Talks

This Sunday – it is great to have a guest speak with us.  Mark Hopkins from Kings Church Arnold (a Ground Level Network Church) speaks to us about “Salvation”.  Which simply means to be “saved” – a term we often use within church environments to describe how God saves us.  Mark highlights to us that in its broadest terms “Salvation” means much more!
He uses the words from Psalm 103, originally written by King David, to describe the wider benefits from God that we can now experience.  He points out that sometimes we can “feel” the benefits and sometimes it’s more about the position of truth. For example, God Forgives us – whether we “feel” it or not.  It’s based on what is true – not how we feel.

“Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.”.

He ussd the analogy of a theme park at Disney! It looks incredible from the outside, but inside it is even far more amazing!  His question for us:
Are we still on the outside deciding whether we want to benefit from God’s salvation?
Are we enjoying everything that God has for us inside the theme park?  OR
Have we got stuck at the ticket office unaware that there’s so much more for us?

In the fifth part of our HOME series, Gill speaks about the older brother in the story of the prodigal son from Luke chapter 15.

God wants to make His home in our hearts, but sometimes our heart is not the best dwelling place.

One of the stories that Jesus tells the Pharisees in response to their anger that Jesus welcomes “sinners” at his table is usually titled “The Prodigal Son”, sometimes “The Loving Father”, but it could just as well be called “The Two Sons”.
The focus of the story is often on the son who walks away and is welcomed back again, just like the “sinners” Jesus shares a meal with. But Jesus is also talking about the older son (the Pharisees) who has been in the father’s presence all along, yet couldn’t see the father’s love for him and couldn’t grasp the riches available to him at his father’s home.
This is where Jesus’ story ends. Just like the Pharisees, we are left to imagine how the relationship between the father and the older son continues.
All of us could be either one of these sons or at different times in life even both. Are we lost and need to return? Or have we been in the house of God all the while and are pointing fingers at the “sinners”?

Lent, the time of preparation for Easter is a good time to prepare our hearts to be a good home for God our Father to live in and to allow Him to do some sorting and cleaning. God doesn’t want us to receive this in a condemning way, but an opportunity to change from one degree of glory to the next. In that sense, Gill challenges us to ask ourselves: “Have I wasted God’s riches?” -  “Am I blinded to see his riches in my life?”

God our Father was wastefully extravagant (“prodigal” according to the dictionary) when He gave EVERYTHING to us (including His own beloved Son) so we could find a way home.

In the fourth part of our HOME series, Paul speaks about Isaiah 54:1-10. God wants to lead us from a place of shame into a place of freedom, from a place of disappointment to a place of fulfillment, from a place of lack to a place of abundance, from a place of grief to a place of joy. Paul lists examples in the bible where God turns situations around to underline that it could only have been HIM. It puts us in a place of humility as it is clear that it wasn’t our doing, we are dependent on our Father God. He gets the glory and as it says in Romans 8:22-25: the waiting enlarges us!
Paul shares some of his family’s current personal story with fostering.  They are about to move to a bigger HOME to welcome more foster children, and as a church, we are preparing for a New HOME for Ashwood for our growing church family. Paul explains that as well as moving to a bigger physical HOME – He heard God saying that He also wanted to enlarge his emotional capacity too - to have a greater capacity to care for people.  We probably all need that too!
We believe that God has invited us to think big. Without the invitation, it would be madness to attempt something we are not equipped to do, it’s a step of faith that precedes the miracle. It is an opportunity for us to partner with God! “Stretch the cords wide and drive the tent pegs deep”. We need to be anchored deeply in God. That’s where strength comes from! We prayed that God would expand our capacity for compassion, kindness and love.  Please do it, Lord! Amen!

Matt also shares an update on the New Home for Ashwood Project and reminds us of the ways we can support this:
PRAYER
1. Monthly Onsite Pray Gathering (see under “prayer” in weekly emails for dates) 
2. “Fasting Thursdays” 
3. Daily Prayer Prompt: @20:24 (Leviticus 20:24) and
4. Praying our Declaration Prayer.
ACTION
An invitation for anyone on Sunday 17th March to come after the meeting to share your thoughts about the new building.
If you feel you have any relevant experience / skills that could be useful during the project Email nhfa@ashwoodchurch.org.uk. (To create a directory of potential. We may not need to take up every offer of help)
Join with those people who give regularly.

In the third part of our HOME series Helen speaks about the prodigals coming home. Based on the famous story that Jesus told – about the Prodigal Son in Luke Chapter 15.

