We Are One church. We love God love.
People love his mission and love his church.
Welcome to the one Church podcast.
Hello. I'm Chris and welcome to the one
Church podcast. It's great to have you with us
today. Psalm 138 verse 8 says, the Lord
will work out his plans for my life, whatever you are facing at
the moment, whether it's a difficult situation, or a tough
decision. Something that has led to
disappointment, be encouraged today that the Lord will work
out his plans for your life. Not that he might but that he
will. Father, thank you that you will
work out your plans for our lives and I pray for everyone
listening there, whatever they may be facing, they would be
able to stand on that truth. Amen.
This week, we are continuing our series all about being a
Pioneer. People with a message from
Philippa recorded on the 15th of January at are owed.
Be site, enjoy tight-lipped. The messages Pioneers see the
possibilities. When you look at an object or a
place or a situation, can you easily see the potential of what
it can be? I love how some children with a
vivid imagination, if they're given a cardboard box, they
don't simply see a cardboard box, they might see a rocket
ship. Ready to take them and explore
new galaxies. They might see a bus ready to
pick up Travelers and going on an adventure together or perhaps
a pirate ship. Ready to Sail and conquer the
seven seas, and find hidden treasure, sometimes children,
find it easy to see the possibilities of certain things.
I have a slight personal character flaw, just the one and
I love sitting down looking around a room and thinking of
the possible ways in, which you can rearrange the furniture in
that room to make. Best use of the space.
Or I think, I friendly, I move that chair.
Had an over. This would be amazing.
I just love to scan the room only in my own house.
Can I say? So if you ever invite me to your
house, I'm not sitting there thinking you could arrange this
furniture better and certain people in my house, find my love
of moving things, around a little frustrating, I don't know
why. And so I've realized that if I
want to see the amazing possibilities and potential
realized I have to move things around myself.
When certain people are not in the house, how heavy can a two
seater sofa? Really be quite is the answer.
How hard can it be to switch around the direction, our Super
King bed faces? Well, when there isn't enough
turning space in the rooms, you have to take it apart and
rebuild it. It's really hard.
How about moving bunk beds from one room to another.
Surely that is easy on your own. Well, let's just say the moment
that I found myself lying on Bottom bunk well holding up the
top button with my legs and doing the final Allen key.
I realized it was a big mistake. I love seeing the possibilities
and visualizing them. I wonder, do you find it easy to
see the possibilities of something?
Or are you one, who prefers to see it in practice and then, you
can really understand how it's going.
I was so incredibly proud of our kids and youth teams.
This week, all of our midweek groups of move, Left to frog
Island. Number 12, and we're having our
kids groups, our young people's groups, our seniors.
Everything is taking place there, and I love the fact that
five weeks ago, this room that we use for Planet shakers that
are together services and it's used for other things, five
weeks ago. It was a mishmash of sofas.
There are many different sofas, there were two fridges, neither
of them were, there were lots of other random Furniture in there.
And I love that our team and our He has walked into this space
and they saw the possibility of something amazing.
I love that that's encouraging. And I love the fact that our
teams are making space are making the most spaces.
Why? Because we want to turn things
into a venue where people feel welcomed where young people want
to be, where people can meet with their friends have time to
grow and also meet with God and grow in their relationship with
God's together. I was just so encouraged by the
can-do mentality of our church. Church.
The first thing is this seeing possibilities which Pioneers can
do Pioneers. See the possibilities seeing
possibilities comes from hearing the promises before Moses died.
He climbed up Mount Nebo and God showed him the land that his
people were going to inherit Moses.
Himself, never got to go into this Promised Land, but God
showed him. The possibilities of what could
be. Moses received a promise.
I will give this land to your descendants just as I promised
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When he looked around the land,
I wonder what pictures came to his Mind's Eye.
Alarm. That would be given to his
people, a land that the people could call their own.
A Land of blessing that provided above and beyond for God's
people. And when he looked over at the
land, what were people doing? What were the possibilities?
Did he see pictures of people Gathering Together, making
places of worship for God and place has to offer sacrifices.
Did he picture cities where families could live in safety
and community? And Space where parents could
pass on their faith to the Next Generation?
Did he see a permanent place? Where people could put down
Roots plant seeds and be there to see the Harvest when he heard
the promise, what possibilities did he see?
