Return to Glory Part 4

Kingom Unity Part 1

Kingom Unity Part 1 Series: The Jesus We Need to Know Preacher: Kevin Smith, Senior Pastor Sunday Morning Date: 12th July 2026 Passage: John 17:20-23 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A20-23&version=ESV] ------------------- On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed not only for His disciples but for every believer who would follow. At the center of that prayer was a single urgent request: that we would be one. This kind of kingdom unity is not uniformity or forced sameness. It is a deep, truth-grounded bond that holds our differences together in Christ and His mission. The model for this unity is the Trinity itself, where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct yet perfectly one. What fractures the church is selfish ambition, conceit, and the tendency to let political or cultural identity outrank our identity in Christ. Kingdom unity is not built through grand gestures. It is built through small, humble, repeated acts of love toward one another.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Series: Miscellaneous Preacher: Wy Plummer Sunday Morning Date: 5th July 2026 Passage: Ephesians 1:15-23 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1%3A15-23&version=ESV] ------------------- There is a profound difference between knowing the truth of the Gospel in your mind and truly seeing it with your heart. In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul prays for believers who already have faith, asking God to open the eyes of their hearts so they can perceive spiritual reality more clearly. He makes three specific requests: that they would know the hope of their calling, that they would understand they are God's treasured inheritance, and that they would recognize the resurrection power already at work within them. Biblical hope is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation grounded in God's promises. God does not merely tolerate His people. He delights in them and sings over them. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to every believer today, not as something to be acquired, but as something to be seen and trusted.

A Way Through Pain

A Way Through Pain Series: Miscellaneous Preacher: Jimmy Davis Sunday Morning Date: 28th June 2026 Passage: Psalm 43:1-5 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+43%3A1-5&version=ESV] ------------------- Pain is not a waste of time. According to Romans 8, God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, and that includes suffering. Psalm 43 gives us a honest and practical path for praying through pain rather than running from it. The psalmist models what it looks like to come to God as you really are, desperate, discouraged, and longing for His presence. He asks God to send His light and truth to lead him back, and along the way he arrives at the altar, where repentance and grace meet. The destination of the entire prayer is God Himself, described as exceeding joy. Not the removal of pain, but the presence of God, is the good life we were made for. Because of the empty tomb, that joy is never out of reach.

The Battle for Faithfulness

The Battle for Faithfulness Series: The Jesus We Need to Know Preacher: Kevin Smith, Senior Pastor Sunday Morning Date: 21st June 2026 Passage: 1 Samuel 15:1-33 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+15%3A1-33&version=ESV] ------------------- Faithfulness to God is not about perfection. It is about a heart of obedience rooted in love for Him. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul's failure reveals what happens when the fear of man replaces the fear of God. He disobeyed a clear command, made excuses, and ultimately used God's blessings to promote his own glory. Samuel, by contrast, feared God above all else, and that fear gave him the courage to speak hard truth to a powerful king. True faithfulness is fueled not by fear of consequences but by a heart captured by the love of God. Because God set His love on us before the foundation of the world and sent His Son for sinners, our obedience flows from gratitude rather than obligation. Faithfulness is a heart that keeps returning to God, keeps trusting His love, and keeps choosing Him because He is worth it.

Ambassadors for Christ

Ambassadors for Christ Series: The Jesus We Need to Know Preacher: Kevin Smith, Senior Pastor Sunday Morning Date: 14th June 2026 Passage: John 17:17-19 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A17-19&version=ESV] ------------------- As believers, we are Christ's ambassadors - both sanctified and sent into the world with a divine mission. Unlike earthly kingdoms that choose the wealthy and influential, God chooses ordinary people and equips them for His service. Jesus prays for our sanctification through truth, which protects us from worldly deception and transforms our minds. Being sanctified means we are set apart as holy, belonging exclusively to God. We are also sent people, placed strategically in our communities, workplaces, and neighborhoods to represent Christ's kingdom. This ambassadorial role is a 24/7 reality that requires spiritual training and conscious awareness of our primary identity as kingdom representatives.