Talks

Michael spoke brilliantly on Sunday about the beautiful gift of the Holy Spirit.  On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.  Michael was inspiring and encouraging.

On Sunday morning Jools continued our “Rooted” Series and spoke about “Practising the Way of Scripture”.  He explained that the Bible is not just one book but actually a collection of 66 books written over around 1,500 years by many authors, but all of it breathed by God. He removed some of the myths that exist about the bible and reminded us that the Bible is one of the primary ways that we can hear directly from God as well as understanding His Way of living.
He spoke about his own personal experience of seeing himself in the words of Psalm 40.  Encouraging us to allow the Bible to read us, as well as us reading the Bible.
“He said sometimes one verse lived is more transformational than 100 verses memorised!”
He finished by explaining how we can use an ancient method of reading the Bible to draw close to God.
Lectio Divina:
Read just one verse aloud, several times.
Meditate – chew it over and think around it.
Respond – Ask God the question: What do you want me to do with this God?
Resting—Wait patiently and trust God.

Sunday was “Fostering Sunday” in Ashwood and we had a special Guest Speaker – Zoe Bell! (Zoe is part of Ashwood but also works for 100 Homes in Nottingham).

Zoe spoke to us from 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 – “We are all like broken jars of clay”.  She talked about the Japanese art of Kintsugi.  Where pots and vases are repaired using liquid gold – so the cracks become a beautiful feature as well as restoring the pot/vase to usable condition once more.

God does something similar with people lives and turns our brokenness into something beautiful too if we allow Him.  This concept is expressed also in the Hebrew word: “Shalom” which is often translated as “Peace” in the bible, which is true, but there is so much more depth to the meaning.  It also means:

- Wholeness/Completeness
- Reconciliation
- Well-being and Safety
- Active restoration
- Prophetic Hope

Zoe encouraged us to “Be OK with being a fragile pot”.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses… For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

As a church we are a supported of 100 Homes but more than that we want to help to play a part in bringing “Shalom” to the Fostering System which is currently broken itself.  If you’d like to find out more about how you could personally be involved you can!

Bec Goody encouraged us to see prayer as more than just asking God for things; she described it as learning to be with God so that we become more like Him and partner with Him in the world. (John Mark Comer)

Bec said Jesus prioritised prayer, often withdrawing to spend time with the Father, and reminded us that there is no “perfect” way to pray — the important thing is showing up consistently.
She spoke about four aspects of prayer:

Talking to God
Talking with God
Listening to God, and simply
Being with God.
Bec encouraged us to pray boldly, to bring our honest emotions and laments before God, and to trust that our prayers matter. She also explained that God speaks through the Bible, Circumstances, Desires, and the Prophetic. Finally, Bec challenged us to intentionally spend time with Jesus each day and practice being with God in everyday moments.

Matt started a new series in line with our theme for the year. Having talked about what it means to be PLANTED we’re now looking at how we should be ROOTED. Trees get their strength not from their height, their branches or even their fruit but from their roots.  Healthy Roots = Healthy (and resilient) Trees.
A key verse for this series: “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.  Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him.” (Colossians 2 verse 6)
What does it mean for us to have deep roots in Jesus? That’s the question we aim to answer in this series.
Jesus talked to His disciples using a metaphor of a farmer who grafts branches onto a vine.  He explained (John 15) that He is the Vine and His disciples (now us) are like branches.  The source of our strength and everything we need is Jesus, (The vine)  we need to become fully dependent on Him.  So, “How do we remain connected to the vine?” That’s the other part we aim to answer in this series…. Join us on Sunday for the next part.

Matt finished our Worshipping Church Series with a summary of all that has gone before…..
We are all created as worshippers—it’s not whether we worship, but who or what we worship. The Bible authors warn against idols, anything that replaces God, because otherwise we either waste our lives or harm ourselves.
True worship is more than just music alone; it is whole-life worship. As Paul teaches, our everyday lives can become acts of worship when offered to God.
Jesus explained to the woman at the well that the Father seeks worshippers who worship in Spirit and truth: sincere, humble, and possible through a personal relationship with Father God Himself.
Worship is also a weapon! We’re in a battle and our worship can become part of our response to the devil and his schemes.
Heaven’s worship is going on right now… and the book of Revelation unveils a glimpse of what we will one day experience…. Everyone and everything bowing before the throne of God!
Anointed for Worship
In the Old Testament – people were anointed with oil as a symbol of God’s favour and presence on their lives, often for a specific task. (King, Priests and Prophets)
Today, all Jesus Followers are anointed by the Holy Spirit!  Set apart and empowered—to worship God fully.
On Sunday we prayed for our Amazing Worship Team – we recognised the anointing already on them and asked for more! Set apart to lead us into God’s presence. 
Finally we prayed for ourselves, that we would have fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit with greater freedom and creative expression to worship Jesus everyday of our lives including the special times when we are together!

