bible | Gospel in the City

Good News For The Just About Managing

25th May 2018

In her first speech outside Downing Street, Theresa May announced her intention to govern on behalf of the ‘just about managing’ – the people who maybe aren’t desperately poor, but they don’t feel very well off either. It may feel like a long time ago, but Theresa May’s government promised to bring radical change on behalf of those people.

Spiritually, many of us might be tempted to describe ourselves as ‘just about managing’. That’s interesting, because Jesus said he came to bring ‘good news to the poor’.

Over the next few weeks we’re going to be looking at the climax to a section in Luke’s gospel that is all about how we get eternal life. We’ll see that there is good news for the ‘just about managing’, but it involves some honest evaluations about where our spiritual lives are really at. Join as we discover how bad news for Mr Big can be good news for the little people.

Andy Hambleton, Christoph Ebbinghaus and Sam Bostock will be joining us over the coming weeks to help us think through the truth and challenge of these Gospel stories for us today.

Weds lunchtime Series Topic/Title Passage

30-May Good News for the Failing Luke 18:9-17

06-June Bad News for Mr Big Luke 18:18-30

13-June Seeing and Believing Luke 18:31-43

20-June A Big Change in a Little Man Luke 19:1-10

27-June Escape to the Country Luke 19:11-27

Everyone who is in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes from 1:10-1:45pm, in the restaurant of the Clayton Hotel Belfast 22-26 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, BT2 8HS. (On entering the building turn left, you’ll find us at the far end of the restaurant.) Sandwiches and hot drinks are available (suggested donation £3).

Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

Gospel in the city…of Ninevah?

23rd April 2018

As we begin a new season at Gospel in the city we are going to take a look back at the story of Jonah a reluctant Prophet, and the incredible grace God showed to him and to those he sent him to.

Jonah was called to serve God in the city of Nineveh, but he’d have rather gone anywhere else. Steve Ould, pastor of Great Victoria Street Baptist Church, will be joining us to help us consider how Jonah might challenge us to serve God in the city of Belfast.

Weds lunchtime Series Topic/Title Passage

18-April There’s Grace In That Storm Jonah 1

25-April Grace That Goes Deeper Jonah 2

02-May A Great Challenge, A Greater God Jonah 3

09-May Sharing God’s Heart For The City Jonah 4

Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

Colossians: A Fruitful Life

21st December 2017

As we start the New Year, we’re going to spend some time thinking about what a fruitful life would look like in our workplaces. We’re convinced that of all people, Christ’s life is the best. It’s hard to think of anyone with a greater reputation for living a good life or with a greater impact on history. It was a truly fruitful life.

So it’s interesting to find that the great evangelist of the early church, the apostle Paul, expects that the first followers of Jesus would “bear fruit in every good work” (Colossians 1:10). He goes on to explain that Christ’s life is not only something we should imitate, but also something that we share. “Christ”, he says, “is our life” (Colossians 3:4).

Join us over the next few Wednesday lunchtimes as we unpack what Paul means and consider how Christ might help us to live fruitful lives in our workplaces.

Weds lunchtime Series Topic/Title Passage

03-Jan A fruitful life: A New Year prayer for our workplaces Col 1.9-14

10-Jan A fruitful life: How to live in heaven 7 days a week Col 3.1-15

17-Jan A fruitful life: Whatever you do Col 3.16-17

24-Jan A fruitful life: Work and family Col 3.22-4.1

31-Jan A fruitful life: A healthy church Col 4.2-6

07-Feb A fruitful life: Networking for the kingdom Col 4.7-18

Alongside this, each week we’re going to take time to discuss one specific area where the 21st century workplace presents a challenge to living this fruitful life.

Everyone who is in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes from 1:10-1:45pm, upstairs in Caffe Nero on Fountain St. Sandwiches available (suggested donation £3).

Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

Romans: Back to the start……..again!

24th November 2017

Over the last few weeks at Gospel in the City we’ve been looking at why our world is the way it is from the first chapters of the Bible.

For the next two weeks we’re going to fast forward to the decades after the life of Christ and see how the Apostle Paul uses Genesis 1-3 to explain what’s wrong with the world in his letter to the Romans.

29th November: Romans 1. 1-17. God’s Powerful Gospel

06th December: Romans 1. 18-32. Why is God so Angry?

Our speaker for this series will be Johnny McClaughlin (Hamilton Road Baptist Church)

Each week we’ll also be including a short slot that aims to equip us very practically for living as a Christian in the workplace. We will be continuing our series focusing on 10 tips for everyday evangelism from New York Pastor Tim Keller.

Everyone who is in the city centre is very welcome to join us on Wednesday lunchtimes at 1:10, upstairs in Caffe Nero on Fountain St. Sandwiches available (suggested donation £3).

Feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in coming along.

Lent Bible Readings: The Controversial Christ

6th March 2017

In the run-up to Easter, we are returning to Mark’s Gospel after a couple of months’ break. After the excitement and enthusiasm of the early days of Jesus’ public ministry, the mood has turned sour as Jesus is challenged again and again about his unique claims.

