City Church Sheffield Podcast

The disciples cannot understand how Jesus' death could be good news and so they find it difficult to believe and think he's going to become king at once. But the cross is good news because it is life changing. Jesus' death is not primarily an example, but a ransom to set us free.

Materialism and legalism about money are two dangers to avoid. Rather than either putting too high a value on wealth or considering wealth a bad thing, the real issue is regarding whom we worship. A life worshipping money leads to greed and dissatisfaction, whereas a life worshipping Jesus leads to generosity and contentment.

Jesus says that God's kingdom is like buried treasure or a pearl of great price. What God offers us is of great value, and we need to let go of the things we value in order to obtain it. But it is only when we see how much God values us and what he paid for us that we are able to do this.

Even though Mark is in a hurry to tell about Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, he considers it important to include Jesus' teaching about God's attitude towards children. Jesus teaches that God cares about children, and also that God cares about childlikeness. Children are not innocent, but they are better than adults at being humble, being trusting and being grateful, and God wants us all to imitate t...

The writer to the Hebrews challenges our attitudes. Becoming a Christian is not simply something we sign up for so that we can have a ticket to heaven, but it is about being brought into something completely new.

God is concerned about protecting the vulnerable, and this is why Moses instructed men not to remarry wives that they had previously divorced. Jesus looks not just at the law but at the way God intended marriage to be at the beginning. Marriage means that two are joined together and become one flesh. At the heart of marriage is unfailing steadfast love.

The Bible encourages us to encourage one another. It is a key tool in defeating the enemy and his plans and a key weapon for God's people.

God challenged Peter's prejudices by showing him a sheet full of ritually unclean animals. We all have prejudices. So if God were to show us a sheet, what would it contain?

Summary to follow soon.

Paul encourages the Philippians to be joyful, just as he himself is. His joy is undergirded by three anchor points; he is secure in the grace of God, he is confident in the power of God and he knows the affection of Christ. So let's be joyful whatever this new year has in store.

We need to guard our heart, especially when terror strikes, when trials come and when temptations lurk. We guard our hearts by letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly, and we don't do it just on our own but in fellowship with the Church.

Jesus teaches his disciples about the seriousness of sin, the reality of hell and the offer of life. So how do we live in the light of this?

Christ is our example in his humility, service and love. He calls us to imitate him, particularly in how we relate to others.

Having heard the basics of the gospel, we need to move on to maturity, not relying on milk but on solid food. It is a sign a spiritual maturity that we know the truth, that we are convinced of it, and are able to teach others.

God has put us in our various communities in order to bless the nations, whether they come to us or whether we go to them. God is calling us to be a church which is ethnically and culturally diverse, which is led by the Holy Spirit and which goes on global mission - both where we are and overseas.

Like Daniel, we live in turbulent times, so how do we respond? The world empires signified by the beasts in Daniel's dream are given authority for a time, but their authority will eventually be taken from them. God does not just pronounce judgement and deal with tyrants, but he is also setting up his own kingdom. So let's not give in to a climate of fear in turbulent times.

Jesus reformulates the people of God into a group centred on himself, yet models humility for us and introduces a topsy-turvy value system in his kingdom, where gentleness is celebrated. We welcome God by welcoming Jesus, and we welcome Jesus by welcoming those that society considers the lowest.

What we believe about Jesus puts us in one of two groups - those who are redeemed and those who are going to spend eternity without God. Jesus gathers his sheep by laying down his life and taking it up again, and we can respond either like the Pharisees who criticised him or the blind man whom Jesus healed in the previous chapter, who worshipped him.

Learning from the story of Gideon how believing God's word takes us from weak, fearful people to those who can do all things through Christ. [Download Ben's slides](http://d2lpchbt6qg0df.cloudfront.net/uploads/15-11-08_16-9_Ben_s_Slides.pptx)

The apostle Peter encourages Christians facing trials that they are chosen and have a living hope through Christ's resurrection. They should set their hope on the salvation God has laid up for them in heaven, being aware of the attacks that will come and not conforming but being set apart as obedient children.

The disciples had successes but, like us, they had failures too, and Jesus helps them to handle this. The boy's father recognised that he had a mixture of belief and unbelief, and asked Jesus to take him as he was, and Jesus helps him to battle his unbelief. He also helps the disciples to learn to pray.

The disciples saw Jesus in his glory on a mountain top, and wanted to preserve the moment. But our "mountain top" experiences where we have a special glimpse of God's glory are not meant to be preserved, but are meant to encourage us in our everyday life experiences.

The Jewish High Priest was appointed by God to be a representative of men to God. Similarly, Jesus was appointed by God to be High Priest for ever, to represent us to God. Jesus knows what real life is like - he is one of us.

There is an invitation to the lost to come back to the Father; there is an instruction to believers to develop a relationship with the Father, to not become resentful when our service doesn't attract attention, and to rejoice when others turn to God; and there is an indication as to what God is like, not just saving us but bringing us into his household.

Learning from Paul, the great apostle, about how to boast and delight in our weaknesses in order that Christ's strength may rest on us.