24 March 2021 – John 16:4-15. Hope in a hostile world. We live in an age when people are open to a deeper spirituality but wary of the Christian faith. How can Christians offer a spiritual experience that will connect with the needs of our age? This week Jesus speaks of the hope that we have as we share the gospel in a world increasingly opposed to traditional forms of faith.

17 March 2021 – John 15:18-16:4. Dangerous discipleship. Throughout the history of the Christian faith, Christians have faced persecution and opposition. How are we to respond to this? Why do people hate a faith whose founder taught a message of love? In our passage this week we will see Jesus preparing his disciples for such opposition.

10 March 2021 – John 15:1-17. The secret of a fruitful life. We all want to make the most of our lives. We all want to live lives that are fruitful and worthwhile.  In John’s gospel in this passage, Jesus gives us the solution on how to bear fruit.

3 March 2021 – John 14:25-31 Knowing God’s presence. Whether we have been a Christian for years or are just looking into matters of faith, all of us long for a closer experience of God’s presence in our lives. At the Paddington Talks we will consider three ways that we can draw closer to God.

24 February 2021 – John 14:15-24 Finding a deeper experience of faith Many of us might feel that we know what Christians believe. We can maybe even recite the Christian creeds. But what does it look like not just to know about Jesus, but to know him personally? When people talk about having a relationship with Jesus, what do they mean? And if I do know Jesus, how can I go deeper in my walk with him? In this week’s passage we see Jesus give a surprising answer to how we can deepen our relationship with him.

17 February 2021 – John 14:5-14 The path to hope. We often think about religion as a reaching out into the unknown to seek God or to find some spiritual enlightenment. It is not just a search for information but a search for meaning, for hope and for guidance. In John 14, Jesus announces that in him that search is over. If we know Jesus, we know God. With this claim comes a whole new sense of direction for our lives.

10 February 2021 – John 13:31-14:4 When we face difficult times, often our horizons shrink. We can only see the issues before us. We feel that faith should help but it is hard to think beyond what is immediately in front of us. In this passage we see Jesus’s disciples troubled by events. Jesus reassures them by calling on them to lift their eyes from their immediate worries and see the wonderful hope that we have in the cross. His words help us to understand how it is that faith can offer hope in tough times.

3 February 2021 – John 13:1-30 The Disciples’ Love. Many of us know that the word ‘gospel’ means good news. In Jesus we find deep joy, hope and peace. Yet often the Christian life is hard. It can be lonely and difficult trying to live for Jesus. In John 13-16 we readJesus’ last words to his disciples before he went to the cross. These chapters take us to the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. They are not triumphalistic but very down to earth and real. These chapters will encourage Christians to keep going in the faith and to be fruitful for God. They will also help those looking into the faith to get a sense of what it would be like for them if they were to start following Jesus.

27 January 2021 – Luke 15:25-32 The Father who pleads. We work hard to do well at school.  We work hard to do well at work.  We work hard to be successful and prosperous.  Can we apply the same logic of working hard to the Christian faith? We conclude our mini-series in Luke 15 and we look again at the Parable of the Prodigal Son we will see what Jesus makes of those who feel that their hard work entitles them entry into His kingdom.

20 January 2021 – Luke 15:11-24 The Father who longs. What does it take to get into God’s eternal home? Lots of the world’s religions would say we need to be exemplars of moral conduct. So what hope for those of us who feel we have made a mess of things? This week we look at the Parable of the Prodigal Son and see that there is hope in Christ even for the most abject sinner.

13 January 2021 – Luke 15:1-11. The Father who searches.  In this present age of lockdowns, frustration and turmoil, the world continues to look to vaccines, governments and scientists to come up with temporary salvation. How can Christians have confidence in the salvation that God offers through Jesus, let alone have confidence that this salvation will last all eternity? Luke 15 gives us a glimpse into God’s salvation agenda – to search for the lost and invite them to his eternal banquet.

2 December 2020 – Malachi 3:6-12. The search for blessing.  It is one thing to say that we believe in God as an intellectual way of viewing the world but it is another to say that we trust God as the one in whom we find security and blessing. In Malachi 3:6-12 God calls his people to return to Him not just with their minds but by trusting Him with their dreams.

