Following Jesus is believing - and so much more. To follow Jesus means we become his apprentice, and order every area of our lives around His ways. Following the Way of Jesus leads us to a life full of joy, hope, love, peace, wisdom and contentment. Not just eternal life, but life today!

As a Rabbi who invited people to follow Him, Jesus taught a new way to live. But, even more importantly, Jesus lived a new way - a way that was backwards and upside down. Though he held power over sin and death - and the whole world - Jesus came as a Servant King, to die, in order to bring salvation to His people. We are invited to embrace Him as our King. And we are invited to become like our King, living lives that are characterised by extraordinary boldness and extraordinary humility.

John 12:12–15

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13They 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.”

Luke 12:35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey

Luke 19:39-40

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Revelation 12:10

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah."

Revelation 5:13-14

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

If you own a Bible then you have the opportunity to read four ancient eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These four voices sing one song in harmony. This message explains why we can be so confident in the accuracy, authenticity and integrity of these documents.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory.

John 6:35

“I am the Bread of life”

– Jesus

If you own a New Testament you have four ancient accounts of the life of Jesus. This series explores how these four distinct accounts work in harmony to tell one story. In this message we look at Mark’s account. Mark’s goal is to get us participating in the story and life of Jesus! In this message we look at Mark’s invitation to participate - specifically the encouragement for us to witness to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Mark 14:27-31, 53-54, 66-72

On the way, Jesus told them, “All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”

Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

“No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the others vowed the same.

They took Jesus to the high priest’s home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered. Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and went right into the high priest’s courtyard. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.

Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.”

But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed. When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” But Peter denied it again. A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.” Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.

If you own a New Testament you have four ancient accounts of the life of Jesus. This series explores how these four distinct accounts work in harmony to tell one story. In this message we look at Matthew’s account. Matthew is trying to communicate Jesus is part of something bigger that God has been doing all through history. And, as God has redeemed the history of the people of Israel - our past can also be redeemed.

Matthew 1:3

Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar.

Matthew 1:5

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab.

Matthew 1:6

Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.

Matthew 1:17

All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.

But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

If you own a New Testament you have four ancient accounts of the life of Jesus. This series explores how these four distinct accounts work in harmony to tell one story. In this message we look at John’s account. John was concerned about our faith; he wants to shape us into confident believers in Jesus’ death and resurrection. John ends his book by telling us why he wrote for us - “these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name” (John 20:31). John believes that the Jesus you read about in this book is alive and real and he can change your life forever!

See all of John Chapter 11

John 13:23

“…the disciple Jesus loved”

John 20:30-31

The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

John 11:25

“I am the Resurrection and the life“

- Jesus

John 12:23-26

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me"

If you own a New Testament you have four ancient accounts of the life of Jesus. This series explores how these four distinct accounts work in harmony to tell one story. In this message we look at the first volume of Luke’s account, and especially at Luke’s prominent them of bringing “outsiders” into the life and mission of Jesus. We look specifically at the interaction between Jesus and a prominent outsider: Zacchaeus. Luke ends this story with Jesus own words, which is the key phrase of the entire book: “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

Luke 1:1-4

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and

climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed

him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Luke 12:6-7

“God never overlooks a single sparrow and He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail, even numbering the hairs on your head.”

- Jesus

If you own a New Testament you have four ancient accounts of the life of Jesus. This series explores how these four distinct accounts work in harmony to tell one story. In this message we look at the second volume of Luke’s account of the mission and message of Jesus, “The Acts of the Apostles.” This second volume is a story of how Jesus’ followers “will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Acts 1:1

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach…

Acts 1:8

“you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

- Jesus

Acts 28:31

He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!

Acts 2:1-4

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Romans 8:15-16, 23

“but you received the Spirit of sonship…” “...The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children”“Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay… “…we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit…”

Acts 2:38-39

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

Read all Acts 2

Prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit”