Newcastle Christian Students: Recent Episodes

Newcastle Christian Students

We're Newcastle Christian Students (or NCS for short). We're a group of students in Newcastle, Australia who want to learn more about Jesus and the Bible. Enjoy listening to our weekly Bible talks (semesters only) as well as talks from special events and camps.

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: Jeremiah (Wintercon 23)

Talk Number: 6/6

Passage: Jeremiah 46–51

Talk Outline:

  1. Structure of Chapters 46–55

Ch 46–49 prophecies against various nations

Ch 50–51 prophecies against Babylon

  1. Prophecies Concerning the Nations
    a) God is the King of all nations

b) The nations are under the same judgement as Judah

c) The nations will experience the same restoration as Judah

d) This is true to the ends of the earth

  1. Prophecies Concerning Babylon

a) Babylon was an instrument of the Lord's wrath

b) Nevertheless, Babylon will be punished for her violence

c) The judgement of Babylon means salvation for God's people

d) When Babylon falls, she will never rise again

  1. What Does This Mean?

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: Jeremiah (Wintercon 23)

Talk Number: 5/6

Passage: Jeremiah 37–45

Talk Outline:

  1. Gedaliah: When Evil Wins

a) Opportunity (40:1–6)

b) Disaster (41:1–15)

  1. Johanan: Mind Made Up

a) Opportunity (41:16–42:22)

b) Disaster (43:1–13)

  1. In Egypt: Blaming God

a) Opportunity (44:1–14)

b) Disaster (44:15–30)

  1. Living with Lost Opportunities

a) Escaping With Your Life (39:15–18, 45:1–5)

b) Suffering For the Truth

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: Jeremiah (Wintercon 23)

Talk Number: 4/6

Passage: Jeremiah 30–33

Talk Outline:

  1. Orienting ourselves

a) Two parts (cf. introductory formulae at 30:1; 32:1)

b) One theme: shaḇtî ’eṯ-shĕḇûṯ ‘ammî

30:3, 18; 31:23; 32:44; 33:7 (x2); 33:11; 33:26 (cf. 29:14)

Deut 30:3

PART 1: THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT (CH. 30—31)

  1. Another book (30:1—4)

a) Write in a book (v2)

b) These are the words the LORD spoke… (cf. Exod 19:6; Deut 1:1)

c) 10 words (30:5, 12, 18; 31:2, 7, 15, 16, 23, 35, 36)

d) The days are coming (30:3; 31:27, 31, 38)

  1. Hearing the words Pt 1

a) Word 1: Fearful Jacob saved (30:5—11)

Word 2: Scorned Zion cared for (30:12—17)

Word 3: Restored as the people of God (30:18—31:1)

Word 4: Still loved by God (31:2—6)

PART 2: A SIGN OF THE COVENANT (CH. 32—33)

  1. Judah’s darkest hour

a) Besieged, confined & doomed (32:1—5)

b) A bizarre word from the LORD (32:6—15)

c) Jeremiah’s incomprehension (32:16—25)

  1. The word of the LORD

a) The bad news (32:26—35)

b) The good news (32:36—44)

  1. A second word of the LORD

a) The bad news (33:1—5)

b) The good news (33:6—26)

  1. Hearing the words Pt 2

b) Word 5: Joy for the “foremost of nations” (31:7—14)

c) Words 6-7: Bereaved Rachel comforted (31:15—22)

d) Word 8: Blessing restored (31:23—26)

  1. Waiting for the days

a) building and planting (31:27—28)

b) the cycle broken (31:29—30)

c) a new covenant (31:31—34)

  1. Old and new

a) the book

b) the words

c) the promise

words 9-10: total permanence, total security (31:35—37)

d) the blood

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: Jeremiah (Wintercon 23)

Talk Number: 3/6

Passage: Jeremiah 21–23

Talk Outline:

  1. King and people: two ways (21:1—10)

a) Zedekiah’s question for the LORD (21:1—2)

b)The LORD’s answer for Zedekiah (21:3—7)

c) The LORD’s answer for the people (21:8—10)

