Dom O'Connell

Sin

What does the bible say about sin? What does the bible say sin is? As we continue in series Unveiled, Dom takes a closer look into where the bible says sin came from and how we can protect ourselves from the lies and deceit of the enemy.

Advent Week Three

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: isaiah 9 2-3, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%209%3A2-3&version=NIV, Bible Passage: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
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  • Rec Date: 11th December 2022

In this weeks episode, Dom continues with the third week of our advent series, by discussing Joy. The joy in Christmas, the joy through the the victory of Jesus, and fascinating look though the timeline of modern Christmas.

Creation

As we continue in our series Unveiled, Dom takes a closer look at creation and what the Bible says about the origins of the world, God's purpose and intention for creation.

How Can I Encourage People

In this final episode of our series Progressive Overload Dom talks to us about a 3 'D' ministry.

Discovering who we are in God | Developing our purpose | Deploying our purpose out in to the world

How can I make a difference?

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: Romans 5, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%205&version=NIV, Bible Passage: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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  • Rec Date: 19th February 2023

In this weeks episode, we continue the series on the progressive overload, Dom walked us through how we can make a difference. We go through Romans 5, discussing riotousness through faith, the law of God and Moses, and the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for us.

Identity

Our identities are the very essence of who we are! This week Dom takes a look at what the Bible says about our identities and what happens when we reject the identity that God has given us?

Identity & Purpose In Jesus

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: John 1:19-51, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201%3A19-51&version=NIV, Bible Passage: Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
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  • Rec Date: 31st Jul 2022

This week Dom opens the Word of God at John 1:19-51, and we continue with our teaching series on the Gospel of John. John's gospel addresses some significant areas of focus for our culture in 2022, those being of identity and purpose. Identity and purpose are not new struggles for us in the 21st century, but rather ideas that humanity has battled with for generations, and that's why God speaks into these areas through his bible. We begin to discover our identity in Jesus, as well as our purpose through Jesus.

Jehovah Rohi

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: Psalm 23:1-4, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+23%3A1-4&version=NIV, Bible Passage: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
    • Bible Reference: John 10:11-14, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A11-14&version=NIV, Bible Passage: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
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  • Rec Date: 1st May 2022

In psalm 23 David describes the God of the bible as being a shepherd, and we can read all across the Old Testament various scriptures where the relationship between God and His people is likened to that of a shepherd and his flock. In this epiosde we study what God means when He declares that He is our shepherd. We then look at how Jesus is the embodiment of the shepherd described in psalm 23, by analysing the evidence from His earthly ministry. 

Finally, we unpack some of what this revelation means for us, today.

Jehovah Tsidkenu

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: Jeremiah 23: 5-6, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2023:5-6&version=NIV, Bible Passage: “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.
    • Bible Reference: Psalm 51:3-5, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2051:3-5&version=NIV, Bible Passage: For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
    • Bible Reference: Romans 6:12, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6%3A12&version=NIV, Bible Passage: Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
    • Bible Reference: Romans 5:19, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A19&version=NIV, Bible Passage: For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
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  • Rec Date: 15th May 2022

In Jeremiah 23 God declares that He Himself will be the righteousness of His people. But what is righteousness? Why do we need it? How is our righteousness fulfilled by God?

This week we explore what God means when He tells us that He is our righteousness, and we begin to explore some of what righteousness means in context of its opposite - sin. We'll go on a whistle-stop tour of the biblical narrative to try and understand the impact of this declaration.

Finally, we come to observe how it is Jesus who earns righteousness, and how our righteousness is awarded to us by our faith in Him.

Jesus' Final Sermon

In this message we look at the last sermon preached by Jesus, Dom looks at the holy spirit, truth, the cost of following Jesus, as he dives deep into John chapter 16

Offices Of Christ

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: John 12, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+12&version=NIV, Bible Passage: Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
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  • Rec Date: 16th October 2022

The Old Testament prophesies the coming of 3 distinct offices: an ultimate Prophet to speak on behalf of God; an ultimate Priest to represent a bridge between man and God, as well as atone for the sins of humanity; and an ultimate King, who will rule, not only over Israel, but over the whole world.

John 12 draws our attention to the fact that these 3 distinct offices are fulfilled in the singular person of Jesus Christ. We see Jesus served as King, heard as Prophet, and Worshipped as one that is God.

John further cements this idea by illustrating the world-wide kingship of Jesus; the fact that Jesus speaks what He hears from the Father; and that He is the one who must die in order to atone for our sins.

As we continue to ask the question: Who Is Jesus? we are guided further to our answer in John 12. That Jesus is our prophet, our priest, and our king.

Our call is the respond appropriately, by serving, listening, and worshipping.

