Kesed

Michael Roberts - Setting Others Up to Win, Gathering and Sending - Unity. "An Undivided Heart". Isaiah 52:7 - We are sent to bring good news. God is not holding people's sins against them, that is good news. Sin means to 'wander off the path' - the path that God has for us. Jesus died for us to save us from sin. He rose again and brings unity, healing and wholeness. The Greek word 'Dikaioo' used in the original writing of the New Testament means 'not guilty'. Jesus has been punished for our sin. Each day we wake we are 'not guilty'. It is the goodness of God that leads man to repentance. Isaiah 6:8 - "here I am, send me" was Isaiah's response to the Lord. When the church is operating in fullness we will be in total unity and intimacy with Jesus. We will be mature in wisdom and in our gifting. Ephesians 4:7-13. (MSG) God uses all the giftings to get everyone to work in time with each other. John 17:21 - as we start to unify, the world will see Jesus within us. If unity is where the church will be the strongest and have the most impact that is where the devil will attack. What starts the anointing? Psalm 133:1-3. When we live together in unity, as we flow together. Leviticus 21:5 the beard allows the oil to flow over the whole body. The anointing comes through unity. God can work through it and honour it. As the church we are known as the body of Christ - 1 Cor 12:12. We have to learn to work together with our differences as we all make up the body. Romans 15:5. The gathering together is in unity. He wants to send us out with an undivided heart. We all have things that can divide us, but God wants us to bring an undivided heart. Psalm 86:11, Ezekiel 11:19. Divisions come in life, but go to God and ask for an undivided heart. Asking for a heart of flesh is asking for a soft heart for people. Luke 22:31 - Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith may not fail. Luke 17:21-22 - also 'among you' - in unity of heart. Romans 14:17 - righteousness, peace and joy - this is the Kingdom of God.

Pastor Sarah Jane Roberts - "The X Factor" 1973 - when flares were the height of fashion - the US horse racing industry was at a low. A horse called Secretariat rose up and became an incredible champion. It seemed that he didn't just want to win, he wanted to run every race as the best race he could ever run. There was a secret behind his success - after he died an autopsy revealed his heart was approximately 2/3 heavier than that of an average horse. He had an enlarged heart. The enlarged heart, occasionally found in thoroughbreds, is linked to a generic condition passed down via the dam line is known as the "x factor". When we become a Christian we come into the family of God - we come into His bloodline - we can have enlarged hearts - which can drive us to become champions. Are you going to be a person for God with an enlarged heart and run your race well? You and I are in this race - 1 Corinthians 9:24. Phill 3:13-14 - both verses are talking about setting out to win. No one runs to lose. When you run you're focused on what you're doing having trained hard. God has called us to run with determination, not be distracted and with Him at the centre. God is saying this comes out of running with a large heart. We have so many terms for the condition of our heart: 'half hearted', 'broken hearted' or that your 'heart isn't in it'. Your heart leads you into action. Luke 12:34. Where your treasure is... What gets in your heart leads you. Treasure is a concentration of riches, often considered lost or forgotten until re-discovered. God is stirring us as a church to get back God as our first love. Get back our relationship with Jesus. Some of us have forgotten the treasure, forgotten the race. What is the most important thing to God? People. He is calling us to be fiery and passionate for Him. Matt 22:37. Some of us need to go on a bit of a treasure hunt - why are you in church? Duty or passion? Our fire and passion can ebb away little by little - until we're burdened and are trying to run the race with a heavy burden. The whole time you're looking at circumstances you won't run well. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. God is looking for people with a heart after Him. 2 Chron 16:9. God looks at humanity and can see who has a heart for Him. As God looks into your heart He sees, He knows if you're loyal, if your heart breaks for the things that His heart breaks for, a passion for church to be as He intended it to be. Does He see someone passionate when He looks at you? Sometimes we have a relationship with God on paper - a covenant of forgiveness - but not a relationship. As the world gets darker the church gets brighter. The world will want to know why we're so passion about God. He is after a passionate bride. A bride that is totally in love with the King. Keep your relationship with Jesus fired up. King David is a great example of a man with a heart after God. Acts 13:22. 'He will do the things I want Him to do' - do you want God to be able to say that about you? The first thing about having a supernaturally large heart is to have faith in God. David had faith to face the Giant. 1 Sam 17:46 - David had ultimate faith in God. He never waivered. We need to be the same, pray, seek His face and run with passion. Do you have unwavering faith in God? David had a heart for God's law, covenant and word. David wrote over half of the Psalms in the Bible. Psalm 119:10-11. Increase in the word - get it in your heart - there is such significance and power in the word. There is always more in God. Be like David - a man who knew the covenant. Do you live by the word of God? David had a heart of worship and praise - it is not just about a Sunday morning it is about a life style. When we worship we are saying God is bigger than our situation. Our worship comes from the heart. Psalm 57 - David had a "worship whatever" mentality. David exalted God above His circumstances. No matter what. Will you exalt God above your health, your finances, everything - the good and the bad? God will come and bring breakthrough. The church is God's army - but not like the army of the 'grand old duke of York' - when they were up they were up, when they were down they were down. God doesn't want a church like that, when you are down God wants a church that will still worship Him. If we decide not to read the word or go to church because we feel "God hasn't come through". We need to decide to still praise the Lord throughout, whatever the circumstance - God will deliver you but put Him first. Do you have a heart of exalting God above circumstances? David had a heart of repentance. Psalm 51:1-2. It is so important to keep our hearts pure. Keep communication open with the King. He looks at our hearts and knows whether we are truly repentant. God sees the deceit and love of our heart. 1 Sam 16:7 Do you have a heart that is quick to repent? Keep a short account with Jesus. Gal 5:22 talks of the fruit of the spirit - what we develop in our heart in the secret place is evident in our lives. We have something different to the world. We can have an enlarged heart for God - if we can take it on board, what a difference we can make for God. God's heart is that 'none should perish' - when someone comes forward to believe in Jesus the whole of Heaven celebrates. Do you have the "x factor" as a Christian? We have that ability as the King resides in us. Isaiah 22:22 - this year is a significant year of shift, where doors that have been closed will be opened and doors that should be shut are shut. This year will see a different manifestation of the Holy Spirit than we have had before. God will do this year, that which He has not previously done. It starts with faith, reading the word and with worship. You have got the "x factor".

Pastor Barry Roberts - "Listen and Obey". We're on a journey of introducing the Holy Spirit - getting to know Him and understand Him and how that brings power and witness to our walk. He is kind, honorific, patient, never gives up. In a fight He is the strongest and best - and packs a punch. For too many years the church has not been engaging with Jesus, we have the equipment but are just plodding along. The next step is to listen, and obey. When the Lord tells you to do something He will empower you to do it. Because Pastor Barry said 'yes' to the Lord He has empowered Pastor Barry to build Kesed Church. God is going to start dropping thoughts into our minds and then empower us to do those things. The ministry of the Holy Spirit has many gifts (see image) - Purpose gifts - 1 Cor 12:4-11, Romans 12:6-8 and People gifts (people who are the gift) Ephesians 4-11. All of these gifts are as powerful as the others. Pastor Barry believes God is taking us on a journey where we listen, obey, and are empowered - then we will see the power of the Lord. Deuteronomy 28:1-7. The flavour is 'listen and obey'. If you obey you can expect these things to happen. A blessing is when you get a supernatural force behind your life. When the Lord blesses you it is not just about you - it is about your family, your work and others areas of life that are included. John 1:47-51 - Jesus knew that His disciples knew the details of Jacob's ladder - He was talking of Himself being the ladder - He is the way and has opened communication with the Father. He wants a relationship with You. You are the apple of His eye. He paid the price of sending His Son. John 16:12-15 - we need to engage with the Holy Spirit so that we can hear the Father's heart. The Holy Spirit brings correction because He loves us - He will put us with the right people and get us in the right condition. The Holy Spirit is our helper. He leads us into all truth. John 14:26 - often we make wrong decisions and deep down sometimes we even know we've made the wrong decision. Get out of those things - acknowledge that we've made a mistake - seek the Lord and ask Him to show you. Church should be a place of life in its fullness. Engage in the life of the church, then you will grow and flourish. If we pull out of relationship with the Holy Spirit it's not long before we lose power and life. There are many examples in the word where men of God know what God is saying and act - and it comes from knowing God, spending time with Him. If you're in a position where you're not sure if you're hearing God - get a mentor in your life. God is looking for a church that will develop the fruits of the spirit, they develop out of a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Then when we develop those character traits and walk them out - the test of whether they are works of the flesh or works of the spirit it can be found in who gets glorified. If the Holy Spirit empowers you and we allow love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness and self-control to guide us, we will see change in this town. James 2:18. Your relationship with Jesus is a faith relationship - as He works those fruits in you, people will see your good works because of your faith. Matthew 5:16 - it's not about you, it's always about Him. Live like you mean it - engage with Heaven, it's all done, the victory has been won - appropriate the victory. Engage with Him, listen, obey and you will be blessed and you will be a blessing. It will be normal to you to encourage and give words of knowledge and bring freedom through words of wisdom. It will come when we get serious with Him.

