Ray Bell

Last week we heard of God’s plan and desire to have a people of his own who will abide with him, and he with them. This all began in the Garden of Eden. However, sin, guilt and shame now interrupt this true abiding. Fear and death now loom over us and over all creation. What’s…

This week we commence a new series, ‘Abide In Me’. Whilst this phrase doesn’t appear in the Scriptures until John’s gospel, it has been God’s yearning from before the foundation of the world. As the great prophetic anthem declares, ‘I will be your God, and you will be my people’. God longs to have a…

Brian Arthur will be preaching this Sunday. He writes, “Three things have stirred my heart in coming to you this week and a fourth brought my theme into focus. I received a prophetic email from Ian Pennicook (from which I have taken my title); I read Ray’s précis for last week’s proclamation and over the…

Early in Luke we read that he wrote his gospel to Theophilus so that he might have certainty concerning the things he had been taught. As we conclude our series through Luke’s gospel this week, we hear of Jesus speaking to his disciples saying that everything about him in the Scriptures must be fulfilled. This…

This weekend our nation will celebrate Easter. For some, this is a good opportunity to get away with the family for an extra long weekend. For others, there is a horse race to dress up for. For others still, it just means lots of chocolate. However, whilst these might all be good and enjoyable, there…

In Luke 22, Jesus has arrived at his destination – Jerusalem, and now prepares himself and his disciples for what lies ahead – his betrayal, their confusion, their faltering egos and false hopes, and his own suffering and impending death. The meal which provides the context for these events is often called ‘The Last Supper’.…

James Krieg will be preaching this Sunday from this chapter where Jesus foretells the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the coming of the Son of Man. He writes, “Just days before his crucifixion, Jesus speaks to his disciples about an event within their lifetimes that will, in a starkly visible way, mark the end of…

In days when authority is not only questioned without shame, but often ignored and denied all together, it is appropriate and helpful for us to consider how Jesus himself, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, responded to his authority being questioned in Luke 19:45-20:18. In light of this, we will see what riches…

Bob Ricks will resume our series through the Gospel of Luke this week, picking up where we left off in chapter 19, at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He writes, “Christ had long set His face to Jerusalem and the cross and now that time has come. We see in the narrative of Luke 19:…

As we conclude our series through Philippians, Paul once again rejoices in the partnership he has with the saints at Philippi. He is extremely grateful for their kind and generous gift to him, delivered personally by Epaphroditus, and considers such a gift ‘a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.’ However, he also…