Ncf Sunday Talks

God inspired the Bible to be written in order to stimulate us to become more like Him and to do things like Him. God is on a Mission and He has invited all of us to act with Him - through our character and through our actions. We can get involved with His Mission in a wide range of ways. It is good to practice them, but He will also quicken us when they are best to be used for the blessing of other people. Like Jonathan Edwards, let's decide to live for God, even if the people around us are choosing not to. Let's reflect Jesus, the Light of the World, to others in our sphere of influence.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

In the last Talk of this Series, we sum up what we have thought about so far and the implications for our individual lives. Let Jesus wear His crown in your life! Don't quickly scamper out of times of testing. Sometimes God wants to bring you through times of heartache and sorrow so that you can be a blessing to others in the future. The River can be a positive place to be. Allow God to grip you, so that you'll be inspired, anointed and equipped for what He is calling you to do with Him in the coming weeks and months. Like the Apostle Paul we need to rely on God in our life. As we take a posture of humility and submission so we will live well in this current Land of Holiness and Promise.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Sometimes God gives His People or an individual a decision to make and delaying that decision is simply wrong. In Joshua 24, the Israelites are given a choice between wholeheartedly following God or to go back and worship idols that are powerless and are of no long-term value. We have similar choices today. Will you serve God with all your being or not?The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Humans are resourceful and creative, but often it is only God and His power, anointing and care that will see us through different circumstances in our lives. In this Talk, we explore how the Israelites definitely needed God's supernatural help as they conquered the Promised Land (Land of Holiness). We shouldn't only expect God to work in our church buildings, but in every place we go - this is what happened in Bible times. Has God opened a door for us collectively to go through at this time? Let's submit to God, praying "Your will be done in my life, as it is in heaven." We are fallible and limited in our understanding. God is not! Let's expect Him to work supernaturally in and through us.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

The Israelites entered the Promised Land and saw God do miracles at Jericho. Not everyone followed God's plans though in this land of holiness. They needed to live holy lives in the Holy Land. Being holy means being set apart and consecrated for God and wanting to catch His essence as you spend quality time with Him. We are certainly not good enough without God's merited grace in our lives. Don't turn your back on God, but approach Him reverently. God is our strong fortress!The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Do you like surprises in your life? It depends what it is of course. Does everything make sense in your life? It is all sewn up, neat and tidy? What God did in the Bible and in our modern world doesn't always make sense to us. It doesn't need to. He is God and we are not! He is Sovereign and we are not! His ways are always the best ways in any circumstance in our lives. God has good plans for us. Nothing can separate us from His love. When we are caught off guard by surprises in our lives, then let us run to Him and be safe. The walls of Jericho fell down due to God's plans. God is our strong fortress though! The script for the whole Service can be read here.

The Israelites had crossed the River Jordan and so surely the next step was to concentrate on how to be physically ready for the battles ahead? No! God appeared to Joshua as a theophany (recounted in Joshua 5) and Joshua quickly responded by worshipping God.Let us too be quick to respond when we encounter the living, holy and awesome God! Let Jesus wear His crown, without desiring to wear it ourselves. Let us do as God tells us to do, looking to Him as a priority every day. Amongst all the pressures and busynesses of our lives, let us follow Joshua's example and life our eyes to God. Our help comes from Him."The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe!" (Proverbs 18:10)The script for the whole Service can be read here.

As the Israelites were entering their Promised Land, God reminded them that they hadn't been that way before (Joshua 3:4). They had to totally depend on God by consecrating themselves, to watch God as He acted on their behalf and then to move on at His pace and direction. God might be asking you to move into new territory in 2026. You need to be totally dependent on God too, keep close to Him as He is our primary choreographer! Just as we have heard of God's fame and action from the past, so let us rely on His character and power in our lives today too. The script for the whole Service can be read here.

The people of Israel went to Egypt because it meant freedom from hunger and uncertainty. It was initially a good place to be in. After 430 years, God miraculously brought the Israelites out of that land. What would happen next? Would they prefer the uncertainty of knowing what might occur as they entered the Promised Land? Would they rather have the pain of slavery than trusting God in their new adventure? In our lives, let's give thanks for the past but let us remember that "the name of the LORD is a strong fortress, the godly run to him and are safe." Let us be known for people who have been with Jesus. Whatever the future holds, let's embrace God and His ways in all of our lives.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

God is 100% faithful and good no matter what is going on in our lives. We need Him in our lives! We need Him to interact with His compassion, holiness, gifts and power. We should recognize the beauty of others, we should do something beautiful for Jesus and we should become more beautiful for Jesus ourselves.Let's take off the crown from our heads that really belongs to Jesus and then submit to God. He is worthy! The script for this Service can be read here.