25 November 2020 – Malachi 2:17-3:5. The search for justice. As humanity we have a profound desire for justice. We hate to see wrongdoing go unpunished and we particularly hate to see the selfish flourish. Yet at the same time we are very adept at making excuses for our own short-comings whilst pointing the finger at others. Sometimes even our pursuit of justice can become self-centred and ugly. In Malachi 2:17-3:5 We see God’s people cry out to God to deal with the injustice in their lives. God’s response is to point forward to a more complete and wonderful coming of true justice than they had imagined possible.

18 November 2020 – Malachi 2:10-2:16. The search for faithfulness. Sometimes we feel distant from God. He does not seem to answer our prayers. He seems to have withdrawn from us. In Malachi 2, God addresses this feeling yet his answer is slightly surprising. God turns our attention from our relationship with him to our relationships with each other. As he does so he sets our relationship with God in a far wider context.

11 November 2020 – Malachi 1:1-2:9. The search for love. 2020 has been a pretty disappointing year so far. How does disappointment in life affect our view of God? We may not be angry enough with God to give up on him, but we might be disillusioned enough to lose interest or passion in our faith. This was the exact situation of the people in Malachi’s day. Join us on Wednesday lunchtime as we begin a new series thinking about the spiritual risks associated with feeling despondent in life.

4 November 2020 – Jonah 4 – the God who saves the ungrateful. It’s so easy in today’s culture for ingratitude to seep into everyday life – whether it’s about the government, our family life or in the workplace. But what happens when that ingratitude seeps into our Christian faith? Jonah ends his surprising prophecy by warning us of the peril that we face for doing so.

14 October 2020 – Jonah 1 – the God who saves the wicked” How does one gain salvation?” Have you ever heard this question before? Can one indeed gain salvation? The Book of Jonah tells us emphatically no and that salvation belongs only to the Lord. This week in Jonah chapter 1 we will see that because salvation comes from the Lord, he is gracious and merciful enough to save the most wicked of people, even us.

7 October 2020 – John 12:36-50. [recording] True Belief. Have you ever found yourself saying something like: “If only I had been there and seen Jesus myself, then I would believe.” Or “If only Jesus would appear to us today, then it would be so much easier to believe”. In John 12 Jesus meets people who did see him and who were there but did not believe in him. As he does so he points us to a far deeper and more life changing basis for belief.

23 September 2020 – John 12:12-19. [recording] True honour We live in a culture that tends to see faith as a pathway to self-fulfilment. We talk of “drawing on our faith” for strength and resilience. We almost talk as if God were there to help us as we pursue our own agenda rather than us existing to worship him. In our passage this week we see Jesus clearly proclaimed as our King. As we see his agenda unfold we realise that it is far more wonderful than our own plans and that he is worthy of all of our praise

16 September 2020 – John 12:1-12. [recording] True devotion. Sometimes we meet somebody whose faith seems not just strong but also beautiful and inspiring. Join us this week at The Paddington talks as we reflect on the beauty of true devotion to Jesus and how we might grow in a generous, loving faith.

9 September 2020 – John 11:48-59. [recording] We like to think that we are calm rational beings who make informed decisions about matters of life and faith. Yet the reality is that we are often not as impartial as we think we are. We can be blind to our own motives. It John 11-12, as Jesus begins his journey to the cross people react to him in a variety of ways that often say as much about them as about Jesus. These are verses that will help us to reflect on our own deeper desires and how those desires impact our belief systems.

10 Jun 2020 – 2 Thessalonians 3. [recording] The way in which we work has been irrevocably changed thanks to the pandemic. Working from home, online meetings, Zoom work socials, even what we wear to work. But did you know that the Bible makes it clear that the way in which we work is one of the ways we will keep going as Christians until the Lord returns? The last talk in our series in 2 Thessalonians gives us the Bible’s answer why how we work now really does matter.

3 Jun 2020 – 2 Thessalonians 2. [recording] Eternal life feels like a distant prospect if it is real. What are we to do while we wait?

27 May 2020 – 2 Thessalonians 1. [recording] When Christians face so much pressure for following Jesus, be that outright persecution or just flack in the office – is it really worth it?

20 May 2020 – Faith in the time of Corona.[recording] We live in extraordinary and painful times. At the very least, our plans for 2020 have all been thrown up in the air; our routines have been destroyed; questions of life death confront us with a whole new gravity. What difference does the Christian faith make at a time like this?

