Ivy Church

What is God building today — and what part are you called to play in it? In this message from Restoring the House – Together, Matt Donaldson explores Nehemiah 3 and the team of ordinary people who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem together. This chapter may look like a long list of names, but behind it is a powerful truth: God builds His kingdom through His people. Every person had a place on the wall, and every believer today has a part to play in building the Church and bringing restoration to the world around them. This message will challenge you to: • Discover your place in God’s plan • Move from burden and prayer into action • Live with radical faith motivated by love • Trust God with the “seed” He’s already given you Because God isn’t just building services or organisations — He’s building His Church through ordinary people saying “yes” to Him.

What happens when prayer turns into action? In this message from Restoring the House – Together, Ruth Pearce takes us into Nehemiah 2 and shows how God’s vision moves from burden… to breakthrough… to building. After months of prayer, Nehemiah steps into a God-given opportunity with courage, clarity, and a plan. He doesn’t just pray — he prepares. He doesn’t act alone — he gathers people. And through it all, we see the gracious hand of God at work. This talk will help you: • Grow an intimate, consistent prayer life • Turn vision into practical steps • Recognise God-given opportunities • Build with others, not alone Because faith isn’t just hoping something will happen — it’s partnering with God to see it happen.

How do you pray until something shifts? In this powerful message from Restoring the House – Together, Anthony Delaney takes us deeper into Nehemiah’s story and shows us how breakthrough really begins — not with strategy, but with prayer. When Nehemiah hears about the broken walls of Jerusalem, he doesn’t rush into action. He weeps, fasts, and prays — carrying a God-given burden that leads to transformation. Through his example, we learn a practical and powerful pattern for breakthrough prayer: B.R.E.A.K. — Burden, Revelation, Examination, Agreement, Knock. This message will help you: • Turn burdens into breakthrough • Pray with faith and authority • Align your prayers with God’s Word • Move from comfort to calling Because of Jesus, we don’t pray for victory — we pray from victory.

What does it really mean to be a supernatural community that’s all about Jesus? In this Ivy Central message, Anthony Delaney teaches on the person and power of the Holy Spirit — not as a vague force or feeling, but as God Himself, present and active among us. From creation to Jesus’ ministry, from the cross to Pentecost, we see how the Holy Spirit empowers ordinary people to live, serve, pray, heal, prophesy and step into everything God has called them to. This talk invites us to make room for the Holy Spirit, to be filled again, and to believe that God can work not just around us — but through us.

What if the most dangerous place for your faith isn’t out there—but right where you feel most comfortable? In this opening message of our new series Restoring the House – Together, Anthony Delaney takes us into the powerful beginning of Nehemiah’s story. Before any rebuilding begins, something deeper happens: Nehemiah sees the need, feels the burden, and turns to God in prayer. This message is a call to step out of comfort and into calling. It challenges us to pay attention to what breaks our hearts, because that may be exactly where God is inviting us to make a difference. God is still restoring lives today—and He’s looking for people who will say “yes” before they know the full plan.

What does a restored life actually sound like? In this powerful message from Book of Psalms 26, we explore how God doesn’t just change our circumstances—He transforms our hearts and gives us a new song. Restoration isn’t about trying harder or being better. It begins with an invitation from Jesus Christ: “Come to me… and I will give you rest.” In this talk, we discover: • Why Christianity starts with an offer, not advice • How God’s unfailing love (hesed) reshapes our focus • The power of moving from complaining to proclaiming • What it means to live with a new identity and a new rhythm Even in the middle of difficulty, David’s story shows us this truth: When God restores your heart, He rewrites your song. So the question is: What is your life sounding like right now? And is it time for God to give you a new song?

What if your life wasn’t just forgiven - but completely transformed? In this powerful message from 2 Corinthians 5:14–21, we explore the life-changing truth of reconciliation - how God restores our relationship with Him through a divine exchange, and then sends us out to do the same for others. At the centre of it all is this truth: Because of Jesus Christ… • He took our sin → so we could receive His righteousness • He was rejected → so we could be accepted • He was punished → so we could be forgiven This is more than self-improvement. This is new creation. And from that place of restoration, we’re given a new identity: Ambassadors of reconciliation - carrying hope, healing, and the message of grace into the world around us. You don’t have to earn it. You just have to receive it. Be reconciled to God—and step into your calling.