Table showing a list of 'gifts' to link with Pastor Barry's message: "Listen and Obey"

Matt Proudfoot - "A Key to a Lighter Life" - Matt 11:28-30 - theme verse "my yoke is easy and burden is light". We are called to heavy fruits in the Kingdom but a lighter life. Today has a K.E.Y. - K is for knowledge - cultural differences can be a big thing. There is a big difference between how the Bible was written and our we approach it with our Western mindset. We have a mindset based on Greek thinking - 'knowledge is king'. The Bible was written with a Hebraic mindset - which is more based on mystery and trust. Embracing mystery and trust in God is a much lighter way of living as opposed to having to know everything. 'Show me the money' is a phrase at the centre of our Western mindset. We will do what it takes to get the knowledge. Sometimes we can get to a place of hating the details of our lives but make that sacrifice as we want the security. The biblical mindset agrees with working hard but acknowledging this and knowing that ultimately our Heavenly Father provides. Jesus prayed 'give us today our daily bread' we trust Him day to day, we trust Him with our future. Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow. It is a different way of thinking to make our lives lighter. Needing to know God's will is good - but it can get heavy - the irony of striving to know God's will can destroy God's will for your life. Take a mindset like Jesus - trust and 'be about your Father's business' TODAY. If we change our Western mindset, life will become lighter. E - Emotions - wouldn't it be nice if we could just control our emotions? Our emotions follow our thoughts even if they are heading in the wrong direction. It can happen in all areas of life. Philippians 4:8 - they follow either of 2 route sub conscious thoughts - "everything is going to be alright" or "everything is not going to be alright". The positive have a flicker of hope no matter what. The negative have a 'when's it going to go wrong' mentality - an 'evil foreboding'. A feeling that whatever happens, will go wrong. To counter this we must have a correctly ordered view of God. God is love above all else - judgement and justice come out of love. Spend time studying and soaking in the love of God - that is who God is - that is the main 'tree trunk' of God. When that has overtaken you, then you can study the other 'branches' of His character such as judgement and justice. 1 John 4:18. We can do the Bible a disservice by missing the bigger story. If we can see the story of the word; hope, mercy and perfect love - ultimately it is a story of restoration. Studying the verses of the bible have to be done in the knowledge with the bigger story of restoration. If we can change the root thought our emotions will change and follow that. Y - Yourself - John 3:30. It can take a long time of painful experiences to get rid of the 'me' in life. If we can work on the 'me me me' in life, then it will become lighter. Sometimes we can try everything, every practice, every technique - but hit a wall. Matt had an experience from a broken place and God showed him that he had the 'me' operating. God wanted to break a piece of the 'me me me' in Matt and make him lighter. The Holy Spirit wants to move and shift things.

Mrs Jo Roberts - "Hitting The Wall" We all love a catch phrase or a cliche - we can come up against all sorts of 'walls' in a variety of areas of our lives. However, it's not just a cliche, it happens in endurance sports like marathon running - a depletion of glycogen results in sudden fatigue and loss of energy. When it happens, legs turn to jelly and people literally collapse. It can happen in life too. If you are running your race for God, not just on a Sunday, every single aspect, you can get to a point where you hit 'the wall'. We're going to look at: Why do people hit the wall? What does it represent? There is a trap we can fall into and how to get past 'The Wall'. Firstly why? - we can lose focus. Galatians 5:7. We can forget that we're running for God and focus on the running instead of Him. We can also give without receiving from God. 1 Kings 19:3-5. Elijah calls out to God and God responds - God didn't answer Elijah's prayer but sent an Angel who told Him to 'get up'. Saul, on the road to Damascus was told to 'get up'. Psalm 40:2 - we are not to wallow. The Angel then tells Elijah to eat - what it means for us is to pick up your bible, pray, talk to God and engage with the Holy Spirit. If you have accepted Jesus then you are engaged to Him, you are the bride of Christ. Then Elijah was allowed time to rest. God rested from creation. It is a challenge to rest. Choose to put God first and see what He can do through you. Rest in Him. The Angel told Elijah to eat again - this was for Elijah to be able to give out, we need to remind ourselves in the spiritual that we need to find time to be strengthened and replenished so that we don't miss opportunities to give out. What does 'the wall' represent? God doesn't put the wall there but He allows it. God will get your attention when you're there. Romans 8:37-39 - Nothing can separate you from the love of God. It is key to listen to God when you are at 'the wall'. You are never alone, Deuteronomy 31:8 - the feeling of being alone can take over and can consume you even amongst friends and family. In that place, you can cry out to God and He says 'get up'. Listen to God and obey Him. If we are not careful and do not listen to God then there is a trap you can fall into - Jo calls it the 'little pig mentality'. When we are faced with a wall and choose not to listen to God - there is a temptation to start to think like the third little piggy and not let the enemy 'blow our house down'. Sometimes it's easy to focus on what the enemy might do or can do instead of what the Holy Spirit will do. So we can build ourselves a little brick fort at the wall, then stay in our little brick fort waiting for what might happen. Being in there is a bit bland, so we dress it up, get widescreen tv, comfy chairs - but the truth is we are then happy there - we've set up 'camp comfort zone'. We are no threat to the enemy in that place, we become our own worse enemies. Then do we get mad with ourselves? The enemy? No, we choose to get mad with God - the God whose voice you didn't listen to. We might grumble "He hasn't spoken to me or used me lately", sitting in a place that we've built in our own strength. Another word for a fort is a stronghold. God is your stronghold. Psalm 9:9. Psalm 27:1. Psalm 43:2. There are many verses reaveling that God is our stronghold. 2 Cor 10:3-5 - God has equipped us with divine power to demolish strongholds. Come back to God, the stronghold of our lives. As we look at 'the wal'l, not built by God, there will be missing bricks - through those holes you will see Jesus - focus on Jesus and run into His open and ever lasting arms. The beautiful whisper of the Holy Spirit will be louder than the shouts of doubt and the shouts of the enemy. Focus and engage with the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 12:4 - run with perseverance and know that Heaven is cheering you on. We need to remember how good it is to be cheered on and to cheer others on.

Matthew Proudfoot - God is My Delight. This is also the title of An amazing book written by Philip Kellar, a shepherd in NZ. A book of pure simplicity, how he lived with a simple delight in God, being led by the Spirit. From reading this book Matthew had his first Christian vision - wanting to have this simplicity. To breathe and delight in God. A place of simple, biblical revelation. Three basic truths of our Christianity - 1.) You have a Father. In Buddhism there is no father, just Buddah who Buddists aspire to be like. In Islam there is a God but no father. The New Age there is no father as there is no you to be a son - only a collective 'all'. Hindu has a source of life, but no father. Galatians 4:6 - the word 'Abba' is translated as a term of love and endearment - 'Daddy' - an intimate term. We can often think about God as a father from our own experience of our fathers. Fathers have a lot of pressure. Our heavenly Father is a perfect Father, He is concerned for our well being. No anger, no absence. Matthew 5:44-45. Matthew 6:26. Luke 6:35-36. We all know the parable of the prodigal son - perhaps it should be called the parable of the waiting father. He didn't care for culture where he would have been frowned upon for hitching up his robes and running - he ran anyway as he was overjoyed to greet His son. 2.) We have a Good Shepherd - we have something that no one can take away - we belong to Jesus. John 10:27-29. Matthew 18:12-14. We have all been that sheep that wondered off through various reasons - and sometimes we can feel like the one sheep whilst the other 99 are partying. The Good Shepherd loves the party but He loves the individual and will go far to find him. Whenever we are lost, if we love Him we belong to Him - He won't let you go. Jesus paid an amazing cost to be the good shepherd - Isaiah 53 describes some of the things He went through. 2 Cor 5:13, 2 Cor 8:9, Gal 3:13, Phil 2:7 - Jesus literally gave it all up so that we could belong to Him. It would be easy to say that He was the Son of God, of course He could handle it - but He was fully human - Mark 14:36 - Jesus had to go through a time of confusion so that He could relate to us. Matt 27:46 - Jesus cried out - He has been to the place of confusion and will come for you. You can have the worst day ever but look forward to the morning as Jesus can bring joy the next day. John 16:33. 3.) We have a comforter - the Holy Spirit - He is a person and we have a relationship with Him. It is His job to connect us to the Father. Maybe today you have felt something, a warmth, a revelation, a tingle - that is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like a child - so innocent, pure and gentle.

