CBC Cape Town

02/04/2026

Join us for our Tenebrae service at Claremont Baptist Church this Maundy Thursday.
7:30pm

02/04/2026

Dangerous Week: Maundy Thursday
Scripture: John 13:1–17, 34–35; Mark 14:32–42
Intro
Today was dangerous for Titles, Trembling, and the Twilight hour. Jesus gathered His disciples for Passover, knowing this was His last night. He washed their feet, a task for the lowest slave. He gave a new commandment to love as He loved. Then He went to Gethsemane to pray while His friends slept. This day reveals that true greatness is found in a towel, true love is costly, and true surrender happens on your knees.
1. Title over Towel (The Scandal of Service)
Read: John 13:1–5, 12–17
The disciples had been arguing about who was greatest. Jesus knew the Father had given all things into His hands. Yet He took off His outer clothing, wrapped a towel around His waist, and began to wash filthy feet. Peter recoiled, but Jesus insisted: unless He washed them, they had no part with Him. He turned hierarchy upside down: the Master became the servant.
Reflection:
We love titles like leader, pastor, elder, CEO, parent, and influencer. But Jesus says the path to greatness is a towel, not a throne. When we cling to our status, we refuse to serve. The dangerous question of Thursday is: will you let Jesus wash you, and will you then wash others?
Questions for Congregants:
What “title” are you most protective of? How does that prevent you from taking the low place?
Is there someone in your life you consider “beneath you” to serve? What would it look like to wash their feet this week?
2. Bread over Betrayal (The New Covenant in Blood)
Read: John 13:21–30; Matthew 26:20–25
At the table, Jesus was troubled in spirit. He announced that one of the twelve would betray Him. Even as He broke the bread and offered the cup, “This is My body given for you; this is My blood of the new covenant”, Judas had already sold Him for silver. Jesus handed Judas the morsel, and Satan entered him. The most intimate meal became the moment of deepest treachery.
Reflection:
Communion is a dangerous act. We come to the table declaring our love, but Jesus sees our hearts. Judas dipped bread with Jesus and then walked into the night. We can sit at the Lord’s table while betraying Him with our actions. The question is not whether you take the bread, but whether you take it honestly.
Questions for Congregants:
As you prepare for communion (or reflect on it), is there any “betrayal” in your life, i.e. a secret sin, a broken relationship, a love for money, that you need to bring into the light?
How does knowing Jesus saw Judas’s heart and still offered him the bread change the way you receive grace?
3. Sleep over Surrender (The Agony of Gethsemane)
Read: Mark 14:32–42
After the meal, Jesus went to Gethsemane. He was deeply distressed and troubled. He fell on the ground and prayed, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” He returned to find Peter, James, and John sleeping. Three times He woke them. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Reflection:
The disciples failed at the hour of greatest need not because they were evil, but because they were tired. Their flesh overpowered their spirit. Jesus, however, surrendered completely. His prayer is the model for every hard decision: “Not my will, but Yours.” The danger of Thursday is choosing sleep over surrender, comfort over the cross.
Questions for Congregants:
What is your “Gethsemane”? The thing you are begging God to take away? Are you willing to add “nevertheless” to your prayer?
When you are tired or under pressure, do you tend to “fall asleep” spiritually (stop praying, stop watching)? What one practical change could help you stay awake with Jesus?
Closing Challenge
The “T” Connection for Today:
Title: Are you chasing recognition or carrying a towel?
Treachery: Is there any hidden betrayal in your heart that the bread exposes?
Twilight: Will you sleep through Jesus’s agony, or will you watch and pray?

01/04/2026

01/04/2026

This Good Friday, Claremont Baptist Church invites you to experience a deeply moving and immersive reflection on the crucifixion through a unique interpretation of the Stations of the Cross. More than a traditional observance, this is an opportunity to personally journey through the final hours of Jesus Christ’s life, from His condemnation to the laying of His body in the tomb.

Each station offers space to pause, reflect, and engage with the profound sacrifice made for us. Through thoughtful visuals, atmosphere, and guided moments, the experience invites a deeper encounter with the weight, love, and grace at the heart of the Easter story.

The church will be open from 7:00 a.m. on Good Friday morning, providing a quiet, contemplative environment for personal reflection. Whether you walk through the stations alone or with others, you are welcome to come as you are and encounter the story of the cross in a meaningful and fresh way.

The service proper starts at 9:30!

01/04/2026

Dangerous Week: Anointing Wednesday
Scripture: Matthew 26:1–16
Intro
Today was dangerous for Treasure, Treachery, and Timing. Jesus publicly declared that in two days He would be crucified. Yet the religious leaders plotted in secret, a woman poured out her life’s savings in extravagant worship, and one of His own disciples negotiated His betrayal. This day forces us to examine what we truly value. Will we hoard, betray, or pour out everything for the One who gave everything?

