City Church Sheffield Podcast

God challenged Peter's prejudices by showing him a sheet full of ritually unclean animals. We all have prejudices. So if God were to show us a sheet, what would it contain?

Paul encourages the Philippians to be joyful, just as he himself is. His joy is undergirded by three anchor points; he is secure in the grace of God, he is confident in the power of God and he knows the affection of Christ. So let's be joyful whatever this new year has in store.

We need to guard our heart, especially when terror strikes, when trials come and when temptations lurk. We guard our hearts by letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly, and we don't do it just on our own but in fellowship with the Church.

Jesus teaches his disciples about the seriousness of sin, the reality of hell and the offer of life. So how do we live in the light of this?

Christ is our example in his humility, service and love. He calls us to imitate him, particularly in how we relate to others.

Having heard the basics of the gospel, we need to move on to maturity, not relying on milk but on solid food. It is a sign a spiritual maturity that we know the truth, that we are convinced of it, and are able to teach others.

God has put us in our various communities in order to bless the nations, whether they come to us or whether we go to them. God is calling us to be a church which is ethnically and culturally diverse, which is led by the Holy Spirit and which goes on global mission - both where we are and overseas.

Like Daniel, we live in turbulent times, so how do we respond? The world empires signified by the beasts in Daniel's dream are given authority for a time, but their authority will eventually be taken from them. God does not just pronounce judgement and deal with tyrants, but he is also setting up his own kingdom. So let's not give in to a climate of fear in turbulent times.

Jesus reformulates the people of God into a group centred on himself, yet models humility for us and introduces a topsy-turvy value system in his kingdom, where gentleness is celebrated. We welcome God by welcoming Jesus, and we welcome Jesus by welcoming those that society considers the lowest.

The apostle Peter encourages Christians facing trials that they are chosen and have a living hope through Christ's resurrection. They should set their hope on the salvation God has laid up for them in heaven, being aware of the attacks that will come and not conforming but being set apart as obedient children.

Learning from the story of Gideon how believing God's word takes us from weak, fearful people to those who can do all things through Christ. [Download Ben's slides](http://d2lpchbt6qg0df.cloudfront.net/uploads/15-11-08_16-9_Ben_s_Slides.pptx)

What we believe about Jesus puts us in one of two groups - those who are redeemed and those who are going to spend eternity without God. Jesus gathers his sheep by laying down his life and taking it up again, and we can respond either like the Pharisees who criticised him or the blind man whom Jesus healed in the previous chapter, who worshipped him.

The disciples had successes but, like us, they had failures too, and Jesus helps them to handle this. The boy's father recognised that he had a mixture of belief and unbelief, and asked Jesus to take him as he was, and Jesus helps him to battle his unbelief. He also helps the disciples to learn to pray.

The disciples saw Jesus in his glory on a mountain top, and wanted to preserve the moment. But our "mountain top" experiences where we have a special glimpse of God's glory are not meant to be preserved, but are meant to encourage us in our everyday life experiences.

The Jewish High Priest was appointed by God to be a representative of men to God. Similarly, Jesus was appointed by God to be High Priest for ever, to represent us to God. Jesus knows what real life is like - he is one of us.

Learning from Paul, the great apostle, about how to boast and delight in our weaknesses in order that Christ's strength may rest on us.

There is an invitation to the lost to come back to the Father; there is an instruction to believers to develop a relationship with the Father, to not become resentful when our service doesn't attract attention, and to rejoice when others turn to God; and there is an indication as to what God is like, not just saving us but bringing us into his household.

Blessan looks at the role Barnabas played in Paul's acceptance by the apostles, and the developing and discipling of this dangerous new believer.

Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, who has come to save us. But he comes to save us not from what is on the outside (e.g. the Romans) but from what is on the inside (our aim to get the best out of life). Jesus will be rejected and killed, and if this is what happens to the leader, this is what will happen to the followers. But Jesus leads his followers to heaven too.

Isn’t the Bible just a book of myths from thousands of years ago with very little relevance to modern day UK? Guest speaker Adrian Holloway helps us to look at whether or not the Bible is accurate and trustworthy.

Jesus opens the eyes of the physically blind but he also opens the eyes of the spiritually blind. Because the Kingdom of God has come, we can expect God to heal today, but because it has not yet come in its entirety we should not be troubled that he doesn't heal everybody.

We can enter God's rest today - we don't have to wait till we get to heaven. We can choose, in every situation we face to avoid unbelief and dwell in his rest.

Paul and Silas could have become cynical when they ended up in prison, and concluded either that God had not been leading them or that he had deceived them. But they knew that God had a plan, and even though they may not have felt like praising him, they do so. God always fulfils his plans, but he fulfils them his way, not ours.