13 May 2020 – John 11:1-44– Faith in the face of death.[recording] We live in a culture that likes to ignore death and deny ageing. So much so that even when the country is in the grip of a lethal pandemic there is very little talk of what it actually means to die and how we can face death well. Sure we monitor death rates, but largely from the perspective of those left behind. Most of the talk is of the frustrations of lockdown. Jesus, however, tackles the question head on. In John 11, he declares that he will give eternal life to all who trust in him. It is a wonderful promise in our current climate.

6 May 2020 – John 10:22-42 – Less talk, more action [recording] Do you ever meet people who always want to talk about religion and faith and philosophy but they never actually seem to get any closer to making up their minds about whether or not the Christian faith is true? They can talk about arguments for and against God for hours, but they seem incapable of committing to a belief system? Talking to them is as frustrating as it is stimulating. In John 10:22-42, Jesus meets just such people. His answer is that it is time to stop talking to look at Jesus’s deeds and to make a decision

29 April 2020 – John 10:1-21 – The lonely Christian [recording] The Christian life can often seem a lonely life. We think it is right to follow Jesus and yet we often find ourselves at odds with the culture around us. In John 10, Jesus promises that he has come to give us life to the full. This is an especially valuable claim right now when life seems so bleak.

26 February 2020 – Nehemiah 8 – A people of the word [recording] Do you ever find yourself in a church service where everybody else seems to “get it” and you are not sure what the fuss is about? Do you ever wish that your experience of religion engaged your heart a bit more? In Nehemiah 8 we see people gathering for worship with a real sense of expectancy.

19 February 2020 – Nehemiah 6 – A people opposed [recording] What do we do when we are faced with opposition? How should we respond? Do we push back and get confrontational or do we stay silent and get back in our box? Nehemiah is the case study of what happens when we give ourselves fully to God’s glory – now see what happens when Nehemiah faces opposition left, right and centre.

12 February 2020 – Nehemiah 1 – A people of vision [recording] We all want to be people who get things done, who achieve, who are useful to society and to God. Nehemiah was a big achiever but what he offers us is not so much a role model of how to get things done, as a case study of what happens when we give ourselves fully to God’s glory.

29 January 2020 – John 8:48-59 – Who do you think you are? [recording] Many people today get put off from talking about religion because religious debates can easily get heated. Far easier to avoid the topic altogether. In John 8 at Paddington Talks this week, we will see people getting angry with Jesus. His response, rather than ducking the issue, is to unmask the pride that so often underlies religious anger and point to a glory that transcends our human factions.

22 January 2020 – John 8:31-47 – The freedom of truth[recording] We all like to think that we are open minded. When it comes to matters of religion, however, our discussions are often frustrating because everybody seems so set in their ways. This week at the Paddington Talks, we will see Jesus confront the religious complacency of his day. It is a fascinating encounter. Will we allow Jesus to challenge our own thinking and question whether or not we have also become stuck in our ways when it comes to religion?

15 January 2020 – John 8:12-30 – The rescue we’ve all been longing for [recording] 2020 – despite all the New Year’s resolutions, the world seems already to be in darkness with division and strife at home or abroad, whether in the Middle East or in Buckingham Palace. Yet in the face of darkness, the light of the world has already come bringing rescue and hope

8 January 2020 – John 7:37-52 – The fear of missing out [recording] No sooner is the season of goodwill and peace to all people over, and there is already turbulence in the Middle East and elsewhere in our society. In John 7, Jesus promises peace and hope to a world thirsty for security. Yet, the people you would have most expected to receive this offer missed out.

20 November 2019 – John 7:26-36 – Too much to claim? [recording] Throughout his life, Jesus promised to lead us into God’s light. He claimed to be the very gateway to God’s glory and hope. For many in his day, whilst they recognised his wisdom, they found his claims too much. The same is true today. In John 7, Jesus challenges the religious and non-religious alike to think deeply about his true identity and so discover the deeper hope which he offers.

13 November 2019 – John 7:1-25 – A man of integrity [recording] We instinctively distrust the politicians and advertisers. We think they are just trying to manipulate us for their own purposes. In the middle of Jesus’s ministry, he faced a PR disaster. People were deserting him in large numbers. In response, Jesus’ brothers gave him some PR advise to get his campaign back on track, but he rejected their gimmicks. Jesus does not want to appeal to our shallow wishes but to our deepest spiritual needs.

