CROWD Church Livestream

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If you're looking to grow in the Christian faith, or even explore it for the first time, then come and be part of the CROWD podcast. Each week we post our online church live stream which explores the big questions of life from a Christian worldview. We dig into your questions about meaning, faith and identity. We also add interviews with everyday people about their faith journey, what challenges they have faced and how they overcame them. Regardless of where you are on your faith journey, you are sure to find glimpses into the amazingness of Christ. Crowd Church is a non-denominational church and our commitment is not just to believers but also to those that might not see the point of church. Our commitment is to those who worship and those that are looking for answers to their questions. Everyone is welcome here, no matter where you are on your faith journey. For more information about Crowd Church visit: www.crowd.church. Subscribe to the Crowd Church podcast today.

  1. 3d ago

    When Following God Doesn't Fix Your Problems

    What Does John 16:33 Mean? Trouble, and Taking HeartDid everything right and life still fell apart? You are not alone, and it might not mean what you fear. About this episodeSharon Edmundson opens the tougher teachings of Jesus with one of His hardest promises — "in this world you will have trouble." It is not a verse anyone pins on their wall. But Sharon makes the case that it is actually good news, because the same sentence ends "take heart, I have overcome the world." This is honest talk about why following Jesus doesn't hand you a trouble-free life, why that isn't a sign you've failed, and how to hold on when the answers don't come. Anna Kettle and Dave Connolly carry the conversation on from there, with the community joining in live. Timestamps00:00 Welcome, and the first-ever Live Lounge02:14 The verse nobody pins on their wall — John 16:3304:00 Following Jesus does make some of life fall into place05:30 Three kinds of trouble, and what the word actually means07:30 Why a promise of trouble is genuinely encouraging09:00 Take heart — He has overcome the world11:00 Two people, same God, different outcomes13:30 The mystery we don't get to solve this side of eternity15:42 Conversation Street begins18:00 Tyler Staton at Wildfires — the temporary fix and the eternal one20:28 Daniel 3 and the "even if not" faith24:13 Falling away, shallow roots, and the parable of the sower25:18 The cheap gospel warning28:10 Taking responsibility for your own foundations, and the Alpha course32:01 What keeps you with God when trouble hits36:33 Ruth Richardson's story38:54 Community questions from Alicia, Ellis and Talita44:16 Can you lose your salvation50:06 Trouble isn't always God's will — a word for anyone unsafe Key pointsJesus promised trouble, and that changes how you carry itSharon starts with John 16:33 — "in this world you will have trouble." Not might. Will. For anyone who assumed faith would smooth everything out, that lands hard. But Sharon reframes it as a kindness. If we believe being a Christian guarantees a trouble-free life, then when trouble hits we blame ourselves, or doubt whether God loves us, and we can throw our faith away for no reason. "It doesn't even say you might have trouble, it says you will." — Sharon EdmundsonTrouble doesn't automatically mean you've done something wrongIt doesn't mean you haven't prayed enoughSometimes it comes precisely because you are following Jesus There is more than one kind of troubleSharon walks through the different sorts. There is the trouble we bring on ourselves through our own choices. There is broken-world trouble — illness, grief, miscarriage, the endless job search, abuse — the kind that hits everyone regardless of what they believe. And there is the trouble that comes as a cost of faith, from Paul's beatings and prison to the milder cultural pressure and workplace friction believers can face in the UK today. Ephesians 6 adds that some of it is a spiritual battle we can't see. Take heart, because He has overcome the worldThe verse doesn't stop at trouble. "Take heart, I have overcome the world." Sharon points out that Jesus said this like a commander steadying His soldiers right before battle — knowing He was about to be betrayed and that His closest friends would scatter. "The world" here means the human systems that ignore God, and the evil at work behind them. And God is greater than all of it. Same God, different outcomesSharon holds