The Christmas story is a crowded one. All the inns are full, the heavens are full of angelic choirs, the shepherds are full of curiosity and there in the stable, a manger is filled with all of God’s promises, all of God’s power, all of God’s presence. The manger is filled with Jesus.
At the heart of Christmas is Jesus - Emmanuel, God with us. This is what Christmas is all about and this is what we’ll encounter again as we celebrate this birth of Jesus on the very first Christmas.
Christmas Eve - Part 5 of our Advent/Christmas series: "Christmas Is..."
At Christmas, we encounter a love that is neither distant nor sentimental. God's love draws near, enters our world, and takes on flesh. The psalmist declares, "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8). In Matthew's Gospel, we see this love embodied through Joseph's faithful obedience. Setting aside fear, he receives Mary and her child, preparing the way for Emmanuel—God with us (Matthew 1:20–23).
This is the love we celebrate: a love that acts, sacrifices, and fulfills God's promises. As Scripture reminds us, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son" (1 John 4:10).
Part 4 of our Advent/Christmas series: "Christmas Is..."
In the Bible, the prophet Isaiah gives the image the joy of the Lord being like a desert in bloom. The seeds or bulbs are always there, the potential for growth and blossoming is present but it is only as the rain comes that these desert flowers really come to life, sometimes seemingly overnight.
It’s also like that with our lives as followers of Jesus. All that Jesus has done for us and won for us through his life, death and resurrection is already ours through faith and trust in him. Yet, in the desert storms of life, it can sometimes feel like we are still barren and lifeless. Just like the desert flowers need to encounter and experience the rain in order to bloom, it’s only as we encounter and experience God at work in us in meaningful relationship, that we begin to understand and experience the fulness of joy that is ours in Christ Jesus. That’s what we’ll explore this week as we consider how Christmas is Joy!
Part 3 of our Advent/Christmas series: "Christmas Is..."
It seems that these days, peace is all about the absence of something. We have ‘peace and quiet’ when there is an absence of noise.
We say there is peace between nations when there is an absence of war or conflict. We have peace in our heart or in our lives when there is an absence of worry or stress. For most of us today, peace is defined by what’s missing.
Have you heard of the word 'Shalom'? It is a Hebrew word, still often used by Jewish people as a greeting or parting blessing. It’s also used often in the Old Testament and it is usually translated into English as the word ‘peace’. But the way ‘shalom’ was understood in the Old Testament, and is still understood by Jewish people today, is very different to how we often think and talk about peace. Greeting someone with the word ‘shalom’ is speaking a blessing on them and wishing them wholeness and a sense of rightness and ‘peace’ within themselves, with others, and with God. This kind of ‘peace’ is not an absence of anything but, as we will discover this week, it is about having something more; more complete, more restored, and more relational.
Part 2 of our Advent/Christmas series: "Christmas Is..."
Christmas is a lot of different things to a lot of different people. If you were to do a quick ‘street poll’ (as many people have on social media) and asked a random group of people what Christmas is to them, you will no doubt get some of the following responses… “Christmas is about family”, “To me Christmas is about giving and generosity”, “I think Christmas is about Santa Claus and presents”, “Christmas is a time to reflect and give thanks for all the blessings we have”… the list goes on.
In many ways, Christmas really is a lot of different things; the birth of Jesus, the coming of God to live among his people in a way we had not known since the very beginning, does bring with it, hope, peace, love, joy and so much more. But in the hustle and bustle of all the preparations, decoration, gift giving and carol singing it can be hard to keep our focus on what Christmas really is. That’s why this Christmas, we’re stripping things right back to what God’s people have known and taught about the birth of Christ right from the beginning; and this week we rediscover the hope that is Christmas.
Part 1 of our Advent/Christmas series: "Christmas Is..."
Consider the patience you show to a loved one or co-worker, the forgiveness you offer a friend, the whispered 'thank you' at sunrise—what if they're more than simple acts of kindness?
According to Colossians 3, they're rehearsals for eternity. Right now, across heaven and earth, 'thousands upon thousands' are worshiping the Lamb who makes all things new. This mourning we'll discover how Christ transforms our ordinary living for him into 10,000 reasons to live for what lasts forever.
Final week of our series: "10,000 reasons"
For followers of Jesus the future isn’t something to fear—it’s a promise we can count on.
We don’t just passively wait for Jesus to return—we actively anticipate it! It’s like the joyful expectation of children counting the days to Christmas, but with far more at stake. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the world’s bad news, we’re invited to live alert and hopeful, ready and watchful, with hearts full of light. Jesus never told us to hide when times get tough—he called us to lift our eyes, because our rescue is on the way!
So what does faithful waiting look like? It’s not about obsessing over dates or predictions. It’s about renewing our hope each day—praying “Come, Lord Jesus!”, serving others as if his kingdom is already breaking in, and relying on grace that shines brighter than any darkness.
Part 3 of our series: "10,000 reasons"
Imagine if putting God's Kingdom first (Matt 6:33) could unlock 10,000 reasons to celebrate right now—not sometime in the future, but today. Jesus doesn't merely tell us to stop worrying about tomorrow—he redirects our gaze to the Father's faithful today. Every sunrise, every breath, every ordinary moment hums with his provision: the God who clothes lilies and feeds sparrows is actively weaving grace into this hour. To seek his Kingdom is to discover that yesterday's regrets lose their grip and tomorrow's unknowns fade in the light of his 'enough.' Right here, right now—in the laundry-folding, the bill-paying, the quiet prayer—we're invited to celebrate and to find 10,000 reasons to rejoice in what he's doing today, trusting that the one who holds eternity will also hold us through whatever tomorrow brings.
Part 2 of our series: "10,000 reasons"
Scripture says, “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4). To honour the past is to recognize that every prayer whispered by parents, every song sung by those who endured, and every truth defended by reformers was not just for their time—it was a gift to us. Their faithfulness, rooted in God’s unchanging grace, built the foundation we stand on today. Now, we hold their legacy like a torch: not to cling to its warmth, but to light the way forward. Every act of gratitude we offer, every mercy we extend, becomes our own stone of testimony—a way to honour their story while writing God’s faithfulness into ours. So, let’s discover together how he’s calling us to build a legacy that echoes his faithfulness for generations to come.
Part 1 of our series: "10,000 reasons"