Severn's All You Can Eat Buffet

Have you ever had an encounter with Christ Jesus in nature? Owen Lynch looks at how prominently nature featured in the Psalms and was woven into Jesus’ teaching as well as Old Testament stories. Do we tend to separate spiritual and physical things, or can we learn from looking for God’s nature in the world and universe around us? This talk concludes with a visual meditation on Psalm 104, which you...

How scary is it to launch into new things? Owen Lynch looks at how fear gripped some of God’s people when they saw a daunting job ahead of them. Church planting also feels difficult, but Severn Vineyard exists because some people moved from jobs and communities in Nottingham, and now Severn and Field Vineyards are planting Lighthouse Vineyard in Totterdown, Bristol. Owen talks with the leaders and...

How and where can we encounter Christ? Owen Lynch looks at the story of Saul who had a famous roadside meeting with the risen Jesus but later wrote about how God revealed his son "in me". Taking on his new name, Paul asked others, "Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you?" Could the life, breath and word of God also be in you? How would it change our lives to believe that we are made in God...

Owen Lynch interviews Dan Morrice about his experiences of finding God at work in dramatic situations, including the rescue of over 30 trapped miners in Chile. Dan shares about the heights of discovery and creativity, followed by the valleys of dealing with long COVID, and how he has encountered Christ in this range of life experience.

What kind of King is God? Claire Lynch asks if God really gives us free will or tries to manipulate and force us to obey, and punish us if we don't. If we can tell what God is like by looking at Jesus, his version of being a King seemed unexpected - instead of dominating by force, he emptied himself out in self-giving love and radical servanthood. Do we also carry this image of God in us? What doe...

How is God's work in us life changing when we are under pressure? Susie Aldridge from Dreaming the Impossible looks at how Paul remembered that we don't have to deny our difficulties or fragility but can maintain our sense of value and resilience because of what God has placed in us. This gives us power in present weakness and hope for the future. If we're focusing on temporary things in...

How can we recognise God’s presence, and where can we find this? Owen Lynch looks at ways Israel learned to follow and enshrine the presence of God, but also recognise when it seemed to be absent. Was their longing for its return fulfilled in Christ? What would this mean for us if it was? And when the writers of the New Testament point to Christ’s involvement in all of creation, does this mean we...

What kind of person do we imagine Jesus to be? Jason Whiley looks at a way Jesus was described in the gospel stories which might surprise us, and what we might be able to learn from following Jesus' example of finding quiet places to reflect and pray. There is an example of a restful centering prayer to follow at the end.

What shapes your image of God? Claire Lynch looks at different ways people see God and how looking at Jesus can be a way to understand God. This was a surprising challenge to religious leaders in Jesus’ time, and Jesus told a famous story about God’s love and fatherhood which was a shocking contrast with what many expected. Could meeting the extravagantly loving and scandalously forgiving Father J...

Owen Lynch interviews Sam Sayer about her life journey of faith, work and health. Clips from the podcast “The Bristolian Refugee” are included - find more about this at https://thebristolcable.org/2022/09/podcast-listen-the-bristolian-refugee-by-sam-sayer/ 

Fear can play a big part in our lives right now, but what can we do about it? Dan Green looks at how we might not be able to avoid the emotion of fear, but we can stop it from taking control of us. There is lots of guidance and reassurance in the Bible about this, and the talk concludes with a meditation on Psalm 23.

Who or what is the Christ? Owen Lynch looks at what's in a name and the amazing expectations set for God's "anointed one". Rather than just being a person, those who followed Jesus came to understand the Christ as divine, not contained to one time and place but eternal and everywhere. This might be too big to get our heads around. But if we give God space to speak to us, can he expand our experien...

What is God like, and how can we know? Claire Lynch starts a series of talks looking at this through experiences and stories, including a story Jesus shared about people entrusted with resources and asked to make the most of them. What would happen if they responded in kind with trust and faith, and what would happen if they didn't? Can we see these different ways of life in us, and could choosing...

How important are rituals to you? Owen Lynch shares about his and the other rituals around us which seem to shape our sense of who we are as well as guiding what we do. Moses led Israel into adopting rituals like Passover which brought people into a shared sense of history, identity and purpose. As Jesus shared his last supper through a Passover meal, he fed his followers with a lasting way to rem...

What does it mean to meet with God outside of church? Owen Lynch shares about his experiences on sabbatical leave and looks at the story of Jacob, who had an intense encounter with God after fleeing his family. He’s also not the only person in the Old Testament to experience God’s presence far away from traditional places of worship. How do our encounters with God compare? Find more in this series...

How does God make the impossible possible, for us and with us? Bern Leckie and Dan Green discuss the Old Testament story of Daniel, how it demonstrates God's goodness and power, and sets a pattern for life driven by God in difficult circumstances where we might feel cut off from essentials but get to see God doing things in a new way in us. Could choosing to credit our sources, especially God, rea...

When is it time to take time away? Owen Lynch shares some of his experience from sabbatical leave and looks at the story of Elijah, who was instructed by God to hide away for a few years. These situations are very different, but they both raise questions. Why do we often feel the need to stick around, no matter what? What would happen if we got a break and a new perspective? And could God guide us...

What is it like to be a leader with lots of responsibilities and a call from God to take people from where they are to somewhere else? Jess Pedersen and Bern Leckie discuss Moses, where he came from, his flaws and needs - including resilience, vision and a need to discern what was right and from God when it wasn't comfortable. How does this connect with our lives today, and how do we develop our o...

What could happen if God gives you a word of guidance? Sue Marland looks at the story of Deborah, a judge in Old Testament times, who developed the ability to support what God wanted to support, and to oppose what God wanted to oppose. If we could have some of that ability too, what would we do with it? Could we expect to become good servant leaders like Deborah, and would we end up winning signif...

What difference does it make to be seen by God and carry certainty about this as well as a God-given purpose? Liz Nixon and Bern Leckie discuss how this worked for Hagar, a female servant in the Old Testament whose life was far from ideal but who ended up with huge signficance. How can we recognise God speaking and giving us purpose today? Can we be part of a body of people that seeks and affirms...

How important is holding onto hope, and what can we do with it? Maybe even more importantly, what can God do with us when we place our hope in him and his promises? Dan Green and Bern Leckie discuss how they have seen this working in the story of Joseph and in their own lives, as well as what it means to share hope, faith and love practically among people who believe different things. Find more ta...

How can God make the impossible possible? Bern Leckie looks at how God used Daniel in impossible situations, giving him wisdom to make impossible choices and do impossible jobs. These are not really stories about how good Daniel was but how amazing God is. The way God gave “living water” and connections to his presence and principles to Daniel are also available to us because of Jesus. What imposs...

What do we want to be remembered for? Jack Saunders looks at the Old Testament character of David and the range of famous stories which come to mind, from his battles as a youth to his leadership and preparation of a temple in his old age. But his memorable passion for being after God’s heart probably came from the range and depths of his worship. To be that good at worship, David must not have ju...

What is it like to be a leader with a calling from God to pioneer into places where his ways are not always accepted? Bern Leckie discusses the story of Joshua with Jack Saunders, who is also a youth and student leader at Severn Vineyard and has a sense of his own calling to share his faith and live faithfully according to his hope in God. Can we get the full picture about the life God wants for p...

How can we become more resilient to face life's challenges? Jess Pedersen looks at how Moses did this by learning to turn to God. Raised in a foreign palace, Moses grew up with a mix of beliefs and tried working out his sense of justice his own way. But his encounters with God showed the depth of love and support that he could receive from God to do almost unimaginable things and overcome incredib...