Resurrection Power : The Gift of Prophecy

This is our Sunday teaching from Worship Pastor, Zac Carpenter. Given live at our Sunday Service in Harris Academy Purley, Croydon on Sunday 4th May, 2025. 

Below you can listen to a full audio of the teaching, there is also a summary article posted below.

Want to lead a Connect Group session based on this teaching? The notes are here.

Talk Summary : Hearing God’s Voice - Receive and Respond

How do we hear God's voice today?

That was the question at the heart of Sunday’s talk, as Zach opened up the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18. In the middle of a three-year drought, the prophet Elijah hears “the sound of a heavy rain”—a whisper of hope before a drop had fallen. It's a powerful picture of faith: hearing something before you see it, believing God even when there's no visible evidence.

Zach reminded us that prophecy begins with receiving. Like Elijah, we first need to position ourselves to hear from God. “To receive a gift, you have to be ready,” he said. That might mean slowing down, paying attention to a small sense, a whisper, or even a random thought. We often expect lightning bolts, but the Holy Spirit often begins with something as small as “a cloud the size of a man’s hand.”

Next comes responding. Elijah didn’t stop at hearing; he climbed the mountain, prayed, and kept sending his servant to check the horizon. “Go back,” he said seven times, persevering in prayer and faith even when there was “nothing.” Zach challenged us not to dismiss the small beginnings or give up too soon. “Faith,” he said, “means trusting God’s voice even when the sky is still clear.”

And yes, sometimes God does send lightning bolts—literally. Zach shared how someone at an Alpha group said, “I need a lightning bolt to believe”—and seconds later, lightning lit up the sky. But more often, hearing from God looks like stepping out in faith, taking risks, and being willing to get it wrong sometimes. “Jesus loves faith more than performance,” Zach said.

The invitation is open to all: the Spirit has been poured out on everyone. We all get to play. So whether you’re just learning or have been listening to God for decades, the question remains: Will you receive? Will you respond?