  1. Concerning the prophets (23:9—40)

a) Godless prophets (23:9—15)

b) False hopes (23:16—22)

c) The dreams of ordinary men (23:23—32)

  1. Concerning the house of David (21:11—23:8)

a) Exhortations and warnings

i) Exhortation & warning 1 (21:11—14)

ii) Exhortation & warning 2 (22:1—9)

b) Four kings and their fates

i) Josiah (22:10a)

ii) Jehoahaz (22:10—12)

iii) Jehoiakim (22:13—23)

iv) Jeconiah (22:24—30)

c) The future of kingship

i) Punishment of wicked shepherds

ii) God himself would restore the flock

iii) Replace wicked shepherds with good ones

iv) Bring the line of David to its fulfilment

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: Jeremiah (Wintercon 23)

Talk Number: 2/6

Passage: Jeremiah 7–10

Talk Outline:

  1. The problem with religion

a) Problems in the temple

i) Crime (7:1—11)

ii) Punishment (7:12—15)

b) Problems in the towns and streets

i) Crime (7:16—19)

ii) Punishment (7:20)

c) Problems with sacrifices to the LORD

i) Crime (7:21—28)

ii) Punishment (7:29)

d) Problems with sacrifices to detestable idols

i) Crime (7:30—31)

ii) Punishment (7:32—8:3)

  1. Dissonant voices

a) Exasperation: “Why does Jerusalem always turn away?” (8:4—13)

b) Alarm: “We hoped for peace but no good has come” (8:14—17)

c) Anguish: “Since my people are crushed, I am crushed” (8:18—9:6)

d) Resignation: “What else can I do, because of my people? (9:7—16)

e) Lament: “Death has climbed in through our windows” (9:17—22)

f) The heart of the problem

i) Boasting (9:23—24)

ii) Circumcision (9:25—26)

  1. Breaking the lie

a) “Do not learn the ways of the nations” (10:1—16)

b) “This is my sickness, and I must endure it” (10:17—25)

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: Jeremiah (Wintercon 23)

Talk Number: 1/6

Passage: Jeremiah 1

Talk Outline:

  1. Why read Jeremiah?

  2. The words of Jeremiah & the word of the LORD (1:1—3)

a) one of the priests at Anathoth

b) Josiah, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah: 626-586 BC

c) dramatic arrangement (not chronological)

d) one terrible event hovers over the whole (ch. 25, 39, 52)

  1. A prophet to the nations (1:4—10)

a) appointed (v4—5)

b) an objection (v6)

c) commanded (v7)

d) reassured (v8)

e) equipped (v9)

f) nations and kingdoms (v10a)

g) uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow, build and plant (v10b)

  1. Jeremiah’s first messages

a) almond tree (1:11—12)

b) boiling pot (1:13—16)

c) fortified city, iron pillar, bronze wall (1:17—19)

  1. Unbreakable message, unbreakable messenger

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: 2 Samuel

Talk Number: 8/10

Passage: 2 Samuel 9–10

Talk Outline:

(Bible reading: 1 Samuel 20:1-17)

Stories

  • Stories about the Son of God (John 1:18; Matt 11:27; 2 Sam 7:12-14)
  • David: kindness intended (9:1)
  • The King and Ziba: kindness planned (9:2-4)
  • David and Mephibosheth: kindness promised (9:5-8)
  • The King and Ziba: kindness enacted (9:9-11a)
  • Mephibosheth: kindness experienced (9:11b-13)
  • David and the Ammonites: kindness rejected (10:1-1)
  • When the kindness of God appeared”

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Speaker: Nick Hood

Series: 2 Samuel

Talk Number: 7/10

Passage: 2 Samuel 8

Talk Outline:

(Bible reading: Gen 15:12-21; 2 Sam 8:1-14)

Distracted and immune

Is David’s reign coming to a climax?

What?

1.  Defeat to the West (v1)

2.  Defeat to the East (v2)

3.  Defeat and peace to the North (v3-12)

a.  Hadadezer of Zobah

Monument (v3-4)

Helpers (v5-6)

Riches (v7-8)

b. Toi of Hamath

Seeking peace (v9-10a)

Riches (10b-12)

4.  Defeat to the South (v13-14)

5.  The reign of David (v14b-18)

a.  Victory from God (v14b)

b. Rule with justice (v15)

c.  A human kingdom (v16-18)

Why?

