This morning, Tim Shenton is opening up the parable of the sower for us.  How we hear and respond to the word of God is literally a matter of life and death. This parable shows us the four possible categories of response to the word of eternal life. We are all in one or other of these categories. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

To make progress on a walk all you have to do is take one step at a time. If we keep taking a step, then we will get somewhere. That is a good metaphor for life. Every decision we make is like a step along the path of life. Every step, every choice, is taking us on a path that is making us either more like Jesus, or less like him. That is why we need God’s wisdom. This sermon from Proverbs 3 will show us the wise steps we need to take if we are going to experience God leading us on a straight path to Christlikeness. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Life is complicated. We have many choices to make that, though important, God hasn’t given us answers for in his word. These are not moral choices like stealing or lying, into which God speaks directly. Rather they are wisdom choices. For example, how do we decide between two possible job offers, or what house to buy, or who to marry? How do we navigate through life when we have these crossroads? Proverbs 2 tells us that we do so by seeking God’s wisdom, which results in a surprising blessing!  All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

How do we navigate the complexity of life? How do we make decisions that will lead us on a pathway that honours God, and works for our eternal good? There are no shortage of voices speaking directions to us, but very often those voices fail to acknowledge God. The wisdom that leaves God out is ultimately foolishness because God sits over the whole of life.  That is why we need God’s wisdom: The wisdom that we find in Proverbs. The wisdom that begins with the fear of the Lord.  All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

In this letter to the Hebrews, we see such a passion for the amazing truths of God's love for us, shown through His Son. The priestly line of men serving in Tabernacle and temple duties was a shadow, or a sign post, of what was to come  We live in the joy of the fulfilment of the old priestly way in Jesus  - The Perfect Way  What we see in this chapter is so uplifting to our souls: We have a relationship with our Heavenly Father He has chosen to be merciful and remember our sins no more He proclaims I will be their God and they shall be my people We are not alone in a fallen world with a fallen nature. Our battle with the old nature, in constant conflict with our new nature, is eased by our Father's promises. His word upon our hearts confirms that our heavenly home is where Jesus serves us in His perfect sanctuary. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Last week we looked at the call to plant churches, but now we need to tackle the next question. What exactly is a church plant? How does it start and how does it grow? This week we will look at the very first church plant as our guide. As we engage with this description of the early church we will see revealed to us what the church really is! All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

In the autumn, we are planning to plant a new church in Blandford. Church planting involves a lot of effort, and it also impacts the sending church once the process begins. This naturally leads us to the question, "Why are we doing this?" In the first part of a two-week series, as we explore Matthew 28:16-20 we will delve into the biblical call to plant churches and find out how we are all equipped to participate in this mission All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Pastor Tim concludes the series, God's Love, which is drawn from 1 John. The key verse this week is 1 John 2:28 with a message entitled How to abide in Christ. We return to John 15:1-17 for the reading.   The Christian life is a lifelong relationship of trust in Jesus. It is a life that is both union and communion with Christ. It is very easy to reduce our Christian life to just an intellectual agreement of the truth of the gospel, but that kind of “faith” fails to result in the kind of vibrant, spirit filled, Christlike life that God means for us to enjoy. The life of faith, the life of abiding in Christ, is a life that results in obedience to Jesus. It is a life that experiences Jesus' love, joy and peace. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

As believers we are united to Jesus. In the same way a branch is connected to a tree, so we are connected to Christ by a sovereign work of God’s Spirit. When we placed our trust in Christ, the Spirit of God united us to him, so that we can be said to be in Christ, and Christ in us. This isn’t just some theoretical union, but it is a real union whereby Christ’s life flows into us. This week we shall see that we are to abide in this union with Christ, so that we are able to bear spiritual fruit, and experience Christ’s love, joy and peace. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

The return of the Lord Jesus Christ is the next great event this world will witness. Jesus will appear and we shall see him in all his glory. On that day we, as God’s children, will be glorified to become like Jesus. It will be so glorious that words in this life are unable to describe what we will be. John shows us that the anticipation of that day is a motivation to live pure lives in a world that doesn’t know God.    All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

This week, on Father's Day, Pastor Tim brings us a message from 1 John 3:1-18, entitled The unique love of God the Father. John invites us to “see what kind of love the Father has given us.” That seeing is a command to take time and contemplate God’s love.  We are to make it our business to understand how great God’s love is We are to grasp that God’s love is a unique love that is meant to take our breath away.     All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

