Sermons

God's Promises Sealed

In the uncertain times that we are living in, it is easy to forget who is in charge and that He has a plan. It is even easy to forget the many ways He has poured out blessings upon us. The Apostle Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians reminding the Church about the amazing things God has done already in this world, even before it was created. He then looks to the future and speaks of God's promise and seal of an eternal inheritance that is awaiting believers. Come along this Sunday morning as we delve into the first chapter of the book of Ephesians.

Beyond Good and Evil

This morning we want to look at that moment in time when everything went horribly wrong for humanity. In the midst of paradise, a seemingly harmless suggestion leads to a desire to be-come rulers of our own destiny, independent from God. But then, as now, our craving for superior knowledge and individual greatness only destroys those relationships which make us truly human.

Growing the Kingdon

Growing the Kingdom

In 2 Peter 3:18 God's people are told that they are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We looked at that verse in two evening services in October and November, and this morning I want to combine some of the main things that we saw in the preaching. There is still another sermon to come, focusing on yet other important truths, and I hope to deal with that in the morning service on February 12.

From the Cradle to the Cross

With all the positive sides that there are to Christmas, we must realize that not everyone was pleased with this miracle: Immanuel, God with us!
Jesus had to face persecution very soon after He was born; King Herod wanted Him out of the way. But he failed.
And Jesus continued on another 33 years of suffering and rejection, and then His earthly life came to a bitter end. What was the cause of His death? OUR SINS!
So Christmas is also a time for personal reflection.

Part 3 - God Incarnate

What happened in the barren womb of the virgin girl was the most explosive and creative miracle God had ever blessed humanity with. This sunday's message we seek to learn why.

Jesus is for Ordinary People

At the slight risk of offence, it can be said that most Aussies are 'ordinary' people who have 'ordinary' jobs and 'ordinary' families. When it comes to religion - and in particular a religious celebration of Christmas - many people say: 'well, what has it got to do with me?' Doesn't religion belong to a time and date in history when it was relevant for a very different society than us? Others say: 'yes, we should hold on to our religious roots, as it is part of our heritage, but honestly, it has little bearing on how we live our lives'. This morning we will learn from some very ordinary people who came to see the true relevance of Christmas for their lives.

The Trinity's Masterpiece

What happened in the barren womb of the virgin girl was the most explosive and creative miracle God had ever blessed humanity with. This sunday's message we seek to learn why.

Can God make you a Christian?

Recently I had a conversation with someone about evangelism. We mused on the great need of teaching Christian children how to evangelise. In the course of our conversation it felt almost as if we have lost sight of God's ability and eagerness to show himself to people who don't know him. It's almost like we don't expect or anticipate to see God bringing people to faith - it's an aspect of the kingdom of God that seems to have gone off the radar for many Christians. Why is that, we wondered? Is it because we live in a world where God is less active? Is it that our world is so far removed from God that we see fewer and fewer people turning to him? Can he really show himself to people around us whom we just cannot see coming to faith? This morning we will see how the story of three characters we usually meet in a nativity set has some great truths to tell us about the questions above.

The Incarnation

In this service Craig unpacks the truth about Jesus being fully 100% God as well as being fully 100% man.

Tired? Stressed? You'll feel better with God

The birth of a baby is always a moving event. We can't help but be overawed when we see new life come about. As we are entering the festive season, we stop and recognize a very special birth, that of Jesus Christ. Right from the beginning we see that this was no ordinary birth - no ordinary conception, no ordinary parents. He was truly something special. For the next few Sundays, we'll look at some of the amazing events and truths surrounding the birth of this man, Jesus Christ.

Running the Race with Faith

I watched my five year old daughter run a race for the first time a few months ago and it wasn't easy, I think I found it harder than she did. But life is a lot like a race, it has a starting point, it has a marked out course, and it has a goal, a finish line that we're striving for. In Hebrews 11 we see a list of those who have run before us, and the thing that unites them all is faith. So what is faith? What does it look like? And how do you run the race we call life with faith?

Don't Back Down - Build Up

Nehemiah was granted permission and the responsibility to take his people back toJerusalemto rebuild the broken city walls and gates. The repair was necessary to protect the 'holy city' from enemy attacks. After the work had begun, he faced scorn, slander, and threats from enemies, i.e. external threats, as well as fear and discouragement from his own people, i.e. internal threats. We also have a responsibility to safeguard our lives from spiritual attack. We are well aware of the external attacks that come upon us, but sadly, there are subtle attacks from within the christian community that hinder God's work and destroy sections of his Church.

What does Worship look like?

When you think of the word Worship - what sort of images come to mind?

Some scenes from Mel Gibson's Apocalypse where tribal people sacrifice human hearts?

People in a church singing while led by a band?

The silhouette of a girl on a beach with her hands stretched out towards the sun setting over the water...or what?

Today we'll look at another, perhaps very different picture of what worship truly looks like...

Abolitionist Sunday - Any Slavery in Australia?

Today is recognised as Abolitionist Sunday by churches around Australia who want to take action to abolish human trafficking and slavery.

It may surprise many people that slavery is still a big problem today, with an estimated 27 million people having been trafficked.

Today we recognise that this is a challenge to us as Christians - joining the next generation of abolitionists to shed light on this injustice and finally end human trafficking and slavery.

Growth # 2

Tonight we will have a further look at "growing in grace" as per 2 Peter 3:18.

iWorship vs Worship

How often have you looked at another person and secretly envied their sense of hapiness, fullness or closeness to God? It just seems as if there is something in their experience of life which makes yours look dry, lacking and even makes you angry! Do these people indeed have something that you don't and if so what is it and how do we get it? With these questions in mind, we will look at an old story of two brothers in the Bible and find some answers.

Be a Good Workman

Faced with persecution and opposition, Paul urged Timothy to continue his preaching and teaching ministry without fear or shame, utilising the gifts given to him by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to be wise and strong and God honours our confident testimony, even when we suffer. To overcome the fear of what people might say or do, we must take our eyes off people and focus on Jesus. We can count on opposition and hardship as we serve Christ, but He will give us the strength we need to persevere. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

Show Respect

One of the greatest lessons we can possibly learn is that respect for God is fundamental to a good attitude to the people around us. In the words of the Bible, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is about knowing what to do and what not to do, when. Wisdom requires values and selfcontrol.

God's fundamental value for life is love; to love God himself and to love the person God puts on your way. That must become the desire of our hearts, to love because we have discovered the joy of being loved by God.

Friendship is Forever

Despite there being more people in the Redlands and we can communicate more effectively than ever, statistics show that people are feeling increasingly lonely. What's going on and how do we fix the problem? As we look at Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 this morning we will see yet again how the Bible's counter-cultural insights points us into the direction of a world where true friendship reigns.

Christian Growth

We will look at 2 Peter 3:18, and this will be the first sermon dealing with this text. There will be a second sermon to follow., at a later date.

One of the worst things that can happen to a mother must be when she is told by the nurse at the clinic: Your baby is not growing, not growing at all! To hear that must be quite devastating, for 'new life' is supposed to grow, new life is meant to develop and mature.

How devastating it must be for God when He sees that there are those who claim to be Christ-followers and yet they do not grow and develop as people of God.

What can we learn from the Scriptures about that?

Love the giver

As Aussies we are given so much to be thankful for in our part of the world. Aussies who have accepted the gospel have a share in an even greater gift - the promise of eternal life with our Creator. Is it possible for us to value these promises and gifts of God more than God himself and how will it become evident if we do?

Dream a Dream

Joseph had a dream laid upon him from God. He proceeded to share this dream with his brothers who then in turn hated him for it.

What dream is God putting in your heart. How are you going to deal with any ridicule you get when you share it.

May God be with You

It is with much thankfulness to God, that one of our leaders of the orphanage, Israel was able to get his visa application approved and be our special guest at church this Sunday.

Israel will be sharing God's word with us both in the morning and evening services.

Genesis 2: Back to the Future

When we look at the way the world works, we often find ourselves saying "This is not right. That's not how things should be".

There seems to be, tucked away in the back of our minds somewhere, images of beauty, truth and justice that we find missing from the picture we see around us each day.

Where do these sort of ideas come from, and is there any hope that they will become reality one day?

Genesis 2 deals with some of these questions, as it presents us with a mix of what used to be and what is yet to come.

US teaching the ANGELS?

The setting of this part of Scripture: The gospel is spreading throughout the world, and the Christian community continues to develop.

As one author puts it: History is the theatre, the world is the stage, and church members in every land are the actors. God himself has written the play, and he directs and produces it. Act by act, scene by scene, the story continues to unfold.

But who are the audience?

THE ANGELS! (Eph 3:10,11)

The angels must have been so amazed when they see Gentiles and Jews in the new society as equals!

In the church the angels see the manifold wisdom of God (verse 10) and his eternal purpose (verse 11). This has all become clear in the ministry of Christ Jesus our Lord.

God's Plan for Families

There has been no shortage of advice for families. We've had Dr Spock, Super-Nanny, as well has all kinds of advice from other well meaning people who at times made a lot of money and or fame dreaming up different ways to bring up kids.

So where is it really at?

God not only cares to bring us into a new and forgiven relationship with him but also gives us instruction how we are to live into that forgiven and renewed relationship. The work of the Holy Spirit is also shown in our family life as an expression of our gratefulness to God for the grace He has shown us in Christ.

Let us then be instructed from God's Word this morning about this matter.

God's Word and You

"The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul" speaks the Psalmist. You may wonder why King David can speak so highly of God's law that he says we should even meditate on it continually. This Sunday morning we will look at Psalm 19 to see what the Psalmist is talking about and discover how God's law relates to us today.

What Am I Here for?

We were all saddened by the tragic loss of life in the recent house fire at Slacks Creek. At the same time I was deeply humbled by the outpouring of praise to God in the midst of such a tragedy. While many will question why a loving God would allow this to happen or even question whether there is a God, the answer came as ... "In spite of the pain, people were singing praises to God. If anything holds these people together, and the community together, it is their faith in God. ... They have tremendous faith and belief that He always knows what is best for us.....we believe He has something good for us." (Mr Pale , Community elder, Sunday Mail 28 August 2011). This family has found the reason, the significance and the purpose of life. Have you?

Who is in control of your life? God?

Some months ago we looked at some important New Testament teaching as regards the wonderful truth that each Christian is indwelt by the Spirit of God. When a person believes in Christ as Lord and Saviour, the Spirit 'moves' into that person's life, to - as it were - claim that person for the Kingdom by taking up residence. Christ, through His Spirit, says: This person is mine!

And yet, the Bible tells us that a Christian is to be 'filled with the Spirit'.

Is there a difference between 'being indwelt by the Spirit' (Eph 1:13) and 'being filled with the Spirit' (Eph. 5:18)? Look these verses up in your Bible.

There is a difference, and we want to search that out this morning, and see what practical implications it has.

Be Filled with the Spirit

Today is Father's Day, a happy occassion where we take time to honour and thank the men in our lives to whom we owe so much. Yet despite the joys and successes of fatherhood we celebrate today, the cost of 'fatherlessness' in our culture is simply HUGE! In terms of dollars and cents, research estimates that 'fatherlessness' is costing us as a nation $13 billion per year! This is not to mention the cost in deep hurt and loss that is passed on from one generation to the next nor the many statistics of substance abuse, teenage pregnancies and even crime that are directly related to 'fatherlessness'. Many fathers (even in the church) are totally stressed out about raising children. For many if feels that their children are becoming 'fatherless children' even with them in the home and despite their very best efforts to be good fathers. Amidst all this, fathers and children wonder: is there a key to being a good and 'successful' father? Tonight we will see that there is such a key and we will take a look at what it is that makes us good fathers to our children and good children to our fathers.

Don't Despair - Being to Repair

What the church needs is......! Why don't our politicians do something about....! If it were up to me I would...! Self-proclaimed know-alls, arm chair critics sideline spectators ...everybody knows one...or two or three...! We really need people who will get in and do something to fix a situation or solve a problem. We need people of action. Nehemiah saw a problem and was prepared to do something about it. He acknowledged that he was part of the problem. He, as well as the Israelites had sinned. He was honest to admit his own sin and failure. We really need people who will not just discuss a situation but will do something about it. Will you be a person on whom God can depend to act for Him in your world.

In the Beginning .. God

When we start reading the book of Genesis we are often daunted by all the questions that people have thrown at this book over the past 100 years or so. But do we really need to answer these questions, or is it like trying to teach grammar from a recipe book, and missing the point of why the book was written? This Sunday night we want to try to let Genesis speak for itself and understand better what God has to say to us - in His own words.

The Mark of the Beast

In the church today, we leave a track - footprint. Are we leaving a track that is deceiving or one that is fitting of God's grace. Is our track showing a loving Christian life style ?

In Revelations the angel of God tell us we need to be fearing of God. Todays message will help us to understand what this means, and how we can go about this command, and then in turn reveal tracks that are honourable and faithful.

Christ has been Raised

The message in the gospel of resurrection is seen by the Apostle Paul as absolutely fundamental. After all, as Paul suggests, And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile

This message will seek to ask and answer the question, how should the truth about resurrection our effect daily Christian lives.

Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus

Many people start the Christian journey but never finish it. Sometimes as Christians we can start to drift away from our commitment to Jesus Christ. So how do you run with perseverance the race that God has marked out for us? How do you finish well? How do you cultivate your faith, so that it grows stronger rather than weaker? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews tells us to fix our thoughts on Jesus. As he shows us how Jesus is our greatest example of what it means to be faithful he teaches us five principles about faith and three ways we can cultivate our faith.

To Seek and to Save

Although it does not always feel like it,living in the Redlands means that we live in an affluent, western culture. Many, if not most of us have everything we need to get by very comfortably. It is amidst these circumstances that it becomes very relevant to ask: 'what does Christianity have to offer us?' 'Why do we need religion and why have churches?' We will see from the gospel of Luke why we need Christianity; who it is meant for and how the vital message of Christianity is communicated to the culture in which we live.

Grace Given to the Guilty

Seeking revenge is so luring... but never heals the hurt. OT Joseph had serious reasons for seeking revenge from those who mistreated and misrepresented him. He'd been incarcerated in jail. Sold as a slave. Threatened with death. Joseph suffered heavy duty wrongs! The world screams 'seek compensation!' 'You deserve revenge!' But that's not God's way. Join us tonight as we see how Joseph lived God's instructions: Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Do not take re-venge. (Rom.12:17, 19)

Reaping the Rewards of Righteousness

Driving a car when the wheels are aligned right makes driving easier. Living life when wisdom from above directs your steps make living easier. Old Testament Joseph models this as well as anyone. There were times he had to consciously realign his heart to stay the course he'd committed his life to. Tonight we'll discover principles that we can implement in our lives so we too reach our life's goals.

None but You

All of us are bombarded with voices telling us who we can be, what we should do, how we should live. But which voice do we choose? Even if we would like to say we choose the voice of God over the voice of the world, why do we choose Him over the others? Even in our churches there are a multitude of voices calling for action, assertion or assimilation on a huge variety of things, from church events to matters of vision and direction. Whose voice do we listen to? Join us this Sunday morning to get back to the heart of hearing the One whose voice needs to be heard, needs to be followed, and needs to be trusted.

Why and How Long ?

Tonight, I want us to wrestle with the questions all of us face more often than we perhaps want to admit: Is it really possible that good can come through bad? Are there silver linings to dark clouds? Why do we have to face sad and bad things in life? Doesn't the Bible say; '... the peace of God will be given to me when I ask?' (see Philippians 4:6-7) I do ask... but I do not have peace. And doesn't the Bible say; 'all things will work for the good of those who love God?' (see Romans 8:28). I love God and things are not working out for good for me.
Through the life of Joseph we'll tackle these questions...

The World vs Jesus

Australians love watching their favourite team. But did you know that everyone is actually part of a team? The passage we'll be looking at this Sunday morning comes from the gospel of John where Jesus outlines for us two teams. These two teams encompass the whole of humanity, with some in one and the rest in the other. What are these two teams and what is the relationship between them? Find out this coming Sunday morning.

Who will you worship?

We all have a set of answers to life's important questions - a set of beliefs. Whether we admit it or not, or even whether we are aware of it or not, our beliefs inevitably spur us on to devote ourselves exclusively to some thing(s) or someone in our lives which determines how we live. The Bible passage we will look at has some things to say about our set of beliefs. We will see if beliefs are only relative or if there is only one that is absolute and true? If there is, why is it better than the claims of all the other sets of belief and how does it affect our lives?

God, what are you doing to us?

Ever feel like you're in the washing machine? All your plans get turned upside down, all your expectations dashed, and you wonder whether God really knows what he is doing? Why does this happen? What good can come from this? How will we ever survive? Sometimes God leads his people into situations like this to teach them important things about himself.

The Holy Spirit Sad or Glad?

This is an amazing Scripture! For it speaks of the Holy God living within unholy people through His Spirit. And the unholy people: that's us. No, we may not be as bad as some other people, but in our words, thoughts, and actions, do we not often fail God's standards? Somewhat like the apostle Paul in Romans 8: "For what I do, is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing." And yet, because of Christ Jesus, the Spirit of God desires to live within the believer. He is God's mark of ownership, God's seal of security, God's guarantee that one day God's people will see their Saviour face to face! The Bible does not teach that the mark, the seal, the security, will be removed when we do not measure up to God's will, but it does warn against causing the Spirit sadness and grief. Every Christian will often have to examine his/her life and heart: How and where do I bring sadness to God's Spirit. For He is the Holy Spirit, and whatever is unholy, brings grief to God's amazing gift in Christ.

Be All You Can Be

How much would you be willing to pay for a piece of fruit? In Japan someone paid more than $6000 for one Densuke watermelon. Grown only on the northern island of Hokkaido, this beautiful dark-green fruit looks like a bowling ball. The fruit's rarity brought an astronomical price on the market. Christians have fruit that is far more precious than the Densuke watermelon. It is the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Each "fruit" is a different aspect of Christlikeness. A rare and delicious fruit may bring a premium price in the marketplace, but Christ-like character is of far greater worth. Becoming like Christ is a life long experience. Therefore we need patience with others and ourselves. All of us will have challenges and disappointments along the way. But if we put our trust in Him, we'll grow spiritually and have character qualities that will radiate new life.

Resisting Temptation

Our window into Joseph's life focuses on his response to
the temptations he was exposed to by Mrs Potiphar. She wanted to have a
sexual affair with him! Joseph resisted. He said to her: My master has
withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then
could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Gen.39:9) You'd think
he'd be commended for his integrity eh? Not so! This led him into prison.
And the question we all ask comes to the fore again: Why do unfair and bad
things happen to good people? Join us tonight as we wrestle with this
question.

Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the Spirit.

Only 2 weeks ago the Christian church celebrated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It'll be good to have another look this morning at some crucial truths about the Spirit in the lives of those who love Jesus. Ephesians 2:13 refers to the Spirit's ministry as a seal on the believer's life, which is not only a sign of ownership, but at the same time gives everlasting security. As Eugene Peterson paraphrases: 'Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the Spirit.'

Joseph - Favoured Son, Hated Brother

In this first sermon in a series on the life of OT Joseph, we see how dysfunctional Joseph's family of origin was. Sad and bad events caused unbelievable heartache and hardship to this large family. Yet, their dysfunction didn't thwart God's plans for using this family to fulfil His plan for His people. What do we learn in sermon 1 that's applicable to you and me today? Three things: 1) No family is exempt from troubles: 2) No enemy is more subtle than passivity: 3) No response is more cruel than jealousy.