1.  The Lord’s victories for the Lord’s King

a.  giving territory

b. judging enemies

c.  delivering on promises

2.  A shadow of what the Lord can do

3.  The supreme victory and reign of the Lord’s anointed

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Speaker: Nick Hood

Series: 2 Samuel

Talk Number: 6/10

Passage: 2 Samuel 7

Talk Outline:

(Bible reading: Gen 17:1-8; 2 Sam 7:1-7)

Good intentions

Context: In his house & given rest (2 Sam 7:1)

1. David’s good plan for God (2 Sam 7:1-3)

  1. The King’s plan (v2)

  2. David speaks to NathanThe tent/tabernacle (1 Samuel 6:17)

  3. According to the pattern (Ex 25:9)

  4. God’s meeting place with his people (Ex 29:42)

  5. Seven months to build a tent! (from Ex 39:22...)

  6. Nathan’s response (v3)
    1. Be careful!

2. God’s interjection (2 Sam 7:4-7)

  1. A vision in the night (v4, 17)
  2. “My servant” (v5)
  3. “Would you build me a house?” (v5)
  4. Two reasons

i.

ii. 5. Other reasons

3. God’s very good plan for David (2 Sam 7:8-16)

  1. Past (v8-9)
  2. Present (v10-11a)
  3. Future (11b-16)

i. House for David

ii. House for God

iii. Father-Son

Nathan spoke “all these words, in accordance with all this vision” to David (v17)

  • Responding to God’s promises and plan

4. David’s response (2 Sam 7:18-29)

  1. Extreme gratitude in prayer

    1. Present personal blessing (v18-21)

    i. Humility and trust 2. Past national blessing (v22-24)

    i. Humility and trust 3. Future-oriented prayer for blessing (v25-29)

    i. Humility and trust

  2. Responding to God’s promises and plan in the person of Jesus

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: 2 Samuel

Talk Number: 5/10

Passage: 2 Samuel 6

Talk Outline:

Bible reading: 1 Samuel 4:1b-11, 19-22

In the presence of royalty

1. After victory - David’s next move (2 Sam 6:1-5)

  1. A great company (v1)
  2. A great project (v2)

The journey of the ark (1 Samuel 4:1-7:2)

  • from Shiloh to captivity: “The glory has departed!” (4:21-22)

  • around Philistia: “Let it go back to its own place!” (5:11)

  • to Abinidab’s house on the hill: a long time (7:2)

  • A great celebration (v3-5)

2. Journey interrupted: Perez Uzzah (2 Sam 6:6-12a)

  1. Uzzah’s act (v6)
  2. The LORD’s anger (v7)
  3. David’s anger (v8)
  4. David’s fear (v9-10)
  5. The house of Obed-Edom (v11-12a)

3.  Journey concluded: the City of David (2 Sam 6:12b-19)

  1. What David did: rejoicing (v12b-15)
  2. What Michal saw (v16)
  3. What David did: blessing  (v17-19)

4. Journey aftermath: the house of David (2 Sam 6:20-23)

  1. David’s return (v20a)
  2. Michal’s greeting (v20b)
  3. David: the joy of humility (21-22)
  4. Michal: the misery of pride (v23)

5. Jesus: humility and joy

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: 2 Samuel

Talk Number: 4/10

Passage: 2 Samuel 5

Talk Outline:

Bible reading: 1 Samuel 8:10-22a; 9:15-16; 14:47, 52

Why don’t people believe in Jesus?

