Living Rock Podcast

During times of questions, debates, conflicting opinions and uncertainties, it is vital that we remember ‘what we have, and what we know’ about Christ Jesus. We can be calm, confident and caring in every situation, sensitive to others and able to offer support, because we know who it is that lives in us. In this message Stephen shares about what we have, and what we know about Jesus.  

Let’s Pray!…During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel.  Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church.  We know God hears and answers our prayers,  and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead.  Let’s pray!...

Jesus can calm any storm that the people around us face. We are called to love people and pray for them in response to their storms.

Let’s Pray!…During August we will be posting a series of short prayers on our YouTube channel.  Each of them is a prayer for our church: that we would be people of Faith, Hope, and Peace; a Source of Blessing, with a Good Confession; expressing Kindness and Generosity, and Ready for the Return of Jesus!We encourage you: firstly, to listen, receive and embrace these prayers over your own life; and then, secondly, to re-listen as many times as you can and join-in with others in praying them over our church.  We know God hears and answers our prayers,  and as we unite in lifting these requests before Him throughout August we look forward to all He will do amongst us in the days ahead.  Let’s pray!...

It’s thrilling to realise that the New Testament churches multiplied rapidly, grew every day and "turned the world down” (Acts 17:6) - and did so without any church buildings! How? By meeting in small groups "from house to house" and discovering that their homes were the most suitable settings for the presence and power of God! In the story of the church we find salvation, healing, freedom, commissioning, church-planting and many other things all happening in peoples’ homes. The home is the frontier of Kingdom-advance; the glory of God will fill the earth, from house to house!... These truths provide a vital foundation for our churches as we come into a new season in which our house-church meetings will play such an important part of our life and mission. So, let’s stir our faith and embrace this opportunity with great expectation!

Toward the end of Matthew’s gospel, hours are unfolding before us. Jesus, the great Shepherd was to be struck and the sheep scattered, as Zechariah had foretold (Zc 13:7). Even though Jesus had promised never to leave nor forsake His disciples, they were separated. It was during this traumatic time that Peter and the others had to face their FEARS, FLAWS, and FRUSTRATIONS. All of this was necessary – for Jesus had promised to go on ahead of them to Galilee (Mt 26:32), where they would be reunited and restored (Mt 28:16), so they were ready to receive His great commission (Mt 28:18-20). During times when the Shepherd seems far away from us, He has not abandoned us, but He has gone on ahead of us, whilst doing great things within us; beyond which is always reunion and restoration.

In today’s Gospel Encounter, we meet a man oppressed by the devil to the extent that he had seemingly been robbed of everything, including his own identity. Until, that is, he encountered Jesus, the restorer of dignity who brought healing and a new commission.

In this message Keri Jones shares with us about the power of being cheerful and full of joy, and how laughter can be a medicine to our souls. He tells some funny stories and then we follow the message with some jokes told by the Living Rock Church family.  

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples whilst they were gathered together in a locked room (John 20:19-25).  He gave them His peace, breathed the life of His Spirit into them and then commissioned them to be sent into all the world!  Then He came back a week later, to ensure that Thomas was also included in all these things (John 20:26-29).  In this message we consider the implications of these events for our own lives and encourage you to 'sign-up’ to all that He has for you in these defining times for the church and the world...  

Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to earth, teaching us a new way to enter, live, and grow in it. Looking at three encounters with Jesus, we can see from the pictures He used, the path each child of God must take to fulfil their God-given destiny in the Kingdom of God. A new creation life starts with rebirth and reaches it fulfilment in complete trusting reliance upon God the Father, just like Jesus Himself. This is our God-designed path to maturity, which unlocks all the seed potential He has placed within each of us.

In this next message from our Gospel Encounters series, Stephen Russell takes us through the story of when the Roman Centurion encountered Jesus in the gospels. He shares with us his 4 key points: 'Be known', 'See the need', 'Know the power of your words', and 'God is all powerful in our lives'.

God, the head gardener, has called us to sow and plant seed to see His Kingdom fill the earth. In this message we look at 3 gardens in the Bible that tell us the greatest story ever, and provide us with the best seed ever! Now is a time to sow generously, and see God’s beautiful garden growing around us.

When Jesus healed ten men from leprosy one of them decided to go back and thank him. He had no idea what lay in store…

At the beginning of His ministry Jesus was invited to a wedding, where He performed His first miracle - turning ordinary water into extraordinary fine wine!  This true story has meaning and purpose for today, giving us some vital keys to breakthrough wherever transformation is needed.  But it was also “a sign”, pointing towards many bigger things.  Join us as we consider the power of these principles, and take up Jesus’s invitation to “COME AND SEE” Him in action!

Jesus is the Great Shepherd. Matthew reveals what He was thinking one day when He looked across the crowds of people gathered around Him. He had come for them - those who found themselves feeling harassed and helpless – because He knew they lacked a shepherd to show them the true purpose of their lives and their true value to the Author of life.Watch it here: https://youtu.be/hkCbozELy6Q

Today we think about Mary Magdalene encountering the risen Jesus in the garden on Resurrection Day. We highlight how Jesus can find us in the crisis, is Himself the cure for mankind’s condition and calls people by name to follow Him.

In this message we'll explore three things: What is hope? How do faith and hope work together and how can we have hope? When we encounter Jesus we encounter real and living hope. When we know what true biblical hope is we can offer it to a world that is desperate for it! 

The story of Zacchaeus is often a story we think about as a children’s story we might have learned in Sunday School but it is a simple and significant story of a man whose encounter with Jesus changed his life forever. In coming to Jesus like a child, he discovered what it was to know repentance, restoration and a right relationship with Jesus, the man who knew him by name. Jesus knows our name and is looking for us and others who are lost today. Will we answer when He calls?

The opening chapter of Mark’s Gospel is a powerful, noisy and fast-paced introduction to the ministry and miracles of Jesus! We meet the Son of God moved with compassion, touching and transforming the lives of dozens of people from every kind of background. We see what it means in practical terms for the Kingdom of God to come on earth as it is in heaven. We receive our own promise of power; the assurance that Jesus will baptise us with His Holy Spirit. And we also discover that much of the action happens in “the wilderness”. For it’s in the wilderness that Jesus is baptised; it’s to the wilderness He is led by the Spirit; it’s there in the wilderness that He beats temptation; it’s to the wilderness that He withdraws to pray; and it’s in the wilderness that the crowds flock to meet Him. These extraordinary times we’re facing are for many of us an enforced slow-down; working from home, avoiding gathering with others, or isolating ourselves for the sake of public health. Maybe this seems like being in a ‘wilder

Worship is a powerful weapon that we can use to take down the enemy. In 2 Chronicles 20 we read the amazing story of a people who, with hearts of praise and worship, seek God, find God and thank God ahead of an impending battle. God hears their praise and intercedes for them - completely annihilating the enemy. How encouraging for us as we face battles in our own lives with God on our side!