Pastor Barry Roberts - "An Empowered People". Isaiah 50 - set your face like flint - know where you are going, get away from the distractions of the world and make an impact because we mean business. Pastor Barry's personal opinion is that for too long the church has not had the impact that we have wanted to have because we have not engaged with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts you of right and wrong - when you are convicted you determine to do that which you are convicted of. The Holy Spirit is here to give glory to the Father and point the way to Jesus and to the Father. 2 Tim 3:5 - talking of a people in our time, we mustn't deny the power of the Holy Spirit. If we are not becoming more Christ-like we are denying the power of God. If we don't allow the power of God to come out of us and impact others we are denying His power. Zechariah 4:6 - the vision will be fulfilled by the Spirit - your actions are empowered to bring genuine change. 2 Tim 1:7. Luke 4:18-19. The church has been empowered to preach the good news and continue the work that Jesus started. Luke 10:19-20 - the most important thing is that we have a relationship with Jesus and an eternity in Heaven. Sometimes even Jesus could not convince people with His words, but would show them the miraculous. Somewhere along the line we have disengaged and lost some of the power. This year, set your face like flint, stop being distracted by this and that but be a people who engage the Holy Spirit. God has given us a spiritual desire - we need to be available to Him and engage Him better. Resurrection Sunday - John 20:19-22 - the first day of the Jewish week, Sunday, Jesus appeared to the disciples. Some people need to see something. Jesus breathed on the disciples, the same as when man was created and God breathed life into Adam and Eve. Romans 10:9 - This is Paul's definition of what it means to be saved. If you genuinely meet Jesus you can't be the same person as you were before. Pastor Barry met Jesus when he was seven whilst reading and praying with his mum. Sow into your children - spend time reading and praying with your children. Acts 1:4,5+8. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit - the purpose is to be a witness of Jesus. He empowers you to do the miraculous, for healing, for prophecy. Acts 2:1-4 We need the church to be in unity and of one accord. In this verse it talks of baptism of the Holy Spirit - an emersion, a covering, coming out and an overflow. When the Holy Spirit comes they receive power. Resurrection Sunday - Resurrection Christ, Inbreathed Spirit, Result: Life. Pentecost Sunday - the Ascended Christ, out poured Spirit, Result: Power. The disciples received the Holy Spirit and people saw it, we need to see the Holy Spirit working through people in church so that people can see the Holy Spirit working through us. We need to have an understanding of the Holy Spirit. Let's be people who say that we are open to all of the Holy Spirit's experience every day. The church needs to understand and say "use me, send me". Go in Jesus' strength. Acts 8:15-17 it is the experience of the power of the Holy Spirit that will change us. Jesus needs to be number one, out of that intimacy we need to engage with the Holy Spirit. When we function together as a Holy Spirit led church we will bring change to this town.

Pastor Barry Roberts - Carpe Anum (seize the year). A reflective thank you from Pastor Barry Roberts for everyone who serves in church. Pastor is going away for a few days in January to pray and seek the Father for the year ahead. It always starts with prayer. If you want to see something happen in Colchester or in your life, it starts with prayer. We don't fight flesh and blood, we are in a spiritual battle we need to fight through prayer. It starts in prayer. As we head into 2013 there are things we want to achieve so let's up our prayer. Sometimes in life we have to seize something - it doesn't just get dropped into our laps. Make a decision to have a fixed, steely determination that the next year will count. If you can be stirred up to pray and be who you are called to be, then the next year can count. We are all at a different stage of our Christian walk but we are a family, and we pull together. You are a son or daughter of the King and you were born on purpose. You were born at this time for a reason. Sometimes with a fire that is dying there are embers, if you can treat the embers correctly then it can become a fire, it can become a furnace and give great heat. Matt 24:14 The Kingdom of God is where Jesus rules. Where He is in charge. Matt 16:18-19 - the job of the church is to release Heaven on earth, to extend Jesus' rule. 2 Cor 2:14 we are led in triumph in Christ. How we are going to live in church? In triumph. Matt 24:12 - some people will not be fired up but will become cold. We need to be the church that falls into the category of 'stirred up' and 'on fire'. You will achieve something amazing when you pray, seek the Father and keep doing your best. 2 Tim 3:1 - we will step into a time in 2013 when there will be a difference between those who play church and those who are church. You need to be in church, be a part of what He is doing. If we continue to pray and seek the Father we will see a river of blessing flowing from the church. Its no longer about me it's about the Father's course. It's about getting on your knees. A fired up church is going to be used by God to bring Heaven to earth. It takes men and women to stand together and have faith. When you act as a kingdom person you bring the presence of Jesus - you bring something of Heaven to earth, you will bring healing and peace and love. A fired up church will always extend the Kingdom. It can't be extinguished. In nations where they are not allowed to meet as Christians but they keep meeting anyway, they are passionate, they meet in secret, they see healing, they see salvation, they see growth. In the UK church today we are seeing perilous times, we are seeing a reduction of our Christianity and we are weakening and dumbing down our spirituality. Let's be a bunch of people that know the King deeper. Let's be a bunch of people who get to know each other deeper. Let's be spiritual people, stir yourself up spiritually. We need a passion for Jesus and an abandonment for His cause and be passionate for the things that are on the Father's heart. If we do it half heartedly, or aren't available He will raise someone else up. Let's make ourselves available. Let's make ushering His Kingdom into our lives and our town the number one, the top priority Matt 6:33. 1 Cor 14:1 - we need to eagerly desire the gifts - allow God to stir up the gifts inside you. 1 Cor 12:27 onwards - read it. Helping others is a spiritual gift - it isn't complicated it is about being you. Administration - the church needs organisation - sometimes we can over spiritualise things. Jesus stands at the door of your life and knocks, if you are prepared to get on your knees He will respond to you. It's not about playing church, it is about being church. One last question - Do you want it? Do we want it more than everything else that is on offer? Do we want to see it more than the other things in our lives? In the natural we could look at Colchester and ask how we could make a difference - but if we start ushering the Kingdom to the best of our ability, we do our best He will do the rest. The Welsh revival was started by one young man who wanted it more. We need to want it more, want it so badly, seek first the Kingdom... Let's not be people who just rattle off scriptures but mean it and live it.

Pastor Barry Roberts - The Shepherd's Story. Shepherd's lived a different kind of lifestyle - it was a full on life - out in the heat, the cold, the elements, defending the sheep against bears, wolves and other carnivores. There would have been tough challenges in life protecting the sheep. In wider society the shepherd would have been separated, and weren't that welcome in the main populated areas or in the temple. Shepherds were a group who worked and lived together, a group of hardened, strong men. When the angel visited them - they were afraid, they were in awe. These were not wimps, they would have defeated wild animals coming after their sheep - yet they were stunned by the angel. The angel spoke peace to them - God hadn't spoken to the nation for hundreds of years, but chose to speak to shepherds. The angel told them about the new born King. They chose to go to Bethlehem, found the stable and true to the angel's word there was the baby Jesus. They celebrated with the parents. The kings celebrated as well. They too had followed a sign from God. All were equal coming before Jesus. Shepherds and kings. Luke 2:14 - the shepherds had peace and favour - which meant a relationship with God. He promised a peace in your heart. some shepherds would have chosen not to go, would have chose to be busy and asked God to step into their world. Others chose to stop what they were doing and step into God's world. We can all choose just to get on with our lives - or we can choose to put God first and see the world changed for Him through us. The reality is that God lives you and has a big picture that He wants you to play a part in. Take time to stop and listen in your busy life - when you say to God that you want to step into His big plan - He will talk to you. Would you stop for a moment and ask Him to speak to you?

Pastor Sarah Jane Roberts - Preparing for Intimacy with God in 2013 We are in a season of preparation for Christmas. After Christmas comes a New Year and that is when people start thinking about making changes. Many people start New Year's resolutions but don't carry them on and often slip back to where they started. It's time to prepare for the next year and before it's started let's look back at 2012 and decide to take the good into next year and leave the bad. 2013 is new and now is the season to get ready for the new year, we have a new slate and a new beginning, so let's start well so that we're not starting unprepared in January. As a Christian we are always on a journey of change. We must always be looking to be transformed into the image of Christ. As long as we come to God and are prepared to be moulded and changed then we will not be the same from one January to the next. 2 Corinthians 3:18 - our mission is to be changed from glory to glory so that when people look at our lives they see the change. Are you prepared to change? We need to know that it's no good to go backwards we have to go forwards in our relationship with God. In the Bible the Lord changed people's names as He was speaking into their future. God wants wants to speak into the future of our lives. We need to stop labelling ourselves with the past and have a name change for ourselves that we are going to be more intimate with God in 2013. John the baptist's whole life was in preparation and making a way for Jesus. John 1:19-23. This talks about making a way for Jesus. It's key for our lives, make it a priority to be intimate with Jesus. The people heard the voice of John saying 'make way'. Choose to put Jesus first, choose to make way. It starts with communication. We need to start thinking about it now, thinking about our intimacy with God for 2013. There was a prophetic word a few months back where the Lord said 'come away with me'. It's so important to have intimacy with the Father, nothing is a substitute for that. We need that one on one and to open up our heart to Him. God wants relationship with us - He loves you and wants an intimate relationship with you. Luke 5:16 - even Jesus set time aside to spend alone with the Father. It's important not waste time. If we don't plan correctly we get side tracked. Jesus needs to be a priority - Jesus needs to be the centre and priority for life. When we come to Jesus first in life everything else falls into place. What stops intimacy? Busyness. No one has time for everything. Religious mindset can set in, and we can schedule God into our lives, do a God slot and then for one reason or another not be able to do our 'duty' then feel condemned for that. Jesus doesn't want a relationship out of duty of what we have to do for Him, but the relationship needs to be out of freedom. God intended for us to be in relationship with him, a relationship of freedom, not religion. Ephesians 2:4-10. When God looks down at us He sees the perfection of His son. We need to stop living in the devil's courtroom but need to live in the Lord's throne room. We deserve not to have a relationship with Jesus, but we have been offered freedom through grace. God didn't have to do that but He has offered us the opportunity to have freedom and a relationship with Him. Christianity is freedom. We need to have that desire to spend time with God. We all have the opportunity to have that intimate relationship with Jesus. If you go to Jesus first it makes a difference for setting up your life rather than going to Him with a crisis call. It comes from intimacy. In John 11:3 - the message that was sent was 'the one you love' it was about a relationship that Jesus had with Lazarus. And it was not too late, even though Lazarus died, Jesus raised him from the dead. Out of our relationship with Jesus we need to get to a place where we want to serve Him, not out of duty by out of love. Eternal life starts now, we all have access to the Father, when we are in heaven don't you want to already know the One you will spend eternity with? John 14:2-4. God has an amazing place prepared for us. You have an opportunity to come away with God. The Lord is saying "Come away with Me, come to Me to hear My voice, to hear My plans and My heartbeat. Will you come away with Me? I have the answers that you need. I'm not looking at your performance by I'm looking at your heart."

