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Immanuel Christian Centre-Kitale, Kitale (2026)

25/02/2026

These five stories Jesus tells about the kingdom reveal a number of
paradoxes or tensions in the kingdom of God – here are two of them:

Success & Failure - a net with both
good and bad fish… a field with both
wheat and weeds… a sower for whom only 25% of his seeds bear fruit…The fact is, when you pursue the kingdom and seek to advance the kingdom, you will experience some ‘successes’, but also a number of what feel like ‘failures’! Part of the reason for that is that there is opposition. There is an enemy who sowed the weeds among the wheat, an enemy who snatches away the seed that falls on the path, and a very real enemy who opposes
you in your mission to bring the
kingdom.

It’s tempting to feel discouraged
when our efforts don’t seem to bear
fruit, but note that the seed that does bear fruit in the parable is exceedingly fruitful – so much so that the 25% success rate far outweighs the failure. If you know that 75% of the seed you sow won’t bear fruit, the answer is not to stop sowing, but to sow even more! True success is having the courage to be obedient and sow liberally.

Breakthrough & Obscurity - we love
the big, visible kingdom breakthrough moments (and should absolutely go after them – healing, deliverance, salvation…), but the kingdom often comes in the obscure, the ‘mundane’, the small – a mustard seed that starts small and grows big, yeast that is hidden and unseen…

Jesus said that ‘even a cup of water
given in my name will receive its
reward’ (Mark 9:41). It all counts –
your prayers, the small seeds of
loving and serving someone… don’t
grow weary of doing good – keep
looking for opportunities to sow
kingdom seeds.

24/02/2026

Jesus goes into the synagogue and reads from Isaiah 61, which was one of many prophecies in Isaiah about the Messiah – the king the Jews were waiting for, and what his kingdom would be like. For the Jews, ‘the kingdom’ was a future age, but Jesus, in claiming to be the Messiah, is saying that, through him, that future age has broken into the present.
There are 7 key characteristics of the kingdom that can be identified in the book of Isaiah – a kind of kingdom manifesto, what it looks like when the rule and reign of God comes:
• Deliverance/Salvation
• Righteousness & Justice
• Peace
• Joy
• God’s Presence
• Healing
• Comfort
These are all things that Jesus proclaimed and demonstrated, and he tells us to do the same. When we see the opposite of those kingdom characteristics, it’s an opportunity for the kingdom to come. Our ‘job’, as kingdom-carriers, is to pray and see what the Father will do – and, crucially, how he wants to use us in that.
If you’re ‘in Christ’, you belong to the King and you’re an ambassador of the kingdom – are you willing to take a risk, a step of faith and courage to bring the kingdom into the lives of others? Remember – the same Spirit that anointed Jesus and raised him from the dead now lives in you!

23/02/2026

This week, we turn our focus to ‘pursuing the Kingdom of God’. The kingdom is central to Jesus’ life, teaching and ministry, and he told his followers to proclaim and demonstrate the kingdom wherever they (we) went. ‘The kingdom’ simply means the rule and reign of God over people’s lives and all that he has made, and we are called to partner with God in advancing and extending the kingdom outside the church and into the world.
Today’s reading from Acts 10 is how Peter chooses to summarize Jesus’ life and ministry, and it’s a good model for how we are to live our lives as followers of Jesus, called to advance the kingdom. But the crucial context and starting point for Jesus came at his baptism, as he was anointed by the Spirit and the Father says: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Before doing the works of the kingdom, Jesus knew intimacy with the Father and security in his identity as a dearly-loved son. That has to be our starting point too – ‘being’ before ‘doing’. When you truly know that you are a dearly-loved son/daughter (which is a revelation of the Spirit):
• You love people better
• You are more secure and confident to take risks and respond to the Spirit
• You become more expectant of what God will do
We will consider healing later this week, but the first part of Peter’s summary is simply that Jesus ‘went around doing good’…This is where we start in pursuing the kingdom – by looking for opportunities to do good and love people in all sorts of ways, and see what God does through it.
The world is desperate to encounter the love of God and, as Spirit-filled, dearly-loved sons and daughters, we have it to give away.

22/02/2026

How do we attain the kind of
righteousness Jesus talks about
in Matthew 5:20? The Pharisees had got it wrong – Jesus criticized them often because their view of what it
meant to be righteous was corrupt. They emphasized outward appearance, not what was in the heart. They were self-righteous and paid attention to the minutiae of the
law, whilst ignoring the more important requirements of love, mercy and humility. They thought they could earn favour and be righteous through working hard to keep the rules.

We know that we have no righteousness of our own, but only
what Jesus gives us through his death on the cross, shedding his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. This results in us being born again of the Spirit of God, with a new heart and new power in our lives – a desire for love, mercy and humility. Of course, we are by no means perfect, but now have the opportunity to live in ways that please our Father God. Our righteousness is from Christ. So we can just lean back and ‘let God’ – right? Well… no.