Jesus is enough

In the world there are all sorts of religious practices out there. From animal worship to flagellation, people do many various things in order to appease their so-called deity. This was the same in the Apostles' day, with some groups of Jews insisting on festival and Sabbath keeping in order for forgiveness. While other Gentiles spread the practice of angel worship. But the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2 lays out his argument about why all these other systems are in fact worthless and futile and builds the case that Jesus is truly enough.

Real Community

On the surface the book of Philemon seems to be about a runaway slave, his conversion and then Paul's attempt to have him reunited with his master. And that is certainly the story behind the letter. But interwoven in this story is so much teaching on the nature of Christian Community. That as the body of Christ, we are created by Christ and for Christ, to share an imitate Christ's work by forgiving each other. So, as we have been in the AM services the last month, this Sunday, by studying Philemon, we will look at Real Community

Real Community - Family Acceptance

So far in our series "Real Community" we have seen the call to love each other as Christ has loved us. But this week we are going to look at an aspect of Christian community that makes it unlike any other we could experience, as we see community forged on the front line of mission. As we wrap up our series in Romans we will be looking at Paul's greetings in 16:1-16, and his call to "Greet one another with a Holy Kiss" and the type of community that this envisages.

Me, me, me

This service is led by the HSM. The topic for the service is 'Me, me, me'. Looking at the way our self centred culture impacts us and, most importantly, how Jesus calls us into a kingdom that is about service.

Real Community Love - How To

Over the last couple of weeks we have looked at the issues of love and unity within the church. We have been challenged by how living under Jesus, in the church, asks from us a completely different attitude from what we know anywhere else. One that seeks to constantly give, instead of receive. But with an inbuilt compass that wants to point to 'me', a society that tells me that its all about 'me' and trying to love people who are less than perfect, we may begin to wonder how this is actually possible.
This not only calls us again to live in love, but helps us understand both the motive and the method for living this way.

Compassion

This Sunday evening we have Kevin Rietveld preaching. Kevin and his wife Machi are CRCA missionaries in Solomon Islands. As well as preaching, Kevil and Machi will be sharing about some of their work.

Real Community - Unity

In John 17 Jesus prayed for the church. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. But really, as we look at the church and the pressures that are applied we have to question whether this is really possible. But this week we continue our series on "Real Community" by looking at the issue of unity, and continue to work through Romans 12 we begin to see God's answer through Paul's writing - a life and a community that is completely focused on others. Sounds impossible? The gospel suggests otherwise

Real Community - Love

LOVE. It's sung about, spoken about, written about, acted out in numerous different ways. For different people it can mean very different things- for some people love is equated to lust, for others, a strong liking. But generally our definitions and experiences of love are self focused. But for the follower of Jesus, knowing the love of God in Christ, love takes on a whole new meaning. Its more than an emotion. Its not focused on ourselves. This week we start a four part series called "Real Community" looking more at Paul's teaching in Romans 12-16. This Sunday we start with Romans 12:9-13 and Paul's call for the real community to be marked by love. A tough kind of love that follows the model of Jesus and goes a long way to creating a real community.

Who Should Lead the Church???

At the moment we are calling for nominations for the office of elder in the church. So this Sunday we want to look at eldership in the New Testament. Who are these people, how are they called, what is their role, and what qualifications should we look for as we nominate men to serve? It's a big topic, but we pray that God will give us great insight into this role and office within the church.

Accept one another

The more we read the stories of the New Testament churches, the more clearly we see the glory of God's grace in the midst of human frailty, sinfulness and disobedience. As the Reformer Martin Luther once said:

Christians are always sinners and at the same time righteous.

Well, that is abundantly clear from the events in the Roman congregation, when we read in chapters 14 and 15 what is happening there. The problem that bothered that church is very far removed from us today, in more ways than one. But the way the apostle Paul is aiming to lead these people of 2000 years ago in a God-pleasing direction, is also very instructive for us today.
What can you and I learn in 2011 from this ancient situation, and particularly where our congregation is today. But it's not only a matter of hearing what God speaks to us right now, what needs to follow is doing things. And for now it is the matter of forgiving, receiving it and giving it.

The Gospel in the city

No doubt the Redlands is a great and blessed place to live in. It is comfortable, clean, affluent. If you could be born anywhere in the world, few places would be as attractive as here. But the reality is that underneath it all the Redlands is as sick as any other community in the world, because its a community that needs Jesus, a community whose only hope is the life changing gospel to be proclaimed and responded to. Last week as we looked at the gospel in Philippi we saw the power of God at work in the lives of individuals and their households. This Sunday, as we look at the gospel in Ephesus we will be looking at how God works in a whole city to bring change

The Gospel at Work

There seem to be so many barriers to people becoming Christians. People are too comfortable, they don't need God. People love their sin, who would want to give it up (we don't want to, and we know the grace of God). And giving up a sleep in on a Sunday morning, really? But despite all the barriers the amazing news is that it still happens. People move from death to life through Jesus. And this week we are going to see how it happens, how God is at work and how he is calling us to get involved as we trust in him. This week and next we are wrapping up our Acts series, so read ahead in Acts 16:13-35.

Everything is new

Did anyone really know on that first Good Friday, what was going on? Did people understand the significance of Jesus' death on the cross? While at the time it might not have been clear, God left some pretty powerful signs for the world that this death was more than just an 'injustice' or a 'mistake' - it was in fact God's work of making everything new, a new relationship with him, and a new way of life and living. The great news of Easter is that God is still about that work, and calls us to still come to him to be made new once again.

What's the Kingdom of God

Whenever the queen visits Australia, many of us may wonder: 'what's it like living in a kingdom?' or 'what's it like having a king?' It's something we Aussies are not really familiar with, are we? In fact, most Aussies probably dread the idea of living under a king. We find, however, that Easter - a tradition that we all love to celebrate - has very much to do with the coming of a kingdom into our world. Easter celebrates the coming of the kingdom of God into our world. Now the mention of the words 'kingdom of God' sparks many questions in our heads: 'what is the kingdom of God?' We wonder what it's like, where it came from and where it is. We wonder who rules it and we may even wonder how does one enter and live in it. Tonight we'll learn more about what the Bible has to say about this kingdom of God.

A Different Kind of King

It's pretty fair to say that we don't think much about royalty in our day. Sure, there is a bit of hype around an upcoming royal wedding, but royalties impact on our daily life is quite insignificant. But this wasn't the case in the time of the New Testament, in fact for much of the world's history, in most places around the world, your king, or leader had the biggest singular impact on your life. And so when Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling an old prophesy about God's coming king and the coming reign of peace and blessing, its no wonder the people get excited. If God's king is here, then surely everything is about to change. But then something goes horribly wrong. Instead of going to the palace, the king goes to the temple. Something is up. Find out this Sunday morning.

Responding to Easter

Have you ever wondered what was going through the minds of those witnessing Jesus in the week prior to his crucifixion? Imagine you were in the crowd? You heard Pilate question Jesus and debate with the chief priests and elders. What would you be thinking? What would you have said had you been asked for an opinion?

In the crowd were people whom we would identify with. Whether you're a sceptic or convinced that Jesus was the Son of God - confusion ruled and mob rule seemed to determine the verdict. Imagine if someone in the crowd had taken a stand and said: People of conviction, listen to Pilate, answer his question: What has Jesus done to deserve this (v.23)?

We all stand this side of the Cross and have His Word explaining why Jesus went to the Cross. In God's plan to redeem humanity, Jesus took the punishment for sin. Salvation is given.

Why did Jesus have to die?

Throughout the sermons in Acts we saw a common teaching that Jesus suffered and died at the hands of evil men, but also according to the plan of God. But why was it so necessary for Jesus to die, couldn't God have just waved a magic wand? This Sunday we start heading towards Easter with our focus on the events around the death and resurrection of Jesus. We start this week by looking at Matthew 26:36-46 and Jesus' willing submission to the 'cup' of suffering.

Living with a Faithful God

Certainty. It's not that easy to find. In families, in careers, in finances, in sports. Even in the church. Sometimes the most adequate words to describe our world and our lives are words like: turmoil, change, uncertainty, chaos. The Bible affirms this too, that in the world and in life there is tremendous uncertainty and instability. Except when it comes to the faithfulness of God. This week we take a break from our series in Acts (returning a little later) to think about Psalm 46. Its a Psalm which contrasts the turmoil of the world, and the peace giving faithfulness of God, giving comfort and hope to the people of God no matter what situation they find themselves in.

Grace At Work

The good news of Jesus is good news of God's grace (unmerited favour) to sinners and the church. But this week in Acts we are going to come to two challenges to that grace, both in the forms of how it applies to individuals, and how it operates in the church. And we'll see that in the way that the church handles these situations that grace has to always come out on top.

The World is a different place

Isn't it amazing that good news can both exciting and scary all at the same time? Like when you first hear that you are having a baby, or that you have been offered your first job, or that the offer on your first home has been accepted. Its both incredibly exciting, and somewhat terrifying all at the same time. What we find, in a much greater way, is that the same is true of the greatest news this world has ever heard, the good news of Jesus and a new life in him. It's the most exciting and terrifyingly daunting news to ever hear. This week, as we continue in Acts, we will see how this good news plays out as it goes deep into unfamiliar territory, and what we might expect as it takes hold of our lives, our church, and our community.

Breaking Barriers

There are few things worse than being written off. Too slow. Too old. Too young. Too inexperienced. These labels put a barrier up and are all about exclusion. As we go through the book of Acts we have been seeing that when it comes to the gospel, what once were barriers, are barriers no more. The great news of Jesus is that God is at working extending grace and forgiveness to those previously written off and excluded. People like you and me. People like those we might have written off as well...

How do we handle change?

Whenever the Gospel seizes our hearts, and God moves us into mission, challenges will arise. Acts 8 shows us how the church dealt with new developments, and how they managed to change their views on long held matters. These are incredibly difficult things to deal with even today, but in Acts 8 God lays out some important principles that can help us handle change in a way that helps us and honours him.

Dealing with Division

Dealing with Division: Every family knows the reality of difficulties and friction. It seems to be whenever you get people living together in close proximity there are bound to be some issues. The same is true in the church, even in the early church. This Sunday we come to Acts 6:1-7, which has the potential, more than anything else in the story so far, of creating a massive stumbling block for the early church. But what we will see, in their dealing with it, that not only is division avoided, but it actually becomes a catalyst for greater mission. What might God have to say to us, in this story?

On Fire. Under Fire

On Fire. Under Fire. One of the challenges about reading Acts is coming face to face with the sheer amount of opposition the people faced. This passage is another point of tension - to put it mildly - between the NT church and the leaders of the Jewish faith. Amazing things happen, and God is saying something very special to us about opposition, trouble, and trials. It's quite an eye opener

Does God Require Perfection?

Someone commented to me in the last week "I want to belong to the church of Acts 2." And it seems very attractive, like they had no problems, and everyone was included, and exciting things we always happening. What's not to love? And then we hit Acts 5, and all of a sudden it get serious. This great new community is not a perfect community as shown by Ananias and Sapphira. So what should we make of their sin, and God's immediate judgment? Is God perhaps less gracious than we think?

Fuel For Mission

Acts 4 shows us people doing some amazing things: They overflowed in generosity and giving, and they were rich in prayer. It is an incredibly exciting picture. If we concentrate only on these human responses, however, we will miss what drove them. So, what was it? What lay behind their amazing generosity and their wonderful prayer life? Read ahead at Acts 4:23-37

Transforming Lives

If you want to get a message out today there are many methods. If used correctly, it is possible to communicate with thousands of people, around the world, in a matter of hours. Sadly, most of those messages aren't worth a lot. In the early church we see a gospel that is spreading fast. Not simply because the communication is being well used, but because its 'good news' in fact the best news this world has ever seen. Sometimes in the church, with our pressure to do, act, commit, devote, we can lose sight of the fact that this Jesus is still very much good news. Read ahead in Acts 3.

A New Community

Have you ever wondered what heaven is like? Maybe images of fluffy clouds, angels, harps and as much pizza as you can eat come to mind. The reality is that God has given us some glimpses of eternity, and they are not where we might expect, they are actually in the church. This Sunday, as we continue our series in Acts we get a glimpse of the type of community that the gospel produces, with a new relationship with God, and one another. In this glimpse, and our experiences today, God is actually giving the world a glimpse of eternity.

What Jesus is doing today

I wonder how you go under the pressure of expectation. It can really be a joy killer, can't it? Sometimes when we read of the early church we can feel and expectation or a pressure to 'measure up.' But is that what God really intended in recording this book for us? As we look at Acts 2:1-41 we will see that church and history is not about what this church did, or that church, or even us - its about Jesus, and what he is doing to bring God's kingdom into this world.

Church: Outward Bound

How do we understand the book of Acts? What was Luke's intention as he wrote it? And what can we learn about how God is at work in his church, then and now? Acts 1 gets us off to a flying start - Jesus' return to heaven, the Holy Spirit promised, Judas replaced. It all looks like the scene is being set for some remarkable events. What does it all have to do with Jesus, and being his followers today? Sunday AM we'll be looking at Acts 1:1-11 as our introduction to Acts and our new series.

Invited to a Banquet

Have you ever received an invitation to a function, maybe a birthday party or a wedding, that you just didn't think you were 'in' enough to receive? Jesus says that is what its like to be invited to the his kingdom banquet. The danger is that we think we deserve it, and in so doing, actually miss the party of all ages. Read ahead in Luke 14:15-24.

Amazing Grace

Is it that easy? One word of forgiveness and it's all gone? How does that happen? How could anyone make such an audacious pronouncement? The people of Jesus' day would sometimes say that the Gospel in offensive, and they saw it as a trap. For untold thousands of people through the ages, however, the grace of God has changed their lives. Come Sunday AM and find out why. Read ahead, Luke 5:17-26.

Luke's Kingdom Parables Pt 2

Have you ever received an invitation to a function, maybe a birthday party or a wedding, that you just didn't think you were 'in' enough to receive? Jesus says that is what its like to be invited to the his kingdom banquet. The danger is that we think we deserve it, and in so doing, actually miss the party of all ages. Read ahead in Luke 14:15-24.

How do I deal with my anger?

How do I deal with my anger? We have all been wronged, we have all been hurt, and if the statistics tell us anything, 30% of us have suffered some kind of abuse. We carry these experiences through life and we often feel the scars. What are we supposed to do? Is it wrong to be angry? Are we supposed to ignore what has happened? God does not want us to live in bondage or denial. If you've ever wondered about anger and how to deal with it, you'll want to be there Sunday morning. Read ahead at Eph 4:17 - 5:2

Listening to God

As we begin to study Acts in a few weeks time, we will see how Jesus is bringing his kingdom to the world, through the church. But before this took place, Jesus told some stories about what that kingdom was going to look like, and how it was going to come. We read these as parables in the gospel of Luke. In the next 3 weeks we will be looking at some of these stories, starting with Luke 8:1-15, and seeing how Jesus is bringing his kingdom, and how he is calling us to be involved.

How do I deal with disaster?

Around 20 people have lost their lives, 40 towns have been inundated, thousands of people are homeless, businesses and livelihoods lie at the bottom of our state's rivers. Queensland is broken. How do we deal with this? How do we answer the many questions that arise? How can we respond? The people of Jesus' day sometimes saw suffering and disaster as a consequence of personal sin. Is that what we should say to the people of Grantham, or Goodna, or Chinchilla? Read ahead at Luke 13:1-8 and John 9:1-12

The Holiness of God

Many people have heard that God is holy, but what does that really mean? Just how holy is God? We will be visiting 1 Chronicles 13 - the story of Uzzah touching the ark of the covenant and for that getting struck down dead. Was that fair? And what has that to do with the holiness of God?

Truth

Last week we looked at part one of 2 John, looking at the church's need to love. This week, as we wrap up the series, we are going to look at John's teaching on truth. In an time and age where this is increasingly coming under attack, and where the church is accused of being 'narrow minded' and 'exclusive' this is something we need to wrestle with. Read ahead in 2 John.

All You Need is Love?

Over the next two Sundays (2nd and 9th) we are going to be doing a 'mini-series' looking at the letter of 2 John. I would encourage you to take the time over the coming few days to read through the letter a number of times, and if you have some extra time, think about the following:

* What words or phrases are bring repeated?

* What issue does John seem to be addressing in the church?

* What is the central message of the book (try and get this into 1 sentence)?

* How might this message speak into the church of today?

It might seem like extra work but I believe that this sort of preparation will help you get the most out of these messages.

Also, a reminder that we will be preaching the same message in both AM and PM services. That means that if you come along to both you are going to get even more out of it!!!

Prince of Peace

It doesn't take a long look at recent world events to see that we continue to live on a planet of turmoil and conflict. It doesn't take a long look at our lives, and the lives of people around us to see that this is not just confined to international relationships. Conflict seems to be a part of every day life. So what do we make of passages of the Bible that speak of peace? Is peace something that we just have to hang for, until Jesus comes again? This Sunday, as we wrap up our Christmas series we will be looking at Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to see what he has done, is doing and will do, to bring peace in our world.

Eternal Father - In a Manger

Christmas Day is always a high point at RCRC. It presents a great opportunity to tell the message of Jesus and to celebrate the birth of the King of Kings!

It will be great for us all to meet on Christmas morning and praise the Jesus Christ who was born in the manger. Estimates will vary, but best figures would indicate that 80% of Australians will spend their Christmas Day without Jesus.

Here's a thought: Is there a neighbour, a friend, or a family member you could ask along? It could be a great opportunity for them to hear the good news about Jesus!

Can I challenge everyone in the RCRC family to invite two people along who would not normally be in church, so they can share in this great day of praise and celebration.

Please pray that Jesus himself will impact us all as we worship him on Saturday.

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')." (Matthew 1:22-23)

Mighty God

We have all met some parents who like to talk up their kids. You would think, sometimes, that parents actually believe that their child is the next Einstein or Picasso or Wally Lewis, even before they can walk. But in Isaiah 9 we are introduced to the biggest claim ever of a new born child, that he is God. So why would God come as a child, what evidence do we have that Jesus was and is God, and what difference does that make to the way we celebrate Christmas? All this and more...

Wonderful Counsellor

As we close one year and enter another, we're often thinking about how things will work out in the year to come. In a time of economic uncertainty it's understandable to wonder whether we're on the right track, or wonder how things will work out. Isaiah's words directly address our hearts, assuring us that Jesus is our Wonderful Counsellor. On Sunday we'll be looking at how this plays out.

The Secret to Being Generous

Why is it that when we talk about giving, we tend to feel either fear or guilt? Why is the subject of giving such hard territory to negotiate? There are probably lots of reasons. Think for a moment: what if we could understand the secret to giving? How is it that some people seem to give, and so freely, selflessly, and quietly - and be so happy about it? How do they do this? Why do they do this? How can we learn from them? Come this Sunday afternoon, and start the journey into guilt free giving.

Moving Australia Forward

In two weeks time we will celebrate Christmas. When we hear the word 'Christmas' many images come to our minds. There's the image of family, of friends, of gifts and certainly the image of the Saviour being born to us. One image, however, that rarely will spring to mind when we hear the word 'Christmas', is the word 'government'. Perhaps the very last thing we want to think about over the festive season is the government! According to the Bible, however, there is a connection between celebrating Christmas and celebrating 'government'. This Sunday we will find out how, by celebrating Christmas, we are celebrating the coming of a Ruler, the coming of a new government who will truly be 'moving Australia forward!'

