Ivy Church

Where is God when you can’t feel His presence? Is He somewhere far away, watching from a distance? Is He only present when we’re in church, worshipping or having a particularly spiritual moment? Or could it be that God is closer than we realise? In this message from our Know God series, Lynn Swart explores the omnipresence of God — the incredible truth that God is everywhere, at all times, and tha...

Is life just a series of random events, or is God working through it all — even when things go wrong? Life can be unpredictable. Plans fall apart, people let us down, and circumstances change in ways we never expected. Sometimes we find ourselves asking: Where is God in all of this? In this message from our Know God series, Anthony Delaney explores what it means to know the God who is sovereign —...

What do you do when you simply don’t know what to do? Life doesn’t always make sense. We face decisions without knowing the outcome, circumstances we can’t explain and questions we can’t answer. But while we don’t know everything, God does. In this message from our Know God series, Anthony Delaney explores the wisdom of God and the story of Solomon in 1 Kings 3. When God effectively gives Solomon...

What can we learn from what God is doing in Nigeria, and how might it transform the way we live, pray and serve here in Manchester? Following his recent trip to Abuja, Nigeria, Anthony Delaney sits down with Andrew Sherry to share stories, experiences and powerful lessons from his time speaking at a major Christian leadership conference. In this honest and inspiring conversation, Anthony reflects...

Is God still good when life doesn’t go the way we hoped? In this message from our Know God series, Louise Yuill explores what it really means to know the goodness of God — not simply when life is going well, but in the difficult, painful and uncertain seasons too. Looking at Moses’ encounter with God in Exodus 33, Louise explores three powerful truths: God’s goodness means His presence with His pe...

Does God really love you — even when you’ve messed up, wandered away or lost sight of Him? In this message from our Know God series, Sarah Small explores one of the most extraordinary truths at the heart of the Christian faith: God is love. Looking at the three stories Jesus tells in Luke 15 — the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost sons — Sarah shows us a God who cares deeply about the one who...

What does it really mean when we say that God is holy? For many people, holiness sounds like coldness, judgement or condemnation — a God standing at a distance saying, “Keep away. You’re not good enough.” But is that an accurate picture of the God revealed in the Bible? In Week 2 of Know God, Anthony Delaney explores Isaiah’s breathtaking encounter with God in Isaiah 6 and Simon Peter’s encounter...

What if the biggest barrier between you and God isn’t God — but the picture of Him you’ve been carrying? In the first part of our new Know God series, Anthony Delaney asks one of the most important questions we can ever consider: What is God really like? All of us have a picture of God. It can be shaped by our upbringing, our experiences, other people, disappointment, suffering and even our own as...

What if making an eternal difference in someone’s life was as simple as bringing them to Jesus? In the second and final part of The Harvest, Gav Lightbown looks at one of the quieter disciples in the Gospels: Andrew. Andrew wasn’t a famous preacher, scholar or teacher. He often lived in the shadow of his brother, Simon Peter. Yet whenever we encounter Andrew in John’s Gospel, we see him doing some...

What if sharing your faith was simpler than you thought? As we look ahead to the God Loves You Tour with Franklin Graham at Co-op Live, Gav Lightbown challenges us to think about the part each of us can play in seeing a harvest of transformed lives across Greater Manchester. Using the story of Philip and the Ethiopian official in Acts 8, Gav explores what it means to live as a witness for Jesus —...

What really happens after we die? Is judgement something to fear? What does the Bible actually say about heaven, hell and eternity? In the final message of our God’s Book series, Lynn Swart explores one of the Bible’s biggest and most challenging questions: What happens at the end? Drawing from Revelation, Matthew 25 and the wider story of Scripture, Lynn reminds us that God’s judgement is not sim...

Is the Bible’s teaching about sex, relationships and marriage outdated — or is it pointing us towards something deeper? In this message from our God’s Book series, Anthony Delaney explores one of the most personal and challenging questions people ask about Christianity today: does the Bible’s view of sex still make sense in our modern world? Looking at the big story of Scripture from Genesis to Re...

