You may have wondered what God is really like. How he relates to people. As you read the Bible, that picture gradually emerges. And then, every so often we get a section like Exodus 19 that brings extraordinary clarity. Studying the Bible today we are about to see (or be reminded of) what God is really like.

The grim story of human wickedness in the early chapters of Genesis is suddenly and dramatically pierced by the Lord's words in Genesis 12.

Really? That’s the crafty word spoken in Genesis 3, verse 1. That’s the first word that ruptures the harmony of everything God had made.

From the very start, the Bible tells us firstly that God exists, and secondly, it is all about Him. God - and God alone - created the universe. In this series, we're considering the grand scheme of things. And it doesn’t get much grander than the God who made everything here in Genesis 1.

This new series of messages is called The Grand Scheme of Things. It will take us on a tour through the Bible, God’s Word. The aim is to help us to see more clearly how this book is more than a collection of disconnected stories. We need to understand how God disclosed Himself and His plans in history.

We are starting with this text here in Ephesians 1, because it’s like arriving at the Bible’s south rim (imagine arriving at the Grand Canyon!)

Here we get a panoramic of who God is and what He has done. Today we are going to see a vista of The Plan.

Staying the course as a Christian is not something you can do by yourself. As Paul sets out his vision for these fledgling believers, he urges them to pay close attention to their relationships. Listen in.

Paul describes a stark contrast here in 1 Thessalonians 5. It is between daylight living and night-dark living. And with it he urges Christians to get up and get on with living with Christ.

Something about this time of year that sets our thinking on what's ahead. Behind the smiles and the looking forward, some of us may be running on a supply of hope that's a little bit depleted. The future might feel uncertain because of loss or tragedy that has hit hard in your life, or maybe, some of life has come tumbling in around you. For whatever the reason, hope can be short supply. Even as we look to the future, even at the start of a new term, even for Christians.

As we read between the lines in 1st Thessalonians, this group of Christians appear to have suffered loss of some people very close to them and that has left them running low on hope, worried about the future. So Paul writes this letter to the Thessalonians to encourage in the midst of all of that. It's to teach them, to restore them, to assure hope.

I know how the world is going to end. That's a bold claim, right? The truth is all I know about the end of the world is what Jesus said in Luke 17:20-34. It will end on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. It will be sudden, unmistakable and irreversible. Are you prepared for the Coming Kingdom? For the return of King Jesus?

As we dive into our study of 1 Thessalonians we learn that the bible actually commands Christians to learn self-control and not to be driven by our fleshly desires, but to please God instead. If we don't stay within the guidelines God has given us, the consequences will be severe for us and those around us.

This episode we are looking into Hebrews 12:1-3 where the writer urges Christians to endure in the race, using the picture of an athlete in a race. Telling us believers that, as an athlete, we need self-discipline, encouragement and a singular focus in the Christian race.

We can get a lot of insight as we listen to the apostle Paul explaining his deep concern for this recently planted church. This letter bursts with heart that Christians will not only profess to be Christians but live it out and stay the course, whatever opposition they face, whatever influences are surrounding them. So as we listen to Paul’s heart, here are some insights to help Christians stay the course. Listen in.

As Paul describes his work and conduct in Thessalonica, we get to see what constitutes genuine Christian ministry. Establishing this picture will help us because we sometimes get a bit mixed up about what genuine ministry is and what it is not. Listen in.

This letter to the Thessalonians is one of deep encouragement. Specifically here in chapter 1, there are two weighty encouragements for Christians. Listen in.

The fact that there are so many needs around us mustn’t stop us from recognising (and addressing) the greatest need of people everywhere. Here in Acts 6, Luke describes the priority.

Two names here in Acts 5 are now synonymous with deceit. Reading these names must stop us all in our Blackrock tracks to think about the difference between devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ and the opposite: some sort of deceitful pretence.

Acts 4 demonstrates that whenever Christians speak openly about Jesus, they will face significant opposition. The question is this: how will they respond?

Biblical Christianity is about what God has done and only then does it call us to respond. The gospel is not a to-do list. It is like getting the best message through the door of your life that you’ve ever received. Peter explained to the people gathered around him in Acts 3 what their response should be.

If you have come to faith in Jesus Christ, you have a mission. You are called to be one of Christ's Ambassadors. What does this mean?

There is an extraordinary sense of commencement as Peter stands up before the crowd in Acts 2. Peter courageously and comprehensively tells the crowd that this is a new epoch and it is all about Jesus Christ. Listen in.