Recognising The Season Of Preparation

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: Leviticus 26:3-10, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+26%3A3-10&version=NIV, Bible Passage: “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. “‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. “‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.
    • Bible Reference: Luke 4:1-13, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+4%3A1-13&version=NIV, Bible Passage: Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
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  • Rec Date: 26th Jun 2022

Often it's difficult to recognise when we're in a season that God is using to prepare us for the next thing He has in mind for us to do. Recognising the season of preparation is not always easy, but once we recognise that we're always in a season where we're being prepared for something bigger - we can begin to position ourselves to take make the most of the season.

We read in the book of Leviticus that God's people must take action in order to be prepared to receive God's blessing. With this in mind, we look to Jesus to find out how he prepared himself for his public ministry and ultimate conquering of the enemy.

Responses To Jesus

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    • Bible Reference: John 7, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%207&version=NIV, Bible Passage: After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.” After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?” Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?” Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?” The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?” On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
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  • Rec Date: 11th September 2022

We're opening the Scripture to John 7 this week, where we discover a number of varying responses to Jesus. We find 10 ways that the people around Jesus respond to him; his message; his claims; and his actions. As we journey through life we find ourselves responding to Jesus in different ways in different situations and circumstances - that's part of being human.

Salvation

Salvation is the greatest miracle that we can ever receive, paid for by the blood of Jesus. This week Dom helps us to fully understand salvation by looking at what we are saved from and what we are saved to.

The End

What does the Bible say about the end times? Are we eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus? In the last sermon of our series Unveiled, Dom takes a closer look at what the ultimate ending looks like to God's original plan.

The Father Restores

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: Esther 2:5-7, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther+2%3A5-7&version=NIV, Bible Passage: Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
    • Bible Reference: Esther 2:10, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%202%3A10&version=NIV, Bible Passage: Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.
    • Bible Reference: Esther 2:11, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther+2%3A11&version=NIV, Bible Passage: Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
    • Bible Reference: Esther 4:12-14, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther+4%3A12-14&version=NIV, Bible Passage: When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
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  • Rec Date: 19th Jun 2022
Happy Fathers' Day! We're opening the book of Esther to discover 5 characteristics of the Father's heart that we can see exampled through Mordecai. Mordecai is a supporting character to Esther in her story, and yet we are able to learn some valuable insights into God's own heart for his people, and crucially, how we're able to example these characteristics into our own world and communities. 
The Father: Adopts; Protects; Never Leaves; Calls; and Restores. 

The Trinity Nature Of God

What does the Bible say about the Holy Trinity? How can we best describe the Trinity and what do we do with the knowledge we have? In this weeks message Dom helps to answer these all important questions and takes a closer look at the three individual persons of the Trinity; enabling us better understand our relationship with God.

Transformation From God

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: John 3:1-21, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203%3A1-21&version=NIV, Bible Passage: Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
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  • Rec Date: 14th Aug 2022

What does it mean to see real transformation in your life? Maybe a transformation of your bank account, or of your body at the gym, or maybe you have a room in your house that you'd like to see transformed.

Jesus has a conversation with Nicodemus is John 3, and he speaks all about transformation - a much more real, meaningful, eternal transformation.

We Are Sent

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: John 17, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017&version=NIV, Bible Passage: After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
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  • Rec Date: 20th November 2022

In this message we take a deep dive into John chapter 17, Dom discusses discipleship, and the many different ways Jesus has sent us. Assuring us that we are not left behind, but are here for great purpose.

What is a Godly man?

As we celebrate Father's day, Dom takes a closer look across the Bible at what our Heavenly Father says about Godly men and who they are called to be.

What's Next?

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: Genesis 1:1-26, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201%3A1-26&version=NIV, Bible Passage: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
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  • Rec Date: 17th Jul 2022

It's Assemble Church launch day! Months of preparation, prayer, and planning have lead to this day - and the question now is: what's next?

Today Dom explores some of the vision and strategy for Assemble Church over the first 5 years. We look to the creation of the world in Genesis 1 to discover God's blueprint for strategy towards a vision.

Before all, however, we begin Assemble Church with the most important declaration; In the beginning God. At the very start of everything we're doing and will ever do - we place God first.

Who Does Jesus Say He Is?

As we revisit our series the Gospel of John, Dom asks the question

"Who Is Jesus?"

He then takes us through the 7 statements of who Jesus claims to be.

Who is Jesus?

  • Bible References:
    • Bible Reference: John 1:1-18, Bible Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201%3A1-18&version=NIV, Bible Passage: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
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  • Rec Date: 24th Jul 2022

The Gospel of John begins with 18 verses that contain 8 distinct claims about the identity of Jesus. The purpose of John's gospel is to fill in the gaps left by the other 3 gospels, and to answer the question: who is Jesus? Answering that question with: Jesus is God.

We're starting a new series studying the gospel of John to discover the claims that are made, and ascertain whether these claims are true.

In John 1:1-18 we learn that:
1. Jesus is our God
2. Jesus is our creator God
3. Jesus is our illuminating God
4. Jesus is our polarising God
5. Jesus is our saviour God
6. Jesus is our human God
7. Jesus is our redeemer God
8. Jesus is our only God

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