Most people don’t like Mondays at the best of times, but can you imagine what Jesus must have felt like on Holy Monday? This is probably the most emotionally charged Monday that has ever been! Off the back of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem the day before, he was facing the final countdown to his betrayal and crucifixion. Talk about a heavy week! And, the temple, which was meant to be the place where people could come into the presence of God was full of merchant traders, ripping people off left right, and center. That day, Jesus headed straight for the temple, clearing out those who had become barriers to people encountering the presence of God. Imagine the chaos as he tore through them, overturning their tables, people yelling, coins flying, and doves taking flight in a flurry of feathers. I think Jesus growled quietly or perhaps yelled with righteous fury “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it into a den of robbers!” as he set about chasing them out! As soon as the space was cleared, the traders' noses out of joint, and the religious leaders looking on in indignation, the blind and the lame flooded in, and Jesus began to heal them. The cleansing of the temple was a symbol of how Jesus’ death would tear down all barriers to God’s presence, and what would follow is that the outcasts would be brought in and find healing. What a beautiful picture of unity in diversity. People from every tribe and tongue united in adoration and praise, healed, forgiven, and free. Today, as Paul reminds us, you are God’s temple, the place where the Holy Spirit lives. When we come together, we are being built up into a house of prayer for all nations. Jesus cleanses our hearts not only for our sake but for the sake of others too. Read Matt 21v12-17 Ps 139:21-24 Reflection As you pray for God to search your heart, what comes to your mind? What barriers have crept into you as the temple that might need to be removed, for your own sake, and for the sake of others?

Missed the message? Watch or Listen to catch up Spotify Playlist Right in the middle of John 4, Jesus has is this conversation about worship, that changes everything! What would you say worship is? In the Bible, we see a LOT! first mention, Psalms, tabernacle, tent, temple, Jesus, Paul. Obedience. Sacrifice. It’s NOT slow songs, a song list or Sunday service (those can be expressions of worship). You can worship with music, actually! “Worship is a constant consciousness of God, and a continuous response to that” Tom Inglis “It is an attitude of heart, a reaching toward God, a pouring out of our total self in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, and love to God.” Judson Cornwall You are Created to Worship! The world is full of worshippers and we are good at it. The question is not "Do you worship?" but "Who (or what) and how will you worship?" Worth-ship = value. What you give worth to. Worship is about value, you will invest, honour, and adore. i.e. where we are not stingy. Follow the trail of money time energy and activities and they will lead to your thrones of worship and who sits on them… It’s easy to misdirect worship. Hobbies and interests are fine, just don’t let them be lifted higher than Jesus. Your behavior reveals the focus of your worship Worship has a great influence on who you become - Who and what we worship shapes us. You become like what you adore. What would God think of your worship? Do you want to become a better worshipper? I do! Jesus changed everything about worship! John 4 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty. And I won’t have to keep coming here to get water.” 16 He told her, “Go. Get your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands. And the man you live with now is not your husband. What you have just said is very true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our people have always worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said, “Woman, believe me. A time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know. Salvation comes from the Jews. 23 But a new time is coming. In fact, it is already here. True worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth. They are the kind of worshipers the Father is looking for. 24 God is spirit. His worshipers must worship him in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah is coming.” Messiah means Christ. “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus said, “The one you’re talking about is the one speaking to you. I am he.” I. JESUS REVEALS THE FATHER: The revelation of God is the fuel for the fire of our worship. —Matt Redman To see the Father, look at Jesus. Holy, compassionate. All-knowing. Wise. Just. Merciful. Good. His Attributes inspire worship. Your worship is tied to his revelation of how well you know