DIY Does Not Work With Faith

In this part of the world we learn to be independent, and to do things ourselves. "I did it my way" is an old song, but today's generation is living its creed more than ever. This has disastrous consequences for church health and undermines personal growth to a frightening degree. This is why we've been working through the process of discipleship. We have covered the three basic components: Glorify, Nurture, Bring Others. This week (5pm) we tie it all together and see how the process works and what the Bible says about it. We'll be looking at how we support one another in this process and the advantages of walking this path with others.

Cultural Mandate

This Sunday morning we are finishing off our reFORMed series. Building on the Biblical concept of the sovereignty of God, we will be looking at God's redeeming and restoring work in every corner of life, society and culture, and that everything we do is 'spiritual' and done for the glory of God. It means that whether we are playing tennis, eating sandwhiches, or working in the garden, we are involved in activities that God is deeply interested in.

Bring Others - Living the Good News

What do the following have in common: 1. your lawnmower 2. your car 3. your fishing trip 4. That fantastic double shot latte in your hand. Having trouble answering? You're no different to anyone else: we all have trouble connecting the dots. Our culture decrees that faith be separated from life, 'church' be separated from home, and Christians be separated from the rest of the world. Is it any wonder that many who are far from God think faith is irrelevant? But is the way we live helping the situation? Does the way RCRC expresses itself challenge any of this? Here's the good news challenge: God calls us to a maturity which reconnects and re-integrates life. Our mission is life affirming, Christ centred, and world changing. Come along on Sunday and find out how we can do that together.

The Sovereignty of God

This week is Part #3 of our ReFORMed series. Last week we looked at the issue of the sovereignty of God, and this week we will look at the application of that to our salvation. We will see how God's gracious sovereignty is at work through the salvation, as he graciously, elects, calls, saves and brings to eternity sinners and rebels. We will look at this through the acronym of TULIP. (And no, its not about dutch flowers).

How can we Grow?

Some people talk about growth in terms of 'seven quick steps' and failsafe formulas. Paul talks about growth in very different terms. He is so committed to helping people grow that it overflows in nearly everything he writes. It is natural. It is necessary. And it's not easy. So: how can we grow more? What would God have us do? How does this impact on our own lives, or how we help children and young people? How does it influence the kind of church God calls us to build? Here are a couple of passage to read so you'll be best prepared to hear what God says: Eph 1:15-23; Eph 5:14-21; Phil 1:3-11; Col 1:3-14

Out of the Salt Shaker

If meat goes bad, there is no sense in blaming the meat. That is what happens when the bacteria are allowed to breed unchecked. The question to ask is, "Where is the salt?" If society becomes corrupt like a dark night or stinking fish, there's no sense in blaming society. That's what happens when fallen human society is left to itself and human evil is unrestrained and unchecked. The question to ask is "Where is the church?" In this message Jack De Vries challenges Christ followers to be salt and light.

Glorify

What does it really mean to glorify God? What difference does it make that God had a plan for us? These are things we often talk about, or even cliches we often use, but do they mean anything to our everyday existence? God does not contemplate a relationship with us that does not lead to change in us and in our world.

The Sovereignty of God

If we believe in Jesus, and read that Bible we would probably all agree with the statement that God is in control. Theologically, we say that God is sovereign - he reigns and rules over all. But how far can we stretch that? Is God still in control when we have a free will? Is God still in control when evil is being done? Is God still in control when Satan is at work? All these and lots more, this Sunday morning.

Wise Man, Foolish Man

We are living in what many would call: the age of information. We have more access to information than any generation before us ever had. We also receive more and arguably better education than many generations before us ever had. This may lead some to conclude that right now humanity is in many ways the most informed and best educated than what we ever were. But are we wise? What is wisdom? In this service we will discover that there are differences between being well informed, well educated and being wise. We will discover from the Bible what wis-dom is and how to live wisely on earth.

Am I Growing?

God wants us to grow - we all know that. Most of the time we think in terms of growing in understanding of God and his love in Jesus. That's great - but what about growing in following Jesus? Attitudes? Behaviour? Bad habits? How do I know whether I am making progress? Sunday AM Dave will open up the Bible so we can see the sort of growth God wants to see in us, and we'll also come away with a few tools to help us assess whether we're growing in the best way.

God's work is real lives

This Sunday night we have the enormous privilege of celebrating God's work as 3 young people (Claudette Ogilvie, Isaac Rooskov and Mark Flynn) profess their faith in, and love for, Jesus. It's a great opportunity to hear how God has worked in their lives to bring them to faith, to witness their public commitment and to honour God for his faithfulness and love. Some come along, bring your family, friends, kids, neighbours to hear real life stories of God at work.

The Churchs Role in Politics

There's no election in sight, so is it safe to talk about the church's calling in politics? How are Christians to view their responsibilities in the ballot box? Which party should we support? How do we address the many issues that arise in the political arena? Should we even try?

Jesus and the Environment

Over the last 20 years environmental issues have come to the forefront of many people's minds. In the last election, issues such as Global Warming, an emissions trading scheme, and the Murray-Darling River system were major political platforms. There is almost no part of society that is untouched by the call to be renewable, environmentally friendly and eco safe. But what has this got to do with Jesus? If Jesus is redeeming everything, does that also include the environment. This Sunday, as we wrap up our series in Genesis 1-3 we will look at what it says about creation, the effect of sin, and our responsibility to it.

The Kingdom of God is a ...feast?

For some, the thought of standing before God fills them with trepidation. They recall past and present failings, and fear for what God might say or do to them. How does this picture compare with the picture of the father Jesus paints in the parable of the lost son? And is this picture just something for the parable, or does it indicate a more consistent biblical emphasis? If so, what does it mean for our expression and experience of the Gospel? You can read ahead in Luke 15, and read wider in Tim Keller's Prodigal God, chapter 7.

Redeeming Work

Why is it so hard to find the right balance with work? Either work is seems to be a slave driver that we resent and can't wait to escape, or its a god that demands our 'worship' 24/7. What is the right place of work in our lives? This Sunday evening we continue our series in Genesis 1-3, looking at work, what it was meant to be, how sin has distorted it, and how God is redeeming work in our world.

Always travelling, but never arriving?

Life is a treadmill. We work so hard to get ahead, to realise our goals, but do we ever get there? While disappointment seems to be our lot, we still keep striving.? Why do we all share these powerful inner drives?

God's word, and the message of Jesus, help us understand our longings. We are drawn deeply into the wonderful hope we can have in Jesus.

Why are relationships so tough?

We crave relationships, it doesn't take a genius to see that. We want to be in community, whether with 1 person, or lots of people. But while being the source of so much joy and fulfilment, relationships also seem to bring us so much hardache and pain. Ever wondered why this is the case and what can be done about it? This Sunday we are starting a short series in Genesis 1-3 looking at three areas that dominate our lives, and the Bible's teaching on them. This week we start with relationships, what they are meant to be, what has gone wrong, and what God is doing to redeem them.

The God you're looking for

Luke 15 includes three parables: a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. The shepherd goes after the sheep. The woman searches for her lost coin. Remarkably, there is no one to search for the lost son. What is Jesus getting at? What does this tell us about God? Or Jesus' mission? And, seeing that, how do we better see our role as the body of Christ in his world? It could be that the most profound lesson Jesus has for us in the parable is what he leaves unsaid.

The Sovereignty of God

This Sunday PM we are finishing off our reFORMed series. Building on the Biblical concept of the sovereignty of God, we will be looking at God's redeeming and restoring work in every corner of life, society and culture, and that everything we do is 'spiritual' and done for the glory of God. It means that whether we are playing tennis, eating sandwhiches, or working in the garden, we are involved in activities that God is deeply interested in.

Come to ME and drink

Continuing the REFORMED series- the Japanese have a saying 'Only live things grow'- as a church we cant 'manufacture' new Christian however we are called upon to invite people to hear the message of salvation. The Bible shows us many principles which are honoured by the Holy Spirit and today we look at this. There are hundreds of ways to 'sow the seed'. For the Christian it's a passion for the lost, for the unbeliever it's a passion for Christ, for the 'tired' believer its another refreshing drink from Jesus river mentioned in John 7:37-39.

Who is God?

If God exists, what is he like? If God exists, what can we know about him and how? If you've ever wondered what God is like then come along tonight and find out. God isn't a mystery, in fact God has revealed himself to the world and you can get to know him. Come along tonight and find out who God is, and you might be surpised by just how amazing and wonderful God is.'

The Necessity of Preaching

Is the gospel really worth getting excited about? If so, how has God designed it so that the message of the gospel is spread throughout the world? Couldn't He have simply written it in the sky so that all may see? In the 10th chapter of Romans, Paul discusses God's evangelism plan and our responsibilities in relation to that. So come along this Sunday at 9am to hear more.

Does God love 'Different' People

We all know people who are just a 'little bit different' from the rest of our group of friends or our community at church. We are not sure if they really fit in or if they ever will fit in with the rest of the group and besides, are we really going to risk disturbing the current dynamics that we have in the community by inviting some strange people in? Things won't be the same anymore. We find that the Bible has much to say about situations like these and we will look particularly at how Jesus acted when being in a similar situation.

The Doctrine of Scripture

"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so..." But what makes the Bible the authority on the issue, can we really trust the Bible? This Sunday we start a new AM series, called "reFORMed" looking at what is distinctive about reformed theology, and what it means that we call ourselves a reformed church. We start this week by looking at the Doctrine of Scripture - what we believe about the Bible and it's place in life, faith, theology and the world. For pre reading, go for Psalm 119.

The Sovereignty of God

This week is Part #3 of our ReFORMed series. Last week we looked at the issue of the sovereignty of God, and this week we will look at the application of that to our salvation. We will see how God's gracious sovereignty is at work through the salvation, as he graciously, elects, calls, saves and brings to eternity sinners and rebels. We will look at this through the acronym of TULIP. (And no, its not about dutch flowers).

The Big 10

"The Big 10" - a very special time of praise being led by very special people - featuring our Kids@Church children and team. If we believe in Jesus, we are God's kids and he is our Father. And because we are his children, he gives us ten very good rules to live by, just as our mums and dads give us some very good rules to live by. The ten rules God gave us are called the Ten Commandments. Can you remember the Ten Commandments? Today we will learn an easy way to remember all ten of God's commandments. But we won't stop there, because God also wants us to understand the Ten Commandments. So today we will learn both how to remember the Ten Commandments and how to understand them better.

Is God really in control?

If we believe in Jesus, and read that Bible we would probably all agree with the statement that God is in control. Theologically, we say that God is sovereign - he reigns and rules over all. But how far can we stretch that? Is God still in control when we have a free will? Is God still in control when evil is being done? Is God still in control when Satan is at work? All these and lots more, this Sunday night.

Meet the best Father ever!

Our attention is often drawn to the two sons in this parable. Jesus' intention, however, is for his listeners to see the father, and to be captivated by his overwhelming grace and love for his two sons. This is both a gloriously comforting and possibly deeply unsettling reality.

The Doctrine of Scripture

"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so..." But what makes the Bible the authority on the issue, can we really trust the Bible? This Sunday we start a new 5PM series, called "reFORMed" looking at what is distinctive about reformed theology, and what it means that we call ourselves a reformed church. We start this week by looking at the Doctrine of Scripture - what we believe about the Bible and it's place in life, faith, theology and the world. For pre reading, go for Psalm 119.

Repentance: For Sinners Only?

Some have asked questions about Tim Keller's contrast of the two sons, and have wondered whether both sons are in fact lost. In reality, there is a very crucial point that is being made in Keller's work and more importantly by Jesus. Read ahead at Luke 15, and also Phil 3:1-11.

Church Planting Plan

What if Abram had have stayed put in Haran? What if David preferred the quiet life of a shepherd? What if Peter simply went back to his life of fishing? And what if Paul had decided to stay a pastor in Antioch? As the gospel goes out, and God calls servant to be a part of that, there are always risks involved. But as those risks are taken and God's call is answered he blesses with front row seats to the work of Jesus in his world. This Sunday night we are going to look at the role that church planting plays in the mission of Jesus to the world, and how he calls us to be involved in that plan.

Our Problem with Familiarity

They say familiarity breeds contempt, and while I don't know too many people who look at the parable of the prodigal son with contempt, it's probably true that we all come to this passage with preconceived understandings of what it's all about. Even the title we give to Luke 15:11-32 tells us something... So this Sunday we want to understand the key characters and contrasts in Jesus' parable. As we go through this series, we'll find that some, maybe many, of the ideas we have about what sin is, about how we come to God, and the nature of obedience will be challenged. It's a guess, but I wonder if we will all leave this series challenged by our Father and his commitment to our rescue and restoration.

God, Evolution and the Bible

Church Planting

What if Abram had have stayed put in Haran? What if David preferred the quiet life of a shepherd? What if Peter simply went back to his life of fishing? And what if Paul had decided to stay a pastor in Antioch? As the gospel goes out, and God calls servant to be a part of that, there are always risks involved. But as those risks are taken and God's call is answered he blesses with front row seats to the work of Jesus in his world. As we have been thinking about the "Discipleship Strategy" this Sunday we will think about one avenue to which it naturally leads us - Church Planting.

Is Jesus just a Crutch for the Weak?

Our culture values success, independence, strength and power. And its not hard to get drawn in to desiring those same things, and even 'christianizing' them in the church. But what if we are not? Should we try to be? Is this really what Jesus would have us be? This week we are answering a question about how we answer and witness to people who think that Jesus is just a way for weak people to have meaning and purpose in their lives. And in answering this question we want to see that yes, we are weak, and rather than being a disadvantage this is exactly what God uses to display his power.

The Secret to Being Generous

Why is it that when we talk about giving, we tend to feel either fear or guilt? Why is the subject of giving such hard territory to negotiate? There are probably lots of reasons. Think for a moment: what if we could understand the secret to giving? How is it that some people seem to give, and so freely, selflessly, and quietly - and be so happy about it? How do they do this? Why do they do this? How can we learn from them? Come this Sunday morning, and start the journey into guilt free giving.

Friendship

Friend: a person whom one knows well and likes. Is this definition from the Australian English Dictionary saying it all? What is friendship? Is it important? And how can I be a good friend to people around me? We find that God's Word has much to say to us when it comes to these very important questions in life.

Toward Maturity

In this part of the world we learn to be independent, and to do things ourselves. "I did it my way" is an old song, but today's generation is living its creed more than ever. This has disastrous consequences for church health and undermines personal growth to a frightening degree. This is why we've been working through the process of discipleship. We have covered the three basic components: Glorify, Nurture, Bring Others. This week we tie it all together and see how the process works and what the Bible says about it. We'll be looking at how we support one another in this process and the advantages of walking this path with others.

How to remain Sexually Pure

We are constantly bombarded with sexual images and the message that sex is natural, good and for everyone. And while we affirm sex as good and from God, we realize that the Bible's sexual standards are much different from the culture in which we live. So is sexual purity possible? Is it actually doable, and if so, how? That's what we want to consider this Sunday evening as we see that our sexual purity is intimately connected to the work of Christ.

Living the Good News

What do the following have in common: 1. your lawnmower 2. your car 3. your fishing trip 4. That fantastic double shot latte in your hand. Having trouble answering? You're no different to anyone else: we all have trouble connecting the dots. Our culture decrees that faith be separated from life, 'church' be separated from home, and Christians be separated from the rest of the world. Is it any wonder that many who are far from God think faith is irrelevant? But is the way we live helping the situation? Does the way RCRC expresses itself challenge any of this? Here's the good news challenge: God calls us to a maturity which reconnects and re-integrates life. Our mission is life affirming, Christ centred, and world changing. Come along on Sunday and find out how we can do that together.

Violence in the Bible

This Sunday 5PM we begin our new series "The Big Ask" where we respond to the questions you have proposed. This Sunday we will be responding to the question "How do you respond to people who reject God and His Word because they claim it is a violent book?" We will be looking at some of the Old Testament passages of violence and gore, seeing where they fit into God's world and Word, and what possible explanation God might have for them. If you want some background and to get 'in the mood' I suggest you read Joshua 1-12.

God wants you to Grow

Some people talk about growth in terms of 'seven quick steps' and failsafe formulas. Paul talks about growth in very different terms. He is so committed to helping people grow that it overflows in nearly everything he writes. It is natural. It is necessary. And it's not easy. So: how can we grow more? What would God have us do? How does this impact on our own lives, on how we help children and young people? How does it influence the kind of church God calls us to build? Here are a couple of passage to read so you'll be best prepared to hear what God says: Eph 1:15-23; Eph 5:14-21; Phil 1:3-11; Col 1:3-14

No longer a slave, but a son

The adoption metaphor used in the Bible does not often get a mention in contemporary Christianity, but it is actually an important facet of salvation. The Apostle Paul in Galatians 4:1-7 speaks about the position we were in prior to conversion, and what position we possess now. But what does this mean to us today?

Our Purpose Together

We say we are here to 'glorify God', and in all things, but what does it really mean? Why should this word hold pride of place in what we are called to do and to be? The truth is, when we understand this, we get church in its right perspective, and we start to answer the question people have asked since the beginning: what am I really here for?

Church Essentials

But wait, there's more!!! Just when you thought "Why Church?" was over, here comes one more message to round the series off. Having looked at what the church is, and why it exists, and how we engage with God's church, this week we are going to explore what are the essential ingredients to church life. In a world where every church seems to offer their flavour, we want to ask of scripture, what God considers to be the essential elements, and by so doing, strive for them with everything we are.

Does Jesus make you Content?

During his life the apostle Paul had to deal with a sizeable amount of suffering. Prison, floggings, shipwrecked, hunger, and much more.

There's a long list in 2 Corinthians 11 and 12. But he made an amazing discovery: out of all these negative events, something very positive emerged! And that was the fact that it was exactly in his weakness that Paul experienced the strength of faith in Christ.

How does that work? How can we - with all the negative things that come our way - experience the same joy and contentment, in 2010?

Do you find strength in your weakness? Through Christ?

Serving God's Church

Over the last two weeks, in looking at "The Church" we have seen that the church is very important to us, to God and to the world. But the question that remains then is "So What?" What does this mean for us? As we unpack Ephesians 4 we will see that God wants all believers to then adopt that attitude and lifestyle of servants, where we protect the unity of the church by putting others forward, and use our God given gifts for the upbuilding of the church.

The Way Up is Down

Leaders we can respect: our tendency to distrust leaders and people in authority is legendary. What would change if we viewed authority and leadership differently? Or if leaders led differently? We may be surprised to find out that the model of leadership developed in the New Testament is both attractive and world changing. No wonder: it is modelled on Jesus himself. That's what Peter says about leadership, and then there's what he says about 'follower-ship', and that's just as alluring.

Serving God's Church

Last week (week 1 of "Why Church?")we saw that the church is extremely important for the life of the follower of Jesus. It's where we find identity, belonging and purpose in Christ. This week we will look at Ephesians 3, and see that it's not only important for Christians, it's vital for God's plan for the world.

Living in the Light of Christ

It seems that one of the most challenging struggles in being a follower of Jesus is to move away from seeing him as a mere sector in life, like icing on a cake, or whether his rule in our lives is integral to our very personality and being. Peter makes one thing very clear: when a person comes into relationship with Jesus, they commit themselves to a total way of life. They become different people.

Consumer or Committed?

We live in a consumer society. All around us are temptations to spend money, acquire goods, services and experiences. And so its only natural that we often view the church in the same way, a spiritual shop in which to purchase spiritual goods, services and experiences. And so when we don't like the quality of goods in one shop, its easy, there are plenty of options down the road. But is this really what God has in mind? Is it really how God sees his church? Or have we missed the point? This Sunday at 5pm we begin a short series called 'Why Church?' looking at the church through God's eyes. Starting this week with Ephesians 2:11-22 we will be challenged to see the church as more than a shop, but as an integral part of our lives.