We’re going to be looking at five “conflict stories” in Mark 2-3. In each we’ll see how Jesus’ claims are at the same time wonderfully good news and strangely controversial. Ultimately, we’ll see that Jesus’ commitment to bringing life sets in motion the events that lead to his death.

08 Mar The Christ who blasphemes Mark 2:1-12
15 Mar The Christ who eats with sinners Mark 2:13-17
22 Mar The cutting-edge Christ Mark 2:18-22
29 Mar Christ the law-breaker Mark 2:23-28
05 Apr The Christ you want to kill Mark 3:1-6
12 Apr Dead Man Walking: the Case for the empty tomb

This series will be great for anyone exploring what Jesus’ life was all about, and there will lots for Christians to chew on as we consider together what it means to follow a controversial Christ.

Our speakers for this series are Moore Casement (Cornhill Belfast), Sam Bostock (Union College), Christoph Ebbinghaus (Kirkpatrick Memorial Presbyterian Church) and Jim Crooks (the Crescent Church). The series will finish in Easter week with a special talk from Stephen Shaw QC, “Dead Man Walking: the Case for the empty tomb” (12 April).

A copy of a flyer for this series is available to view and download here. Feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested.

A Vision from Revelation

13th February 2017

The book of Revelation is one of the Bible books we often find confusing. But in the first chapter, John gives us a powerful introduction that helps us understand Revelation’s central message. Even more importantly, this chapter gives us a vivid picture of the God who speaks to us and who makes us into a kingdom of priests. It’s the kind of image we need to have filling our imaginations if we are going to live as salt and light in our workplaces.

So we hope you’ll join our meetings on the next two Wednesday lunchtimes as Trevor Johnston opens up Revelation 1 with us.

15th Feb: God revealed (Revelation 1:1-8)
22nd Feb: A vision for the workplace (Revelation 1:9-20)

Trevor Johnston serves as Rector at All Saints Church on University Street.

City on a Hill: Developing a Public Faith

8th January 2017

What does it mean to be a disciple of King Jesus in our workplaces?

For the first few weeks of 2017, we’re going to be looking at the opening to the Sermon on the Mount. With potent images Jesus sets out what life in his kingdom looks like: comfort for the mourners, joy for the persecuted, salt of the earth, light for the world, a city on a hill.

Jesus gives us a vision for a kind of “public faith” – a way of shining brightly as citizens of his kingdom in a world that rejects his rule. As Tim Keller has said:

“To be “public” doesn’t mean being strident, nor to force the subject into conversations. It simply means that Christians should not hide who they are.”

Join us for a mixture of Bible teaching and interactive seminars over five Wednesday lunchtimes as we work out how we might bring light to our workplaces by being who we are.

11 Jan Time to be blessed
18 Jan Salt of the earth
25 Jan Light of the world
01 Feb Kingdom living in my workplace (part 1)
08 Feb Kingdom living in my workplace (part 2)

Speaking with Authority

2nd October 2016

speakingwithauthority

Some people, and some messages, seem to command a hearing. For most of the last two thousand years, in most of the world, Jesus and his message of the good news of God have created just such a response. The gospel writer Mark tells us that at the beginning of his public ministry Jesus went into Galilee saying “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

In the crowded religious marketplace of 1st century Palestine, Jesus was immediately recognised as a uniquely authoritative voice. Since then few people have felt able to ignore Jesus’ message. But perhaps in Belfast today we find it harder to understand exactly why the people who first heard Jesus asked themselves, “What is this? A new teaching with authority!” (Mark 1:22)

In this series of four lunchtime Bible readings in the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we’re aiming to go back to those heady early days of Jesus’ ministry and see for ourselves what it was that made Jesus and his gospel so compelling.

12th Oct The Voice of God (Mark 1:1-11)

19th Oct A top line summary of the entire Bible (Mark 1:12-15)

26th Oct Listen to the boss! (Mark 1:16-34)

2nd Nov Words of life (Mark 1:35-45)

Speakers:

Sam Bostock (Gospel in the City)

Moore Casement (Cornhill Training Course, Belfast)

Martyn Cowan (Union Theological College, Belfast)

Join us upstairs in Caffe Nero on Fountain St (1 min from City Hall), 1:10-1:40pm, for lunch, a reading from Mark’s Gospel and a short talk. Sandwiches are available (suggested donation £3).

Ask Google: Am I a good person?

25th September 2016

Every day millions of internet users ask Google life’s most difficult questions, big and small. Inspired by the Guardian series, these talks will answer some of the commonest queries.

am-i-a-good-person
Am I a good person? However you look at it, the Bible’s answer to this question has been very influential. But what exactly is the Bible’s answer?

On Wednesday 5th Oct, Christoph Ebbinghaus will be helping us think about the Bible’s answer to the question Am I a good person? Join us for a talk and an opportunity to ask questions upstairs in Caffe Nero on Fountain St, 1:10-1:40pm. Sandwiches available (suggested donation £3).

As the Guardian’s answer concluded: “The only certain thing about this question is that if you’ve never thought to ask it, the answer has to be “no”.”

Christoph Ebbinghaus has been serving as the the minister of Kirkpatrick Memorial Presbyterian Church for the last twelve years. Before entering full-time ministry, he trained as an accountant in Belfast.