Freedom: 3 of 3: Set free from death

Revelation 1:17-18 The other day I found myself staring at a gravestone inscribed with the words, ‘In loving memory. Taken from us on Friday 7th July 2045’. According to the calculations of the online Death Clock, I have just 11,077 days left. The headstone was mine. Sooner or later that day will indeed come. What hope is there?

Marks of the Spirit-filled church: 2 of 3: Jesus-focussed

John 16:5-15 The film Groundhog Day depicts someone who is trapped in a time loop. One reason the film is so popular is that it resonates with so many people’s experience. Each day follows the last, but what’s the point? We’re just trapped in this endless cycle, having to create our own sense of meaning and purpose. The film taps into a longing we have to be caught up in a grand and glorious story which is actually heading somewhere. Listen in as we consider Jesus’ teaching about where history’s heading, and how we can live purposeful lives.

Marks of the Spirit-filled church: 1 of 3: Unpopular

John 15:18-16:4 One-hit wonder Joan Osborne had a top-ten hit in the 90s with a song called “One of us”. The songs asks the question about what kind of reception we would expect God to get if he became one of us. What about if God were to reveal himself to one people in the world, and if he were to show them what life’s about and how to live and flourish in this world, how do we think the world would respond to those people? Our answer to these questions reveals a lot about our assumptions about humanity. Listen in to Jesus’ answers to these questions and what the implications are for our lives.

Freedom:‭ ‬1‭ ‬of‭ ‬3:‭ ‬Set free from sin‭

Revelation‭ ‬1:5-6‭ In his‭ ‬1941‭ ‬State of the Union address President Roosevelt famously proposed‭ ‬4‭ ‬fundamental freedoms that people everywhere in the world ought to enjoy:‭ ‬freedom of speech,‭ ‬of worship,‭ ‬from want,‭ ‬from fear.‭ ‬Freedom matters to us as people.‭ ‬But does it matter to God‭? ‬And if so,‭ ‬what is he doing about it‭?