21st January 2025
As we have been reading and studying Paul's letter to the Colossians, it has been stirring and encouraging to see how much thanksgiving and prayer run like a clear and beautiful stream through this letter. We see Paul giving thanks for their faith in Christ and love in the Spirit for one another. We also get to find out what he is praying for them as a church community. He says 'we haven't stop praying for you'...'asking God to fill you with the knowledge of what he wants for you, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. This will mean that you'll be able to conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord, and so give hom real delight, as you bear fruit in every good work and grow up in the knowledge of God. I pray that you'll be given all possible strength, according to the power of his glory, so you'll have complete patience and become truly steadfast and joyful. And I pray that you will learn to give thanks to the Father who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of God's holy ones in the light'. (Colossians 1:9-12)
Later in the letter he encourages the Colossians to 'devote yourselves to prayer; keep alert, with thanksgiving. While you're about it, pray for us, too, that God will open in front of us a door for the word, so that we may speak of the mystery of the King [Jesus Christ] .....pray that I may speak clearly about it.'
So as we start the year, as a local church family, we have five days of prayer from Monday 27 to Friday 31 January. We will provide five days of devotional notes and prayer points to steer and stimulate your prayers. We will also be offering these different opportunities to meet for prayer:
Tuesday 28 January: Morning Online Zoom Prayer, 7am to 7.30am
Wenesday 29 January: Lunchtime Online Zoom Prayer, 1pm to 1.30pm
Thursday 30 January: Morning Online Zoom Prayer, 7am to 7.30am
Friday 31 January: In Person Hour of Prayer, 1pm to 2pm, Brigade House
Friday 31 January: In Person Friday Evening Prayer, 7.30pm to 9.30pm Brigade House
As Pete Grieg has written: 'the truth is this: there are terrible evils that will only be restrained, and wonderful blessings that will only be unlocked, by our prayers' so, as Martin Luther has said about the spiritual battles we are engaged in....'the best thing we can do....is to put our fists together and pray'.
Posted by Cliff Nelson
13:53
4th January 2025
Hi everyone at King's Church. At the beginning of a new year people often reflect and consider new resolutions they wish to pursue: to lose weight, get fit, save money, enjoy life!. But when we turn our attention to the Bible we see the apostle Paul's priority aim for his life: ' … I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled] (Philippians 3:8 Amplified).
As we step into new year 2025 we want to imitate Paul's ambition, and to help us fix our gaze on Jesus we will be focusing on Paul's letter to the Colossians. Paul’s letter to the Colossians was written during one of the apostle’s many imprisonments for preaching Jesus as Son of God, Saviour and Risen Lord. The letter is addressed to a group of people he had never met that made up a church community that he didn’t start. The church in Colossae was started by a co-worker of Paul’s called Epaphras who was from that city. Epaphras had recently visited Paul in prison and shared news of how well they were doing but also mentioned some of the cultural pressures tempting them to turn away from Jesus, so Paul wrote this letter to address these issues and encourage them to a greater devotion to Jesus. Paul's aim is to see them grow and mature in Christ.
Theologian and scholar Tom (N.T.) Wright says: ‘What they [the Colossians] need to know above all, if they are to grow as Christians, increasing in wisdom, power, patience and thanksgiving, is the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ. The more they get to know, and know about, Jesus Christ, the more they will understand who the true God is and what he’s done; who they are as a result; and what it means to live in and for him.’ So you are welcome to join us on this journey as we pursue, not a just a new year's aim but a lifetime ambition of 'knowing Christ Jesus' our Lord and Saviour.
Posted by Cliff Nelson
13:05
22nd September 2024
Hi everyone at King's Church. I love reading what the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians at the beginning of his letter of thanksgiving encouragement to them for their support, friendship and partnership in the Gospel. He says with the deep loveand affection of Jesus Christ for them:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6 NIV).
As a local church family we are beginning a new chapter together and, perhaps more than ever before, we need to seek God, and ask Him to lead us forward together by His presence into his good purposes and good plans for us. The eldership team here are confident that God will continue the good work he has begun in us a a church family and want to urge us to pray together during these next five days of prayer (Monday 23 to Friday 27 September) with expectation for fresh encounter with and encouragement from God.
We have provided five days of prayer points and devotional notes to help steer and stimulate your prayers this week. We look foward to meeting as a church together for our Prayer Evening, this Friday 27 September, starting at 7.30pm at Brigade House. Do hope that you be there if at all possible.
With love and thanks, the King's Church Eldership
Posted by Cliff Nelson
14:17
30th April 2023
We begin a new Sunday morning teaching series called the 'Spirit Filled Church', where we will be looking over the next few weeks at 'Who the Holy Spirit is and what does He do?; 'How to be filled by the Spirit?'; A Church of Love'; and a church looking to 'Walk by the Spirit' and 'Eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy'. We will also be looking at faith for physical and inner healing, and Jesus' proclaimation that he has been empowered to bring good news to the poor.
In May, june and July we will be complementing our Sunday morning teaching with some mid-week evening ministry sessions building on Wendy Mann's excellent' Naturally Supernatual' course that we found really helpful last year. During these sesssions we will be looking at 'Hearing from Heaven' and also how we can more intentionally reach out with the good news.
Posted by Cliff Nelson
14:33