Abiding Under His Shadow

The Rock Christ Jesus

Guest speaker David Stevenson brings an incredibly liberating and encouraging word from Matthew 16:13–20, unpacking what it truly means to be used by God. Set against the highly superstitious, pagan backdrop of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus presents His disciples with the ultimate question: “Who do you say I am?”. David unpacks Peter’s landmark confession—"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God"—and clarifies the vital text that follows. In the original Greek, Peter is called Petros (a small stone), while the church is built upon Petra (a massive rock structure)—meaning the church is not anchored on a flawed human being, but constructed on the immovable rock of Christ Jesus Himself. David uses this framework to directly tackle the lie that we must be flawless or "special" to have a purpose in God's kingdom. He fires off a rapid list of heavily flawed, ordinary Bible characters—from Noah’s drunkenness and Moses’ stutter to Elijah’s deep depression, Rahab's prostitution, and Peter’s own volatile temper—proving that God consistently chooses the unqualified and qualifies them through grace. David powerfully notes the stark difference between the enemy and the Holy Spirit: the devil acts as the accuser who throws past, forgiven sins in our faces, whereas the Holy Spirit convicts us solely to draw us up closer to Christ. Comparing believers to distinct, hand-chosen building stones rather than mass-produced bricks, David concludes with a passionate altar call. He reminds the congregation that Jesus did not just conquer the gates of Hades to save us by the skin of our teeth, but to completely smash the chains of past trauma, addiction, and shame, launching us into a victorious, abundant life.

Stand Firm

Continuing the series in Ephesians, Cathal Duffy delivers a realistic and encouraging message on the spiritual battles embedded in ordinary, everyday Christian living. Cathal addresses two common extremes – being completely obsessed with the enemy or dismissing spiritual warfare entirely – and calls believers to take the biblical reality seriously. Using the historical framework of World War II, he compares the cross to D-Day: the decisive, ultimate victory over Satan has already been won, even though fierce skirmishes continue until Christ returns in judgment. Believers live in the tension between the "now and the not yet," but they are never left without resources. Cathal breaks down the command to “be strong in the Lord,” explaining that this continual empowering is something God does to us as we draw close to Him. He walks through the pieces of the full armour of God – truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God – showing how they shield our minds and lives. Ultimately, the message concludes with an urgent call to persistent prayer, highlighting that while prayer is not listed as a weapon, it is given the greatest prominence as the ultimate expression of our dependence on God.

Staying Sane in a Chaotic World

In a world plagued by division and conflict, guest speaker Mark Horgan walks through Psalm 46 to show how believers can stay grounded. He breaks down the passage into three sections: the global and personal "earthquakes" that cause us to panic; the Holy Spirit’s internal "river" that provides supernatural peace regardless of our circumstances; and God's final justice over a rebellious world. Mark highlights the famous command, "Be still and know that I am God," clarifying that in context, this is a commanding decree for the raging nations to drop their weapons and surrender to the true King of Kings. Ultimately, the message is a comforting reminder that if God is sovereignly navigating human history, He is fully in control of the chaotic details of our individual lives.

The Other Side

In this missionary message, Alan Cousins takes the congregation on a journey through Mark 4 and 5, zeroing in on Jesus' unusual command to His disciples: "Let us go across to the other side". Alan explains that "the other side" meant the Decapolis – a pagan, historically hostile region that lay completely outside the comfort zone of a traditional Jewish rabbi. There, Jesus' absolute authority easily overcomes a legion of unclean spirits to completely restore one desperate, self-harming man. Alan contrasts the feeding of the 5,000 in Israel (where 12 baskets were gathered for the 12 tribes) with the feeding of the 4,000 in the Decapolis (where 7 baskets were gathered, representing the 7 historic pagan nations of Canaan). Drawing from his past years with the Africa Inland Mission (AIM), Alan shares the inspiring legacy of a missionary couple who spent 25 years planting churches across 7 unreached African people groups. The sermon concludes as a poignant reminder that Jesus loves "the other side," and that it only takes one changed life telling their story to cause an entire region to marvel at the mercy of God.

Abiding Under His Shadow

In this moving message, PJ Sexton explores the prophetic depths of Psalm 22, specifically the "Tola" worm—a creature that fastens itself to a tree to give life to its young. PJ beautifully connects this biology to the spiritual reality of abiding. Just as the baby worms find total safety and sustenance by remaining underneath their mother, PJ teaches that we find our true security when we "abide under the shadow of the Almighty". He reminds us that we are called to move beyond a "synthetic" faith and truly dwell in His presence, "eating and drinking" from the Word of God daily. Ultimately, the sermon is an invitation to rest. Because Christ climbed the tree of Calvary and declared "It is finished," we no longer have to struggle; we simply have to abide.