Yesterday many people all over the world reflected on the crucifixion of Jesus.

Cicero described crucifixion as ‘the most cruel and hideous of tortures’. Jesus was stripped and tied to a whipping post. He was flogged with four or five thongs of leather interwoven with sharp jagged bone and lead. Eusebius, the third-century church historian, described Roman flogging in these terms: the sufferer’s ‘veins were laid bare, and the very muscles, sinews and bowels of the victim were open to exposure’.

Then a crown of thorns was thrust onto his head. He was mocked by a battalion of about 600 men and hit about the face and head. He was then forced to carry a heavy cross bar on his bleeding shoulders until he collapsed, and Simon of Cyrene was press-ganged into carrying it for him.

When they reached the site of crucifixion, he was again stripped naked. He was laid on the cross, and six-inch nails were driven into his forearms, just above the wrist. His knees were twisted sideways so that the ankles could be nailed between the tibia and the Achilles’ tendon. He was lifted up on the cross which was then dropped into a socket in the ground. There he was left to hang in intense heat and unbearable thirst, exposed to the ridicule of the crowd. He hung there in unthinkable pain for six hours while his life slowly drained away.

Yet the worst part of his suffering was not the physical trauma of torture and crucifixion nor even the emotional pain of being rejected by the world and deserted by his friends, but the spiritual agony of being cut off from his Father for us – as he carried our sins.

All because “he loves you”

His death speaks of love and victory, on the cross he took sin, pain, sickness, brokenness, addictions, and broke the holding power of those things. Its not that we don’t still experience these things in life but when we follow Jesus we not only can know him in the midst of our suffering but also He can break the power of those things that stop us living a full life.

He did it all because “he loves you”

Tomorrow as we eat chocolate and spend time with family its also a time to remember Jesus’ resurrection. The victory in His death is in His resurrection, over coming death and all the holding powers that led Him to the cross in the first place.

The resurrection makes Christianity unique among the world’s religions.

True Christianity, which is following Jesus, is the only religion in the world that stands or falls on whether its founder was raised from the dead.

No Buddhist claims that Buddha rose from the dead.  No Jew claims that Abraham was raised from the dead.  His bones are buried in the land of Israel.  No Muslim claims that Mohammed rose from the dead.  According to tradition, Mohammed died in 632 AD at the age of 61 and his tomb is visited annually by thousands of devout Muslims as they make their pilgrimages to Medina.

2 years ago at Gateway we looked at the historical evidence for the resurrection, tomorrow some people will be sharing what Jesus has done in their life, and He can only be working in peoples lives today if He is alive.

He is alive and making a difference in peoples lives today, because he loves you.

Why not come along.

I love telling our story and remembering that not that long ago 9 people met in our front room and said lets do church – 7 years later here we are and oh how its all grown.

We’ve laughed together, shared life together, learnt together, worshiped together and at times cried together.

We’ve drunk some 23,000 cups of coffee not to mention tea and juice and eaten a lot of breakfast – and that’s just on Sundays.

5 years ago our children’s ministry was 3 small children playing and learning about Jesus with a croissant in one hand and a crayon in the other.  Now up to 40 children turn up each week to have fun, worship, get to know Jesus and pray together.

Our compassion ministries have grown and we continue to meet the practical needs of others where we can.

We’ve increased our work in the community and were so excited to see 600 people show up to our community carnival and people even got sun burnt………in October!

But as our church has grown we’ve also seen more lives change, we’ve seen Jesus heal, restore and bless us as individuals and as a church.

On that Sunday we shared some of what Jesus has done and that talk can be found here so if you have every wondered what we get up to at Gateway have a listen!

This Sunday we will be sharing what we feel God is putting on our hearts for this next year so if this is your home church or curious about what we do here at Gateway why not come along as we share our vision for this next year. Click here for more details

Last week we went into the city armed with a video camera and we asked a number people if they would mind telling us what Christmas meant to them.

Sadly not everyone wanted to be filmed, (cant say I blame them), but those that did talked of family, presents, f’ing consumerism, I don’t believe in it, I don’t like it etc etc.

Not one person on or off camera mentioned Jesus, God, church, religion or even anything close, well that’s not quite true.

