CBC Podcast

What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the writing of the Bible? What do we mean by ‘the inspired word of God’? How does the Holy Spirit help us as we read the Bible? Some of the questions we will be answering this morning.

You might struggle to tell a pear tree, and orange tree and an apple tree apart, just from their leaves - but once they are loaded with fruit these trees are easy to name. Paul talks about the 'fruit of the Spirit' - qualities and characteristics that you would expect to see, visible in the life of someone who is following Jesus. But does this just happen or do we still need to work at dev...

What are spiritual gifts? Who has them? What are they for? Just some of the questions that we are answering as we continue our series on the Holy Spirit.

Why is unity within the church so important and how can we live in such a way as to promote unity within the church?

In this all age service we explore what faithfulness looks like. Our starting point is that God is faithful. What difference is this going to make in my life this week?

How does the Holy Spirit help us to pray? What about those times when we find it difficult to pray? How does the Holy Spirit enable us to become more like Jesus even through our sadness and tears?

What do we mean when we talk about life in the Spirit? How does the Holy Spirit give us life? And what does this life look like?

We know that the Holy Spirit didn't arrive at Pentecost - the Holy Spirit has been present from the first page of the Bible story. But what was the role of the Holy Spirit in the gospels and in the life and ministry of Jesus?

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in a person's conversion? What does the Holy Spirit do at conversion? What does it mean when people talk about 'baptism in the Holy Spirit' or 'being filled by the Spirit'? Just a few of the questions we'll look at this week.

When the Bible talks about being patient it means more than just waiting for your birthday to come. In our all age service we explore the different aspects of patience and have a practical activity to practice the different elements of being patient!

Are you a creative person? Do you think in images? Do you process thoughts through painting or composing music? Do you always have a creative project on the go? Today we're looking at the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament - where his role in creation and creativity is evident. The Holy Spirit didn't just turn up at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has been present and active since the first verse...

Today we start a new series on the Holy Spirit with this overview/introduction. But we don't want the outcome of this series just be that we know more about the Holy Spirit - instead we want to know Jesus better and be more like him.

Life is not a sprint. It is full of ups and downs. There are times we might feel like giving up. But in Hebrews we are encouraged to fix our eyes on Jesus, to throw off everything that will get in the way. We should also be encouraged by the prize that awaits.

The first Easter Sunday changed everything. Jesus came back to life, the tomb was empty, and therefore the stone, the burial cloths, the ritual spices... these were just some of the things that were no longer needed. But what else is no longer needed now that Jesus is alive?

Although Pilate and Jesus were talking, and using the same words, Pilate really had no idea what Jesus was talking about. How often do I use the same words as Jesus - but mean something totally different?

Do you pray? And if you do, what sort of things do you pray for? As we conclude our series on Jesus' words in the Upper Room, we come to the longest recorded prayer of Jesus - John 17. And amongst other things Jesus prays that his disciples might be united. Why is this so important?

Especially at the moment, with all that is going on in the world and how the ripple effects are impacting everyone in one way or another, it can be very easy to feel overwhelmed. To feel anxious or worried. And yet Jesus wants his followers to know that he has overcome the world and that we can know peace.

We have reached the point where it is nearly impossible to tell whether images or videos you watch are genuine or fakes. We don't know what is true or what isn't. But truth is really important. How do we know what is true? Jesus promises his followers that the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of truth - will guide us. But how does he do that?

A Christian is someone who Jesus has chosen from out of the world. And yet, for the moment, we still live in the world. So what does it look like - in my context - to be a follower of Jesus?

Our fruitfulness does not depend on our efforts or our abilities - it depends on whether or not we remain in Jesus. If we do we will be fruitful. But what does that mean and what does that look like?

Why don't we talk more about self-control? As we move into Lent why is self-control important? How can I practice self-control this week?

Peace is one of those things that can seem very elusive and in very short supply. Our news is full of stories of war and conflict and threat of conflict. But even in countries where there is 'peace', often people can be anxious and worried. We hear a lot about the mental health crisis. Jesus promises his followers peace. But how can we experience this peace for ourselves?

When you think of Jesus' words, 'I am the way' - what pictures come to mind? What does the 'way' look like? A narrow track through the woods, a paved route through a valley...? Are you at a cross roads in life and wondering which way to turn? So what does Jesus mean when he says that he is the way?

How would you explain what compassion means? Jesus often explained things by telling a story. Today we're exploring this theme of compassion.

When Jesus was asked to summarise the whole of the law he told his disciples it was all about loving God and loving your neighbour. In his final few hours before his death Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another. And it is the love that we have that marks us out as disciples - not the miracles or the clever arguments.