two stories side by side. In Acts 5 an angel breaks Peter out of prison. Just two chapters later, Stephen is stoned to death — carried, even then, by a vision of heaven opened. She tells it from her own life too. Diagnosed with skin cancer last year, she experienced deep peace, a skilled surgical team and a Christian anaesthetist praying for her, and a good outcome. A colleague with the same diagnosis died a few months ago — yet she was carried by God's peace and the hope that death wasn't the end. Same God. Two very different roads. "Jesus dying on the cross looked like a big failure, but in fact it was part of God's rescue plan." — Sharon EdmundsonThere is real mystery here. We don't get the full "why" this side of eternity, and Sharon doesn't pretend otherwise. Conversation Street highlightsWhere the talk ends and the real conversation begins. "Even if not" — Dave on Daniel 3. Dave took the theme back to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, facing the furnace in Daniel 3. Their line — our God is able to rescue us, and He will, but even if He does not, we still won't bow — became the heart of the segment. God can, God will, but even if He chooses not to, He has a bigger plan. "God can, God will, but should He not, He has a greater plan." — Dave ConnollyThe cheap gospel. Dave was blunt about a version of faith that promises everyone a better life the moment they come to Jesus. He called it cheap, and said it sets people up to fall away when trouble comes. Following Jesus isn't an upgrade or a do-over — it's handing over your life. He and Anna agreed the church carries a responsibility not to undersell that. The temporary fix and the eternal one. Anna shared something from Tyler Staton, speaking at Wildfires over the summer, that stuck with her. Even when God steps in and heals now, it's a temporary fix — the person will still face the end of life one day. The permanent solution is the hope of eternity that believers already hold. Can you lose your salvation? Anna put the deep one to Dave directly. His honest answer, drawn from his own story of walking away for a couple of years and coming back, is that he doesn't believe you can lose something freely given — you can't stop being God's child any more than his own kids can stop being his. He held it gently, admitting he swings between the two views, and pointed to the thief on the cross as proof that God's heart is bigger than getting all the answers right. A closing caution from Sharon. Sharon ended with something important. Trouble coming against us doesn't mean it's God's will — He tells us to pray for His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven precisely because His will is not always what happens. She was especially clear for anyone in an abusive or unsafe situation — do not read your circumstances as God's will, and know that God is not asking you to stay there. From the community. Alicia wrote in that being able to bring our frustrations to God is an underrated ability — even angry, she still senses Him with her. Ellis shared an honest struggle: God never promised a specific outcome, so how do you sit with the "what if" of things going wrong? And Talita offered the flip side — for her, hard seasons have grown her faith rather than shaken it, which the hosts tied back to how deep the roots go. "Once you've known God's presence, you can't unknow it again." — Anna KettleScripture referencedJohn 16:33 — "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world"Luke 4:18–19 — Jesus' mission statement, good news for the poor and freedom for the prisonerEphesians 6 — the spiritual battle behind what we can seeActs 5 — Peter freed from prison by an angelActs 7 — Stephen martyred, given a vision of heavenDaniel 3:17–18 — Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and "even if not"James 1:2 — "consider it pure joy" when you face trials Resources and next stepsAlpha course — running now at Crowd, every Wednesday at 7:30pm. It started last week, but it's not too late to join. Whether you've followed Jesus for years or you're just having a look, it's a relaxed space to ask the honest questions over a number of weeks. Matt and Sharon are part of it, and you can join with your camera on or off.Live Lounge — the new Zoom room where you can meet others watching Crowd live and carry the conversation on. The link goes in the comments during the service. Find it at go.crowd.church/livelounge.Join the conversation any time at crowd.church. Crowd Church — a community for those who might not see the point of church.

