Weekly Talks

by Rev Charlie Lacey | Mark 4: 35-41 Mark 4: 35-41 (NIV) In many ways, the world we live in is not very peaceful; and sometimes the circumstances of our lives are far from peaceful.  Today we saw that, with Jesus, it is possible to experience peace no matter what’s happening around us.

Galatians 6: 11-18 | by Rev Charlie Lacey Galatians 6: 11-18 (NIV) In Galatians 6, Paul reminds us that our identity isn’t built on how we present ourselves, what we achieve, or how well we impress the world.  There’s no need to boast in those things. In fact, the only thing worth boasting in is the cross of Christ, because it’s there that God made it possible for each of us to become a new creati...

by Rev Charlie Lacey | Galatians 6: 1-10 Galatians 6: 1-10 (NIV) The Church is meant to be a place where the best relationships grow. And sometimes we see that; moments of real grace and kindness. Other times, we let each other down. But none of us stands above anyone else. We’re all sinners in need of a Saviour. And when someone is struggling, our calling is to gently restore, not to judge.

by Rev Charlie Lacey | Galatians 5: 16-26 Galatians 5: 16-26 (NIV) The apostle Paul compares two ways of living - life by the flesh and life by the Spirit.  Life by the flesh is destructive to ourselves, the people around us, and society in general.  By contrast, life by the Spirit leads to the fruit of a godly character, and all the benefits that flow from that.

by Rev Charlie Lacey | John 8: 31-34, Galatians 5: 1-15 John 8: 31-34, Galatians 5: 1-15 (NIV) The Apostle Paul makes it clear that if we want to get right with God, we need to put our faith in Jesus.  Following religious rules will not lead anyone back to God. Jesus came to free us from religiosity, but more than that, he came to free us from sin and death, so that we might enjoy a relationship w...

by Bp John Roundhill | Matthew 28: 16-20 & 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13 Matthew 28: 16-20 & 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13 (NIV) God is not like us.  Yes, we’re made in his image, but God is unique.  As Karl Barth said, "One cannot speak of God simply by speaking of man in a loud voice."  The Christian understanding of God is an eternal relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy...

by Rev Charlie Lacey | Acts 2: 1-24 Acts 2:1-24 (NIV) Two-thousand years ago, about 10 days after Jesus ascended to be with his Father in heaven, God poured out his Holy Spirit on a group of believers who were waiting for this gift that Jesus had promised. Since that day, everyone who repents and puts their faith in Jesus is filled with God’s Spirit.  

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Galatians 3: 1-14 Galatians 3: 1-14 (NIV) In Galatians 3, we see Paul reprimanding the Galatians for losing sight of that which brought them into a right relationship with God in the first place; namely, their faith in Jesus Christ.  Their journey started with faith and they received the Holy Spirit, but now they are making the mistake of trying to earn their salvation.  

by Rev Charles Vesely | Galatians 1: 1-10 Galatians 1: 1-10 (NIV) Christianity stands out from all the religions and ideologies of the world.  In a world that is becoming increasingly violent – Christianity provides the only real hope there is.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Mark 10: 46-52 Mark 10: 46-52 (NIV) Jesus asked blind Bartimaeus the question: What Do You Want Me to Do For You? It’s a question that Jesus continues to ask us, even though he’s already done  immeasurably more for us than we could ever hope for or imagine.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Mark 8: 34-38 Mark 8: 34-38 (NIV) Jesus' invitation to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him is daunting and demanding, but it's also the most wonderful invitation we will ever receive.  We must be prepared to give everything in order to gain everything.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Mark 16: 1-8 Mark 16: 1-8 (NIV) Today we celebrated the most hopeful, exciting, and impactful event in all of human history - the resurrection of Jesus!  In recent weeks we’ve been looking at some of the questions that Jesus asked. Today we’re focused on a question that was asked by a group of women as they approached the tomb where Jesus’ dead body was laid.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Isaiah 53: 1-7, Mark 15: 1-20, Mark 15: 25-46 Isaiah 53: 1-7 Mark 15: 1-20 Mark 15: 25-46 (NIV) When Jesus cried out on the cross, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?') - it sounded like a desperate cry for help, and it was - but it was also the first line of Psalm 22, which prophesied Jesus' crucifixion in detail. ...

