Who is my neighbour? The Parable of the Good Samaritan has inspired many and shaped communities across the globe. But where do we get the passion, power and motivation to live like this? Jesus engages a Jewish law expert in precisely this question and the outcome is astounding.

Have you ever considered just how radical the phrase 'God who justifies the ungodly' is? Yet that is exactly what has happened to a Christian and righteousness has been credited to them. Knowing that God sees us as righteous in Christ helps to sustain us in both joys and hardships and live for Jesus in everyday life.

With the uncertainty of the recent General Election, Soroush encourages us to be uncompromising in our confidence in Christ and the Gospel message.

Prayer is tough! Often we loose the motivation and excitement to pray. The Bible acknowledges this fact. Yet it is probably the main we way we enter into the heart of God and His Kingdom purposes. Robert Murray M’Cheyne once said, ‘What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, and nothing more.’

In the Lords Prayer, we have Jesus responding to His disciples about their inadequacies regarding prayer. They ask Him, Lord teach us how to pray like you do? His response is phenomenal. A breathtaking, Spirit-empowered invite like no other.

Have you ever asked yourself:  How does God view me? For some, this question is of no significance whilst for others, it’s a longstanding question they long to know the answer to. From the beginning of the Bible to the end, God is closely and thoughtfully involved with His creation. He has restored His creation into ‘One New Man In Christ’, which means that as “stained” as you may have become due to the darkness of our sins, through Christ and God’s Spirit we are being restored as masterpiece.

Just as everyone, including his closest friends, thought that Jesus has been defeated, there came the news that he has raised from the dead. This was such bad news for those who opposed Him that they decided to fabricate a story and claimed that Jesus' disciples had stolen his body. As we share in Christ's death, we also share in His resurrection and are therefore alive in Him. Those who believe in Christ have taken part in their own funeral, and are now living a new life in Him. For those in Christ, "I breathe, therefore I'm alive" changes to "I'm in Christ, therefore I'm alive."

How can we make the most of Christ's victory in our own lives?  Gavin unpacks the truth of Jesus's victory over death and how this impacts our personal lives and the church on the whole. What areas of your life are you looking for victory in?

With Gavin recognised as an elder, Raj reflects on eldership throughout the life of Jubilee and how it has changed from one team to another.

Isaiah hears God's promise to his people bringing hope and joy to them in a new season (Isaiah 43), “Forget the former things; Do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!" As Jubilee Church Teesside moves into a new eldership with Gavin Rodgers being commissioned on to team we look forward to new things! Prophetic encouragement from our good friend Jeremy Simpkins, founding elder of Jubilee Church Teesside and leader of The Newfrontiers family of churches, Christ Central.

The Bible describes love as something not just that God does but who He is. Knowing that we are loved is an important part of our identity. Simon explores five of the reasons this truth influences our lives, our relationships, our interactions and above all, our worship.

Who am I? As Christians, we no longer need to ask this question, but rather are called to worship the one who has created us and as a result, walk in the fullness of who he has made us to be. One of the titles the Bible gives to those who love and worship Jesus is ‘adopted sons’.

When Jesus summoned his disciple Peter to walk on water, it was the start of a great faith adventure with God. He took the plunge and with it faced fear, failure and greatness all in one. What does it take to be 'Water Walker' with Jesus? What can we learn from this amazing historic event in the life of Peter? How In Christ are we chosen for purpose? The bottom line is, 'If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat' (John Ortberg).

Easter at its core is all about the miracle of Jesus beating death and rising to new life! The Resurrection of Jesus is the pinnacle of the Gospel message. John Stott echoes the Apostle Paul’s exhortation from 1 Corinthians 15 when he declares that ‘Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed’. In this message Shirley Graham who hosts Alpha at Jubilee Church Teesside, brings alive the importance of Jesus’ Resurrection, bringing renewal, restoration, and joy! He is Risen! Happy Easter!

To know that In Christ we have peace with God is an amazing thing. Peace is not about stepping into unreality or expelling negative thoughts. Rather, it is living in the peace that Jesus has made through the cross. It will also affect how we handle life's trials as well as how we relate to one another.

We're sure you’ll be aware that in this last week, Don and Lisa Smith from Centreville, Michigan, USA have been with us. They have been such a blessing to us as a church and as they now move on to serve Hope Church Bedlington at their weekend away in the Lake District, we asked them to write a brief reflection of their time at Jubilee.

Our new sermon series is called 'In Christ - Who am I'. As we began this, Sue Kearney shared a poem that she had written and shared on a Sunday morning. We thought it would be great to put on the blog just in case anyone missed it.

Don concludes our 'Passionate' mini-series with this encouragement for the Church to receive its spiritual inheritance given by faith.

In the second session in our 'Passionate' mini-series with Don Smith, we look at the role passion must take for the Church to be effective in world-changing mission.

In Don's first Session, he talks about the importance of having a Spiritual Passion for the Church to thrive according to God's vision for it.

In this talk, Gavin explores and unpacks our identity as forgiven people in Christ. As people we often struggle with feeling forgiven and have a habit of holding on to the things of the past, why is this since our freedom was purchased by God through Jesus? How can we continue to live as forgiven people, letting go of the things of the past? Does being a forgiven person lead to a physical action? How can this effect our lives inside and outside of the church?