What does it look like to live wisely? Proverbs 10 gives some practical ways. Living wisely is being teachable, speaking words that nourish, working wisely, being faithful where God has planted us and trusting God with both the outcome and the timing of that outcome.

The sermon, based on 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, emphasizes the transformative power of the resurrection. It explains that believers will receive new, imperishable bodies, which should radically alter their lives and provide assurance of eternal life. The sermon outlines six key points: the fact of the resurrection, its centrality, the consequences of wrong beliefs, the nature of the resurrection body, the moment of resurrection, and the conclusion and application. It stresses the importance of understanding the resurrection for Christian living and assurance, urging believers to remain steadfast and fully committed to their faith.

coming soon

In the city of Corinth the Christians had created issues of status in their church - Paul is writing to correct them. In Roman culture, the metaphor of the body was used to reinforce tiers of status in Roman society. But Paul uses this metaphor to remind Christians of their interdependence - in our diversity we are all part of one body. Being parts, we are all needed, whatever our gifts - no unneeded spare parts. But we are not all the same part - our diversity is an invitation to interdependence, valuing one another. And we all have a part to play, whether in the grace of giving, leading worship, visiting, or any of the many roles in the church.

Last week was about sending; this week is how to be sent.
Jesus gave the most important commandments: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself. We have to adore God so much that we would do anything for him. And the second part, loving our neighbour, is a particular focus this morning. We are commanded to love our neighbour because God loves us, and loves our neighbour.
We need three things: a teapot, representing relational contacts with those around us; a big porch, representing a place where people can shelter and experience God's love and the fruits of the Spirit in others; and the cross, the only source of the costly love that we need to share.

Jesus, the perfect image of God, the perfect blessing to the nations, describes himself as the one sent by the Father, but the culmination of this is that he is the sender. Jesus sends us as the Father sent him; the cross is the unavoidable cost of mission, the means by which God defeats evil; and Jesus empowers us with the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation.
So what does this mean for tomorrow? Jesus sends us into our daily work as mission, which transforms our view of our work. Our work can be seen as bringing order out of chaos, reflecting God's work in creation. The mission of God is the bridge that spans the gap between the curse of Genesis and the glory of Revelation.
We know who we are by the stories we tell ourselves. And this is the story, the one that shapes everything we do, that Jesus is reconciling everything to himself by his blood shed on the cross, and all our purpose and meaning comes from that.

God is a sending God and we are a sent people.
Jesus' last words are comissioning and sending his disciples, and we are part of that sending.
Mission is where we learn the formational ways of Jesus and we experience the transformation of Jesus. Jesus' training of his disciples is on-the-job, but even after three years with him they make mistakes - they are fearful, feeling unprepared. But into this he speaks peace and sends them.
Mission involves vulnerability, not going in our own strength, but sent to where the Holy Spirit is already at work.
We are a sent and scattered people. God gives peace and purpose as he sends us.

Hope in this passage is not wishful thinking - this hope is a confident expectation of the fulfilment of the promises of God. And one of those promises is the revealing of the children of God - we are adopted as God's children, and we and all creation groan as we await the revealing. And there is suffering, which builds up our hope, refines us. But nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Since I am born again, I live a transformed life. Being born again means Jesus has transformed our citizenship, our hope, our purpose and our story.

Easter Sunday - Times of waiting can be painful and we may not recognise Jesus in our lives, but he comes to us gently and breathes his new life into us.

Peter was under pressure due to his proximity to Jesus, and denies Jesus. Pilate was under pressure due to his clarity about Jesus, and calculates a way out. But Barabbas shows us our hope - John 18 points us to Jesus, the substitute for our failures. Jesus stands where we should stand.

The metaphor of the true vine and its branches, given by Jesus after the last supper, has three parts: a lasting union, an assured identity and a God-given purpose. As we live out being a branch, we keep the Word of God always with us, we get pruned in order to bear fruit and we ask for anything in Jesus' name.

John's Gospel records Jesus using the Greek word paraclete four times, translated into English differently depending on the Bible version, e.g. Advocate, Helper, Comforter, Intercessor, Counsellor, Strengthener. Perhaps the best word for our experience of the Holy Spirit is Friend, and we better understand the other translations when seen through the lens of a close friend. We learn that the Holy Spirit is "another friend", the same as Jesus; that he is our "forever friend" - always with us; and that he is our closest friend - so close he is even within us. So what is your experience of the Holy Spirit right now? We can ask for a fresh filling with our Friend today.