At the very end we asked a group of lads who, one of which thought it had something to do with God and Jesus but he wasn’t sure if it was when we was born or when he died.

About this time last year the Advertising Standards Authority received hundreds of complaints about the Littlewoods Christmas advert. The complaints were about how the advert took away the true meaning of Christmas because; and wait for it, it implies there is no Father Christmas.

For those who complained the true meaning of Christmas was all about Father Christmas. So what is the true meaning of Christmas?

I would have to say the true meaning of Christmas is love. Its about the love of God for people like you and me, you see he loves us so much that he sent Jesus so show us what he is really like. He came to bring about hope and peace and joy and healing. Christmas is when people who follow Jesus remember his birth and how he was born in this world to begin to transform this world.

Its about how God uses simple, ordinary people,like us, to be part of the transformation of the world.

On Sunday the 9^th of December at 7.30pm at The Vineyard Centre we are re telling the story of Christmas, its going to be fun with the Norwich YFC Gospel choir, mulled wine and mince pies. Why not come along!!

For more details click here

Basically in Matthew 14 we read that one of the guys who followed Jesus had been killed. His name was John and he was arguably not just a disciple or follower of Jesus but maybe a good friend too.

Anyway Jesus does what most people would do in this situation – he retreats, he wants to be alone so that he can greave his friends death. So he and the other disciples get into a boat to be alone, only people start to gather on the other side of the lake where Jesus is heading because they want to hear him speak.

These are people in need, many are sick and as the boat gets to the other side it says in verse 14 Jesus had compassion on them.

Now what would I have done? I’m hurting, I need to be alone and I’m faced with a crowd of needy people, all wanting my time and my energy. I would probably have sent them all away and told them to come back another day. But Jesus – seeing their need had compassion on them and healed the sick.

It’s not something that we are used to in this culture is it? Putting aside our own needs for the sake of another. Serving others no matter what the cost to us is. Much of the time this culture would say “get what you can” “what’s in it for me” “if I do this what do I get”. But Jesus is demonstrating a different way – serve each other no matter what it costs you.

Now I don’t think Jesus is saying, be taken advantage of, or even when you are sick get up and serve those who need you – we all need times when we need to rest but it’s about how we approach life, it’s an attitude thing. Are we going to live for ourselves or for the sake of another?

Some studies were done looking at those who help others and they found that those that regularly volunteer their time to help someone in need tended to be healthy and lived longer.

I guess that it shouldn’t be a surprise because, as Jesus was showing us and teaching us that’s just the way we are meant to live. We are all meant to live in a way that helps another person or serves those in need.

A phrase that is sometimes used to disprove God would be “if God is real then how come so many people are suffering, so many people are poor or hurting or sick” “why doesn’t he do something about it”

What if he has done something about it? What if we are what he has done about it? What if God is asking us the same question? How is it that you lived at the same time as so many people are suffering, so many people are in need or hurting and you aren’t doing anything?

It’s very challenging but also I think it’s very exciting and such an opportunity.

In the Old Testament Solomon built a temple. In fact it was his dad David who started the ball rolling on this temple but Solomon actually got to build it.

The purpose of the temple was so that people would get an idea of how great God is, and it was built with worship in mind.

David and Solomon wanted to get across to the people that God alone is worthy of our worship and all that we have should be put into this temple to help show that God is far greater than we could possibly imagine.

The temple was totally lined with gold. Gold was laid on the floor, covered the walls and doors and even the roof beams would have had gold on them. Carvings were covered with gold. Top quality wood was used, it took 7 ½ years to build and if you were to buy something like that today the gold alone would cost you over 100 billion pounds.

That’s an incredible cost, everything was thrown into this temple for one purpose, to help people realise how worthy God is. He wanted people to see the temple and stand in total awe and amazement and realise that God was even bigger, even greater than the temple.

Now God no longer requires us to build such places, I’m sure he would rather us spend £100 billion on the poor than on gold to line a temple. However the danger we run is the risk of rocking up to our place of worship wherever that maybe, and whatever that might look like, and just treat it like another event.

In the temple its extravagance would have left you standing in amazement – standing in awe and ready to worship the living God but now we sometimes come tired, coffee in hand maybe even checking our phone while standing in the presence of God – the same God that the temple was built for.