Pastor Barry Roberts - There's No Room What do you want 2013 to be? Let's be a people of vision - what is vision? A clear mental picture of a preferable future. Sometimes we need to get life by the scruff of the neck and make things happen. Mary and Joseph were heading to Bethlehem with a baby on the way. Joseph was about to have his first child with his wife, but when they arrived at Bethlehem they could not find a room. Can you imagine how he would have felt, getting desperate looking for room? Can you imagine Mary's take on the situation? Heavily pregnant and ready to give birth but there was no room - no where to stay. Eventually they we able to find space in a stable. How often in life do you find yourself with no room to give birth to a gift in you? We all have different gifts. What do you do when there is no room? There are things in each of us we want to flourish but sometimes we can be frustrated. Isaiah 49:23. Isaiah 43:19. The Lord says He will make a way where there is no way. In Matt 19:26 with God we won't be disappointed and all things are possible with Him. If He made the heavens and earth he can sort your marriage out, cause pregnancy where the doctors have said there is no way, He can do all things. In Mary and Joseph's story one kind man said he did not have much, but gave them the stable. Can you believe for one kind person in your life who can be God's provision to help you? Can you open up your heart to trust in God and to push to see the gift come to pass? As you push, people in church will get around you to see you give birth to the gift. Proverbs 18:16 - God will bring the right men and women around you to make it happen. Like the three kings who brought gifts for a king. The angels appear to shepherds, who comes to the party and then God takes a stable and makes it a God situation. Keep pushing and the Lord will make provision, you might not see it yet but keep trusting God. God sent His Son just for you. He sent Jesus to be born in a stable for you. If you make room for Jesus He will come into your life. Rev 3:20. can you make room for Jesus in your life? If you make room for Jesus life will be a whole lot better - You don't have to get it all, but rather than leave Him out in the stable, choose to put your hope in Him and He can work through you and with you to see those gifts come to fruition in your life. Haggai 2:7-9 - God is Saying He will fill His people with His glory. In 2013 we are going to work in this town and see some change, but it all starts with the question - will you make some room for Jesus?

Mickey Roberts - Setting Others Up To Win, Gathering and Sending - Part 3 If you come to a church where you are set up to win properly, everyone will want to be a part of that church. If we are in a church where things need to happen (and in all churches things need to happen) we need to set each other up to win to make things happen. Jesus spoke about rewards and judgements. The first judgement is whether or not you get to heaven, the second judgement is the rewards you will receive once you get there. We are living now to honour God not because of the rewards, but there will be rewards. Colossians 3:2 - set your minds on the things above. Think about how things will be. Jesus spoke the most about rewards, judgement is a good thing as well as a bad thing - you could get top marks. God will ask: Did you go and who did you send? Did you gather and help others gather? Jesus said He will build His church, when we gather, this is part of God's plan. The church is the gathering of 'called out people'. We invite people to church and gather people not for our own sake but for the sake of the Kingdom. If you send ten text messages to ten friends statistically you will get three people come. God has called us to the work of gathering. Three things that we are gathered by God to do - to be gathered to then go - to be salt and light, to be genuine and to have fruit. Godly character will change the world. We need to preach the good news, look for opportunities to tell others the good news, bring the revelation of who God is. We are called to release power from heaven - to heal the sick, cast out demons, God is powerful to break through into people's lives. If the gospel has no power then there is no point. Why gather? 1) God's governing power is manifest most when we gather. It overflows into your everyday life. As we gather God's power breaks through. 2) Pockets of mercy - over towns, streets and regions, nations. The bible says that when we gather, perhaps we shall have mercy and be hidden from difficulties. 3) Inheritance is released when we gather. 4 Covenants - Blood Covenant, Salt Covenant, Sandals Covenant, Marriage Covenant. Joshua 11:23. Joshua 5:13-15. To get your inheritance released you need to be on Jesus' side. Romans 3:24, John 6:29. You need to believe 'into' Jesus. That is the work of God. So many Christians live life with Jesus as a lucky charm, but we need to live our life on His team. We need to live for His team - then we will have the inheritance and life of God's team. During Old Testament times in Israel there was a sealed deed and an open deed. The open deed used to be sold but was returned after a number of years. Rev 5:4-5 talks of opening a scroll - you can see Jesus being the lamb that is worthy to open the sealed deed to this world. Jesus gave us back the deed of inheritance. This is restored as we gather together. As we look at the story of Ruth - she uncovered and rested at Boaz's feet - and that meant she was asking him to restore her inheritance. This is an echo of Jesus as He is our kinsman redeemer. As we believe into Jesus we need to learn how to come to rest. We need to learn that at Jesus' feet there is an inheritance restored. Jesus died and rose again to restore these all things to you.

Pastor Barry Roberts - Forgive? You must be joking! The earth is enormous and God's heart is that none should perish. If you are someone who takes time out to be with the Lord, then the fruit of that is the world will find your Godly character attractive and will be drawn to church and to God. The world's population is huge but the Lord Saves people one by one - if you play your part then people will be saved. Romans says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You are good enough, you are worthy. Will you agree to open your ears to today's message? Everyone will, at some point in your life, have been; embarrassed, let down, stabbed in the back. It's worse when it is your friends or loved ones who do these things to you. Sometimes you can be the one hurt but end up looking worse off. Forgiveness is huge. It is so important. It enables us to be who God wants us to be. We are made in the image of God and we have the ability to forgive and choose to trust people again. Unforgiveness destroys family life, husbands, wives, parents, children, team ethic. Unforgiveness never rehabilitates you. It never heals you or pushes you forward, we need to be people who run with the Father. Hebrews 12:14-15. You cannot have peace with someone if you are holding unforgiveness. A bitter root rises within and many become defiled. Choose not to feed yourself with ungodly worldly attitudes. We need to become people with a lifestyle of forgiveness. Unforgiveness can grow into bitterness, take root and become a part of you. The Bible says offences will come. People who are bitter are easily offended. Bitterness leads to anger, frustration and resentment and that leads to sickness which can lead to death. It is so important, forgiveness makes you strong and puts you in a position to flourish in life. It's not saying you're not hurt or it doesn't matter, but it is as much as for you as it is for the other person. If unforgiveness is held in your mind year after year you are stuck in that place. Forgiveness enables you to walk forward. Let's be a people that are willing to forgive. Ephesians 4:32. We are called to be imitators of God, Jesus forgave people who didn't deserve it, be the same kind of person. There is a very real, negative impact on your life for holding people in unforgiveness. God is able to work all things for good. Joseph is a great example of how to forgive. From a favoured son he sold into slavery by his brothers and became a prisoner for something he hadn't done. He could have reacted and become bitter, but he chose still to seek God. Through that faithfulness he interpreted a dream for Pharaoh and became highly esteemed. His brothers, who had sold him to slavery came to him - this highly esteemed and powerful man - in a time of famine. Joseph had an opportunity to be bitter and resentful yet he chose to forgive and have his family restored. From that God was eventually able to save a nation. Psalm 103:12 - God forgets your sins as far as the east is from the west. Once we have asked for forgiveness the Lord forgets and we don't need to repent again. If you can't forget that sin is that because you haven't really forgiven that other person? The Lord forgives continually, His grace is sufficient and empowers us to do our best for Him. You hold yourself back sometimes with your own unforgiveness. Let things go, forgive those people, address those things that are holding you in the past. We can't look at the subject of forgiveness and not look at Jesus. He gave up all of Heaven to come down to Earth. He is love. The personification of love. The very people who said they represented God on Earth - the scribes and the Pharisees - sought to destroy Him. One of His inner 12, Judas, betrayed Him. Jesus was at the beginning and is at the end, He is outside of time, and He knew that the only way to offer us the opportunity to have life with Him was to come to earth, go to the cross and die a grisly death, but He did it because you are worth it. Matthew 26:47-50 even in betrayal Jesus calls Judas 'friend'. He knows what is coming, His betrayal, His death, but there is no unforgiveness in Him. Luke 23:33-37 - Jesus prayed for forgiveness even in agony, bleeding, dying. At any moment he could have come down from the cross, but He didn't because He wants a relationship with you and He wants you to represent Him well. After He rose, He folded the grave clothes - He's never going to wear them again - and He walked out of the tomb with the keys to death. Let us make a choice not to let our potential future be robbed by something that happened in the past. Let's be people who forgive and let past hurts go. Will you forgive? It is worth it every time. It's all through God's word, that the Lord wants us to be forgiving and loving.

