Amazing Grace

The Five Truths that Change Everything

Amazing GraceJust over 500 years ago a Polish astronomer wrote a book that threatened to scandalise the establishment and literally turn the world upside down. He proposed the downright laughable idea that the sun did not revolve around the earth but vice versa. It was religious suicide. It flew in the face of the man-on-the-street wisdom let alone the Bible. Yet Nicholas Copernicus was right. The earth really does revolve around the sun. I’m sorry if that’s breaking news for you. 

Now around the same time as Copernicus was working on his book, a Swiss theologian was also writing a book that would scandalise the establishment too and which would also turn the world upside down. He proposed the downright laughable idea that God doesn’t revolve around human beings but vice versa. That too was religious suicide. It flew in the face of man-on-the-street wisdom and yet John Calvin happened to be right.  

God does not revolve around us. He doesn’t exist for US. We exist for God. We are not ultimate in the universe – God is. Now, a quick spot of church history. 

2021 is the 35th anniversary of Highfields church, and back in January Jonathan Thomas explained gave us an introduction to church history here in Wales. While talking about the 18th century Welsh revival, one phrase that Jonathan used, which forms a key part of our history of the gospel in Wales was the phrase Calvinistic Methodism, of people like Daniel Rowland or Howell Harris or Thomas Charles. Maybe you’ve heard that phrase before & didn’t know what it means. 

It was the Calvinistic Methodism that flowed downstream of the Reformation and the theology of John Calvin (500 years ago) and eventually gave birth to the Presbyterian Church of Wales, (which Heath Church used to be part until the late 60s) and which (in turn) Highfields Church came out of in 1986

So you can see, even though we don’t really use the language very much these days, deep in our DNA is the theology of John Calvin and his subsequent followers at the time of the Reformation, what are sometimes called The Doctrines of Grace. 

Over the summer months as we restart our evening services, we are going to dig into our theological roots and rediscover the gospel convictions that God has powerfully used in the past to lead to remarkable Revival here in South Wales 

We’re calling the series “Amazing Grace: the five truths that change everything.” We hope you can join us.

Dave Gobbett

All services in this series:

Title Description Tags
Rotten to the Core 04 July - Evening Service - 6:30pm - Dave Gobbett - Romans 3:9-18 In-Person, Evening Worship, Communion, Zoom Meeting
Chosen from Eternity 11 July - Evening Service - 6:30pm - Dave Gobbett - Ephesians 1:3-14 In-Person, Evening Worship, Zoom Meeting
Saved by His blood 08 Aug - Evening Service - 6:30pm - Dave Gobbett - John 10:11-18 In-Person, Evening Worship, Live Stream
Drawn by His Spirit 15 Aug - Evening Service - 6:30pm - Dave Gobbett - Acts 16:11-15 In-Person, Evening Worship, Live Stream
Kept by His power 22 Aug - Evening Service - 6:30pm - Dave Gobbett - Romans 8:28-39 In-Person, Evening Worship, Live Stream

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Service Catch-up

Amazing GraceCatch up and watch or listen to what you missed. Whole service video for this series is normally available immediately. Sermon audio and podcast audio is normally available within half an hour of the service finishing.

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Resources

JI Packer's Introductory essay to John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ

New Beginnings

New BeginningsAs we enter a new term and restrictions are being lifted, in many ways it is a new beginning for us as a society, as individuals and as a church. In this mini-series for Sunday mornings in August we are going to look at four different new beginnings in Scripture, which will serve as case studies, "written down for our instruction" (1 Cor 10:11), showing us how to answer the call of our God in Christ to go again and fill the earth with his glory. How do we go again after the year we have had?.

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Small Group Study

Rev Dave Gobbett"The Christian life is a series of important connection points to God.

One of them at Highfields is involvement in a small study group. I hope you can connect with us that way."

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