Sermon Podcast Archives - SLE Church: Recent Episodes
SLE Church
The Kingdom’s immeasurable worth is supremely valued by those who discover it and rejected by those who think they already know the King.
In the face of real evil, the Kingdom of heaven grows unstoppably, and both its future greatness and final judgement are settled.
The Kingdom that was once secret is now revealed and made understandable because Jesus suffered to heal us.
When Christians gather together, they must ensure the gospel is communicated rightly and clearly so that it builds up Jesus’ church.
When Christians gather together, they speak the gospel into the lives of both believers and unbelievers so that Jesus’ church is built up.
Without love, even the most impressive gifts and sacrifices are nothing, because love is the Christlike way that builds the church now and lasts forever.
The Holy Spirit makes all Christians essential members of Christ’s body and empowers them to serve others in various and interdependent ways.
The Lord’s Supper proclaims Christ’s self-giving death for his one body, so we must not receive it in ways that divide or despise that body.
When the church gathers, our conduct must not preach against the God we worship – obscuring His created order, dishonouring Christ, or dishonouring one another.
The gospel warns God’s people not to presume on spiritual privilege, but to flee idolatry and live with wholehearted loyalty to Christ.
God shows mercy to his true but imperfect king so that he can show us mercy through his true and perfect king.
God’s long-awaited chosen ruler establishes God’s kingdom in fulfilment of God’s covenantal promises by working through loyal followers
David returns to Jerusalem as king after Absolom’s revolt. But how will he find his people when he returns?
God frustrates rebellion and brings it to ruin, while David’s grief exposes his weakness as king to save.
God remains faithful to his word, even when the hearts of his people reject his chosen suffering king.
The sin of God’s King is repeated by his sons, upheld by corrupted systems, in which human schemes fail to bring true justice and reconciliation.
God’s King rules with justice, righteousness, mercy and steadfast love – making us long for the days of this to come.
God graciously promises everlasting commitment to David’s dynasty in order that he might be God and Father to his people forever.
The Christian life is hard, rife with obstacles, difficulties and suffering. How are we going to make it to the end? Hebrews 11 teaches us to learn from the “Hall of Faith”, the greats of ... Read More
Jesus does away with the Old Covenant and brings in the New, giving us true security and assurance.
Jesus is the minister of a better covenant which promises perfect relationship with God.
Jesus, our forever priest-king, anchors us to God our Father and intercedes for us, so that we will remain close him and not drift away.
The immature are warned that they bear useless fruit and may walk away from Jesus, but the mature are assured that they bear good fruit and are exhorted to press on.
Jesus’ high priestly ministry is better because of his sacrificial sinless humanity secures eternal salvation – to our great comfort and assurance!
The preacher warns that unbelief causes hard hearts and rejection from God, and exhorts the listener to heed God’s Word and persevere towards rest.
Jesus is our better salvation because he saves us from both the penalty and the power of sin, enabling us to fulfil God’s intended purpose for humanity.
God speaks to us now by his Son, revealing fully and finally the salvation he had already spoken about through his prophets and angels.
God has brought the far off into community, through the blood of Christ, to be his church. Therefore, we aspire to be a community of maturing disciples of Jesus.
Followers of Jesus are challenged to demonstrate right judgement through righteous, wise, and love-filled living.
Jesus tells us that we do not need to be anxious about being in control over our lives because, as disciples of Jesus, God values us more than we might believe.
Jesus demands whole-hearted loyalty from those who have been graciously given treasure in heaven.
Jesus warns against self-centred-attention-seeking but points us to his Father who delights to reward those who seek him earnestly.
Correcting a big misapplication of the Law, Jesus calls believers to a righteousness that pushes beyond mere rule keeping to loving God and neighbour from the heart.
Disciples of Jesus are challenged with the expectation to be salt and light to the world.
Jesus teaches that the kingdom of heaven is given to those who recognise their need for God’s grace.
Though innocent so far, David shows that he is a human like all of us: capable of acting in righteous, mysterious, and evil ways.
We rejoin the narrative of 1 Samuel after David defeats Goliath. How will people react? Especially, will King Saul react with thanksgiving or jealousy?
With sadness we watch as Saul’s disobedience results in failures of leadership and judgement upon him.
Despite all their evil in desiring their own king, God will not forsake his own people but will graciously save them through their king.
The first king of Israel is outwardly impressive, inwardly apprehensive, and empowered by the Spirit to do well. So long as he remains in the Spirit, walking closely to God, there is hope of security ... Read More
God’s people reject God in their desire for a human king, but God grants their request and paves the way for Jesus, the true king.
God warns that his holiness means he will not be treated lightly by his people or others.
In keeping his promises God raises up faithful leaders and brings down unfaithful leaders so that His people might be warned against faithlessness and encouraged to trust and hope in Him.
These covenantal laws reflect God’s character, applying the 10 Commandments to life, and encourage obedience in a people who will also reflect His character.
Christian leaders are to minister God’s word to his people as they submit to the leadership of Jesus.
In contrast to the false worship of the land, true worship is directed by God and involves the whole of life joyfully lived for him so Israel are called to obey these commands!
God’s relentless grace and faithfulness shapes our hearts to be totally set apart in devotion and obedience to him.
With privileged and new identities, as those chosen and saved by God, comes the need for obedience and the warning of judgement for disobedience.
God enters into covenant relationship with his redeemed by speaking his Word. The redeemed respond to this grace in total love with undivided commitment and obedience to Gods covenant Word.
Israels past is marked by personal unbelief, fear and failure but God proved gracious and faithful, so they must trust his past grace for his future grace as they enter the land.
