This sermon, titled "Living on the Edge – Faith and Resources," was delivered by Nick Lugg at Meadowhead Christian Fellowship in Sheffield. It serves as a spiritual launchpad for 2026, challenging the congregation to move beyond mere belief into active, dependent trust in God. Sermon Summary As the church stands at the threshold of a new year, Nick Lugg explores the concept of "living on the edge"—the space where human certainty ends and divine provision begins. He argues that while standing at the edge of the unknown can be unsettling, it is the only environment in which true faith can grow. Using the context of the church's upcoming building projects (146 development) and the personal financial struggles he experienced as a missionary in Zambia, Nick emphasizes that God often intentionally pushes His people to the edge of their resources to teach them dependence. He defines a maturing faith through three distinct qualities: Generosity: Choosing to live open-handedly even when resources seem scarce, confronting the fear of "not having enough" with the reality of God’s goodness. Resilience: Refusing to interpret difficulty as God’s absence, instead asking how a challenge is an invitation to trust Him more deeply. Courage: Moving forward in obedience despite feeling afraid, focusing on the next faithful step rather than the entire path. The message concludes with a call to stop relying on bank balances or personal talents and to put one's hand into the hand of God, stepping into 2026 with an "honest" faith that makes space for the miraculous. Quoted Bible Passages (NIV) Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Philippians 4:11-12 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Full Transcript Nick Lugg: Amen. Bit of a mixed-up day today. It's great that we've been able to share communion together. Obviously, there are things that we pray for. Great to hear encouragement from Mel there as well about how God has been sustaining her. But it's also—I want to speak this morning on the title... it sounds very grand: "Living on the Edge – Faith and Resources." I think when I say "living on the edge," many people will know what that means. We can feel like we're sometimes toppling over the edge. But I just want to spend a few minutes bringing some thoughts about what it means to live on the edge and what it means to grow in faith as we step into a new year. So let's pray again, shall we? Father, we thank you for your word. Pray that you'll bring it alive in our hearts, bring it alive in me, that I might be able to communicate what I know is on your heart for us as a church, for me, for all of us as a community. Lord Jesus, I pray that this would be a year of growth, a year of learning the reality of what it means to trust in you. And so we place it all into your hands. We just ask that you'll speak to us this morning, in Jesus' name. Amen. [Offering segment omitted for the summary; see audio for details.] So, as I said, I want to speak on living on the edge, faith and resources. This is a standalone, like a one-off thing that I want to speak about. I've planned this for a little while. And then next week, we're going to start a series on John's Gospel. It's actually two years since we started Genesis. And only about six months since we finished it. So that was a great exercise and a journey through Genesis. And many times, you know, we found that although there was biblical history and there were things that we learned by looking back thousands of years, we also see the reality of Jesus coming through those pages. We learned a lot about our faith and our response to Jesus today through looking at the first book in the Bible. But one of the things we want to do for the next few weeks and months is focus on John's Gospel, which has a very clear focus on Jesus himself—the actual account of Jesus' life and ministry and his death and resurrection. So we're going to spend some time in John's Gospel and make resources available if groups want to use them as well, so that we don't just have the 20-25 minutes we have on a Sunday, but we can have, as a church community, wherever we gather, an opportunity to look into what God is saying to us through those things. So that will start next week. But today, as I said, I want to speak on living on the edge, faith and resources. So we're on the edge. We're on the edge of a new year. It's always an interesting place to stand. You ...
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33 分
2025/12/258 分