Return Blessing not Fire

When others hurt us, when we're wronged or threatened we will often want to retaliate. This is not what Jesus would want us to do. Our calling is not to return fire, but return a blessing. The Jesus who gives us life will give us what we need to break cycles of violence and retaliation.

Where was God?

We tell kids that God loves them, cares for them. We tell them that God is powerful, and can do anything he wants. And yet for some kids, and for some adults as well, these two things are hard to reconcile. How can we talk of a God who is loving and powerful, yet he appears to do nothing about abuse, neglect and hurt? Could it be that God is not really that loving, or even worse, that God is not all powerful? How do we reconcile these two things? This Sunday evening we will be looking at the issue of God's presence and place in abuse, seeking to wrestle with this very difficult issue.

What's on the Inside?

You only have to watch TV for 5 minutes to observe how obsessed we are with style and beauty. As it turns out, this is not merely something that women have to deal with. In a world so focussed on appearances, we need to ask whether there is anything more important than nip and tuck...

From Death to Life

Often when we listen to the gospel of Jesus, we hear that our sins have been forgiven and we are now free. The difference the gospel makes is then between carrying our burden of sinfulness or leaving them on the cross of Jesus. While this message most definitely rings true, we sometimes forget that it also means that Jesus is the difference between life and death. By God's grace, we have been brought from death to life in Jesus Christ.

Cultivate a Servant Heart

When the pressure is on and when people misunderstand, it's amazing how quickly we get defensive and want to hit back. But Jesus calls us to a different path, a different response. And the amazing thing is this: when we follow in his likeness we validate who he is and what he has done! Find some practical strategies for managing some of the difficult situations followers of Jesus often find themselves in.

Real Peace, Real Joy

So far in this series we have seen what Jesus means for our relationship with God, and especially our eternity. But does this have any impact on the here and now, or is Jesus simply an 'afterlife' insurance? This week, as we wrap up "Why Jesus?" we will look at Romans 5:1-11 and see that Jesus has blessed us so fully now, that life will only make sense when we are following him.

Working out what God has worked in

Jesus is more than an idea, a religious point of view, or a point of theology. As Living Stone he is the foundation for a people who work his grace into the needs and challenges around them. This message seeks to answer the question of how God is at work in our world, just in case you've ever wondered.

Why Jesus?

So far in our 'Why Jesus?' series we have seen that we, and this world are in a whole heap of trouble. We have seen that we are rebels to God, and under his wrath and judgment, and this world has been polluted by sin. And what is worse, we have seen that we can do nothing about. Even when we know what is right, we don't do it; even when we put all our efforts into religion, it doesn't change our heart; even when we claim some sort of spiritual pedigree, it doesn't. It's a pretty grim picture. But it brings us to Jesus. God's provided a way.

When the going gets tough...

We're working through the new series "Following Jesus in a Hostile World", and this Sunday we're asking, 'How do you react when following Jesus gets difficult? Blend in with everyone else? Go soft on things you want to stay committed to? Pray harder? Try and become more 'religious'? Withdraw from 'the world'? Seriously, it can be pretty hard to work it all out - so how can we do this better? What might God say to us in 2010? What does he want us to do so we remain strong in Him as live as his people in his world?

Our Deepest Desires

What is it that we most deeply desire? There are plenty of good answers to that question, answers to do with family, and peace and health and prosperity. But beneath all of these desires, is a desire for God and its only when we fix those desires on him, that we find the peace, comfort and assurance we so desperately seek. So on this Mother's Day, when we remember all that our Mums are and have been for us, we will see that ultimately our security and life, comes from God.

Worthless Religion?

Last Sunday night we saw the trouble we are in, as a world that has rejected God and under his judgment. We desperately need something to change. So what about 'religion?' Is it possible that we work off this debt and get ourselves back to God with the things that we do? That's the question we will be wrestling with this Sunday as we keep moving towards our question "Why Jesus?"

Hope for Hard Times

Too often, life is tough. We wonder how we're going to cope, and how our faith will survive (or whether it will) in years to come. We think of our kids, and wonder how they will ever be followers of Jesus in a hostile world. This is not a challenge felt by this generation alone. The people of Peter's day lived with the threat of suffering and persecution on a daily basis. Peter's letter (1 Peter) reveals wonderful comfort and powerful hope for us.

As good as you get?

If someone came up to you and asked you "Why Jesus?" how would you respond? Where would we start, and how would we end? As followers of Jesus we want two things: Firstly, to be absolutely certain of the things we profess, to make sure that our lives are building on the right foundation. And secondly, we want to be able to share this good news with others. And so this Sunday, 5PM, we start a short 4 part series called "Why Jesus?" (soon to be followed by "Why Church?") focusing on why Jesus is so important to our world, and our lives, and what it means to profess him as savior and Lord. This series will follow Romans 1-5 and this Sunday we start with Romans 1-2, looking at the mess this world, and our lives, is in, and why we so desperately need God to do something about it.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

This Sunday morning we will have a special Anzac Day theme. People often talk about those who have died in battle as having made the ultimate sacrifice. We should think about that. And what are we to think about engaging in warfare anyway? Through the ages God's people have struggled with such questions. Sunday we're planning to learn more of what God's word says. This service will be a great opportunity to invite people who have questions like these.

God Given Assurance

I wonder if you have ever asked yourself "Am I really a Christian?" I am guessing that the question has been posed by all of us, myself included. There are lots of things that can cause us to doubt, but my guess is that it always comes when we are looking to and relying on ourselves. As a follow up to the Sermon on the Mount, someone posed the question "How do we know we are on the right track?" and so to answer that we want to have a look at 1 John 4:13-21 and see that God given assurance comes exactly as it says - from God, and his love for us, as it works through our lives.

God's Blessing for Christians Only?

So God announces his blessing through Jesus' sermon on the mount. How does that work? Does God bring his blessing to the world only through Jesus' followers? What does that mean for how we are called to follow Jesus in our part of the world?

Facts about Faith

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ came from heaven to earth to restore our broken relationship with God and to give us life, life to the full. This is the good news that we have heard. But it is old. It is about 2000 years old! Apart from this, it seems that most of the world around us seems to think it is not true. Do I have reason to doubt? So what if I do find myself heavily in doubt of the message of Jesus? We find that in the book of Hebrews, God gives us some comforting and valuable words about persevering in lives of faith.

Joy and Judgment

Peace and Proclaim

Why Easter Sunday, why the resurrection? All of the 'meaty' important theological stuff seems to have happened on Good Friday when Jesus died, and we might be left wondering whether it was really important that Jesus rose again. But throughout the Bible, when it speaks of Jesus dying - his rising is always there, and we often see two important reactions - peace and mission. This Easter Sunday, as we celebrate and remember the resurrection of Jesus, we will have our joy and our lives shaped by John 20:19-23.

Feeling distant from God?

Many people look at their lives and behaviour, and wonder why God would want anything to do with them. This Friday we will hear the best news ever, we'll see what God has done to remove every barrier that might come between us and God.

One Moment

Easter is a time that we associate with buns and bunnies, hot crosses and chocolates. Christmas is when we are thinking about gifts. But this Easter we want to think about two incredible gifts. Firstly, what Jesus has given us, in his dying and rising, and secondly, what we can give to him in the extravagance of our worship.

Two Ways to Live

We have heard Jesus say a lot of wonderful things. We have been challenged and inspired to live very differently. We've had great discussions in our small groups. Now its time for the challenge. What are we going to do? How are we going to respond? What are you going to live for? Jesus words are clear: simply hearing and considering is not worth that much. What matters is what you do. Read ahead, Matt 7:13-29

Humility in all things

Imagine if all the things that Jesus has spoken of in the Sermon on the Mount actually began to be realized in our lives, our small groups, and our church. Imagine the impact that would have. Imagine the levels of spiritual maturity we would attain. Imagine the spiritual force of giants we would be. Its exactly at this point in our dreaming that Jesus, as real as ever, steps in and puts a check to our dreams and ambitions. As God shapes us, and Jesus uses us, the overwhelming attitude of the kingdom inhabitant is to be humility. It affects everything, the way we relate to each other, the way we share the gospel, and the way we relate to God.

Treasures in Heaven

What does Jesus mean when he says 'store up treasures in heaven'? And how does seeking the kingdom first mean everything else will be added to us? Jesus is not content to be simply 'one among many' of the things that demand our attention. He claims your heart, your core, the very centrality of all you are and ever will be. Amazingly though, this is not a burden, it is our freedom.

My Glory, or God's?

Its one thing for Jesus to pick on adultery and murder and swearing. We expect him to say something about these things, and challenge us to live more fully in his ways in the world. But surely he can leave the good that we do alone, surely there is no need to go putting our giving, our prayers and our fasting under the microscope? But that is exactly what Jesus does in Matthew 6:1-18, because he knows the sorry state of our hearts and he knows we will look for an idol wherever we can find it, even if its in 'doing good.' And this week Jesus is going to expose our 'good deeds,' refine them, and refine us, as he goes about using us as salt and light in his world.

The Heart and Soul of Change

This week: a young boy was killed by a schoolmate, terrorists were jailed in Sydney, a footballer is charged with rape, and it's been a month since the devastating earthquake in Haiti. We despair for our world, and we long for change. Are we kidding ourselves? Or can real change come to our world? God has a plan to bring change to the world, and he wants you in on his plan.

Seeking out darkness

What do you do when faced with a 'dark' situation? What do we do when faced with world poverty and oppression, with relationship breakdowns, and domestic violence? Sadly, our reaction has often been to run and hide, head for the hills, dive for cover. The problems are too big, not ours to worry about, someone else's mess. Right? But as Jesus continues to unveil his new kingdom and its citizens he uncovers a very scary relationship between us, and the world of darkness. He says that we are actually to be 'darkness hunters' - those who armed with the good news of Jesus, bring salt and light to a decaying and dark world.

Broken, Bruised, and Blessed

When we are at our lowest, at the end of our tether, shattered and damaged, we often think God is far from us. When we're broken and bruised, it's hard to think that we're blessed. The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus announcement of God's liberating reality in Jesus. If you are broken and weary, bowed and bent, stuck in a funk of doubt or godlessness, then Jesus, his words and his people are just what you need.

God's future in the present

So we know that Jesus has come, he has died and risen again, and given us forgiveness from sin. And we know that Jesus will someday come again and bring about the completion of his work. But the question is then... what do we do in the meantime? On February 7^th we start our series on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), but this Sunday evening we will have a look at Matthew 4:12-17, as we prepare, by looking that what Jesus says about living between the times.

Partnership with God

There are so many types of partnerships in our world. Marriage is a partnership; so is a business agreement. A political settlement is another type of partnership; and so is committing oneself to a church family.

In the Bible we see that God is also very much into partnerships. He is the One who always takes the initiative. God comes to people, not the other way round!

How sad that God's human partners always let Him down!

But not Jesus! He is the only one who remains perfectly faithful to his Father, and in His ministry of dying and rising again brings such amazing changes to God's covenant with us.

That new ministry is the ministry of the Spirit of Christ; God's will no longer engraved on stone, but written in our hearts!

Running a Race of Grace

We are in the beginning of a new year, a new stretch of the race of our lives that God has marked out for us. Though we do not know what we may experience this year, we can be certain that we will experience hardship of all sorts if we follow Jesus. It is when - because of these hardships - we want to quit the race, that we must remember: we are running a race of grace...

Right Foundations, Right Commitments

As we head into a new year, so quickly our thoughts go to what is to come, what we are going to do, how we are going to do it, when it will be done by. But in Deuteronomy, as the nation of Israel looks forward to going into the promised land, they are encouraged to first look backwards. As we look at history, we see a lot about who God is, and what he has done, so we are encouraged to go into a new year with the right foundations, and the right commitments.

The Cost of Following Jesus

Our image of Christ is influenced by 2000 years of Christian culture, the sermons you've hear, your own interpretation of Scripture, even by our contemporary culture. The result is we often create a plastic Jesus who we understand, one we're comfortable with, who doesn't cause us too much conflict or difficulty in life. The big catch cry of contemporary Christianity is 'get Christ in your life and all your problems will be solved and all your worries will be gone.' But is that the truth? Is that what being a Christian is all about? Jesus tells three short parables in Luke 9:57-62 that challenge our understanding of what it means to follow him.

Is God in the House?

Throughout the Bible, people have struggled to work out whether God is in the house, or whether he has left the building.

This morning we see that while David wanted to build a house for God, God wanted to build His household instead.

Do we still try to find ways of putting God into a house, even though God's desire is to build a household of people who He can live with.

Our Coventantal God

Children of God

Jesus came into this world, not just as a man or even a King... He came into this world as God's Son, which he tells us in Luke 2:49. He came as God's only Son to be about God's work in this world. And what is that work? To make God's created people his sons and daughters as well. God's Son comes to bring forgiveness so we can be the co-heirs of life and salvation. At 12 years of age Jesus points to this amazing mission and the reason he came into this world.

Shocking

I wonder if any of got great surprises on Christmas morning. Maybe it was an unexpected gift, or a surprise visitor. Christmas has a habit of throwing up the odd suprise here and there. The same was true of the very first Christmas, Mary and Joseph got more than they bargained for. This Sunday, we will continue looking at the gospel of Luke, this time focussing on some of the events immediately the birth of Christ. Here we are introduced to two faithful servants of God, waiting for the coming Messiah. And they have some pretty startling things to say about this child, that will change the face of this world.

For the next 3 Sundays we will be having the same sermon in AM and PM services.

Cosmic

In just the space of 20 verses (Luke 2:1-20), as Luke recounts the night that Jesus was born - he manages to cover the depth and breadth of creation. There are kings and rulers, simple folk and inn keepers, a chorus of angels, joy to the world, and a group of numble shepherds. You see straight away we are being told something, Christmas is an event of far reaching consequences. Not just a day off and some good food, but a comfort and a challenge for all of us.

Redeem

Jesus has been interpreted and reinterpreted throughout history. From revolutionary, to political leader, to pacifist. But before his birth, Zachariah the pastor, moved by the Holy Spirit sings a song about Jesus, and his own son John. And in it we see the gospel - the Good News of what God has done, and is doing, through his Son Jesus. We will see that Christmas is more than an event to make once a year - its God's action to celebrate every day of our lives.

Jesus the Revolutionary

It has always been the case in this world that the powerful rule, and the weak get trampled on. It started with Cain and Able, and it continues on in the world today. It was the case at the time of Jesus birth as well. But in this amazing scene that we are going to consider this week, in Luke 1:39-56, we have two women, one old and barren, one young, unwed and pregnant, bearer the forerunner of the messiah and the messiah himself. You see Jesus turns this world and its thoughts and systems of power on its head. He started then - and he continues today.

Understanding God

It is so easy to have our understanding of God shaped by the wrong sources. From our parents, from our fears, from media or from people who really don't know God. The Bible tells us that the best way to know God is to know Jesus. And so as we continue our series in Luke, we'll get to know a little more about Jesus - and in doing so, get to know God. And we'll address two major problems we have in our understanding of God, and having them corrected, be in a better position to respond with genuine faith.

Proclaim

Looking ahead to next week, we are continuing our series on "The King" through the gospel of Luke. We are going to look at Luke 1:39-56. I want to focus on the 'revolutionary' side of Jesus. Here we have two simple and socially disregarded women, one bearing the forerunner and the other the messiah himself. And so Mary's song is really about the values of this world being turned on their head by Jesus. And so we want to see how God does this in Christ - and what it means for his followers to be the recipients, the community and the messangers of that revolution.

Would you rather be Safe or Brave?

The parable of the bags of gold is often applied in the context of personal gifts. Perhaps it's more a statement about living in faith and courage, and in the assurance of the rich promises of our Master. Maybe this 'courageous Christianity' is something of what Jesus means when he talks about his gift of 'life to the full'. In this message Dave will round off the 'God of Justice' series, and will include some practical steps we all can take to start stepping forward as the people of justice and hope we are called to be.

Joseph Recognises God

Last week, as we looked at the life of Joseph, we saw things just get worse and worse in his life. His one shot at getting out of prison, seems to have been forgotten by the cup bearer to Pharoah. But in an amazing turn of events (or God moments) Joseph is lifted out of the dungeon, and given the second in command position is Egypt. And so this week we want to have a look at what God was doing through the triumph of Joseph, and how Joseph used his blessing for the blessing of others, and the cause of God's kingdom. And as we do that, we'll be thinking about why God may have blessed us, and be challenged to think about what we are doing with it.

There is no "Plan B"

We feel uncomfortable when we witness injustice and abuse on the TV or some other context. How does God see it? More importantly, what does he think about it? And then we have the age old question: Does God have a plan to do something about it - if so, what is His plan?

When Life Bites

You have got to love the story of Joseph. It is the first and ultimate in riches to rags to riches stories. But we don't only like Joseph for drama, we also like it because there is so much to relate to. No matter how poor you are, and how tough life is, Joseph was poorer, and his life was tougher. No matter how much you have in terms of power and possessions, Joseph probably had more. And yet throughout it all, we see what life looks like when God is with you and we honor him no matter what the circumstances. This Sunday in the PM service we start a 2 part mine series, called "Where is God?" looking at the life of Joseph. This week we'll look at Genesis 37-40.

I'm bored - but why?

We're looking at the story of the young man in Luke 19. It may be that his life is somewhat of a reflection of ours. He's asking the question 'what do I still lack'? The answer he expects to hear is that he doesn't lack anything. In many ways we don't lack anything either - we're incredibly blessed! The surprise is that rather than leave us satisfied, this 'rich life' often leaves us restless and discontent. Could it be that Jesus' call to 'give it all away' is less about what we do with our wealth, and more about how Jesus' followers find their way out of their yawning dissatisfaction? Wondering why your life seems to lack passion? Want to find out how to address that? Come Sunday 9am, and listen to what Jesus has to say.

In hopeless times God works mightily

Just when you think it's all over and there isn't any hope left, God goes and does something amazing. Just when everything seems lost, God reveals his mighty plan of redemption and victory. This is how things go at the end of the Samson story. When we think it's hopeless for him, God shows up and kicks some serious butt! This week we're gonna get a big reminder of how loving and faithful our God is. From him and this story we can know that when things seem low in life, God is at work doing something great! Don't miss the ending! Judges 16:22-31.

Repentant Revival

We live in a very strong 'success' culture. We want to appear successful and to have it all together. No one likes to admit to any weaknesses. And the same goes for the church as well. We want to present a good, strong image, that we know what we are doing, and we are doing things right. But when we look at the Bible, and history, we see something that is very worrying for successful churches. Because we see that revival means repentance. Revival means grieving over sin, recognizing that we haven't got it right, and that we need to do things God's way. Is the church willing to go the way of humility, for true revival? Are we willing to sacrifice 'self' for the path of Jesus?

Downfall

This week we see the climactic downfall of our psycho saviour Samson. He's never been what you'd call a 'standup citizen', but it's at the end of his career that he hits a new low. Like so many men in the Old Testament, he's brought down by a deceptive lover and his own weakness for women. She is Delilah. And in this story we find tow lessons, a moral one and a theological one. We learn from Samson that seduction is a real killer because it draws us away from our faithful God. And we learn from Samson that we are in need of a true Saviour without the weaknesses and failures of a sinful man. Jesus.

