The Church Has Left the Building

The earliest Christians experienced explosive growth without owning church buildings, yet so often today we cling to church buildings as if they are the essence of church. This sermon, delivered on the occasion of One Church's last public meeting in Drayton Hall, puts to rest some of the false thinking surrounding what makes a church a church. You will discover church as a counter-cultural, transformational community of connected relationships with God and one another. And you will be inspired to embrace church as an identity and not an activity or place, thereby releasing limitless possibilities.

Being Family

The book of Acts gives us a picture of church that meets together in both large groups and in small gatherings in homes. Inspired by the early church's example, this sermon - delivered at the launch of our Connect Groups - unpacks the exciting vision for small groups at One Church. You will see that church is so much more than meeting together for a few hours on a Sunday - it is about genuinely doing life together and being family. 

The Horizontal Dimension

Relationship is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. Sometimes we can think that Christianity is only about a personal relationship with Jesus - but nowhere does the Bible describe this as exclusively private. In fact, God calls us to be in deep and meaningful relationship not just with Himself but also with one another. Our desire for fellowship with other Christians is even a barometer of our love for God. This message, which deals with some of the oft-cited criticisms of church, will inspire you towards a fresh, compelling and dynamic vision for local church.

Better Together

Christians are better together: God has made us to be in relationship with Him and also with each other. In this first sermon in our series 'One Another' (all about unleashing the power of together), we explore what it means to live out the 'one another commands' of the Bible, focusing on why and how we're called to love one another, be one with one another, value one another and encourage one another.

Making Room for the Master

The more room we make for God, the more He will move in our lives; give God more of you and you will get more of Him. Be blessed by this message from guest speaker, Luke Brendling. Luke is an itinerant minister based in the UK. He was formerly on team at Hillsong London, where he still serves as a volunteer pastor.

The Next Generation

Christianity is potentially one generation away from extinction. Each generation has a responsibility to invest in and pass on the truth to the next generation. This sermon explains how as individuals and as a church we  can reach out, model faith and pass on a godly inheritance to the next generation.

Spirit Assisted Travel

When going on a journey many people trust in their satellite navigation devices to get them to their destination. We are all on a journey, not just in the natural but spiritually too - as individuals and as a church family. The Bible tells us that in all things we should trust God to direct our paths. How do we do this? Listen to this sermon from One Church Leadership Team member, Malcolm Reeve, and find out more.

Simon Says

There are multiple characters in the Bible named Simon. What can we learn from them? This message from One Church Leadership Team member Geoff Brendling surveys the Simons of Scripture and what God may teach us through their story.

The Spirit & Suffering

Oftentimes we view the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives exclusively through experiences of strength and victory, forgetting the amazing promises that are available to us in times of weakness or apparent defeat. But because of this it means we can fail to access the Holy’s Spirit’s resources in times of pain and trouble, or that we don’t recognise His presence with us in the valleys of life. This message reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not only related to signs, wonders and miracles but also to enabling believers to effectively navigate suffering and difficulties.

In the Dark Places

Many Christians are surprised when they find themselves in dark places but valleys are actually a natural part of the landscape of life. This message, based on Psalm 23:4, unpacks 7 biblical truths to help us navigate the dark places well. Right there in your valley, God wants you to discover His presence, His power and His protection. He doesn't just want you to get through the valley; He wants you to get something out of the valley too.

Making Sense of Unanswered Prayer

In response to prayer most of us have experienced an outcome we didn't expect or have felt the silence or frustration of what we perceive as unanswered prayer. But as we stand on the truth that God is present, loving and powerful we can engage with Him to help us make sense of unanswered prayer. This sermon will give you a biblical framework to grapple with the at times agonising question of why some prayers don't seem to be answered.

The Resurrection Evidence that Changed a Generation of Scholars

A chance to listen to the lecture presented at the One Church School of Apologetics by Professor Gary Habermas on the Minimal Facts Method and the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. 

Gary demonstrates that independent of the historicity of the gospels or one’s view of the reliability or inspiration of the Bible, the outcome of historiographical scholarship demonstrates conclusively that Jesus died, was buried and rose to life in line with 1 Corinthians 15. 

Gary is Distinguished Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Liberty University, USA. He is widely considered the world expert on the historiographical evidence for Christ's resurrection.

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Dealing with Disappointment

As humans we are all vulnerable to experiencing frustration and anguish over unfulfilled hopes and dreams. Though we will never be able to completely avoid such disappointment in life, we can choose how we react to it. Disappointment is like the thin end of a wedge whose progression, if not broken, will lead us into discouragement, disillusionment, depression and ultimately defeat. This sermon uncovers principles from the life of Joseph to teach us how to harness and overcome the pain of disappointment and deal with it well.

Understanding Water Baptism

With the exception of the thief on the cross, and that simply because he died moments after putting his trust in Christ, you won’t find an unbaptised believer in the New Testament. Yet many today have watered down water baptism and made it a whole lot less important than it was to Jesus and the early church. This sermon explains what baptism means by setting out some core reasons as to why it is important, addressing some of the common misunderstandings about baptism and also speaking into the issues which lead some Christians to unnecessarily delay their baptism or even choose not to be baptised altogether.

Living Beyond Yourself

In the book of Romans, Paul urges us "in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice". Jesus is the inspiration, the source and the enabler of a life of sacrifice lived for Him. We can lay aside our position because He did, we can serve others because He did and we can give freely because He did. In this final sermon in our 'Rhythms' series, be encouraged to adopt disciplines of sacrifice that will help you deepen your relationship with God and lead you into a life of true freedom.

Putting Fasting Back on the Menu

A survey of the New Testament and the Old Testament, and also much of Church history, shows fasting to be an essential spiritual discipline. If you visit hotspots of revival, you don’t have to search too far to find sacrificial prayer and fasting. Yet today, at least as far as the western church is concerned, fasting is all too often missing from the practice of many Christians. Might this be one of the key contributing factors why, by and large, we are not operating in the same raw power as the early church? This sermon, in addition to giving practical advice on fasting, sets forth seven key reasons that will motivate you towards fasting. 

The Priority of Worship

When our lives are dedicated to worshipping God and we commit to worshipping in all that we do - in our daily devotion, as church gathered together and in every other sphere of our lives - we are transformed into the likeness of Jesus. This sermon will teach you about when to worship, how to worship and the fruit of our worship; listen and be encouraged afresh to give God the worship that He alone deserves.

Daily Rhythms

Having a devotional - or quiet - time each day in which you worship, pray and engage with the Bible is one of the most important things you can do. It is vital to victorious Christian living, healthy spiritual growth and a developing relationship with God. This sermon, packed full of practical wisdom, will inspire you to intentional spirituality and pursuit of God by establishing daily rhythms to get your heartbeat in sync with God's.

Let the River Flow

This sermon - delivered by Malcolm Reeve, a member of the One Church leadership team – is based on Ezekiel 47, Ezekiel’s vision of a river of life flowing out of the temple. The message is a call to be a church that transforms what is dead into life - to be a church that is a river of life in our city, an outlet of transformation to all who we encounter.

The Great Commission & The Great Compassion

Christianity is not only about having our sins forgiven but also coming into relationship with our Father God. With our status in God’s family secure, God calls us to go about the family business of making disciples and practically demonstrating His love.

Be inspired by this sermon from guest speaker David Campbell, overseer of the Elim Metropolitan Regions, comprising of some 140 churches and including One Church.