Can we really trust the Gospel accounts of Jesus? And if we can, do miracles still happen today? In this message from our God’s Book series, Matt Donaldson explores the reliability of the Gospels, the evidence for the resurrection, and why Christians believe Jesus still heals, speaks and works miraculously today. Looking at both the historical evidence and the biblical story, Matt challenges us to...

If God is loving and all-powerful, why does He allow suffering? It’s one of life’s deepest questions—and one every worldview must answer. In this message from our God’s Book series, Anthony Delaney explores what the Bible really says about pain, grief, injustice and loss. Rather than offering easy answers or clichés, Scripture points us to a God who enters our suffering, weeps with us, and ultimat...

If God is love, why does the Bible contain wars, judgement and violence? In this message from God’s Book, Anthony Delaney tackles one of the toughest questions people ask about Christianity: how can a loving God be connected to violent stories in the Old Testament? Looking at the wider story of Scripture — from Creation to Revelation — this talk explores how the Bible’s message moves from peace, t...

What are the small things quietly draining your spiritual life? In this Ivy Central message, guest speaker John Bunjo brings a prophetic call to hunger, holiness, and spiritual renewal. Speaking from Song of Songs 2:15, John challenges us to pay attention to the “little foxes” — the small compromises, habits, hurts and hidden issues that can damage the fruit God wants to grow in our lives. This me...

How do we make sense of some of the Bible’s hardest passages? In this message from God’s Book, Anthony Delaney explores difficult questions around slavery, women, Old Testament laws, and how we should read the Bible today. Looking at the importance of context, the unfolding story of Scripture, and the person of Jesus at the centre of it all, this talk helps us understand how God works progressivel...

Has science disproved God? Or are we asking the wrong question? In the opening message of our new series God’s Book, Anthony Delaney explores one of the biggest assumptions of modern culture — that science and faith are enemies. Looking at creation, meaning, purpose and the limits of scientific explanation, this message shows why science is a wonderful tool for studying creation — but was never de...

How do we stay focused on what God has called us to do? In this final message from Restoring the House – Together, Louise Yuill explores Nehemiah 6 and the completion of Jerusalem’s wall. After weeks of burden, prayer, vision, participation, perseverance and unity, Nehemiah now faces one final challenge: distraction. When opposition tries to pull him away from the work, Nehemiah refuses to come do...

Sometimes the greatest threat to what God is building isn’t opposition from the outside — it’s what’s happening inside us. In this message from Restoring the House – Together, Anthony Delaney explores Nehemiah 5 and the danger of internal division, selfishness, and spiritual complacency. As the wall of Jerusalem is being rebuilt, cracks begin to appear within the community itself. Some are sacrifi...

What do you do when opposition comes? In this message from Restoring the House – Together, Anthony Delaney takes us into Nehemiah 4 — where the work of rebuilding meets resistance. Because whenever God calls you to build something that matters, you can expect a battle. Through mockery, pressure, and discouragement, Nehemiah shows us a powerful and practical response: pray and post a guard. Not jus...

What if hearing God and stepping out in faith became normal? In this Ivy Central Pentecost message, Anthony Delaney talks about encounters with Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit, and learning to respond when God speaks. From the miraculous catch of fish to the day of Pentecost, this message reminds us that the Holy Spirit empowers ordinary people to encourage, heal, prophesy, pray, and share Jes...

What is God building today — and what part are you called to play in it? In this message from Restoring the House – Together, Matt Donaldson explores Nehemiah 3 and the team of ordinary people who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem together. This chapter may look like a long list of names, but behind it is a powerful truth: God builds His kingdom through His people. Every person had a place on the wal...

What happens when prayer turns into action? In this message from Restoring the House – Together, Ruth Pearce takes us into Nehemiah 2 and shows how God’s vision moves from burden… to breakthrough… to building. After months of prayer, Nehemiah steps into a God-given opportunity with courage, clarity, and a plan. He doesn’t just pray — he prepares. He doesn’t act alone — he gathers people. And throu...

How do you pray until something shifts? In this powerful message from Restoring the House – Together, Anthony Delaney takes us deeper into Nehemiah’s story and shows us how breakthrough really begins — not with strategy, but with prayer. When Nehemiah hears about the broken walls of Jerusalem, he doesn’t rush into action. He weeps, fasts, and prays — carrying a God-given burden that leads to trans...