God. What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us…Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. AW Tozer READ the stories about Jesus. Thinking about these attributes causes worship in hearts. The antidote for idolatry is to see the greatness of God. II. JESUS RELOCATES THE SPIRIT OT worship was at a distance in a location, a place. Solomon’s temple, David’s tent, or Moses’ tabernacle. Jesus changed everything on the cross. NT worship is about proximity. Relationship. Intimate. Person. Life. You are the temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16). Worship is always a NOW activity Judson Cornwall Worship is in the temple, you are the temple, so you can worship anywhere, anytime. In Jesus - you don’t need a worship leader or a worship team. The Spirit lives in you! In your own authentic, organic, spontaneous way, worship Him! Worship flows from your Monday through Saturday into a Sunday. The power of the church is not what happens on a Sunday, but what happens in the week in the hearts and in the homes. If you’re not worshiping God on Monday the way you did the day before, perhaps you’re not worshiping him at all. AW Tozer RECOGNIZE you are the temple! III. THE FATHER LOOKS FOR WORSHIPPERS God is looking for worshippers, not worship. Spirit: Worship is an attitude before it’s an action. Is there a heart under the hands? Is there spirit in your song? Is there prayer in your praise? (Jesus said some worship with lips but hearts are far from him!) Truth: Real - authentic. Not pretense, not performance. Be yourself Worship without heart is hollow -Be REAL Jesus reveals the Father (fuels worship) - READ Jesus relocates the Spirit (freedom to worship) RECOGNISE The Father looks for worshippers (attitude, authentic) REAL Why is God looking for true worshippers …? Because where worshippers are is where heaven comes – that’s where God is enthroned! Help us become better worshippers! "He is our Creator, and the author of our being; we must kneel before the Lord our Maker. Idolaters kneel before gods which they themselves made; we kneel before a God who made us and all the world and who is therefore our rightful proprietor; for His we are, and not our own.” Mathew Henry

[Message notes] Sun 25 Feb - It's No Coincidence | The Time is Now (Gareth Nicholson) Listen to the Audio or Watch the Video Have you heard about the revival at Asbury? Started on 8 Feb led by Gen Z, no hype, just people hungry for Jesus! Revival is an invitation deeper into His presence. Of the 5 major revivals in the last 100 years, something special has always happened at Asbury. Could this be a pouring out of God's grace, the start of revival as we've never seen before? There will always be skeptics, confusion, and a desire to “do it here” – the way to steward the now well is to cultivate a hunger and desire for God – because God shows up where he is wanted! The best way to do that is to get into the word and read about Jesus because He reveals the Father. We will be in John 4 for the next few weeks – this is a story that creates a desire for Jesus by the way he restores a social outcast to incredible purpose, teaches about a lifestyle of worship, talks about working in the harvest, and ends with miraculous healing. I. Jesus is Intentional & Unconventional Jesus HAD to go to Samaria. He made the first move. Samaritans were despised by Jews and rabbis didn’t talk to women. Water was drawn in the morning and evening, not in the middle of the day. The woman Jesus meets is likely a social outcast, avoiding the crowds. It could be she was the victim of abuse at the hands of many men. Jesus does the uncomfortable and unorthodox to meet a social outcast where she is at II. Jesus is Graceful & Transformational Sometimes God asks you to do something because he's after your heart. Jesus starts a conversation with what’s right there – the well, and he gracefully confronts the sin and pain that is limiting her life. She evades, but - Jesus is more concerned about winning a soul than winning an argument. In short, he is saying “ I know you, and I don't condemn you. I'm inviting you into a better way.” III. Jesus is Redemptive & Restorative Testimony replaces her task – she leaves the water jar at the well and runs to the people she’s been avoiding to tell them about Jesus. Her shame is forgotten because of her story. Jesus gives her a story that changes a city and starts a cultural revolution. Jesus is Compelled to do it for the one - what if you do it for the one? He creates a safe space to confront sin – what if instead of judging, you point them to the one? He gives her a story to change a city. What if you tell your story to someone? What city might it unlock? It's no coincidence. The Time is Now. The time is now for Jesus to meet you where you are, and give you a story that is bigger than you. The time is now to make every moment matter.