Michael Roberts - Setting others up to win, gathering and sending - Part 2. Let's be a people that set others up to win. We are a church that set others up to win. Through that God can work and we can win together. The church should set people up extravagantly. Jesus wants to reward us for the amount we love Him. The bible talks about a full, a partial and a lost reward. Be encouraged to live for a full reward. Heaven is not going to be a floaty, ethereal place, it will be a real place, we will have a task and that will be part of our reward. We shall have a closer relationship with God, that will also be part of our reward. There are many things that we shall be rewarded for, here are two questions: did you gather and did you help others gather? Did you go and did you send others? Jesus said we are salt and light, we need to go into our world and salt the world and bring light to the world. We are called to preach the good news. God is powerful and He wants to use us to breakthrough into people's lives with positive change with His power. We believe in a God of power. Reasons for not gathering - there are always reasons not to be a part of a gathering of God's people.; 'Busy-ness' and not having enough time can often stop us. We need to decide to push and overcome things. When you put God first it is remarkable how the Lord can help you with your time management. Fault finding - James 1:5 says God gives generously without finding fault - sometimes the dislike of the way things are done can stop us from gathering. Find reasons to over come the faults and gather. Let's decide to get rid of the negative spirit and put life into people. Why gather? God's power and spirit is released the most when we are gathered. When we gather with His heart more of His heart is released. Pockets of mercy - God provides pockets of mercy from natural disaster and troubles for His people, pockets can be houses, towns, nations. Zephaniah 2:1-4 - 'perhaps you will be hidden...' God wants to hold back the end and show mercy, we can praise Him and pray for Him to do so. Inheritance is released when we gather. Jesus was so zealous for the temple that He cleared it, He wanted it to be a house of prayer for all nations. Matt 21:12-13. Psalm 2:8. Jesus wanted His house to be a place where inheritance is released. God likes it when we ask for big things that are on our heart. He likes it when we pray for ourselves as well as our town and nation, but God wants to give us the big hopes and dreams. There are covenants that God has decreed. The first is the blood covenant. Jesus has paid for our freedom with His blood. There is more freedom as a slave of Jesus than in doing what we want when we want. It was for freedom that Christ has set us free. The second covenant is called the salt covenant. In biblical times people often carried a pouch of salt, for dehydration, for cuts, for currency, for covenants - they would exchange salt and shake it together. A covenant can not be undone. 2 Chronicles 13:5. John 15:15. Jesus' disciples knew He was talking about a salt covenant. Then there is the sandals covenant. This is the inheritance and sonship covenant. Galatians 4:4-5. As we come to a revelation that we now live as a servant of God, God reveals that He wants us to be equals and friends, then beyond that adopt us as sons. It's part of our inheritance to have great friendships and relationships. God wants us to have that. Our 'cup' is our lifestyle, it is how you spend your time, your purpose, your contentment, God wants you to have a great 'cup'. If you are not enjoying it then ask the Lord, pray for these things as He has promised an inheritance, ask Him for that inheritance. Your 'lot' psalm 16:5 this is the land God has given you to work and increase. Then finally there is the marriage covenant. Jesus is returning to be married to His bride - the church, that is us, God's people. Looking at the sandals covenant - Moses at the burning bush - God said take your sandals off - which was like Moses coming out of slavery and taking on the rights as a son or daughter. During the exodus the people's sandals did not wear out Deuteronomy 29:5. The sandals didn't wear out because God didn't want the people to take the worn out sandals, put them on a pole and declare their territory in the desert, that was not the promised land, in biblical times they did this to mark their land and inheritance - God had a promised land for His people. Joshua 5:13-15 Joshua removed his sandals, God made a new covenant with Joshua as they were about to take the promised land. God wants us to take off our sandals and wants to release a new thing into our lives. At the last supper Jesus removed the disciples sandals and washed their feet.

Matt Proudfoot - Journey to the Centre of the Self. We want to meet the true God and He wants to meet the true us. The outer part of the earth is the crust, this is like the human body. This is where we label others and ourselves, but this is such a shallow judgement of the truth. A label can destroy the search for the truth. Sometimes we label ourselves by what we do, but this is not who we are, it is what we do. Even in church labels are not who we are, they are gifts and callings. No one in the Kingdom of God is more important than anyone else, but the gifts that have been given can be more important. We need to be careful to honor the gift on people's lives but not mix that up with who they are. Acts 10:34 - God doesn't show favouritism. We put many labels on ourselves, and we are who we are on the outside but they are not you. Through the crust is the mantle, which we shall call the ego - false self, it can be deceptive. It is our desire to get what we see as success. The ego is a good thing as it drives us to achieve things, but not good when mixed with pride or think it's who you are. We have to realise who we are is something essentially different. The ego gets the job done, but is not eternal. Apparently mid life crises could be li Kes to having identity in your ego. Retirement can also bring this crisis - you are no longer building life then ask the question "who am I?". We have to be careful to use this part of us to do everything for God that He has gifted us with. Matt 10:39 - if you live in ego you will lose who you really are. The liquid outer core - thoughts and emotions, this is close to who we are. Ecc 2:3, 2 Cor 10:5, psalm 13:2, psalm 55:2 Our thoughts are not us. Out feelings are not us. So who are we? The core... 1 Thess 5:23 we are spirit, soul (mantle and outer core) and body (crust). God has given us a spirit - that is the difference between us and animals. We have a spirit. John 4:24, God is sheer being itself - we are made in His image. You are a spiritual being. Not human doings or thinkings. God is a conscious being and we are made in his image, we are being before thinking, we are the beings that see the thoughts. It is here that God wants to meet us. We need to meet God out of our true selves. God wants to meet us in our spirits, our true selves. God is with us always and we can only reach Him from our core. You are not ever alone, God promises us His spirit and His spirit is with us always. We can get to a place of naked meeting, no labels, no success or failures, no matter what happens in our lives - we are always free to meet the Spirit of God. If you are the spiritual being who sees the thoughts and desires, you can get a revelation that you are separate to that. You can be free from it and can capture your thoughts. You can see your emotions and come to the Father rather than succumb to emotions. You are a spiritual being and can come to the Father at any time. Paul said capture thoughts and don't be what you're not, control your life with the Spirit of God with you. Psalm 42:5 David had a conversation with His soul - he knew he wasn't what he was feeling. Mark 14:34 - Jesus' soul was so grieved it was to the point of death. He knew He was not His soul. He was free from His soul to choose to go to the cross. We need to spirit of God to come and make us alive in Christ. Rom 14:17 - the Kingdom is about peace, joy and righteousness. Unity increases as we realise we are all people made in the image of God. You are bigger than your body gives you credit for. Science cannot figure out consciousness - our spirit being is from another dimension, we live in this physical world but we have access to so much more. John 15:15 we are called friends of God, who do we choose as friends? You choose friends because they are similar to you. Jesus calls us friends as He has given us His Spirit and we are spiritual beings. We are made in the image of God. We need to stop being slaves and be God's friends. We need to come boldly before the throne of grace. John 4:24 - spirit and truth - the spirit of God and the truth of who you are. Worship is the best way to get down to your true self, once you get into the presence of God there is a true meeting of His Spirit with your spirit. We need to adopt a life of worship. Loving God through all things. Turning our attention to Him. Stillness and silence, you can get down to who we are and meet with the Lord. Turn your TV off turn your phone off, spend some time in stillness and silence and don't be scared of it. Ask yourself the question "who is it that is thinking and feeling those things?" It's you, the person made in the image of God - so capture those thoughts and live in the image of God.