On Sunday we had a special guest speaker!  Alex Stibbard (Anchor Point Church and also Betel Nottingham) spoke in the fifth part of our “Worshipping Church” series, on the “Worship of heaven.” Referring to the imagery that is seen in Revelation chapter 5. Here the author (John) describes a picture of unceasing, awe-filled worship centred entirely on Jesus who is “the lamb” —where countless voices declare His holiness, worth, and glory.
Alex reminded us that God always had a plan, and still has a plan today.  Jesus (who has a number of different names – the Lion of Judah and the ancestor of King David) is still on the throne today, and the worship of heaven is not just forward looking but also today.  He reminded us of the superiority, power and worth of Jesus – the reason that all of heaven worships Jesus – at the centre at it all, who has conquered the death.
Alex shared some of his personal and vulnerable stories from his own experience, with encouragement and application for us too.

In the fourth part of “Worshipping Church” series, Jools Bingham talked about “Worship and Warfare” emphasising that the Christian life involves a real spiritual battle. The Bible authors make it clear that the devil is real and active, seeking to undermine and destroy, and that our struggle is not merely physical but spiritual.
In this context, worship becomes a powerful weapon. Rather than focusing on fear or opposition, we are called to fix our eyes on God, even in uncertainty. The phrase, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you,” (2 Chronicle 20) captures this posture of our trust (and our worship) in Him.
Jools shared some personal stories where he could see the ongoing spiritual battles in his day-to-day life. He also told 2 stories from the Old Testament where King Jehoshaphat and Joshua both led the people of Israel into physical battles.  On both occasions, God told them to send the worshippers out at the front.  It wasn’t a prescriptive formula for every battle, but a reminder for us, that in our lives, our praise and worship can be a powerful weapon again the spiritual forces in our world and active around us.
Jools encouraged us to wholehearted devotion—living faithfully and doing what is right before God. Like positioning a ship in battle, our posture should be we stand firm, recognise that our worship is powerful, and engage effectively in spiritual warfare.

Matt’s Message on Easter Sunday was based on: “The 3 Greatest Days!”
DAY 1 : Good Friday (or Holy Friday) : Jesus, the Lamb of God, was betrayed, abandoned, unjustly tried, tortured and crucified. He fully entered into human suffering, carried our sin, and died in our place so we could be forgiven and restored to God.
DAY 2: Easter Sunday (or Resurrection Sunday) : Jesus truly rose from the dead! Look at the evidence: The empty tomb, Eyewitness accounts (+500) and transformed disciples confirm the resurrection was a real and historic even!  Death was defeated, hope restored, and new life made possible AND we can believe every other word that Jesus spoke was true!
DAY 3: The day we personally realise that the other 3 days were because of us! Good Friday and Easter aren’t just history — they’re personal. Jesus gave His life because He believed you were worth it.
If you responded for the first time to Jesus, or would like to find out more, please speak to someone! We would love to help you in your journey of faith and following Jesus.

This week Bob Goody explored Jesus’ powerful words in John 4, where He explains that worship is not something tied to a geographical place but as something deeply rooted in relationship. True worshipers, Jesus says, worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. It is not about performance or routine, but about a heart that is fully present and engaged with Father God. Whether in corporate worship or in everyday life, worship is a genuine response to who God is.
We also reflected on how we can worship God in every season, not just when life feels easy. Anchored in the truth that God is faithful, good, and unchanging, even when our circumstances are not good. Like Paul and Silas worshipping in prison, they made a choice to still praise God even despite their circumstances.  The challenge for us all is this: to become the “true worshippers”, as Jesus described. Understanding more about the truth of who God is, and bringing our full selves to Him when we gather together and in all the circumstances of our lives.