March 25th 2018. Living with the End in Mind - Return of the King (Zechariah 1 v 16-17, 9 v 9-11, 12 v 10-11, 14 v 6-9). Start off with feedback from Sunday's message. What did those that were there - or those that have caught up online - take away from it? What encouraged them, what informed them and what challenged them? Spend some time discussing the response to the message and the issues that it raised. Download Discussion notes
March 25th 2018. Cross Vision: Triumphal entry. Matthew 21. In this season of Lent, looking forward to Easter we have an opportunity in reading the gospels to see Jesus life and ministry in the context of that tumultuous week in Jerusalem, climaxing in His death and resurrection. The three years of Jesus ministry were planned and orchestrated with the Cross in mind. The focus of those three years, and a major part of the gospel accounts of his life is compressed into one week, beginning with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Download Discussion notes
March 18th 2018. Living with the end in mind: Day of the Lord: Malachi 4. Stephen Covey, best-selling author of ‘7 habits of highly effective people’ says ‘begin with the end in mind’. The Bible narratives all point towards an end and Jesus’ parables often address those who fail to live with the end in mind. Malachi in the last book and the last verses of the Old Testament points towards the great and terrible day of the Lord. If it happened tomorrow would that be good news or bad news as far as you are concerned? Download Discussion notes
March 18th 2018. Cross Vision: Sheep and Wolves. Matthew 10. In this season of Lent, looking forward to Easter we have an opportunity in reading the gospels to see Jesus life and ministry in the context of that tumultuous week in Jerusalem, climaxing in His death and resurrection. The three years of Jesus ministry were planned and orchestrated with the Cross in mind. At the start of his ministry Jesus faced temptations which would define the course of his earthly life, a choice between naked power or self denial ultimately expressed at the cross. In Matthew 10 Jesus commissions and challenges his disciples, sending them out ‘like sheep among wolves’, telling them they will be persecuted and opposed and asking them to take up their cross and follow him. Download Discussion notes
January 21st 2018. Bible School: How to interpret different genres in the Bible - Tim Dobson
The Bible is not one book by 66 individual books help together in a library. These books are written in different styles (History, poetry, biography, apocalyptic etc) This evening will give some hints as how to interpret these books seriously and apply them to our 21st century lives.
March 18th 2018. Cross Vision: Sheep and Wolves. Matthew 10. In this season of Lent, looking forward to Easter we have an opportunity in reading the gospels to see Jesus life and ministry in the context of that tumultuous week in Jerusalem, climaxing in His death and resurrection. The three years of Jesus ministry were planned and orchestrated with the Cross in mind. At the start of his ministry Jesus faced temptations which would define the course of his earthly life, a choice between naked power or self denial ultimately expressed at the cross. In Matthew 10 Jesus commissions and challenges his disciples, sending them out ‘like sheep among wolves’, telling them they will be persecuted and opposed and asking them to take up their cross and follow him. Download Discussion notes
March 18th 2018. Living with the end in mind: Day of the Lord: Malachi 4. Stephen Covey, best-selling author of ‘7 habits of highly effective people’ says ‘begin with the end in mind’. The Bible narratives all point towards an end and Jesus’ parables often address those who fail to live with the end in mind. Malachi in the last book and the last verses of the Old Testament points towards the great and terrible day of the Lord. If it happened tomorrow would that be good news or bad news as far as you are concerned? Download Discussion notes
Society today is very environmentally aware, but what does the Bible have to say on the subject? Tim Sunderland from Community Church, gives us some very helpful insights.
March 11th 2018. Cross Vision: Wilderness temptations Matthew 4. In this season of Lent, looking forward to Easter we have an opportunity in reading the gospels to see Jesus life and ministry in the context of that tumultuous week in Jerusalem, climaxing in His death and resurrection. The three years of Jesus ministry were planned and orchestrated with the Cross in mind. At the start of his ministry Jesus faced temptations which would define the course of his earthly life, a choice between naked power or self denial ultimately expressed at the cross. Download Discussion notes
March 11th 2018. Cross Vision: Wilderness temptations Matthew 4. In this season of Lent, looking forward to Easter we have an opportunity in reading the gospels to see Jesus life and ministry in the context of that tumultuous week in Jerusalem, climaxing in His death and resurrection. The three years of Jesus ministry were planned and orchestrated with the Cross in mind. At the start of his ministry Jesus faced temptations which would define the course of his earthly life, a choice between naked power or self denial ultimately expressed at the cross. Download Discussion notes
March 11th 2018. Living with the end in mind: Gospel of the Kingdom Mark 13:10. Stephen Covey, best-selling author of ‘7 habits of highly effective people’ says ‘begin with the end in mind’. The Bible narratives all point towards an end and Jesus’ parables often address those who fail to live with the end in mind. Jesus said to his disciples when asked about the ‘end of the age’, ‘The gospel must first be preached to all nations’(c.f. Matthew 24:14, Luke 24:47). So far everyone who has predicted the end of the world has got it wrong! Does that mean that it’s not for humans to discern, or that conditions for the end of the ages have not yet been fulfilled? Download Discussion notes
March 4th. Amazing Grace: Grace for living. Romans 11:6 Romans 12. Works and Grace are tensions in the Christian life and have been in Christian theology. Works stands for those ways of living that ultimately are about ‘earning’ salvation or favour from God. It’s not that these things are bad of course but they in themselves don’t ‘earn’ brownie points with God. The grace filled life however is not about not doing ‘good works’; rather these good works are the overflow of favour, not a means to find it. The actions of a disciple and the actions of a Pharisee may look identical. God looks at the heart. Download Discussion notes
March 4th. Amazing Grace: Grace for living. Romans 11:6 Romans 12. Works and Grace are tensions in the Christian life and have been in Christian theology. Works stands for those ways of living that ultimately are about ‘earning’ salvation or favour from God. It’s not that these things are bad of course but they in themselves don’t ‘earn’ brownie points with God. The grace filled life however is not about not doing ‘good works’; rather these good works are the overflow of favour, not a means to find it. The actions of a disciple and the actions of a Pharisee may look identical. God looks at the heart. Download Discussion notes
March 4th 2018. Cross Vision: Coming Kingdom Matthew 3:2. In this season of Lent, looking forward to Easter we have an opportunity in reading the gospels to see Jesus life and ministry in the context of that tumultuous week in Jerusalem, climaxing in His death and resurrection. The three years of Jesus ministry were planned and orchestrated with the Cross in mind. Download Discussion notes
March 4th 2018. Cross Vision: Coming Kingdom Matthew 3:2. In this season of Lent, looking forward to Easter we have an opportunity in reading the gospels to see Jesus life and ministry in the context of that tumultuous week in Jerusalem, climaxing in His death and resurrection. The three years of Jesus ministry were planned and orchestrated with the Cross in mind. Download Discussion notes
February 18th 2018. Amazing Grace: Grace for Sin. Romans 5:15-21. We sing the hymn, but we may not often reflect on how amazing Grace is. The quality of grace should never become over familiar, rather it should continue to surprise us if we have a realistic understanding of how much we need it! And if we have received grace we should become a ‘gracious’ people. (By the way, one of my personal niggles is the way commonly these days people confuse the word gracious with graceful. I try to be gracious but I’m too clumsy to be graceful!). Download Discussion notes
February 25th 2018. Amazing Grace: Grace for suffering: 2 Corinthians 12:9. ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’. This is what the Lord said to Paul when Paul pleaded for his ‘thorn in the flesh’ to be taken away. How do we handle the idea of a God of Love giving us grace for suffering rather than removing it? Download Discussion notes
March 4th. Amazing Grace: Grace for living. Romans 11:6 Romans 12. Works and Grace are tensions in the Christian life and have been in Christian theology. Works stands for those ways of living that ultimately are about ‘earning’ salvation or favour from God. It’s not that these things are bad of course but they in themselves don’t ‘earn’ brownie points with God. The grace filled life however is not about not doing ‘good works’; rather these good works are the overflow of favour, not a means to find it. The actions of a disciple and the actions of a Pharisee may look identical. God looks at the heart. Download Discussion notes
Hope: Hope for Justice - Ben Cooley. Ben Cooley, founder of Hope for Justice was speaking at Woodlands. Hope for Justice is an organisation that not only helps the victims of people trafficking, but seeks to bring the perpetrators to justice. Biblically, God is a God of Justice as well as mercy and is the one to whom all must give account. Yet Christians are often shy about getting involved in justice issues. Download Discussion notes
Hope: Hope for the hurting - Philip Jinadu. Ruth 1:20-21. Faith hope and love last forever. But hope is hard to sustain in times of waiting and pain. Ruth is a beautiful story of restoration of hope to a family and a mother who have lost hope. The final outcome of the story prepares the way for the story of King David, which in turn leads to Jesus the son of David where we can all find hope for our future. Download Discussion notes
Hope: Hope Bristol 18 - Tim Dobson. 1 Thessalonians 1 v 2-10. How do we have hope for our communities, individuals and ourselves and do we believe that everyone in Bristol would be better off with Jesus as the centre of their lives? Download Discussion notes
Kate shares with us her story and how Jesus helps her get through some of the real challenges of life and why she wants to get baptised.
February 25th 2018. Amazing Grace: Grace for suffering: 2 Corinthians 12:9. ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’. This is what the Lord said to Paul when Paul pleaded for his ‘thorn in the flesh’ to be taken away. How do we handle the idea of a God of Love giving us grace for suffering rather than removing it? Download Discussion notes
February 25th 2018. Amazing Grace: Grace for suffering: 2 Corinthians 12:9. ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’. This is what the Lord said to Paul when Paul pleaded for his ‘thorn in the flesh’ to be taken away. How do we handle the idea of a God of Love giving us grace for suffering rather than removing it? Download Discussion notes
Woodlands Church, Belgrave Road, Bristol BS8 2AA
