Brixham Community Church Podcast

An interpretation of a message in tongues brought at Brixham Community Church on Sunday 12th March 2023.

As we encounter and experience Jesus through worship and go deeper into relationship with him through his living and active Word, we find that he wants to work in us and show us our purpose. https://youtu.be/Uag1VX2bRXo But this is most powerful when we are a part of a loving Christian family, working in community. Today we’ll see what God is saying to us through the life of Jesus in the gospels and the early church in the book of Acts. Jesus and the twelve disciples Luke chapter 6 shows us something of a pattern we might learn from Jesus: 12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles… 17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and

https://youtu.be/MV3ov7Exp1U As we encounter and experience Jesus through worship and go deeper into relationship with him through his living and active Word, we find that he wants to work in us and show us our purpose. 1: We were designed to fulfil a purpose In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) God created mankind in his own image (Genesis 1:27) We see from these two verses that God is creative and that we are made in his image - we were built to create something too! And it’s also true that he made us all unique, which means we have a unique role in our families, workplaces, church and society. We have work to do that it bespoke to us, exciting, satisfying and fruit-bearing! 2: Work is not a punishment / result of the Fall: The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15) As part of a perfect world with no sin, no weeds, no earthquakes or disease, God gave Adam a responsibility. I im

During the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone has suffered losses. For some it’s the loss of loved ones, for others the loss of routines and the familiar, the missed family gatherings or coffee with friends, the cancelled holidays and postponed weddings, even the loss of going into the office every day. Any loss, big or small can cause us to experience grief. And the bigger the loss, the greater the grief. A war widow will know greater loss than the person who loses a favourite jumper. Christian psychiatrist Curt Thompson defines grief as “Our emotional inflammatory response to loss… when we are deprived of anything to which we have a significant emotional attachment…” So grief is our emotional response to loss, whatever the loss is. If it was something significant to us and we lose it, we will experience grief. I’m told that we can compare grief with physical injury. When our bodies suffer harm we feel physical pain and there is a wound that needs to heal. In a similar way, grief pierces the soul and

Our second value is the Word - following the Bible as a guidebook to life.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“Look beyond the mountains to the One who made the mountainsLook beyond the raging sea to the glorious horizon that awaits youLook beyond the problem to the One who is the solution to the problemLook beyond this squalid evil world to the heavenly country which awaits youLook beyond every difficulty, every hardship, every form of suffering, to the day when you will be free from all these thingsLook beyond the arguments of men to the wisdom of the Almighty GodLook beyond whatever is facing you.Look beyondLook beyond the wonders of creation to the One whose genius created itLook beyond the starlit sky to the One who designed the galaxiesLook beyond the brevity of life on earth to the One who inhabits eternityLook beyond the grave to the One who is the resurrection and the lifeLook beyond your weaknesses, failures and sins to the One who paid the price for them all at Calvary.Look beyond.” www.davidpetts.org/look-beyond Looking to Jesus Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cl

GRACE FIRST 24th January 2021 Paul Black Three weeks ago I spoke about the ministry of Jesus and how He lived, I believe, with an attitude of GRACE FIRST.  I shared accounts of Jesus ministry to Zacchaeus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well. The Bible tells us Jesus came full of “grace and truth”. Jesus never compromised on the truth and His ministry should be an example to each one of us of how we can reach out to our neighbours; our neighbourhoods’, our towns, even our nation and see lives changed. I want to continue this theme by looking at another aspect of the ministry of Jesus and how He taught and touched people’s lives. We must learn from Him.   (Matthew 11:28-30 - The Message) - Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep Company with me and you’ll learn t

17/01/2021 -  Zoom meeting highlights. Ft. Verity Hyde and Jonathan Petts Bible References: Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 61:1, Psalm 69

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JthWgUl7t1g Remember from last time There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12   Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise. 1 Corinthians 3:18   The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17 One area of God’s wisdom that contradicts much human wisdom is the idea that slow is not always a bad thing. In fact sometimes slow is essential to living the live God intended. Dallas Willard referred to hurry as the “great enemy of spiritual life in our day.” His message was to “ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”   Hurry is the enemy of love Love has many enemies. Most of them are centred in the self. If I were to ask you what you thought would be the opposite of love, many of you might answer, “Hate. Hat

https://www.brixham.church/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Wisdom-from-Heaven-Jon-Petts.mp3 This is the audio from our latest YouTube teaching video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrokZqjv0GY