Sermon Notes 23.01.29 Leadership coaches: Mick Ukleja, Rob Lorber wrote a book titled "Who Are You And What Do You Want?". There work states 4 questions for transformation - Who are you and what do you want? - Where are you and why are you here? - What will you do and how will you do it? - Who are your allies and how can they help? Who are you? Take away what you’re known for, and whatever’s left, is who you are. -Bob Goff What do you want? Our strongest desires are not our deepest desires.” - John Mark Comer “Aren't you, like me, hoping that some person, thing, or event will come along to give you that final feeling of inner well-being you desire? Don't you often hope: 'May this book, idea, course, trip, job, country or relationship fulfill my deepest desire.' But as long as you are waiting for that mysterious moment you will go on running helter-skelter, always anxious and restless, always lustful and angry, never fully satisfied. ― Henri J.M. Nouwen Mark 10:46-52 46 They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! ” 48 Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, Have mercy on me, Son of David! ” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up; he’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want me to do for you? ” “Rabboni,” the blind man said to him, “I want to see.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road. Bartimeus can mean either "son of the unclean" or "son of the most honoured" - it depends who you ask! What is most important is who God says you are, which can be understood by how Jesus treats Bartimaeus. Jesus asked him the details - What do you want me to do for you? He answers with desire - What do you want? Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Ps 37:4 Bartimaeus progresses from hearing about Jesus to shouting "Son of David" which is a messianic claim - a sign that He sees Jesus as his saviour. This catches the attention of Jesus, and He says "Your faith has saved you" In other words the belief that Jesus could do something. Finally, he begins to follow Jesus from that moment forward. Who are you? What do you want? What will you do about it?

Sermon Notes 23.01.22 Matt 24:12-14 (TPT) There will be such an increase of sin and lawlessness Choices. Consequences. Chaos. Curse that those whose hearts once burned with passion for God and others will grow cold. But keep your hope to the end and you will experience life and deliverance. “Yet through it all, this joyful assurance of the realm of heaven’s kingdom will be proclaimed all over the world, providing every nation with a demonstration of the reality of God. And after this the end of this age will arrive.” Warning - the increase of sin, and lawlessness, can cause hearts to grow cold toward God and toward others. PROTECT YOUR PASSION To sustain a fire, you need three things… oxygen, fuel, and heat. Fire is transferrable powerful can be extinguished. Hope is a bit like fire. What are you giving yourself to (fuel)? What air are you breathing (oxygen)? What are you close to (heat)? PRIORTIZE YOUR PURPOSE Matt 28 (TPT) 18Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to me. 19Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 20And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. “According to my judgement the most important point to be attended to is this: above all things see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord. Other things may press upon you, the Lord's work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself! George Muller PURSUE HIS PRESENCE Matt 28 (TPT) And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.” Horatio Spafford - It is Well with My Soul Keep your hope to the end. See to it that your souls are happy in the Lord.

Sermon Notes: 16.01.23 We desire change… dream about it… document it… detail it… but it takes a while to DO IT! Fear is often responsible for the delay between between dreaming and doing. Hippopoto-monstroses-quippe-dalio-phobia is the fear of long words. What is your greatest fear? There are Three Types of fear Good Fears, Ones to keep you alive Godly Fears, awesome, terrifying, respect, reverence Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Philippians 2:12b work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Bad Fears Ones that hold you back, limits you Failure Who You Really Are (Imposter syndrome) Rejection Shame /Fear of Being Judged Fear of Losing Control Fear of Loss Which is your most limiting fear? This may be different to your greatest fear! Romans 8:15 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father! ” Hebrews 2:1,14-15 1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it…14 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death ​— ​that is, the devil ​— ​ 15 and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. Our default is to slip back into slavery, that is our starting point. We need to be REMINDED of who we are. The Gospel proclaims "You are not a slave anymore." The most limiting fear, the biggest issue - is spiritual The antidote, is the work of Jesus, which destroys the one holding the power of death and releases the Spirit of adoption. That means a new family, new cultures, a new way of thinking FEAR = Face. Examine. Apprentice. Repeat 1. Face: You won't change what you won't confront “Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.” Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles 2. Examine: Focus on the cause, not the symptom. Figure out what’s holding you back. 3. Apprentice: Be With Jesus, Become Like Jesus, Do What Jesus Did Being a Christian is not just believing what Jesus said, agreeing with his teachings and his doctrines, but actually doing the stuff he says to do. This is where the transformation happens. 4. Repeat: There is no formation without repetition (James KA Smith) There is no problem in human life that apprenticeship to Jesus cannot solve Dallas Willard Face and examine your fears, kick them in the teeth, and start to move forward. You’re not a slave anymore.

