NCF Sunday Talks

Just as our King has a personal birthday and an official one, so do we as followers of Jesus. Pentecost is the official birthday of the Church. In this Talk we briefly think about the significance of Pentecost and how remembering and celebrating what happened at that first Pentecost in about 33AD are important, but we also need to expect and receive what God is doing now. More is coming from God to His Church. Let's look around us and declare that 'but....God!'The script for the whole Service can be read here.

As we have dialogues with our friends, so let us be expectant that when we spend time sitting with God, that He will speak back to us in creative ways. In this Talk we consider the ways that Hannah, Elijah and Jairus prayed to God. Let's pour out our hearts to God as they did. Let us also rebuild the altars, doing the things that we can do and letting God do what we might consider impossible.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

In this last Talk of this Series we consider what for many of us is an unknown man in 2025. Tychicus was a great friend and supporter of Paul both on his journeys around parts of Europe and whilst he was in prison. Being a servant isn't attractive to many, but it is beautiful to God. Jesus is the greatest servant of all. Let's intentionally serve others at home, at work, at church and wherever we find ourselves. Let's intentionally be friends to others, helping them even when it costs us. Use your gifts to bless and encourage those around you.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Aaron, the older brother of Moses, was generally a good man who wanted to follow God, as well as supporting others in their walk with God. In Exodus 32 we read of a bad incident that involved an idol of a calf. Aaron and the Israelites believed a lie instead of submitting to and following God. In this Talk we consider four lies that might make us less productive in our walk with God. Everyone in the world worships and serves someone or something. Let's decide to make God our focus and honour Him and His ways.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

We listen to three stories involving two main people (Paul and Ruth). They were both trapped by circumstances. God sorted out their difficulties and changed their lives. These weren't easy times for the people concerned and for those that loved them. However, God had a plan for them and they were able to look to Him for help and tenacity. We can do the same too with God's help, as we intentionally choose to follow Him.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

The Bible tells us that David was a man after God's own heart. He made some big mistakes, as well as doing good things. He knew that he was known and loved by God though. This overshadowing and protection meant a great deal to David. He certainly had to make amends and ask for forgiveness when he sinned, but these serious incidents didn't need to hold him back from working with and for God. It is exactly the same in our lives. Nothing good nor bad need hold us back from being with God. We are known and incredibly loved by God. Let's keep in step with what He is doing.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Abraham (Abram) had to make many choices as to whether to follow God or just have idols in his life. Being obedient to God wasn't always easy, but Abraham tried to be faithful and obedient to what God was telling him to do. God is calling us to trust Him too. We need to let go of things like pride, disobedience, disbelief and sin. What is the condition of your heart? What is your response when God has spoken to you?You can read the script for the whole Service here.

God is at work. He was at work with Nicodemus, a pharisee, when He went to speak privately to Jesus. Less than three years later Nicodemus would provide the equivalent in weight of spices of over thirty bags of sugar, as he and Joseph of Arimathea annointed Jesus' dead body before putting it in the tomb. God is also at work in you and those around you. No barrier is too big or solid to stop God's work. Will you join in with God's mission wherever He leads you? Take God's light and love to others, as you walk alongside them.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Peter, that well-known fisherman and disciple of Jesus, like us had many decisions to make about whether he would intentionally follow Jesus or not. In this Talk we briefly look at seven incidents in his life and are encouraged to fully give ourselves to God.Society tells us that in any instance in our life we need to be independent and give lots of energy and time to something as we'll either sink or swim. The Bible contradicts this. It is not a problem to sink, swim, walk, leap or limp in our lives. We should certainly call out to God and to others and get their help. Absolutely nothing disqualifies us from being with God. Sinking is allowed. We are not a loser if we are sinking!The script for the whole Service can be read here.