Joshua was also given this same promise in Joshua 1, we read it
says this. Now then this is God talking to
Joshua you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan
River into the land. I'm about, to give them to the
Israelites. I will give you every place
where you set your foot. As I promised Moses Joshua
received this promise, I will give you this land.
I will give you everything. Every place where you set your
foot. And so when Joshua finds himself
a river, when Joshua finds himself faced with a giant
walled City, Joshua remembers the promise that he has been
given and he sees the possibilities, he doesn't just
see a raging River, but he sees the possibilities of a miracle
that God is going to enable them to cross the river.
He doesn't just see a walled City and tremble in fear.
He remembers the promise that God said, I will give you every
place that you set your foot. And so he thinks of the
possibilities that this land could be ours.
When we hear the promise, it enables us to see and dream, and
look ahead and imagine the possibilities.
How about for it has one Church? Well, a promise that God gave us
15 years ago, was this from Isaiah 54 and large the place of
your tent. Stretch your curtains.
Hence why do not hold back? Lengthen your cords, strengthen
your Stakes for you will spread out to the right and the left
your descendants will dispossess Nations and settle in their
desolate cities. So do not be afraid, you will
not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace, you will
not be humiliated. I promise of stretching out of
enlarging of spreading to the East and to the West.
And so we begin to see possibilities.
We don't just think of locations and meeting rooms in a school
here, or and Music Cafe there. Instead, we think of the
possibilities of taking the good news of Jesus into different
communities of empowering people in leadership of believing for
light to shine in these parts of our cities where we meet whole
neighborhoods and streets and areas to be blessed, and
impacted by the love of Jesus. We hear the promise to enlarge
and stretch out and we see the possibilities of people finding
Jesus of Salvation popping up in all these areas of our city, we
heard the promise and we see the possibilities of just what God
might do. And then through a miraculous
move of God is divine marriage between Trinity Life Church and
All Nations Church joining together to become one church
and sharing everything that we have.
We receive another promise Genesis 26 verse 22.
The Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.
And again, we begin to see possibilities that come from
this promise, not just a building and a great central
location with lots of parking and a space to work.
But the possibilities to flourish essential
administrative center from which we can prepare and train and
outwork. The plan that God has for us in
our whole city. Place to Resource and outwork
our multi-site vision. At building an amazing building
that has space for us to gather together to worship together to
be inspired and encouraged and built up together so that we can
then be sent back out into our sites but also into our world
and the places that we are called to influence.
We've been given a promise and so together we will be pioneers
and see the possibilities. We are dreaming big together
because we are excited. And expectant of all that God is
going to do promises help us see possibilities.
And can I encourage his church on?
We think about the next six months and our building project
that's happening. Think this is not just a
building. We've been given a promise.
I have given you room, you will flourish in the land.
And so we're going to see the possibilities of just what God
might do in our city. How about hearing One Church?
OB. The promise that came from God,
that everywhere we go, we will have enough people provisions
and premises. And so when Richard snout
reached in Sioux, who used to be the site pastor's here, when
Richard and David came to look around this building because
that was a promise, they knew from God, that they would have
everything they needed. When they look around this room,
they don't just see a whole, they don't just see a great
storage cupboard that we could put stuff in.
But See a room a gathering space ready to welcome people into
find Jesus. They see breakout rooms where
children can Thrive and make friendships and have fun.
And see that church is an exciting place to come.
They see a great and Library where momentum can happen a
space for our teenagers. When we hear the promise, we see
the possibilities. It's exciting.
And and I'm so excited to see what God does here in this
building in this next season. What about has personally when
we hear and receive promises, we begin to see possibilities
Adventures. To be had ground to be claimed
families to love people to reach, workplace has to be
changed. What Promises of we receive
personally, here might be a few, we've been promised life in all
its fullness and so we can think of the possibilities of this
exciting life, we've been promised amazing.
Plans that won't harm us but there were prosperous and give
us a hope and a future surround. We think ahead, we hear the
promise and we think, wow? What could those plans be How
about the promise that we will see the goodness of God, in the
land of the living? We remember that promise.
So that when we go through trials, when we go through
times, that are hard circumstances that we don't
understand, we remember God, you've promised that I will see
your goodness in this land. We see the possibilities of what
that goodness could be the promise for our boundary lines
to fall in Pleasant places. What are the promises?
Do you have? And when you hear them, when you
remind yourself of them, can you open your eyes and see the
possibilities of what just could be?
