Ps Steu quotes 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NKJV), "Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new".

As a church, we value NEW LIFE - unpacking this..

• We value the truth that everyone who accepts Jesus as Saviour is a new creation in Christ! Their once-dormant spirit is awakened and made alive to God.
• We value the truth that old things have passed away and all things have become new.
• We value the truth that we stand right before God because of His mercy and grace - not because of our works or performance.
• We value the truth that God has called us to live as new creations; He has called us to walk in righteousness, as God’s holy and set-apart people.

Its important to see oursleves as God sees us...Our ability to walk as new creations starts by accepting what God has done; seeing ourselves as God sees us. This involves letting go of the old and taking hold of the new!

Ps Steu then spoke about some situations in scripture where Jesus spoke to people with the utmost Grace but also in Truth....The Woman at the Well for example, the Prodigal Son...It is God’s mercy poured out through Jesus that welcomes us into His presence in the father’s arms.

As a church, it’s time to up our game when it comes to seeing people as God sees them. For those who are still lost, can we be ready to welcome them into God’s House with the same love and mercy that the Father showed his son in Luke 15? (The same love and mercy that our Heavenly Father showed us!).

Can we commit to being a ‘house of mercy’ rather than a ‘court of judgment’?

Ps Steu ends this challenging message with a prayer...

Dear Father, I accept that I cannot live up to your perfect standard, and I turn away from my sin. Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sin. I believe that You forgive me and make all things new. I surrender to you and want to take your path for my life. So please fill me with Your Spirit and empower me to live a life that honours You. Thank you for loving me! Amen.

1. We Value People
2. We Value New life
3. We Value Relationship with God
4. We Value Church Family
5. We Value Gathering
6. We Value Commissioning

Each of these is represented by a part of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) - a central Christian teaching on God's unconditional love and forgiveness. All Family Church congregations heard this message and everyone received a booklet entitled Reach, Grow, Empower, explaining these values. Please refer to www.family.church for further details.

• they reproduce
• they nurture
• they are well fed
• they are safe & secure
• they are on the move
• they are anointed

We apologise for the recording quality during these testimonies.

Ps Andy delivers an awe inspiring message that ends quoting the hymn:-

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases

His mercies never have come to an end

They are new every morning

New every morning

Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord

Great is Thy faithfulness

God's love is steadfast, unchanging and is new every day for us!

Ps Andy then speaks about how we are to move to a third part of our discipleship series, which we are calling 'Jesus Empowers'. This is Pneumatology and it's the Doctrine or the study of the person and works of the Holy Spirit.

Ps Andy continues with an introduction to this series which again is fundamental to our understanding of our Christian walk.

This message is part of the series "Jesus is", which is part of our overall theme on being rooted in Him. Ps Paul explains how Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

This is a MUST LISTEN message!!

The NIV Bible titles this ‘The fellowship of the believers’

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The NKJV Bible titles this ‘A Vital Church Grows’

 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ [n]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

All of our Pastors draw vitally important nuggets from this scripture in relation to the future of our Church Fellowship. This is a ‘must listen’ message!!

When we put our faith in Jesus for Salvation, we automatically are given access to the path of righteousness. We become children of God even though we still live in this world. Representing God’s kingdom, we need to know how to live in the ways of His kingdom. Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT) says “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God[e] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need”.  So, living God’s way brings incredible blessing to our lives. The enemy however, wants to take us off God’s path. In Psalm 23 we see that walking closely with Jesus is the key, we are led by still waters, our souls are restored, we are led in the path of righteousness and even when we are in the valley of the shadow of death we fear nothing!

However the right path is often the hard path! Taking God’s path for our lives is possible but may not be easy (1 Corinthians 10:13). 1 Peter 2:9-12 tells us we are a chosen people and can show others the goodness of God, because He called us out from darkness into His wonderful light.

We may stumble and fall, in the future or in the past, but today is a new day and God is calling us to take His path that will lead us into a blessed and abundant life.

The Bible says in Hebrews 12 we are a part of a Kingdom which cannot be shaken. We are in a world where everything is currently shaking. There will be revealing of a Kingdom and a Kingdom people which cannot be shaken because their God is God. This is a Kingdom moment, a moment when God is about to move. We must be ready for what God is about to do – a continuation of the theme of encounter.  

Pastor Andy defines this as a Kairos moment – a God ordained moment in history, as opposed to Chronos (sequential and quantitative). Alternatively, view Kairos as the most opportune moment for action. Andy refers to many scriptures as examples of God ordained moments of time but perhaps the best example comes from the book of Esther. Esther was positioned to prevent destruction of the Jews, although she did have to use her influence with the king in order to do so.

As we walk through this year just maybe we also have been positioned for such a time as this. Where we have congregations in England and the Philippines with any favour that we are walking in just maybe we have been positioned in life for a time such as this for a moment that God did long before any of us were born. God says there is a year called 2023, that's the Kairos, there is a moment in that year where the world is falling and in that moment, the church is going to stand on our feet, and begin to be my body, my hands, my feet, my whole life.

Esther could have shrunk back, she could have said “I like my life, I am the Queen, I could lose everything….” She knew when she appeared before the king, he would either extend his sceptre or not. If he didn't extend his sceptre, she would have been put to death. If he extended his sceptre, she could ask for up to half of his kingdom – quite a lot of pressure! She prays and fasts and walks in before the king presenting her request. A God moment follows resulting in a complete change of the circumstances saving the Jews.  

This is a Kairos moment.  Esther 4:14 (NKJV) says “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” We need to awaken our hearts and say, God use me. If we are a prayer warrior, it's time to pray; if we are a giver, it’s time to give; if we are a server it’s time to serve and so on. The Kairos moment is upon us….for such a time as this.

Pastor Andy speaks of the story of Joseph and his amazing release from wrongful imprisonment (Genesis 39-41) to provide interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams. The doors of lockdown were opened for him then and God did incredible things with Joseph becoming in charge of Pharaoh’s palace and all his people.  God will do equally incredible things with us as he did with Joseph. He came out of the prison cell ready to run his best lap yet using the gifts God had given him! Just as God used Joseph in his time He will use us individually and as a church in all the places He has positioned us.

Hebrews 12, 1-2 speaks of those who ran their best race (the great cloud of witnesses) but also speaks of us as well….instructing us to throw off all sin and that which entangles us and then to run with perseverance the race set out before us fixing our eyes on Jesus who perfects our faith.

PS Andy goes on to speak of 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV) “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” Our hearts desire should be to say we have run the race God set before us, lived our lives in pursuit of Him and are ready to receive a crown of righteousness!