Sermon Notes: Sunday 8th Jan 2023 After 4000 years of practices, we can say New Year Resolutions don't really work. Here's why: we blame lack of time, resources, or motivation, but it’s more likely that - We are not clear on the “why”? - There is no accountability - Our goals are too self focussed vs helping others - We start with too many and become overwhelmed - Thee experience of past failures leads to self doubt - They are not really a priority - We are wnrealistic - dream big, start small - Our goals are too general / vague Yet, most of us desire change. That change, the change that really matters, sustainable change, lasting, transformational change. It doesn't come from behaviour management, self discipline, will power. It comes from falling in love. “Our 'behavior' will not be changed long with self-discipline, but fall in love and a human will accomplish what he never thought possible." Don Miller The Gospel is the greatest love story ever told Proverbs 3 TPT 5Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. 6Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. 7Don’t think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion and avoid everything that’s wrong. 8Then you will find the healing refreshment your body and spirit long for. 1/ Activate your faith in Jesus Believe that God has got you, in the same way someone belays you when you rock climb! 2/ Acknowledge Jesus in everything Think of God as next to you in the car as a conversational navigator, rather than a traffic signal out there that is controlling your travel. 3/ Adore Jesus and Avoid wrong Adoration of one thing means turning away from something else. As you turn toward Jesus more, you will quit more of other things. "Spend one hour each day in adoration of your Lord, she said, and never do anything you know is wrong. Follow this and you'll be fine.” Mother Teresa to Henri Nouwen Idea: Start reading through Matthew, and write down all the miracles of Jesus that you can find. Then, go to Mark, Luke and John. Take your time! Doing this will cultivate your adoration of Jesus!

Watch, or listen to, the full message My reading plan last week took me to the end of the Old Testament, and into the New. In between, just one page, yet that page represents 400 years of silence - God wasn't speaking to the people of Israel. And then suddenly, Gabriel the angel is sent with an incredible message... We pick up the story in Luke 1. 5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years. Meet Zechariah and Elizabeth, old faithful. Their story tells us that just because you do everything "right", doesn't mean you will get everything you want. Even so, sometimes those that go through the most painful journeys God uses for the greatest purpose. Sometimes adversity and suffering have to come into our lives to drive us to God in a deeper way. 8 When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. This was the most likely place of for people to experience God's presence. All the people would go up to the temple for festivals there times a year, but every day there would be incense burning, morning and evening, while people prayed outside. There were about 20000 priests who served in 24 divisions throughout the year. There was a very small chance to be picked as the incense burner, statistically 1:50 or thereabout if my math is right. So, this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Zechariah, literally. 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 17 And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.” Naturally, Zechariah is terrified. 400 years of nothing, and then BOOM! And what Gabriel says is a throwback to the last words of the prophet Micah, from 400 years earlier. Mal 4:5 Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. What Gabriel is spelling out is not just an answer to prayer, but an invitation to purpose. Sometimes we are praying for one thing, and God shows up in the most unexpected way, and invites us into a much bigger story. 18 “How can I know this? ” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” Zechariah is arguing with an angel! This is the great power of unbelief. Perhaps it is because of an unwillingness to believe that God wants to be good and kind toward him. You may have believed that too. Or how about a sense that says it's not that God can't do it, but that he won't do it for me? 19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20 Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.” It's almost as if Gabriel is saying "Your faith is not yet at the level it needs to be to be part of the story, so I'm going to silence you to stop more negative talk, until such time as you can't hold it in anymore... Spoiler alert, when the baby is born, and Zechariah indicates by way of writing that he should be named "John" and not Zechariah junior, his mouth is open. DOUBT DELAYS YOU! God is waiting for you to respond in faith. You have a choice, now, to believe in the truth of what He says about you. Don't exclude yourself from the story. Believe the truth, of who God is, what He has done, and who you are in him.

