. Once again, God's glory is revealed. Once again, people fall face down in fear. But this time something changes. Jesus walks over. He touches them. "Get up," He says. "Don't be afraid." What was impossible in Exodus becomes possible through Jesus. Because of His death and resurrection, the separation between us and God has been removed. We no longer stand at a distance from His presence - we're invited into relationship with Him. The same God who filled the Tabernacle now chooses to dwell within His people through the Holy Spirit. The Refiner's Fire Malachi describes God as a refiner. "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver..." (Malachi 3:3) Refining isn't about destroying something. It's about removing everything that doesn't belong. God doesn't expose our brokenness to shame us. He transforms us because He loves us. His fire burns away what holds us back so that His purpose can shine through. You're Not Just a Billet One of the most powerful illustrations from the message came through the image of a billet - a rough block of steel waiting to be shaped. It's easy to become fixated on the billet. Our past. Our mistakes. Our scars. Our sharp edges. But God isn't focused on the raw material. He's focused on the masterpiece He's creating. A sword doesn't begin looking impressive. It is heated. Hammered. Reshaped. Refined. Quenched. Only then does its purpose become visible. In the same way, God often uses seasons of pressure, waiting, healing, and growth to shape us into who He has always intended us to be. Your current season is not your final form. The Oil That Strengthens An interesting detail from sword making is that when a blade is quenched in oil rather than water, it cools more slowly, making it stronger. What a beautiful picture of God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn't simply rescue us from difficult seasons. He strengthens us through them. God's transforming work isn't rushed. It's intentional. Every stage has purpose. Following the Fire Transformation isn't something we manufacture through effort. It's something we surrender to. As followers of Jesus, our role is simply to keep our eyes on Him. Some practical ways we respond include: Follow — Wherever Jesus leads, we choose to follow. Obey — God's Word becomes the lamp that guides our next step. Repent — We allow God's refining fire to remove what doesn't belong. Glorify — We offer our whole lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1–2). Expand — As God transforms us, the fruit of the Spirit naturally grows from the inside out. Transformation isn't about trying harder. It's about staying close to Jesus. Purification Meets Purpose Wherever you find yourself today, perhaps you're in a season of healing. Maybe you feel like life is applying pressure. Maybe God is reshaping areas you've held onto for years. Or perhaps you're simply waiting for clarity about your purpose. Whatever stage you're in, remember this: God has not forgotten you. The same God whose glory filled the Tabernacle now dwells within every believer through the Holy Spirit. His presence doesn't just comfort us. It transforms us. As we follow Him one step at a time, He removes what is holding us back, strengthens what He is building within us, and shapes us into the people He created us to be. Purification meets purpose. And every life God touches is transformed for His glory.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PASTORS Welcome to Free Church. We're so glad you're looking in. We're all about restoration, rebuilding, and renewal, and we want to help you follow Jesus, know your true identity, grow in freedom, and go live your life with purpose. We never expected to be church planters; I was an engineer, and Amy was a teacher, but God had different plans for us. And there's nothing else that we'd rather be doing! We're excited about what He is doing in our city, and would love to have you part of the unfolding story. Read on to find out about visiting on a Sunday, and what your next step could be. Looking forward to meeting you! Gareth & Amy PLAN YOUR VISIT Sundays 08:15 | 10:00 Pudding Stone Street, EcoPark, Centurion What should I expect? Our services last approximately 75 minutes and include praise & worship, prayer, and a message. Please plan to arrive a few minutes early, and stop by the Welcome Desk upon arrival to collect your gift bag. Parking? Follow the "First Time" parking signs on arrival and keep your hazard lights so that our team can direct you to dedicated parking. Alternatively, simply follow the signs to "General Parking" Dress Code? Whatever you are most comfortable in! Do you have something for kids? Yes, we have a fun, safe, age-appropriate programme for children from birth up to Grade 7. Kids Check-In opens 15 minutes before the service. Do you have something for teens? Yes! Our Youth Group meets on Saturday evenings from 18:00-20:00. On Sundays, teens are invited to join the youth hangout directly after each service... Follow the directions from the service host during the service. Do you have something