God wanted to make it possible for us to have access with himself so that we can worship him and it cost him a lot, it cost him his Son Jesus. Because of that we get to draw near to God and He draws near to us. In his presence people are healed, experience forgiveness and freedom.

The very least we can do is give ourselves totally and completely, laying down all distractions, and focus on loving him and worship him. Not because He might give us something but because He alone is worthy of our worship.

At Gateway Vineyard we have almost finished our series on worship. It can be listened to here or feel free to attend on Sunday to hear the final part.

She basically spoke about the importance of community and family and it’s how at times of crisis that family and community come together and she spoke about how we can’t control our circumstances and that’s why need a family we can fall back on, to rely on and do life together.

She spoke about how these family’s aren’t always blood relatives but people who you share a common belief with, or goals or an interest or faith.

Then she spoke about Jesus and how that He had come into the world with the power to forgive and its forgiveness that heals families, friendships and communities.

It was a speech written off the back of a very uncertain year.

Headlines in 2011 have been about war, finical uncertainty, lack of job security, and a raise in the amount of people with stress and depression, political unrest, stress on the family, failing banks, failing governments and spending cuts, job losses and redundancies and natural disasters.

For 1000’s of people 2011 was a year that was very uncertain and it was one which for some people left them in crisis.

In Matthew 6:25 Jesus tells us not to worry about our life. That’s not easy is it? You may be reading this and you know Jesus well, maybe you have followed Him all your life, maybe you don’t really know too much about Jesus but for many of us worry is a part of our life.

Yet Jesus tells us not to – He says you don’t need to because there is a father in heaven who loves you more than anything and only wants what is best for you.

But do we know that?

We only get to know that when we hang out with Jesus. When we spend time with Jesus we get to know how He thinks, He shows us what’s important and more and more He reveals His love for us.

Do people still worry when they know Jesus? Well yes, often they do but those that really really really know Him choose give those worries to Him and worry becomes controllable.

I don’t think 2012 will be very different than 2011 for many people. The issues that we faced last year are still the issues we will face this year.

When I heard the Queen talk about the importance of these communities that we can fall back on when life throws us something tough or unexpected I thought about the church. The church is one of those communities, Gateway Vineyard is a group of people sharing life together and learning to put Jesus first, learning what it means not to be controlled by worry and getting to know Jesus.

You are welcome to come and visit this community that we call Gateway Vineyard, or if we are geographically inconvenient for you check out the churches near you and find a community of people that you can do life with and learn what it means to follow Jesus and how much Jesus loves you

What if each day we just take a few moments out, just to remember again why we do all this.

At Christmas we remember Jesus  coming as a baby. No grand entrance, just a humble small beginning with enormous life changing connsequences. He does not stay as baby but grows into a man and eventually gives up His life. Why? To show us what God is like and how much he loves us.

Sending Jesus was Gods plan for bringing hope into the world. Through Him we can know hope, love, forgiveness and joy despite our circumstances.

In those few quiet moments each day lets invite this Jesus into our Christmas and by doing so hold on to what its all about. After all, who couldn’t do with  more love, peace and hope this Christmas?

Why not join us for our Christmas Service on Sunday 11th, 330pm at the Vineyard Centre? You’d be so welcome

Mention Jesus and words which often come to mind will be Christian and church. This in its self isn’t bad but because the word Christian is confusing and because church is so different it makes understanding Jesus hard because we confuse church and Christianity/religion with Jesus.

Take the word Christian for instance, what is a Christian? We are still viewed as a Christian country. I’ve heard the saying “that’s the Christian thing to do”. The “Christians” historically have done some awful things, so is Christian good or bad? Was Jesus a Christian?

Ask a random person walking down the street – do you want to be a Christian, they will most likely say no and they will most likely not know why – they just know they don’t want to be one.

A survey done a while ago in the States asked random people to give the first thought that entered their heads when they heard the word Christian.

Out of the 50 people asked not one person had something good to say.

They did the same thing with 50 different people yet the word they used was Jesus and out of those 50 people all said something good or positive.