We continue with More on Mission. God has placed us in our community to be a witness to him. We are to have hearts that are confident in Christ, so that people around us will see this confidence in Christ in the way we live. When they ask us, we are to be ready to tell them the reason for our confidence. All this is to be done even when it means we suffer for doing good.    All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

This week sees the start of More on Mission and we are delighted to have Sam Gordon with us to open it.  Sam is preaching from Philippians 1:12-26, with a particular focus on v21. The title is Paul's personal mission statement.   All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Assistant Pastor Steven concludes the series in 1 Timothy, entitled Guarding the deposit.  This week's message is drawn from 1 Timothy Chapter 6 again. The particular focus is from v11 onwards, as we consider how we are enabled to fight the good fight of faith, while we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and dwell on his beauty and glory.   All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Assistant Pastor Steven continues the series in 1 Timothy, entitled Guarding the deposit.   This week's message is drawn from 1 Timothy Chapter 6, particularly focussing on vv6-8, as he looks at the blessings the true gospel brings. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Assistant Pastor Steven is returning to the series in 1 Timothy, entitled Guarding the deposit.   This week's message is drawn from 1 Timothy Chapter 6. We are continuing with the theme of conduct in God's household, this time focusing on work. Considering that we spend approximately one-third of our lives in the workplace, not to mention all the other commitments that require our effort, it's reassuring that God's Word offers guidance on what godliness in our work should look like. This Sunday, we will delve into what that entails. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Pastor Tim continues the series in Galatians, entitled Freedom in Christ. We are called to bear one another’s burdens. That will mean seeking the restoration of our brothers and sisters when they fall into sin. We will only be effective in doing that as we humbly believe that our own justification before God is based on what Christ has done.  All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Pastor Tim continues the series in Galatians, entitled Freedom in Christ. Christ has set us free from sin, death, Satan and our self. However, there are two risks to beware of: the risk of going back to legalism and the risk of moving into license. Both are forms of slavery. One is slavery to the law and the other is slavery to sin. To avoid these dangers we need to stand, walk, and die: Stand on the gospel of grace (vv 5-6) Walk with the spirit of God (vv16-18; v25) Die to sinful passions and desires (v24)   All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

To say that Jesus is alive is to say that Jesus is with us. He is no longer in the grave, but alive. Because he is alive he is spiritually present with us, and in us. The problem for us is that sometimes we can be like the two travellers on the road to Emmaus in Luke’s account of the resurrection. Jesus was with them, but they didn’t recognise him. Although Jesus is present with us, we can fail to recognise his presence in our life. This morning, from the narrative in Luke’s gospel, we will see what Jesus does to help us recognise him and his presence.  All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Pastor Tim continues the series in Galatians, entitled Freedom in Christ.  If our justification before God is based only on what Christ has done, and is received only through faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, then what is the purpose of the law of God? That’s the question we will answer this morning. We will see that its purpose is to drive us to feel our need of Jesus Christ, and to deepen our love for him who loved us, and gave himself for us. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Pastor Tim continues the series in Galatians, entitled Freedom in Christ.  The Bible is very clear. We are put right with God through Christ alone, and not through us keeping the law. The common question that gets asked is, "does that mean we can live as we please and still be justified?” This morning we will see that Paul's answer in Galatians 2:17 is, "certainly not.” The reality is that we, who are justified by faith in Christ, can and will live radically different lives. As we die to the law we will find ourselves living to God. The Spirit will be at work in us to form Christ in us, assuring us we are the true descendants of Abraham, the man of faith. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Pastor Tim continues the series in Galatians, entitled Freedom in Christ.  If we are Christians, we are trusting in Christ alone for our justification, and trusting in his daily grace to make us holy. This is our response to the gospel message we have heard - the good news that Jesus alone, by his life, death, resurrection and ascension qualifies us to stand in God’s holy presence. But what if the message we believe isn’t true? What if it is simply a message that Paul made up? What if we need to also keep the Law of Moses? How do we know the gospel we believe is from God? This morning we shall answer these questions. We shall see the authenticity of the Gospel, and its power to save and transform us. It is truly good news from God. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Pastor Tim is starting a new series in Galatians, entitled Freedom in Christ. This week's message is drawn from Galatians 1:1-10 and the title is Set free in Christ.  We all like to imagine we are free agents, but in reality none of us are completely free. When it comes to our spiritual lives, we’re not free either. We are all born slaves to sin, and under the just condemnation of God. Galatians is good news from God for us. This letter shows us how we can find freedom from the power and penalty of sin: True freedom, not through our own efforts, but through faith in Christ. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Assistant Pastor Steven continues the series in 1 Timothy entitled Guarding the deposit. This week's message is drawn from 1 Timothy 5:17-25 and the title is Godliness in God's leaders.  All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