23 October 2019 John 6:41-71 – Why so angry? [recording]Why do people get angry with Jesus? It makes sense that people might not believe in him, after all his claims for himself are pretty outrageous. But why do people get angry at Jesus? Where does it come from? In our day many atheists, do not just feel indifferent towards Jesus, they are strongly opposed to any form of religion. In Jesus’ own day they were angry enough to kill him. How do we respond when we find that people around us are angry with Jesus, or when we get angry with him ourselves?

16 October 2019 – John 6:22-40 – Stunted ambition [recording] We have all got goals that we chase after in life: targets we want to achieve, experiences we want to enjoy. But what if our ambitions for life are set too low? What if we are exhausting ourselves chasing after goals the are not worthy of our effort?  In John 6, Jesus helps us to think through what is really worth chasing after in our lives.

9 October 2019 – John 6:1-21 – A bumper harvest [recording] “The harder I work, the luckier I get”, or so they say. But what when I can’t figure out how to work my way out of a situation? or when I am working hard and getting nowhere? In John 6, we find Jesus’ disciples in exactly that situation. Jesus offers them a hope that exceeds their horizons.

25 September 2019 – John 5:31-47 – Jesus in the dock [recording] Many people today see faith as an irrational leap in the dark, as if Christian faith is just wishful thinking plucked out of the air. But as Jesus promises that he can offer eternal life, he calls forth a number of witnesses to show that his claim is grounded in our everyday reality. He wants to shows us that we can believe his promise.

18 September 2019 – John 5:19-30 – Jesus’ promise of life [recording] Jesus promised his followers eternal life. It is a wonderful promise. Whatever our situation, we all long for eternal life. But is it a true promise or is it just wishful thinking? And if it is true, how does it work? Join us on Wednesday at Smiths, at 1pm, as we think about how it is that Jesus can make this outrageous offer.

11 September 2019 – John 5:1-18 – Jesus the healer [recording] We all long for rest. Not the rest of the beach, but a sense of completeness, of life as it should be. As we see Jesus heal a lame man on the sabbath, we see that Jesus is the one who can bring complete healing.

22nd May – 1 Peter 1:1-9 – Christians are immortal [recording] Christians are supposed to behave differently. We know that. But why? 1 Peter tells us, Christians are supposed to behave differently, because they are different. They have a new joy and a new hope that transforms.

Recent Talks: Luke 23-24 Easter Stories

Some stories are diverting, some are heart rending, a few are life changing, all are worth hearing. This Easter at The Paddington Talks, we will be considering the Easter story through the eyes of those whose lives were changed forever by what they saw that first Easter. They saw a criminal executed, a great man brought low, a missing body. They found new hope, new joy, new purpose. Come and hear their stories. It will make you think and may move your heart.

15th May – Luke 24:13-35 – The power of the word [recording] All of us experience some level of dissatisfaction in life. It may be rooted in disappointment, despair or just boredom. There are plenty of people out there offering to sell us a product that will transform our lives, yet their solutions lack the depth to bring meaningful change. As Luke tells the story of two people transformed by an encounter with Jesus we see that he offered them a hope that spoke to their very deepest needs and so it is a hope that still speaks to our hearts today.

8th May – Luke 24:1-12 – Death defeated [recording] We all face the desperate sadness of death, decay and brokenness in our lives. The shadow of death is inescapable, so for many the claim that Jesus rose from the dead is simply not credible. But as Luke describes the resurrection he shows that it is not just a neat trick that demonstrates Jesus’ power, but it is a victory that gives hope over death, decay and sorrow. It was as the disciples realised the breadth of Jesus’ achievement in his resurrection that they were transformed to a new and deeper faith.

1st May – Luke 23:44-49 – The power of the cross [recording] For some the Easter story is deeply moving, personal and life-changing. A source of hope, comfort and challenge. For others it all feels remote. We may not doubt the facts of Easter, we just don’t feel their power.  As Luke describes Jesus’ death we see those closest to Jesus standing far off, as those who knew little about him lead us into a deeper engagement with the power of Easter.

3rd April – Luke 23:32-43 – The weakness of the cross [recording] As Jesus died, many mocked him and dismissed him. He looked weak and powerless, a failed King. But one man saw hime differently. He saw that Jesus weakness was his strength. In doing so, he found a greater power and a deeper hope.

