Family Church Gosport

Today is Vision Sunday 2026 for the whole of Family Church. Ps Steu speaks about the Mission and Vision of the church and introduces the six Family Church Values which will be expounded during the following weeks...We Value PeopleWe Value New lifeWe Value Relationship with GodWe Value Church FamilyWe Value GatheringWe Value CommissioningEach of these is represented by a part of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) - a central Christian teaching on God's unconditional love and forgiveness. All Family Church congregations heard this message and everyone received a booklet entitled Reach, Grow, Empower, explaining these values. Please refer to www.family.church for further details.

In Scripture, Matthew 5:44 tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. As the children of God, we are called to play a very important role as God has called us to intercede on behalf of each other and also on behalf of those who are yet to believe in Him. We have been given the mandate to "stand in the gap "for our nations and those in authority. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 refers.

Jesus taught about the 5, 2 and 1 talents and the importance of using our lives, our gifts, and our talents we've been blessed with to the full. You are not an accident; you're not here on earth by chance. God, the creator of all things, and has positioned you for such a time as this.

A God-defining moment is significant, but it's what we do with these moments that determines the outcomes of our lives. Where are those in Church today who will passionately follow God and pursue Him all the days of their lives...

Things you have tried to make happen or tried to change, but cannot, God can make happen in a moment. God has placed you where you are at this defining moment in time to make a difference to bring about the purposes of God to make it happen!

God has given us the strength to turn back every spiritual attack and the battle at the gate that comes our way. Therefore, for us to stand strong in the evil day, we would do well to understand how or what the strategies of our enemy are as he comes against us.

Jesus, speaking of His church, gave us this promise: that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it, we will turn the battle at the gate. Spiritual warfare requires spiritual weaponry, and in prayer we wage warfare against the spirit of this age and the works of darkness.

Our adversary is not sleeping; he is actually going around like a roaring lion stalking those whom he may devour! It's time to put a stop to the enemy of our soul devouring our purpose, our potential and our calling in God. So let's Turn the Battle at the Gate.

Standing on God's Word, the unshakeable Rock, I will stand and in doing so I will protect my heart and take the Gates of my enemies. The speakers for this message were Geoff and Jane, Isaac and Mercy, Kerwin and Camille and Katie.

A godly life is not produced overnight. It's developed one choice at a time, each and every day, as we grow and strengthen ourselves in God. So the key is to develop strength from the inside, and the best way to do that is to grow in godly character.

As we read and reflect on scripture and apply it to our lives, it becomes our spiritual fuel. There is absolutely nothing to compare with the powerful effect of God's Word when it is taken by faith into our hearts and then put into action.

Our Spiritual fitness or spiritual health will grow and develop as we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us. As we surrender ourselves to the inner coach, following His way, heeding His voice and walking in His instructions, we will develop a healthy spirituality.

For us to grow spiritually, we need to be intentional because spiritual fitness doesn't just happen, just like in the natural realm. The first thing we need to do is surrender to God's transforming power and allow the Holy Spirit to be our inner trainer.

The more we watch over the ground of our hearts, protecting the seeds of God's Word…the stronger we will come, and…HAVING DONE ALL TO STAND WE WILL BE ABLE TO STAND!

Spiritually, we must add organic matter to the ground of our hearts, which is the Word of God, to create good, healthy soil, but we need to be aware that we have an enemy out there who is after the seed of God's Word.

This Sunday is our Missions Sunday. The call to tell others rests upon all our shoulders. Some will go to the ends of the earth, while most will stay within the shores of our own Nation. But the need for salvation remains the same; most of us are sent to our families, friends, neighbours and workmates. May we walk with beautiful feet, sharing the Love of God and the message of Salvation to many.

Our harvests of tomorrow are hiding in our seeds of today. The truth is, when we give our offering, is not leaving our lives - it's entering our future.

The destructive Words we say about ourselves will affect the condition of our souls. Have there been words spoken over your life that have continued to influence your beliefs about yourself? It's so easy to internalise what others say and then go on to live out those words.

Our lives are like a garden…we're continually planting seeds and reaping harvests. Therefore, we need to be purposeful and careful what we sow, knowing we will reap a harvest.

Prayer is an opportunity to ask God to meet our needs, but it's also an opportunity to connect with heaven and to wait on the Holy Spirit to speak. As we cultivate a devoted prayer life, let's be conscious of the wonderful by-products that come our way.

Being devoted involves aligning our priorities with Jesus' teachings, engaging in prayer and community, and using our time, talents, and resources to support God's kingdom.

For a church to be seen as a growing church, fellowship is a must. As a body of Christ comprises of many parts, we all need to show our love for one another by sharing all our lives and events together as the early church did. Christians need to belong to the whole body and be devoted to one another, for it is from our love for each other, that we'll be known to be Christ-like.

Last week, Ps Andy gave an introduction to the new series "A Growing Church". This next instalment from Ps Camille in our Growing church series takes a look at 'Devoted to the word - the power of Apostolic Teaching.Like the church in Acts 2, we must devote ourselves to strong solid doctrinal teachings that help us to build strong foundations. Who and what we believe and become are shaped by these teachings as what we hear, takes root in our hearts and bears fruit.As we grow, the importance of this is even more pronounced as the truth within the Apostolic doctrine will anchor, form and equip us for the work ahead.