The apostle Peter makes it clear that we also have a part to play: . “...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness,
Knowledge: and to knowledge, selfcontrol; and to self-control,
perseverance; and to perseverance,
godliness; and to godliness, mutual
affection; and to mutual affection,
love.” But doesn’t that sound a bit
like striving? Our own strength and
effort? Doesn’t that just make us like
the Pharisees? Again… no. Four
keywords come first: “For this very
reason, make every effort…”And
what is that reason? We see it in v3-4 – he has already given us everything
we need to live a godly life… we
“participate in the divine nature.”

We are to ‘make every effort’ to pursue righteousness, but only in the strength he gives us. We’re not
striving for something we’re trying to
attain, we’re living in the good of
what we’ve been given. Our effort is
required, but it’s an empowered
effort.

22/02/2026

Continuing on yesterday’s theme
of pursuing righteousness
together, today’s scripture
encourages us to “live a life worthy
of the calling you have received”
by pursuing unity in the church, by
pursuing maturity, so that the
church “grows and builds itself up
in love, as each part does its
work.” You can’t separate the
Pursuit of Righteousness from
partnering with Jesus to build the
church – and everybody has a part
to play.

We believe, as a church, that the Lord has given us the vision to be, “A diverse church of thousands that
raises a Godly generation.” This is a
big vision that is impossible apart
from God, but also requires everyone to be ‘all in’ – “one in heart and
mind.”

We can be ‘all in’ through belonging
(as discussed yesterday), through
giving, through praying together and
reaching out. And one other crucial
way of being ‘all in’, that comes out
clearly in today’s reading, is serving.
God gives his people spiritual gifts that are to be used to build up the body of Christ (the church) “until we all reach unity in the faith… and become mature…”

Of course there are a variety of ways
that our spiritual gifts can be used to build the church through serving and loving others in everyday life. But we
also have a number of serving teams (both on Sunday mornings, and
outside of Sundays) that are not only an opportunity for people to use gifts God has given them, but also an
essential part of church life and
ministry that needs everyone to play
their part.

We are to pursue righteousness
together – it involves sacrifice, it
involves adjusting our priorities,
but we can do so joyfully knowing
it’s all for Jesus – and we can never
out-give him! Everyone has a part
to play.

22/02/2026

When talking about the church, the
Bible is full of ‘one another’s’ – love
one another, serve one another,
forgive one another, bear with one
another, and so on. It’s clear that the
Christian life is to be lived together
with others. Therefore, the Pursuit of Righteousness is not simply something we do on our own, but in fellowship with one another.

At ICC Kitale we have many
opportunities to “spur one another
on toward love and good deeds”. Our Sunday morning gatherings are a very important part of church life, a key aspect of “not giving up meeting
together, as some are in the habit of
doing”, and so it’s important to be
part of it as regularly as possible.

However, in a gathering of hundreds
of people it is difficult to really know
others and be known yourself. It’s in
this kind of context and relationship
that we are able to share things going on in our lives and “spur one another on”. That’s where small groups come in – an essential part of being ‘all in’ and truly having a sense of belonging and connection in the church, a shared purpose and mission. It’s very easy to join a small group at ICC Kitale.

There are groups running throughout the week: some in the day, some in
the evening, and in different locations of the town. You can plug in into any of them or even begin one in your neighborhood.

Who is spurring you on in the pursuit of righteousness? Who are you
spurring on and encouraging? Being
part of a small group is an essential
part of this. Too busy? Don’t have the time? It’s really a question of
priorities.

19/02/2026

Sometimes pursuing righteousness can seem a rather dull, middle of the road way of life. Far from it! The Bible says of Jesus that ‘he went around doing good’ (Acts 10:38).In the course of a day there are often multiple opportunities to do good. They may seem small – a word of appreciation, a polite response, a friendly word with a neighbour, a phone call, an encouraging text message.
It’s tempting to think that doing good is only about the so-called big things in life: going on a mission, giving money, serving a ministry in the church. These things are, of course, valuable and necessary and part of what it means to do good, but most of our life is lived in the everyday “ordinary”: spending time with family, being among colleagues at work, or online or on the phone.
To do good is to reveal something of the character of God.
So it’s ‘Yes’ to good, but a resounding ‘No’ to evil.

19/02/2026

Psalm 23:3 (RSV) – “He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Wow! Amazing! I am not doing this on my own. What a relief, otherwise I would fail pretty spectacularly. Jesus is not only with me, but leads me too.
The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 1:6 “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” We used to sing a song with these words, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.” God has initiated our salvation. He’s begun the good work. Like a master builder, he’s laid a sure foundation and we are given the privilege of building on it. Not only that, but we have the master builder alongside us showing us how to build.
Jesus talked about two houses being built, one on sand and one on solid rock. When the storms came only the house built on solid rock stood, the other collapsed. By paying attention to Jesus’ words and putting them into practice, we can build the house of our lives on solid rock. For there will be storms in life: storms in relationships. Storms in health issues. Storms in work situations.