At the beginning of this Series of Talks, we remind ourselves that whilst we do need special touches from God, we also need to be indwelt with the Holy Spirit and that we need to be intentional with God in the way that we live our lives. Let's become very familiar with God so that we recognise when God speaks and then take definite action. Over the next seven weeks we shall look at various characters from the Bible who had to decide whether to follow God in their normal lives or not. We have to do that multiple times each month too.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Lent is a wonderful time of preparation for accepting Jesus - His commands and His desires. In life we might be prepared for big events, but are we always prepared for small or unwelcome things? In this Talk we are reminded that we should live in humility, casting all our problems and anxieties (of whatever size) to God. Sometimes this might involve prayer and counselling over a period. Let's be ready before we need to be in our lives. The best way to do this to to actively and intentionally seek God in our lives.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

God plainly says to us all, "Come to Me and learn from Me." As full-time followers of God we endeavour to meet with Him each day - simply to be with Him. Through the years we have all created routines for our Quiet Times with God that seem to work for us. In February 2025 many people in NCF's congregation filled in questionnaires as to what they actually do with their daily private time with God.This Talk contains several references to the results of this research, as well as encouragement and ideas to tweak what you might be doing already. What an honour to be invited by God to spend time with Him! Let Him engage your mind, your imagination and your heart as you intentionally devote time to being with Him. May others be changed as you further abandon your life to God, just as God used the fives loaves and two fish in a supernatural way.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

Do we come to Jesus openly or do we count on Him where other peoiple don't realise? There is no need to hide that we need God in our lives. Let's rely openly on God and enter into new life through Him.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

Jesus came to bring reconciliation to our Heavenly Father. He paid a very real penalty to enable this to happen. We too are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation. Matt shares a little of what he and his family will soon be doing, but challenges us to bring reconcilation to the situations around us that need that. We are all meant to bring that deep shalom peace to everyone we meet.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

In this Talk we are informed about the work of Mercy Ships around the world. They currently have two ships and there are many ways that we can get involved. The speaker refers to an excellent video that gives more information. You can watch it here.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

God calls us to be holy. We should dedicate our lives to serve Him. We hear Exodus 3:1-14 read and remember that on a mundane and ordinary day for Moses, God arrived and made it a pivotal day for him. God could use Moses because he was generally humble, was curious and kept looking. May we too respond well as God calls us to work with Him. We ended the Series by taking parts of six psalms to commit our lives to God. You can read the script for the whole Service here.

God calls us Saints - people set apart for a special purpose. A people living exclusively for God. What an honour! As set apart people, we are called to look after our neighbour and to give of ourselves, even to strangers. Focusing on Jesus let's decide to let go of the burdens we shouldn't be carrying. God will help us as we decide to do this. He is our Shepherd.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

As full-time followers of Jesus we are part of easily the largest army in the world, with God as our commander. Just as normal soldiers work and serve under the authority of higher ranked officers, so we need to do the same. We need to live under God's authority, following and obeying His plans and instructions. How often do we live under our own authority though - preferring to make our own rules up and only associating with God when it works to our benefit? Being set apart for God, means that we are submissive to God's will and accountable to Him. As we do this we don't need to be scared about sharing our faith with others, just going about with our normal tasks in life. Part of this Talk consists of an experiment trying to mix oil and water. Left to themselves oil and water exist next to each other. However as we use an 'emulsifier' so things change physically. Sin can be an emulsifier in our lives. Sin changes our relationship with God. Our regular private times of devotion with God are essential to keep the relationship with God intimate and maturing. Let's actively decide to please God and do what He says. God sends us to the world to bring change. Let's us go and be set apart for God's use.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

We are called to be set apart for God. As we increasingly fear God in a positive and healthy way, so we are more able to live for God and serve Him with an abandoned devotion.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Trust! Remember! Listen! Recognise! Run to! Proverbs 3:1-12 has several imperative verbs for us to obey. At the heart of Christianity is a relationship with God. We shouldn't try to cheapen our devotion to God by turning what we do with and for God as simply a series of tasks to tick off each day. Let's press in to God and actively call to mind who He is and what He has already accomplished. Let's ask for His strength to remove us from the unhelpful ruts we have in our thoughts and actions. God's steadfast love is great towards us. Let's live in that truth in a carefree and devoted way.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

As full-time followers of Jesus, we are on a pilgrimage. We need correct attitudes and excellent resources to help us stay close to our holy God. Clean hands and a pure heart are the fundamentals. Psalm 139:23,24 is a wonderful prayer to regularly pray to God, as we ask for His help on this adventure. Let's actively befriend holiness and be set apart for God. Let us let God consume us as we walk with Him.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Sacrifices were a regular part of Jewish worship in the Old Testement. How can we be 'living sacrices' for God now? Is this part of the transforming and conforming that God calls us to in the mid 2020s? How do we please God in our normal day-to-day lives?The script for the whole Service can be read here.

