Wake Up to His Presence

Have you ever felt like your faith has gone a bit sleepy? Not gone — just a little too comfortable. You still love God, still believe, still show up — but maybe that spark, that hunger, has dimmed a little?

That’s where I found myself recently as I read Psalm 63. David wrote those words while he was in a desert — physically dry, but spiritually alive. He says:

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

David wasn’t chasing blessings; he was chasing God Himself. There’s something in that — something we need to recover.

The Awakening of Jacob

I was reminded of Jacob’s encounter at Bethel in Genesis 28. After dreaming of a stairway between heaven and earth, he wakes up saying, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

That line hit me — “I was not aware of it.”

God’s presence was there all along, but Jacob had been spiritually asleep. When he woke up, everything changed.

I think God is still in the business of waking people up — not to make life harder, but to make it more alive. He wants to stir something deep in us: a hunger for more of Him.

Holy Hunger

Too often, we settle for crumbs when God is offering a feast. In the Old Testament, there was something called the bread of the Presence — a constant reminder that God was among His people.

It makes me wonder: is there still “bread in the house”? Are we truly hungry for the presence of God — or just a little peckish on a Sunday morning?

That hunger is what David had. He said, “My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods.” That’s not about comfort or possessions — it’s about being filled with the life of God Himself. Jesus said He came to bring abundant life— and that’s not just surviving; it’s life overflowing with His Spirit.

When God Really Shows Up

Years ago, a pastor named Tommy Tenney was preaching about seeking God’s face, not just His blessings. In that moment, something remarkable happened — the presence of God filled the place so powerfully that people were weeping, praying, and rushing to get right with Him.

It was a reminder that when God shows up, everything changes. Hearts soften. Lives turn around. His presence revives what has grown cold.

Removing the Insulation

I once heard someone compare our spiritual life to an electrical wire. Power flows through it — but only if the insulation isn’t blocking it.

Maybe our “insulation” is comfort, control, or routine. If we stripped that away and let God move freely, who knows what He might do through us?

Moses’ face shone after being with God. Isaiah was purified and then commissioned. Rees Howells was transformed through surrender and became a vessel for intercession that changed lives.

The pattern is the same: presence leads to purification, which leads to purpose.

Awake, Alive, and Hungry

So maybe this is the question God is asking each of us right now:

“Do you want Me?”

Not just His help, His blessing, or His peace — but Him.

My prayer is simple: “Lord, wake me up. Stir a fresh hunger in me. Strip away complacency, and fill me again with the bread of Your presence.”

When that happens — when His presence fills the house — people will notice. There’ll be a buzz. There’ll be life. There’ll be love.

And like Jacob, we’ll find ourselves saying, “Surely the Lord is in this place… and I was not aware of it.”

This article is based on the message shared by Mike Holmes at the service on 26 Oct.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

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Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

We know meeting someone for the first time can be intimidating and going to a new church for the first time can be nerveracking. We want to help make your first experience at Bethel a great one.

Where and When

We meet at the Chapel (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am.
For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early. As we don't have our own car park, you will have to find a spot in one of the many public car parks around town. Don't worry, there is always loads of parking as it's Sunday morning and its.a very short walk.
When you arrive, you will be greeted by one of our welcomers at the door, who will show you where to sit and provide you with a "Contact Us" sheet should you want to us to contact you after the service.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the church hall.

We see our services on a Sunday like a family get together. We like to laugh and have fun. Life can sometimes be very challenging, whether you are young or old; it helps to have support and a place to belong; so on Sundays we do just that.

What you can expect on a Sunday morning at Bethel is:

A warm, friendly community of people
To be welcomed and included.
To be supported.
To be given a chance.
To sometimes laugh and sometimes cry.
To be challenged and also to have fun.
To experience the presence of God in us and in creation.
To sing, because music is probably the best way we have of expressing our emotions and gratefulness to God.
A love for the Bible and the truths in it.

Bethel04

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
Sunday Club (4 -11 years)
Young people (11+ years) They have a group meeting one week and the next join in the service in the Chapel.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, a song or two songs, notices and an all age reflection. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. We suggest that on your first visit, you go along with your child to drop them off and meet the leaders, before returning to the Chapel.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
Women's Ministries
Youth Group
Foodbank
Renew Wellbeing Cafe

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Phil Hibbert
Pastor

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.