Jesus leads me out of the darkness, even though some of the paths may be rocky and difficult. He leads me to a place of being secure in my identity of being his child. He leads me to a place of rest. He leads me to experience his presence that nothing on Earth can compete with. He ultimately leads
me home. All I have to do is follow his encouraging lead.
Jesus is the ultimate shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep and in our pursuit of righteousness he is not about to abandon us as we seek to live out his word.

19/02/2026

Given that through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross we are now made righteous before God, our priorities in life should then be shaped by that truth. People seek all sorts of things in life: happiness, a good career, money, fame, popularity and so on. To seek something indicates a focus to the exclusion of other things.
Jesus is not saying that we shouldn’t be concerned about everyday things, but that they should be secondary. I guess it’s a matter of trust too. Trusting that the Lord knows what we need and will provide it. He’s not saying we shouldn’t go shopping or buy clothes. We have been called into God’s big mission to the world. That means both locally and further afield.
To seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness is to align our desires with what God wants: to be a dedicated family member of his mission to planet Earth. If I was an astronaut chosen to go to the Moon, I would be part of a big mission. But I would still have to fill my car with petrol, put the bins out, take the kids to school, do some food shopping, pay bills and so on, but this would all be under the umbrella of the priority of getting ready for the mission to go to the Moon. That would be my priority.
How might this dedication to God’s mission for us be revealed in our lives? What things in our life will it affect? Here are a few: how we relate within our immediate family, with those living around us, with those we work alongside. How we spend our money. How we use the abilities the Lord has given us. What we allow in our mind through TV and social media.

16/02/2026

The Lord Jesus died on the cross, shedding his blood, so that we would be righteous in God’s sight. It is the gift of God. We can now enjoy restored relationship with God. This will always remain true, no matter how “good” we have been. By faith we grasp hold of this truth.
This is not an excuse to live carelessly, but a calling to use the gift of Jesus’ righteousness as a springboard into a life that reveals something of the character and nature of God himself. The wonderful truth is that the Lord
gives us the Holy Spirit to be our helper, so that we are not doing this on our own. The pursuit of righteousness is not a performance, but a relationship.
The apostle Paul, who wrote this passage, considered all his religious credentials as worth nothing compared to knowing Jesus. As children of God, born of the Spirit we can call God, “Abba – Father” (Romans 8:15), and so we can approach God confidently because Jesus has made us righteous in God’s sight. Out of this wonderful truth we are able to see pursuing righteousness not as a chore, but as a delight.
Every day brings us new opportunities to live in ways that reveal something of our relationship with God. Even if we fail and at times we will, God’s desire is for us to get back up on our feet and to pursue righteousness in all we think, do and say.

16/02/2026

In 1985, family therapist, Edwin Friedman, coined the phrase ‘a non-anxious presence’. It refers to a person who is able to remain calm and peaceful in the face of chaos, conflict or adversity. One person’s emotional state can strongly influence the feelings of others. If one person in a family or workplace feels stressed, it can change the mood of the whole room. Anxiety cascades from one person to everyone around them. In the same way, so too can peace and stability.
When we join Paul and Silas in this story, they are stuck in prison, having been stripped, beaten and clamped into stocks. First century prisons were horribly brutal, so they had every reason to feel anxious. And yet, here they are, praying and singing hymns. What a demonstration of their deep trust in God!
After the earthquake, the jailer panics and goes to kill himself, because he knows he’ll be punished harshly if any prisoners have escaped. But, despite all they’ve been through that day, Paul and Silas have the presence of mind to do the right thing. They manage to keep the prisoners together, and in doing so, they demonstrate God’s extraordinary kindness to the jailer.

Their non-anxious presence not only saves the jailer’s life but causes him and his whole family to put their faith in Jesus. As bearers of the Holy Spirit and followers of the Prince of Peace, Christians should be the least anxious presences in the world. We should carry the Lord’s supernatural peace into situations in such a way that it changes the atmosphere and causes people to ask questions about the God we trust.
There’s a beautiful moment at the end of this story when the newly converted jailer himself becomes a bearer of peace (v36). Peace is powerful, and our anxious world desperately needs it. Let’s be people who demonstrate with our lives the difference that God’s peace makes.

Immanuel Christian Centre-Kitale

25/02/2026

24/02/2026

23/02/2026

22/02/2026

22/02/2026

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19/02/2026

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Tuesday	09:00 - 17:00
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