The dictionary defines prodigal as “wastefully extravagant”. In that sense we are probably all prodigals in a certain degree. We live in a “very wasteful” culture.
Traditionally as Christians we often understand the word “prodigal” as somebody who has known God and walked away. Both of these descriptions are true for the prodigal son described in the gospel of Luke.

Helen highlights 3 points:
1) We need to let go of false guilt if we feel we are responsible for causing a prodigal to “walk away”. Some prodigals might be our own children.  As parents we can only do our best, but everybody has to take responsibility for making their own decisions themselves. 
2) We need to share each other’s burdens. God comes alongside us and puts others alongside us in our pain. (That is part of the “oneanothering” Gill was talking about a few weeks back.) Sometimes as we go through a difficult time we are better able to empathise with people who are in a similar situation.
3) We need to get our home ready for the return of the prodigals. This could be true for both our family home and our church home. Rob Parsons talks about always “leaving the light on” – a symbol of letting the prodigals know they will always be welcome.  When the father’s house is filled with the father’s love, the prodigals CAN come home. This involves everybody in the church.

Let’s continue to pray for the prodigals.
To see the full talk, go to: https://fb.watch/uJhp8-tExR/

In the second part of our series “home” Bob Goody speaks about three things based on Ephesians 3:14-21:

1) Finding our Place: “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may make his home in your hearts through faith.”  Our place (and posture) is to be humble on our knees, so that Jesus can make His home in us.
2) Finding our Purpose: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Rooted: Tree roots have the purpose to water the tree and to hold it steady in the weather. If we are rooted in God, we are nourished and receive strength from God.
3) Finding our Praise: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”
It is His power that is at work, not ours. It is Him who changes hearts and minds! So many reasons to praise!

Matt shares with us part 1 of our Vision Series on HOME.
 
We look at one of the verses that is key to our Vision for 2024.  John 14 verse 23: Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”
The incredible reality that Jesus was explaining to his disciples is that Father God and Jesus want to come and live and dwell and reside or make their HOME in their hearts of every follower of Jesus!  That includes me and you!  If you want to know the address of God our Father and Jesus – (if this verse is true) it is located in me and you!  Wow! 
 
Matt had 3 things he wants us to take away with us:

1) Father’s Home John 14 vs 2 – is often thought to refer to Heaven – Jesus says “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.” But many bible scholars, believe that Jesus was actually saying that God has a place for everyone!  Room enough in the heart of God for every single person.
2) “In the Father” – Throughout John Chapter 14 Jesus constantly refers to the intimate relationship and connection that He and the Father enjoy.  He says:  If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the father.  We are one!  I am in Him and He is in me!  But then the incredible part is that He adds a 3rd dimension and says that His Disciples are also “in Him” and therefore can experience the same intimate relationship that Jesus has with His Father.  Our goal is to remain / abide and make our HOME in Jesus!  We can do this everyday – by bringing God to the forefront of our thoughts.  How can we allow Jesus to take even more residence in us, as we remain in Him in 2024?
3) A Gift from Jesus – In the final part of Chapter 14 – Jesus tells his disciples He has a gift for them.  He knows that they will need it!  His gift is peace.  This offer is still available to us today!  Amidst the mental and physical struggles we might face – how can we receive the gift of God’s peace (or wellbeing and wholeness) today?
 
Why not read the whole of John Chapter 14 again (and Chapter 15 too – if you have extra time!) and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you again?
Please refer to our facebook page to find the preach of 11th Feb. 2024
To see the full talk, go to: https://fb.watch/uJhxKC8kYV/

After three very honest freedom stories, Gill reminds to us why we believe baptism is an important part of our journey as a follower of Jesus.

The word “baptism” means “immersion”. It is not just the physical act of being immersed in water but we are also immersed in God, and God immersed in us as well.
The act of being immersed in water represents what has taken place in the cleansing of our old sinful life and the declaration that we are “all in” with God.  In baptism we’re saying that we’re yielding to God, that we’re letting go of everything that could hold us back from God’s best for us.

However God also immerses us: He heals and He seals. As the water surrounds physically, so God surrounds us. Baptism doesn’t mean that we are perfect from that moment onwards, we still make mistakes and sin, but we’re declaring our intention to live the way that God intended.  We will always still need all the Love and Grace He gives out freely. It is not adult baptism, but “believers baptism”: Which means that we believe the criteria for being baptised is less about age, but more about when we’re able to understand the steps we’re taking.

Harrison’s shares his story, with great vulnerability, before making his public declaration of faith.