In this passage we read of the power hungry poacher (v1-10) and the cowardly caretaker (v11-21), contrasted with Jesus the good shepherd who lays down his life and comes so that his sheep (us) may have abundant life. In a world full of insecurity only Jesus offers true security - we must grow in trusting him, continually turning back to him. We follow the only one who will not let us down.

In this passage we see division between those who could see and those who could not, but maybe thought they could. Jesus came as the light in the darkness, fulfilling the prophecies from years before, inviting people to see. And we are invited to cross the dividing line to where God is leading.

We need living water because other ways we try to get satisfaction do not satisfy. The living water from Jesus is the life-giving and fully satisfying Holy Spirit, God's presence within us. It is never earned, only received, through God's grace - we thirst for it and drink deep from it.

John's gospel uses the verb for believing many times and yet the noun for faith not once - John wants us to believe actively, to have Jesus affect how we live our daily life. Jesus had three types of response to his challenging words: the crowd that followed just to get what they wanted and then left; those disciples that left, finding the teaching too hard; and the disciples that stayed, all-in, with active faith, Jesus at the centre of all they do. We can be all three of those. So where am I and what am I going to do about it?

In this familiar story of the water changed into wine, John the gospel writer points us back to "on the third day" when the old covenant was given (Exodus 19). There at the foot of the mountain God gave his people his words; at the Cana wedding Jesus, introduced as the Word of God, was there. And in Hosea the people are called back to God, to be raised "on the third day". At the Cana wedding Jesus' response to his mother points forward to the wedding where He will be the groom to his bride, the church. John records that the disciples understood and believed in Jesus. Do we really get Jesus?

Two encouraging aspects of Christian prayer: First, it's God who gives us the confidence to approach him. We approach with awe of a great and loving parent. Unconfessed sin can hinder us, but only specific sin - there is no unworthiness before God, who has made us worthy to talk with him. Second, God invites our prayers. God's Spirit in us causes us to call out in prayer and intercedes for us. We pray by the Spirit, through the Son, to the Father.

What do you seek this year? How are you going to go about it? Is this a year for meeting Jesus as you come close to his words, do his works and dwell with him?

We live in a dark world, but Jesus has punctured the darkness and made us children of light, with the power from him to be light in this dark world. Grace (undeserved favour and power for living) and truth (God's Word) are gifts given freely to us by Jesus Christ. And Jesus has promised to be with us, his presence enables us to cast out darkness.

God speaks into the long silence, and God's message is a person - Immanuel comes into our silence. Silence can be a gift, a place where God can come in - God has been with us all along, waiting for us to speak with him.

What are you waiting for? What are you hoping for? Are we allowing God to awaken us to the reality of his kingdom?

What am I devoted to? First, God is devoted to us. So how does believing in Christ change the way we live and what we devote ourselves to? Paul points to three things worthy of our devotion: Prayer - our invitation to communion with God himself; Sharing Christ with others; Showing care for one another.

Is the peace of Christ ruling in your heart? How much does the word of God guide your decisions? And what would it look like to see ourselves as carrying God's presence in the coming week and doing all things in the name of Jesus?

We are assured of forgiveness, however we look for growth as a Christian in the struggle of ongoing sin. In these verses Paul gives a list, but the aim is not behavioural modification but a new self, a new identity. We are to look up to the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrected Christ, seated in the place of honour. And we are raised with him. And we keep looking up to him.

Paul is sounding the alarm about the Colossians being deceived by new ideas about adding to the gospel. Certain practices, food, festivals, self-denial, forms of worship, were being promoted and blended into the church, but Paul exposes and calls them out. Paul brings them back to Jesus - we are made complete through him and he is the fullness of God, nothing extra needed, no "Jesus plus". So what do we listen to? Rules that are only shadows of reality? Jesus Christ himself is that reality.

We are rooted in Christ – that is a fact – so how then do we live? We are to allow Jesus to be Lord over all aspects of our lives. We are to build each other up so that we might all become mature in our faith. We are to overflow with thankfulness, both towards God and towards each other.

Jesus shows us God, as he is the image of the invisible God, and in his humanity he shows us ourselves. But what about the many ways in our culture that people seek to deal with their needs? For Christians it really is "all the eggs in one basket". Jesus is supreme. We belong to him, his name is written on our soul and we find peace when we acknowledge him. So are we as completely centred on Jesus, as he is the centre of all things? We have an invitation to be free from all accusation, dearly loved, and to grow into our identity and all the blessings that come with it.

Our identity is given by God, not others or even ourselves. This identity is a gift from God because he loves us, and that our activity is a response, shaped by our identity. So, whatever our activity, we are encouraged to work at it from a place of peace, security and understanding; being reminded of who God is and what he has done in our lives.

