Values: Formation - Andy Tilsley

This week, Andy Tilsley (Sutton Service) speaks on our value of ‘Formation’ as a church, looking at how we experience change as disciples of Jesus. Teaching from Luke 13, we see how the primary context for transformation happens in ‘manure’ of church community – the messy, costly, imperfect, but essential community for growth, where laying down self leads to resurrection power, ultimately making us more like Christ.

This week, Joel (Central Service) kicks off our teaching series on our values and vision. We look at the value of ‘Presence’ being the foundational value for any true revival. Seeking God’s presence requries us shifting the mindset of prayer from obligation to orientation, cultivating a deep hunger and thirst for Jesus as our life’s ultimate goal. It also demands a shift from relying on feelings to friendship, building a sustained, commitment-based relationship with God, independent of emotional highs. Finally, we must move from a faith of consuming to contending, actively contending in prayer for the Church’s purity and the powerful advance of the Gospel.

This sermon concludes the Acts series by examining the mysterious deaths of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). The preacher explores three suspects—the world (Peter), sin, or Satan—but concludes the true killer is secondary. The main takeaway is the resulting "great fear" that seized the church, leading to explosive growth. This fear is interpreted as the Fear of God: a profound realization that we, too, are broken and deserve judgment, thus desperately needing a Saviour. The sermon challenges the congregation, asserting that revival begins with God's purification and judgment of His Church's sin and hypocrisy.

This sermon, given by Gav Calver from the Evangelical Alliance, focuses on the importance of Christian unity and sharing the gospel in the UK. He outlines the Evangelical Alliance's mission to unite Christians and provide a collective voice in government. He emphasizes that the UK is in a season of openness to the gospel, citing recent statistics on church growth and Bible sales. Calver encourages Christians to have refuge, confidence, and hope in Jesus, and to boldly share their faith. He also shares personal anecdotes and examples of God's work in different parts of the country.

Preaching from the book of Daniel, David reminds us that like Daniel in Babylon, Christians today are called to live a counter-cultural life. He highlights three decisions Daniel made: doing work as worship to God and service to others, living courageously by his convictions, and prioritizing prayer. The sermon encourages us to live in this way, trusting that our efforts, though sometimes leading to suffering, can allow God to work powerfully through us.

This week, Jacob Crolla (Life Church Edinburgh) teaches from Genesis 28 – looking at the promise and purpose of God’s blessing, and our call to pray for his manifest presence for the sake of our city.

This week, Anna Kurkierewicz (Mile End Service) teaches from Paul’s encounter with the Jewish Sanhedrin (Acts 22:30-23:11). We explore how God’s plan and call is to a purpose much greater than our own, even when life is not easy. We see how the resurrection of Jesus gives Paul, and us, an unshakeable hope, and is the foundation of our identity as ‘co-heirs’ of Jesus’ kingdom.

This week at our Mile End service, Kenny teaches from Paul’s testimony to the crowd in Jerusalem (Acts 21:37-22:21). We look at the significance of sharing our story with those who don’t know Jesus, and our call to be ‘in the world but not of it’. We see the power in identifying with those in our life who don’t follow Jesus – sharing our own past and common experiences, and how encountering Jesus has made a difference to our lives, and to the way we live.

This week, Grace teaches from Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20). We explore how an encounter with Jesus can radically reshape our entire being if we allow it; spiritual formation requires intentional effort, not passive waiting; and mission and service are inseparable.

This week, Joel teaches on Paul’s time in Ephesus (Acts 19) – looking at how the power of Jesus led to radical devotion to Jesus, which led to a city transformed for Jesus.