God is holy - the angels know that very well and they strongly express that truth. Can we not rush away from God, being scared of His holiness, majesty and strength? Could we sit and bask in His presence? As we do, like Isaiah, we will be changed and will want to take action, getting involved with God's Mission wherever we are led to go. Let's actively integrate God's ways and God's passions into our own lives. Let's remember that God is holy and that He calls us to be set apart for His use. (A Reading from Isaiah 6 is included part way through this Talk.)The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Do you have plans for 2025? We will all have choices to make every day. The important issue is whether in our actions and reactions we put God at the centre of our lives or only on the periphery. Let's actively and intententionally put God at the centre of what we do and think. We are at our most secure when we are close to God, being yoked to Him.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Christmas Day is a special day of the year. Most people do things that aren't normal to their regular routines because of the Baby Jesus. What if we let the grown-up Jesus totally influence our lives every day? Would that mean that we could celebrate Christmas every day of the year? Perhaps we could live in the light of zero sleeps until Christmas throughout the year?The script for the whole Service can be read here.

A YWAM team who have just finished the lecture phase of their Discipleship Training School (DTS) joined us for this Service. We were reminded that we should put things aside in order to be with Jesus. As we sit at His feet, we are acknowledging His position in our lives. What is our current posture towards God?Two testimonies of God's faithfulness and help can be heard from 18:50.You can read the outline script for this Service here.

The shepherds and magi recognised Jesus with his parents in Bethlehem because they were told where to find Him and what He would look like.  We all need a Saviour because we have all missed the mark with God. Jesus is that Saviour, but Jesus is no longer a Baby. Jesus is no longer in the stable. Let's all expect God to interact with us and not leave Him on the outskirts of our lives as only an occasional thought. Recorgnise Jesus for who He is now and put Him at the centre of your life. You can read the script for the whole Service here.

Everyone of us experiences and promotes different cultures in our lives. The Bible clearly says that we should embrace the culture of heaven more than anything else in our lives. John 1:14 says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. He commands that we should be like Him. Let's be actively engaged in showing grace and love to others and being in intimate fellowship with God. When you physically embrace another person you are either doing it or you are not. There is no mid-way of doing it. It is exactly the same as we embrace the culture of heaven. Let us do it fully and with determination.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

We are all called to make a difference to those around us. Even if our talents and resources are like a drop in the ocean to the needs that exist, God is still anointing us to bridge the gap and fulfil what He is asking us to do. In this Talk, Patricia talks with assurance about how God has been glorified in Zimbabwe and now in London through her and others. God has His hand on our lives!The script for the whole Service can be read here.

We all eat as part of our normal routines! Jesus was obviously the same, using the opportunity to meet with others, sharing His life with a wide variety of people so that they might know more about what God is calling them to do. Jesus put love in action through both His words and by what He did - consider His washing of His disciples' feet at the end of the Last Supper.In this final Talk in this Series, we also remind ourselves that as we meet together, we are gathering with a specific purpose. We primarily meet to behold God. Everything useful derives from that. May God open our eyes to see His glory and know Him as the Way, the Truth and the Life.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

In this Talk we briefly consider how Jesus met Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration, as well as a little of the back story to this.  God is far greater than we can understand or imagine. He can break into time, doing as He wishes. The supernatural is not far from us. Let us submit to God as our Master, Lord and Saviour.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

We are in battles every day of our lives. Let's follow what King Jehoshaphat and the People of Judah did when they were fearful of enemies just about to engage them in battle (2 Chronicles 20). They sought God wholeheartedly, reminding Him of His character and His previous actions on their behalf. Let us not be passive in the battles we face, but move forward at God's time and remembering that He is our Warrior in all situations.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Jesus died on the Cross for you. Some of His female followers, including His mother Mary, watched His agony and His death from a distance. How did they feel? How do you feel as you imagine Jesus dying for you? Let's not ignore that awful day of Good Friday. Let's rejoice that Jesus so loved us that He went through that. There can be no triumph of the empty tomb without Jesus' death. We can learn a great deal from Jesus as we consider Him dying on the Cross for us. There is no way that we can be eternally lost - Jesus made sure of that. Let us follow Him with abandonment as we meet Him at the Cross today. You can read the Script for the whole Service here.