Recap: Abner - rebellion & repentance

1. Israel and David (5:1-5)

  1. What the people did (v1a)
  2. What the people said (v1b-2)

i.

ii.

iii. 3. What David did (v3a) 4. What the people did (v3b) 5. King over all Israel (v4-5)

2. Victory over an internal enemy: the Jebusites (5:6-16)

  1. David’s enemy (v6)
  2. David’s victory (v7-8)
  3. The City of David (v9-11)
  4. What David knew (v12)
  5. What David did (v13-16)

3. Victory over an external enemy: the Philistines (5:17-25)

  1. First victory

i. The Philistine threat (v17-18)

ii. David inquired (v19)

iii. David’s obedience (v20-21) 2. Second victory

i. The Philistine threat (v22)

ii. David inquired (v23-24)

iii. David’s obedience (v25)

4. Victory through King Jesus

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: 2 Samuel

Talk Number: 3/10

Passage: 2 Samuel 3–4

Talk Outline:

(Bible reading: 2 Samuel 2:8-10, 17-28 (ESV))

The moral ambiguity of life

Recap - 2 Samuel 1-2

1. A long war (3:1-5)

  1. The house of Saul
  2. The house of David

2. Abner, the king maker (3:6-21)

  1. Abner in the house of Saul (v6-11)
  2. Abner’s offer to David (v12-16)
  3. Abner’s efforts for David (v17-21)

3. Joab, the vengeful brother (3:22-39)

  1. Joab’ displeasure (v22-25)
  2. Joab’s deception (v26-30)
  3. Joab’s disgrace (v31-39)
  4. The goodness of the king

4. Rechab and Baanah, the king slayers (4:1-12)

5. The power, wisdom and goodness of Jesus

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Speaker: Nick Hood

Series: 2 Samuel

Talk Number: 2/10

Passage: 2 Samuel 2

Talk Outline:

Hope in leaders

David’s ascent to the throne (2:1-4a)

  • The King in waiting
  • The chosen King

i. The King they asked for

ii. The King who asks God

iii. The obedient King

David’s first act as King (2:4b-7)

Internal opposition (2:8-32)

  • Rival rule
  • Civil war
  • Peace… with hatred

Hope in God’s leader

  • Obedience
  • Kindness
  • Frustrated hope

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: 2 Samuel

Talk Number: 1/10

Passage: 2 Samuel 1

Talk Outline:

Bible reading: 1 Samuel 29 & 31 (ESV)

Cynical about the church

Jesus and the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15)

“After the death of Saul…” “: two events and a two day wait (1:1)

  • The victory of a king (cf. 1 Sam 30)
  • The death of a king (cf. 1 Sam 31)

“On the third day…” (1:2-10)

  • A man came (v2)
  • David’s first question: Where did you come from? (v3)
  • David’s second question: What happened? (v4)
  • David’s third question: How do you know? (v5-10)

David’s response (1:11-16)

  • David’s grief (v11-12)
  • David’s fourth question: Where are you from? (v13)
  • David’s fifth question: How were you not afraid? (v14)
  • David’s justice (v15-16)

David’s Lament (1:17-27)

  • over Saul and Jonathan (v17)
  • taught to the people of Judah (v18)

Cynicism and the Kingdom of God?

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: Guidance (Wintercon 22) 

Talk Number: 6/6

Passage: John 21:15-19

Talk Outline: http://www.newcastlechristianstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Guidance-Wintercon-Talk-6-Outline.pdf

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: Guidance (Wintercon 22) 

Talk Number: 5/6

Passage: Ecclesiastes 4:4-12 

Talk Outline: http://www.newcastlechristianstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Guidance-Wintercon-Talk-5-Outline.pdf

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick 

Series: Guidance (Wintercon 22) 

Talk Number: 3/6 

Passage: Proverbs 1:1-7

Talk Outline: http://www.newcastlechristianstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Guidance-Wintercon-Talk-3-Outline-1.pdf

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick 

Series: Guidance (Wintercon 22) 

Talk Number: 2/6 

Passage: Psalm 119:105-112

Talk Outline: http://www.newcastlechristianstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Guidance-Wintercon-Talk-2-Outline.pdf

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Speaker: Martin Shadwick

Series: Guidance (Wintercon 22)

Talk Number: 1/6

Passage: Ephesians 1:3-14

Talk Outline: http://www.newcastlechristianstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2022/07/Guidance-Wintercon-Talk-1-Outline.pdf