CURRENT SERMON SERIES · AUTUMN 2026
Covenant & Kingdom
Who am I? What am I here for?
Two questions we all carry. Two threads woven through the whole Bible.
Our six-week Covenant & Kingdom series explores the relationship we were made for and the responsibility God entrusts to us. From creation, through the stories of Abraham, Joseph, David, Jonathan and Mephibosheth, to Jesus, we discover how belonging and purpose belong together.
Covenant: made to belong
God is our Father. Our identity as his children is a gift, and obedience grows from that relationship. We do not have to earn our way into his love.
Kingdom: made for a purpose
God is our King. He gives us authority and power to represent him—serving, caring for and blessing the world he loves.
LATEST TALK SUMMARY · WEEK 1
Two Threads, One Story
Before we do anything for God, we are made in his image: wanted, loved and invited to belong. In the same breath, God gives humanity a purpose—to represent his good rule by tending, protecting and caring for his creation. Relationship comes first; responsibility flows from it.
Genesis 3 shows both threads unravelling. The serpent questions God’s voice and invites humanity to grasp as an achievement what was already given as a gift. Shame, hiding and blame follow. We reach for our own “fig leaves”—achievements, image or busyness—to cover ourselves. Yet God still comes looking for his children, asking, “Where are you?” He clothes them and begins the story of rescue.
The invitation is to hear the Father’s voice again: we are loved before we achieve anything, and we can trust his goodness even as we wrestle with hard questions. From the first garden, through Jesus’ resurrection at the garden tomb, to the garden city at the end of the Bible, God is restoring both our relationship with him and our purpose in his world. We are made to belong to him and to work with him.
Follow along with the slides
Play the talk above, then use the arrows in the viewer to move through the slides at your own pace. On a phone, tap the slide viewer to open it full screen.
There is no video recording for Week 1. The audio is available on Spotify.
Take it into the week
- Which thread feels more frayed: knowing that you belong, or knowing what you are for?
- What are your “fig leaves”—the things you reach for to cover up, impress or stay safe?
- If you heard God ask, “Where are you?” this week, what would you say? What tone of voice would you hear?
The journey through the series
- Two Threads, One Story — Genesis 1–3: belonging and purpose at creation.
- Covenant: The Father Heart of God — Abraham, Hosea 11 and Luke 15: receiving our identity as a gift.
- Kingdom: Joseph Called to Rule — Genesis 37–41: authority given to serve the King.
- David & Jonathan: Covenant Brothers — 1 Samuel 18 and 20; 2 Samuel 1: loyalty shaped by covenant.
- Mephibosheth: A Seat at the King’s Table — 2 Samuel 9: belonging freely given and power used to lift up the powerless.
- Jesus: The King Who Cuts Covenant in His Own Blood — Luke 22 and John 19: both threads fulfilled in Jesus.
Each week we’ll add a summary, available recordings and slides here.
Latest Philly audio
The latest recording from St Thomas Philadelphia appears below. For Week 1, use the permanent episode link above.
Recent Philly videos
Browse recent recorded talks from Philadelphia. This feed includes talks from other series; Week 1 of Covenant & Kingdom is available as audio only.
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