Pastor Barry Roberts - Do You Trust Me? If there is no trust in a relationship, the relationship is worthless. Do you trust God? God's word says "I will never leave you". We can base our lives on God's word as it is true. When you start acting on the word you will succeed. If God says something once in His word, shouldn't we take it seriously. If He says it multiple times, should it not be even more so? Deuter 31:6, Hebrew 13:5, Josh 1:5, 1 Chron 28:20, Matt 28:20. "I will not leave you nor forsake you". When He says it He means it. We have heard it and we know it but do we believe it? God is never going to leave us. What happens when God does not do the things that we expect Him to do? When we expect God to fit in with our plans? We need to be people who only do what the Father is doing. It is a disciplined life of only doing what the Father does. We need to say that we are going to act like Jesus, we might fall sometimes and be out of place but He will never leave us. None of us are the finished article. God will not leave us, we might get it wrong but He won't leave us. Let's get on track with Jesus. Be people who live the kind of lives that put a demand on God that says we will fall flat on our faces if God doesn't come through. When we step out in faith for Jesus He won't leave us. Even when we get it wrong He won't leave us. He loves that we try and He is for us, and loves us and won't leave us. Hebrews 13:5-6 it talks about not putting trust in money. We can trust God. What can man do to us when we have almighty God with us? Can you ask yourself, do you trust Him? Your altar is your heart, your inner man, your thoughts, feelings and emotions. When you sacrifice that to God it is a beautiful aroma to the Lord. Heb 13:15-17. Three simple steps to attract the fire of God whilst we trust Him. 1) Sacrifice of praise, no matter what is going on. It is simple. Praise Him in your heart. 2) Do not forget to do good things. 3) Share life. Give of yourself. God loves a party, there are many feasts in the Old Testament, we need to share life together. God's feasts were seven day feasts. We need to get the language and attitude right to attract the fire of God in our lives. it's not rocket science it's simple. God has never left any of us, but we can have dreams that don't materialise. We wonder why we are not seeing what we hope for. God has not forgotten you, He is your Father. God knows the things He has promised but sometimes He has to take us on a journey before that promise can be delivered. Jesus was there at the beginning, He knew that there would need to be a sacrifice so that God could have a relationship with you. You are a child of God, God lives in you, and He is willing to do what it takes to release His promises, He will not leave you, hold on to promises from God, your dreams. What is it you are dreaming for? He hasn't forgotten, He is moved when you praise Him, He is particularly moved when you praise Him sacrificially.

Pastor Libby Huirua - Jesus at the Centre. We've traveled to nine nations in two months, nine very different cultures and landscapes but it's a privilege to see what God is doing around the world. We can all be different but when we worship Jesus we are unified. God is calling us to be a church that puts Jesus at the centre of every decision. Everything revolves around Him. When we do that we start to be Jesus to the world around us. We are to be Jesus on earth. We are not meant to live 'saved' but we are be Jesus to the people around us. Jesus didn't want to be number one in a list; He wants to be the centre. Eph 1:20-23 - abundantly free. Too many of us walk around chained by stuff we don't need to be chained by. We have to catch that we are free. Free people free people. The church is not peripheral to the world, the world is peripheral to the church. We are the church, we are living stones. We were set free to model freedom to others. We don't have to waiti until we feel free to be free, we just need to believe the word of God (the Bible). It's about relationship and freedom, when we are truly free we can free other people. Prov 21:22 - the enemy's defences have to fall to pieces when the 'shifter of atmospheres' lives in you. You have an ability to shift the atmosphere of any place you walk into. Atmosphere shifters. Do you want to be one who shifts atmospheres? The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. When God wants to shift us, in our hearts, He prepares us, He doesn't just uproot us and move us. God is doing something to prepare you for a shift, often to change our minds or concepts. Time is your most precious commodity, don't waste it. Don't be so concerned about the stuff that is around you. Col 3:1-3 if you are serious start acting like it. Set your face like flint to do His will. God has said these are urgent times, don't waste time. We have been thrust into an age where we don't know what is going to happen, but the Holy Spirit does know. We don't need to keep up with secular culture, the church is on the earth to overtake the culture. The only way it will have any effect if it has the power to change hearts. If we are following the Holy Spirit's leading then we will be people in the right place. We need to be people who are willing to live with uncertainty and discomfort, but God is the rock. The Holy Spirit is the only certain thing. We have the mind of Christ but are we willing to put aside ourselves and our agendas to hear the voice of God? If we are to be a part of this age, what is our response going to be? Will be willing to let God change us? People won't change until the cost of staying the same is greater than the cost of changing. Could it be that this discomfort, that God is doing in us is too great to allow you to stay the same? Psalm 24:7-8 …wake up... Don't live in a state of complacency and numbness and adding Jesus to other areas of your life. Anywhere that our heart takes resident in, could be 'a city'. The King of Glory wants to enter. God has a plan for you now, you were born at this time in history for a purpose. Jesus is coming back for His bride and wants a bride that is in love with Him. This move of the Holy Spirit will be where Jesus is centre. When Jesus is exalted, the Holy Spirit can do what He wants to do. Will we make Him the centre? What about the 'city' of our thought life, words, emotions? How powerful our thought life is, how powerful our emotions are and how powerful our words are. "Take captive every thought". You can control where that thought goes, it's that simple, but it takes hard work - so don't give up. Are you willing to be a person who takes every thought captive to Jesus? You have a responsibility to do that. It is possible to re-route neural pathways but it takes discipline. If we think something long enough it can become a mindset and a stronghold. Are we willing to put king Jesus at the centre of our thought life? Feelings always follow thoughts. We can put a block and barricade on our emotions. We must discipline ourselves not to be led by our feelings. We have to measure up our thoughts with the Bible. If our feelings don't change, choose the principles of God's word the feelings will catch up eventually. Will you discipline your thoughts and feelings? If left undisciplined it will lead to words and actions. You choose whether your words will be good or bad. You choose your destiny by the words you speak over your own life. When we speak, our words can shape the world around us. James 3:5-10. The way that you speak determines your future, the enemy is out to take your praise. The enemy wants to be praised, and he hates when we praise God. The enemy wants to deny God of His praise. Speaking positivity praises God and denies the enemy. Change your language, change your emotions and put some discipline over your thoughts. We have to think the right things, allow our emotions to be shaped by the word of God and speak positively and praise God. Are we willing to stand up and be Kingdom-culture, be willing to look like an idiot and commit to the hard work that it is going to take? Let God challenge those things in you.

Pastor Barry Roberts - the Heart of the Matter. The heart can be deceitful. Sometime we decide in our hearts that the things we are doing wrong are ok. Sometimes we need to step back, stop deceiving ourselves and have a reality check. Ask yourself the question, what am I about? Where am I heading? Let's get real and speak real and do what we say we're going to do. In life there are a lot of smoke screens. We need to have the eyes of our hearts opened. In a ministry sense we need to be able to tune in and get to the heart of the matter. If you can open your eyes to the reality of people's live, beyond the smokescreen and see the person and the struggle they are in, get to the heart of the matter, pray for them and draw out the man or woman God has called them to be. When your heart is in something you will move heaven and earth to make it happen. If your heart is in it you will find a way. If your heart is in it you will be there. You are a good person, you have huge potential, allow Father God to work with you and get to the heart of the matter and allow him to bring change. When we talk about the 'heart' we are talking about thinking, will, feelings, emotions, inner man... Proverbs 23:7. Luke 2:19. Ex 35:5. John 16:22. Psalm 105:25. Acts 2:37. 'Heart' is a complex issue, it's deep, it's underneath it all. When we say 'I give my heart', it's precious, we can't be flippant with it. Are we prepared to say to the Lord 'change me'? Are we prepared to get on our knees and say 'search me'? This October 2012 is a time to stop and think, we need to get things right before the Father. Philippains 4:8. There is so much negativity in this world. We need to train our hearts to have them on Christ. Let the Word (the Bible) be your filter. No man or woman has lived and obeyed the gospel unless he has willed it in his heart. Matt 22:37. Love is a decision and an action. 1 Timothy 3:8-9. Your conscience is your inner man. We are God's treasured possessions. We want to play our part and see the Kingdom flourish. God takes you on a process to purify and refine your heart. We can trust God, he has laid His heart out for you. Heb 13:8. Jer 29:11. 1 John 4:9 God is consistent, His plans towards you are good. God gives His best so that we might have opportunity to have relationship with Him. Prov 23:6-7. Matt 12:34. Prov 4:23. Prov 27:19. If we can get right with the Father then our language will change and we will see the best, people love to be around positive people. Guard your heart, it shows how far you can go. How do you come across to people? How you come across is actually who you really are. Your world is changed as you get your heart right with Father. There are many people with a broken heart and are so under it that they feel they cannot do it. But the church is here to get around you, the word says in Luke 18 that Jesus came to heal the broken hearted. Can you say to God, 'I'll do my best, you do the rest'? Get Round some church people and believe that God can pull you out of whatever situation you are in. This needs a life response, go through the process and say 'search me'. Let's talk about life, let's determine together to stand to see the best so that hearts are restored. Let's get the inner man sorted and then live it out.