Jesus shows us what he is like by his response to three groups of people. He responds with compassion to the eagerness of the crowd in bringing the deaf man to him; he responds to the aggression of the Pharisees by leaving them; and he responds to the confusion of his disciples with commitment to them.

Letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly enables us to teach and admonish with wisdom as the Word of Christ bubbles up in us, and we will sing psalms about the Father, hymns about Jesus and songs of the Spirit.

Knowing how good God really is encourages us to pursue him as those in whom Christ dwells, and in whom his Spirit he has generously poured out.

Description to follow.

The Bible is not so much an "instruction manual for life", but it is a rich treasure which we can store up in order to encounter Jesus and know him better. Dan unpacks the benefits of letting the word dwell in us richly and provides some practical suggestions for how to go about doing so.

Don’t be dissuaded by fear or sin and turn back to your old way of living. Remember & encourage each other what an amazing secure hope we have been brought into that is greater by far.

The gospel has amazing implications for all people. We are light, designed to make known the good news. The Holy Spirit equips us to speak it to those around us in the places we meet them.

Like the early church, we are called to take the gospel to people, for example by talking with friends and neighbours. But being filled with the Holy Spirit is crucial - we need to ask God for his Spirit.

The Pharisees would not have wanted anything to do with the Syrophoenician woman, but Jesus goes into her territory, and in delivering her daughter he prepares his disciples for the time when the gospel will go to the whole world.

Jesus was fully human, and we have the same power to overcome temptation that he had. He didn't argue or negotiate with temptation but fought it with God's Word.

Moses interceded for the people and represented them to God, and because God was pleased with Moses he promised to be with the people of Israel. Jesus is greater than Moses. God is pleased with Jesus and so God is with us. Let's fix our eyes on Jesus.

Jesus represents a new way which is in contrast with the old way of handed-down traditions and rules, which is represented by the Pharisees. Jesus shows that the Pharisees' worship of God is just play-acting. God is looking for worship from the heart, and so we must guard our hearts.

As those who call on the name of the Lord, we are made holy in Christ so that we can live accordingly, enriched in our speaking and knowledge, and secure for eternity - Jesus will keep us strong until he returns.

Like the disciples in the boat, we are called to be courageous disciples when we face adversity and difficulties by remembering what the Lord has already done for us, because Jesus doesn't leave us but comes to us.

Jesus is training his disciples. As disciples of Jesus, we should neither be passive observers nor arrogantly do things on our own initiative. We need to spend time with Jesus, learn how to cope with interruptions beyond our control, and take risks and steps of faith.

Herod had persuaded Herodias to leave Herod's brother Philip so that Herod may marry her, and John's message of repentance troubled his conscience. John shows us what it's like to live for God. Being different is costly. There is a clash of kingdoms. Do we live for the kingdom of God or the kingdom of "me"?

Jesus sends his disciples to take the good news to the people. But he isn't looking for people who are well-prepared, but people who are willing. He is looking for people whose only support and safety net is God. And he gives them what they really need - his authority.

Stephen speaks boldly of the God who does not live in temples made by human hands.

We can learn from the exploits of David's Mighty Men. Although we are under a different covenant, we have the same God. We no longer fight against human beings as they did, but we should have the same conviction and mindset that they had. Just as they were willing to lay down their lives for David, we should be committed to following Christ no matter what.

Learning from Moses how to handle hardships and learning from the Israelites how not to.

When we break bread together as a church we remember and proclaim Jesus' death and also look forward to his coming. His death and his return are two vantage points that we can focus on in times of hardship. We also need to discern his body as we celebrate the Lord's Supper.

We can take offence at Jesus by stumbling over the messenger, over the message or over our own disappointments and failed expectations. We can promote an atmosphere of faith by enjoying God's word, being honest with God when things are difficult and giving thanks for what we've already received.

Jesus is our brother who saves us, he is our brother who understands and helps us in our temptations and he is our brother who is an example for us and whom we can follow.

The testimony of the Galatians' early experience, the testimony of Abraham, and the work of Jesus all show that the only way to be saved is through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. God looks for faith, not works.

It was important for the Apostles to devote themselves to the ministry of the Word and prayer, and the Church grew as a result. We too should study God's word and spend time with God in prayer.

Although Jesus was always the perfect Son of God, God saw fit to make him a perfect sacrifice through suffering, so that could pay the wages of sin. God saw fit to show grace to us, and it's fitting for us to show grace to one another.

A synagogue ruler humbles himself before Jesus in desperation, and a sick woman is healed by touching his cloak. But Jesus is not satisfied with just healing physically - he stops to ask who touched him so that he can give the woman peace.