In 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul laid out his reason for writing which is to know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. How we live reflects who we are. One of the clear themes in Paul's letters is the reality of being in the family of God but how are we to reflect this new reality? How do we relate to one another? How do we care for one another, especially with finite resources, and especially in the area of caring for widows?  Paul answers these questions with godly wisdom showing us the reality of pursuing godliness in God's family.  All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

There is no room in Christian ministry for hypocrisy. What the preacher says we should do is what the preacher must be doing. That’s what we will see this morning as we come to 1 Timothy 4v11-16. In these verse Paul commands the pastor to be a man of evident integrity, who gets his authority from God’s word. Paul also shows that the stakes are high. Salvation depends on it. What did Paul mean by that statement? What does this ministry that saves look like? Who should we follow? How can we influence others for good? Those are some of the questions we shall be seeking to answer as we open up this text. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Godliness is not optional for God’s people. But that raises a number of questions. What is godliness? Why is godliness important? How do we achieve godliness? The answers to those questions might surprise us. Many people think we need to have rules, boundaries, accountability, and other means like that to be godly people. However, Paul shows that trying to achieve godliness by those means is like trying to stop an army tank with a peashooter. This morning, we shall seek to understand what true godliness is, and then we will see how we discipline ourselves for it. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

What does it mean to turn away from Christ and the gospel? According to 1 Timothy 4v1-5, it means turning away from Jesus to justify us and make us holy, and turning to a life of legalism and asceticism. That is the kind of life that seeks to deal with sinful desires, not by trusting in Jesus, but by denying ourselves the good gifts that God gives us. What we will see is that the way we guard against this is by recognising false teachers and following good servants of Christ. This morning we will hear a call for spiritual discernment. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

We were created and redeemed to enjoy fellowship with God. However, sometimes God feels absent. That was the case for the Psalmist in Psalm 42 and 43. What he shows is that, when times like that happen, we need to pray to God, and preach to self. This morning we explore what it means to preach to our self, so that we begin to hope in God and find our joy in him again. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

It often seems like we have two options in how we react to Christ's death. Either we think Jesus has done it all so I can live how I want, or we try to earn his favour by being very religious. In Paul's letter to the Colossians he offers a better way: The way of worship - seeking what is above and not on earth, and living out the freedom and fullness we have obtained in Christ.  All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Without something to look forward to hope dies. The anticipation of something good sustains our hope. The problem for most of us is that the thing we look forward to doesn’t last, or doesn’t meet our expectations. Because everything in this world is affected by sin, then every earthly thing we place our hope in will disappoint. That’s why we need: to look at the things that are unseen but eternal. to look back at God’s past deliverances to look forward to resurrection life. This morning we shall see the importance of this, and how we can have the faith to see what is unseen. The reading is Psalm 116. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Affliction has a way of exposing our weakness. When we are faced with circumstances that take us beyond our abilities we realise that we are not as strong, clever, resourceful, or independent as we realised. And that’s OK. It is OK because it causes us to realise that God is our strength. He isn’t just our strength when we feel weak. He is our strength even when we feel strong. Affliction is God’s way to show that we are never strong, but He is always strong. As a result he gets the glory. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

No one wants to live with the feelings of hopelessness. None of us longs to lose heart. If someone told us they knew the secret of daily joy filled hope, none of us would say, “I don’t want to know the secret.” Yet this year we will face all kinds of afflictions that will threaten our joy and hope and which could lead us to lose heart. So, how do we live in a world where we are afflicted in many ways, but live in such a way that we don’t lose heart? Join us this morning to answer this question, and discover the secret of having hope filled hearts through 2025. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Our Christmas series looking at the songs of praise that came as a response to Jesus' incarnation concludes this week with the song of Simeon. Jesus is our salvation and, rather than being a mechanism or philosophy for life, salvation is best seen as a relationship. Therefore we should look upon Jesus, the one prepared for us, the one who knows our darkest parts and gives us life. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Traditional readings and carols with an address based on the song of the angels, entitled A Song of Peace. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Our Christmas series looks at the songs of praise that come out as a response to Jesus' incarnation.  What is God’s ultimate purpose in saving us? That is the question that Zechariah’s song answers. This song speaks about God’s salvation in a way that points to his mercy and faithfulness to his people. It also shows us that God acts to save his people in order that we may be set free from fear to worship him. What we will see this morning is that God acts in the world to put his glory on display, for his people to see and delight in. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