https://youtu.be/oxLEvt-qrzQ Mind Body and More 4 – The renewed mind in action A sneak peek into the internal workings of a renewed mind In my last three videos I’ve tried to show that the mind governed by the body or flesh is death and that the mind governed by the S/spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6). I’ve highlighted that we must offer our bodies and renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2). Today I want to look at some verses that offer an insight into the world view of such a renewed mind. Paul had been attacked by false teachers who had come into the Corinthian church, persuading some of the Christians there that Paul was incorrect in his teaching and perhaps suggesting that he was preaching for his own personal gain. Imagine how it might feel to sense the call of God on your life to preach the gospel with nothing but the Kingdom of God at the centre of your motivation. You have suffered, been beaten and still you have remained humble and faithful. Now you hear that other people are teaching misleading ide

https://youtu.be/TMLFZG89CoQ What to do in an impossible situation The Situation Paul was in prison He was lacking fellowship verse 11 - only Luke was with him verse 10 - Demas had deserted him (cf v16) verse 14 - Alexander had harmed him verse 20 - Trophimus was sick He was in danger of death verse 17 (lion = lion or Nero or devil) verse 6 - indeed he was about to die (cf. 3:11) Paul’s attitude and reaction in the situation He realised God’s presence with him despite the circumstances verse 1 - in the presence of God......... I give you this charge He faced the situation realistically He did not seek to deny the reality of his impending death He took practical steps to alleviate the immediate situation as best he could He urged Timothy to come as quickly as possible (with Mark) and bring his cloak, scrolls and parchments (9, 11-12) He made what long-term provision for the future he could He sought to ensure that his work would continue through Timothy after his death by giving him instructions (1-5

https://youtu.be/yGP_MM1rMxI  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgjzt9sU_II Today we are looking at Jeremiah 32 where Jeremiah is imprisoned in a city that is already being besieged.   You could say that he is doubly in isolation.   It’s 586BC The Babylonian army is surrounding Jerusalem Jeremiah is in prison for prophesying that because of their sins the Lord will hand Jerusalem over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon One day, God tells Jeremiah that his cousin will come and ask him to buy his field at Anathoth.   And, sure enough, his cousin comes and Jeremiah buys the field. He pays 17 shekels of silver, signs and seals the deed, has it witnessed and weighs out the silver on the scales He tells Baruch, his scribe: Take both the sealed and and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase and put them in a clay jar so that they will last a long time because the Lord almighty says that houses fields and vineyards will again be bought in the land   Then he prays: 17 "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your gre

https://youtu.be/FTYX7yHfXzQ   Hello! I’m David Petts and this is the first of a few talks I’ve been asked to give to encourage you at this difficult time. As many of us are in isolation at the moment, I’m going to be looking at some Bible passages where God’s people were in isolation. Today we’ll be looking at Isaiah 36 and 37 which is one of the most exciting passages in the Bible. The Challenge   Sennacherib king of Assyria has invaded Judah and captured all the fortified cities with the exception of Jerusalem. Most recent to fall is LACHISH 36:2 just a few miles from Jerusalem. From a bas-relief in British Museum we know they were being decapitated, impaled on stakes, and even skinned alive! Now Jerusalem itself is surrounded by a great army of the Assyrian forces and threatened with a similar fate. The entire city is cut off from the outside world. Its inhabitants are in fact in isolation. Defeat seems inevitable. Sennacherib’s field commander tells the people to surrender. It’s your only o

 Gardener’s Question Time We are so blessed to have a garden in our home. When we first moved here much of our garden was overgrown. It’s only when you start pulling weeds and cutting back bushes that have got ‘leggy’ that you realise how much work there is to do. So much of it needs redesigning and rethinking. I began to think of my mind as a bit like that too. If I allow a thought to take root and pay no attention to where it is going, it will become like one of those plants that shades out others and takes over. I also thought of how beautiful a garden can be. I want to be able to walk through my garden with Jesus, admiring the good thoughts he has put there, seeded by my time in the word. But alas, there are still some unkempt areas that, if I were walking through this garden, I’d be ashamed of. Then I realised it wasn’t an original thought. Lots of people have said that the mind is like a garden. Here’s one:  “A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed t

I’m a cheesy guy Deep down I know that eating too much cheese is bad for my body. I love cheese. Blue cheese, soft cheese, mature cheddar, even cheap processed cheese squares used in burgers. I also know that overeating is bad for my body, and if I really overdo it as a lifestyle, I’d be looking at disease and a shortened lifespan. But hey, I’m a Christian, so what does it matter? It’s all about being spiritual, right? Wrong. My body belongs to God. It is a temple of the Holy Spirit. I should respect it and look after it, partly because I can serve him better with a healthy body, but also because it’s an opportunity to honour him, showing discipline and sacrifice in order to But I am often tempted, especially last thing at night when I’d like some supper. Just a bit of sneaky cheese knocked back with a glass of milk before I go upstairs. I know what’s right, but I also know what I really want! The battle with the body This isn’t just me though. Everybody, even non-believers, struggle with the general id