On Sunday we had a great conversation about how community shapes a person. You can watch or listen in case you weren't in the room and would like to hear what Keshia, Steven and Chester had to say. Community, fellowship specifically (more on that in a bit), is a means of grace. It is something designed and given by God to make us more like Jesus - if we will lean into it. It's not automatic but operates through the power of the Holy Spirit by faith. There is no formation without repetition, which is why it is so important to devote yourself to community - that is not something someone can do for you. Phil 1: 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. In these few verses, at least three things can be seen that unites a community - the gospel of Christ, partnership (fellowship) in the gospel - let's call that mission - and the future that we are moving toward (the day of Christ Jesus). Christ. Mission. Future. Our prejudices can divide us. Our Christ unites us. We all have lenses through which we see each other. When we begin to follow Jesus, we are adopted into a new family, with its own unique culture. There is a whole lot of unlearning to be done, and a new way to live - in kingdom culture. In kingdom culture, there is no room for prejudice. Our preferences can divide us. Our mission unites us. The bigger the mission, the easier it is to set aside our preferences. A true community, or fellowship, is being on a mission together. It's playing the game, not just watching the game. It's a group of people with a shared purpose, facing life and death situations, battling the very presence of evil itself. It's why Tolkien wrote about the Fellowship of the Ring. Our pasts can divide us. Our future unites us. Our pasts are what got us here, but it is a common future that unites us. We grew up in different places, all across the socio-economic spectrum. Yet, in Christ, we are all moving toward a hope and a future, when Jesus comes back to set everything right. All of this to say - you were created for covenant community, and it needs to be guarded so that in it you thrive Means of grace They are enacted signs pointing to realities beyond themselves Inauguration and renewal'

Prayer is a grace gift given to us by God, that when we embrace will change our lives in the most profound ways! Have you found your voice in prayer? When we start to see that prayer is not a religious duty, but rather, it's about a relationship with the Creator of the universe who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever think, dream or imagine it will transform the way we pray. Prayer is simply a conversation that we are invited to join. Maybe you have been led to believe things about prayer that have stopped you from entering into the conversation. Maybe you believe that you have to "clean up your act" before you can come to God in prayer. Maybe you have been led to believe that only the "Holy" people pray and you have to talk to a person who will pray on your behalf. Maybe you have been led to believe that there is a correct and incorrect way to pray and it's left you paralyzed and unable to find your voice. Maybe it's time to change those beliefs! God is inviting you to find your voice and enter into a conversation with Him that will become a gift to you. When you find your voice in prayer you will find that Your voice matters to God. In Matthew 6:6 (But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.) We see that God is inviting us to step out of the chaos and loud voices of the world and talk to Him. The reward we will find when we make time to leave the noise of the world behind and pray is that we will hear God's voice, and His voice matters! God is inviting you into a conversation with Him because He wants you to know that your voice is unique! God has put unique gifts into you, and when you choose to spend time with Him, He will reveal those gifts to you. As you grow in your relationship with God, you will find that God's voice is unique and His voice is full of wisdom that you cannot find in the world.1 Peter 4:10 (TPT) says, every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-colored tapestry of God’s grace. In other words, God has gifted us all in different ways, and when we each choose to use our gifts, something beautiful will happen. God is inviting you into a conversation with Him because He wants you to know that your voice makes a difference! In Daniel 10 we see that Daniels' prayers are heard and that his prayer interrupts a spiritual battle in the Heavenly realm. When we realise that our voices make a difference in the spiritual realm we will begin to pray prayers that make a difference across the earth. When we choose to invite God into situations He will step in, because He is a respector of authority, He waits for us to include Him. When we choose to give God authority over the situations we are facing we will find that God's voice makes a difference! We simply need to invite Him in. My encouragement to you today is to find your voice in prayer and see God's grace rush upon your life in ways you have never experienced before. Will you commit to praying, by simply choosing to pray for 2 minutes a day? Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20