Pastor Barry Roberts - Is it worth it? God is bringing faith back into the church, faith that will see change. God is stirring us. It's His heart for us to succeed and do well. In Eden, Adam and Eve lived in fellowship with God. It was God's intention for us to tend the field, not work the field. God gave Adam the opportunity to honour Him by asking Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam did eat of that tree and there was a cost. We go through things in life and make a decision 'is it worth it?' In every area of life there is a cost. Is it worth it to you? We need to be a people who mean it. We need to be a church that mean it and God will honour that. In the New Testament, Peter got out the boat and walked on water towards Jesus. The other disciples stayed in the boat. Can we be people who are prepared to get out of our comfort zone? In life what are the things that you talk about? The times where you get outrageous, get out of your comfort zone and believe that you can do what Jesus says you can do. Esther said she would pay the price to go through the process of separating herself for a year in the hope of marrying the King - she did it and was selected to become Queen. Ex 23:31 "I will establish your borders Israel..." God has established the borders of Israel. We need to pray, God has said that when the Jews are in the right place then Jesus will return. Esther hears of Haman's plan to kill the Jews. Then she has to decide whether it is worth it to approach the King on behalf of her people. It was against the law on pain of death to approach the King. Esther 4:15-16. We need to wake up and realise that we need Jesus in the centre of our lives, we need to be prepared to pay the price of an outrageous life. It was life and death for Esther. But the King spared her, and turned the tables on Haman. God always intended that you would have a flourishing life. Acts 6:8 full of faith and power... Acts 7:55 Stephen wasn't prepared to cling on to a comfort zone. He was prepared to go to his death. Are we prepared to do what it takes to see the signs and wonders? Are we prepared to pay the price? Do you want to be someone who gets the attention of Jesus? Or do we want to have nice lives and attend church but stay sat down? Ask yourself the question - is it worth it? Are we prepared to pay the price? Mark 10:17-22 - is this a picture of the church today? Anything you put before God is an idol. It is wrong to put things before God. It is not a bad thing to be wealthy, but hold it in an open hand. If God were to ask you to give things up for Him you have to ask 'is it worth it?' When are we going to be prepared to pay the price to bless Jesus? When we live like it Jesus will back us and stand up for us. When we live like it we shall see an awesome move of God in our lives. Jesus was very counter culture, we need to live by the Word and be counter culture. We need to play our part in building the church and His kingdom. We need to ask ourselves the question 'is it worth it?'. Do you want to live in the comfort or live in a place where God can use you? God has asked Himself the question, 'Do I love them enough? Is it worth it?' John 3:16 tells us that it is. He thinks you are worth it. So you can live a life comfortable in salvation or you can choose to give your life for Him the way He gave His life for you? Ask yourself 'Is it worth it?' if the church steps up and says 'yes' He will honour you and release power into your life that will make a difference.

Michael Roberts - Setting others up to WIN, Gathering and Sending. You have a God given purpose in this world. Others have a God given purpose too - what can you do to set others up to win? When the King of Babylon took captives he took the best, most talented and most gifted people first. The world system we live in tries to rob the church of those people too, trying to keep them in the world and not using their skills to build the church. When we stand before the Lord at the end of our lives there are two things we shall be rewarded for: gathering and sending. Jesus will ask 'did you go?' and he will ask 'who did you send?'. He will ask 'Did you gather?' and 'Did you help others gather?' The day you say 'yes' to Jesus - you get into heaven, there is no judgement for what you've done wrong. So what we are building is a life for which we shall be rewarded. Heaven is not an ethereal place, it is going to be a physical, real place. We will have bodies, there will be cities. There will be rewards in heaven: We will get new bodies, We get clothes, We will get crowns, We will get authority - we shall have a task in heaven, God will write His name on us, we shall have praise from God - Jesus will boast about the things you have overcome in life. Rewards are challenging for us to understand but they are a big part of Jesus' teaching. Sending - 3 things we are sent by God to do. (1) To be salt and light (2) To have Godly character and fruit (3) to preach the good news, to release God's power from heaven. Matt 5:13-16 Godly character is lacking in our world. The Ark of the Covenant had gold in the middle, where no one sees, representing the inner life. Every one of us has between 5 - 20 in our life that we can bring a relegation of Jesus to. We are all called to pray for people, make yourself available to pray for people. Up your prayer life, get more bold, lay hands on people. God wants you to ask for prayer and power so that you have favour and breakthrough. Acts 1:8 and Acts 8:1. We are not called to a holy huddle we are called to go. Gathering - 'did you gather and help others gather?' Gathering together in corporate prayer and worship - this is on God's heart. God's governing power is manifest most when we are gathered, the Old Testament calls it the 'sacred assembly'. Inheritance is released when we gather together in God. God wants to release inheritance, we have to put down our own right to an inheritance, to receive a Godly inheritance. As you invite someone to church you are inviting them to come and receive an inheritance. When we gather together there will be pockets of divine mercy and protection. As we choose to connect to God for our town we will see His mercy. Zeph 2:1-4. Two Old Testament characters - Rahab and Noah - they each hid their families and they were saved. Get your family in the house (in church) and God shall save them. People have excuses for not gathering - 'I'm a kingdom person' but it blesses God's heart when we gather together. If we want to advance God's kingdom we have to gather as God uses the church to advance God's kingdom. Jesus wants to build His gathering of 'those called out'. 'Did you go? and who did you send?' - 'Did you gather and did you help others gather?'

Matt Proudfoot - Sea Bass or See God. John 1:1-4 Everything was made through Jesus Christ. Col 1:15 - Jesus Christ is so much bigger that we think. Science matches up with Christianity, even the invisible things were made through Christ. In the beginning God made this non-dual universe. Jesus was able to walk on water since He is at one with the universe. Everything was made through Him. We know that sin came into the world and brought duality and separation. We lost that spiritual connection. That is why man had to toil the ground. Man lost some spiritual connection with God. Gen 2:17 - God was talking about a spiritual disconnection. God felt the disconnection when sin entered. That is why He asked, 'where are you?'. When Jesus came along, He brought the dual creation back into relation with its original creator. When we believe in Christ we become a part of that non-dualistic nature. Col 1:19 - Christ came to bring us back into that amazing relationship with Him. When you believe, you are saved, you have a legal bond, but the reality is your life is not instantly changed. Eph 1:9 - there will come a time when all things will come together. From legal union to 'proper' union. In one sense there is nothing we can do, but in another sense there are things we can do. Eph 2:4-6 this is written in past tense. The reality is that we have been raised with Christ but we don't often feel it. The spiritual journey s not about reaching a new destination it is about awakening to who you already are. Rom 18:19-21 All creation is waiting for the children of God to be revealed. We need to wake up more to that, we have to start living more in our natural state. Standing in the river of grace with His presence beaming down on us. The problem is a metaphorical 'fish' comes along in the river and puts negative thoughts and doubts into your mind, then we take the bait and turn our attention towards that 'fish' - that doubt or negativity - instead of being in the presence of God. In this conversation with the 'fish' - you've lost union with God and the grace. You're concentrating on the lies of the enemy. If we are not careful, this can end up being our fake natural state of being. We forget that the grace of God is there. We can walk around in life carrying these distractions. Fear, worry, tiredness, unforgiveness. Even sometimes these are Godly dreams - if your Godly dreams make you frustrated and angry with God then there is an issue of priority. Don't let a Godly dream take the place of God. Keep God in the right place. Some 'fish' are beautiful and tell you what you want to hear. But we must remember pride was the original sin, if it takes your eyes off God then it takes you away from your purpose and it becomes an idol. We have to remember who we are. Refuse to let things take your attention off God. The first thing we need to do in our journey back to being ourself is to see the 'fish' as 'fish'. Sometimes we pick up he 'fish' and take them on ourselves. We need to let go and realise what they are then it makes it easier. Sometimes you have to let go and keep your focus on Jesus. Don't pick up the 'fish'. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Stand firm and keep your eyes on Jesus, it may swim around for a while, but resist, don't even listen, and it will flee from you. Life can be painful and these things are easier said than done, if we can get the right perspective and see things for what they are. Do think about things, but bring all your thoughts under a Christ filter. Bring them under the authority of Christ. Bring the dualistic thoughts that are on their own under the non-dualistic authority of Christ. What happens when you live this way - you find yourself in more unity with God. You won't get here instantly but aim to be in union with God, keep awakening to this union. When you live in the river of grace life works better, it's because you are waking up to the fact that it is all made in Christ. There are times when we have to breakthrough and declare, sometimes it takes prayer and fasting. But you will start to see God in everything. your heart will start to be purified and then you will start to see God in the people and life around you. You start to live in unity with Christ and His creation. Rom 8:19.

