King's Church Hastings

Steve Young talks about another key aspect of making disciples at King's Church: being filled with the Spirit and walking in partnership with Him.

There are four ingredients we need to grow a healthy church.

Whatever stage of life you’re in, busyness is here to stay. Whether it’s responsibilities at work or people to look after at home, everyone is in need for your time and attention. At Mother’s Day, we unpack a few top tips on how to keep your peace in whatever season you’re in.

Part of the Christian package is to have access to and to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit who reveals God to us, who restores us into a relationship with him and who empowers us to live Christ-like lives. Our salvation was dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit, so our Christian lives should continue to be ones that are characterised by a dependency of the Spirit.

Andrew Bunt talks about a key aspect of making disciples at King's Church: understanding and living out our new identity in Christ.

Paul had an amazing story of life transformation, but he knew that even more amazing and important was the story of the forgiveness of his sins. For every Christian, forgiveness of sins is at the heart of our story. This means that every Christian has a great story. The centrality of forgiveness of sins in the gospel helps us in discipleship – it reminds us that the gospel isn’t about having a better life – and it helps us in mission – it reminds us to use our stories to point people to the forgiveness of sins.

The apostle Paul suffered a huge amount. Suffering and pain are things we all experience, but our answers to four questions can help us to find hope in our suffering: the why question; the identity question; the comfort question; and the hope question.

There's a physical realm and a spiritual realm. They coexist and affect one another. We need to be aware of what is going on in both realms, looking through both lenses simultaneously. Whenever we're talking about the spiritual realm, it's not about power, but about position. We fight power with authority; with who we stand in. The question we're asked is not 'what have you done?' but 'who are you?'

When the apostle Paul arrived in Corinth, he didn't ask for miraculous provision or a gift; he worked. We often speak about work as if it's a bad thing, but God is a worker. Adam and Eve worked before sin entered the world. God has designed us for work. It's a good thing. And it's also fundamental for mission, as we see in the lives of Priscilla and Aquila.

Paul Mann, lead elder of King's Church, shares the overall vision for King's as one church with four venues and explains how the King's Bexhill venue fits within the wider vision.

God has invited us to partner with Him on mission. The starting pistol has gone: Jesus said: "Go!" But how do we know which way to go? The apostle Paul used common sense; he followed the doors God opened (and moved away from the ones He closed); he also learnt through the Holy Spirit revealing things to him; and through spending time with godly people, seeking their counsel. We carry a message, and God's more interested in us partnering with Him in sharing it than us being perfect at it.

Worship is a decision we make. It's a deliberate, individual decision to connect with God. Mission came out of worship. The church isn't here for us; we're on a mission to proclaim the gospel, care for the poor, make disciples and see people's lives transformed. Every single one of us is precious, important and needed. We all need to step up and get out of our comfort zones in fresh ways. As we encounter God in worship, we are filled with joy and courage to take out the gospel.

Lazarus had a problem: he was dead. But no problem is too big for Jesus; he can bring the dead to life. We've all got problems, and we all start with one problem that is bigger even that Lazarus's problem: we're spiritually dead in our sins. But no problem is too big for Jesus; no one is too hard for him to rescue. Jesus can bring new life to anyone.

Christians should expect opposition. It's inevitable; the Bible promises it will happen. It also tells us how to prepare for it. So, how are we to respond to opposition? What are the results of it? And how will it be resolved?

Ananias was just a normal disciple of Jesus, like any one of us, and yet God was able to use him for a hugely significant role. Paul explores why it was that God was able to use Ananias and how we can learn from him to become the kind of people God can use.

At its heart Christianity is about an encounter with the resurrected Lord Jesus and embracing Him with your whole heart, not just giving Him a few aspects of your life, but giving Him full reign.

We can learn a lot about faith from the story of Bartimaeus. Faith seeks Jesus, it acknowledges Jesus, it perseveres. Faith listens, dislodges, obeys / is responsive. It is clear what it wants. It receives. Faith embraces Jesus.

This Jesus who came as a baby is the eternal One, with no beginning and no end. He's the all-powerful One, the Creator. On Christmas Day we remember Him not only as a baby, but also who He was and who He is.

Home of one of those quintessentially Christmas things. At our Carols by Candlelight event, Andrew spoke on the connection between home and Christmas.

When the wise men found Jesus, He would not have been as they might have expected... It wasn't the external things that were amazing, but the baby born in a stable, placed in a manger, that they realised was the King of Kings. It's not the normal response when you see a baby, but they worshipped Him.