God has His Purposes

This Sunday we continue in our series on Repentance. Last week we looked at some of the basics, and saw that repentance is a throwing ourselves on the mercy of God, knowing that he extends kindness and grace to sinners. It is to turn from sin and to God, and to walk in his ways. But too often we view that as something that takes place at the start of the journey of faith. But this Sunday we are going to see that this is to be a practice of Christian living, turning from sin, and turning to our savior. We want to cover a big chunk of scripture this Sunday morning (Nehemiah 8-10) so any reading you can do before hand will be of great benefit.

Standing by the Psycho

When you get right down to it, Samson has all the characteristics of a terrorist. He's a freedom-fighting, lone-range guerrilla whose vicious acts of vengeance would've struck fear into the heart of anybody. As I said in the first week - he was a psycho!

And yet, what is so unbelievable about the story of Samson is that God stands by this vengeful man, even after he repeatedly exhibits his glaring vices. But God doesn't remain faithful to Samson because of who Samson is... He remains faithful to him for his own purposes - his purposes to deliver and to teach and to judge. God stands by the psycho because he loves his people.

Question Of The Week: How do you obtain a fresh jawbone of a donkey? Read Judges 15.

Repent for the end is nigh!

The prophets of the Old Testament called for it. It was the basis of John the Baptist's ministry. I was the first thing that Jesus called people to do. It was the conclusion to the very first sermon ever preached by a pastor. It is REPENTANCE. Everyone knows that repentance is necessary, but do we actually know what it is? What are we responding to when we all called to repent, what do we actually do, and what does it do in our lives? This Sunday we begin a new 3 part series in REPENTANCE.

Time to Come Home

Why you should come back to God... Some many people would not even consider matters of faith, or having a relationship with God. Do they have any idea about the God they think they can do without? And sin. It seems many people don't get the whole 'sin' thing - we just don't know what to do with that whole idea. What if God was more wonderful than you could imagine, and what if sin was more insidious, uglier than your worst dreams - what then? Come Sunday, and find out...

So that

"Wow, 10 years!!! Its great, amazing. And what about the next 10, they're going to be cool too, right?

But what are we really celebrating when we look back over the last 10 years, and what is really worth looking forward to? This Sunday we will look at 1 Kings 8:56-61 and see Solomon's focus as the nation of Israel celebrates, and let God guide us as we celebrate on Sunday.

Samson - Deliverance

Samson was a man appointed by God even before he was born, much like Jesus. He was called to be one of God's Judges, set apart for God's purposes, and empowered by God's Spirit. Why? To deliver God's people from the hands of their enemies.

Because God is the deliverer and the hero - that is the point of the story of Samson. We don't focus on the man, but on the purposes God used him for. And where Samson failed, God's appointed Son did not. Through him we also have been set apart and empowered for God's work.

It is more Blessed to give than to Receive

We have all heard the words. We would say we believe them. But do we live them? How would this play out in a society that seems to live like it's more blessed to receive than to give? Where people strive to acquire, and where the economy is fuelled by the desire to possess? Would our community be any different if we really lived this truth? Read ahead at Luke 6:38, Acts 20:13-35 and think about key verses describing God as the great Giver.

Taming your Tongue

Of course we all want to live well and right, and to understand what life means and where it's going. Well, we must start with God, the first step in learning is bowing down to God, for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom".

The Book of Proverbs deals with some 50 or 60 different topics and the topic we meet most often in this book, is our speaking. Proverbs is full of godly counsel as to how to speak wisely, so as to please God, and build up the people around us.

And yet, we all sin in the way we use our tongue; no one has as yet been able to tame the tongue. But Christ, through His Holy Spirit, is in the business of tongue-taming!

Your Weakness - My Power

The AFL Grand Final has just been played - which team contemplated being weaker on the day? Our society tells us to advance our own position at all costs. No one wants to be seen as weak, right? So, do we believe these words or not? Were they only relevant to Paul, or could it be that God's power will be seen in people who intentionally walk a path of weakness? And what is weakness anyway - and by whose measure?

How do I know God is Real

Many Australians have trouble believing in God. They look at world history and life situations tend to reason against His existence or that He cares. There are other things to look at, though, and some of these things provide compelling testimony that God is real and that he cares. Dan Neville will open this issue up for us on Sunday night, issuing us with a great challenge and a greater comfort.

The Power of a Forgiving Word

Forgiveness is something we all seek, and crave from those whom we have wronged. Why then is it so hard to give forgiveness to another? What happens when we don't forgive, and what might happen if we were to live forgiveness in all its fullness?

Live out your Redemption

If you ever get a little slack in your faith, you can be sure that you're not the only one. The knowledge of our salvation can make it easy for us to get complacent in our confidence. But Peter encourages us to live out our salvation by adding to our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. While only God can save, we are called to make every effort to live out the grace he has shown us and make our calling and election sure.

In over your head?

Ever have that feeling that God is calling you to greater things - but if you take the step, you're stepping into a void? How come God's call can be so uncomfortable? If you've ever wrestled with this, you are going to love what will happen on Sunday.

The Fear of the Lord = Wisdom

This morning will be somewhat of an introduction to the Book of Proverbs.

Most of us will have read bits of this ancient wisdom literature, and we may well ask: what is it that makes these 31 chapters so special to have them included in the Bible.

It does give instruction on how to live wisely and righteously in the 'fear of the Lord'.

As New Testament believers we must also focus on Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Colossians 2.

Pointing to the light

Being Jesus' witnesses means pointing people to Jesus. It's not about methods, styles and programs. It's about pointing to the light of the world - Jesus Christ. We point to who he is and what he's done. It's not about us and our gifts, but simply about pointing to Jesus. We are simply here to help people recognise that Jesus is the light of the world. On Sunday evening we will look at the first New Testament witness - John the Baptist. For context, read all of John 1.

Be My Witnesses!

We seem to spend a lot of time talking about witnessing and how to do it. But God does not command us to be part of some program. He calls us to be his witnesses, carrying his transforming likeness into our world. If you've ever wondered about how you could ever do that, you will be keen to hear what God says.

A People of Compassion

To be like Jesus means to be people of compassion, concerned for the justice of the poor and oppressed. In fact, new life in Christ guarantees we develop compassion and care for all people made by God. This compassion helps us to see and treat others like we would treat Jesus.

We know the needs, we can see the hurt - Negligence is not an option.

Loosening the Chains

We do not often associate a passion for justice with the likeness of Jesus in us. Perhaps it's high time we did. Jesus began his mission with a promise of justice (Luke 4) - it is a marker of his Kingdom. How can it mark his Kingdom in us, today? This very special service will find us listening to God from Is 58 - feel free to read ahead.

How to Love Again

What does it really mean to love another person, or to love others? And why is love so graphically connected with selflessness by Jesus? Can we expect to follow his example? How realistic is this?

Trust

In a fallen world it's hard to trust anyone but yourself. We know what it's like to be let down and disappointed and we find it much easier to just rely on ourselves. But can we really trust ourselves? The Bible teaches us to trust in God, not in ourselves. As difficult as it seems, we are called to depend on Christ for everything. Everything. Only when we trust in him can we really become like him. Jesus relied 100% on his Father and he calls us to do the same.

The Church of Laodicea

The Laodicea church (Revelation 3:14-22) comes in for strong criticism from Jesus. The church's problem has very much to do with smug self-sufficiency: they were convinced that they were doing very well indeed as a church, and as individuals. But Christ tells it like it is, and His evaluation of them is quite devastating. But at the same time, His love knows no bounds: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock." As one commentator says: "In an act of unbelievable condescension Christ requests permission to enter and re-establish fellowship."

Walk the Line

When you're led down a dark path by a guide, it requires some action on your part: you need to go with that guide. When we're led through life by the Holy Spirit, it requires some action on our part: we need to keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). So, how can we keep in step with Spirit? We walk the line, we obey, we listen, we depend. In our society it is unpopular to do this, but this is how we live by the Spirit and see the fruit of the Spirit evident in our lives. For extra reading check out Romans 7:7-8:39.

Like Father, Like Son

You can tell a tree by its fruit, and God wants his children to be known by his own character. So, what would happen if the Spirit's fruit were a lot more visible in your life?

Be Filled with the Holy Spirit (Part 2)

The Holy Spirit is a gift we cannot experience apart from Jesus. Jesus promised the Spirit to all of his disciples and he sent the Spirit to us after he had returned to his Father's side. The Holy Spirit is Jesus living in us. And the Holy Spirit is our Helper - he helps become more and more like Jesus. The next few weeks we're looking at becoming like Jesus, and we begin by recognising the essential role of the Holy Spirit. Do you need a Helper?

Be Filled with the Spirit

Max Lucado recently wrote: "when it comes to the Holy Spirit, we are confused at best and frightened at worst. Confused because we've never been taught. Frightened because we've been taught to be afraid." This Sunday we want to look at what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and we want to do so in a way that deepens our desire to live as Jesus' followers bringing hope to his world.

The beat goes on...

When we think of the Song of Songs, we often can't get past images of women with necks as long as towers, and teeth like straying, furry sheep. But the song of songs speaks far more deeply to us than we might imagine. There is a longing for love and acceptance deep within our hearts that is often almost impossible to satisfy. Where does this desire come from, and how we can we find the love and acceptance that we crave?

Living the Dream

Dan Neville will be speaking to us on Sunday morning - the PM crowd has really come to love Dan's messages, and this Sunday the AM crowd will also get to enjoy one for a change - thanks Dan for stepping up!

Trials Turn to Joy

Where do you turn when life weighs you down? What underpins your hope that you'll endure? Peter understood these questions when he wrote to exiled Christians buckling under persecution and suffering. His response may surprise, though. Not content to offer pithy 'how to' advice, he draws their attention [and ours as well] away from false hopes to focus instead upon the one who gives us living hope.

Sixth Church in Revelation - Philadelphia

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Keith Warren
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The church in Philadelphia (in ancient Asia Minor, today's Turkey) is one of the two churches (two out of seven!) in the Book of Revelation which do not receive criticism from the Lord.

It's an insignificant little church: few resources, little finances, no programs, not many movers and shakers in this church.

But in the eyes of the Lord they were a mega-church! They have kept the Lord's Word, they have not denied His Name, and they practiced godly endurance.

Christ - as the only One who opens (and closes!) the Kingdom of heaven - has set before this insignificant group of Christians and open door! That is: an open door into the Kingdom, and an open door into the world!

The Life of Wisdom

Once we know how great God is and how small we are, we can ask the question, "So how should I live?" If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and we gain a true perspective by discovering our ONLY significance is found in Jesus, then how do we live in response to that? Simple: obedience. We plan to do his plan and then we implement it. We hear the words of Jesus and we put them into practice. That is what the wise man does. We serve God, we serve one another, we serve the gospel! We store up treasures in heaven, not meaningless junk on earth. And we live out the new life given to us by our Redeemer.

Can we fix it?

Are we kidding ourselves to think that we can actually change anything about the economic situation? What difference can we make, really? Well, you may be surprised at how God might work through his people to make his Kingdom Come!

What is your Life?

When our focus is properly fixed on God, on fearing him, we can begin to gain a true perspective of ourselves. Once we know who God is - our Creator and Redeemer - we can figure out who we are. And James tells us that we are a mist. A mist that appears for a short time and then vanishes. Compared to our Eternal, Almighty God, we are nothing. And we are definitely not the centre of the universe. When we realise that we gain wisdom - a true perspective. And with that knowledge God's love for us is even more amazing. And the plans for our lives become more meaningful than ever! Have a read of Psalm 90.

Will we Survive?

With so much uncertainty about the general economic situation, as well as our own personal financial resilience, it's not hard to see that 'market confidence' has taken a huge hit. The big question is: will we make it? How do you maintain faith in an economic crisis? What is our 'Faith Stimulus Package', and is it realistic?

Wanna be wise?

Life is meaningless. The things we do are useless - a waste of time. Work, education, travel. Friends, fun, money. None of these things will prevent you from dying and none can be taken with you when you go. All of it - a waste of time. So what's the point of living? It's simple: To fear God and keep his commandments (Ecclesiates 12:13). This is the whole point of living. Fear God. What does it mean to fear God? Revere him. Honour him. Worship him. Glorify him. And know him through the love he showed us on the cross. Because all of that you can take with you from this life to the next.

To kick off our series on wisdom try reading through the book of Ecclesiastes.

How did we get here?

Everyone knows we're in the middle of a global financial crisis, but no one seems to know how long it will last, or what the next horror story will be. This short series of messages will be less about financial and market analysis (which is good, because they are coming from Dave...), and more about these two questions: What is God saying to us in a time like this? (and) Are we listening? We read about numerous meltdowns in the Bible, and on Sunday morning we'll be looking at the one mentioned in 1 Kings 16:29-34.

New Creation

Paul closes his letter to the Galatian Christians with a crisp and succinct personal note. As he summarises his main point in the letter, he opens our eyes to one of the most wonderful realities: the very thing Jesus' followers are freed to do and to be.

God's Heart for People

The last chapter of Jonah is a strange addition to the rest of the story. Just when we think all is going to end well, we get chapter 4. But there is always more to learn - that is the point. And this week we learn even more about the greatness of God and the love of God. We learn more about how to live in humility. We learn more about God being in control. And we learn more about God's heart for people.

What will you do with it?

We all talk about 'doing everything to the glory of God' - but what does mean? Prayerful motives? Inspiring worship songs? Good morals? Alastair McEwen, Vice Principal of the Reformed Theological College in Geelong and our teaching guest on Sunday night, will lead us into a challenging understanding of this passage.

What does the Spirit desire?

Pentecost is the church's celebration of when God poured out His Spirit into his church. We celebrate his empowering, we celebrate His gifts and we celebrate His fruit, but we will never have this in perspective until our hearts are set on His desires. What might that mean for you? For community?

Free at Last

The call to freedom is one of the most motivational themes in human history. And the quest for freedom has sparked some of civilisations greatest upheavals and victories. The question needs to be asked: do we know what true freedom is, and do we understand how to live in it? Even though most people see faith as a loss of freedom, in Jesus we find it is something very different.

God Changes Hearts

This week we continue our series through the book of Jonah - Chapter 3. And again we find ourselves marvelling at the greatness of God. After Jonah has sunk to the lowest depths, God rescues him and delivers him and calls him once again to the task of spreading his word. We've seen how human Jonah can be, but we've also seen how mighty God can be. And through the feeble words of the runaway prophet, God brings the great, godless city of Ninevah to repentance. Though we are weak, God can still work wonders through us. He calls us to spread the gospel, and when we do, He saves.

But God...

This Sunday night we continue on in our series in Galatians. This week we see what it means to 'grow up' from slaves to adolescents to heirs. We've seen so far how the Galatians were trying to turn back to their old ways to attain acceptability in God's eyes. This week, we see God's perspective on things and how what seems so impractical is actually the centrepiece to our very lives.

Do Churches ever die?

In Revelation 3:1-6 we come face to face with a dead church, even though it had a marvellous reputation. But Jesus sees beyond the facade, whether it's churches or individuals.

It is so easy for us to be fooled by outward appearances, not only in others but even in ourselves! Christ uncovers our very hearts, and He calls us to repentance.

The church we look at this morning, Sardis, was impressively busy with all kinds of things, but it appears that they did not acknowledge Jesus before men. They did not allow themselves to be guided and enthused by the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Life!

We ought to make sure that Christ will acknowledge us before His Father in heaven!

My Story, Our Story, His Story

From time to time special services are planned, and the prayer is always that Jesus' grace will impact on the hearts and lives of all present. Well, this Sunday may well be one of those days. In both 9am and 5pm services, we will be treated to some very special stories. They will tell us how God has worked in and through normal people, and we'll dream a little about what the future might bring. I've seen some of the advance material, and it's very good.

So, maybe this is the best thing you can do for your mum, for your family and ultimately, for your church - come and be encouraged with the Gospel that brings extraordinary hope to everyday lives.

The Gift

This week we move on to Galatians 3, where Paul looks at how God's gift and God's law relate.

If faith in Jesus is all I need, then why did God give us the law? What are we supposed to do with all these laws and regulations?

Does God want us to have a bet each way, or is God teaching us something far more profound?

Thanksgiving from the Deep

It's easy to forget that we must face trials in order to grow as Christians. It's easy to forget that we need God to rescue us numerous times in our lives, and not just the once. It's easy to forget that the Jonah who went down into the depths of the sea and down into the guts of a fish was man of God. But he was. And he needed the reminder of God's grace in order to strengthen his faith and reignite his song of thanksgiving. And like Jonah, we also need reminders of God's grace to renew our faith and turn our focus back to Christ. Read Jonah 2... Maybe even a few times...

When Grace is hard to do

Sometimes it just doesn't seem right to rely on grace alone. Sometimes we feel we have to do the "right thing" in the eyes of others, rather than live out the reality of pure grace. Am I prepared to be known as a "sinner" so that the message of grace can be heard by those around me?

"Who's in Control Here?"

This week we're starting a new series on the book of Jonah called, "To Obey Or Run Away." Just like Jonah, we have the tendency to run from God's calling on us. Either that or we pretend we don't know what it is! Jonah heard it directly and ran the other way. We say we don't hear it and then plead ignorance.
But it's clear from reading Jonah that God's purpose is to use us to turn unbelieving people into believers. And we need to know that God will never let up on that purpose - it is his mission. If we run from that calling, God will pursue us and help us become the mission-minded people he wants us to be. Because remember, he is sovereign!

But Wait... There's More

But wait - there's more!

This week we begin a new series on Paul's letter to the Galatians called Free at Last.

So often we hear that simply believing in Christ is only the first step towards God, and that there are other things you need to do if you are going to really enter into the fullness of God's blessing.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul passionately defends the all-sufficiency of the gospel, and claims that anything added to the gospel only serves to deny God's grace in Jesus.

God: Loving and Judging

This morning we continue the series dealing with the seven letters to the churches in Revlation; this is letter number 4.

Again, one of the biggest problems - also of this church - is compromise with the world.

False teaching continues to plague these young churches, and accompanied with that is an immoral lifestyle. The Lord is angry when he sees that there is an attitude of tolerance and broadmindedness, on the part of those churchmembers who remain faithful.
Judgment is certainly to follow, and we have to ask ourselves whether our view of God and Jesus is sufficiently anchored in Scripture. Do we see Jesus only as Saviour, without realizing He is also Judge?

Saturday Won't Last Forever!

Late last Sunday evening the ABC showed a 'Compass' program, entitled 'The Hidden Story of Jesus'. It was a presentation by an English theologian whose aim it was to find similarities between the story of Jesus, and stories of other religions.

And there certainly appear to be some similarities. One thing however was glaringly absent in his presentation, and that was the UNIQUENESS of the Christan story!

The death and resurrection of Jesus should have been presented as absolutely different from what any other religion offers!

For without Jesus taking upon Himself the righteous judgment of God against US, and without Jesus rising again, proving thereby that His saving work was truly done, what hope do we have? None!

Let us celebrate Easter 2009 by not just singing about the wonderful resurrection news, but let us celebrate daily in response to the Easter news by LIVING A NEW LIFE!

What Did It Take?

Have you ever pondered on what it really took for Jesus to bridge the gap between us and God? Have you really considered the extent of Jesus' punishment - the punishment he took for us? We often think about Jesus' suffering before and on the cross, the pain and torture he endured. And the cross becomes the symbol of Jesus sacrifice. But in many ways, the cross itself is just the beginning...

In order to bring us back to God, Jesus suffered complete separation from God. He was forsaken by his Father for the first and only time. The Trinity itself was at that point fragmented and broken. This is the way it had to be so we could be saved. The cross for Jesus didn't just represent the death sentence... It represented the wrath of God for the sins of the world. On Friday we praise Jesus because he lost his heavenly Father for a time so we could be reunited with him and look forward to eternal life with him.

