Emmanuel Sunday Talks

In this message, we're reminded that our confidence in the future doesn't come from knowing what lies ahead, but from knowing who holds the future. Drawing from 2 Peter 1:3-4, we explore how God's divine power grants us everything we need for life and godliness. The sermon challenges us to shift our focus from worldly anxieties to eternal matters, encouraging us to fear the right things – not tomorrow's uncertainties, but the state of our souls before a holy God. Yet, this fear is quickly relieved by God's grace and the precious promises He offers us. We're called to treasure these promises, guarding them against the enemy who seeks to steal our confidence in God's goodness. As we face the future, we're invited to partake in the divine nature, sharing in God's holiness and becoming more like Him. This incredible truth should empower us to live with confidence, knowing that we're united with Christ and equipped for whatever lies ahead.

In this day and age many people feel that Christianity is irrelevant. To find empowerment today we need to have greater self-esteem, tell ourselves we can do it and manifest our goals. The Gospel of Jesus Christ starts from a very different place, in fact an opposite place. In the Gospel we find strength in our weakness. It may seem like, ‘foolishness to the Greeks’, but the power of God begins at the end of ourselves.

In our exploration of work through a biblical lens, we uncover profound truths about our purpose and identity. The passage from Colossians 3 invites us to view our daily labour as more than just a means to an end, but as a divine calling.

In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, how can we find strength and joy? The book of Habakkuk offers us a powerful lesson in transforming our perspective. We're introduced to a prophet who begins in a state of despair, questioning God's care for the world. Yet, by the end, Habakkuk sings a song of joy and strength, despite unchanged circumstances. This transformation isn't about external factors; it's about the internal 'song' we choose to sing. We're challenged to examine the narratives we tell ourselves about our lives and the world around us. Are we singing songs of fear and anxiety, or are we tuning into God's song of love and salvation?

At the start of the new term, Stephen Dawson brings a word of encouragement about unclogging wells from Genesis 26 and the story of Isaac reopening the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham.