A Greater Augustus

Make straight paths for the Lord! Through Luke 3:1-20, Rory introduces us to the final prophet who heralded the coming king in a world of darkness. John’s message is both a comfort and a challenge, for the king’s return will cleave the wheat from the chaff. Which are you?

Through James 4:1-17, Pete presents us with one of the most difficult commands in scripture: submit. When the ship of life takes on the water of sin, to whom will you go for help? Your own strength? Or will you submit your will to God who is both willing and able to pluck you from the roiling seas? The choice is yours.

The third Mix in our Jesus in the Book series has Pete scouring the whole of Leviticus for pictures of Christ - and He’s everywhere. The people of God have always needed a High Priest to make an atonement offering, bringing us back into His arms. See how Jesus is both Priest and all-sufficient offering in one.

Have you ever considered yourself part of this adulterous generation? Alex delivers a challenging sermon with James 3:13-4:6, asking us what our desires say about the contents of our hearts. Do we envy, quarrel, tear others down and boast over their shortcomings, all the while proclaiming Christ? We can’t have it both ways. It’s time to choose.

What do you suppose is the most dangerous part of the body? Joshua shows us in James 3:1-12 just how powerful the tongue can be: with it we can praise God and curse the works of His hands in the same breath. See how our Saviour uses His words to heal, not to harm, and enables us to become a blessing to all.

We have seen Jesus as an infant. We have seen Him as a man. But what can we learn from Him at the tender age of 12? Pete engages our minds and hearts with Luke 2:36-52, investigating how the incarnation of the omniscient God, seemingly against all possibility, became able to learn. He truly is fully God and fully man.

Faith and works is an easily mismanaged issue, but Thomas addresses it directly through James 2:14-26. If we claim to love God and His word, yet never pray, never read our Bibles and never serve the Kingdom, what is our faith worth? Time to take stock. What do your deeds say about the contents of your heart?

On the road to Emmaus, two disciples failed to recognise Jesus. But 33 years earlier, in Luke 2:21-40, one little-known prophet saw the redemption of God’s people in the face of an infant. Here Tom shows us the day Simeon’s hopes, and yours, are fulfilled.

Have you ever felt that there is too much bad news in the world? Through Luke 2:1-20, Tom announces that the greatest Good News of all: that God himself, whose hands shaped the heavens n took on the tiny hands of an infant. No grand and worldly powers could ever hope to compare with our Saviour.

‘Oh no, we don’t associate with those people.’ Sounds familiar? Chris shows us in James 2:1-13 that our Saviour shows no preference nor favouritism. To follow Jesus is to treat people as He did: with love regardless of station - and grace regardless of deeds. Don’t look down on your neighbour; look up to Christ.