As a fellowship of believers we both walk with God together and on our own. Let us not lose heart, but keep on enduring. We are not alone. God is transforming us. This will lead us on to be effective Ambassadors for Him.The script for this Service can be read here.

We might long to meet God when we are going through the trials that come our way. God is eager to meet us in the mundane, routine and perfectly ordinary parts of our lives. We have the choice whether we want to meet Him in the non-spectacular parts of our average week. In this Talk we consider how people met with God as they were travelling. As people met God, so they were changed in a positive way. We need to be close to God to let Him lead us. We need to be ready to speak to others with a sense of urgency, so that they too may know God as Saviour and Lord. We are all on God's rota for action on earth. Let's expect that He will use us to serve and bless others.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

We all face trials and difficulties from time to time. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel Chapter 3, resolved to not worship an idol of Nebuchadnezzar. They knew their punishment meant being thrown into a fiery furnace, but they chose to do the right thing. They triumped in God and had a testimony about God's faithfulness. Obedience to God is costly, yet God can do the impossible when we do the possible. How do we face trials - with God or in our own strength? God promises to not leave us or forsake wherever we are. Rest in that truth.The script for the whole Service can be found here.

Large numbers of God's People might often meet in specific church buildings in many places around the world in the 21st century, but for thousands of Christians today and in the past, this isn't or wasn't the case. The Greek word that is often translated 'church' in English Bibles had an original civic meaning: a gathering with a specific purpose of those who are summoned. We can meet for several specific purposes as Jesus followers.Listen to this Talk to hear some of these purposes and to be reminded that, like Jesus, we are to show compassion to others. It is much more important to consider Who we are meeting (God), rather than where or in what way we are meeting. Let's demonstrate who God is and what He is like as we choose to meet together in the various places we go in a normal week.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

God loves humanity. He engaged fully whilst He was on earth and has done so through the millennia both before and since then. God loves you. You are not disqualified from God's love.How much are you engaging in society today? You have a calling from God to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Is your preference to put God first and serve others or to put yourself first? Give your best offering to God - yourself. Take small steps in learning and maturing and follow through with intentionally establishing godly habits in your life.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

A person from Open Doors UK reminded us of what is happening around the world, with one in seven Christians being persecuted globally. We were also reminded that Paul endured persecution and imprisonment, knowing that God's plans were being fulfilled. He prayed that God's Word would be released to those around him, rather than he himself being physically released. Jesus is worth our everything. Let us be prepared to take risks as God leads us. You can read the script for the whole Service here.

In this Talk we hear what Ivette has been doing for the past seven months in Chile and Peru. We are also reminded that we shouldn't hold back from what God is telling us to do - Isaiah 54:2,3.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

We must fairly often pray without knowing or seeing everything that we're concentrating on. We know that God is in control, but how do we keep praying and learning when perhaps we're not focussing on what God would have us do. God will help us!Let's use the Lord's Prayer as an inspiration to prayer. Let's also use God's language, which the Bible is full of, and let's ask God to fill us with wisdom as we pray. Then keep going, like the Moravians did. God understands our heart, so let Him lead us. You can the script for the whole Service here.

When you were younger, did anyone ever say, "Sssshhh!" to you? Does it still happen sometimes? Does God ever say, "Ssshhh!" to you? In this Talk we examine five people who encountered God when they were on their own. They listened as God spoke to them. Their lives were changed.How do you reply to God's valuable invitation to come to Him? Are you regularly still to let Him be God in your life? It is so important to trust in Jesus and to rely on Him. Spend some time listening to God now. What is He saying to you at this moment? Ssshhh!The script for the whole Service can be read here.

We all have lots of of choices and decisions to make regularly in our lives - some are extremely important and others are much less so. Should we be careful only when we are at a major crossroads - no! We need to live well and live with careful choices every day. We are in charge of our own actions and reactions. Wearing the wrong clothes for the weather will make us look silly and perhaps cause problems, but so does wearing unkindness and unforgiveness and being sullen. Let's instead decide to brag about God, giving a loud hallelujah through our actions. We can do this because God walks with us in our lives. We are not alone! In this last Talk on Jeremiah we are again reminded who Jeremiah was and what was happening around him, together with an overview of the Book.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

The Kingdom of Judah, like its northern neighbour Israel had previously done, was relying on itself and in alliances with nearby countries. Jeremiah spoke to them using the familiar picture of a potter. God is like a potter. We need to connect with Him regularly and allow Him to reshape us and to mend us and then to allow His treasure that is in us to pour into the lives of others. The script for the whole Service can be read here.