  2. Sep 7

    When the Shame Won't Let You Stop Hiding

    Everyone has a moment they're sure defines them. Here's why your worst night doesn't get the final word. About this episodeMatt Edmundson walks through Peter's worst night, the charcoal fire in a courtyard where he denied ever knowing Jesus three times. Then to a beach, where the risen Jesus lights the same kind of fire, cooks breakfast and asks three times, once for each denial, do you love Me. It's a talk about shame, grace and finding a way back when you're sure you've disqualified yourself, part of the Jesus the Revolutionary series. Timestamps00:07 Welcome back after the summer break03:07 One story that runs through all four Gospels05:17 The courtyard and the charcoal fire09:52 How easy the denial was11:40 Breakfast on the beach13:54 The same word for both fires15:15 A chip shop, a smell, and how shame grows17:20 What shame does and what Jesus does18:50 A job, not a probation20:20 Name your fire21:41 Conversation Street begins31:16 Resentment and the prodigal's older brother34:20 Shame and conviction, and the difference between them48:31 Why the opposite of faith is certainty51:10 When our worship songs run on bravado62:55 What's on next week, plus Alpha and Live Lounge Key referencesLuke 22, Peter promises to go to prison and death, and Jesus tells him he will deny Him three times before the rooster crowsJohn 18, the courtyard, the charcoal fire, and the three denialsJohn 21, the risen Jesus cooks breakfast on the beach and asks Peter three times, do you love Me, then says, feed my sheepThe Greek word for charcoal fire, anthrakia, which appears exactly twice in the New Testament, once in the courtyard and once on the beachGenesis 3, Adam hiding after it goes wrongRomans 2, on the goodness of God leading us to repentanceLuke 15, the prodigal son and the older brother who resents the welcomeJohn 6, where the disciples stay because there is nowhere else to go and Jesus holds the words of lifeActs 4, Peter's prayer for boldness after Jesus returns to heavenAnne Lamott, the writer Anna mentions on faith, doubt and certaintySand Between Your Toes by Anna Kettle, with a second book on the wayCALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably, on men and shame Quotes from the talkShame takes you back to the fire and rubs your face in it. Jesus takes you to the fire and feeds you breakfast. (Matt Edmundson)He is not standing at your fire to cancel you. He's standing at it to cook you breakfast. (Matt Edmundson)The man who robbed money became the man who accounted for it. It's like a reverse Judas. (Matt Edmundson)Grace doesn't just pardon Peter. Grace promotes him. (Matt Edmundson)From Conversation StreetWhere the talk ends and the real conversation begins. Anna Kettle and Dan Orange picked up the comments coming in live. Dan said he had never put the two threes together before, the three denials and the three times Jesus asks do you love Me. Same wound, healed one layer at a time.Dan on the kind of freedom this is, God doesn't set us free by hiding the thing away, He frees us right where it happened. Anna added that this is the opposite of cancel culture, honest about what happened and still full of grace.Dan asked a fair question, is there a Peter in your life you quietly resent for being restored while your own road went the other way. Matt tied it to the prodigal's older brother, and Anna shared growing up in church wondering why other people seemed to get more than she did.On shame and conviction, Matt described conviction as an arrow you take on the chin that draws you towards God, while shame makes you hide, the way Adam did. Dan added that shame tends to attach to identity, you stole so you must be a thief, and God can change that.Anna brought in the writer Anne Lamott, that the opposite of faith isn't doubt, it's certainty, and doubt is a normal part of a real walk with God.Dan wondered whether some of our worship songs run on bravado, all the things we swear we'll always do, and whether a quieter prayer for strength might be more honest. LinksEverything at crowd.churchThis page: https://www.crowd.church/talks/when-the-shame-wont-let-you-stop-hidingA brand new Alpha course starts Wednesday 9 September, 7:30pm UK time on Zoom. No camera needed, no pressure, just honest conversation about the big questions. Register at crowd.church/alphaThis talk is part of the Jesus the Revolutionary series. Shaz Edmundson picks it up next Sunday Crowd Church - a community for those who might not see the point of church.