So it seems that on the whole people don’t mind Jesus but the thought of Christians or church puts them off getting to know him.

I think we have muddled the word Christian. I know what the word Christain means to me, to me it means I’ve chosen to follow Jesus and I’m going to try my best to be like him. To someone else it could mean someone who goes to church on Sunday, to another person it will mean someone who lives in the west, to another it could mean a hypocrite or do gooder. The word is different depending on who you ask.

I’ll be honest, I can see a lot that I don’t like about the word Christian, its confusing. People have done some awful things in the name of Christianity and I’m not sure our country is that Christian.There are some people who would call themselves Christian who truly love and follow Jesus, yet others only call themselves Christian when it comes to ticking a box on a medical form.

However when I look at the person of Jesus what’s not to like? Loving, forgiving, caring, life changing, powerful, gracious, real, relevant, the list goes on.

For 4 weeks starting October 18^th at 7.30pm we are running something called Engage. It’s going to be held in Olives a little café in Norwich where you can have a beer, glass of wine or a coffee and we will be discussing the person of Jesus.

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the person of Jesus then come along. Contact the office if you need more details.

Whilst looking for his hammer he stumbled upon buried treasure, and not just a little bit, what he found was the largest haul of Roman treasure ever to be found. Coins, jewelry, crafts, gold and silver.

Imagine you go for a walk one day and you stumble upon some treasure, something of real worth, incredible value – so much so it would radically transform your life – what would you do to obtain it? To what length would you go to to make sure what you found you were able to keep?

Wouldn’t you sell everything in order to obtain the treasure?

Jesus tells a story to explain what the Kingdom of Heaven is like in Matthew 13:44 He says this: The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Its rare that in order to get something it costs us nothing. Jesus is trying to help us understand that if we want to feel the full value of the Kingdom then its going to cost us – everything!

Does it mean that to fully experience the Kingdom and all its wealth which comes by the way of healing, forgiveness, freedom, etc we are going to have to sell our homes etc? No I don’t think it means that at all but its about a shift of priorities.

Paul, another guy who writes in the bible says: but whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.

Compared to knowing Jesus – the King and his Kingdom – I consider everything else to be total rubbish, of no value.

I wonder if sometimes our relationship with Jesus is compromised because we hold onto so much other stuff, making money, our dreams and goals, our gadgets etc We never really know the life changing kingdom because we hold on to other things. Those things become more important than the relationship which I believe has the potential of being so life changing and of such worth.  If we really begin to grasp the value of it I think we would start to let go of everything else. Its then we’d start to see the value and the worth of the Kingdom.

I spoke on this at the weekand the talk can be found here if interested.

I don’t really understand what plant should go where or what time should I prune them etc. I’m never sure when to plant or where to put the plant. A lot of guess work goes into my garden.

One thing that does seem to grow is the weeds. Even when I’ve totally forgotten to water the plants the weeds just keep coming.

As a result our garden is a mixture of plants that we have tried to grow but don’t look very good, or plants that start off ok but then die. Some need more sun so they have grown but don’t flower. Every now and again we seem to put the right plant in the right place and when we do they can look fantastic. But then even they need watering and weeding.

Jesus talks a lot about the Kingdom of Heaven and in Matthew 13 He tells a story. It’s called the parable of the sower. A parable is just a short story that is told in such a way it often uses everyday life to help us understand an important lesson or instruction.

It’s a story about how the Kingdom of Heaven (which is basically the place where Jesus rules and reigns) is sown everywhere but different people respond to it differently. Some just don’t want to know, others like the idea of it but find the reality of it too much so give up on Jesus, but others love it and want more of it. More than that they see it as a relationship – one that they invest in and nurture.

It ends with an image of ripe corn which produces fruit.

Because of the way we have been created I don’t think we can ever live life to the full unless we allow Jesus to rule and reign in our lives. Yes we can seem happy and successful etc but it’s only Jesus that can help us live life to the full and even then it’s a relationship that we need to maintain, removing the things that would threaten our relationship with Jesus (like the weeds in this story).

It’s then we too can grow to be people who produce fruit.

On Sundays we are looking at Matthew 13 and the effect and impact of the Kingdom of Heaven over the next 3 weeks.

We’d love to see you there