God created us for authentic relationships. The Bible teaches that we can never become who God created us to become without them. But why then do we so often settle for superficial, fickle, and often fake relationships? What does it look like to experience real community?

After Jesus rose from the dead, he urged his followers to go and spread the good news among people of every nation. Even some of his closest friends hesitated at first, but eventually tread past their fears, prejudices and comfort in ways that impact us to this day. Now we are invited to join the mission, sharing Christ in our community and beyond… but why do we go, how do we begin and where will he lead us?

Primary to Jesus’ teaching is the central truth that we are created to worship. We are more than a body, we are spirit and we will worship something. And all the ceremonies in the world, all the perfunctory reverence, do not make for worship. This is why worship cannot be reduced to mere ceremony.

In Matthew 5.5-18, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. He explains that prayer is to be humble, simple, respectful, genuine, and relational. In teaching his disciples to pray, Jesus was clear that he was not teaching us what to pray. Rather, his prayer is a model of prayer that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can learn from as our own prayer life matures.

Every living organism has requirements if it is to grow and thrive, in the same way Christians have God-given requirements that are necessary elements if there is to be any growth in grace and godliness. As an essential element of Christian growth, prayer is duty, a privilege and a means of grace.

The Word of God is not merely an assortment of words from God, a vehicle for communicating ideas; it is living, dynamic, and life-changing as it works in us. God’s Word reveals who we are and who we are not. It pierces the centre of our moral and spiritual life. It perceives what is within us, the earnest and sinful. The demands of God’s Word require decisions. We must not only know the Word; we must also let it shape our lives.

The Bible is a remarkable book. However, as Christians, we don’t want merely to have a high regard for it; we need to understand it. It is an unfortunate truth that the majority of people who have an opinion about the Bible – positive or negative – do not actually know what the Bible teaches. Having an understanding of what Bible teaches is crucial because the Bible is the Word of God, a fact that becomes particularly obvious as you study it. So we need to know how to study the Bible.

This Sunday we will begin a new series – Rooted. This series will challenge us to be deeply rooted in our faith. Being deeply rooted galvanizes our commitment to Christ so that when we are faced with the storms that come in life we are not blown away and uprooted. Over 10 weeks we will discover and uncover the biblical principles needed to become, grow or maintain a deep rooted faith in practical ways that have everyday life application.