Pioneers can see possibilities when they hear the promises.
But how about achieving those possibilities, sometimes they
seem a bit crazy. Well, achieving the
possibilities comes from following his presence.
Possibilities can seem daunting and unattainable especially when
we're talking about doing new things, which I guess is the
definition of being a Pioneer, taking new ground stepping out
in new ways. Well, let's go back to our story
with Joshua. A promise has been given you
will inherit this land, but this land happens to be found on the
other side of the river Jordan, which is not just a river.
It's actually a river in flood. Season.
It is a raging River. Stretching far, how are they
going to cross? God, you've promised this, but
how's that going to happen? Well, we read in Joshua 3, verse
1, this happens. Early in the morning, Joshua and
all the Israelites set out from shittim and went to the Jordan
where they can't before crossing over after three days, the
officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the
people. When you see the Ark of the
Covenant of the Lord, your God and the levitical priests
carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow
it. Then you will know which way to
go since you have never been this way.
Before to achieve the possibilities of the promise.
We have to follow the presence. The Israelites followed the Ark
of the Covenant, the very presence of God we got to follow
Jesus. When we when we don't know where
we're going, we see Jesus movement.
So we decide to follow then you will know which way to go.
Since you have never been this way before.
To step out into possibilities. We follow Jesus.
We listen to the prompting and the steering of the Holy Spirit,
we follow, since we have not gone this way before, You know,
as a church, we tried and tried different methods to buy a
building over the years and God never let them happen.
So, what did we do? We continued to follow.
God, we stay close to him. We followed him and went into
all these areas of Leicester that he has called us to do.
And the many more that he will call as into, we loved and
prioritize the poor because that's what God loves, God loves
the poor and the marginalized. And so, we did that they became
part of our heart. We invest.
In an amazing Compassion, Center to serve the needs of our city
all the time by lowing God. So that when a Divine moment
came about because we were following, God, we didn't miss
it because we were following him.
We heard we felt prompted to go meet with these people at all
nations and begin a journey together because our eyes were
fixed on Jesus. Perhaps you're wondering how
even this new change is going to happen with all these people?
Coming well where are they going to fit?
Am I going to be forgotten about well what a be more important
than me? What happens if they don't know
my name and I can't remember their name?
I know that feeling when you try so hard to remember someone's
name and it just goes from your mind.
How are we going to do all this God?
We follow Jesus. We keep our eyes fixed on him.
And for his person, they gotta I feel you're calling me to step
out but I don't know how God I know you've called me to a
position of influence but I've got no idea how I'm going to do
that. God, where do you want me to go
and how will I get there? We follow Jesus closely, then
you will know the way to go since you have not been this way
before to achieve the possibilities.
We follow Jesus, believing the possibilities.
Comes from remembering the big Stones I Of reading passages in
the Bible and discovering something new for the first
time. Perhaps there's a passage that
you've read and read over again and and just one moment when
you're reading it, something just pops out to you.
I had that experience recently In this passage see you in
Joshua 3, we read the time when they're Israelites crossed over
the river. Jordan what happens is the
priests. They step into the river,
they're holding the Ark of the Covenant and God stops the river
flowing Upstream. Dream until the riverbed is dry
and they can pass through safely.
It's a miracle. They've crossed the river.
And then God asked Joshua, to do something that I've never
actually noticed before, but it's this Joshua chapter 4.
When the whole nation and finish crossing the Jordan, the Lord
said to Joshua choose 12 men from among the people, one from
each tribe, and tell them to take up 12 Stones from the
middle of the Jordan from right, where the priests are standing
and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where
you stay tonight. So Joshua did this, and he said
them, go over before the Ark of the Lord, your God into the
middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a
stone on his shoulder. A Orange the number of tribes of
Israel and to serve as a sign in the future.
When your children ask you, what do these Stones mean?
Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the
Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and when it crossed the Waters
of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a
memorial to the people of Israel forever.
To believe the possibilities to even think that it could be.
We remember the big Stones. We remember what God has done
before. If I had studied geography for
longer than a year at University, I probably could
tell you why the big Stones were in the middle, I didn't have got
no idea, but these big Stones were found in the middle of the
river, and the only way to have an altar that was built out of
these. Big Stones was to have got them
from the middle of the river. It would only have been possible
if the water had been stopped. That was the only way to get
them. And so the Israelites they bring
these big stones out, they build a memorial.
Why so that when your future Generations ask you what is that
you can tell them Believing the possibilities that just might be
from the promises that we've heard made easier, when we look
at the big Stones. Wow, God's done that before he
can do it again. I love that.
We were just singing about the same God when we think about
what's possible, we remember God, you defeated Giants, you
can do it again. God you favored, the lowly, you
can do it again. God you Delivered.
You can do it again in the future Generations.
When the Israelites were facing trouble, they looked at this
Memorial and they saw God, you stopped the flow of the River.
Jordan to allow your people to cross safely and inherit the
land. You can do it again.
Let's remember what God has already done.
Let's thank him and it member, it gives us confidence for the
future that he can do it again for me.
Personally, I've I've been healed once when I was a
teenager there for, I know that the God who was restored my
strength before will restore my strength once again.
What about you? What are your big stones that
you can build as a memorial to help you remember?
And believe that the possibilities just might come to
pass? Reaching the possibilities means
ignoring the phrase. Is it worth it?
It's always worth it. Have you ever done something
that doesn't feel completely worth it all necessary and you
just saved yourself? Why did I even bother?
A few years ago, we were on a trip to Belton house.
It's a lovely National Trust property in the in Grantham in
the middle of nowhere. It takes an hour to get to from
Lester and Tom and I have been there a few times with the girls
and we've loved it and we decided it would be an amazing
place to run a trip for our little ones families.
So are in our stay and play group, the children are their
parents and carers thought, wow, wouldn't it be wonderful to
bring NG families out of Leicester, especially some of
those who wouldn't normally get a chance to leave.
Lester as much to bring them out, of Leicester, and
experience. This wonderful beautiful period
property. I think the best player in there
is actually in England, I could probably say it's gonna be a
great trip. I have, to be honest, take it
was very slow, very, very slow. In fact, I think we actually
even bribed some of our church families that had lots of kids.
If they would just come and please sit on the couch to fill
up the Because no one wanted to come and when we arrived with
our half-full coach Matt who's our children's worker said to
Tom and I this very amazing phrase.
He said, have you guys heard of happy Park?
Yes, Matt. We've heard of a be part that we
thought people would want to come to Belton house.
It's a wonderful day and I remember Tom and I we we were
trying to be so enthusiastic about this trip.
Come on everybody. Let's go.
And do amazing and people are waiting for the one toilet that
was so far away from the playground.
I just, we just came back and we thought that was not worth it.
I felt completely unnecessary. And yes, we were able to bless
some families, but for the years afterwards, we felt like it was
an awful decision, a loss maker, a bad idea and never again.
The Israelites in Jericho will go back to the story in a minute
when the Israelites had crossed over the river Jordan.
The first place they came to was Jericho a city with fortified
walls and so, because the promise was, you will inherit
every bit of land where you set your foot.
The Israelites knew this was a possibility, this city could be
defeated, and it could be become our land.
It could be become ours, but the thing is, since the Israelites
crossed the Jordan, all the kings of the area.
It says this in Joshua 5 verse 1, their hearts melted in fear,
and they no longer had courage to face the Israelites.
Therefore, in Joshua 6, the gates of Jericho was securely
barred because of the Israelites, no one went in and
no one came out and I have to ask myself, what is it really
worth it? The people of Jericho were
afraid. They weren't going to attack the
Israelites. They were bunkered up.
Locked up. No one was going in.
And no one was coming out what he really worth the effort to
gather all of your men together to try and take and Conquer a
city. But the promise was for all the
land, not part of it, not every bit of land apart, from that
City will ne'er to you scared. They won't bother you.
Anyway, the promise was I will give you every place you set
your foot the promise was for all the land.
So the answer to was it worth it?
Well yes, it was because God did another miracle.
He gave a promise there were possibilities and then the
people were able to take the city of Jericho, how through
this incredible story of walking.
And And actually it paved away because once they take in the
city of Jericho, then cities began to fall, because people
heard that this God was doing amazing things, and no one could
stand against the people. Sometimes we can think.
Is it worth it? Is it really causing too much
harm? It's not really bothering me.
Perhaps there's a work situation or a family situation that you
know God could move in, you know, that this is not currently
God's best but you think it's going to take effort Is it
really worth it? Is it worth wanting to create a
culture of work that eradicates gossip or slander?