Watch the full message here or listen to the podcast Words are incredibly powerful. They carry a creative (or destructive potential). If I think back on life-shaping moments, many of them are linked to things people have said, either to me or about me. Some of these words have shaped my core beliefs - they have become lenses through which I see myself and the world. The old adage: “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” rings hollow. We are in a conversation about how our lives flow in the direction of our core beliefs. While there is a structure in how our beliefs flow into our thoughts, which drive our feelings and become actions, life is way more of an art than it is a science.​ It is way more fluid and flair than logic and linear. DO YOU WANT A GOOD LIFE OR DO YOU WANT TO BE GOOD AT LIFE? Most of us would like a good life, right? It is subjective though. What is a good life? Happiness, prosperity, peace... all of the above? What if there was a way, to be good at life, rather than to have a good life? I would say that to be good at life is to learn to live in the way that you were created to live. To learn the art of life. At the beginning of Matthew 4, Jesus is in a defining moment. A conversation, a test, facing off against the evil one himself. He is isolated, facing a decision, a challenge... Matthew 4:1-4 ​1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Verse 4 grabbed my attention. From what Jesus says, God speaks, and His word sustains life. In this verse, we have three pictures of God's word. First, Jesus the word: the revealed self-expression (John 1). Second, we have this idea of life, the Gospel life sustained by God. The Gospel is the word about Christ by which faith comes (Rom 10:17). And Jesus mentions the written word. To live, man must learn to hear God. This is the art of life. Now the Hebrews have an interesting word - Shema. It means more than just "hear". It means to hear, to pay attention, to understand, to be willing, and to respond. To live, man must learn to shema God. This is the art of life. Here are some thoughts on this: I/ Live with the Expectation that Things Will Change God's word brings order from chaos. It brings light into the dark. It stirs faith and moves forward. It has within it creative power. When God speaks, things change. You are called to believe that the word of God will change things. It will bring order from chaos in your life. It will shape you, send you, encourage you, move you forward, and sustain your life. Expect that He will speak to you, that he wants to speak to you! Live with this expectation. Make it a core belief in your life. II/ Learn to Tune in Here and Unfollow There. Our lives are filled with so much NOISE! So many voices.... God is speaking, but we may be missing it because we drown His voice out. Just like the old FM radio that has a tuning dial to hone in on the right frequency and cut out all the noise. Are you looking for sensationalism or a still small voice? You might not hear an audible voice, but you may recognize that still small voice in your spirit. Are you focused on how God speaks, or where he speaks? III/ Let the Practice Flow From the Principle The principle is that God speaks, and learning to be good at life is based on hearing His voice that sustains life. Don't be too focussed on the practice, but rather let the principle that God wants to speak to you shape your practice. Imagine that you entered a big competition, and then received a message that the organizers had a message for you. You would do whatever you could to get that message! What is driving you? Is your focus "get into the word" or to "get the word in you?" Is your motivation guilt, or to grow in knowing God? Are you reading history, or getting to know the author? Do you want to do this for knowledge (information), or truth (revelation)? My goal is not to tell you to read your bible but to inspire you to learn to hear God for yourself. And the best way that you can do that is to take the written word (your Bible) and open it up and find Jesus the word, and the message about Him (the Gospel). Be ready to shema the still small voice of the Holy Spirit as you begin to read. Some thoughts to get started The best Bible translation is the one that you read. The best way to do this is to read for yourself. Set an input goal not an outcome goal - for example, read for 10 minutes a day, rather than a chapter a day. And if that 10-minute window means one verse, or one page, or one chapter, that's great. There is no rush. Keep a journal Read aloud to yourself Aim for the same (quiet) place and same time The art of life is to learn to hear (shema) God, because doing so will change everything. His voice is a creative force, it brings light in the dark, order from chaos, peace in the storm, courage, strength, and wisdom Take a read through Luke 24 to see how much Jesus wants people to discover the word!