We absolutely need Jesus' Living Water, in an equal amount to the Samaritan woman in John 4. God is not a bigger version of you. Around 2,600 years ago, God spoke through Jeremiah and charged the People of Judah with ignoring the Fountain of Living Water and building their own leaky cisterns. We still do that today. Let's make our lives revolve around God and submit to His will, His laws and His decrees. Let's be firmly dependent on God.  We absolutely need Jesus' Living Water today.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

The Babylonians had already been besieging Jerusalem for a year in 587BC. What an awful time that would have been for the population at that time. Exile in a foreign country was only months away. Much doom and gloom would have been felt in the city and surrounding area! Jeremiah was there. In chapter 32, God told him to buy a field. This was a picture of hope for the people of Judah, as surely normality would resume eventually. Jeremiah prayed a really positive prayer after he had bought the field. He accurately described who God was and recounted some of His actions, even in the middle of a terrible situation. Do we label God correctly in our lives or do we suffer because of our misconceptions about Him? Do we label our friends and family correctly too? We are precious and loved by God. We were worth dying for. Do we show this by the way we act and speak towards each other?God brings stability to our lives and to society. Let's throw ourselves on God's mercy, as we pray and take action. We should not be inactive. Let's seek liberation from sin for ourselves and others. Let's come to God and ask Him what He thinks of our society from His vantage point.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

In chapter 28, a prophet called Hananiah brought a word from God for the People of Judah, but Jeremiah brought one that was quite different. How should we discern God speaking to us? When we say something in normal life and another person speaks something differently, how do we act? Remember, Hananiah was certain he was speaking for God. Are we sometimes so sure of what we're saying and that someone is wrong? Show respect, love and humility to the other person. Be clothed in God's righteousness and seek His mercy for yourself as you repent and then show love and kindness to others.The Script for the whole Service can be read here.

God promised Jeremiah that as Jeremiah called out to Him, so He would answer. God is omnisicient, omnipotent and omnipresent and yet He loves us and wants us to know Him more. In this Talk, we briefly look at how God responded to several people in the Bible and also took the initiative in calling out to various people. We need to spend time with God and expect Him to converse with us - though that might be in a wide variety of ways. Let's intentionally set out to finish our race of life well. As Mary remarked in Luke 1, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true." May we grow in expectancy that God will interact with us and then see the world changed around us.The script for the whole Service can be read here.

Jeremiah often gave a difficult message for the people of Judah to hear and then to act upon. Chapter 27 contains one of those. What, Nebuchadnezzar is God's servant (verse 6)? Let us too, remember that God often gives us a simple message. He is way beyond us in creativity, power and inspiration. Jesus came to save us from our sins. That message is still relevant today and needs to be acted upon. Let us obey what God says. Let's repent and follow God with our whole hearts.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

We begin a new Series on the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah. He spoke around 622BC to 580BC. God called him to speak for Him in a very unstable world. The People of Judah were soon to go into exile due to their turning their backs on God.Like Jeremiah, God wants all of us to work with and for Him. Irrespective of our age, health or social standing, God wants to show you His abundant sufficiency in our lives. There will certainly be difficulties ahead, just like a ship in an open sea being tossed about occasionally, but we are in safe hands as we work for and with God. Let's be available for God's use and then see the world around us change. You can read the Script for the whole Service here.

In the UK, we are very fortunate in being able to easily and openly meet with other followers of Jesus. In the 10-40 Window (approximately 10 to 40 degrees north latitude), many Christians aren't permitted to do that. Many people don't even have a Bible in their primary language. Let us not forget our responsibilities include giving, going, praying and fellowshipping. On this Mission Sunday for NCF, it is easy to remember people who don't have the spiritual luxuries that we might take for granted. The challenge is to keep on praying and seeking God about how we can answer our own prayers for them throughout the year.You can read the script for the whole Service here.