Christ Church London Podcast

In the Bible, we see that true joy comes from salvation. And salvation is God stepping into and changing our reality, breathing life into the things we thought dead. Through Jesus, God is showing us the best way to be human, to live a life filled with joy. In Advent, we watch as joy comes to earth and we wait for the fullness of it to come again. 

This past Sunday David Stroud interviewed leading abstract artist and popular speaker Makoto Fujimura and his wife Haejin Shim.  Makoto is also a well-known expert in Kintsugi, the Japanese art of restoring broken pottery in such a way that the repaired piece is more beautiful and more valuable than the original. He also shares a real passion for Christian involvement in cultural renewal, as we do as a church, and he has written a number of great books on the subject. David spoke to Makoto and Haejin about “what to do when things break?”, and they talked about Kintsugi in relation to their own experiences at 9/11, during Covid, in their own spiritual lives and in their marriage. 

The Bible is God’s living word, and has the power to renew and transform our minds. In this talk, Natalie looks at how we can practice habits that help us to be shaped and formed by the word of God, rather than the world.

When Jesus lived on earth, His life was full but not ‘busy’. He was able to sustain His ministry and continue to follow the Father, in part because of the rhythms and habits in His life. He modelled something incredibly precious for us. In this talk, Lou looks at the power of habits in forming us to be more like Jesus.

Stewarding the gift of humility is one of the ways we can grow as followers of Jesus. It's also a counter-cultural way to live! In this talk, Helen considers how we can walk in humility before God, and as a result, grow in confidence, authority and love. 

As disciples of Jesus, we are led by His presence in our lives. We’re not leading our relationship with Him – we’re following, for He is the good shepherd of our souls. In this talk Angie looks at what it means to trust in God’s leadership and follow Him daily.

Learning to be loved by God is trusting that He created us, and that He knows us better and loves us more than anyone. In this talk Joel considers that just as God created us, He is also continuing to create: redeeming and restoring our lives. Love, as a creative force, is always at work in our lives, if we let Him. 

In our new teaching series we are delving into what it means to be followers of Jesus - in other words, the daily journey of being loved by Him, learning from Him and living like Him. In this first talk, Andy kicks us off with the story of Jesus meeting Zacchaeus, and inviting him to be His follower.

In Esther chapters 3 and 4, Mordecai sets an example of how to remain faithful to God even in a faithless society. In this talk, Natalie looks at how we can do the same, and follow God faithfully in our cultural moment.

Esther is the only book in the Bible where God is not mentioned. And yet it's clear that He is there, working behind the scenes in the lives of Esther and the Jewish people. In the first talk of our new series, Andy looks at how we can find God in a culture that denies His existence, by paying close attention to Him.

How do we move from lies to truth? When Jesus was led into the wilderness, He overcame the lies of the devil through fasting and the promises of scripture. In this talk, Lars looks at the lies we are tempted to believe in our own lives, and how we too can overcome them with God's truth.

How can we journey from despair to hope?The disciples on the road to Emmaus were filled with despair, which is evident in their phrase, "We had hoped." In this talk, Helen looks at how Jesus walks with us through our despair, our disappointment and our questions, inviting us to see Him for who He truly is, and to be filled with His hope.

How can we move from self-sufficiency to belonging? In this talk, Catherine looks at the story of the prodigal son, and the parallels it can have with our own lives. In a culture that champions self-sufficiency, it can be tempting to try and prove our worth to God. But our Heavenly Father has made us to find our belonging and our worth in His unconditional love.

How can we move from condemnation to forgiveness?In Luke chapter 7, we read of Jesus' encounter with a woman caught in adultery. While the Pharisees shamed her, Jesus' response to her sin was revolutionary - he offered her forgiveness. In this talk Natalie invites us to appreciate the true gift and wonder of forgiveness, and the promise that "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus".

How can we move from cynicism to faith?In Mark chapter 8, Jesus warns the disciples against the yeast of the Pharisees - in other words, spiritual blindness. In this talk, we look at how the mindset of cynicism can prevent us from seeing through the eyes of faith, and make us blind to what God is doing. Andy shares ways that we can move towards faith that opens our eyes to see God's kingdom and power all around us, and not return to our old ways of thinking.

How can we move from distraction to devotion?In the first talk of our series, Jo looks at the power of distraction in our lives, and how it can lead to worry, inertia, or things that aren't meant for us. We look at the encounter between Jesus and Martha in Luke chapter 10, and how He reminds her of what is important, and realigns her heart with His. We also look at practical habits we can implement that will help us move away from distraction and towards devotion to Jesus.

In Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit is poured out on followers of Jesus for the first time. In the final talk of our series, Hannah looks at what we can learn from the day of Pentecost, and how the Holy Spirit empowers us for transformation and mission in our lives today.

In the penultimate talk of our series, we look at Jesus' promise to return and restore all things in Revelation 21. Adnan looks at the difference that Jesus' return in the future makes to how we live in the present.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, He left His disciples with the promise of His presence, and the promise of power. In this talk, Adam considers what the ascension of Jesus means for us today - that rather than going far away, Jesus has come close.

The Bible teaches that God loves a cheerful giver. In this talk from our Gift Day, Lars talks about the principles of joyful generosity - trust, obedience, sowing, and reaping.