This is the most stressful time of the year for many of us. There is the anticipation of the stressors of family gatherings, a focus on food and alcohol, the ever-present comparison trap, disruption of routines, financial pressures, and perhaps navigating the holiday season while grieving loss. When faced with feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm, we usually DO something to make ourselves feel better... Here's the problem - it doesn't work. I mean, it might make you feel better in the short term… but next year, it's going to be the same movie over again. Imagine a cascading water fountain as your life, where your actions and behavior are the lowest and most visible tier, above that are your feelings and emotions, above that are your thoughts, and right at the top, your core beliefs. Like the fountain, things flow downward. In other words, your core beliefs (internalized messages, how you perceive yourself, God, the world, others, experiences internalized truths) flow into your thoughts (ideas, opinions, expectations, intentions, inner voice) which in turn drive your feelings (emotional state, internal reactions), and those play out in your behaviors (the way that you deal with your thoughts and feelings) When we start with trying to deal with feelings through behaviors, it's like trying to make the water flow upwards in the fountain. It doesn't work. The place to start is with core beliefs because everything flows from that. Your life will flow in the direction of your core beliefs. Here are some examples of negative core believes It will always be this way I am BAD I can’t trust myself Don’t show emotions I'm not good enough If people knew the real me… Feel inadequate / imposter I can’t change I am powerless What if it could be different? The good news is that the Gospel has the power to change your core beliefs and bring about an incredible transformation in your life, in thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It is important to have some clear, basic, core beliefs, about what the Gospel is, what Grace is, and what the Means of Grace are there for. Romans 5:8-10 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. I. I. What is the Gospel? The Gospel is a promise of God's salvation, and it is the proclamation of the Kingdom of Jesus. The good news is that man can be saved by Jesus taking our place on the cross and paying for our sins with his own life. Salvation is received by grace, through faith. The Gospel frees us, in a moment from the penalty of sin. Yet it doesn't stop there. Jesus overcame death and ushered in the start of a new creation. Through a process, of being part of his Kingdom, and walking by grace in obedience to the King, we can be freed from the power of sin (bondage, destructive patterns, negative core beliefs, and so on). II. What is Grace? Grace is that which brings forth the righteousness of God for the sinner. Righteousness is that which comes through justice and mercy on the cross. Righteousness is who God is. Righteousness puts the sinner into a right relationship with God - it is the result of being forgiven, declared not guilty (justification) Righteousness is that which conforms to the character of God, Righteousness is the condition of being conformed to the “likeness of God” (Eph. 4:24) (sanctification) Grace is that which puts you into a right relationship with God and conforms you to the character of God. It is important to see the two parts here. Justification happens at a point in time when a person comes to believe in Jesus for salvation. This is freedom from the penalty of since. Sanctification is not a point in time, but a process, through grace and obedience, being conformed (changed) over time, by the Holy Spirit. Here is where we grow in freedom from the power of sin. It's a bit like when a person gets married (a point in time) but then continues on to learn and grow in how to be married ( a process) Without seeing both parts, one may be free from the penalty of sin, but will not progress in freedom from the power of sin. III. What are the Means of Grace? The means of grace, aka Spiritual practices/disciplines, are things that God has given us to help our process of formation - in other words, to progress in freedom from the power of sin. They are ways that we can position ourselves so that our core beliefs can begin to align with God. The means of grace are for us means of joy in God, to KNOW Jesus, to enjoy Him, THIS is the heart, the goal. The means of grace are not about earning God's favor, nor manipulating him, but rather positioning ourselves to be shaped by Him. Think of them like a magnifying glass that focuses the rays of the sun on a dried leaf to bring about significant change in a specific area. Grace is always flowing, and the means of grace enable us to focus that grace on a specific area in our lives. Over the next few weeks, we will unpack some of these. Following Jesus is utterly dependent on the grace of God. By it, we come into spiritual life, and in it, we continue on. Watch the full message here But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18