You, Me and Our Belly Buttons

We'd love to see you there for another Easter lead-up message and time of worship and fellowship at 5pm.

The Hand of Grace

It's quite possible to look at the life of Judas Iscariot and see a reflection of ourselves, isn't it? Many of us enjoy a relationship with Jesus and have walked with him for quite some time, but, just like Judas, we've often used that relationship for selfish gain and personal agendas. Yet, the most amazing part of the story of Judas is that Jesus never stopped offering his hand of friendship. Jesus' response to the man who betrayed him was to be gracious and loving, always ready to forgive. Thanks to Jesus, we don't have to share the same destiny as Judas. He offers us his hand, that we might accept his grace, no matter where we are in life, and be his friend for all eternity.

The Glance Awakening

People say that you cannot penetrate a rock. The surface is just too hard. Tonight we will meet Peter, a rock-solid follower of Jesus who crumbled under pressure. But something even more powerful changed his life forever. Jack De Vries joins us for the series "The Way Up is Down" as we look at the gospel account of Peter's denial (Matt 26:31-35; 69-75). In his message, "The Glance Awakening", Jack will show from Peter's life how through the tough times of life God can work his purposes in and through us.

Whose will be done?

Have you ever wondered what the alternative to Easter would be? Ever wondered what your life would be if Jesus had refused to be arrested, called 12 legions of angels to his side, destroyed the Romans, and ruled over all mankind? The Bible says he was tempted. But while it all sounds heroic and exciting, we would not be so blessed if he had. We would still be weighed down by sin, guilty in the sight of the conquering King, and ultimately dead. Thankfully Jesus did the will of his Father - humbly and obediently - he responded to God. For us that means life, also under God's will, serving him and looking forward to an eternity with him.

The Last Supper

It's three weeks to go till Easter, and today we're starting a new short series of sermons focussing on the gospel of Matthew, chapters 26-28, right up till Good Friday and Easter. There's even a title for this series: The Way Up is Down.

The Kingdom of God runs counter to many of our expectations and beliefs. The disciples would find their beliefs about Jesus as Messiah challenged every step of His journey to the Cross. Their hopes for the restoration of Israel were anchored in political and economic victories as well as dreams of personal greatness, and how totally different did it all turn out!
The scene of 'The Last Supper' and everything that happens around it, shows Jesus' followers as ignorant, confused, fearful, even quarreling amongst themselves, while their Master shows deep humility and a readiness to continue walking the road of suffering right up to the bitter end.

The passage for today will be Matthew 26: 17-30, but as Mark, Luke and John also write in detail about these final days for Christ, we will also look at some references from these gospel writers.

Moved to Action

Human trafficking is a global epidemic, yet remains widely unseen or acknowledged.
It is the fastest growing form of international crime, and the second largest source of illegal income, raking in more than 31 billion dollars every year.
That's 31 billion dollars made on the buying and selling of innocent and exploited human beings.
But the issue goes far beyond statistics. God is calling the church to respond to injustice in its every form, and to open our hearts to the cry of the oppressed as a central part of being a follower of Christ.
A team of passionate child advocates (from RCRC as well as other congregations) will be leading the service and sharing on the reality of human trafficking and sex slavery, what it means for the church and how God is calling his people to be moved to action.

Change and the Church

Ever wondered why the NT church seemed so flexible, and yet we who have 2000 years of development behind us sometimes find the smallest change hard to handle - why is that? And if we change, how do we avoid mere accommodation of pop culture? How can we deal with change?

Can I Help You?

How can you help others in need? Sometimes we forget that serving people's needs is another great way to share the gospel of Jesus. As the old saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." By loving and serving others, we're doing exactly what Jesus did. See, it's not natural for people to care about others, only themselves. But when Christ genuinely moves us to help others, they know there's something different and special about us - we have the gospel in our hearts. And when people see that, it opens up the door for meaningful conversations about Christ. How can you help others in need?

Each one Teach one

Training leaders and discipling Christians is more a models of 'each one teach one'. For too long we have left this to a few people. Do we understand the sheer power and possibility of the NT discipleship model? This is not just a matter having good teachers, this is about raising up people to carry the Gospel into the hearts, homes and communities of the future. What role might you have to play in all this?

Come and Meet Jesus

Have you ever meet someone important before? Do you remember what it was like? Have you meet someone who was important and did not realize that the person was important? Come with us Sunday night and discover what it was like for a lady who meets Jesus for the first time!

Churches that Plant Churches

It used to be that many saw planting other churches as something that happens as well as worship, teaching, serving and Christian community. What can we see in the NT church, and why does it matter?

Baptise the BBQ

Christian sometimes struggle to maintain friendships with people outside their church networks. This does not seem to have been a problem in the NT. Surprisingly, relationships with people who did not know Jesus may have been the backbone of missional success. How can we use relationships as open doors for Jesus' message? Read ahead at
Question: Why is it so hard to maintain good friendships outside church circles?

Really Knowing God

Today is a national day of mourning, and of course there is great sadness in many hearts and places. We will consider some words of the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 9, and he certainly knew what mourning was!
Next to the mourning for devastating losses, we have to mourn for our sins, and for the many times that we grieve Almighty God.

God's Story and Our Story Intertwined

Telling our story can be one of the most impacting ways to share the good news of Jesus. On one hand, it is the power Jesus has to enter into a person's story, show them love and grace, save them from sin and turn their life completely around. But on the other hand, each story that features the saving work of Jesus is part of a much bigger story - God's story of salvation and redemption! Each of our lives is like a mini version of God's restoring work in the world. So, our testimony not only helps other people to identify with real life circumstances, it also points to God's great story of hope and rescue, which sees it's climax in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Your story is not just for you... God can use it to bring more people to know Jesus. Have a look at the story of the blind man in John 9 for an example.

Where is God in all this?

It has been a terrible week, hasn't it? I have stared at my screen or TV more than a few times and have just been assaulted by the level of destruction and the heaviness of grief in Victoria and to a lesser extent, northern Queensland.

The questions just keep coming: Where is God in all this? Why do these things keep happening? Why?
Sunday AM we'll seek to place ourselves in Scripture's light, and find some meaning in what God has to say. We will be praying. We will be seeking. And together we'll search for Jesus' comfort together.

Fitting Jesus into Culture

Where do we aim to get people? The head or the heart? That's one of the questions we face when we think about evangelism. Do we pile them up with data and information or do we just say, "Jesus loves you." Well, the truth is, there is no right or wrong answer here. Some people need to be convinced in their minds before they believe in their hearts and others just need to feel loved. This week we want to think about the intellectual approach to evangelism - and the question, "Is Jesus relevant in today's culture?" If not, what are we doing to change that. Some of us, especially, are called to know Jesus, know the culture and make that link between the two, just as we see Paul doing in Acts 17:16-34... Have a read!

Prayer is where the Heart is

Ever examined what you actually pray for over the period of a week or so?? What tends to be the focus of your prayers? Do you think your prayers show the true focus of your heart, and is this a good focus? When we look at Jesus' prayers, and Paul's prayers, this is, in fact, what we see. On Sunday 9am, we'll be looking at the role of prayer in joining God's mission.

Tell it Like it is

In the age of acceptance and tolerance we often find ourselves trying to mould the gospel into something pretty and non-offensive before we feel ready to share it with others. We want people to like Jesus and like Christianity and like us, don't we? Yet, Peter reminds us that the gospel of Jesus is confronting, making people stumble and fall. It is not a pretty lifestyle, but a bold declaration of Jesus, the Son of God.

Though we are not all gifted as preachers and public speakers, we can all seek to become bolder in our sharing of the gospel. We're not called to be chickens for Jesus. And people need to see that Jesus gives courage and that the Christian faith is worth making a stand for. For those gifted in confronting people, Peter's example in Acts 2 encourages you to 'tell the gospel like it is' - there is definitely a need for such boldness.

Our Missional Manifesto

Want to know what RCRC is really on about? Want the big picture on where we are headed? Then you need to lock into this new teaching series. It will help you understand the 'why' or our planning and ministry, and it will help you understand more about the CRCA. Whether you're new to RCRC or an old timer, there are bound to be a few surprises.

When it comes to planning, goals and strategies, some people suggest all that sort of stuff is an invasion of business methodology into the church. Every thought about that? This series will help us understand that Jesus had a plan, and he followed it. Paul had a plan, and he followed it. God has a plan, and the Scripture is the story of him following that plan and bringing it to completion in Jesus.

The question we all need to ask, then, is “do we see how important it is to be intentional about planning what we do, how we are going to do it, and why it all matters?"

Can you hear the cry?

As the year begins, we're all making lots of plans and goals. We're thinking about our priorities and our directions. For some of us, perhaps the year is already looking a little busy. Do you want to be a better reflection of what it means to follow Him in 2009? Interestingly, this is not far from any of us, and the most surprising thing is that it comes through very surprising means.

Compromise and toleration!

This morning there is correspondence for the church at Pergamum, and this letter is also for the church at Redlands!

In Pergamum there are plenty of distractions, especially for Christians. But the church there remained faithful even in a tough situation. But even though these Christians had maintained their acceptance of the truth, they nevertheless tolerated in their fellowship some false prophets. Was this a matter of sacrificing some truth for the sake of love? Or had they just become slack?

The Lord of the Church rejects this attitude of compromise. Repent!

Honour Roll

TIME magazine has honoured Barrack Obama as the "2008 Person of the Year".  Do we live our lives in such a way that we matter?  What kind of recognition or honour would you receive?  What would it take for us to have our picture on the cover of TIME magazine?  As we think about the year ahead, how we live our lives today will have an impact on how we will live our lives into the future and even eternity.  Jesus is prepared to do for us in heaven what we are prepared to do for him on earth.  We are to live our lives in such a way that we will receive divine recognition.

Do we have to try?

Often we find ourselves in times of apathy in our faith. Our efforts seem to be going nowhere and we wonder if doing anything is worthwhile. We get mixed messages from people, some saying we have to wait and let God work in us and others saying we need to take initiative and let God work in what we do. And so the question comes to mind, "Do we have to try?"
In John 15, Jesus teaches us that our Christian lives need a bit of both. God is the one who bears fruit in our lives and makes us grow as Christians. But Jesus clearly calls us to remain in him also. He calls us to try, to put in the effort and make it a priority to live and exist in Jesus, drawing from his unlimited life-source. When we do that, a passion to serve and bring glory to God is promised.

Your Hope Shapes your Life

Eyes that see, but never see!

From Fear to Faith

Jesus sends a letter to the church in the city of Smyrna, some 2000 years ago. Today that city is still there (it's now called Izmir, in Turkey), but how different the situation! In Revelation 2:8-11 the apostle John writes to a church which is going through a very tough time: persecution, poverty, even death. Fear must have been their daily companion.
Jesus encourages them to remain faithful, for He knows all their pain and grief. He is in control, He is victorious! And because of that, His children will also be victorious!

God's Powerful Work

So what difference does God make? How do lives look different when Jesus and his work takes over? As we read the book of Acts we often focus on what is happening in the world as the gospel goes out and churches are planted. But when we start to look at the lives of those who carry the gospel, we see some pretty powerful stuff going on there as well. And so what might God do in our lives if we start to get serious about him and his work? What might the results be for 2009? Well explore this on Sunday night.

The Gospel of Ruth

The story of Ruth is a very simple story at heart. It's the classic girl meets boy - girl and boy get married - boy dies - girl moves in with the mother-in-law - girl finds another boy - falls in love - gets married  - everyone lives happily ever after - type of story. It's the sort of story that speakers at women's conferences like to use, and it's a popular study topic for groups of teenage girls, because both Ruth and Naomi are such strong, heroic characters. But we want to see that the reasons for including Ruth's story in the Bible go much wider and deeper than just her strength of character. These reasons go right to the heart of God and what He is doing in this world, and so God is really the focus of this story, not Ruth.

Experiencing God - End of Year 2008

How can we experience God more in 2009? We all seek more power, and we all want to be more loving. Is there a way to make this happen more effectively? And imagine a church where this is working well. Want to go there in 2009? Then Sunday night will be good for your heart and your soul.

Me or the Mission?

Its amazing when we become so totally focused on something, how we will allow other things to just fade into insignificance. An athlete, focused on their sport, will forgo all sorts of social activity. A scholar, heads buried in the books, will completely forget about eating meals. So what happens then when we are totally focused on the most important thing in this world - Jesus and his mission? What will begin to fade into insignificance as we put God's priorities first?

Welcome Home to Hope

Christmas Day service.

Waiting for more this Christmas?

Christmas time is a time of waiting and expectancy. Waiting for holidays, expecting pre-requested gifts, waiting for food, expecting happiness, waiting for the new year, expecting new chances. And yet there's a deeper waiting and expectancy going on as well. We're waiting for salvation and the ultimate joy that comes with it, just as Simeon and Anna were doing (Luke 2:21-40). We're waiting for more. But often, as we wait for more, we forget about those who are waiting for their first truly meaningful Christmas. So, as we wait for more, we need to remember that Jesus has already come and brought hope and redemption to the world so that we can share it with those who are waiting and in desperate need of more. We could die happy today having known Jesus, if not for the millions who have not heard he has come.

Welcome Home to a Fresh Start

Have you ever experienced utter hopelessness? That point where you have run out of options, and have nowhere left to turn? It's a scary and desperate place to be. When we open up the pages of Luke, the nation is Israel is there. They may not know it yet, but its pretty bad. Even one of the priests refuses to believe God, even when an angel personally turns up to give him the message. But its into that situation that Jesus comes. And he comes to bring hope, and a new beginning, for the nation, for the world, and for people like us. Jesus is still about turning up in hopeless situations. He is still about bringing hope and new beginnings.

Come and Find Forgiveness

We've seen them on the beach: red & yellow caps: eyes focused just beyond the breakers. Life savers are there for people who get into trouble and who cannot save themselves. Hardly a more relevant picture of Jesus. The big question is: do you need rescuing? Are you ‘getting into trouble' or ‘out of your depth?' Jesus is your Rescuer, and that is good news.

We Three Kings

The old carol goes, "We three Kings of Orient are ... following yonder star", but how accurate is that? It just might not be the whole story! In fact, a close look at the visit of the wise men to Jesus, reveals some very interesting things about who they were and why they came. And in a way it will reveal something very interesting about who WE are and why WE come as well. Have a read of Matthew 2:1-12 while humming the Carol and see what you find.

Christmas Wow Factor

Remember as a kid how exciting  the whole time of Christmas was? The presents, the holidays, the parties. It all added up to be one great time of celebration and excitement. To be honest, I wish I could go back to that sometimes, because sometimes Christmas feels like more hassle that it really is - something to be endured, rather than something to be celebrated. But the very first Christmas was a time of great celebration. In Luke 2 we read words like "great joy", "rejoicing", "praising God." So what's the celebrate?

Egyptian Idolatry

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For thousands of years ancient Egypt had a very strong focus on the worship of idols. Many of these idols were pictured as animals or part-animals.
This morning we want to consider how Romans 1 relates to idol worship, and what some of the consequences are. Not just for the Egyptians, or the Israelites, but also for us in 2008. The only one who can set us free from wrong worship, is Jesus.

Ordinary Christmas

If all we ever knew about from Christmas was from Christmas Cards, we would get a very interesting picture of what happened when Jesus was born. It would be a very pretty scene, clean barn, clean animals, Mary looking like she had just stepped out of a salon. Joseph the kind of rugged good looking type that should have made an appearance in the new movie "Australia." But when we begin to read the New Testament, and have our images shaped by the Bible, we get a very different picture. It is in fact all so... ordinary. This week we start a new series called "Four Christmases" looking at the birth of Jesus from the point of view of 4 different groups of people, and what they experience, and what they have to teach us. This week we start with looking at Mary and Joseph.

Give It To Me

Do you ever think about our vision ‘to see the city of Redlands become a community of hope' and then think to yourself ‘Yeah, right'. How can we be serious about this when the task seems so huge, impossible even? Who are we trying to kid? Jesus' words about this are profound, challenging, perhaps even confronting. And Dave is going to open them up next Sunday. You won't want to miss this.

Professions of Faith

On Sunday evening four of our young people are professing their faith and sharing their testimonies. This is an exciting celebration for these young people, their families and the whole church community. It is a time to remember the great promises God makes to his people, how he fulfills them in Jesus and how he guarantees life through the gift of his Spirit. We often focus on our agreement to follow Jesus, but it's good for us to also remember God's decision to bring us into his family. Afterall, our faith -  the profession and the growth - is another amazing example of God at work.

Are you home yet?

Don't you just love coming home after a long time of absence? Even when you have had a great time away, its good to get home. The smells are familiar, you know where everything is, people are glad to see you, it just feels... right. What we don't often appreciate is that when we come to faith in Jesus, God brings us home. Home to himself, and home to his people. Its where we are meant to be, its that place that is just... right, and it fits. This Sunday we will be looking at that idea of God bringing people home, as we consider Zephaniah 3:14-20.

New Creation

You've probably noticed: often when people start talking about'; the last days' the tone of conversation changes, often shifting into a ‘minor key'. God wants us to think about the last days, but the interesting thing is that the Bible speaks of Jesus' return in wonderfully positive terms. It's a victory we're longing for! So, what are ‘the last days', what does it mean to live in them? What is ‘heaven' and why/how should we be longing for it? Finally, does God have a plan for his people until Jesus returns? This message will be full of challenge, and there are bound to be a few surprises.

Made Right to do Good

We often think that Jesus death and resurrection, and the resulting holiness that this brings us, is purely to do with us getting into heaven. God makes us clean, so that we can be in relationship with him, and live with him forever. And this is of course very true, and praise God that it is. But when we read Titus we see that there is more than this as well. Be are made right, so that we will live right. We are made holy, so that we will live holy, and in so doing be God's instrument of restoration in the world.

The Church

This week in our Walk Through The Bible series, we come to the most relevant section - the Church. In thinking about the Church and our role in God's story, we really want to flesh out what it means to be blessed by God, and also what it means to be a blessing in the community around us. When we talk about hope for the Redlands, we're talking about US being a blessing in the Redlands. We're talking about being used by God to bring about his restoration in the Redlands. We really have been blessed to be a people who know God. But by blessing his people, God intends to make them a blessing to others.

Biblical Christianity

Titus is to teach the Christians on the island of Crete to live good and godly lives, so as to make the gospel of Christ attractive. An excellent way to evangelize!

How are we enabled to live such lives? Because of grace! At the first coming of Christ we received 'grace upon grace'. Are we now eagerly awaiting the second coming of Christ, so that our salvation wil be complete!

Why is it Hard to Believe in Jesus?

"Some of the greatest barriers people have to following Jesus are his current followers" I am not sure how you respond to that. But I do think that even a casual reader of the Gospels will find a yawning gulf between the Jesus they read about in the New Testament and most Australians who go by his name today. Some will address this tension by suggesting we need to go back to the New Testament church. The problem is that there is no uniform picture of the New Testament church. Which one of them would you really want to be like? Perhaps the better advice is that we should clearly identify with Jesus. Is that what you want to do?

Did God Fail?

If it were up to me, the Bible would be a much simpler and shorter book. Basically, it would jump from God's promises to Abraham in Genesis 12, straight to Jesus in the New Testament. I wouldn't have bothered with all that stuff about Israel and kings and temples, just adds too much time and confusion into the whole equation. But I am not God, and surely he did know what he was doing. So what are we to make of the nation of Israel, especially as they fall into decline, get taken away into captivity and return just a shadow of their former glory? This week we look at the Exile and the Prophets, and see that without Israel and their failure, we wouldn't really understand Jesus.