for special needs families? Yes! We have a dedicated champions group for children with special needs that meets at the 8:15 am service. What kind of church is Free Church? We are a charismatic, non-denominational Christian church. Who can come to Free Church? Anyone is welcome to join us for Sunday services. Everyone's journey is different, but we'd love to help you take your next step. Find out more about Free Church Visit Join us for a Sunday service and stop by the Welcome Desk before or after the service to collect your gift bag that includes complimentary coffee and food vouchers—we'd love to meet you. New to Free Join us after the second service on the second Sunday of each month to meet some of our pastors, hear the vision of Free Church, learn what we believe, and discover how to get connected. Check the Events page for the next New to Free event. Life Group You were not meant to follow Jesus alone. Find community, build meaningful relationships, and grow in your faith throughout the week. Check out the Life Groups directory to find one near you. The Pathway Learn to know your true identity in Christ, grow in freedom, and build a strong foundation for following Jesus. Check the Events page to sign up for the next Pathway course. Dream Team Use your gifts to make a difference by serving others and helping build the church. We're excited to help you Follow Jesus, Know True Identity, Grow in Freedom, and Go Live With Purpose. YOUR NEXT STEP

MISSIONS & OUTREACH We believe that following Jesus means living beyond ourselves. The Church isn't called to simply gather—it's called to go. That's why missions and outreach are at the heart of who we are at Free Church. One of the core pillars of our mission is to Go Live With Purpose . We want every person to discover that God has uniquely gifted them to make a difference in their community, their nation, and the world. Whether it's serving a neighbour, caring for the vulnerable, planting churches, or taking the Gospel across borders, every act of love points people to Jesus. Serve Days Throughout the year, we host Serve Days, where our church family comes together to meet practical needs and demonstrate God's love in our city. From community projects to supporting local organisations, Serve Days are an opportunity for everyone to roll up their sleeves and make a tangible difference. Check the Events page for the next Serve Day. Local Outreach Loving our city starts with meeting real needs. Through practical acts of generosity and compassion, we're committed to bringing hope to people in our community. Food Pantry Our Food Pantry provides food parcels to individuals and families facing difficult seasons. Through the generosity of our church, we're able to offer practical support, encouragement, and hope to those who need it most. Every donation and every volunteer helps make a difference in someone's life. Ditshego Our partnership with Ditshego allows us to support families and individuals through practical care, empowerment, and community development initiatives that bring hope where it's needed most. Basadi Ba Moshito Foundation We are proud to partner with the Basadi Ba Moshito Foundation, supporting their work of restoring dignity, creating opportunities, and bringing hope to women and communities through meaningful outreach and development. Zambia Mission Trips Teams from Free Church travel to Zambia to partner with the Zambia Project to preach the Gospel. These mission trips are an opportunity to share the love of Jesus through practical service, leadership development, children's ministry, evangelism, and encouragement. Whether you're travelling for the first time or have been on many mission trips, we believe God uses these experiences to transform both the communities we serve and the people who go. Church Planting Healthy churches change communities, and we believe every person should have access to a life-giving local church. That's why Free Church partners with ARC (Association of Related Churches) to help plant life-giving, Bible-centred churches around the world. Through prayer, generosity, leadership development, and practical support, we're investing in seeing more churches established so that more people can encounter the hope of Jesus. Live Beyond Yourself Following Jesus isn't just about what God wants to do in you—it's about what He wants to do through you. Whether you're serving at the Food Pantry, participating in a Serve Day, joining a mission trip to Zambia, partnering with one of our local outreach initiatives, or helping plant churches around the world, there's a place for you to make a difference. Together, let's Go Live With Purpose and bring the hope of Jesus to our community, our nation, and the nations.

Free Church is a great Church in Centurion for the whole family. Everyone is welcome. WELCOME TO FREE. Our mission is to inspire people to follow Jesus and to restore them to true identity, freedom, and purpose You're free to be yourself here. Sundays 08:15 | 10:00 Pudding Stone Street, EcoPark, Centurion Plan Your Visit Watch Online