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Mark 14:1-50 Mark 14:1-50 (NIV) In Mark 14, we see human opposition to God manifested in a number of ways: those who wish God dead; rejection of God in favour of materialism; and simply failing to fulfill the tasks that God gives us.

by Rev Charlie Lacey | Mark 12: 13-17 Mark 12: 13-17 (NIV) When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds welcomed him as their King, with shouts of joy and great excitement.  But the mood soon began to change.  The chief priests and teachers of the law were determined to arrest Jesus, so they sent the Pharisees with a question that they believed would trap him.  Jesus gave what was perhaps the cleveres...

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Mark 7: 14-23 Mark 7: 14-23 (NIV) Jesus loved the disciples, but he didn’t mollycoddle them, and sometimes he could be extremely direct, especially when they were being slow to understand.  Today we see the disciples struggling with the concept that we’re not made right with God by doing outward religious stuff.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Mark 3: 20-30 Mark 3: 20-30 (NIV) Continuing with our 'Questions Jesus Asked' series, today we looked at a question Jesus asked the religious leaders when they accused him of being demonic.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Mark 1: 16-20 Mark 1: 16-20 (NIV) We began a new series today in Mark’s Gospel called, 'Questions Jesus Asked.'  Today we looked at a command that was, in a sense, also a question - "Come, follow me."  In this episode, we explore what it means to hear those words as a personal invitation.  

By Rev Charlie Lacey | 2 Timothy 3: 14-17 2 Timothy 3: 14-17 (NIV) Reading God’s Word is unlike reading anything else, because through it God speaks to us, giving us everything we need to know for salvation. It’s not about collecting more information; it’s about coming to know a person. From beginning to end, the whole Bible points us to Jesus.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Matthew 9:14-17 Matthew 9:14-17 (NIV) Today we looked at something that you might be surprised to find on a list of spiritual disciplines, namely, Celebration.  It’s a good reminder that none of the spiritual disciplines ought to feel like chores, rather they’re something that we joyfully look forward to as we draw ever closer to Jesus.

By Rev Charlie Lacey Psalm 51: 1-17 Psalm 51: 1-17 (NIV) We see so much evil in the world around us, and even in our own hearts, but what can be done to counter it?  We must turn away from sin and towards Jesus, and encourage society to do the same.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Matthew 4:1-4, Matthew 6:16-18, Acts13:2=3 Matthew 4:1-4, Matthew 6:16-18, Acts13:2=3 (NIV) Of all the spiritual disciplines, fasting is probably the one we struggle with the most. Fasting has fallen out of mode with Christians in the West, but are we in danger of losing something important for our spiritual growth?  When do we fast?  Why do we fast?  Do we have to fast? The...

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Matthew 22: 34-40 Matthew 22: 34-40 (NIV) Jesus teaches that the most important thing we can do in life is to love God with all that we are. That single commitment shapes so much of our lives now and everything about the life to come. And without that love and devotion to God, the spiritual disciplines we’re exploring in this series lose their purpose entirely.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Matthew 6: 5-15 Matthew 6: 5-15 (NIV) We started a new series today all about Spiritual Disciplines to help get us in the right mindset for the season of Lent.  We started by looking at prayer, without which we do not have a relationship with God.

By Rev Charlie Lacey | Revelation 21: 1-7 Revelations 21:1-7 (NIV) So far in our 'Glory' series, we’ve seen that God’s glory is best seen through His character – and God’s character is best seen in the person of Jesus.  But we’ve also seen that God wants us to reflect his glory, in preparation for the day when Jesus returns and God’s people are perfected and fully glorified.