The climax of the story of Joseph is his reconciliation with his family - in this God shows us our future, being reconciled to God and each other and then being given His ministry of reconciliation.

Joseph had favour from God, even when his brothers put him in a pit, even when he was falsely accused and imprisoned. And God shaped him in the pit. When we find ourselves in a pit, none of the things we do to get out actually lead to life, but we have access to God's power through relationship with Him. God meets us in the pit, he forms us in the pit, but it's really easy to forget once we're out of the pit. Our church family is there to help us remember and to build us up in the Lord.

Joseph's story strengthens our confidence in God working out his purpose for us: Mess doesn't disqualify us from God's promises and purpose for our life - God breathes his promises into our mess; God provides for us on the journey - and may take us to places that change us for the better; God's purposes are greater and more magnificent than we can imagine - His idea of a happy ending is much happier than our idea.

This psalm, written for a festival, says that God reigns, for all people - he is the one to be trusted, rather than idols in whatever form.

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. With the Lord as the builder, our lives have a purpose. And he uses us in his building and gives us rest and the security of a community around us. What are we building? How can we live according to God's plans?

This psalm reminds us of being at rest in Christ. We are not the main character, God is. And we don't cling to him desperately out of fear, but come to him freely in faith and love, choosing to rely on him and trust him. Where do I find my rest? Where might my selfish ambition or insecure dependency need pruning?

These psalms touch on the topic of grief, for the community and ourselves. Grief hurts, and can feel like a lonely wilderness, but we need to grieve and acknowledge that all is not well. By sowing our tears like seeds we can grow in sharing, slowing down, letting go, and gain joy and freedom as we bring everything into God's presence. To bring healing to our grief we are to look to Jesus, who entered our wilderness and experienced grief, crying with us and for us. But our pain and loss is not the end of the story as the cross brings hope and confidence in the future, coming from his unfailing love.

We live in interesting times - so much change, unsettling, future uncertain, and we are pressured to doubt what we believe. This psalm is encouragement - God will keep his promises, keep going because God is in control, pray for God's peace that Jesus offers.

God is involved both in the masterplan for the world and in the details of our lives. We are not promised a cosy bubble without discomfort, but how can we more live as if God really is in charge and God is in the details?

How do I stay true to who I am? We lift our eyes to the Lord. Jesus names his followers as no longer servants but friends - we are brought into something good, to participate in his mission. Being followers of Jesus is central to our identity - we are sons and daughters, heirs.

This passage covers disagreements in the early church about how gentiles should follow the Jewish law. The message is that only grace gets us into heaven, whether Jew or gentile - we all need forgiveness at the cross. The solution found was to emphasise unity. Do we offer our problems, our life to God to keep Him at the centre? How are we living lives that reflect God's character to the nations? What are we willing to sacrifice in order to pursue unity in the church?

In Acts 8 through the actions of Philip speaking with the Ethiopian eunuch we see the Holy Spirit leading in unexpected ways and to unexpected people. What is our answer when the Spirit calls? Are we willing to be disturbed by the Spirit? Who are those we may assume don't want to hear the word of God by are actually hungry for it?

The story of Ananias and Sapphira is shocking, but you can't fake faith, you can't have the kingdom without the King. The message is always not just "don't lie to each other" but also "repent and believe".

We look at the early church - ordinary people, spirit filled, persecuted and scattered. They were prayerful, united and generous, bold and active. So what would it look like to follow their example in rhythms, resources and relationships?

With a special emphasis on Tearfund, we read stories of the early church and the contemporary church at work making the kingdom known in words and works, in the power of the Spirit through weakness, limitations and opposition.

Peter's sermon after the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples at Pentecost explains that Jesus told them in advance that God's power would come on them to equip them to share the good news with others. God is giving His presence to us as part of His plan, with Jesus at the Centre.

Continuing our series on Encounter and Transformation following the account by Luke, we look now at how the apostles were transformed by their encounter with the risen Lord Jesus. We see how to turn to a new life of doing things God's way, taking part in God's kingdom, and enter into God's rest.

We follow the disciples on the road to Emmaus as Jesus came alongside them and explained the scriptures concerning his death and resurrection, then back with the disciples in Jerusalem. Luke's account shows us that it happened, how Jesus declared peace and gave instructions for the global peace plan.

This Sunday we enter the final week of Jesus’ life, as he enters Jerusalem as a king. As we go through the week, following readings from Luke’s Gospel, let’s reflect on what type of king Jesus truly was. In times of disruption our best and only response is to depend on Jesus and worship Him.

How we respond in times of trouble - Consider Jesus

This week our focus is on humility vs self-exaltation. We also want to think about the subtle dangers of pride, and the difference between religion and true faith.