What if Easter really did change everything? In this powerful Easter message, we step into Gospel of Luke chapter 24 and rediscover the moment that transformed history forever. The empty tomb wasn’t just a surprising event—it was the turning point for humanity. Through the story of the women at the tomb, we see how encountering the risen Jesus Christ changes everything: • Your focus – Stop looking for life in the wrong places • Your fears – Discover faith in the presence of a living Saviour • Your forever – Find hope that goes beyond death When they remembered His words, everything shifted. And the same can happen for you today. This isn’t just a story from 2,000 years ago—this is an invitation. If Jesus is alive, it changes everything. What will you do with that truth?

At our All Together Service, Anthony explores the wonder at the heart of the Christian faith: not a distant, detached God—but a God who comes close. From Philippians 2 to Palm Sunday, we see that Jesus is not like anything we would expect. Fully God, yet fully human, He doesn’t arrive in power to destroy, but in humility to save. He lays aside glory, embraces weakness, and enters our world—not to stand over us, but to stand with us. This message reminds us that Jesus doesn’t just understand humanity from a distance—He has lived it. He knows our joy, our pain, our questions and our struggles. He is not put off by our weakness; He meets us in it. Through the cross and resurrection, we see the ultimate picture of love: a God who gives everything to restore us. And because He came close, we can come close to Him. This talk invites us to respond again to Jesus—not just to admire Him, but to trust Him, follow Him, and receive the grace He freely offers.

Diving through the book of Jonah, guest speaker Freddy Hedley teaches about how God restore the broken. Freddy is Dean of Studies and teaches Old Testament and Biblical Hebrew at Westminster Theological College. His research interests include: Hebrew poetry, especially lament poetry; exilic biblical literature; and the theological traditions of creation and covenant.

In the famous story of the Prodigal Son, most of us recognise the younger brother — the one who ran away and got lost in the world. But Jesus didn’t end the story there. In this message, Anthony Delaney explores the often-overlooked second half of the parable: the older brother who stayed home but was still lost. While he looked obedient on the outside, his heart had grown distant from the Father. The uncomfortable truth? It’s possible to be close to God geographically… but far from Him relationally. Through this powerful teaching from Luke 15, we discover that the Father is not only seeking those lost in rebellion — He is also calling those trapped in religion back into relationship. In this talk you’ll discover: • How the older brother represents religious pride and resentment • Why duty without intimacy leads to a hardened heart • The three gifts the Father offers to restore the older son • The difference between serving like a slave and living like a son • How the story invites each of us to come home At

Why did Jesus tell the story of the Prodigal Son? Because religious people were complaining about grace. In this message, Anthony Delaney explores the first half of Jesus’ famous parable in Luke 15 — the story of the younger son who leaves home, wastes everything, and ends up lost in a far country. It’s a story about rebellion, brokenness, and the consequences of trying to live life without the Father. But more than that, it’s a story about the shocking grace of God — a Father who watches, waits, and runs to welcome His children home. In this talk you’ll discover: • Why sin promises freedom but ultimately leads to emptiness • The moment the prodigal “comes to his senses” • What true repentance really looks like • Why the Father runs before the son can finish his speech • The meaning behind the robe, the ring, and the sandals Jesus reveals a God who doesn’t lock the door on those who fail — but runs to embrace them. The son expected rejection. Instead, he found restoration. The Father is still watching the roa

In a world of hurry, noise, and constant distraction, how do we truly rest in God? In Week 4 of our series How God Restores Your Heart, Anthony Delaney explores the powerful — and often difficult — practice of stillness. Drawing from Luke 10, Psalm 46, Exodus 14, and the story of Mary and Martha, this message reveals that stillness is not just stopping physically, but letting go internally — releasing control, quieting the heart, and learning to trust God again. Anthony shows how stillness restores the heart by: • Letting go of striving and fear • Reclaiming our attention for God • Creating space to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice • Finding peace in God’s presence With biblical insight, practical wisdom, and a guided moment of stillness, this talk invites anyone feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or spiritually restless to slow down and encounter God in a deeper way.