1. Treasure over Worship (The Alabaster Jar)
Read: Matthew 26:6–13
While Jesus was in Bethany, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She broke it and poured it on His head. The disciples were indignant, calling it a waste. But Jesus defended her, saying she had done a beautiful thing to prepare His body for burial. Her worship was extravagant because her love was uncalculated.
Reflection:
We often calculate the cost of worship (time, money, reputation) and decide what is “reasonable.” True worship, however, is never reasonable by the world’s standards. It pours out the most precious thing we have at the feet of Jesus, trusting that He is worth it.
Questions for Congregants:
• What is your “alabaster jar”—the most precious thing you are hesitant to give to Jesus?
• Have you ever been criticized for loving Jesus too extravagantly? How did you respond?

2. Treachery over Loyalty (The Betrayer’s Bargain)
Read: Matthew 26:14–16
While the woman was pouring out her treasure in worship, Judas Iscariot was going to the chief priests to ask, “What will you give me if I deliver Him to you?” They counted out thirty pieces of silver—the price of a slave. From that moment, he watched for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
Reflection:
Judas had walked with Jesus, seen the miracles, and heard the teaching. Yet his heart was ruled by greed and disappointment. He traded the Messiah for a sum that would barely buy a field. Betrayal rarely happens in a single moment; it begins when we let lesser loves grow louder than our love for Christ.
Questions for Congregants:
• What “thirty pieces of silver” are tempting you to compromise your loyalty to Jesus?
• Is there any area where you are secretly negotiating with sin while outwardly staying close to Jesus?

3. Timing over Fear (The Crucifixion Foretold)
Read: Matthew 26:1–5
After finishing all His teaching, Jesus told His disciples plainly, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” Meanwhile, the chief priests and elders were plotting, but they feared the people, so they looked for a secret opportunity. Jesus, however, was not hiding. He was walking toward the cross with perfect timing.
Reflection:
The religious leaders operated out of fear of the crowd; Jesus operated out of surrender to the Father. One group tried to control the timeline; the other trusted it. When we fear man, we scheme. When we fear God, we surrender to His timing, even when it leads to suffering.
Questions for Congregants:
• Are you trying to control your own timeline to avoid pain, or are you trusting God’s timing even when it is difficult?
• How does knowing that Jesus walked intentionally toward the cross change the way you face your own hard circumstances?

Closing Challenge
The “T” Connection for Today:
• Treasure: Are you hoarding what God wants you to pour out?
• Treachery: Are you holding secret loyalties that compete with Jesus?
• Timing: Are you trusting God’s calendar, or are you scheming to protect yourself?

31/03/2026

Dangerous Week: Authority Tuesday
Scripture: Mark 11:27-33
Intro
Today was dangerous for Tradition, Trepidation, and Truth. Jesus had just cleansed the Temple, and now the religious elite, chief priests, scribes, and elders, confronted Him with a question meant to trap Him: “By what authority are you doing these things?” Instead of answering directly, Jesus exposed their hearts. Their refusal to believe was not intellectual. It was a crisis of control. This is the danger of holding onto human systems while rejecting divine power.

1. Tradition over Truth (The Question That Wasn’t Honest)
Read: Mark 11:27-28
The leaders came to Jesus with a question that sounded spiritual: “Who gave You this authority?” But they weren’t seeking truth, they were defending their turf. Their traditions, positions, and interpretations had become more important than the living God standing right in front of them. They wanted credentials, not revelation.
Reflection:
We often ask God questions to justify our own positions rather than to genuinely submit. When our traditions (how we’ve always done things) clash with what Jesus is clearly doing, we face the same danger, i.e. choosing the familiar over the true.
Questions for Congregants:
• Is there a question you’ve been asking God that is actually a mask for your unwillingness to obey?
• What “tradition” in your personal life or church culture has become more authoritative to you than the living voice of Jesus today?

2. Trepidation over Courage (The Fear of the Crowd)
Read: Mark 11:31-32
Jesus countered their question with one of His own: “John’s baptism, was it from heaven or from men?” The leaders immediately began reasoning among themselves. They knew the truth (John was a prophet), but they were terrified of the people. If they said “from heaven,” Jesus would ask why they didn’t believe John. If they said “from men,” the crowd would stone them. So they chose cowardice: “We do not know.”
Reflection:
Fear of man is a cage that keeps us from acknowledging obvious truth. These leaders knew the right answer, but they lacked the courage to say it because they calculated the social cost. How often do we remain silent about Jesus because we’re afraid of what others will think?
Questions for Congregants:
• When was the last time you avoided speaking the truth because you were afraid of someone’s reaction?
• Who are you most afraid to disappoint? How does that fear affect your willingness to follow Jesus openly?

3. Evasion over Encounter (The Danger of “I Don’t Know”)
Read: Mark 11:33
After their cowardly reply (“We do not know”), Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” This wasn’t pettiness, it was a judgment. Their “I don’t know” was a lie. They did know, but they refused to submit. So Jesus closed the door to further revelation. They had an encounter with the Son of God and walked away unchanged.
Reflection:
The most dangerous place to be is not doubt, it is willful evasion. When we pretend not to know what God is asking, we risk Him turning His attention elsewhere. An unanswered question is less dangerous than a heart that refuses to answer the question it already understands.
Questions for Congregants:
• What is something God has already shown you to be true, but you are still saying “I don’t know” to avoid obedience?
• Have you ever felt God go silent because you kept deflecting His questions? What would it take for you to stop evading and start surrendering?