In this short Talk we consider the importance of being captivated by Jesus. Even as a Baby, He changed people's lives. We especially look at Mary and the shepherds in the Christmas story. Ask God to captivate your heart today - that's an important prayer!The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Many people have heard the Christmas story numerous times. In this Talk we consider looking again at three phrases or words within that series of events. What is our hearty attitude like towards God? Do we let Him energize us and give us direction in our lives? Jesus is no longer a Baby. What do you think about Jesus? Will you decide to live under His authority?You can read the Carol Service running order here and the script for the Talk here.

The pilgrimage or journey that we are all on with God can be beautiful and transformational even if there are difficult moments. In this Talk we explore three main things to keep in mind as we travel both with God and with other people. Remember to wear the Fruit of the Spirit as your base layer and to look for gold in others.The script for the whole Service can be read here.Anita is the Pastor of the Elim Church in Loughborough. 

Looking at Ephesians 1:1-14, we can see that God blesses us through adoption, redemption and salvation. If we are struggling, we should focus on these blessings to help us to look forward towards the future. How do you bless God in your normal life?The script for the whole Service can be read here.

We need God's mercy and grace in our lives. Whatever our age and whatever our type of personality or confidence for life level, God is willingly giving us His precious love and gifts - even though we totally do not deserve that consideration from Him. We have seen amazing things happen around the world in our life times (both good and bad), but the effects of God's mercy absolutely dwarf any of those that we can bring to mind. As we receive God's mercy, let us then pass it on to others and see what God does with that domino effect."May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14Unfortunately the first five minutes of this Talk were not recorded. Take a look at the script to get the gist of what was said. The script for the whole Service can be read here.

In this Talk we hear a little about how Abraham had many descendants (like God promised) and explore the three generations born after him. We name all the twelve tribes of Israel and work out who they were born to.Joseph was a dreamer. He was sent to Egypt and then put in prison, but that wasn't the end of what God had planned for him - just like it wasn't the end when Sarah was described as barren. May God help us to see with faith what He is doing in our lives and in the lives of others. He hasn't finished with you yet. Immerse yourself in God's grace and remember that His strength and love to us will see us through any situation we might be facing. We can then share that same grace with others and see many more people affected by God.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

In this Service we dedicated Noah Wright to God, praying that he would remain child-like in his relationship with God. Like Abraham in Genesis 17, we can have a ongoing relationship with God. God can transform us all by His power and love - He is not an illusionist where He tricks us to believe in Him. He is like a mountain - dependable and strong. Early in this recording we hear about what dedication is and then the vows we make that Noah will be brought up according to God's ways. The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Are we a cardboard cutout with regard to our faith or are we present and real? Jacob wrestled with God until he knew that he had been blessed by God (Genesis 32). On Remembrance Sunday we want to remember those people who have given their lives so that we might live fairly peacefully today, but we shouldn't aim to only have a faith where we remember the good days from the past. God still wants to touch us today. Let's not give casual thoughts towards God, but decide to actively show grace to others in a multitude of ways.The script for the whole of the Service can be read here.(The slight interference in the sound quality goes away at 2'34".) 

Humans look for fulfillment in their lives to all kinds of things. Psalm 121 reminds us to look to God every day of our lives and not to the strong things we see about us. Abraham was a man of faith and a pilgrim. God calls us to live a similar lifestyle of expectation by being pilgrims in 2025. What we are expecting tomorrow or in the near future will greatly affect us today. May God help us all to look to Him in the ups and downs of life today. May we fully experience God walking with us today.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Abraham was the patriarch of this family, but lots of women had important roles to play and God was often interacting in their lives. In this Talk we hear about Sarah, Hagar, Keturah and Rebekah. Whilst none of them (like us) always got things correct, God saw them and helped them in their shortcomings. Often we might be the answer to our own prayers - whether we feel we are in the desert or in the land of plenty.