God Is Not Scared of the Dark - Mark van Pletsen Many of us know what it is to say, “I’m okay,” while anxiety, grief, or exhaustion is telling a very different story. We can look fine on the outside while struggling deeply on the inside. This week Mark van Pletsen kicked off our new series, Winning the War on Your Mind, with this truth: God is not scared of the dark. He is not intimidated by our questions, our pain, our sin, or the broken places in our lives. We do not need to clean ourselves up before coming to him. A church without broken people is a broken church. We are not here to pretend that everything is fine or to create a place where people feel pressured to perform. We are here because Jesus meets us in our brokenness and makes us whole. That means becoming a church where we can: Speak honestly about what we are facing Bring anxiety, depression, grief, and confusion into the light Pray for one another without judgement Offer practical care and support Encourage people to seek appropriate professional help Walk with one another through the messy middle The church is not called to entertain Christians on a Sunday. We are called to be equipped and sent as everyday missionaries—people who carry the presence and compassion of Jesus into our homes, workplaces, friendships and communities. Move away from one-line answers to complex struggles: “You just need to pray more” “You must have more faith” “You need to cast it out” “You don’t need therapy—just Jesus” Prayer and faith remain essential, but these responses can leave hurting people feeling ashamed and alone. They can make people believe that their struggle is proof of spiritual failure. The way of Jesus is different. It is gentle, humble, and compassionate. Instead of rushing to explain someone’s pain, we can listen. Instead of trying to fix everything, we can say: “We will stand with you. We will pray with you. You do not have to walk through this alone.” Faith and professional support do not have to compete. Counselling, medical care, rest, community and prayer can all form part of the way God cares for us. God Meets Us in the Valley Psalm 84 speaks about the Valley of Baka—a valley of weeping. The promise is not that we will always avoid the valley, but that God will meet us as we walk through it. Sometimes we want God to take us over the valley, around it or out of it immediately. But there are seasons when we have to keep walking, trusting that God is with us in the middle of the pain. We may not understand everything about our circumstances, but we can continue to pray: “Our Father in heaven, we trust you.” God is not absent in the valley. He is present with us, giving us grace for the next step. The Bible Gives Us Language for Pain The Bible does not hide the struggles of God’s people: David wrote about sleepless nights, sorrow, and wrestling with his thoughts Job asked where hope could be found Jeremiah expressed deep grief Elijah reached a point of fear, exhaustion, and despair Elijah’s story shows us something important about God’s care. After a significant spiritual victory, Elijah became afraid and wanted to die. God did not respond by condemning him or telling him to try harder. God gave him: Rest Food Water His gentle presence A way forward Sometimes the next step of faith is to sleep. Sometimes we need to clear our diaries, care for our bodies, accept help, and allow God to restore us gently. The Invitation of Jesus “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”— Matthew 11:28 The invitation is not “get yourself together and then come”. It is simply: come to me. To the hurting: come to Jesus To the hopeless: come to Jesus To the exhausted: come to Jesus To those who feel ashamed: come to Jesus To those carrying someone else’s pain: come to Jesus At the communion table, we remember the broken body and shed blood of Jesus. Our brokenness is not hidden from God, and it does not place us beyond his reach. Because of Jesus, we can come honestly, receive grace, and find hope. If God is not scared of the dark, we don't need to fear entering difficult places with people. We can become a community that: Notices when someone is struggling Creates space for honest conversations Listens before offering advice Responds with gentleness rather than judgement Prays with people Encourages appropriate professional support Continues walking with people beyond the first conversation We may not have every answer, but we can offer presence, compassion, and faithfulness. God is not scared of the dark. He meets us there, and he teaches us to meet one another there too. Life Group Questions Have you ever felt pressure to say, “I’m okay,” when you were struggling? What made honesty difficult? What unhelpful attitudes about mental health have we encountered in Christian circles? How can we respond differently? Read Psalm 84:5–7. What does this passage teach us about walking through seasons of sorrow? Read 1 Kings 19:1–18. What do we learn from the way God cared for Elijah? Which biblical character’s honesty about pain gives you language for your own experience? How can we hold prayer, community, and professional support together in a healthy way? What could we do to make our Life Group a safer place for people to be honest? Who might God be prompting us to notice, listen to, or encourage this week? A Note for Leaders If someone shares that they may harm themselves or are in immediate danger: Take them seriously Listen calmly Avoid promising secrecy Follow the church’s safeguarding and emergency procedures Encourage appropriate qualified mental-health support Continue offering prayer, care and community support