  3. Aug 30

    You're Not Too Far Gone to Be Restored

    Somewhere along the way most of us start to wonder if we're past our best, too far gone to be worth restoring. Psalm 126 sits with a very different idea. About this episodeWill Sopwith closes out Crowd's summer "Restored" series with Psalm 126, the short psalm that draws all the others together. He starts with joy, which shows up in four of the six verses, and makes the case that joy isn't the same as happiness. Happiness is something you can reason your way into. Joy is more unfettered than that, more rooted, less at the mercy of how the day is going, and it tends to burst out in song. It's named in the New Testament as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, which means it grows out of following Jesus rather than something we manufacture on our own. From there Will turns to the other half of the psalm, restoration, using three everyday pictures - restoring an old piece of furniture, cleaning up a faded oil painting, and rebuilding a relationship. Each one is slow, careful, and forward-looking, and each points to Jesus, the One who lifts off the layers of dirt, mends what's broken, and brings us back to the beauty we were made with. Timestamps00:00 Welcome and what August looks like at Crowd02:55 Psalm 126, the final psalm of the series04:40 Joy, and why you can't talk yourself into it09:10 Restoration, testimony and plea11:30 Three pictures of restoration, furniture, painting, relationship18:30 What restoration means for you, and Jesus the restorer22:57 Changes coming to Crowd in September Key referencesPsalm 126, a Song of Ascents, read as a wholeThe Songs of Ascents, sung by the community as they travelled up to worship at the templeJoy described as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, from the New Testament (Galatians 5)The Bible's restoration thread, from the Garden of Eden through to God's fruitful city in RevelationPeople described as the pinnacle of God's creation, made in His image Quotes from the talkJoy isn't just happiness, but something more unfettered, something spontaneous. It's something that can't really be worked up or that you can reason your way into.(Will Sopwith)It's the original that is precious, not someone else's version of it.(Will Sopwith)Don't lose hope that the One who restored you before can restore you again.(Will Sopwith)LinksEverything at crowd.churchFrom September, Live Lounge runs from the start of the stream, so you can watch alongside actual people rather than on your ownWednesday community groups are changing too, gathering as one big community and then breaking into smaller groups where people know your nameThe next Alpha course starts on 9 September, Wednesdays at 7:30pm, a good place to start if you're new to faith or just exploring it, and you can register at crowd.churchMore in-person meetups are coming through the year, and CrowdFest 27 will be part of the Wildfires Festival at the end of July 2027, with tickets at wildfiresfestival.comThis was the final week of a five week series through the Psalms, built to be taken as a whole, before Crowd returns to live Sunday-evening streams Crowd Church - a community for those who might not see the point of church.

  4. Aug 23

    The Love You Don't Have to Earn

    The Love You Don't Have to EarnMost of us assume there's some tidying up to be done before any of God's good stuff would actually apply to us. Psalm 103 was written by someone who had stopped believing that. About this episodeMatt Edmundson takes us through Psalm 103, David's run-through of what God is like and what He has already done. Forgiveness that goes deeper than a rule broken, healing with the honest caveat left in, rescue from the pit, and a crown of steadfast love and mercy that nobody has to earn. Along the way, why sin might be better understood as a design distorted than a scorecard failed, what actually qualifies as steadfast once you ask it of your job and your relationships, and why not needing to be perfect is the point rather than a concession. Kate Sopwith recorded this talk earlier in the week and the recording came back with no sound on it at all, so this is Matt at short notice on a psalm Kate had already done properly. Kate will be back. Timestamps00:00 Welcome and what August looks like at Crowd02:53 Why this talk is coming from Matt and not Kate04:03 Psalm 103 and the king who danced in the street08:39 What the word sin is actually covering10:32 A love you cannot earn14:00 Healed, and the honest bit18:18 Redeemed from the pit20:39 The crown, and the word steadfast24:10 You don't need to be perfect to qualify27:11 Why we forget all of it29:09 Changes coming to Crowd in September Key referencesPsalm 103, verses 1 to 8 read as a block, then the closing verses on angels, hosts and dominionsPsalm 139:14, on being fearfully and wonderfully madeEphesians 2:10, where the word translated workmanship can also be rendered poetryEphesians 4:1, on walking worthy of our callingHebrews 6:19, on hope as the anchor of the soul1 Peter 2:9, on being a royal priesthoodGenesis 3, Adam hiding after it goes wrongThe Lord's Prayer, on forgiving us our sinsThe definition of sin as something distorted from its original design, which comes from Kate Sopwith Quotes from the talkI don't have to have everything sorted to come to Him. It's a love I cannot earn.(Matt Edmundson)God wrote a love poem and I'm it.(Matt Edmundson)You do not need to be perfect in order to qualify. In fact, no one has ever been perfect enough to qualify for this apart from Christ. That's why Christ came, because we could never earn this.(Matt Edmundson)There are people on earth that can't walk, but when they get to heaven, they'll be running down the streets of gold, sliding along in their socks.(Matt Edmundson)LinksEverything at crowd.churchOn being wonderfully made, whatever your start looked like, at crowd.church/topics/identity-selfworthOther people's stories on the What's the Story podcast, at crowd.church/whats-the-storyThe next Alpha course starts on 9 September, Wednesdays at 7:30pm, and you can register at crowd.church/alphaThis is week four of a five week series through the Psalms, built to be taken as a whole. Will Sopwith closes it out next Sunday Crowd Church - a community for those who might not see the point of church.