This week our focus is on the picture of the Kingdom of God being like a great banquet, to which all are invited to come and share at his table.

This week our focus is on the father-heart of God. In this chapter Luke records Jesus sharing three stories of things that were lost…and found.

This week our focus is on how this famous parable of Jesus reveals the heart of God for people who have been “beaten and bruised” by life and feel like they are in a vulnerable place.

This week our focus is on how Jesus welcomed and included women within his followers. In these two passages, Jesus raises a widow’s son and later is “anointed” by a woman who, Luke says, “had lived a sinful life”. Jesus shows love to these women and extends that love to us, and he calls us to share love with those around us.

This week our focus is on Jesus the Teacher, who called his disciples to follow him and who taught with authority. Jesus' teaching was to reveal who God is, what God is doing in our world, what it's like to be in God's kingdom and how that changes how we live.

This week our focus is on Jesus’ identification with those who were considered “outsiders” to the community of Israel: people who had leprosy and tax collectors.

This week our focus is on how Jesus came to bring healing and wholeness to people's lives. Note how Luke ties this ministry of Jesus into his announcement of the arrival of the kingdom of God (4:43). We should also take note of 5:17 when Luke says “the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.”

In this section, Jesus begins his ministry by visiting the local synagogue in Nazareth, where he would have grown up as a boy and young man. He reads from the Scroll of Isaiah (and in particular Isaiah 61:1-2)

The Gospel of Luke was written for a largely non-Jewish audience. The writer, Luke, was likely the same person who joined Paul on his second missionary journey (see Acts 16:10), and who became his companion until the end of his life (see 2 Tim. 4:11). Apart from being a physician, Luke was also a theologian and a historian, who wrote this gospel and the Book of Acts.
In his gospel, Luke is concerned to show how Jesus came as the saviour for the whole world. He gives special emphasis to themes like God’s concern for the poor, Jesus’ inclusion of the outsider and, in particular, women among his followers, as well as the role of the Spirit in the ministry of Jesus.
Up until the beginning of Lent (which starts on March 5th), we will be considering how Jesus came as the great Liberator, and we will look at some of the people who encountered him, and how this subsequently transformed their lives.
This week our focus is on how Jesus came and identified with us through his baptism by John, his reception of the Spirit and his temptation for 40 days in the wilderness.

In these passages, Jeremiah highlights that the coming “Branch” would be righteous, who would restore God’s justice and right ways among the people and in the land. When this happens, the people would, once again, experience “joy and gladness”. Throughout Scripture these two themes always appear together: when God reigns and restores justice among his people, the result is a restoration of joy. This recording is from the Carols by Candlelight evening gathering.

In these passages, Jeremiah highlights that the coming “Branch” would be righteous, who would restore God’s justice and right ways among the people and in the land. When this happens, the people would, once again, experience “joy and gladness”. Throughout Scripture these two themes always appear together: when God reigns and restores justice among his people, the result is a restoration of joy. This recording is from the morning gathering.

This week we’re thinking about the peace that comes through the appearance of “The Branch”. In this passage from Isaiah, the prophet pictures not just a branch, but a “shoot” growing out of the “stump of Jesse” (thinking about the promised king who would come from the line of David). This recording is from the evening reflective gathering.

This week we’re thinking about the peace that comes through the appearance of “The Branch”. In this passage from Isaiah, the prophet pictures not just a branch, but a “shoot” growing out of the “stump of Jesse” (thinking about the promised king who would come from the line of David). This recording is from the morning all-age nativity gathering.

This passage is entitled “A Promise of Restoration” in some Bibles. Isaiah the Prophet is promising that when “the Branch of the Lord” appears, it will be a beautiful and glorious thing. This is pointing forward ultimately to the coming of Jesus as our refuge and security. This was the hope of Israel and, during this season of Advent, we consider the HOPE that Jesus has brought to us.

Short talks and discussion about how families work for God's purposes.

Short talks unpacking the Gen Z culture, with questions and answers,

Talk and delegate comments on Christian values in Education

This week we’re thinking about another aspect of what it means to be All-In as a member of Central: that is committing to joining and participating in a community. The passage we’re considering this week is one that summarises how Nehemiah mobilised the people into small communities, who then got together to do their part in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Once finished they came to seek God’s will, to center their lives on him and to walk in his ways. In chapters 2-3, Nehemiah oversees the rebuilding of the walls, as he witnesses the people each doing their part in God’s mission. In these small communities they committed to listening to what God was saying to them, through Nehemiah, and then working together. As a church, we are committed to gathering together for worship and around hearing God speak to us through his word, and then being scattered as communities on mission. Through this rhythm, we believe God transforms us, and then extends this through us as his people.

