ASCEND Church Perth

When Adam and Eve rebelled against God and ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they realised that they were naked and ashamed, and they sought to hide from God. The law of sin and death subjects us to guilt and shame. But in Christ, we are set free from an old identity shaped by warped self-assessment. 

When the idol of money has been dethroned, the windows of heaven open, and we can experience the abundant life God has for us. In this message, we look at the theology of abundance, the mindset of abundance, and the practices of abundance. This is the third and final message in the Jesus Over Money series.

In this second message in our Jesus Over Money series, we look at Malachi 3. God calls out the people of Israel for how they have turned away from God. He measures their devotion in part by how they are handling their money. In this message, Ps Jason shares how money can sometimes take God's place in our hearts, and how God uses both the tithe and offerings to dethrone the idol of money from our h...

This is the first message in a three-part series called, Jesus Over Money. This week, be inspired and activated in faith as you allow the Lord to challenge you to new levels of generosity.

To guarantee the success of the Church in our Kingdom mission to reach the world for Christ, God has sent His Holy Spirit. While speaking in tongues is helpful and important, the most essential evidence of having been baptised in the Holy Spirit is the power to be a witness. When immersed in His Holy Spirit, we receive His love and boldness to preach the gospel and make disciples.

For at least three generations in recent history, much of the Church was shaped by a pessimistic eschatology - one that led believers to retreat from culture rather than seek to transform it. But historically, the prevailing expectation of the church has always been very optimistic - that the Kingdom of God will progressively advance as Christ’s people faithfully disciple the nations. In this mess...

In this message, we continue in our series on The Kingdom of God, which is, according to Paul in Romans 14, summed up not in the things that we sometimes prioritise, but in "...righeousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." What does it look like to live a life that puts first what's most important to God? 

In this next message in our Kingdom of God series, Pastor Ian shows us that Jesus demonstrated how the laws of the Kingdom supercede natural laws.

In Psalm 127, we are told that children are a heritage and a reward from God, and that a man with a "full quiver" is blessed. One of the primary ways that God's Kingdom expands through the centuries is through generational blessing transferred to our offspring. We are called to fashion the next generation into weapons in the Lord's hands, teaching them to think and live differently than the world,...

Jesus walked for two days with His disciples to go to the darkest and most demonic place in Israel to declare the He would build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. In the next part of our Kingdom of God series, Ps Jason explores how the Kingdom of God grows and expands throughout the earth through a triumphant church.

The Kingdom of God has already come, but it has not yet fully come. In this message, Ps Jason challenges us to resist a fatalistic or escapist mindset, and instead pursue a long-term, hopeful vision of cultural transformation as God's Spirit-empowered ambassadors.

As we conclude our "Teach Us To Pray" series, Ps Ian talks about the significance of finishing times of prayer with praise, and understanding the meaning of the kingdom, power, and glory belonging to God. 

As we are nearing the end of our series going through the Lord's Prayer, we look at verse 13 of Matthew 6, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Jesus instructs us to end our time of prayer asking for two things: for God's help resisting temptation, and to take back ground that the enemy has taken from us. The first prayer is defensive, but in the second prayer we go on the offe...

In part five of our series on the Lord's Prayer, we focus on Jesus' instruction to confess our sins to the Lord, asking for and receiving forgivness from God, and to declare to God that we forgive those who have sinned against us. These two must go together. If we are unwilling to forgive others, it reveals that we have not truly received forgiveness from God. Either we do not understand the depth...

Continuing on in our  Teach Us to Pray series, Ps Jason looks at Matthew 6:11 where Jesus prays, "Give us this day day our daily bread."

In the next part of our Teach Us to Pray series, Ps Ian looks at Jesus' prayer, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Throughout history, the church has used the Lord's Prayer as a guide for daily prayer. We should use the Lord's Prayer today to likewise guide our own prayers. Honing in on Matthew 6:9, we must give prayers of adoration and worship to our Father in heaven first of all, just as Jesus taught His disciples.

In his first letter to the churches, the Apostle Peter challenges God's people to be sober-minded. The enemy works to try to keep us drunk on foolish fantasies, on a victim mindset, and in self-righteousness. But a sober mind is filled with wisdom, seeks to expose hidden sins, and is filled with grace.

Throughout history, the church has used the Lord's Prayer as a guide for daily prayer. We should use the Lord's Prayer today to likewise guide our own prayers. As Martin Luther said, this should be done twice daily - upon waking and before lying down for bed.

The strength of the early church can be seen in what they were devoted to. Right alongside their devotion to the word of God and prayer was their devotion to fellowship, or "koinonia" in the Greek. This depth of covenant relationship expressed through community led them to gather not only in large gatherings all together, but in small groups throughout the week, and from house to house. It was in...

The early church was fruitful because they were a community devoted to four things: the Apostle's Teaching (God's Word), fellowship, meals together, and prayer. This week we consider God's call upon every believer to be devoted to both personal and corporate prayer.

This Thursday we begin ten days of prayer and fasting. In this message, we explore Isaiah 58 to break down the wrong way to fast, the right way to fast, and the six benefits of fasting the right way.

As people created in the image of God, our thoughts have creative power. Before God spoke us into being, he first said, "Let us make man in our image..." He imagined us. When we think worldly thoughts, we imagine a future that's corrupt. When we think God's thoughts, we sow seeds that bring about a harvest of the Kingdom of God. We must take every thought captive to live the overcoming life that G...

None of our habits are more important than the ones that lead us closer to Jesus. As we draw here to God, God draws near to us. 

As we begin a new year, it's helpful to reflect on the previous year, and reset our goals and habits for the year ahead. Here are seven areas in our lives where we should be creating forming strong habits for personal growth.