  5. Aug 16

    When You're Not Sure If God Still Cares

    When You're Not Sure If God Still CaresYou have been praying about the same thing for months and nothing has shifted, and you have started to wonder. About this episodeSharon Edmundson takes us into Psalm 77, written by a man who cried out to God, ran out of words entirely, and was left with nothing but groaning. It is one of the most honest things in the Bible about what happens in your head when life stops going your way. Alongside it, what current mental health research says about the fight in our minds, why the stiff upper lip was never faith, and what Asaph does when no answer arrives. Timestamps00:00 Welcome and what August looks like at Crowd02:53 The battle you might not know you're in06:40 A psalm written from rock bottom08:33 Why the stiff upper lip doesn't help10:28 Remembering when God came through15:52 What to do when you're in the middle of it16:53 Changes coming to Crowd in September Key referencesPsalm 77, read across the talkEphesians 6:12, on a struggle that is not against flesh and blood2 Corinthians 10 verses 3 to 5, on demolishing strongholds and taking every thought captiveLamentations 2:19, on pouring out your heart like waterJeremiah 29:13, on seeking and findingJohn 10:11, Jesus claiming the shepherd image the psalm ends onRomans 8 verses 31 to 32, the passage Sharon closes withThe 2025 Mental Health Report, produced by Mind and the Centre for Mental HealthJo Hargreaves, Christian psychotherapist, on the Bible as the most regulating book for our nervous system Quotes from the talkFaith doesn't mean pretending that everything is okay when it's not. Rather, faith is about a relationship with the living God. (Sharon Edmundson)He started with words, but after a while, words weren't enough to express the depth of his pain, and all he had left was groans. (Sharon Edmundson)When we remember the good things that God has done in our past, it gives us comfort in the present and hope for the future. (Sharon Edmundson)LinksEverything at crowd.churchOther people's stories on the What's the Story podcast, at crowd.churchThe next Alpha course starts on 9 September, Wednesdays at 7:30pm, and you can register at crowd.churchThis is week three of a five week series through the Psalms, built to be taken as a whole Crowd Church - a community for those who might not see the point of church.