This week we’re thinking about another aspect of what it means to be All-In as a member of Central: that is committing to serving God and one another. The chapter we’re reflecting on this week is at the start of the Book of Nehemiah. Nearly 450 years before Jesus, the people of Israel had returned to their land in the time of Ezra. They had restored their Temple and started to worship and serve God again. However, during this time, the people had failed to repair the walls of Jerusalem, were living “in great trouble and shame” (Neh. 1:3) and were struggling to protect themselves from their enemies and live faithfully for God. In this chapter we are introduced to a prominent Jewish man called Nehemiah who still lived back in the city of Susa in the Persian empire. God places a great burden on his heart to do something about this situation and his story is of how God used him to mobilise the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city, and hence to serve God by doing this together.

How to worship God in the workplace and include God in our workplace. (Re-recorded, no Q&A)

Short talks followed by questions and answers, led by three church members involved in politics and government, including what we can do.

In this chapter, David has just received plans from the Lord for the building of the Temple (see 1 Chron. 28:12). David’s son, Solomon, would eventually oversee the actual construction and witness God’s glory (or presence) descend and fill the place. But here we also learn some basic principles about giving based on the words and actions of David. After he outlines what he will give personally, we then see how the leaders act and, finally, the response of the rest of the people. Also, this week, we’ll be thinking about how to give, what we should give and why we should give towards supporting the work of God.

A celebration of 130 years since Morningside Baptist Church (now Central Church) was founded, with memories of members of the church, seeing God's faithfulness over the years.

We are considering, now, the second major event that happened to the people of Israel after they left Egypt – the giving of the Ten Commandments, and the instructions about the Tabernacle. These two events were to teach Israel the importance of centering their lives on God’s word (or his teaching/ instruction) and God’s presence in the midst of them. The Ten Commandments were a summary of what Israel referred to as the Torah, and the Tabernacle was a visual reminder to them of God’s holy presence among them and how they could draw near to God in worship. As followers of Jesus, we see the ultimate fulfillment of these in him.

This month we are turning our focus to Israel (the tribes and descendants of Jacob) and, in particular how God shaped them into being his holy people. We will look at three key incidents in their early years in which they encountered the LORD in dramatic ways, and how these helped to form them as God’s people, redeemed by him, centered on him and on a journey with him going before them. The first key moment is arguably the most significant in their history as they celebrate the Passover and then experience God delivering them from slavery in Egypt and bringing them through the Red Sea. These two events (much like the death and rising of Jesus for us) were foundational to who they were and how they, ever after, thought of themselves.

How Jacob was transformed through his developing relationship with the Lord, and specifically how he wrestled with God and received a new name and a new heart.

Families can be complex and broken, but God meets us in whatever family situation. God loves us; there will be a day when there is no more pain and suffering; God has adopted us into his family - the church.

In this section Jacob, now fleeing from his brother Esau, heads north to the region of the Arameans, around the city of Haran, where he would end up staying with his relative Laban (the brother of his mother, Rebekah) for the next 20 years. On the way, Jacob has his first encounter with the LORD at a place called Bethel, where God reveals himself to Jacob. The rest of these chapters record how Jacob’s family were born. Through this encounter with Yahweh, and what he experiences during the years in Laban’s household, God starts to transform Jacob.

In this section we are introduced to Jacob, along with his brother Esau and his father Isaac. As well as the dysfunctional family dynamics that are described in this story we are given glimpses, in particular, into the character of Jacob – a man who always seems to be grasping after things whatever the cost. The author is trying to show us how much Jacob needed to encounter the God of his father Abraham and, hopefully, experience transformation.

Paul wrote to Philemon about reconciliation, specifically with the runaway slave Onesimus, and gives reasons for the importance of reconciliation, which also apply to us. Is there a situation in which I could be a reconciler?

Phoebe was a deacon, the carrier and explainer of Paul's letter to the Romans. She gives us a model of how everyone has a part to play, whatever their back-story - what is our next step in what God is calling us to?

Paul's investing in Timothy illustrates a masterclass in discipling. Who should we be investing in? And how?

A beginner's guide to Barnabising - practical steps to being an encourager

Stephen was full of faith through the Holy Spirit (his foundation) and full of grace and power held in balance - humble authority and sacrificial discipleship. How much does following Jesus mean to me, and what does it look like to show grace and power in balance?

Priscilla was a teacher, mentor and co-worker with Paul, together with her husband Aquila - they worked as a team, risked their lives for the gospel. Is God calling me to mentor someone, lead a community or be a co-worker in the church?