This is “Vision Sunday!” Matt shares the heart of our vision or theme for 2024. It’s always exciting to hear what we will be focusing on in the year to come.
Every year’s new vision is embedded in our overall vision to be “A spiritually healthy and growing church for all ages” and our overall Mission to “Help people find and follow Jesus”.
Matt introduces the vision for 2024 with the quote: “At the core of every human heart there is an aching and a longing for …….  HOME”. Whatever our experience of home has been, our longing for home is always the same: a place of shelter, safety, refuge, welcome, belonging, restoration and the freedom to be.
5 important scriptures that help us think about the Vision of Home:
John 14:23 - My Father will love them, and we will come and make our HOME with each of them.
Ephesians 3: 14-17 - Then Christ will make his HOME in your hearts as you trust in him.
Luke 15:20 - The father welcomes the prodigal HOME: But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Isaiah 54:2 - Enlarge your house, build an addition, spread out your HOME, spare no expense. We believe God wants our church family to grow, but also to grow our own capacity for compassion and kindness towards people.
Revelation 21:1-4 - Ultimately we are all looking forward to a NEW HOME with God.  “Look, God’s HOME is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.”
Matt’s message is like this was the “trailer” and the movie will follow in 2024! But Matt highlights the importance, especially in regards to enlarging our ASHWOOD HOME physically: The leadership team are encouraging everyone who considers themselves to be part of the Ashwood Church family to commit to praying for new home for Ashwood on a regular basis. Inviting people to join us in different ways. (See Ashwood News) Monthly prayer meetings on site, pray and fast on a Thursdays and set our alarm on 20:24 each night praying a declaration prayer:
God our Father, we give you thanks and praise for all that you’ve done in our past and thank you for your faithfulness to us over many years. We believe that you’ve called us to be a healthy growing church for all ages. We believe that you have good plans and purposes for our future.
We believe you have said “Enlarge the place of your dwelling” and it’s time to Plan for Growth. We pray that you will make it possible for us to acquire the land next door, to help with our growing church family. Thank you in advance for providing all the provision we need! Lord increase our faith for this project – we believe you can do it!
Will you join in and believe for a breakthrough in 2024?

Gill finishes our mini-series this week, explaining that we should never travel on the Great Adventure alone.  Jesus always intended it to be a “together” journey!  And we agree!
Gill reminds us of Jesus’ “Great adventure” – which ultimately took him to the cross. The ultimate example of sacrificial living for His Disciples to follow.
Jesus is our greatest role model – he often talked about His “togetherness” with the Father - John 17:21 says “I pray that they will be one just as you and I are one….they will be in us, so world will believe God has sent them”
In the same way, we desire the same togetherness with the Father, but also with one another.  It will even be a sign, that God has sent us!  Amazing!

Another word for “together” is unity.  Gill encourages us that she believes as a church we have a strong sense of unity - but we need to keep pressing into it more and more. Then she introduces us to her new word: ‘Oneanothering’!
The new testament uses the phrase ‘one another’ over 100 times - Gill refers to many of them! She encourages us to be deliberate in putting one another first, thinking of others before ourselves and serving one another sacrificially.

Ashwood LifeGroups are the perfect place for ‘oneanothering’, as well as Café 22, The Gathering, Women’s Gathering and Men’s Gathering too.

Gill finishes by reading to us from 1 Corinthians 12. A reminder of Paul’s image of the church as a body.  Every part different, but every part vital – the same with all of us.  Every part is dependent on the others.
Because we were made for relationships, when they go wrong, sadly, churches can be a place of offence, hurt and upset She also encourages anyone who has previously been hurt through a church to receive prayer. When we hurt together, we can heal together!

Matt follows on from last week’s talk, introducing the idea that “Following Jesus” is the greatest adventure of all! How can we experience it?
By being with Jesus! - Matt remembers a teaching series “Covered in the Dust” where we explored what it means to be as close to Jesus as a student was to their Rabbi. Matt encourages us to check out many online apps that help us follow a rhythm to spend time with Jesus in prayer and in the bible each day.
By becoming like Jesus! - Gentle - Humble - Compassionate - Kind - Focused - Present - Surrendered: what a challenge!
By behaving like Jesus! - Pete Greig says: I’m less interested in adding to my resume than in becoming a bit more like Jesus. Increasingly I’m drawn to those who are more committed to kindness than correctness, gentleness than power, humility instead of all those other, more obvious kinds of success.
Jesus is inviting us to go on this adventurous journey together with Him:
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Jesus Matthew 11 Message Paraphrase