Exodus 40:34-38 – The Glory of the Lord
by Darren Parker on July 22nd, 2023
We have come to the end of our walk through Exodus. What a joy it has been to travel together. To see in this story of a nation, the bigger picture of God’s eternal plans to draw all people to himself. We have, as promised at the start, seen pattens of redemption throughout and have bumped into Jesus along the way. Israel’s story is our story and Israel’s God is our God.  Read More
Exodus 28,29,39 – The Priesthood
by Darren Parker on July 15th, 2023
As we continue to walk through the book of Exodus together, Moses has ascended Mount Sinai for forty days meeting with God. God reveals to him his plan for priests who were set apart to go in and out of the tabernacle representing a sinful people to a holy God, bringing the blood of sacrificed animals to cover the people’s sin, and bringing the presence of God to the people. We saw in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament that this was a copy of what was in heaven, a shadow of Jesus the high priest who did not need to sacrifice for his own sin but provided a once for all sacrifice for people who would come in to God’s holy presence through him.  Read More
Exodus 35-38,40 – How we worship
by Darren Parker on July 8th, 2023
In this week’s service we explore the significance of the Tabernacle. How it played an important symbolic and central role in the worship of God’s people while they journeyed through the desert. We also looked at how the Tabernacle points us towards Jesus, who is our true and better Tabernacle. It was on the cross that Jesus offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice. It was his death which tore the curtain of the Temple in two, from top to bottom. It is him we place at the centre of our worshipping church community. It is to him that we gather. He is worthy of our praise. He is our access into the very presence of God. Just like the Israelites, how we worship matters.  Read More
Exodus 35-36 – The Heart of Generosity
by Darren Parker on July 1st, 2023
My sermon was very much focussed on the motivation for giving. When it comes to generosity, we start with the heart, exposing it to God’s grace, vision, and Spirit. However, Exodus 35-36 also helps us look at the mode of giving. It’s also deeply practical. Let me, therefore, outline four steps for reviewing your giving, particularly to your local church.  Read More
Exodus 32 – "When Joshua heard ..."
by Darren Parker on June 24th, 2023
I love it when scripture surprises me. As you might imagine, having been a pastor for nearly 30 years I have read a lot of scripture and preached a lot of sermons. However, the Bible still surprises me. Verses that I am sure I have read before can leap out of the page, grab my attention, transform my thinking. This happened to me when preparing this week’s sermon. As I was looking at how the passage challenges our propensity to fall for the deception of idols, verse 17 snuck up on me: “When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses “there is the sound of war in the camp””.  Read More
Exodus 33 – God’s Presence With Us
by Darren Parker on June 18th, 2023
In this week’s devotional we will be digging deeper into Exodus 33, and also Ephesians 2, to explore what the presence of God means for us and our life. You might want to use this guide in your personal time with God over the course of the week, or in your Life Group or household. In Exodus 33 we see how Moses pleads for God’s presence to be with him and the Israelites, telling God he won’t go on to the Promised Land without him. God grants Moses with his presence, and in Jesus, we too can know the wonderful presence of God in our lives.  Read More
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