Closing Challenge
The “T” Connection for Today:
• Tradition: Are you honouring God’s Word or your own comfort zone?
• Trepidation: Is fear of people shaping your answers more than faith in God?
• Truth: Are you ready to say “from heaven” even if it costs you?

30/03/2026

Dangerous Week: Fig Monday
Scripture: Mark 11:12-26

Intro
Today was a dangerous day. Jesus revealed that superficial religion has an expiration date. His actions on this day were a threefold assault on hypocrisy, targeting The Fig Tree, The Temple, and The Mountain. This was a Terrifying display of what happens when faith is real versus when it is just for show.

1. Foliage over Figs (The Curse of Hypocrisy)
Read: Mark 11:12-14

Jesus was hungry. He saw a fig tree with leaves which normally indicated that fruit was present, but upon inspection, He found nothing but leaves. He cursed it, and by the next morning, it had withered from the roots.

In the Old Testament, the fig tree often symbolized the nation of Israel. Here, Jesus is enacting a parable. The tree had the appearance of fruitfulness (foliage) but none of the reality (figs). It promised what it could not deliver.

Reflection:
We often prioritize the appearance of spirituality (the foliage) over the actual substance of a transformed life (the fruit). How often do we “look the part” in public or at church while our inner lives remain barren?

Questions for CBC:

Where in your life are you relying on “foliage” (reputation, religious activity, church attendance) to cover up a lack of spiritual fruit?

Is there a specific area where God is hungry for fruit (patience, kindness, obedience) but is only finding empty leaves?

2. Profits over Prayer (The Cleansing of Purpose)
Read: Mark 11:15-19

Immediately after the fig tree incident, Jesus entered the Temple. He found a marketplace where worship was supposed to happen. People were profiting from the worship of the poor; they had turned a “house of prayer for all nations” into a “den of robbers.” He overturned the tables and restored the purpose of the house.

This connects directly to the fig tree. The Temple looked busy (foliage), but it had lost its purpose (prayer). It had become a system of profit rather than a place of connection with the Father.

Reflection:
Our “temples” (our bodies, our church, our time) can easily become cluttered with commerce, busyness, and self-interest. When profit, whether financial, social, or reputation all, becomes the goal, prayer becomes the casualty.

Questions for CBC:

What “tables” has Jesus overturned in your life? What are you currently prioritizing over your relationship with God?

The Temple was meant to be a “house of prayer.” If your life is a temple, is it primarily a place of transaction (what you do for God) or a place of communion (being with God)?

3. Doubt over Faith (The Power of Belief)
Read: Mark 11:20-26

The next morning, the disciples saw the fig tree withered. Peter was amazed. Jesus used this shocking object lesson to teach about the power of faith. He pivoted from the cursed tree to the mountain of obstacles, telling them that if they do not doubt in their hearts but believe, they will have what they say. He then connects this power to forgiveness: unforgiveness blocks the channel of faith.

The danger isn’t just hypocrisy, it is a faith that is neutralized by doubt and unforgiveness. Or maybe, unforgiveness
Is the ultimate hypocrisy? Jesus showed that faith is the antidote to the barrenness of religion.

Reflection:
We often separate our “spiritual life” from our “prayer life.” Jesus ties them together. If we harbour doubt (skepticism that God will move) or unforgiveness (a lack of mercy toward others), our faith cannot operate properly.

Questions for CBC:

What “mountain” are you currently asking God to move? Are you praying with belief, or are you just hoping out of habit?

Jesus commands us to forgive when we stand praying (v. 25). Is there someone you are holding a grudge against that is causing your faith to “wither from the roots”?

Closing Challenge
The “T” Connection:

Transparency: Are you hiding behind leaves, or are you willing to let Jesus see you clearly?

Temple: Have you turned your life into a marketplace of busyness instead of a sanctuary of prayer?

Terrain: Are you speaking to the mountains with faith, or are you letting the mountains intimidate you?

17/02/2026

It is easy to live in a state of constant asking. But the maturity of our faith is found when we pivot from being recipients to being conduits.

True "Splatter" living means your eyes are open to the needs around you. It’s a prophetic act to give when the world tells you to keep. It’s an act of worship to bless others because you’ve already been so richly blessed by God.

Who can you bless today? Let’s stop waiting for the ship and start being the vessel. 🌊

06/02/2026

Time's running out! Splatter Valentine's Event - Saturday, 14th February 2026 💕🥰⏰

06/02/2026

Don't stop now—the week of prayer was just the beginning! 🙌

We had such a powerful time seeking God’s presence for our church, our nation, and our personal lives. But as the Bible reminds us, we are called to pray without ceasing.

To help you keep that momentum going, we’ve launched a YouVersion reading plan: Prayer, from Natural to Supernatural.
It’s designed to help you continue experiencing His power every single day.

Click this link to start the plan:
http://bible.com/r/Gly