DREAM BIG | Amy Nicholson | 06 September 2026 Catch Up on: | YouTube | iTunes | Spotify What Is Your Next Yes? There are dreams that God places in our hearts that can take years to come to life. Sometimes they begin as a simple thought, a burden, a passion, or a picture of what could be. Sometimes they come when something breaks our heart, and we find ourselves thinking, “Someone should do something about this.” And sometimes, God’s answer is: “You can do something about this.” The question is: Will we say yes? Dreaming bigger than ourselves There’s a scene in the movie Up where an elderly man finally gets to go on the adventure he has dreamed about his whole life. It’s exciting, but there’s also something sad about it: why did he wait so long? The adventure doesn’t go according to his plan. Along the way, he discovers something important — life is better when it is lived alongside other people. That reminds us of something about the dreams God gives us: God-shaped dreams rarely exist just for us. God puts dreams in our hearts that are bigger than our own comfort, success, or ambition. They involve people. They bless others. They require faith. And often, they require us to do something we know we could never accomplish in our own strength. A God-sized dream requires a God-sized view of who God is. If our dreams are so small that they don’t need God, perhaps we need to enlarge our vision of Him. He is King. All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. He is good, so we can trust Him with our future. Nothing is impossible for Him, which means we can step out in faith even when we don’t know exactly how everything will work out. Dreams begin as seeds God-shaped dreams often start small. They begin as seeds. A thought. A burden. A passion. A picture of what could be. A desire to see something change. Those seeds are already inside us, but they need to be watered, nurtured, and given room to grow. The Bible gives us a powerful picture of this in Galatians 6. Paul reminds us that what we plant is what we eventually harvest. The invitation is to sow kingdom seed - not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others. If we sow kindness, generosity, friendship, and love, we can trust God to bring a harvest in His timing. But sometimes the hardest part is continuing to sow when we can't yet see the harvest. Paul says: “Don’t allow yourselves to become weary in planting good seeds.” In other words: Don’t give up. Keep going. Keep planting. You may not see the impact of your generosity today. You may not see what your kindness produces. You may not know what that conversation will mean to someone years from now. But that doesn't mean nothing is happening. We plant. We water. God brings the harvest. How do we know if it’s a God dream? Not every dream we have is necessarily from God. So how do we discern the difference? A God-shaped dream will usually be: Bigger than ourselves. It requires faith and dependence on God. A blessing to others. It isn't simply about what we can gain. It creates space for other people to flourish. Aligned with God's character. God is loving, kind, and merciful, so the dreams He gives us will reflect His nature. Consistent with Scripture. God will never call us towards something that contradicts His Word. When God gives us a dream, the response isn't always to have a ten-year plan. Sometimes the response is simply: Yes. One yes at a time Looking back, many of us can probably trace significant moments in our lives to a simple yes. Yes to following Jesus. Yes to joining a church. Yes to joining a Life Group. Yes to serving. Yes to stepping into leadership. Yes to starting something new. Yes to planting a church. One yes leads to another. You don't have to know everything before you say yes. You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need to feel completely ready. Faith often begins with taking the next step God has placed in front of you. Your yes can change the world Recently, we had the privilege of meeting an incredible couple who have spent decades following a God-given dream. Thirty years ago, they moved from Canada to Uganda to plant a church. But when they arrived, they encountered children who had been orphaned by war and young people who desperately needed help. They believed God was asking them to care for those children too. Their funding partners told them that wasn't what they had been sent to do. They were told to come home if they weren't going to stick to the original plan. But they stayed. They chose obedience. Over the decades that followed, those children grew up. Some became doctors, lawyers, teachers, builders, and parents. They began changing their communities and their nation. What started with a church plant became something much bigger - homes for children, communities, and a generation being raised to influence a nation. And when you meet this couple, they don't talk about what they accomplished. They simply say: “All glory to God.” That's what can happen when ordinary people say yes to a God-sized dream. You don't have to change the whole world today Maybe you're thinking, “I want to make a difference, but I can't do much.” You don't have to change the whole world at once. You can change the world one person at a time. One conversation at a time. One coffee at a time. One act of kindness at a time. One prayer at a time. One generous decision at a time. That's how kingdom impact happens. Don't focus only on what you have or what you don't have. Look at God. Enlarge your view of Him and allow Him to empower you to do what He's calling you to do. What is your next yes? Perhaps your next yes is to follow Jesus - maybe for the first time, or maybe it's time to return to Him. Perhaps it's a yes to growth: joining a church, finding a Life Group, doing a course, or surrounding yourself with people who help you see God more clearly. Perhaps it's a yes to healing and getting the help you need. Perhaps it's a yes to serving others. Perhaps it's a yes to generosity. Perhaps it's a yes to starting that business you've been thinking about - a business that creates opportunities and employment for others. Perhaps it's a yes to stepping into something that scares you. Whatever it is, don't wait until you feel completely ready. The invitation is simple: Say yes. Say yes when you're afraid. Say yes when you feel inadequate. Say yes when you don't have all the answers. Say yes to adventure. Say yes to faithfulness. Say yes to helping others. Say yes to sowing kingdom seed. Because our “no” can lead to a small and quiet life, but our “yes” can lead to kingdom impact. And ultimately, the safest place we can ever be is within the will of our Father. So don't wait. What is the dream God has placed in your heart? What is the kingdom seed He's asking you to plant? What is your next yes? Life Group Questions The message said, “A God-sized dream requires a God-sized view of who God is.” What do you think this means? In what areas of your life might your view of God be too small? Have you ever had a dream, burden, or idea that you wondered might be something God was putting on your heart? What happened? Are there any dreams or things you feel God has placed in you that you've been ignoring, delaying, or putting off? Why? What does “sowing kingdom seed” look like in everyday life? What are some of the “yeses” that have shaped your journey with Jesus? The message said, “One person at a time. One conversation at a time. One coffee at a time. One act of kindness at a time.” Who is one person God might be asking you to invest in right now?

