Basingstoke Church

Because of the security of the hope and grace we have in Jesus, we can step out of things that we are still held to. God is inviting us in to being made holy - by being found fully in him, not by working harder but by allowing God to change us.

Hope is alive, real, and grounded in the resurrection. Even when life feels ordinary or faith doesn’t feel dramatic, hope is enough. This sets the foundation: you don’t need anything else to make faith meaningful.

We celebrate that Jesus is alive today, and He knows you by name.

Everyone is invited into the Kingdom, and the invite is to come as you are and receive the best from God, freely given, clothed in His righteousness.

Jesus gives you an invite, not an invoice. We don't have anything to add to his grace, as he's already done it. We can't buy a place in the kingdom, or earn or serve our way in, in fact it involves laying down everything. Jesus is calling us to ditch the idols and gods of this world instead trust in Him and his Kingdom only.

The great power that is given to us as we take the keys to the Kingdom is to be held with great humility as ones called to serve God. How we hold the keys to the Kingdom is as important as the power within them.

The pivotal passage of the whole series which shows the power and authority that is vested in Jesus is shared and given to the disciples –which includes us in Basingstoke in 2026. We hold the keys to the kingdom, and are invited to play our part in all God is doing here.

Jesus was performing miracles, healing and setting people free, but some failed to recognise where that power came from, and that freedom was only available by the Spirit of God. Jesus’ triumph over darkness happens as we unlock the power of the Kingdom here on earth.

Jesus invites us to respond to the truth of the Kingdom, not what we want it to be. Are we listening, are we letting his word take root in our lives? Are we open to the challenge that comes when we live fully for the upside-down, unexpected Kingdom

Mustard Seed: In the Kingdom of God, even the small things you might offer and the seeds of prayer and good news that you plant can make a huge impact

The Kingdom is growing, it’s advancing and the world is standing forcefully against it. Jesus is telling us that this won’t be easy, there’s a battle ahead and not everyone will see and hear the good news and join in. But as Jesus says ‘wisdom is proved right by its deeds’ so we too, as we stick with it and join in the work of the Kingdom, will see the Kingdom come in power.

Jesus sends the disciples out, a bunch of ordinary people whom he has called, with huge power and authority that is gained from, and demonstrates, the Kingdom that is here. They are called to declare it and to show it, and we have that same power now.

When we have the keys to the Kingdom it produces good fruit in our lives. Being religious, just coming to church doesn’t mean anything until we unlock the goodness of God and see it flow in our lives.

If our ambition is for worldly things, then the concern and worry over those will consume our first thoughts and stop us from living in the fullness of what God has for us in the Kingdom. So Jesus calls people into seeking first the Kingdom, then getting to everything else afterwards! When we reorder our priorities we are given the key of freedom and provision!

Kingdom culture is one that is paradoxical in relation to the world’s power, so as we enter into the Kingdom, Matthew 5: 1-12 explores the ways we are to be as citizens and holders of the keys that wield great power.

Here we see the announcement, the heralding of something new that is to be unpacked over the coming chapters; namely the Kingdom. Here its key markers are a call for a decisive response in repentance, the call to follow Jesus, and the breakthrough of healing (wholeness/completion/salvation).

The journey ends in God’s dwelling among His people. When Solomon dedicates the temple, the cloud fills it; a picture of God’s permanent dwelling. Revelation shows the ultimate fulfilment: 'Now the dwelling of God is with men.' The goal of following the cloud is not endless movement but eternal communion.

In 1 Samuel, Israel carries the ark into battle, assuming God will go with them, but His presence is not a tool to be used. True power comes from relationship, not ritual. A reminder always to do everything moving with God’s presence.

The presence of God moves toward the Jordan, and the people must follow into the unknown. Faith requires stepping into the waters before they part.

God’s Spirit leads His children. What was external for Israel is now internal for believers. The same Spirit who led Israel by the cloud now leads us as sons and daughters of God. The Spirit’s guidance is rooted in relationship, not formula.

God is working even in the waiting. Moses waits six days on the mountain before God speaks. Waiting seasons are not wasted; they form faith, trust, and dependence. The waiting place is still holy ground.

The people of Israel didn’t decide when to move; they followed the cloud. The same is true for us - our direction, timing, and security come from staying close to His presence. Following God starts with learning to watch for His movement.

Look around you, join a team, get together with others, serving God isn’t an individual thing, we are created to make an impact when we work together in unity, each playing our part.

Don’t compare, don’t try and be someone else, you are called to use what God has given you but always rooted in using that in a way that glorifies God.

John shares how each of us can play our part in the work God is doing here in Basingstoke. If you feel God stirring you to give financially to support the work happening here, either as a one off donation or a regular amount, the easiest way is through https://www.basingstoke.church/give