Conferences, workshops and courses

1st March 2026 By Office

John 3 1-17 : From Darkness to Light

Mark in bringing the word to us today had to break this down. Everyone wants to receive answers, to feel God near them. But we don’t know how.

Nicodemus comes curiously, at night in secret. He should have known the answer, but he didn’t.

Nicodemus comes at night in fear, fear of being wrong, fear of being identified.

But night time is often where we all have questions.

Nicodemus came from light into darkness.

Jesus turns no one away.

Mark shared his own experience. In his first time in church he sat through the service in a spirit of disbelief. But when he got home he was challenged by God for treating his word and house with contempt…. And now he’s up here preaching.

Nicodemus starts with flattery. Nico wants information, Jesus offers transformation and miracles.

You don’t need new rules a new system a new spiritual upgrade.

You need a new life. A caterpillar does not become a butterfly through hard work but through transformation.

Jesus uses the unseen wind as an example. We can’t see it but we know it is there.

The passage gives 4 promises:

God loved
God gave
We believe
We live

Eternal life is not just the future, it begins now. A gift needs to be received.

Nicodemus appears two more times, defending Jesus and helping bury Jesus.

Transformation takes time. Nicodemus needed new birth.

Walk in the spirit, shine in the darkness, share the Gospel

You don’t need to share everything. You just need to look at the one who was lifted up. Put Jesus first, step from shadows into light.

22nd February 2026 By Office

Are you in the Garden?

Amanda preached on the garden of Eden outlining the fall from grace of Adam and Eve. She asked us the question “How are we tempted, how are we influenced?”

She quoted a Christian rapper who’s lyrics talk about forced to put on a mask to get through the day.

We need to stand up for what we believe to be right. We should not bow down to external pressure from our employers or from influencers. The serpent was the earliest wrong influencer, twisting words and omitting the key message. “Don’t touch the tree in the middle, the tree of life”

Amanda recounted the situation where she sold a car, and then passed the money to the church. there was a moment of temptation to keep the money but the promise needed to be kept.

Amanda outlined that we need to tell people when we are struggling. Sometime temptation to cover up something can be compelling but reaching out gets help from teachers, or from others around us.

Matty had outlined the parable of the prodigal son earlier in the service. Amanda used the example of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, saying that even though his brother the King has been adamant that the law has to follow it’s proper course, she is also sure the King will be praying for his brother and all those affected.

Social media has a lot influence.. But different countries are starting to realise that young people need protection from false information, from manipulation and lack of protection from accessing inappropriate materials.

How can we resist these temptations? How do we protect our young people? \how do we use Scripture in an appropriate way?

Matthew 24:24 warns against false prophets. We need to test everything. Terry had given an example of AI offering something as an absolute fact, and it was only when the finding were challenged that AI admitted it had mixed up the records of 3 different people.

Similarly 2 Timothy 3 !:5 warns of terrible times in the last days.

Remember god forgives us and rewards us through his resurrection power.