What Are You Carrying? “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2 We all carry things. Some of us bear the weight of past mistakes. Others deal with difficult relationships, grief, or disappointment. Some carry responsibilities from God. Others carry burdens they were never meant to bear. In Galatians 5:24–6:5, Paul paints a vivid picture of what it means to follow Jesus and be led by the Holy Spirit. Central to this message are three types of burdens we encounter. Live by the Spirit Paul reminds us: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” What we live by shapes how we are led. If we follow our flesh, we will be led by its desires. But living by the Holy Spirit means we should expect to be guided by Him. This journey isn't about instant perfection. Following Jesus is a gradual process. Over time, the fruit of the Spirit should become more evident in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul offers a practical test of spiritual maturity. It isn't about how much we know or how long we've been believers. The real test is: How do we respond when someone else messes up? When Someone Falls Paul writes: “Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” Notice what Paul doesn't say. He doesn't tell us to judge harshly or to make their mistakes public. He simply says: restore them gently. This response is crucial. When someone around us falters, our flesh might react with pride or criticism. We might think, I can't believe they did that. I would never do something like that. Or perhaps we feel a sense of relief if someone we compare ourselves to stumbles. At least it’s not me. But Paul teaches that being Spirit-led means leaning towards restoration. God Is a God of Restoration Consider restoring an old piece of furniture or a classic car. Restoration takes time, patience, effort, and often money. You don’t restore something because it’s worthless; you restore it because you see its value. There may be beauty hidden beneath the dirt or damage. Restoration reveals that value. God sees people in this way. You might look at yourself and see failures, shame, or brokenness. You may feel unworthy of God's love. But God is a God of restoration. He sees your true value and is willing to invest time and grace into restoring you. Because God values people, we should too. This changes how we respond when someone falls. Instead of celebrating their failure, we come alongside them. Instead of adding shame, we offer grace. Instead of saying, “You should have known better,” we ask, “How can I help you through this?” Restoration can be costly and frustrating, but people are worth it. People have issues, but people are not issues. You have issues, but you are not an issue. Neither is the person next to you. Carry One Another's Burdens Paul continues: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The Greek word Paul uses here is baros, referring to the heavy things in life that weigh us down. This could be grief, difficult relationships, parenting struggles, or battles with temptation. Sometimes, life simply becomes heavy. Paul's instruction is clear: Don't carry it alone. The church is not a group of people pretending everything is fine. It’s a community where we can say: “I’m struggling.” “I need help.” “Things aren’t okay at home.” “I’m carrying something too heavy.” And it’s about responding: “Let me come alongside you.” “Let’s walk through this together.” “You don’t have to carry this by yourself.” This is how we fulfill the law of Christ: we love people by helping them carry what is heavy. There’s beauty in this. When we allow someone to help carry our burden, we free our hands to help carry someone else’s. But There's Something You Must Carry Then Paul introduces a seemingly contradictory statement: “For each one should carry their own load.” Wait a minute. Paul just told us to carry one another's burdens, and now he says to carry our own load. Which is it? The answer is: both. Paul uses a different Greek word here: phortion. A baros is a heavy burden, while a phortion is a load assigned to you. Jesus echoes this in Matthew 11 when He says: “Take my yoke upon you... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus has given each of us specific things to carry: our responsibilities, calling, purpose, influence, relationships, decisions, and our walk with Him. These are things no one else can carry for us. Helping Can Sometimes Hurt This distinction is vital because we often try to carry burdens God hasn’t asked us to bear. When we see someone struggling, we might rush in to fix everything. But there’s a difference between carrying someone’s burden and carrying their responsibility. We should help others through life’s difficulties, but we don’t need to remove the consequences of their choices. Sometimes, helping can unintentionally disempower them by doing what God has called them to do themselves. So, we need wisdom. Carry the burdens. Don’t carry the responsibility. Support others, but don’t take ownership of what God has entrusted to them. And remember to carry your own load too. The Burden You Were Never Meant to Carry There’s one more type of burden to consider. In 1 Peter 5:7, we