  6. Aug 9

    When Mindfulness Isn't Enough

    When Mindfulness Isn't EnoughYou have tried the apps, the walks and the digital detox, and peace still feels like something other people have. About this episodeAde Birkby joins us to look at Psalm 16, a psalm David wrote while he was on the run for his life. Ade takes the everyday strategies seriously first, walking through what the research says mindfulness, green space, close friendships and switching off actually do for us, and then showing where they run out. What follows is not a technique for calming life down. It is a look at where David chose to stand while his circumstances stayed dangerous. Timestamps00:00 Welcome and what August looks like at Crowd02:51 Why everyone feels so busy04:40 What usually helps and how far it gets you07:11 Psalm 16 and why this one is different12:01 The three things David does15:14 What this looks like on a Tuesday18:55 Changes coming to Crowd in September Key referencesPsalm 16, read in full at 07:11Psalm 16 verse 7, on taking counsel at nightPsalm 16 verse 8, on keeping your eyes on the LordJames 1 verses 2 to 4, on trials producing perseveranceActs 2, Peter quoting Psalm 16 after PentecostActs 13, Paul making the same argumentHebrew terms drawn out in the talk, miktam (the psalm type), ketem (fine gold), chasah (to take refuge), manah (portion), chebel (measuring cord)Office for National Statistics, on 47% of adults feeling busier than everDataReportal 2026 digital report, on 6 hours 51 minutes of daily phone use across around 96 pickupsUniversity of Bath 2024 global mindfulness studyIpsos and Gallup research on lifestyle boundariesChinese multi-university study on gratitude disposition and orientation to experience Quotes from the talk"Happiness is dependent on good happenings, but joy in the biblical sense is an unshakable confidence from knowing a secure eternal future with God." - Ade Birkby"We're not talking about a little hiding spot, we're heading to Fort Knox, or if you're a Lord of the Rings fan, we're heading to Helm's Deep, the fortress built into the mountain." - Ade Birkby"Are we doing that to make God centre of our lives, or are we just saying we're making Him centre of our lives?" - Ade BirkbyLinksEverything at crowd.churchThe next Alpha course starts on 9 September, Wednesdays at 7:30pm, and you can register at crowd.churchThis is week two of a five week series through the Psalms, built to be taken as a whole Crowd Church - a community for those who might not see the point of church. https://www.crowd.church/talks/when-mindfulness-isnt-enough

  7. Aug 7

    You're Allowed to Be Angry With God

    You're Allowed to Be Angry With GodStopped talking to God about the thing because you're the one who broke it? Psalm 80 was written by someone in exactly that spot. About this episodeJosh Edmundson takes us through Psalm 80 - a song written by people watching their nation collapse, knowing full well they'd caused it. It's furious, it's grief-stricken, and it's addressed straight to God. Josh walks back through the story that sits underneath the psalm's imagery, then asks the question the psalm forces on all of us. If someone who wrecked things himself could take his anger into the throne room, what does that mean for the rest of us? This is the first of five talks through the Psalms across August, following a thread about what restoration actually looks like when your life is all over the place. Timestamps00:00 Welcome and what August looks like at Crowd02:52 A psalm of despair04:15 Reading Psalm 8006:33 Why the vine and the son matter07:30 Three scenes that set up the psalm10:26 The Golden Age and what came after10:48 The psalmist retells the story back to God13:36 When the covenant broke15:40 The lament16:27 When the future you planned falls apart17:27 What the psalmist does instead of pretending18:30 Why you are allowed in the throne room19:59 We do not lament without a vine22:35 A challenge for the week23:38 What is changing at Crowd in September24:30 Wednesday community groups24:53 Alpha moves to Wednesday nights25:25 More in-person meetups25:51 CrowdFest 27 at Wildfires Key referencesPsalm 80 - the passage, read in fullPsalm 22 - "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?"Exodus 4 - God calls Israel His firstborn sonExodus 19–24 - the covenant at SinaiExodus 40 - the glory of the Lord fills the tabernacle2 Kings 17 - the fall of the northern kingdomHebrews 4:16 - approaching the throne of grace with confidenceJohn 15 - Jesus as the true vineMatthew 17 - the Transfiguration1 Thessalonians 4:13 - Paul on grieving, which Josh adapts in his closing point Quotes from the talk"When I read this, I see promises strewn about like corpses, when the presence of God is seemingly nowhere to be found." - Josh Edmundson"He doesn't ignore his circumstances. He doesn't set a stiff upper lip and pretend that nothing is wrong. And he doesn't set about trying to instantly fix the problem." - Josh Edmundson"It is one of the biggest mysteries of grace, I think, that not only are we permitted to enter that throne room of heaven by prayer at all, but that we are told to." - Josh EdmundsonWhat is changing at Crowd in SeptemberMatt runs through four things at the end of this one. Live Lounge from the start. Live Lounge has been the after-party, a call with the team once the livestream ends. From September you will be able to watch the livestream itself inside Live Lounge, with other people, rather than on your own.Wednesday community groups. Instead of scattered separate groups, everyone gathers as one community first and then breaks into smaller groups. The small group becomes your regular one, so people learn your name and notice when you are not there.Alpha moves to Wednesday nights, 7:30, running alongside Community. Good if you are new to the Christian faith or just poking at it from the outside. The next course starts on 9 September and you can register at crowd.church.More in-person meetups. Off the back of the baptisms in Dorset last month, there are gatherings being planned across the year, from regional meetups to bigger events. Including CrowdFest 27, which will be at the Wildfires Festival at the end of July 2027. More detail on all of it in September. LinksWatch or listen at crowd.churchMidweek community groups and the online course for anyone exploring Christianity are all at crowd.church Crowd Church — a community for those who might not see the point of church.