How to Change Things for the Better

We have heard a lot about the need to make a difference on our world. We talk about 'hope for Redlands' and we have a program for this, and a process for that, and we have to read this book, and go to that seminar. Sometimes it seems there are too many demands placed upon us: we're busy enough, right?

Surprisingly, being God's change agents may not be that complicated after all. It may not as hard as you might think, in fact it might be very simple. Sunday morning we will be find out about the ingenious plan of God, and even see how it has been at work through history.

Is God Really with me?

Do you really believe God is with you? Could this be the most basic question of humanity? Might it explain why we are chronic seekers, always looking for something to give us that deep sense of security and significance?
Perhaps this is the basic question God's people have always faced - even in the Garden. It might explain why the ancient people of Israel wanted a King 'like all the other nations'. God had told them, and shown them, again and again, that he really was with them. Why couldn't they just listen?

But let's not just leave the challenge with them - what about you? Do you really believe God is with you, and does that make some kind of difference on your life? Does it impact your values? Your dreams? The way you love, and live?

We will be looking at 120 chapters of the Old Testament (start reading now!) Start at Joshua 1 and go through to 1 Kings 11 Our focus will be 1 Kings 1-11.

Leaders are Lovers of Good

Perhaps the greatest challenge we face as Christians is to 'practice what we preach' as the saying goes. We can talk and talk and talk about the Bible and Christian living, but do we live the way we encourage others to do so? In our second Titus section Paul gives us one of his famous criteria lists for Christian leaders. But unlike other job criteria, the criteria for servants of Jesus revolves completely around character - not gifts, not skills - just character and integrity. Because to be a servant of Jesus, as we all are, we need to work on the inside in order to get positive results on the outside.

Exodus and Law

Moving beyond Genesis this week, we find ourselves learning more of how God goes about restoring his world and fulfilling his promise to Abraham. The books of Exodus to Deuteronomy can excite us with stories of God's power as well as bore us with long lists of drawn-out laws. But every chapter in these books fits perfectly into God's promise to reverse the fall and rescue his people. He begins with the rescue of one nation to be his people, a kingdom of priests, used to further implement his plans and purposes in the world. The random passage can be from anywhere in Exodus to Deuteronomy, so start hunting now!

Ministry 101

Sometimes I have been called a "minister" in the church, and I don't really like it. It's not because it's not accurate, it's just that it's a half truth. Because when it comes to ministry, it's not something that just the few are called to, it's for every Christian. As we begin to look through the book of Titus today, we see that Paul is spelling out that ministry is something we are all involved with. And so, as we look at Titus 1:1-4, we will be looking at the basics of ministry, what it means to be a servant of God.

Walk through the Bible

Reading Genesis can be most fascinating. Some of the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the rest of the family can be entertaining, but leave us wondering "What on earth is God trying to tell us here?" But when we read it remembering what we saw in Genesis 1-11, and looking at God's promises in Genesis 12, we see that God is not just trying to entertain us, but tell us some vital news about his world rescue operation. He is telling us about how this reversal of the fall is going to take place, what he is going to do through Jesus, and also how he is going to use us. Don't forget to get ready for random passage, this time from Genesis 12-50. There are some great ones there, so come prepared.

Worship - Time to Celebrate God

Do you ever think about 'awe' and 'wonder'? If so, does worship ever fit that description? I know, it's a pretty laden comment, but there are ways that we approach worship that will almost definitely set us up for failure. How can worship and awe be more connected in our experience? Read ahead at Hebrews 12:18-29

Walk through the Bible

Genesis 1-12 seems to invite us into a world that is very different from our own, so distant from what we know and experience. There are naked people running around talking to snakes and eating fruit. There are hunters and farmers who don't get on, giants and floods and the building of a big tower. We can end up thinking that it's a nice story, but even if it is true, what does it have to do with us, with today? But when we look at these chapters in the context of the Bible, when we understand them as the beginnings of the unfolding story of God, we see that it has everything to do with us, and everything to do with today. Without understanding Genesis 1-12 we don't really understand ourselves, we don't really see the need for Jesus, and we struggle to understand our (the Church's) place in the world. This week we start our new "Walk through the Bible" series, looking at Genesis 1-12.

Need Some Space?

We see key times in Jesus ministry that he withdrew to be alone: right at the commencement of his ministry, and right at its close, and many times throughout. We have to ask ourselves: are we just too busy, and we can't switch off? Is the pace of life too much? How might that impact on our relationship with Jesus? If we're asking ‘what can we do about it?' we need to know that times of solitude of going to be part of the answer. Read ahead at Psalm 23
PS. How's your homework going?

Speaking to God about People

What happens when God's people pray for him to work powerfully? In Acts 4 we find out how God works through people to bring a community of hope.

What's the deal with fasting?

The ‘Draw Near' series continues: we'll be looking at what Jesus says about fasting, and what role it may have in giving expression to our walk with God. We'll debunk some myths about fasting and seek to discover its true value. Some important lessons to learn about listening to our bodies, and speaking without our mouths. And we'll get a little healthier, in all sorts of ways.

Community of Love

Why do we love? Are we motivated by feelings? Or is it a simple matter of choice? In John's letter it becomes clear that God is our motivation, our reason and our ability to love. In fact, God is love - without him there is no love. When we think about being a community of love, we see that our love for one another is the way God shows his love today.

Homosexuality - A Double Repentance

Back, due to popular demand... A few weeks ago we looked at the issue of being Christian and Gay. A number of people commented that they would like to have a follow up message thinking about how we, as a church, love and support people who struggle with same sex attraction. Too often, for Christians who struggle in this way there have been only two options. 1) A openly gay lifestyle. 2) Cold loneliness of isolation. But we want to suggest there is a third way, the way of Jesus and his church. Before you come, have a read of Romans 12:3-16 and think how a person who struggles with same sex attraction fits into this picture.

A Community of Truth

In the world we live, truth is a matter of opinion. No one is sure of what truth is. People are becoming more and more convinced that there is nothing solid to base life on. Even as Christians, we struggle discerning what is true and what is false.
But John shows us in his first letter that those who walk in the light can be confident in the truth of Jesus Christ. The Son of God is the centre of truth and the measure of everything else in life. In Jesus we find an unshakable and immovable foundation, and from him we can distinguish between what is true and what is false.

Draw Near to God

Somewhat introductory, though we'll be looking at what it means to ‘draw near to God', asking the question of whether we're really as open to God as we could be, and what we might be able to do about it.

Community of Purity

Sunday evening we begin a new series in the book of 1 John, looking at how we can be a Community of Light in this world. Through this letter we'll tackle many challenges to our faith, address difficult lifestyle changes, and come out the other side renewed and refreshed in God's love. In the first week, we'll be looking at being a Community of Purity, continually throwing off sin and obeying God. The question we need to ask ourselves is, "Am I being honest about my sin?" The forgiveness of Jesus is powerful, but only if we are willing to acknowledge our need for it. And when we do, we receive confidence to obey God and live pure lives.

First of Seven Churches - Ephesus

How special it would be if Jesus would write us a letter, specifically to Redlands CRC.
Well, He did do that, you can read it in Revelation 2:1-7. True, this letter was for the ancient church in Ephesus, but as it's in the Bible, it is also for us.
Lots of activity in this Ephesus church, they couldn't stand wrong teaching, they did not deny Christ. But was it all done with a cold heart? How is that possible?
How does Redlands CRC take this to heart?

Men and Work

This is the final in "It's a Bloke's World" series We'll be looking at why is it easy for a man to work too hard and too long too often. How can we find a sense of balance? Is it really possibly to really love your work, really love your family/others, and really love God all at the same time? And why did Jesus invest so much effort as an apprentice carpenter with Joseph, only to become a preacher/rabbi?

Sunday vs The Rest of the Week

Who are you on a Monday morning? We all know the reality, church on Sunday was great, a real lift, a boost, a reconnection with God and his people, a recommitment to God's mission. But come Monday morning, something has happened. It's like 8 hours of sleep slowly dissolved everything that was so certain and sure the day before. So how do we close that gap, how do we deal with the disparity of Sunday vs. the rest of the week? We will wrestle with 1 Peter 2:4-5, and have our vision of Jesus, his people and his mission expanded, beyond Sunday, and on into the week.

Man about the House

How do men deal with the responsibility of leadership? How does it work out in today's world? Can in work without becoming an ugly display of male arrogance and superiority? God seeks to transform human relationships, and Jesus helps us understand how that is not only possible, but probable, when men follow him with all their heart.

Spiritual Warfare - Taking a Stand

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'Spiritual warfare' is sometimes one of those topics that we get a little bit scared of. It seems to be inviting us into an unseen, unknown and volatile world that is for 'super Christians' and people a little bit on the edge. But when we start to explore the Bible's teachings on the issue we begin to see that being involved in spiritual warfare is not optional for a Christian, we are already in the middle of the battle. The only question is whether we are battling well, and prepared, or just letting things happen around us.

No More Little Secrets

Breaking the cycles of childhood sexual abuse (Dave G & Jo Briffa - Bravehearts)

There is a seedy side to our world, and it is being driven, controlled, and perpetuated by men. It destroys kid's lives and dehumanises women. It devours marriages and families. Are we realistic in thinking that men who follow Jesus could challenge - or even change - this terrible situation?

Can you be a Christian and Gay?

On the surface, it's a simple question, with a very simple answer, and one that has been given by the church for 2000 years pretty consistently. NO. The two are mutually exclusive. But then you start to ask some questions around that. Questions like "Is that really what the Bible teaches, or are we just reading our own homophobia back into the Bible," or "But what if a person is gay, and doesn't have a choice about it," or, "But what do we do with people who struggle with this, can they be open about it, or do they have to ‘pretend.'" We begin to realize pretty quickly that this is not an open and shut case, and to give simplistic ‘rehearsed' answers actually damages people, and damages the church's witness.

Male Models

Your Career as a Male Model - The importance of positive role models for kids. What is it that men don't get about being a positive example for young children - especially boys? How can following Jesus lead us out of this quagmire?

Let Freedom Reign

One of the most common instructions given to New Testament Christians is that they are to forgive others. The sheer number of times that it is mentioned makes two things immediately obvious. Firstly, that Christians are not immune to hurting and hurting others. It's a sad fact, but we carry around the scars of life. Secondly, its not a simple issue, and its not that easy to do. This Sunday, as we begin our "I have a friend who struggles with..." series, we will be looking at the issue of forgiveness. We'll see that its more than a matter between me and another person, it's a matter of Christ, and it's a matter for the whole community of Christ.

Am I my Brother's Keeper?

When we look around at the world we live in, the over-arching message is that to survive, you need to look out for number one (yourself that is).  Many of us would know that Jesus calls us to look out for others but would not be aware of the extent to which we are to do it and the consequences of following the world's 'me first' path.  In Luke 17, Jesus has a hard lesson to teach the apostles, and in turn us.

A Letter From Jesus

Mail from Jesus! How exciting, and how intimidating at the same time! What is the Lord writing to us, yes, also to us, for a 2000-yr. old letter still speaks to the Church of today! Amazing, but true!
 
This morning we will focus on the author of the correspondence in Revelation 2 and 3. John is the writer and Jesus is the author. He is the One who walks amidst His people, and the clearer we see Him with the eye of faith, the clearer we will reflect Him to those around us!

Getting to know Jesus better, may well be the best tool to evangelise the Redlands!

Beyond Good and Evil

This Sunday night we will look at the story of Job and try to understand some of the story behind his suffering. Was Job being punished for something he did or didn't do, or was he just the victim of a cruel game played by God?What does Job's story teach us about suffering, and do we see the same sort of thing today? How was Job's relationship with God changed through this experience, and what does it have to say to us about our faith in God?

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Is Jesus Enough?

Jesus is so cool. I mean he takes care of my sin, he washes my soul clean, and sorts out the issue of where I go when I die. He really lets me get on with the rest of my life, knowing those things are taken care of. Like a handy laundry detergent, "gives me peace of mind so I can get on with the rest of my day." But is that what Jesus has in mind when he calls us to follow him? Is he only interest in part, or all of our lives? IN this passage (Luke 14:25-35) Jesus has some pretty tough stuff to say - basically when it come to him, he wants everything, and no other rivals.

What's in your hands?

In the same way that God used what was in Moses hands (and by all measures, it wasn't much), he fully intends to use what is in your hands. Your time, your opportunities, your resources. But God does not really force your hand, he wants to work and act through your choice and the exercise of your restored will. So: what's in your hands? What have you been given? What are you going to do with it to display God's big picture?

Humility

It's so easy to fall into the trap of feeling like we deserve to be followers of Jesus. One minute we're thinking of God's grace and how much he's done for us, the next minute we're trying to earn our way into the good books. After a while we begin to take God's grace for granted and see ourselves doing all the hard work. But following Jesus means living a life of complete humility - daily recognizing our unworthiness and daily thanking him for his love and salvation. In Luke 14:15-24 it's not what we think. The acceptance of grace does not give us status, but humbles us over and over again.

Stewardship

Our response to a God who has given us everything is to live as givers in this world. We don't do this through our own strength, but through the grace of God. And because of this we trust that God can use what we have in our hands to do great things. Nothing is too small for him to work with and no cause is too hopeless for his changing power. When we give of ourselves, we don't do it to highlight our own generosity, but to highlight what God will do through us. He can turn the ordinary stuff in our hands into something amazing and extraordinary! And there exists our confidence to give.

It's Not What You Think

This week we are starting a new series looking at Luke 14. In this chapter Jesus has a number of different things to say about himself, and about following him. In each of these incidents he is challenging the commonly accepted views on life and religion. Jesus' words a just as challenging today as they were 2000 years ago. He tells us that his version of life, the real version of life, is very different to what we might be expecting. Prepare to be challenged. (you can read ahead in Luke 14:1-14).

God: Giver and Gift

We're commencing a brand new series on giving and stewardship. And just so we get things in their right perspective, we're starting with God. At his very essence, God is a giver. He made a choice and he gave. He gives of himself in creation, in the covenant of grace, in the establishment of his people, the nation of Israel, the coming of Christ, the Cross, Resurrection, the mission of the Kingdom, and the ultimate restoration of all things. Perhaps the best known verse of all, is that God so loved the world that he gave... If we ever want to understand what giving is all about, we have to start here!

Kingdom Bringers

Our guest speaker, John Hoogenhout, will be talking about the kingdom of God - how we already live in it, but don't fully have it. (Double Dutch eh?) We are called to live the kingdom of God life... it's hard yes... but that's the gist of Mt.6:10.

Goldly Faith for God's Word

Israel's role as a ‘light to the nations' and how their disobedience to God meant that they were actually a stumbling block to the people, and how now in Christ, the church is again called to be a light to the nations and take a gospel with us wherever we go and the difference that makes in people's lives.

The End of all Prayer

The day is coming when prayer will be 24/7. Every longing we have for life, for hope and for justice is a prayer than yearns for fulfilment. The day will come. And it will come when Jesus comes. Are you praying for that? And until the day, are you living your prayer in the here and now?

Tomorrow's Hope Today

When Amos predicted hope for the faithful few in Israel, even he was probably not aware of how much of God's grace was still to be revealed. Thousands of years later, we can look back and see that there was great hope beyond such harsh punishment. Not only did the Lord bring some of his people back from exile, he also sent Jesus to bring hope for all who would believe. This was God's greatest act of mercy. Yet, this hope still stands in contrast with God's wrath as a warning to people - to have any hope at all they must return to him. By turning from plastic religion to Godly faith, all people can still come to know the hope of God's promises and life in Jesus as we wait for the final judgement.

Persisting in Prayer

Abram first heard God's promise about a son when he was 75 years old. The promise was fulfilled 25 years later. His life tells us something about persistence and humility. How did he deal with the delay in fulfilment: not particularly well. And if that how Abram managed, what hope have we got? How will we stick it out?

What are you Chasing after?

We all want the blessing of God in our lives, right? Surely its not a bad thing to want the blessing of God? We want peace, joy, security. Its only natural. People in Amos' day wanted exactly the same things - and they even wanted them to be of the "God" variety. Only probably was, they bypassed God to get them. They chose 'experiences' of God, over God himself. They chose the good of themselves, over the good of others God had called them to. So it makes us ask, when we desire these things - are we seeking them from God - or are we bypassing him altogether.

The Persecuted Church

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For thousands of years those who chose for God have met with opposition.  Persecution - whether big or small - has always been with us. Even today millions are suffering for the Kingdom of Jesus.
How is that true of us? How does opposition for Jesus' sake bring blessedness and joy?

Holiness and Humility

When worship becomes about us and what we want to do, it becomes a form of plastic religion. We are forgetting what lies at the heart worship - God. Worship is not about music or methods. It's not about us and what we love to do. Worship is about complete humility before an awesome and holy God. It is about our unworthiness before our perfect God. We quickly limit worship to the things we want to tell God or sing to God. But worship is not heartfelt if we are not standing before his holiness, open and vulnerable, in complete humility, silenced by his perfection.

Prayer on the Hard Road

"Prayers of request tend to fall into one of two categories: trouble or trivia" (Yancey) Does prayer really make any difference? What ‘difference' are we wanting to see? What if prayers go unanswered? Did Jesus ever find his prayers unanswered? Have read of Psalm 42 to warm up for the message.

Are you sure you're safe?

To be perfectly honest, I have no problem with God announcing and bringing judgment on bad, sinful people. Not nice for them, sure, but it kind of fits. But the problem I have with Amos is that it is written to people who were Old  Testament "Christians." People who thought / assumed /believed like they were safe from the judgment of God. Now that is scary, because it makes me ask the question, "if that happened to them, can the same thing happen to me?" This Sunday as we look at Amos 2-3, we are going to look at the differences and similarities between 'covenant' and being 'saved', and be asked a very important question, are we really saved?

Prayer: Steering wheel or spare tyre?

With all the calls for us to have ‘devotions' and ‘time with God', and that those times should be sustained, informed and worshipful, how can we actually make it happen? What concrete steps can we take? How do we move beyond the stale air of self centeredness? If you observe some of God's praying people in Scripture we see something very enlightening: they hardly ever prayed for themselves! OK, so what did they pray for? (Read ahead: Ps 72, Col 4:2-6, Amos 2, John 17)

God's World

The Lord God, the roaring Lion, is Sovereign over all the earth. 
That's the first thing that becomes clear in the prophecies of Amos: 
God is our all-powerful God. Every person in the world is under his Lordship, under his love, and under his judgement. And everyone is expected to live responsibly as his image-bearers. This means loving others and treating them as Jesus would. While plastic religion is all about going through the motions, Godly faith is all about caring for everyone else in God's world. As the church, we need to be extra vigilant about setting an example in relationships and calling the 
world to Christ's Lordship. Amos 1:3-2:3.

Will God Listen?

What could be more irritating than trying to satisfy a whole bunch of people clamouring for what they want? That's what people at Dominos get paid to do - so keep me out of it! Why should I do that? More: why should God do that? Does he ever get sick of hearing all those prayers? What hope have we got? Just think for a moment: if you were God, would you answer prayers like the ones you offer?

Word of God

We often hear that we should read the Bible more. But is this really what God wants, more and more reading? Proponents of Plastic Religion, such as those in the time of Amos, and today, make a great deal of reading the Word of God, knowing lots about the Word of God, but yet still come under the judgment of God. Why is this? This Sunday night we begin our series in the book of Amos, looking at 7:10-17, and being challenged to consider our response to the Word of God. Are we simply going to listen to it, be wowed by it, or are we actually going to live it?

