Gospel Chapel GF

Jesus’ Family Tree

Jesus belonged to a family. We sometimes forget that. In our individualistic world we neglect the longer story to which our lives belong. This is were the genealogies of the Bible remind us of the longer story God has been and is telling through the family that is humanity.
In Five Smooth Stones of Pastoral Ministry, Eugene Peterson states, "The genealogical lists in the Bible, synonymous in so many minds with tedium, are, in fact, documentation for the most exciting parts of the story. For the gospel does not address a faceless, nameless mob, but persons. The history of salvation is thick with names. The name is the form of speech by which a person is singled out for personal love, particular intimacy, and exact responsibilities. The biblical fondness for genealogical lists is not pedantic antiquarianism, it is a search for personal involvement, a quest for a sense of personal place in the web of relationships in which God fashions salvation."

John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-20)

Luke's gospel starts with John the Baptist, his parents, his birth, his name, his purpose. Luke balances his time in the first chapters between John and Jesus. What does Luke want us to see?

Faith Takes Time (Luke 24:1-12)

The Resurrection is difficult to believe. Perhaps even impossible. Those who had followed Jesus for 3 years refused to believe at first. It took time for them to come to terms with what had happened. It was the last thing the expected.
Faith is not easy. It takes time. It requires we pursue our doubts and questions. We should never settle for a mindless, simplistic belief system. Resilient discipleship requires the ability to question, doubt, wrestle and seek real answers.

Good Friday 2023

On this Good Friday, we focus on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Luke. A very detailed and clear account not of the horrors of the cross, but of the grace and mercy of the One Crucified.
The message closes with us celebrating the Lord's Table.

Palm Sunday 2023 (Luke 19)

Luke's account of the Triumphal Entry is more colourful and complex than just Jesus riding on a donkey with crowds singing "Hosanna!" In fact, in Luke, "Hosanna" isn't used, nor are there palm branches...
Luke connects various scenes together in one whole narrative thread, and the key phrase is "seeking". It starts with Zacchaeus "seeking to see who Jesus is" and it ends with the religious rulers in Jerusalem "seeking to destroy him."

Tempted and Tried (Matthew 4:1-11)

Dan Dunbar shares with us on the Temptation of Jesus Christ.

The Baptism of Jesus(Mark 1)

In Mark's Gospel, the baptism of Jesus is a very short few verses. But the central concern of Mark is to show us that Jesus difficult ministry from this point on starts with the empowerment of the Spirit and the deep love of the Father. And maybe that's what we desperately need to embrace in our lives today.

The Saviour is Presented and Present (Luke 2)

Mary's memories permeate the first two chapters of Luke's gospel. She is the most likely source. The details. The specifics. Somethings only a parent would remember.
What would it have been like to be entrusted with the raising of the Messiah? What questions would linger in the years between his birth and the rest of his life? What questions do we still have about this Jesus whom we follow?