  8. Jul 27

    Stop Waiting to Be Someone Important

    Stop Waiting to Be Someone ImportantIf only someone with real money and real power would sort this out. It is a fair thought, and it always lets us off. About this episodeThe night before the cross, Jesus takes off His outer clothing, wraps a towel round His waist and starts washing twelve pairs of feet. In that culture it was the lowest job in the house, given to Gentile slaves because it was considered too degrading even for Jewish ones. This week Mike Harris takes us through John 13, and the question he keeps returning to is not whether we should serve, but where the ability to do it comes from. Timestamps00:00 Welcome and superhero chat04:44 Notices, the new website and Alpha07:47 John 13 read in full09:31 Why washing feet was the lowest job in the house11:53 The Joseph parallel in Genesis14:04 Jesus knew, and He knelt anyway15:01 Knowing who you are16:15 Knowing where you have come from17:42 Knowing where you are heading18:27 If only Elon Musk would sort it out19:17 Heaven is roaring you on20:48 The priest and the running shoes24:11 Conversation Street begins28:30 What counts as washing feet today30:38 Why serving can feel like a chore34:37 Jesus explains how to be great39:11 Blessing people others have written off42:15 Forgiving when it costs you46:31 The stranger who said have a good day48:53 Remembering who is actually asking54:12 Brownies and the little things56:53 August, membership and September60:30 Closing and Live Lounge Key points from Mike's talkThe lowest job in the house Foot washing was not just very unpleasant, it was also demeaning. A Jewish master would not ask a Jewish slave to do it, because it was considered too degrading for them. The job went to Gentile slaves. Jesus deliberately put Himself in that role, and He did it on the evening before the crucifixion, knowing exactly where the next day was going. The Joseph parallel There is an interesting parallel to this in Genesis. Joseph's steward brings water so his eleven brothers can wash their feet, and only then does Joseph reveal who he is. Centuries later Jesus washes twelve pairs of feet before the cross reveals who He is. Same shape, one difference. Joseph sent his steward. Jesus picked up the basin Himself. Serving comes from security, not towards it John 13:3 sits immediately before Jesus gets up from the table. He knew the Father had put all things under His power, He knew where He had come from, and He knew where He was going. He knelt anyway. Jesus was not serving in order to become somebody. He served because He already knew who He was. Which gives three things to know. Who you are. Understanding "Who am I in Christ" is essential here. See crowd.church/topics/identity-selfworth or crowd.church/inchrist.Where you have come from. Picking up Ade Birkby's talk from the week before, we are the man left half dead by the side of the road in the Good Samaritan, not the hero of it. Someone stopped for us.Where you are heading. There is a place being prepared. The consequence is the freedom underneath the whole talk. Once you know who you are, you are not competing for attention or affirmation any more, because you already have both. Heaven is roaring you on Mike admitted joining the "if only Elon Musk used all that money and reach" conversation, and being persuaded by it. But then we see it from God's point of view. "Heaven looks down at you with all of the power and all of the authority and all of the possibilities that you have within you, and is roaring you on to serve and to influence those that are around you."God's world is an arena, and you have a huge role, an indispensable role to play in it. (Dallas Willard)You are not a supporting role. You are not a role that gets covered if you do not show up. You are indispensable. The running shoes A Catholic priest saved for months and finally bought one very good pair of running trainers. Days later a man knocked at his door with no shoes, no shared language and clear need. The priest brought out every pair he owned, and the only ones that fitted were the new trainers. He gave them away. That night he dreamt of Jesus wearing them, and retelling the story later he could barely speak for crying. The thought he woke with was that he could have fobbed the man off with any old pair and missed the chance to give his King the best he had. The Bible passageJohn 13:1-17 - The evening before the Passover festival. Knowing the Father had put all things under His power, Jesus gets up from the meal, takes off His outer clothing, wraps a towel round His waist and washes the disciples' feet. Afterwards He asks whether they