Recent Talks: John 1-4 The hope of glory

27th March – John 4:27-54 – The power of true belief [recording] Sometimes we lack joy in the Christian faith. We believe, but not with the enthusiasm of others. Or maybe we don’t believe in Jesus, but we wish that we did have a faith. In John 4 we see two different groups of people reacting very differently to Jesus. One group receives him with joy, the other holds him at arm’s length. As we compare the reactions of the two groups they will help us to understand our own reactions to Jesus better. They will also help us to think through how we can question what we believe in a way that nurtures a joyful spirit rather than a cold hardness.

20th March – John 4:19-26 – True worship? [recording]Why should we worship God, and how? In this talk from Wes Illingsworth we hear how God is seeking ‘true worshippers’. We hear what Jesus thinks true worship actually is, how it’s possible and why we should do it.

13th March – John 4:1-18 – The breadth of God’s love [recording] We live in a society that prizes inclusivity and diversity. Yet for all that we esteem inclusivity we are not very good at it. There is something in our nature that tends to throw up barriers between people, to exclude and to divide. In any social context there is an ‘in’ crowd and there are outsiders. In John 4, we see Jesus embrace a total outsider. As he does so, he shows us something beautiful but more than that he shows us the power behind a radical and lasting inclusion.

6th March – John 3:22-36 – The joy of knowing Christ [recording] As we continue looking through John’s Gospel, with guest speaker Scott Little, we see something of the Joy of knowing Jesus but are also faced with a key decision: What we believe to be true, and then follow with our day-to-day life, will either lead to eternal life or death.

27th February – John 3:16-21 – The decision we all face [recording]Most people in our culture would agree that if there is a God he is loving, but what does his love look like? and if he is loving, how come so many choose to hold him at arms length?

20th February – John 2:23-3:15 – The need for a new beginning [recording] Many in our society see religion as just a way of finding support in life, a source of inner strength and resilience. But in John 3 Jesus says that we need something far more wonderful and transformative: a fresh start, a whole new beginning.

13th February – John 2:13-22 – The uncomfortable God [recording] None of us wants to play games with God. If He exists, we want to know Him and worship Him appropriately. When Jesus encountered the religion of his day, he called out those who would play games with religion and led the way to a true worship of God.

6th February – John 2:1-12  -The banquet to come [recording] Some people like to make out that God is a cosmic kill-joy and that Christians are uptight and negative people. Even if we don’t buy in to those caricatures, we may still have a lingering suspicion that being a Christian is constraining or a little less fun. As Jesus performs his first miracle, we see him sweeping away old negative images of religion and announcing that he has come to bring us life in abundance.

30th January – John 1:35-51 -The stairway to heaven [recording] “What are you seeking?” is a question that Jesus asked his first followers, but it is also a question that jumps off the pages of John’s gospel to us through the centuries. We do well to pause and reflect on it amidst the busyness of the week. As Jesus gathered his first followers they found in him the fulfilment of all their longings in this world. Their invitation to us is to “come and see” the hope that Jesus offers to all people through all time.

23rd January – John 1:19-34 -The king is here. John claims that if we know Jesus then we know God. But maybe we’re struggling to see how we can actually know the real Jesus. Or maybe we’re just struggling to make the time. Come and hear how Jesus’ divinely appointed PR agent – John the Baptist – show us how we can and why we should.

16th January – John 1:6-18 -The light in the darkness [recording]  Many people today feel that God is distant. Perhaps they feel that he is unknowable or unapproachable or just unreal. As John begins his gospel he shows us that the Christian faith is grounded in the God who has drawn near to us in history.

9th January – John 1:1-5 – The hope that lasts [recording] Whether we had a good Christmas or a tough time over the break, there is something mildly depressing about packing away the decorations and heading back to the hard work of a New Year. The holiday season that we had looked forward to may be gone, but in his gospel John points us to a hope that is eternal. He offers a joy that lasts longer than the Christmas trees and a light in the deepest darkness.

Recent Talk Series: Philippians

In our culture the Christian faith is often mocked or marginalised in the media and in our workplaces. Meanwhile, within the church, there can be disunity and grumbling. It is easy to wonder how people ever thought that the Christian faith was “good news”. The church in first century Philippi faced similar problems of opposition and grumbling, yet as Paul wrote to them we find him full of hope, joy and excitement. Over the next past weeks at The Paddington Talks we have been working through Paul’s letter to the Philippians. It helps Christians to think through how we can encourage each other in holding onto the gospel with joy in our workplace. For those looking into the faith, it helps to give an understanding of why Christians see their faith as truly good news.

