Advertise on podcast: Highgrove Church Talks

Our November sermon series takes a look at some of Jesus’ teaching from the Gospels which can be hard. Hard to understand or hard to put into practice, or both! Jesus’ call to take up our cross and follow him comes at a cost but the benefits are always rich, deep and wide as we surrender every area of our lives to him.   Matthew 16:24, Matthew 16:13-28 Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’ Matthew 16v24. This teaching comes just after Peter has declared that Jesus is the Messiah v16 - a highpoint in Matthew’s Gospel as Jesus identity is revealed. No sooner has this revelation come then the reality of what Jesus as Messiah will have to go through is also described. He will die and rise again. It is in this context that Jesus speaks to the disciples and tells them they too must take the road of denial and take up their cross. If Peter wants to follow Jesus, then following him to death is a possibility, for some persecuted Christians today this is a reality. Denial can be quite tame these days; in Lent it can be anything from fasting from Netflix to missing breakfast! What is Jesus asking his disciples to do in this verse? The imagery of the cross was a very vivid one in the ancient near East as Jesus would come to experience and the disciples would witness. How does this teaching apply to us today? Paul talks about dying every day, 1 Cor 15v31 and carrying the death of Jesus in his body 2 Cor 4:10-11 and how he shares in Jesus’ sufferings and the power of his resurrection Phil 3v8,10. Death and suffering for Jesus and us is never the end of the story. Resurrection and life is! Tough Talks - The way of the Cross Tim Dobson Download

Over September and October we’re looking at the story of Abraham. One person, chosen by God, who He asks to put faith in Him and be obedient to Him. We will journey with Abraham in his faith and his fear, his obedience and his failure. But what we’ll see most clearly is a God who is faithful through it all.   Genesis 22:1–19; Hebrews 11:17-19 On Mount Moriah, God gave Abraham the ultimate test - a command that made no sense, cut to the heart, and demanded total surrender. How did Abraham react and why? What can we learn about trusting God even when life makes no sense? And how does it point to of the sacrifice God would one day provide for us all? Testing Times Catherine Penn Download

Over September and October we’re looking at the story of Abraham. One person, chosen by God, who He asks to put faith in Him and be obedient to Him. We will journey with Abraham in his faith and his fear, his obedience and his failure. But what we’ll see most clearly is a God who is faithful through it all.   Genesis 18:16–33 Abraham’s nephew lived in a place of brokenness and exploitation. We don’t have to look far to see this in our world. How can we be inspired by the actions of Abraham as he stood in the gap between God and the broken places around him? What does God’s response to Abraham tell us about His nature and character? Standing in the gap Dave Mitchell Download

Over September and October we’re looking at the story of Abraham. One person, chosen by God, who He asks to put faith in Him and be obedient to Him. We will journey with Abraham in his faith and his fear, his obedience and his failure. But what we’ll see most clearly is a God who is faithful through it all.   Genesis 16:1–16 Sarai and Abram try to fulfil God's promise through Hagar. When we do things our way rather than God’s, people can get hurt. The passages involving Hagar, Abram and Sarai can be difficult to process. What can we learn about God through them? What can we learn about ourselves? The God who sees Laura Harris Download

Over September and October we’re looking at the story of Abraham. One person, chosen by God, who He asks to put faith in Him and be obedient to Him. We will journey with Abraham in his faith and his fear, his obedience and his failure. But what we’ll see most clearly is a God who is faithful through it all.   If God’s promise of a new nation was to be fulfilled, then it depended on something that Abram and Sarai couldn’t accomplish in their own ability. All of it was based on the miraculous birth of a promised son. How does Abram’s story point towards Jesus? What promises does God give to us? What do we need to do to accept and live in them? How does baptism fit with all of this?   A promise Naomi Clarke Download

Over September and October we’re looking at the story of Abraham. One person, chosen by God, who He asks to put faith in Him and be obedient to Him. We will journey with Abraham in his faith and his fear, his obedience and his failure. But what we’ll see most clearly is a God who is faithful through it all.   The land couldn’t sustain both Abram’s animals and his nephew’s. A scarcity mindset created tension and arguments. But Abram chose not to give in to this way of thinking. He let Lot choose the best land first. What prompted Abram to do this? How does our scarcity mindset impact us? And how does our relationship with God help us to deal with it?   Generosity and Grace Clare Thompson Download