We live in a noisy world — constant demands, endless notifications, pressure to perform, and little space to breathe. So how does God restore the heart in the middle of it all? In this message, Steve Small explores the practice of solitude as a vital way God brings restoration, clarity, and strength. Drawing from Scripture, personal stories, and the life of Jesus, Steve shows that solitude is not escape or loneliness, but intentional time alone with God — long enough for the noise to quiet and the heart to listen again. This talk explores: • Why noise and busyness exhaust the soul • The difference between demand and calling • How Jesus used solitude to stay aligned with the Father • Why quietness and trust are essential for strength • How God meets us, heals us, and gives direction in stillness Rooted in Isaiah’s promise — “In quietness and trust is your strength” — this message invites us to slow down, cancel the noise, and make space for God to restore our hearts.

Recorded at Ivy's AGM on 22 Feb 2026, Anthony outlines the Ivy Church leadership's vision and plans for our Year of Restoration in 2026.

Why would God have to command us to rest? In this message from our Restoring the Heart series, Anthony Delaney explores the biblical rhythm of Sabbath — a gift we often resist but desperately need. From Deuteronomy to Genesis, from manna in the wilderness to the life of Jesus, we see that Sabbath is not laziness or legalism — it’s trust. In a culture of constant productivity, digital distraction, and endless demand, Sabbath becomes an act of resistance. It’s the weekly declaration: “God, You are God — and I am not.” This talk explores: • Why busyness can mask deeper identity struggles • How ignoring rest eventually leads to breakdown • The difference between recreation and restoration • The biblical pattern of fully ON and fully OFF • The three practical movements of Sabbath: Stop. Rest. Worship. Sabbath isn’t a luxury for when life slows down — it’s the practice that creates margin, restores the heart, and re-centres us in God’s presence. What would it look like for you to choose one day in seven — not somed

Where do you look for love — and where does your identity come from? In Week 1 of our new series How God Restores Your Heart, Anthony Delaney explores how true heart restoration always begins with restoring our identity. Drawing from 1 John 4, this message reveals that we are not meant to strive for love through performance, approval, perfection, or popularity — but to live from the unshakable love of God. Through powerful biblical insight and real-life reflection, Anthony shows how God’s sacrificial love at the cross redefines our worth, drives out fear, and makes our hearts His home. When we stop performing and start receiving, transformation begins from the inside out. This talk invites anyone who feels exhausted from striving to come home to the love that heals, restores, and anchors who we truly are.

What does it really mean to give God all of your life — not just the easy parts? In this powerful message, Louise Yuill unpacks Romans 12:1–2 and explores how true restoration comes through daily surrender. As we place our whole lives before God — our struggles, distractions, fears, and hopes — He transforms us from the inside out, renewing our minds and restoring our hearts. Louise connects biblical truth with real life, neuroscience, and the refining work of God’s Spirit, showing how lasting change is a process that leads to freedom, healing, and fullness of life. Like silver in the refiner’s fire, God removes what doesn’t belong so His image can shine through us. This talk invites us to rebuild the altar of worship, offer ourselves as living sacrifices, and trust God’s perfect will as He makes all things new.

First Fruits Sunday is a moment of recalibration — a chance to recentre our lives around who God is and what truly matters. In this message, Anthony explores how generosity flows from identity, not pressure, and why putting God first is ultimately an act of trust, love, and restored relationship. Rooted in Scripture from Genesis to the New Testament, this talk reframes First Fruits not as a law to follow, but as a kingdom principle that runs through the whole Bible. From Abel’s offering, to Christ as the First Fruits of the resurrection, to our own identity as adopted children and heirs of God, we see a consistent invitation: when God is first, everything else is rightly ordered. This message introduces a powerful image — that as God’s children, we live from an inheritance, not insecurity. We don’t give to earn God’s favour; we give because we already have it. First Fruits becomes a declaration that God is our source, our provider, and our King — and that we trust Him with our future. In this Year of Resto

As we prepare for Firstfruits, this message reminds us that generosity is never really about money — it’s about God, His grace, and what He is restoring within us. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 8–9, Anthony explores how Christian generosity flows not from pressure, obligation, or fear, but from a heart that truly knows the grace of Jesus. Before God ever asks anything of us, He gives everything — Christ Himself, who became poor so that we might become rich in life, hope, forgiveness, and purpose. This talk reframes stewardship as worship. It challenges us to see generosity not as loss, but as trust; not as subtraction, but as eternal investment. As God restores our hearts in this Year of Restoration, He also restores our perspective — freeing us from control, fear, and scarcity, and inviting us into the joy of putting Him first. This is an invitation to pray, prepare, and listen for what “first and best” looks like for you — not out of compulsion, but out of love. Because when grace restores generosity, our l