To our deep comfort, awe and encouragement, God reminds us that judgement is withheld so that all of God’s people will come to salvation in Christ to enjoy his eternal presence.
The gospel comes to the mega-city of Ephesus and makes a huge splash in culture. In Acts 19 we see the tale of 2 crowds. One that responds in mass repentance and another that responds ... Read More
God is always present with his people, those who believe in the Lord Jesus, because he dwells with by his Spirit.
Since God is the creator of everything idolatry makes no sense, so we must repent before Jesus returns.
Responses to the gospel differ so much because either God is active or unbelief is at work.
Paul and his companions kick off the second mission journey with a series of setbacks in their travel plans. The lessons we learn will challenge and equip us to preach the gospel to all nations; ... Read More
We reach one of the climaxes in the book of Acts where the Apostles and elders of the early church hold the very first council to discuss a monumental topic: how are Gentiles saved?
The book of Acts is about the journey of the gospel going out to the ends of the earth. In Acts 13-14, we see Paul and Barnabas persist in making disciples of Jesus Christ among the ... Read More
Promise. Salvation. Rejection. Grace. This is the pattern of God’s plan for salvation to the ends of the earth. Let’s rejoice in his great salvation, and let’s proclaim this salvation to the nations.
When Paul and Barnabas are set apart and sent by the Spirit, not even the Devil can oppose their work.
What makes a great Christian leader? The world has many different ideas about leadership, and often these ideas influence our expectations for Christian leaders. But are these expectations consistent with the gospel? As the leaders ... Read More
For believers to stand firm unto eternal glory, we must exercise humility and boldness. We need humble shepherds and need to be humble sheep. We need bold resistance in the battle against the enemy and ... Read More
Suffering is certain, but it catches so many of us off guard. So how will you respond to suffering when it comes? We continue our series in 1 Peter, where he writes to prepare the ... Read More
Christ is risen! The resurrection of Jesus makes everything right; our sinfulness, our relationship with God, and our sense of purpose. The hope of resurrection life frees us to worship God and enjoy him forever.
The death of Jesus reveals God’s promises fulfilled and His grace and mercy towards us.
In Christ, Christians have died to sin and given new life. The old way of life of living out sinful, God-denying, desires is over. Instead, the believer is to live out the rest of his ... Read More
Elect exiles are to pursue the good life even in the midst of suffering, because Christ’s victorious suffering enables and empowers them to persevere.
Belonging to God, and secure in their true identity and hope, Christians are free to subject themselves to, and honour, their spouse.
Having been freed and given great privileges, Christians are to be good ‘subjects’, submitting under and respecting the authority of various human institutions that they are part of. Christians recognise the God-given role of earthly authorities. ... Read More
Believers are chosen in Christ to live in ways that glorify God. What a marvel and assurance is this good news, and what a challenge to our lives in exile here.
As elect exiles, our core identity is that we are children of God. Knowing this, we seek to maintain and nurture a child-like attitude towards our heavenly Father as we live in anticipation of our ... Read More
It is God’s great mercy that gives true hope that sustains believers through trials and testing. Christians persevere in the faith by understanding the great mercies of God poured out on the believer and the ... Read More
Nehemiah ends on a very low note, with the people of God returning to old ways of unholiness and disobedience. We’re led to long for a rescue, restoration, rebuilding and renewal that addresses the heart of ... Read More
Repentance follows being deep in God’s word and confession, acknowledging sin to be turned from, and recommitting to God’s Law and true worship.
A long history of unfaithfulness is confessed, recognising and owning their guilt, is contrasted to Yahweh’s utterly amazing faithfulness.
As we return to the Book of Nehemiah and pick it up from chapter 8, we see a new phase in the rebuilding process – the focus is now on the reforming of the people. ... Read More
Jesus extends an offer that is so unbelievably good and one we can’t refuse: come to him, all who are weary and heavy laden, and he will give you rest for your soul!
The exhortation and encouragement to stand firm together requires unity, effort, and grace.
The return of Jesus gives hope and comfort to those grieving death, and motivates us to godly living while we wait for Jesus’ appearing.
What’s the bare minimum I need to do to live a Christian life? As we explore 1 Thessalonians 4 we see Paul is completely against this kind of thinking. Instead, he instructs us to live ... Read More
Here’s a photo of the first service, 9:00am on the dot. Here’s a photo of that same service ten minutes later. And here’s a comparison between the two (use your mouse or finger to swipe ... Read More
The genuine gospel minister greatly desires and rejoices in seeing steadfast faith. Know and appreciate how your steadfast faith greatly encourages those who minister to you – it is truly good news to them! So ... Read More
Authentic gospel ministry that produces genuine faith is transparently honest, deeply personal, and is embraced as God’s Word.
As we start our new sermon series in 1 Thessalonians, Paul begins the first chapter overflowing with thankfulness for the work that God has done in the lives of the Thessalonians. Our passage shows us ... Read More
There is an urgent need for more churches for Christians to gather and then for them to scatter into their communities to gather more people into God’s church. As Christians, we are called to understand ... Read More
The gospel compels disciples of Jesus to pray for and raise up labourers to plant churches – which will require gospel convictions and various personal sacrifices to do so.
As the wall is finished the remnant are counted, and though small the number represents the future hope of Israel.
The lack of the fear of God in our hearts ruins the people and work of God. What is needed for us to fear God and not mistreat our brothers and sisters in God’s family ... Read More
God’s diverse people are devoted to the work of the LORD and can deal with difficulties because God is at work to achieve His purpose and provide protection. Being assured of this, God’s people are ... Read More
The grace displayed in the gospel of Jesus Christ redirects and reshapes our worship so that it is not focused on ourselves but directed towards God and welcoming of others. Knowing this, Christians are called ... Read More