Over September and October we’re looking at the story of Abraham. One person, chosen by God, who He asks to put faith in Him and be obedient to Him. We will journey with Abraham in his faith and his fear, his obedience and his failure. But what we’ll see most clearly is a God who is faithful through it all.   Abram left his home after being called by God. The excitement and anticipation of God’s promised blessing must have created a spiritual high for Abram. But then reality set in as famine hit the land. How did Abram respond when faced with the challenges of life? (Spoiler alert - not so well!) But how does God respond to Abram’s lack of faith and fear-filled actions? What can we learn about how God sees our fears and failures? ABRAHAM: A Detour of Fear Tim Dobson Download

Over September and October we’re looking at the story of Abraham. One person, chosen by God, who He asks to put faith in Him and be obedient to Him. We will journey with Abraham in his faith and his fear, his obedience and his failure. But what we’ll see most clearly is a God who is faithful through it all.   In the first talk of our series, Deborah Marsh looks at Abram being called by God to leave his country. ABRAHAM: A call to go Deborah Marsh Download

While in prison, Paul wrote one of the most encouraging letters in all the Bible, the letter to the church in Phillipi. Throughout July, we’ll be looking at this letter a chapter a week and exploring how to live with a God-given purpose in the midst of everything life throws at us. In the final talk of our series, Ed Marsh looks at the phrase, “rejoice in the Lord always” and asks how we can apply this in our daily lives. PHILIPPIANS: Chapter 4 Ed Marsh Download

While in prison, Paul wrote one of the most encouraging letters in all the Bible, the letter to the church in Phillipi. Throughout July, we’ll be looking at this letter a chapter a week and exploring how to live with a God-given purpose in the midst of everything life throws at us. In the third talk of this series, Dave Mitchell looks at how we can pursue Jesus over the long haul of life and finish well. PHILIPPIANS: Chapter 3 Dave Mitchell Download

While in prison, Paul wrote one of the most encouraging letters in all the Bible, the letter to the church in Phillipi. Throughout July, we’ll be looking at this letter a chapter a week and exploring how to live with a God-given purpose in the midst of everything life throws at us. In this second talk, Andy Waller-Simpson asks: what living in community teaches us about selfless love? Who our role models are? How important is it to follow an example in discipleship? PHILIPPIANS: Chapter 2 Andy Waller-Simpson Download

While in prison, Paul wrote one of the most encouraging letters in all the Bible, the letter to the church in Phillipi. Throughout July, we’ll be looking at this letter a chapter a week and exploring how to live with a God-given purpose in the midst of everything life throws at us. In this first talk, Deborah asks what devotion to Jesus looks like. PHILIPPIANS: Chapter 1 Deborah Marsh Download

Psalm 23 - TRUST IN GOD The Psalms are like a songbook and prayerbook for real life. Instead of pretending everything is fine, they help us bring our honest emotions to God. At the same time, they gently reshape how we see things, reminding us of who God really is—faithful, in control, full of mercy, and always worthy of our trust and praise. In the final talk of this series, Rachel Clark looks at Psalm 23 to see what it means to truly trust God in our daily lives. PSALMS - PRAYERS FOR PEAKS AND VALLEYS: Psalm 23 Rachel Clark Download

Psalm 42 - SUFFERING AND LAMENT The Psalms are like a songbook and prayerbook for real life. Instead of pretending everything is fine, they help us bring our honest emotions to God. At the same time, they gently reshape how we see things, reminding us of who God really is—faithful, in control, full of mercy, and always worthy of our trust and praise. Catherine Penn looks at what Psalm 42 teaches us about being real with God in times of challenge, distress or sorrow. PSALMS - PRAYERS FOR PEAKS AND VALLEYS: Psalm 42 Catherine Penn Download

Psalm 67 - MISSION The Psalms are like a songbook and prayerbook for real life. Instead of pretending everything is fine, they help us bring our honest emotions to God. At the same time, they gently reshape how we see things, reminding us of who God really is; faithful, in control, full of mercy, and always worthy of our trust and praise. On our Global Partner weekend, Deborah interviews three members of the church congregation about their recent mission trips. PSALMS - PRAYERS FOR PEAKS AND VALLEYS: Psalm 67 Nia Clarke, Hope Roberts, Toby Marsh Download