Isca Church

1 Thessalonians 1 – You Are Chosen

In this talk, Rich reflects on 1 Thessalonians 1 and the encouragement Paul writes to a young church whose faith was being talked about far and wide. We are reminded that we are chosen because we belong to God’s people, and that faith is something lived out together.

Rich invites us to consider what it looks like for us today, challenging modern idols of individualism and consumerism, and asking an important question: what is God doing in Isca, and is our life together pointing others towards Him?

 

Cherryl sets the scene for Paul and his co‑workers’ journey to Thessalonica, helping us understand the context behind the letter. As we begin looking at Thessalonians 1 together over the coming months, she encourages us to listen closely to the Holy Spirit for guidance.

 

 

Matt reflects on Norman’s prophecy and Rich’s January teaching on Showing Up, Stepping In and Stepping Out, exploring how gathering faithfully and being a willing vessel together allows God to pour more into us.

 

Karena shares how Paul followed the Holy Spirit to meet Lydia - and challenges us to stay open to the Spirit’s leading today.

Lydia opened her heart to God’s message and her home to others. Her story invites us to ask: Are we open, attentive, and willing to give our time to those around us?

 

Welcome to this two-part podcast. Before we begin, we want to apologise for the poor sound quality due to technical issues.

During this gathering we thanked and prayed for Andy and Karena, recognising their many years of faithful service to Isca. Sim then spoke on the rollercoaster story of Joseph, sharing some of his own struggles and reminding us that - even in our most difficult seasons - God has not forgotten us.

 

Andy encourages and challenges us with the story of Ananias from Acts 9. He starts by reading extracts from Ananias's "autobiographical" diary.

Do we make enough time to hear Jesus? 

Bob kicks off our new short series on inspiring characters in Acts with the story of Cornelius (Acts 10).

In this episode, Bob encourages us to stay open and expectant for the special things God may want to do in us.

Apologies for the sound quality -our tech setup is still settling in at our new location. Thanks for bearing with us!

 

Chris tells us that God is commending Isca for decades of adapting, responding and carrying a rich heritage forward, even through the Great Beacon Flood!

His main message is encouraging us to commit ourselves to pursuing the Kingdom of God through knowing Jesus and his message. 

This podcast is an exciting whirlwind of stories - hold on!

Matt gives a word of encouragement, while Matthew tells how crafting sessions with a friend help him, Sim tells about his one eyed rat Rodney, Vanessa tells of her struggle with fasting and Heather tells of a long life of prayer and and seeking God's will.

Enjoy!

Norman Alford, one of the founding members of Isca, gives an encouraging prophetic word before Rich speaks on Corinthians 12:12-27.

Rich's reminds us that being a follower of Jesus means committing to and sharing life with other Jesus followers. The church is God's radical family.

He sets out three themes: Show Up, Step In and Step Out.