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Remembering Pete Hopkinson
10th August 2025
This Sunday meeting was the first after Pete Hopkinson's untimely passing; we postponed the planned teaching and instead the opportunity was given for members to share their thoughts and memories.
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The Letter from James Part 5 (Chapter 4)
We are not Jesus’ church if we simply reflect the world’s social, economic and political divisions. Anthea Wratten reflects on this extremely hard-hitting chapter which calls out some faults that we all tend to display. Let's be humble and submit to God.
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The Letter from James Part 4 (Chapter 3) - Our words, the window to our heart
Geoff guides us as in considering the impact of our own words, the words of teachers, and the words of Jesus.
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The Letter from James Part 3 (Chapter 2) - Getting a Grip on Prejudice and Discrimination
Andy Read 20th July
Andy highlights that whilst this Chapter has a very simple message - showing favouritism is bad, treating people equally is good - it's a considerable challenge to put into action.
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The Letter from James Part 2 (Chapter 1) - The Wisdom of Jesus
Anna Prinz 13th July
Anna explains how it can be possible to “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds" and how we can be transformed by difficult times.
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FOMO - The Fear of Missing Out
Alison Hopkinson 6th July
Inspired by her new grandson Baby G, Alison talks about the Fear of Missing Out and what we can do to avoid it affecting our lives negatively..
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The Letter from James part 1 - Introduction Slides
Paul Wratten 29th June
Paul introduces our new teaching series looking at the Book written by James (or should that be Jacob) "If we claim the name of Jesus, we have to follow the way of Jesus".
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Generosity Practice 4: Be Generous to the Poor
John Mark Comer 22nd June
The earliest Christians were marked by a disproportionate concern for the poor. Jesus' teachings about the poor challenged the prevailing values of a world focused on "takers" and "keepers." Jesus’ radical generosity towards the poor reflects his desire to free us to participate in his upside-down Kingdom. This Kingdom belongs to those who are "poor in spirit" and to "the least of these." Embracing radical generosity aligns us with Jesus’ mission and invites us into a new way of seeing the world.
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Generosity Practice 3: All We Have Belongs to God
John Mark Comer 8th June
Scripture encourages us to see wealth through the lens of stewardship, not ownership. The three components of a biblical theology of stewardship are:
- God owns it all
- We are entrusted by God with his resources to do good
- God blesses us to give more, not just to have more.
We are invited to discern with the Spirit what stewardship looks like for each of us in our particular season and circumstance. A key practice to this end is learning to listen to God’s voice about money and generosity. |
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Generosity
Jill Stonehill with Lina Read 1st June
Just before the recording starts Jill talked to the children about the account of Elijah's interaction with the Widow of Zarephath and her son. In this part for the adults she picks up on the theme of generosity by interviewing Lina Read about the amazing extent to which God has enabled her business to fund charitable projects which support educational opportunities, particularly for those caught in poverty in the UK and overseas.
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Generosity Practice 2: Watch Out For Greed!
John Mark Comer 25th May
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No matter how much we accumulate, we never feel like we have enough; the more we get, the more we want.
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Rather than bringing lasting happiness, wealth often increases our anxiety, discontent, and loneliness.
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Jesus repeatedly cautions against the dangers of greed, reminding us that life is not found in an abundance of possessions.
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Beyond warning, Jesus calls us into a simpler way of living, rooted in the biblical virtue of contentment.
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We often believe we’ll be happy once we achieve or acquire something new, but this is a lie.
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True contentment isn’t something we buy or earn; it’s a gift that Jesus offers, leading us into lasting joy.
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The Quiet Revival
Emanuel Prinz 18th May
Emanuel speaks about the quiet revival that has been in progress in the UK over the past 5+ years, with churches seeing over 2 million more regular attendees than in 2018!
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Generosity Practice 1: There Is More Joy In Giving Than Receiving
John Mark Comer 11th May
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Jesus’ call to generosity is rooted in his vision of God as our provider and our place in His world.
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A “healthy eye” represents an abundance mindset, seeing the world as full of God’s provision and blessing.
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Those with an abundance mindset live with gratitude and generosity, recognizing everything as a gift.
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A “scarcity mindset” views the world as dangerous and lacking, leading to fear, greed, and self-preservation.
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From a scarcity mindset, Jesus’ teachings on generosity seem unrealistic, while from an abundance mindset, they bring freedom and peace.
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The practice of generosity is a spiritual discipline that reshapes our hearts to align with Jesus’ abundance mindset.
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Spiritual Discernment Slides
Anthea Wratten 13th April
Anthea examines what is meant by the phrase 'Spiritual Discernment', gives some examples both from her own life and the Bible, and outlines some practical steps we can take individually and as a community to 'discern well'.
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The Fruit of The Spirit: Self-control Slides
Jonny Ruffell 6th April
The "adults" talk from this month's family meeting in which Jonny considers the fruit of self-control and the wisdom of the warning "Keep away from the crisp aisle". |
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Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life (week 9) Slides
Andy Read 30th March
In conclusion: the answer is ...... Jesus. Andy asserts that if our view of God doesn’t look like Jesus, there is something seriously wrong. Let's deepen our relationship with Him at every opportunity. (Sorry, no video version this week). |
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Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life (week 8)
Nigel Stock 23rd March
Real or Fake - do not be tempted by other versions of the Gospel. Looking at 1 John chapters 2-3, Nigel explores who Jesus is, what He achieved and what it means for us.
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Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life (week 7)
Anthea Wratten 16th March
Sharing our experiences of responding to seeing God move in the world. Anthea declares that this is not a time to be hiding, but to be standing tall as radical hope-carriers, shining in and with the love of Christ.
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Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life (week 6)
Emanuel Prinz 9th March
The Theology of Love that Leads to Eternal Life. God's love is the most essential reality in the universe. Let's receive this love by Remembering it, Journaling about it, Meditating on it and Contemplating it. Then let's radiate it to everyone we meet.
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The Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness
Sandra Bullen 2nd March
As part of this month's family meeting Sandra shared her thoughts about the Fruit of the Spirit in general, and in particular what the fruit of Faithfulness is all about. She focused on three aspects; God's faithfulness to us, the faithfulness we reflect back to Him, and our faithfulness to those around us. (No video this week) |
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Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life (week 5)
Al Bullen 23rd February
Speaking from 1 John chapter 2 12-17, Al shares a generational message for the church, and outlines how we can stay clean and share our distinctive way of living in and with the world.
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Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life (week 4)
Jill Stonehill 16th February
Based on the title 'Sharing our experiences of responding to God's voice' Jill poses four questions to help us reflect on what we've learnt over the first 3 talks in the current teaching series. 1) How do we hear God? 2) Where do we look to hear God’s voice? 3) What are our stories of responding to God’s prompting us? 4) Where has this made a difference to someone else?
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Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life (week 3)
Nigel Rivers 9th February
Light versus Darkness - walking in the way of Jesus. Speaking from 1 John chapter 2, Nigel urges us to love as Jesus did: not just with words, but with selfless actions.
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Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life (week 2)
Paul Wratten 26th January
'God is Light, so walk in the light of His forgiveness'. Paul urges us regularly to 'come clean' with God, as one of our Spiritual disciplines, because we can be confident that He will totally forgive us.
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Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life (week 1)
Andy Read 19th January
Andy introduces our new teaching series in which we will looking at the three letters written by John: "Hearing, Seeing, Touching the Word of Life" (or more simply, "Love John").
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2025 New Year Message
Anthea & Paul Wratten 12th January
Anthea and Paul encourage us as church family to pursue a deeper relationship with God in 2025.
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