Sticks and Stones - Pastor Barry Roberts. Our focus in life needs to be on Jesus. Be released to live a life of more freedom. We try hard to be Christians, but sometimes we feel we're restricted by rules. Jesus doesn't want us to be restricted. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" - what a daft thing to say - Names can hurt. Names can build us up or tear us down. They only have power if we allow them into our hearts. Parents in particular need to build their children up. The truth is, even as adults, some words stick. The name 'Barry' means 'spearhead'. Pastor Barry has been called to build a church that will breakthrough things in this town. A church that will have a big impact. His parents had no idea that his name would be significant to his calling. Phil 2:9-10 - Jesus' name is superior to every other name - including fear, cancer, doubt, worry, stress. If only we would fix our eyes on Jesus all of the time we would see those things bow to the name of Jesus. Everything has to bow at the name of Jesus. Matt 1:21 Jesus' name speaks into His future, His purpose. Jesus was there at the beginning, all things were made by Him and through Him. He chose to come to earth for us. He is above it all, He looked down into earth and chose to save humanity. We can only have a full life when we have a relationship with God. Psalm 17:8 We are the apple of His eye. We are His treasured possession. He loves us just like that. He is the all conquering all powerful One. Heb 1:1-4 Jesus is above it all, He created it all, Jesus is Awesome. In our modern world The name of Jesus gets used as a cuss word. Satan loves to see people use the name that saves as a cuss word. Never let the name of Jesus come out of you mouth unless it is in praise. If you met Jesus on earth, would you like Him? Matt 11:18-19 Jesus had a reputation for being a glutton and a drunk. He hung out with sinners and tax collectors. He was judged by the religious people of His day. Jesus didn't get drunk he didn't eat too much, but he did hang out with those people because he knew they needed the love of the Father. They wanted to hang out with Jesus. He came and stepped into the lives of the people He came to save. He bought life in a way they had never seen it before, He went to those places but didn't live that lifestyle. Jesus had great purpose and He loved His life. We have purpose too. We are here to be attractive, not to bring judgement, we are here to show the world another way. Jesus was saying that John set himself apart so that he could fulfil his purpose to shout the way for the Messiah. Jesus came to save the lost. He hung out with the lost. We have a purpose. Whatever it is you love doing, that is most likely your purpose. John 14:10-11 Jesus lived a life and did many miracles, but His purpose was to unite man and God. The miracles weren't the goal but the relationship between man and God was the goal. The miracles were from the overflow of His purpose. When we embrace Jesus what is it we can expect? We become adopted into His family. No one said it would be a bed of roses, but we can expect favour with God and man, when we're with Jesus there are privileges - we are blessed, highly favoured, we are the head and not the tail. These aren't the goal. The goal is to develop an intimate relationship with the Father. We are called to live a full life. NOT A RELIGIOUS AND BORING LIFE. John 14:12-17 We are not just living a life FOR Jesus but we are living a life WITH Jesus. The Name above all names. Jesus is with us individually. By His spirit He will enable us to do even greater things than He did. But it takes faith to believe that Jesus is who He says he is. At this check point in October 2012 will we choose to live the Jesus kind of life? Will YOU step up to the mark and live like that? Rev 21:27 Our names are written in the Lamb's book of life when we accept Jesus. Jesus' grace and His blood have made us spotless. Our names will be in the book. When we will stand before the Lord He is not going to wag His finger He is going to say thank you as He welcomes us into heaven. God is building a church with people who understand who King Jesus is. God's heart is that none should perish. Pray for those who do not know Jesus. That is on the Father's heart. We don't need to bible bash people but we need to live a life that shows Jesus. Could YOU be an individual that lives the kind of life Jesus lived?

Can I get a cup of 'Come On'? - Pastor Barry Roberts. The next three months are significant in the life of Kesed Church so we've launched 'Overboard in October' - are we willing to go to the Father and ask how we might throw ourselves overboard into the life of the church. God has called us to the outrageous, the extravagant - over and above. Anyone in life who ever stood for something had to at some point reflect and decide to stop or to push it forward, to settle for nice or have a cup of 'Come On'. Athletes don't settle for ok, they push through all weather and all challenges to be the best. The cup of 'Come On' comes out of a relationship with the Father. Abraham was called out of his father's house and could have said 'no' - he was comfortable, but he didn't, he decided to step out. Nehemiah, was told to re-build the walls, he didn't say no, he said 'Come On'. Mary was told she was going to give birth to the messiah, she didn't shy away, she asked for a cup of 'Come On'. In October 2012, are we prepared to step out of our comfort zone and seek the Lord? Obedience to God's call is amazing. Lives are transformed, people are healed, loved and cared for. We need to have check points in life. October is a check point. Where we need to stop and take stock. We're going to say 'Lord speak to me again, challenge me out of my comfort zone'. Matt 14:25-29. Here we are a bunch of disciples in the safety of the boat. It could be a picture of the church - we, the disciples, safe and nice. Jesus rocks up, he doesn't say 'enjoy your comfort zone' He says, 'come'. One person gets out the boat. Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone, look Jesus in the eye and do something outrageous for Him? Will you take a cup of 'Come On' and do something for Jesus? If we tune into God and obey what He is saying we will see something significant. We need to discern the voice of Jesus. We need to get on our knees and give Him the time so that we can know how to hear Jesus. Once you hear His voice you choose to either do nothing or believe what He is saying and do something about it. Once we've heard the voice of Jesus we need to act. We are a church that believes Jesus is who He says He is. We are going to listen to Jesus, discern His voice and act on what He is saying. Jesus wants to be the centre, we need to challenge ourselves to put Him in the centre of all we do. Luke 6:35-38 be generous with your life. Prov 11:25. Put God first and all the things you hope for will come back to you. Church needs to be a place of life. The church is a place of freedom, breakthrough and good, but it has to be done God's way. Matt 10:39 - Jesus has made it abundantly clear - in October 2012 are you prepared to step out of your comfort zone and get on our knees and say 'Yes' to Jesus. We could have a 'nice' church but we don't want that, we need to get out of our comfort zone and sow into the Kingdom. The best thing we can do for our lives is to put God first. Jesus wouldn't ask us to do something He wouldn't be prepared to do Himself. Jesus gave up the security of Heaven to come and live on earth, He left His comfort zone and lived a life to please His Father. Jesus went to the cross because He loved us so much. Jesus picked up His Father's cup and went to the cross, gave up His life because He loves us. He has died so that we might have life. In October this year will you build the house for Jesus? will you get out of your comfort zone and take a cup of 'Come On'?

Great Expectations - Pastor Sarah Jane Roberts. Expectation is the act or the state of looking forward to or anticipating; a thing looked forward to; a future profit. Expectation is a good word, something good that is going to happen. When Sarah was expecting a baby she read a book called 'What to Expect when Expecting' which told what was going to happen, then she had the experience of pregnancy and living in what she'd read about. What is our experience of expectation? Everything in God's word is 'yes' and 'amen' (2 Cor 1:20). In life, we line everything up with what we've experienced before and often lower our expectations upon that basis. We need to learn to lean on God's word - that will extend our walk with Christ. Heb 11:1. God wants us to have an expectancy of good and that fulfilment will come. He will propel us forward. He is a mighty God. Sometimes we devalue God and elevate Satan. Eph 3:20. Whatever plans we have for our lives, whatever we look forward to, God is able to do immeasurably more than we hope or imagine. We need to lean on God for our expectation. God is saying that we should raise the bar of our expectation for good things to happen in life. Past experience can lower our expectation for the future. Often we lower rather than raise our expectation when it does not work out as we'd expected. Put more faith, hope and trust in Almighty God. We can choose to approach life with fear or with faith. If we operate from fear we will expect negative things. If we operate from faith we will expect good things. We need to line up our lives with the Word of God. Fear is from Satan, he loves to have us bound up with worry. When Moses was scouting the promised land the spies brought the report sd detailed in Num 13:27-28. Ten of the spies looked at it with fear. Only two looked with faith Num 13:30. Joshua and Caleb walked in faith, "if God has said we can do it, then we can do it". God wants to say over the fear in our lives 'Silence'. We need to take a faith approach; we need to take a hold of the promises that God has. It is time to be unafraid and know that our God is for us. Sometimes fears are irrational, but sometimes it's the unknown, or fear of death, or rejection, of what other people think of us; we don't realise that fear can grab hold of us and paralyse us. We need to be a people that have a report like Joshua and Caleb, a faith view. We can be crippled by fear inside our minds. The enemy loves to play on the things that have happened in our family's past. God can break that curse, we needn't live in fear. Be the people in our families that face those fears. Fear conjures up lies. Those lies encourage us to believe what the enemy says about our lives. Whatever fear happens on the inside shows on the outside. Fear will dominate our thoughts if we let it. The enemy wants fear to grip our lives. It's not good and it's not Godly. It needs to be dealt with. Fear about the future is arrogant; deciding to be the one who deals with it. God says He wants to be the one in charge of our lives. When we choose to be the solution we're saying we are the answer and don't need God. Whatever situation we're facing God knows the answer. Let God worry about our circumstances. Are we expecting God to come with a solution or are we expecting fear to paralyse us? F.E.A.R. False evidence appearing real. Fear will make up the end to our circumstances. Whatever fear has got a hold in our lives we don't need to have ownership of it. 2 Tim 1:7. God will deliver us from all fears Psalm 34:4. When we operate from fear it clouds our minds. The word says God will deliver us. Are we looking to what our Father God says about our lives? We need to pray and live the life of faith, if God says its ok then it's ok. If God is for us, who can be against us? Are we placing our faith in our Heavenly Father? Be expectant for good things in life as they are the promises of God. Get your head around the promises of God in your life. The only fear we should have is a reverent fear of God. The God who will set us free. 2 Chron 20:6. Lean not on your own understanding, do not worry, do not fear. When fear comes, it will be loud, scary, when it buzzes, turn the buzzer over, deactivate it and read Psalm 91:1-16. Read that scripture and learn it. You can call for angelic help. When fear is buzzing and making a loud noise, find shelter in the shadow of the Almighty. We should know no fear in God. We need to be set free from fear. We need to choose a walk of faith so that we needn't worry about our health and the future and our lives.