Is it worth the effort or what we might say?
Is it worth doing School's Out owed be in the library where you
have to move? The computers, is it really
worth that effort? Is it worth stepping out and
tell them my neighbors that I'm praying for them?
Is it really worth it? I wonder what would have
happened if the Israelites looked at Jericho and said now
it's not worth it. How long would it have been
before those people got courage again to fight against the
Israelites? This is what I think the
possibilities wouldn't have been reached and the promise of
inheriting, all of the land would never have been fulfilled
five years after the disaster of Belton because let's be honest,
that's what it was. I find myself in a coffee shop
talking to my Muslim friend about Jesus a privilege that I
think I had because of the The shit that I've shown her over
the years, she was coming to our stay in play groups.
And as we were reading the Bible together, talk about Jesus, out
of nowhere. This woman says, what was that
amazing place that you took us to my daughter?
Still talks about that to this day and suddenly I realize she
was on the disaster to Belton. She was there, I was waiting
outside the toilet whilst her child was going to the toilet
and and everyone else wanted to do the me.
Mase, she was on the trip. And part of the reason why I
believe we had developed this relationship and she she wanted
to come along to the church groups.
And she wanted to talk to me about Jesus was because we were
people that went above and beyond.
We welcomed her and her daughter into our family and took her on
trips like that. I think it's worth it.
When we think about the possibilities of what could be,
because of the promises new think are, is it worth it?
It's all worth it because the promise for the Israelites was
to inherit all the land, God has great promise is for you.
Possibilities are out there and they are always worth it.
Finally, this seeing the possibilities leads to all and
worship as Joshua found himself. Looking at Jericho, he had an
encounter and God said to him. God, God appeared before him and
he's like, what are you doing here?
And in that, in that conversation, God told him that
he has already delivered Jericho into the hands of the Israelites
and I love what Joshua's response was.
Joshua 5 verse 14. Joshua fell face down to the
ground in reverence and later on.
It says God said, take off your sandals for the place where you
are standing is Holy and Joshua did Being told of the
possibilities there in mind, there was this promised that he
was going to inherit all the land and then being told of the
possibility that even the city of Jericho had been delivered to
them. Joshua's response was only one
thing. He fell to the ground in
reverence in awe and worship. As we hear promises as we look
and we see the possibilities of what just might be.
As we determined to follow Jesus.
As as we remember the big stones in a Memorials of what God has
done before, as we dream together and allow our eyes to
see the possibilities. We can't help but worship.
The full of all and wonder. Wow.
God, you want to do that in my life?
God you've placed Us in this in this building not just because
it's a convenient location but because we're in the middle of
an area where people don't know you and you want to say to them
wake up, Jesus is here. When we open our eyes and our
workplaces and and God gives the picture that he has placed as
there on purpose with purpose for a purpose and we think, wow,
God, you want to use me to bring your kingdom into where I live
in to, where I work in to, where my children go to school.
When we see the possibilities, we can't help, but be full of
awe and worship. Seeing possibilities comes from
hearing the promises achieving possibilities.
Comes from following his presence.
Believing the possibilities comes from remembering the big
Stones reaching. The possibilities means,
ignoring the thought of is it worth it and seeing the
possibilities imagining them leads to all and worship.
Our man. Thank you Philippa.
Let us be people that see the possibilities, and may we have
many stories as a result, if you would like to respond in any way
to that message, or if you would value prayer or support for
anything else, remember that we are here and that you can always
get in touch details, can be found on our website.
There are many things coming up in church life.
So this is your family news. For all of our midweek groups
are back up and running for Ages.
And we'd love to see you at one of them soon.
We have an encounter night on Sunday, the 22nd of January at 7
p.m. this will be a great chance to spend extra time going deeper
into the presence of God on Saturday.
The 28th of January at 6 p.m. we have United kids, and event.
For all children, aged between seven and 11 from churches,
around leicestershire. We love being able to join
together for events like this. And finally, save the date.
Our next one church together, is on the 5th of February at 9:15
and 11:30 do all you can to join us for a great morning together.
The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord, make his face shine
upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward
you and give you peace. And finally, save the date.
Our next one church together, is on the 5th of February at 9:15
and 11:30 do all you can to join us for a great morning together.
The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord, make his face shine
upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward
you and give you peace.