As we come to the end of this season following Pentecost. We have been looking at the Acts of the Apostles. This week we our vicar, Abi draws the lessons together as Activating Your Spiritual Life. Considering how these activations leave an imprint just like a hallmark on precious metal. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says;

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Just like a hallmark, the Spirit tells us the purity God has made us, it tells us who has made us and where we have been tested. And finally, how like the parable of the sower, we can check our soil and Activate Our Spiritual Life to improve our soil and our fruitfulness.

The reading is from Acts 17:16-34

This message was first preached on 26/07/2026

Continuing in this season of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church, we are looking at the Acts of the Apostles. This week we are looking at Activating Joy, living in the state God intends for us, regardless of circumstances. Vanessa Barlow considers the passage where God sends an angel to rescue Peter from prison, where he had been locked up by King Herod and the joy which came to the church when God answered their prayers in an unexpected way.

Joy is mentioned in the New Testament over 60 times and is listed in Galatians 5 as one of the fruit of the Spirit which we are meant to grow as we mature in our faith. Vanessa shares some of the key passages on joy and encourages us to build strategies to stop that joy from being stolen. Listen in and learn how you can Activate Joy.

The reading is from Acts 12:1-19

This message was first preached on 19/07/2026

Continuing in this season of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church, we are looking at the Acts of the Apostles. This week we are looking at Activating Miracles, declaring God’s love through His acts of power. Wayne Bishop considers the passage where Peter visits Lydda and heals Aeneas and then Joppa where he raises Dorcas, one of the disciples, who had died and was mourned by the church there.

We see the way Peter modelled the work of his Lord, Jesus, but not only His work but also His character which he goes on to set out in his final writing, 2 Peter chapter 1.

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”

If we add these qualities to the faith the Holy Spirit gives us then God will use you and enable you to Activate Miracles.

The reading is from Acts 9:32-42

This message was first preached on 12/07/2026

Continuing in this season of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church, we are looking at the Acts of the Apostles. This week we are looking at Activating Evangelism, sharing the Good News with those around us. Our vicar, Abi looks at the passage when Phillip is sent to the Ethiopian eunuch, to come alongside, listen and then explain the hope he has in Jesus Christ.

Are we willing to be used by God? God calls some people to be evangelists but He calls all of us to share our faith with friends, families and neighbours. Will you allow God to use you and be filled with the Spirit to Activate Evangelism.

The reading is from Acts 8:26-40

This message was first preached on 05/07/2026

Continuing in this season of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church, we are looking at the Acts of the Apostles. This week we are looking at Activating the Body of Christ, Activating the church. our vicar, Abi looks at the passage where the first deacons are called to serve in practical ways in the body. But these are not those with no other gifts, so they can make the tea and wash up, these are people ‘full of the Spirit and wisdom’.

They include Stephen who we read shortly after clearly had a powerful gift of preaching, but he was happy to serve God and the church where it was needed. What gifts has God given us and where is He calling us to serve. Let’s Activate the Body, so that together we can work with God to build the church.

The reading is from Acts 6:1-7

This message was first preached on 28/06/2026

Continuing in this season of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church, we are looking at the Acts of the Apostles. The clue is in the name, Acts! We are called to act out of the faith we are given. This week our vicar, Abi looks at radical honesty and how the early church stood out from society by their commitment to be honest, with God and with each other. We need to Activate honesty to simplify our lives and become the shining light to those around us.

The reading is from Acts 5:1-16

This message was first preached on 21/06/2026

Continuing in this season of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church, we are looking at the Acts of the Apostles. The clue is in the name, Acts! We are called to act out of the faith we are given. Our curate, Les Crossland, looks at how the early church was generous, and how we must Activate our generosity with our time, money and commitment.

The reading is from Acts 4:32-37

This message was first preached on 14/06/2026

As we follow on from Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church, we are looking at the Acts of the Apostles. We are not just filled with the Spirit to sit back and enjoy His presence, the clue is in the name, Acts! Just before He ascended, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations”, we must Go! we must Act! Our vicar, Abi, explores the passage where Peter heals the lame man outside the temple and suggests that like Peter, we must Activate our boldness.

The reading is from Acts 3:1-10

This message was first preached on 07/06/2026