God's Glory in you?

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What's the Big Deal?

This is the question we ask when we really want to get to the bottom of something: the missing money, the broken window, the stain on the carpet. Our hope is that there is an acceptable explanation.  What about life? Can we ask that question about life? About being a follower of Jesus? About the church? Sunday night we ask this question from God's perspective. When you understand the answer, it may just change your life.

Wise Investments

Ever wondered what advice Jesus gives for financial planning? Ever wondered where he thinks is the wisest place to invest your money? In fact, Jesus quite deliberately avoids the issue of such planning, and by recognizing why he does, we can all learn a valuable lesson. Through the story of the Rich Fool, Jesus shows how, what the world might see as wise, can often be regarded as foolishness to God. There is a challenging message to all Christians who live in the West to 'Beware of the love of possessions,' and 'be rich towards God.'

Who is God?

So is God a hard task master, or more like a gentle giant? There are two 'versions' of God that we often hold on to. One where he is stern and mean and punishing (that's the God we would like to unleash on all the bad people out there) The other is where is forgiving, loving and welcome (that's the God its good to come home too). Is it possible that God could be both at the same time? Could he even be both to Christians and non-Christian alike?

Miracles - and for what?

Miracles - Their Effect and Purpose: We all know about the parable of the talents: we are called to be courageous with the opportunities and gifts God gives. You also see this when God works in wonderful ways: given that God has done this, what does it mean for us, for ministry, for Gospel work?

Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory

We've come to the last (and 9th!) sermon dealing with the Lord's Prayer: 'Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory'.
Is that what we see in this world? Is God recognized as King; do people revere Him as all-powerful; does He get all the glory?
Sadly, the answer is so often in the negative. There are so many others in our world, competing for power and glory! Nevertheless, in FAITH the church continues to praise God, and says: "Yours is the kingdom, the power, the glory."
And God's people say "Amen" to that!

What makes Miracles Happen?

Skimming through the Gospels we see pretty quickly that there is often a connection between miracles and faith. Often, but not always. But often enough for us to observe the connection. Whether we understand it well, though, is another question. So Sunday, we're going back to Mark 5 - same passage as last week - to ask ‘what makes miracles happen'? There is hardly a more difficult or more important question. The week after we'll be looking at the general effect of miracles in the Gospels and acts: plenty of comfort and no small amount of challenge.

Is Your God Big Enough?

What does the NT say about miracles? How does that challenge and/or confirm what we believe and express today? During the next few weeks we'll be look at this issue in the PM services. This week, we want to start with what a miracle actually is, and consider how this influences how we go about life as followers of Jesus.

What is a Miracle?

What does the New Testament say about miracles? How
does that challenge and/or confirm what we believe and express
today?
During the next few weeks we'll be looking at this issue in the AM
services.
This week, we want to start with what a miracle actually is, and
consider how this influences how we go about life as followers of
Jesus.

The Light of Life

On Sunday morning we look at the greatest turning point in the course of history, and what this means to us. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ brought light in the darkness and made life possible to all who would receive it. Often we focus on the death of Jesus and his sacrifice for us without moving naturally to the resurrection and the urge to shine the Light of Life!

We live in the future of the cross, with all that Jesus' resurrection brings - life over death, freedom from sin, light in the darkness! And now our risen Saviour has lit us like candles to shine the light of life to those who still live in the darkness. Come on Sunday morning to celebrate once again the EPIC story of Jesus' powerful defeat over death!

It's over!

If you still want an opportunity to bring something to the Cross, you can do that on Friday. It will be a powerful reminder of the life Jesus has won through his death. So whether it's a testimony of thanks (and we have so much to be thankful for this week), a personal commitment to change, or a heartfelt declaration of faith, Friday is the day.

At the close of the service we will celebrate the Lord's Supper, which will be our assurance that Jesus in his mighty power has fully delivered us from death and forgiven us completely.

So come Friday morning, come prepared to fall in humble worship before our awesome Lord of glory!

What Next?

Update on Clinton's Health (1.61 MB)
Clinton Berends
Number of Downloads: 137

This Sunday we will look at what Jesus invites us into when he takes control of our lives.

The Only Fitting Response

Jesus - Just Another Death?

The Death of Jesus

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In the event of Christ's death, God shows to the world the extent of His love for disobedient sinners, that's us! The amazing truth of the gospel is that, as regards the way of salvation: ALL has been done for us!  God calls on us to accept that with a believing heart!

The criminal on the cross was not able to do anything, apart from recognizing Jesus as the King and ask for mercy! And that was what he received, in the nick of time! Paradise for him!

Seven Stories of Rescue

Lost and Found

What claim does Jesus have?

What Is Christianity, Really?

You Can Trust the Bible

Showing Jesus

Overflowing with hope

Deliver us from the evil one

Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God and Saviour of Israel

The Right Religion

Just like Jesus

Transforming our Culture Through the Gospel

Lead us not into Temptation

Jesus Shaped Church

Great New Years Resolutions: Develop Opportunities for the Gospel!

Great New Years Resolutions: Pray More!

Surprise Surprise

Glory Revealed

Faith - Doing it Tough

What are you waiting for?

Simply Jesus

Gospel Revolution

Spirit in You

Mission Possible

Forgiveness means Freedom

Ambassadors

New Life, New Attitudes

In Paul's day most people only had one set of clothes. If you had some special garment, it could identify you. This passage outlines what that garment is for followers of Jesus: Love. This is what identified Christians.

As we live in love we identify ourselves as followers of Christ, and we reflect the new life of heaven in this world.

Gospel breeds Gospel

What is it that gets you up in the morning? To love and care for your family? To serve in the church? To work at your job? Motivation makes all the difference. Wrong motives will lead us to wrong results, or simply to give up. But the right motives will carry us through the temptations of self centeredness and apathy. As we look at 2 Corinthians 4 we will see what drove Paul, in ministry, in life, and what is the only motivation that can drive the life of those who belong to Jesus.

Worthy of Complaint

Healing, Hope and the Future

Why, God, Why?

Our Daily Bread

Healing and Mystery

Healing and Faith

Get Some Guts

Have you ever thought that the mission of being a Christian is too hard to accomplish? Are you too scared of failure and humiliation to do anything too extreme for God's kingdom? Is God's call to faith just a little too risky for your liking? You should try conquering numerous ancient kingdom with a big bunch of timid desert-slaves. 

Take a look at the mission Joshua was given by God in Joshua 1:1-9  and see the constant encouragement he is given. In this message we want to look at the similarities of our mission and Joshua's mission.  Jesus has sent us out, but not without all the encouragements we read in this passage - encouragement that will strengthen us and give us courage for the conquest! The battle is already won, for the battle is the Lord's! So don't be content with wandering in the desert when there is a kingdom to be built and people who need to be led into God's promises! Be strong and courageous! Get some guts! Be encouraged and strengthened by the Lord!

The Holy Spirit's Relationship with You

Jesus and Healing

Is Change that Important?

The Continuing Acts of Jesus

New Identity

What is Worship?

Why Worship?

If God is for mission...

GO! In the name of the seeking God!

God Defined Greatness

Serve

The Impossible, made Possible

Luke 17:1-10 is one of those passages. Its demands are too big, its expectations are too huge for me. But maybe that's the point. Maybe the point is that what is impossible with me, actually is possible with God. What I can not do, God is doing, as he grows me to make me more like Jesus.

Road Trips with Jesus

As followers of Jesus we know that we have so much in store for us when Jesus comes again. Its going to be great, more than we can every imagine, and it will make the things of this life seem pale. But that doesn't mean we put our heads down and duck for cover until that day.

As Jesus walks along the road in Luke 9, 3 potential disciples are ‘tested' for their suitability. And as we see Jesus' response to them, we see that there is something important in the journey - Jesus is not just inviting people to wait for heaven, he is inviting disciples.

Profession of Faith

This Sunday, in our 5pm service, a number of our people are going to be doing there profession of faith. These people are: Dylan Greeff, Jo Kippen, Tracy Montgomery, Matt Kippen, Rob Ferguson, Lachlan Black, Lily Sikkema, Sarah Bos, Ben Rowan and Ryan Salisbury.

This is basically their statement that they believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, and that they are followers of Him.

Also at this time, Dylan, Rob, Ben and Ryan will be baptized as a symbol of Christ's work in bringing them new life.

It's a great day for them, their families and for us as a church. It will also be a great opportunity for you, your children and your friends to hear of God's work in their lives through Jesus.

Belong

What we find in the Bible is that Jesus builds a transformational community which had an unmistakable impact on the world around them and beyond. What a blessing that we get to share that mission in our part of the world today!

A River for the World

God, Money and Justice

Just One Sip

Community Section (1.80 MB)
David Groenenboom, Susan and Heather
Number of Downloads: 325

More Blessed to Give

What are you Dying for?

Alive to Jesus

The Lord's Supper

Possessed by Possessions?

It's All About Jesus

What does a community and a life looked like that is grasped and shaken by God?

This Sunday we wrap up our series in the life of Jacob and see God bringing Jacob full circle, back to Bethel and the place of promise. We also see a number of changes in Jacob's life and family, some fruit from a life that is grasped and shaken by God.

Treaure in Heaven

This week we start a new series: Money! Given that it's the end of the financial year, and we're all thinking about tax time, how much we earn (or would like to earn, or how much we don't earn - as the case may be...) I thought a month-long series on Money would be timely. This won't just be focussing on ‘giving', rather it will look at how and why Money is so dominant in our lives, and how as followers of Jesus, we are called to live with a distinctive Kingdom flavour.

This Sunday we're looking at what ‘treasure in heaven' is, what is means to ‘store it up', and even a little of what ‘heaven' is and what difference it makes. All very crucial stuff to understand. Who knows? Maybe deciding to come to Sunday services for the next four weeks could be the best financial decision you will ever make!

The Cost of Compromise?

Freedom and Fullness

Focus

Community Section (4.45 MB)
Clinton Berends; Doug and Aimee Pobjoy
Number of Downloads: 329

Too much to carry...?

Community Section (1.40 MB)
Rebecca Hemelaar
Number of Downloads: 299

Breaking and Re-Making

I Am All You Need

Life of Jacob - Part 1

Walk the Talk

What Gospel Work Really Is

Community Section (2.20 MB)
Clinton Berends
Number of Downloads: 306

Seek the Peace

When Jesus Meets the Religious

Matters of the Heart

When Jesus Meets the Faith-less

Fullness in Christ

Amazing Faith

Have you ever thought like this?

Sure, let's study the life of Jesus, but what about us? We've never met Jesus in person. Nobody's met Jesus for 2,000 years... So, let's have a look at a man who didn't meet Jesus. A Gentile. A Roman Centurion. The last guy you'd expect to have 'amazing faith'. And through this little story, we'll learn more about the power of Jesus to change lives and bring about the unexpected.

How to Deal with a Hostile World

As Paul prays for the young Colossian church, he wants them to be able to manage all the threats that will come their way. And there will be plenty of them. The sort of things they dealt with are way different to what we have to deal with.

But guess what: the basic cause and the ultimate solution have not changed. What will surprise us most of all is that Paul knows what he says will really help people deal with an ugly and hostile world. Can you believe that?

When Jesus Meets the Enslaved

Community Section (2.51 MB)
David Groenenboom
Number of Downloads: 312

Transforming the Ordinary

When Jesus Meets Sinners

Community Section (1.23 MB)
Dan Kroon
Number of Downloads: 504

What has been the biggest life changing experience for you? Getting married, having children, going overseas?

The testimony of the New Testament is that the biggest life changing experience we can have, is to meet, or be met by, Jesus. No one meets Jesus and leaves the same. And so over the next 5 weeks we are going to be looking at some of the people in Luke who met Jesus, and what they experienced and how Jesus is calling us and meeting us the same today.

Trust and Obey

Will your Grave be Empty?

What is Faith?

Jesus called Thomas to 'stop doubting and believe...' - but what is faith, really? Is it grounded in my emotions? My intellect? My will? If faith is about 'feeling' does the 'right side of the brain' (the analytical 'let's see if this stacks up' part of the brain) ever have to be used?

How can we call people to faith, praying that they will have faith, and be fuzzy on this? The po-mo's might even ask 'what does it matter?' ...well, does it?

Crossing Over

Bridging the Gap

Community Section (1.20 MB)
Clinton Berends
Number of Downloads: 269

What is Heaven Like?

We have been challenged with a lot over the last 40 Days. We have been challenged to greater love, obedience, service, mission, worship, fellowship. And just because the 40 Days of Community is over, doesn't mean that these things now stop. In fact, now they really begin. So what sustains us for that long journey, what keeps us going? God has given us something very special in Revelation 21 and 22 for just that, he has given us a glimpse of eternity. In this glimpse he is saying, it is worth it, it is so worth it. Keep pressing on.

It's All About Worship?

We read Malachi and we ask ourselves: "How did things get that bad?"

The answer is more simple than we think.

It's also a good reason for us to reflect on our own approach to worship. On the other hand, some other examples of worship, e.g. Acts 2:42-47, and Hebrews 10:24-25 allude to worship which is transformational for people and honouring to God.

Here's the question: Can we do anything to ensure that the worship we do together is more God honouring than God distressing?

Serving Together - Where do you fit?

Ever feel like a cog in a machine? Feel that way at work, in your family, in life? Ever feel that way in the church?

Sometimes we just keep doing stuff, serving, ministering, but we wonder what its all in aid of.

In Ephesians 4, Paul gives us a unique look at our place in the body, in the world and in the plan of Jesus. When we see this, we can never simply consider ourselves a cog in the wheel again.

Let's be Honest

Most of us have heard Rick Warren say that loving community is the number one factor in churches that grow. That's an attractional quality.

But what else is needed for that community to move toward maturity?

If we really are going to grow together, if the church really is to be the new community it's called to be, what sort of things should we be thinking about. Eph 4 draws us into Kingdom life that really is an expression of new creation. It's a wonderfully attractive picture: read about it in Eph 4:25

Learning to Hear the Voiceless

So 40 Days is going great, isn’t it? Sunday service attendance is up, Small Group attendance is up, people are doing devotional readings, and mission projects are about to happen. Its all good. As long as a group within the church get more pumped and more involved, its all a great success? Right? WRONG.

Today we look at why.

Hospitality is Not an Option

Having an open door is a sign of having an open heart. Not only is hospitality commanded in Scripture, it could just be one of the most effective ways to show the Kingdom in our neighbourhood. Baptised BBQs, lounge chairs, and the gift of a smile can be beautiful carriers of Jesus' love, grace and acceptance. But more: the Scripture's command to hospitality was a direct challenge to the prevailing culture, and a direct demonstration of the ruler of the heart.

Love the Church

We look at the church and we see lots of great things, and also a few not so great things. When our eyes are glued to the human, we will always look a little ordinary. Ever wonder what God says about the church? You may be surprised! One thing is for sure, when you hear what he has to say, you really will want to be part of the family.

Better Together

Why are relationships so tough? We're not even thinking of romance here - we're just talking about life, right? Why can't people just get along? We just seem to get more and more fragmented. Does following Jesus as individuals or a group make any real difference to these struggles? If so, is it sustainable, or just baptised wishful thinking? Could it have real impact on Cronulla Beach, or in Bagdad, or with your next door neighbour?

I am Community

Why are relationships so tough? We're not even thinking of romance here - we're just talking about life, right? Why can't people just get along? We just seem to get more and more fragmented. Does following Jesus as individuals or a group make any real difference to these struggles? If so, is it sustainable, or just baptised wishful thinking? Could it have real impact on Cronulla Beach, or in Bagdad, or with your next door neighbour?

Broken People - Does God Care?

Community Section (2.64 MB)
Clinton Berends
Number of Downloads: 275

Lord's Prayer: Your Kingdom Come

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Community Section (1.55 MB)
David Groenenboom
Number of Downloads: 289

The second petition of the Lord's Prayer: "Your Kingdom come". Wherever people love and worship God, there the Kingdom has already come. But that Kingdom is far from complete, and it is only when Christ returns that God will be "all in all". In the meantime, God's people are to be fully involved in extending that Kingdom, for the devil is still wielding much power. No one can pray "Your Kingdom come", and at the same time remain a fence-sitter.

Where do we fit?

We are different. We know that. Christians are different from the world around us. But what do we do with that difference? The two options that we usually take are these: 1) Isolation – we cut ourselves off from the rest of the world so we don’t stand out and cop too much flak, or 2) Assimilation – we minimize some of our differences so that we don’t look so different after all. But the New Testament talks about another way, a different way. A way of remaining pure, and distinctive, but at the same time being an agent of change in the world.

Jesus' not-so-hidden Agenda

Community Section (1.38 MB)
Clinton Berends
Number of Downloads: 278

At the beginning of the year (more or less) what priorities should we be thinking about? What about the Master Plan? Where are we headed? What's really important in all this? Jesus words to Peter in Matt 16 are a wake up call for all of us, challenging us with who he really is, and the implications for his church today.

Preparing for Marriage

Community Section (1.43 MB)
Kim Seymour
Number of Downloads: 266

Finding a marriage partner is like buying a new pair of jeans. You look around, try a few on and pick something that feels comfortable, makes you look good and doesn’t cost you too much. Right? Well, not quite. If we view dating and singleness like this, its pretty likely that our marriage is going to run into a few problems. Dating, and singleness are both times of preparing for marriage. So this Sunday night we are going to look at what God says about marriage and then work back to see what he says about dating and singleness.

Our sin for Christ's Righteousness

Community Section (2.64 MB)
Greg Tenni
Number of Downloads: 270

Our sin for Christ's righteousness. It’s hardly an equitable trade is it? The Holy God of heaven takes all of our brokenness and sin and places it on His perfect and sinless son, Jesus. In turn He gives us a right standing before Him. As incomprehensible as it seems this is foundational to all that we believe. Everything in the life of the Christian flows from this great though often misunderstood truth. This morning we are going to begin to unpack what this means for our daily lives and the impact it will have upon our community.

Love One Another

The key to any relationship is love. How does Jesus want us to relate to those around us in church? Love them. How do we do this? By humility and service. Why? Because Jesus loved us, and asks us to love each other.

Marriage Matters

Community Section (0.75 MB)
Dan Kroon
Number of Downloads: 269

So our marriages are personal, private affairs. Right? Not the kind of place we want other people, the church, even God, sticking their noses in. Right? Wrong. God has a lot to say about marriage, about what works, what doesn’t. Its stuff that we are not always comfortable hearing, stuff that has been abused and misused in the past, but still instructions that we must wrestle with today if we are to see the gospel invade every corner of our lives.

Intimacy With Jesus

Community Section (1.40 MB)
Steven Faulkner
Number of Downloads: 272

What makes a follower of Jesus? Is it someone who knows all the right things about Jesus? Is it someone who does all the right things? In John 15 we begin to see that while these two things are vitally important – there is something more. The Christian is someone who is in a living relationship with Jesus Christ. This Sunday night we are going to explore this living and life giving relationship with Jesus and see what Jesus is inviting us into when he calls us to follow him

Pots of Clay and the Gospel

Community Section (1.13 MB)
Clinton Berends
Number of Downloads: 275

On this first Sunday of the year we look into the uncertainties of 2007. There is only one thing certain; and that is the love of God in and through Christ. That is the glorious gospel. But this gospel has been given to us, who are very fragile earthenware pots. The more we realize our human weakness, the more the glory will go to God, and to Him alone!