21st November – Philippians 4:10-23 – The path to a deeper contentment – [recording] If you were to ask many people today what they feel that they need in order to be content, they would be likely to talk about issues relating to their circumstances (health, home, family or financial security). As Paul closes his letter to the Philippians, he points them to a deeper contentment, based on God’s riches, which will stand firm though good times and hard times.

14th November – Philippians 4:2-9 The path to a deeper peace [recording] Many people in our culture view religion as an escape from reality: a chance to step away from the busyness of life to contemplate an other worldly peace. Yet as Paul writes to the Philippians he sees the joy of the Christian faith as one which will shape the detail of our day-to-day lives, including our relationships, our fears and our delights. This is a passage which challenges our preconceptions of religion and shows its relevance to our lives today.

7th November  – Philippians 3:12-4:1 A glorious hope [recording] There is something impressive about an Olympic athlete who throws everything into winning a medal: their dedication, commitment and passion as they orientate their wholes lives to that future goal. According to the Apostle Paul at the end of Philippians chapter 3, the Christian should have a similar passion. As Paul encourages us to fix our eyes on heaven he offers us a hope that will reenergise us all if we feel worn down by the worries and weak pleasures of this world.

31st October  – Philippians 3:1-11 When religion is worthless [recording] We all like to think that we are fundamentally OK: good, decent upright people – or at least acceptable. We long for the approval of others, and if we believe in God we long for His approval as well. We normally expect to be accepted on the basis of our background or our achievements – we were born in a decent home, we’ve lived a decent life. With this craving for acceptance comes exhaustion and insecurity. In this week’s passage in Philippians 3:1-11, Paul speaks of how he used to live for these things and now considers them worthless. He has found in Christ a joy of forgiveness that is worth more than any other achievement or status and which will carry him through any circumstance. It is a passage which takes us to the heart of Christian hope, do come along and bring colleagues if you can.

24th October  – Philippians 2:19-29 What makes a good friend?  [recording] We all have people that we look up to and respect. Maybe we follow them on Twitter or read about them in the papers; perhaps we study them at work to see how they achieve so much; as a society we may give them awards or even build them statues. Whoever it is that we look up to, we can be fairly sure that over time we will become more like them. In this week’s passage in Philippians, Paul grounds his teaching about Jesus selfless love by telling us about two Christians who were models of Christ-like love. It is a passage that surely helps us to think about what the authentic Christian life looks like and the grace that lies behind it.

17th October  – Philippians 2:12-18 how to live a life worth boasting in  What sorts of things are you most proud of? what are your greatest achievements? What things would you boast about? We continued our series in Philippians, learning from St Paul who tells us what he wants to boast about and how we too can live a life worth boasting about.

10th October  – Philippians 2:5-2:11 the path to true glory  [recording] How would you measure ‘success’ in life? Status, achievement, approval or simply comfort? This week we had a closer look at Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where He shows how Jesus gave up all of these and yet achieved true glory, not just for himself but for all of humanity. As we consider Jesus’ life, he profoundly challenges our mindset in terms of our goals and how we spend our energy. Yet Jesus offers more than a vague idealism as we live in a world increasingly divided by rivalries, hurt and bitterness he offers real hope. This passage helped us all think and was a great introduction to Jesus for people who knew little or nothing about him.

3rd October  – Philippians 1:27-2:4 the joy found in others  [recording] If you were to give yourself a spiritual health check I wonder where you might start? Thinking about your personal devotion to reading the Bible and praying? Maybe reviewing your personal lifestyle and how ‘good’ a life you think you might be leading? As Paul calls the Christians at Philippi to live a life worthy of the gospel, the place he starts is not with their personal faith but with their unity together: not the unity of a bring and share lunch but the unity that strives together in the face of trials, because according to Paul this is a unity that proclaims the gospel. This is a passage that will challenge believer and non-believer alike to rethink what we value in our relationships with others.

26th Sept  – Philippians 1:12-26 the joy of God’s message.  [recording] We live in a culture that is increasing suspicious of the Christian faith, if not hostile towards it. Some people may even deliberately stir up trouble for Christians. As Paul writes from a Roman prison, he faces intense and life threatening opposition to his faith and yet we find him full of joy and hope. It is not a false bravado. His perspective is transformed by his faith in Jesus. We can not always control our circumstances but Paul provides valuable lessons in how to change our perspective such that we find gospel joy even if we face intense opposition. We explored how this great letter, written hundreds of years ago, can change our lives and transform our workplaces.