understand what He has done, and tells them that since their Lord and Teacher has washed their feet, they should wash one another's. "I have set you an example, that you should do as I have done for you." Other verses referencedJohn 13:3 - Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God.Romans 8:38-39 - Nothing can separate us from the love of God.Ephesians 2:10 - We are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Brought in by Alicia in the comments.Romans 8:28 - God works all things for the good of those who love Him. Mike's caution here is that the good is good by His standard, not necessarily ours.Philippians 2 - Jesus did not consider equality with God something to cling to, but humbled Himself and became a servant, obedient even to death.1 Corinthians 12:22-23 - The parts of the body that seem weaker are indispensable, and the ones we think less honourable we treat with special honour. Also from Alicia.Luke 10:25-37 - The Good Samaritan, referenced back to Ade Birkby's talk the previous week. Quotes from the talk"When you recognise who you are, you don't now have to compete for attention. You don't have to compete for affirmation. You have that already." - Mike Harris"Heaven looks down at you with all of the power and all of the authority and all of the possibilities that you have within you, and is roaring you on." - Mike Harris"Maybe it is time to get up and kneel down." - Mike HarrisConversation Street highlightsWhat in our society is the washing of people's feet that we could do for others? Ellis put this in the comments and it shaped the rest of the evening. Mike suggested that the first thing to do is to bless people who have been written off as toxic, being the person willing to risk their own reputation to show them something of Jesus' love. The second is to praise people out loud, which he thinks is a lost art, and which usually lifts someone else at your own expense. He also added a third thing. Forgiveness. He noticed that the only version of it social media talks about is the one where you personally benefit. Dan suggested being the first to make the tea, without the mental scoreboard of whose turn it is. He also talked about the cancel-culture reflex that stops us affirming anything good in someone whose record is not clean. Matt's angle was to stop hunting for a category. There is usually a group of people you already care about, whether that is people who are homeless (he mentioned Green Pastures, run by Andrew and his dad Pastor Pete), or people working in the NHS, or somewhere else. Talk to anyone in that world for five minutes and they will tell you the four biggest problems in it. Why serving can feel like a chore Nobody has ever asked for more chores. Take the bins out and it is a chore. Serve my wife and somehow it is not, and the difference is not the task. Mike's answer was about who is asking, though. A menial job stays menial if you think you are doing it for your boss. If these are good works prepared in advance, the person asking you to put the chair away or say hello to someone is the Creator of the universe. "We mess it up all the time, and we don't do it, and we create a thousand reasons why we shouldn't." - Mike HarrisServing someone you do not particularly like Mike was open that this comes up for him. His way through is not to manufacture the feeling. He knows he loves God, so he serves for God, and in his experience the emotions follow rather than lead. It does not have to be a big gesture Dan brought a podcast conversation between Simon Guillebaud, who has been on a...

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If you're looking to grow in the Christian faith, or even explore it for the first time, then come and be part of the CROWD podcast. Each week we post our online church live stream which explores the big questions of life from a Christian worldview. We dig into your questions about meaning, faith and identity. We also add interviews with everyday people about their faith journey, what challenges they have faced and how they overcame them. Regardless of where you are on your faith journey, you are sure to find glimpses into the amazingness of Christ. Crowd Church is a non-denominational church and our commitment is not just to believers but also to those that might not see the point of church. Our commitment is to those who worship and those that are looking for answers to their questions. Everyone is welcome here, no matter where you are on your faith journey. For more information about Crowd Church visit: www.crowd.church. Subscribe to the Crowd Church podcast today.

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