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In our exhortation this week, Colin brought our attention to the daily Bible readings on the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus sits on a hillside near Capernaum and speaks directly to his disciples — and to disciples in every generation. Seeing the crowds, “he went up into a mountain… and taught them, saying, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’”  (Matthew 5:1–3). From the very beginning, Jesus makes it clear that this message is about the heart. Israel at the time was spiritually weary. Since the...

In this week’s exhortation, Gary acknowledged the distressing events of recent days, particularly their impact on the Jewish community, and briefly reflected on the continuing testimony of Scripture seen in the Feast of Dedication. He noted that Jesus himself attended this feast and declared himself to be the true light of the world, reinforcing the enduring truth of God’s purpose. The exhortation then turned to the central theme of grace, drawing attention to the richness of the Greek word...

In this Sunday's exhortation, Mark focussed on Peter’s words in 2 Peter chapter 1, using physical eyesight as a way of explaining spiritual vision. Drawing on his experience of an eye examination, he explained how spiritual blindness could develop slowly, clouding our ability to see clearly what God asked of us. Mark explained that Peter described those who lacked spiritual growth as being both blind and short-sighted, having forgotten the great gift they had received through God’s promises....