19th Sept  – Philippians 1:1-11 the joy of God’s people. [recording] There are now less than 100 days until Christmas. Do you feel exhausted just thinking about all that you have to do between now and then? Sometimes life can feel exhausting. Just keeping going can feel tiring enough. Thinking about God in the midst of everything else can easily feel like one thing too many. We started a new series reading the book of Philippians, we find Paul writing to a church that is going well, but may be struggling to keep going. Paul reminds them of the joy of living the Christian life. As he does so, he spurs them on to keep going and as we listen in, it is a great tonic to us to keep enjoying living out the Christian life, even as the nights draw in.

Other recent talks

18th July  – Is your spiritual body ready for summer. This was our last meeting before we took a break over the summer weeks. We looked at 2 Timothy Chapter 3 with a talk entitled “How to be equipped for every good work”.

11th July  – What’s on your mind. This week at Paddington Talks we had a special open session entitled ‘Any Questions’. Anyone with issues that concern about faith or the bible or what Christians believe etc, was encouraged to  bring those along as Chris Hawthorne was available to answer questions as much as possible.

4th July  – The wise live with the end in mind. A meeting designed to be particularly accessible for those who are not yet believers. Regular members were encouraged to invite colleagues

21 Mar  –  Questions for life.  Wes Illingsworth handled this week’s topic which was ‘the Questions for life’. He emphasised the claim that Jesus provides the answers to life’s big questions. Guests were encouraged to raise their questions and put them to Wes. Christians and unbelievers were also encouraged to come up with their questions too.

14 Mar  –  Questions for life. Training week. This week Jason Barrington continued helping us think about the questions people might ask us about Christianity. As we follow up with our colleagues we hope that many of us we will be able to start reading John’s gospel 121 with them. We looked through John’s gospel together to see what questions John himself answers and how we could use the words of Jesus to respond to people.

28 Feb  –  A relationship worth pursuing. This was the last in our mini series Mission accomplished – The glory of cross focusing on the account of Jesus death as described in John’s Gospel. The series has been both challenging and thought-provoking. We were really blessed to have Richard Dryer for the final talk. The talk was very apt for both Christian and non believers.

Before becoming an ordained minister, Richard was a director at Credit Suisse and then Head of Global Credit at Aberdeen Asset management

21Feb  –  Understanding the Cross. Richard Dryer delivered this great talk. Jesus says it was at His death that He and the Father were glorified. If we want to know what God is really like, we need to look at the Cross. There is, therefore, nothing more important than understanding the Cross of Christ.

Before becoming an ordained minister, Richard was a director at Credit Suisse and then Head of Global Credit at Aberdeen Asset management.

14 Feb  –  A Glory Worth Worshipping. We had a great time last Wednesday with Richard Dryer. Please come this Wednesday and try to bring others with you – it will be a really good session for both believers and enquirers. We recognise glorious achievements in all kinds of areas – the Oscars, medals at the winter Olympics, political achievements, etc. Come and hear why what Jesus achieved on a bloody instrument of torture 2000 years ago should still command our attention. Please encourage guests to bring their questions and objections to the Christian faith as Richard will host a time of Q&A after the talk.

07 Feb  –  How to read the Bible with others. We all know the bible is great but would we ever open it up with someone else one to one? Could we? Should we? Can we? This week we made attempt to discover why reading the bible with a non-Christian friend or colleague is a super thing to do and realise it isn’t nearly as difficult or scary as it first sounds. This was our final week thinking about how to share the gospel with others so do make the most of it!

31 Jan  –  The Greatest Mission Statement Ever. All of our companies have mission statements, and we design training programs to help us achieve our goals. This week we discussed the greatest mission statement of all time, which was like taking part in some training of our own to help each one of us with out part in bringing about that objective

24 Jan  –  Lost for Words – Answering difficult questions. This week we looked into how we can help our friends and colleagues get a right understanding of Jesus’ Gospel.  We also looked into how to answer some of the most common and most difficult questions about Christianity.

15 Nov 2017 – Are your relationships miraculous?  This week we returned to our series in Colossans – The High Octane Life with a talk entitled Christ Centred Relationships: Miraculous Not Mundane. This is a study of Chapter 3 verse 18 to Chapter 4 verse and is designed to help us all grow in our effectiveness as gospel workers in our organisations. The interactive style will allow for plenty of questions and discussions..