As Family Church Congregations begin a series of thoughts called "The Growing Church", Ps Geoff speaks on 'Devoted' after an introduction by Ps Andy Elmes.Are we devoted to the Word of God, to fellowship, prayer and the breaking of bread, these four spiritual pillars of biblical truth? The bottom line is this: are we devoted to seeking first the Kingdom of God, or are we just fitting God into our way of life?

Waiting can be a hard thing to do generally but for those of us who know Christ, waiting for His return is not hopeless. Our bridegroom will one day return for us His bride and so while waiting, we eagerly anticipate and prepare for His return.

Spiritual identity theft occurs when someone or something tries to rob you of who you are in Christ. We all know what it feels like when dealing with those negative whispers and self-doubts. Our identity is the key to your destiny. The goal of the enemy is to steal or confuse the identity of a Believer. As believers, we are no longer defined by our past sins or worldly identities but by our new life in Christ.

Adele shares some thoughts on the back of this year's Trailblazers Youth Summer Camp...

Being in Christ is not just a word that hangs over the door of one's life. Nor is it a badge you wear on your chest; it's a way of life, the most powerful and fulfilling way of life you can imagine. The more we know who we are in Christ, the more we can live a successful Christian life.

Never is it called the seed of a woman; it's always referred to as the seed of Man. But Jesus wasn't born from the seed of man; otherwise, he would have taken on the nature of fallen flesh and the lost identity of mankind.

Rather than man looking to God as his all-sufficient one, Adam chooses to walk another path, and from that moment on, All Mankind lost its God given identity.

Mark 11:24 New King James VersionTherefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.Ps Geoff Speaks today on a special Encounter Sunday.....

God uses ordinary people to multiply His Church through faith, courage, transformation, and humility. We're called to be available—carrying others to Christ, standing for truth, and trusting God's authority. Through our lives, God can bring healing, salvation, and kingdom expansion to those around us.

Elijah addresses the one thing that would rob the widow of God's miracle-working power, he says, Do Not Fear…She chose to believe in the Word of God over the circumstances before her. She made up her mind that if God said it, that settles it…

Jesus was continually stretching the disciples' faith, growing and developing their trust in Him in everyday ways. Only Jesus can turn our Emptiness into Fullness…

Very often, we are the ones who limit God's provision…The key to seeing God's miraculous working in our lives is often linked to our obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to the Word of God.

Jesus will always be the answer to all mankind's lacks. If you have a lack of anything today, take Jesus' advice and bring them to Him. When we place our lack in His hands, something miraculous is about to happen.

As believers, we're called to live in a way that reflects Jesus to the world around us. As we do so, we reflect His light and His heart, shining as a beacon of hope in a world that is consumed by darkness and evil.

The harvest is plentiful all around us. As followers of Christ, let us prayerfully seek the Holy Spirit's strength and courage to step out and share the gospel of salvation with those around us.Jesus commissioned His Church to take His message to the ends of the earth and that mission starts right where we are. God has placed each of us in unique environments filled with opportunities: in our workplaces, walking groups, schools, or even in casual encounters with neighbors we've never spoken to.Let us open our hearts and eyes to these moments, allowing God to use us as vessels of His grace and truth. The time to share His love is now.

In God's design to grow His family, we see His heart for us to reach our own natural families.This week's message on Household Salvation unpacks this and challenges us to not look past those closest to us, but to also see their need for Jesus and to share Him with them.

God's original design was for those He created to go forth and multiply, and for His people to walk in relationship with Him. But Adam blew this apart by acting on the deception of the serpent, but Jesus came and, by God's Grace, He restored all that Adam lost…The Church is now the Family of God; we are His household

Spiritual multiplication began the moment Jesus dealt with the sin issue on the cross and rose from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now we are called to GO with the message of the cross into our worlds, because of the cross of Jesus, many will believe…

We cannot underestimate the enormity of Easter Sunday and the seismic impact the Cross made on all humanity. Death couldn't hold Him, and the grave couldn't keep him…The King Had Just one more move.

The "fall" of humanity resulted in separation, sin, selfishness, brokenness and disharmony in our relationship with God and with creation around us. Yet, God's ultimate goal was to restore His original design through Jesus Christ.

We all have a role to play, a calling to fulfil, a gift to give. Jesus spoke about the parable of the talents and the importance of us using our gift in the Kingdom of God.

God's Word is the key to us walking in the authority and power Jesus passed on to us, therefore…We should read the Bible regularly. We need to declare it boldly in prayer and stand on His promises in faith.

When we place God's Word as being the final authority in our lives we are empowered to live a life aligned with God's will, His promises and His purposes being fulfilled in us and through us.

If the heart is the landing pad for the seed of God's Word…And if that seed needs to go into the ground of our heart before we see it producing…Then we need to wait expectantly for the results, because the seed is perfect, incorruptible and full of power to produce…

Pilate 2000 years ago was looking directly at the Origin of all Truth but refused to accept it…But the question still remains…What is truth…Jesus said you will know the truth, because He is Truth.

So as we read God's Word (logos) each day, we should ask God to speak to us through it and give us insight into its application to our lives. As we meditate on the specific verses, and by faith apply them to our lives, they become rhema to us, giving us spiritual life.

Ps Camille speaks on How do we Worship this week, following the current series about worship. Her emphasis is on a lifestyle of worship.Worship isn't confined to only when we meet together within the four walls of the places we meet. It is living a life that constantly honours and glorifies our Father in heaven..

We worship the one who was and is and who is to come…He is the one and only true and living God, who stands immovable, He is incomprehensible, indescribable and irresistible. Jesus is the one deserving of all our worship.