read: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” This word refers to anxieties, cares, and concerns—the things that keep us awake at night. These are the questions we can’t control: Will everything work out? Will God come through? Am I enough? Does God really love me? What if something goes wrong? These burdens were never meant to be carried by us. We can take responsibility for what God has entrusted to us and help others with their burdens, but some things are beyond our control. Those belong in the hands of Jesus. Give God What You Cannot Carry Imagine trying to lug around an enormous weight everywhere you go. You might manage for a while, but eventually, it will exhaust you. You may become tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed. You might even feel angry with God, asking, “God, why are You making me carry this?” But what if He never asked you to carry it? What if you’ve been holding onto something meant to be surrendered? Many of us are exhausted because we try to carry tomorrow today. We hold onto fears, anxieties, and shame from our past. We bear expectations that God never placed on us. Perhaps Jesus is saying: “You were never meant to carry that.” Cast it on Him. He cares for you. Three Things to Remember So, what do we do with all of this? Carry your own load. Take responsibility for what God has entrusted to you—your calling, purpose, relationships, decisions, and walk with Jesus. Carry one another's burdens. Don’t isolate yourself. Be humble enough to ask for help and compassionate enough to support someone else when life gets heavy. Cast your anxieties on Jesus. There are things you cannot control and burdens you were never designed to carry. Give those to Jesus. You were designed to carry your God-given purpose. You were meant to take responsibility for what He has entrusted to you. You were created to walk alongside others when life becomes difficult. But you were never meant to carry the weight of tomorrow. So today, ask yourself: What am I carrying that God has asked me to carry? What burden do I need to allow someone else to help me carry? And what am I carrying that I need to surrender to Jesus? You don’t have to carry everything. Some things belong on your shoulders. Some belong in the hands of your community. And some belong at the feet of Jesus. You were never meant to carry it all. Life Group Questions When you hear the phrase “carrying a burden,” what comes to mind for you? How do pride, comparison, and envy affect the way we relate to other people? Why can vulnerability be difficult? What makes it hard to say, “I need help”? What is something God has entrusted to you that you need to take greater responsibility for? What is something you're currently worrying about that you need to surrender to Jesus? Why do you think we sometimes struggle to believe that God actually cares about the things that concern us? If you could leave one burden at the feet of Jesus tonight, what would it be?

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Discover church in centurion at Free Church in Centurion; join us this Sunday. You're free to be yourself here. Sundays 08:15 | 10:00 Pudding Stone Street, EcoPark, Centurion Plan Your Visit Watch Online

KIDS @ FREE We believe church should be the highlight of your child's week! Our heart is to create a fun, safe, and engaging environment where every child can discover who God is, grow in their faith, and build meaningful friendships. Our team of trained volunteers is committed to helping every child know that God deeply loves them and has a unique purpose. Through age-appropriate Bible teaching, worship, games, small groups, and creative activities, we make learning about Jesus exciting and relevant. Age Groups We have environments designed specifically for each stage of childhood: Pre Prep (3–5 years) Juniors (6–7 years) Seniors (8–10 years) Tweens (11-13 years) For parents with Tots (0-2 years), you're invited to enjoy the service in our dedicated parents room. Safety First Your child's safety is one of our highest priorities. Every member of our Free Kids team is carefully selected, trained, and committed to creating a secure environment where children can thrive. Our check-in process helps ensure that every child is safely welcomed and returned to their parent or guardian after the service. Families with Special Needs We believe every child is wonderfully made and deserves to experience the love of Jesus in a way that helps them flourish. We welcome children with additional or special needs to our dedicated special needs ministry. We'd love the opportunity to partner with you to understand your child's unique needs and help them participate as comfortably as possible. If your child requires additional support, please let us know before the service or speak to one of our team members at check-in. Together, we'll work to create the best possible experience for your family. Your First Visit When you arrive, our friendly team will help you check your child in, show you to the correct age group, and answer any questions you may have. We want your first visit to be simple, stress-free, and full of smiles. We can't wait to welcome your family.