We are beginning our Christmas series which will look at the songs of praise that come out as a response to Jesus' incarnation.  Our first and possibly most famous is Mary’s song, traditionally called the Magnificat (based on the first line), and it is just pure unashamed praise, coming from the depth of her heart.  This morning we are going to see the real reason for her praise and why we can praise with her.  All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

If someone asked you: “Why do you have hope in a world that is so uncertain?”, how would you answer them? This week is the beginning of advent and the first candle speaks of hope. This is not a vague, “I hope so,” but a confidence in the face of uncertainty. How can we have that kind of hope? That’s the question we will seek to answer as we ponder the ‘creed’ in 1 Timothy 3v16, and especially the line, “He was manifested in the flesh.” The reading will be Matthew 1:18-25 All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

We are looking forward to a visit from Colin Smith (Open the Bible) who will be preaching from Psalm 24. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

The life that we are called to by God’s grace is a life that runs in the opposite direction to the world. We are called by God to turn away from sin, and draw close to him. That will mean living out a very different set of beliefs to the world around us, and that is hard. It's hard to go against the flow of popular opinion. To stand up for what Jesus says, and speak against the popular views of our day can result in us being humiliated and cancelled. That is why Paul’s command to Timothy is so relevant for us - don’t be ashamed of Jesus, rather suffer for the gospel (2 Timothy 1v8). But how do we do that? How do we experience the Spirit of God strengthening us to obey this command? That’s what we’ll discover this Sunday morning. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

This week, we are looking forward to a visit from NTM as part of More on Mission. This morning Stephen Tibberts will be encouraging us to look to Christ as he opens up 1 Peter 4:7-19. Later we will hear from some of the students about their experience of short term mission and what it is like to study at North Cotes with NTM. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

How do you view the church? Is it a place you go to, as just another activity in the week? Is it a people you connect with, in the same way you are part of some other group or club? How we view the church will determine how we conduct ourselves as members of it. That’s why we need to see the glory of the church. When we see the glory of the church, and really grasp how precious it is to God, then our conduct as members of it will be radically altered. This week we will be considering the character, conduct and confession of the church from 1 Timothy 3:14-16. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

We want our churches to grow numerically. However, we are often not prepared for the cost of growth. Inevitably there will be more demands. The result is that leaders will either neglect their primary calling of prayer and word ministry, or they will suffer burn out. Then, because they won’t be able to meet everyone’s expectations, those who attend feel neglected. Mercifully God has provided a pattern for us in scripture to deal with growth that allows elders to do the essential work of word ministry, and for the congregational needs to be met. It is through the recognised service of “dignified servants” who support the work of the elders. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Harvest is a time to remember God’s provision for us. In harvest we see the character of God who sovereignly governs all things including the growth of seeds so that food is grown, the skill of farmers and food producers to turn raw food into edible products, and the provision of money so that we can buy food. For all of this we give God thanks, but we need to do more than that. Harvest is also a time to give back to the Lord, trusting in him to provide for us for another year. As God reveals his character to us, so we respond with trust in him. That’s what we will see as we open up Psalm 23 this morning. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

This week, Tim Shenton is bringing us a message drawn from Luke 23:32-43, with v43 as the key verse: And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

We are delighted to have Sam Gordon back with us to bring us this week's message from Ephesians. Join us as we delight together in the wonder of God's grace. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

When we think about our lives, often the way we describe them boils down to chaos, whether it is something with the family or at work, let alone thinking about what is going on in our world. Our lives are full of chaos, disorder, and general mayhem, and we certainly cannot ignore them. But what are we to do with them? Well, in Mark 4:35 – 41, we find Jesus with his disciples stuck on a boat in the midst of the chaos of a violent storm, a great biblical symbol of the chaos of our world. With the disciples, we need to realise who Jesus truly is and how we can come to him with our chaos.  All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812

Most of us have an interest in our family history. We love to listen to grandparents and parents talking about their past, and their parents and grandparents. Some people will make use of ancestry websites to trace their family tree. Those of us who have not done this still probably thought we would like to. Imagine then if we could trace our family history back 1000s of years. Well, if we are believers in Christ we can. As those united to him by faith, we are united to all those who have faith in him, including those in the Old Testament like Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi. What we will see this morning is that we belong to God’s family of faith, and that has implications for marriage, family and church. All music videos are streamed under our Streaming Plus Licence 1306812