SeeChange Church

Seechange 24th May 2026, Foundations - Why We Pray by Busie Jones

This powerful message on Pentecost Sunday explores the transformative nature of prayer as a relational act rather than a religious ritual. Drawing from Luke 11:1-4, we discover that the disciples didn't ask Jesus to teach them how to perform miracles, but how to praybecause they recognized that prayer was the source of His authority and power. The Lord's Prayer becomes not just words to recite, but a framework for intimate communion with our Father. We're reminded that prayer isn't complicatedit's simply communicating with the One who loves us and cares deeply about our lives. The message beautifully unpacks each phrase of the Lord's Prayer, showing how 'Our Father' establishes relationship, 'hallowed be Your name' brings us into worship, 'Your kingdom come' aligns us with His mission, and 'give us our daily bread' acknowledges our dependence. Perhaps most profoundly, we're challenged to see ourselves like the remora fish that attaches to a sharksimply abiding in God's presence, going where He goes, protected and provided for without striving. When we pray, we become like charged power banks, filled with God's presence so that others can plug into us throughout the day and receive life. This is why a praying church cannot sit idleprayer connects us to God's heart for a hurting world and compels us to minister to one another out of the overflow of His love.

Why We Sing

This powerful exploration challenges us to reconsider what worship truly means in our daily lives. We often equate worship with singing on Sunday mornings, but Scripture reveals something far more profound: worship is actually our entire lifestyle of surrender to God. Drawing from Romans 12:1, we're reminded that offering our bodies as living sacrifices is our 'true and proper worship.' The message takes us on a journey through the Old Testament, particularly focusing on David's Tabernacle where 288 musicians worshipped God continuously for 33 years. Imagine that level of devotion! This wasn't just religious duty; it was ministering to the heart of God Himself. The Book of Psalms emerged from this extended time in God's presence, giving us a manual for worship that transcends mere singing. We learn that singing leads us to praise, praise leads us to worship, and worship ushers us into God's presence. When we gather and sing together, we're not just going through motions; we're releasing life into the atmosphere, unifying around our shared faith, and responding to the reality that Jesus promised: 'Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.' Our corporate singing becomes a powerful declaration that transforms both the singer and the atmosphere, bringing heaven's reality into our earthly gathering.

The Power of Encouragement

This powerful message reminds us that our words carry extraordinary weight in both the physical and spiritual realms. Drawing from Proverbs 18:21 and James 3, we're confronted with a sobering truth: the tongue holds the power of life and death. Like a tiny spark that can set an entire forest ablaze, our words can either build up or tear down, heal or wound, encourage or crush. The message uses vivid illustrationsfrom the impossibility of putting toothpaste back in the tube to the image of a Jedi Knight grabbing our tongueto show us that once words are spoken, they cannot be taken back. We're challenged to recognize that as believers, we have the Holy Spirit as our guide, ready to help us speak words that reflect God's love, grace, and truth. The agricultural principle that we reap what we sow applies directly to our speech: if we want to receive encouragement, kindness, and blessing, we must first plant those seeds in the lives of others. This teaching calls us to daily discipline, asking God to guard our mouths and transform our hearts so that our words become instruments of healing and transformation rather than destruction.

Testimonies - Nat Larkin and Lye Chan Long

Testimonies from our people about God in their life. These powerful testimonies take us on a journey from seeking validation in all the wrong places to discovering our unshakeable identity in Christ. At its core, we're reminded of three transformative biblical truths: we are accepted in Christ, secure in Christ, and significant in Christ. These aren't just comforting wordsthey're foundational realities that anchor us when anxiety, self-doubt, and the constant pressure to perform threaten to overwhelm us. The message challenges our tendency to live self-directed lives while claiming to trust God, using the vivid imagery of trying to grab the steering wheel while Jesus is driving. We're confronted with the uncomfortable truth that God often calls us into spaces where we feel unqualified, uncertain, and stretched beyond our comfort zonesnot to watch us fail, but to teach us radical dependence on Him. Drawing from Galatians 1:10, we're asked a piercing question: are we trying to please people or God? The testimony of Moses, David, and Peter reminds us that God doesn't call the confident or the qualifiedHe calls the willing. When we stop striving for temporary validation from the world and root ourselves in what God says about us, everything shifts. We discover that obedience doesn't require certainty, just trust. These messages invite us to examine where we're still holding back from full surrender, where we're leaning over to take control of the wheel, and challenges us to step into the uncomfortable places where real spiritual growth happens.

Follow Me - The Reqard of Following

What if the very question we're afraid to ask is the one we most need answered? This exploration tackles the uncomfortable tension between the cost of discipleship and the reward of following Jesus. Drawing from Matthew 19, we encounter Peter's audacious question: 'What do we get for following you?' It's a question that might make us squirm, yet it reveals something profoundly human about our journey with Christ. The rich young ruler serves as a cautionary tale, someone who saw the reward of eternal life but couldn't let go of earthly possessions to embrace relationship with the Rewarder himself. This message challenges our cynicism and guilt around discussing spiritual rewards by reminding us that talking about what we receive is actually talking about Jesus himself. When we speak of forgiveness, righteousness, peace, transformation, and the indwelling Holy Spirit, we're not being selfish; we're giving glory to the One who makes it all possible. The Greek word 'kalhamai' captures this beautifully: to boast in the Lord is to testify about what He has done. We're invited to recognize that following Jesus doesn't eliminate life's storms, but it fundamentally changes our foundation. Building our house on the rock means we still get wet, but we don't get swept away. The reward isn't a treat dangling before us; it's the intimate, transformative relationship with Christ that reshapes everything we are and everything we carry.